To essentially expertise Eire – it is advisable to really feel it – really feel its land, its rain, its temperate local weather and most of all – its soul. This can be a nation that can not be rushed and exploring it on foot is among the greatest methods to expertise it. This permits you the chance to satisfy the locals, come head to head with hundreds of years of historical past and see what it’s that makes Irish folks so distinctive.
I’ve partnered with information extraordinaire, Rachel Nolan of Rachel’s Irish Adventures, to place collectively an Ottsworld tour that may carry Nation Mayo’s landscapes, mountaineering, native tradition, and distinctive touches collectively in an unimaginable personalized tour.
Overview and Map
Dates: April 20 – 27, 2024
Value: €2,780* (€450 single complement)
This can be a small group tour – solely 7 folks + me! The area will refill quick so join shortly.
*All costs might be charged within the Euro – some USD value fluctuations might happen by the point of your last fee – nonetheless you’ll be able to pay in full at any time and lock within the value.
This isn’t your run of the mill Eire tour. That is an unique personalized Ottsworld tour within the firm of me as your host, accompanied by our skilled native Irish information – Rachel. Our small group of seven folks will get to go to a few of Eire’s greatest stored secrets and techniques, hike on distant trails, keep in boutique lodging, meet locals, expertise distinctive Irish tradition, and benefit from the lush inexperienced of the Eire panorama within the spring.
I will even supply pictures instruction for these of you who’re serious about bettering your pictures (telephone or digicam). As well as, I might be taking pictures of your entire tour and every visitor will get a obtain of all photographs I take. So if you happen to don’t need to take footage – I’ll do it for you!
The journey will discover all the fantastic thing about County Mayo’s stretch of shoreline alongside the Wild Atlantic Manner and it’s islands. What’s that – you haven’t heard of County Mayo? That’s precisely why I selected it! It’s a hidden gem away from the closely traveled websites in Eire.
Whereas most individuals head to the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher, we’ll have the gorgeous shoreline of County Mayo all to ourselves.
Tips on how to E book This Tour
I’d like to speak to you first to reply any of your questions previous to you reserving. Subsequently observe these steps to guide:
- Ship me an e mail at [email protected] letting me find out about your curiosity. We are going to arrange a name to debate any questions you have got. This might be on a primary come first serve foundation – there are solely 7 spots out there on this tour.
- I’ll ship you a fee hyperlink to Rachel’s web site the place you’ll be able to guide your deposit and safe your spot for this practice tour. 500€ non refundable deposit is required to safe spot.
- Closing fee is due January 21, 2024 (90 Days previous to April 20, 2024)
Cancellation Coverage and Payment
- When you cancel greater than 90 days earlier than the beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose the deposit quantity.
- When you cancel between 89 – 42 days earlier than beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose 50% of vacation value
- When you cancel lower than 42 days earlier than the beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose 100% of the vacation value
I extremely advocate that you simply get journey insurance coverage to cowl any dangers of cancellation. I usually use Allianz Journey Insurance coverage for my very own travels and it is vitally fairly priced.
Day by day Itinerary
The itinerary is one-of-a-kind and is filled with included experiences comparable to a number of ‘spa’ experiences, visits to sheep farms, entrance to historical websites, lamb cuddling, cooking expertise, falconry, whiskey tasting, and the prospect to satisfy a variety of locals. As well as, we now have included loads of hikes, walks, and even some biking!
Observe: The journey begins in Ballina and ends in Westport. You can be reponsible on your personal transportation to the beginning and from the end, nonetheless there’s a common practice and buses which might be straightforward to take from Dublin with a number of departures instances throughout any given day.
Day 1 – April 20 – Arrival in Ballina Eire
Your vacation kicks off within the charming city of Ballina in County Mayo the place your information will meet you on arrival and switch you to the resort. Settle into your room and take within the magnificent view over the River Moy and Belleek Woods, go to a museum, and luxuriate in a river stroll.
Get pleasure from a day baking expertise in Marjorie’s kitchen, hosted by Rachel’s mom in her kitchen. Marjorie is the writer of 4 cookery books and loves nothing greater than to share her ardour within the kitchen, adopted by savoring the fruits of your labor over a sizzling cuppa tea.
We are going to take pleasure in a welcome dinner for the group to get to know each other. After diner in case you have any power left, we’ll hit the city and go to Pat Rouse’s bar, Ballina’s oldest family-owned pub the place a conventional Irish music session and singsong will go on late into the evening. Chances are you’ll even get the prospect to drag your individual pint of Guinness.
Day 1 Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Sligo Coast – Following the traces of the Historic Queen Maeve of Connacht
After a refreshing sleep and a scrumptious breakfast. It’s off to hit the paths of Mayo and get our boots soiled for the primary time. In the present day we’ll hike the great Knocknarea hill and add a stone to the hundreds adorning the imposing grave or cairn of Maeve, the nice warrior queen, which overlooks Strandhill.
Distance: 7.5km | Elevation acquire 404m | 2-3 hours
It’s time to take pleasure in an natural, fair-trade espresso on the excellent Shells Café which overlooks the strand, having fun with certainly one of their delicious selfmade treats. With time to chill out and discover this quaint location.
Go to Aughris Head Seaside bar – a conventional thatch roof pub and luxuriate in a warming Irish espresso.
Get pleasure from a very distinctive native expertise and unwind with a seaweed bathtub in Enniscrone. Seaweed baths are literally a centuries-old observe in Eire. Courting again to the twelfth century, monks harvested the seaweed from the coastlines and gave it to the poor as a nourishing meals. We’ll take pleasure in a soak on the 100+ 12 months previous Kilcullen’s Tub Home perched proper on the coast the place they harvest their seaweed.
Get pleasure from a hearty dinner in Ballina and conventional Irish music at Lilly’s Bar.
Day 2 Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3: Conventional Irish Trades & Treats
Begin the morning assembly and dealing with birds of prey. The Birds of Prey Expertise is a singular alternative to satisfy and deal with quite a lot of Birds on the Mount Falcon Aviary. Get a captivating perception into the lives of those magnificent creatures and get the prospect to carry and admire them shut up; it’s a really visceral and satisfying expertise!
Tour the Foxford Woollen Mills and be taught the historical past of the mill in addition to how vital it’s to the close by village. Have an opportunity to buy any wool mementos. Get pleasure from lunch on the Woolen Mills Cafe.
Head again to Ballina and get fitted for bikes at Rachel’s bike shed. We’ll cycle to the Monasteries of the Moy, discover the Belleek woods, and Rosserk Abbey. There might be a number of events to cease off and take footage and be taught concerning the historical past and traditions of the area…just like the Fairy Path!
For anybody who doesn’t need to cycle right this moment, an alternative choice is to relax out and luxuriate in a calming therapy in an award-winning spa (at your individual value).
This night you have got an actual deal with earlier than dinner. A whiskey appreciation masterclass, your whisky professional will take you thru a collection of Irish Whiskey and educate you on this world-famous spirit and its origins. Style the completely different whiskeys and ask any questions you will have. Following the masterclass, we’ll have dinner at Quay West.
Day 3 Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 4: North Mayo coast (The Ceide Coast)
Depart Ballina with a scenic drive to the coast the place we’ll take a straightforward strolling route alongside the coast to a hidden seaside. We’ll additionally make a cease on the iconic Downpatrick Head the place your information will carry this place to life with information and folklore about time passed by.
Now it time to reward you on your morning’s journey with some scrumptious lunch and residential baked treats at Mary’s Cottage Kitchen. The right place to cease for some tasty house cooking located within the coastal village of Ballycastle. Mary’s Cottage Kitchen was constructed within the early 1800’s and maintains many conventional options such because the stone wall exterior, open loft, uncovered beams, flag flooring and a very good open fireplace.
Subsequent, it’s time to go to the fantastically Ceide Fields which is the oldest, most in depth Stone Age monument on the earth, which lies beneath our ft! Consisting of megalithic tombs, fields and homes, the relics are softly lined by a pure blanket lavatory, which itself is a surprise with its distinctive wildlife. Put together to be blown away on the viewing platform on the fringe of the 110-metre cliff shut by.
Tonight we keep on the luxurious Ceide Glamping Pods. Every of the 6 Glamping Pods comes with a shocking coastal view. And one of the best half is that we are going to have your entire space to ourselves. We’ll take pleasure in dinner within the frequent space whereas we benefit from the sound of the waves crashing on the coast.
Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Off the Overwhelmed Path
After a refreshing sleep and a scrumptious breakfast. It’s off to hit one of the beautiful trails in County Mayo. This area of the Wild Atlantic Manner has a few of the most dramatic shoreline to be discovered wherever in Eire. The hike we’ll take pleasure in right this moment was described in Lonely planet as “The best sustained coastal stroll in western Eire, with a profusion of precipitous cliffs, crags, caves, chasms and islands alongside the distant North Mayo coast”.
Distance: 7km | Elevation acquire: 300m | 2-3 hours
After the difficult hike reward your self with a conventional heat whiskey and lunch at Connoly’s Pub and luxuriate in assembly some locals at this tiny, distant institution.
Drive to Ballycroy Nationwide Park. Situated on the Western seaboard in northwest Mayo, the park covers an unlimited 15,000 hectares of uninhabited and unspoilt wilderness, dominated by the Nephin Beg mountain vary. To the west of the mountains is the Owenduff Lavatory, one of many final intact energetic blanket lavatory programs in Western Europe. If time permits we’ll do a brief stroll there.
Drive to Achill Island, the most important of the Irish isles but it solely has 2500 inhabitants. Right here we’ll keep on the secluded Bervie B&B. The magical beachside home was as soon as a coast guard station, and since 1932 has been the final word escape for the numerous company who’ve stayed right here. It’s a low, tucked-in form of place with somewhat wicket gate giving direct entry to the seaside. There’s an other-worldliness concerning the Bervie that may be very uncommon nowadays.
In any case of that mountaineering – take pleasure in some sizzling & chilly Atlantic remedy! Heat up within the cute beachside saunas after which cool off with a refreshing dip within the Atlantic Ocean…and repeat. Dinner at Bervie B&B.
Included: Breakfast
Day 6: Achill Island & Clew Bay
After having fun with one of the best breakfast on Achill Island, we’ll drive to Keem seaside which is honored as the most effective seashores on the earth. From there we’ll hike as much as Eire’s highest sea cliffs (it’s steep – however quick)!
Subsequent we’ll go to the Abandoned Village at Slievemore which consists of some 80 – 100 stone cottages situated alongside a mile lengthy stretch of street on the southern slopes of Slievemore mountain. Settlement on this space dates from a minimum of early Mediaval instances and we’ll get to stroll by means of the village on a straightforward street stroll.
After lunch on the island we’ll drive in the direction of the village of Westport. We will have a ‘select your individual journey’ afternoon with a number of stops to select from relying on curiosity, climate, time, and so forth)
Keep within the fashionable city of Westport tonight the place we’ll take pleasure in dinner, dwell music, and iconic pubs.
Included: Breakfast
Day 7: Killary Fjord & South Mayo
Morning drive alongside Clew Bay and cease on the iconic Croagh Patrick to take pleasure in views of the notorious peak that hundreds pilgrimage to the highest of.
Lunch outdoor if climate permits. For the animal lovers, we get to visist an iconic Eire sheep farm. The Killary Sheep Farm in Connemara is a conventional working mountain farm with approx 200 ewes and lambs roaming freely within the mountain overlooking Killary Fjord, on the Wild Atlantic Manner. Right here we’ll get to see a sheep canine demonstration, be taught concerning the farm, and even get to cuddle some spring lambs!
We’ll head again to Westport the place you’ll get time to do some last souvenier procuring and luxuriate in extra of the colourful city. We’ll have our goodbye dinner (how did it go so quick?!) in Westport that night the place we will share our favourite Eire recollections and enjoy our new friendships.
Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: April 27 – Departure Day
After breakfast you’ll be able to catch the practice again to Dublin, or perhaps you’ll determine to stay round and luxuriate in extra of Eire’s west coast!
Prepare to Dublin (direct):
- 07:15 – 10:27
- 09:45 – 13:04
- 13:10 – 16:29
- 18:20 – 21:36
(Occasions could be barely completely different in 2024)
Bus to Galway:
- 06:18
- 09:19
- 12:27
- 15:19
- 18:19
(Approx. 2 hours)
What’s Included
- 7 nights keep in an en-suite room at our premium hand-picked lodging.
- Scrumptious Full Irish breakfast every morning, and three Dinners.
- 7 days actions with an professional Irish information who will accompany the group at some stage in the vacation
- All experiences as outlined within the itinerary; Whiskey Tasting, Foxford woollen mills, Baking class, Seaweed bathtub, Ceide fields, Sheep canine demonstration, Sauna Achill Island, Bike rental.
- Courtesy transfers to and from every day’s strolling places and all transport as outlined within the itinerary.
- Fundamental pictures instruction through the journey.
- Entry to a full gallery of photographs (shot by me!) of your entire journey, you need to use for private functions.
What’s Not Included:
- Flights to/from Eire
- Transportation to Ballina and departure from Westport
- Journey Insurance coverage
- Some dinners and lunches
- Private drinks
- Medical prices
- Gratuities
Our Superior Native Information
When you have got the suitable information, it will possibly ‘make’ a complete journey! Rachel is the final word out of doors information. She’s an unimaginable athlete and such an exquisite advocate of her house area in County Mayo. Considered one of my favourite issues about staying in Ballina is that it’s the city she grew up in (and nonetheless lives there) and with that comes unimaginable native connections. Actually, we may have particular cooking class from her mom. It doesn’t get far more native than that! Plus, Rachel ensures that we all know everybody on the town introducing us to the bartenders once we go right into a pub, restaurant homeowners, and even the native man who smokes fish.
Critiques
What makes this tour ‘Ottsworld’? This isn’t your common tour…it’s an Ottsworld tour. I need to confess – that I’m form of a journey snob. I don’t love to do the ‘anticipated’ or see the standard sights; I like to hunt out the weird, and fewer traveled. I’ve labored collectively very intently with Rachel to place collectively a tour that impresses even me! It has all of my favourite parts in it: mountaineering, native journey, booze, hands-on native experiences, and pictures. Sure – all of this in solely 8 days! Right here what previous company needed to say under.
“Positively a ten! I actually loved the truth that the tour was a “white glove supply” experience- the whole lot was so meticulously deliberate so we didn’t have to fret about transportation, meals, what we’re doing for the day, or if we’re attempting to an excessive amount of or not sufficient. I went again to reread the outline of the tour (printed in Could) after we returned house and couldn’t consider that we hit EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM. AS. PLANNED
“It was excellent for me, a bit difficult however that’s what I like. The primary day was essentially the most lovely, second essentially the most difficult, third very fascinating with the steps by means of the woods.”
“undoubtedly met expectations and in addition uncovered me to issues I’m positive I’d not have thought of if I used to be planning a visit.”
“Meals was AWESOME – approach higher than anticipated. Appreciated doing issues I’d not have achieved by myself”
“Thanks on your endurance in serving to us seize wonderful recollections! The one factor I knew earlier than your class was the rule of thirds, and now I’ve an ideal basis of information to construct upon- no extra level and shoot! Instagram be careful!”
Who Ought to Take into account This Tour?
- Individuals who prefer to discover the lesser-known locations, and be adventurous and energetic.
- People who find themselves versatile. Try to be prepared to exhibit flexibility, as itineraries might change attributable to climate, and it helps in case you have a ‘prepared to strive new issues’ perspective.
- Individuals who don’t thoughts getting moist or having fun with the thrill of inclement climate.
- Individuals who really feel comfy mountaineering 3 to five miles in uneven terrain.
Photographs
If in case you have any questions – please be at liberty to contact me at [email protected]. I’m glad to reply something concerning the journey!
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