Slovenia activity holiday
| country: | Slovenia |
| location: | Julian Alps |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Sep |
| price: | From £645 - £725 (8 days) excluding flights. Single supplement £35. Price includes 7 nts hotel full board, transfers, activities, equipment and guides. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The towering peaks of the Julian Alps provide a stunning backdrop for a fabulous range of adventure sports based on, and around, the fast flowing River Soca. This is the active way to explore Slovenia’s alpine pastures, canyons and rivers and, at the same time, meet some of the friendliest people we have encountered on our travels. This part of the Soca Valley is one of Europe’s best guarded secrets and has avoided the crowds that flock to Bled, Bohinj and Bovec. Our advice is to get yourself there while the going remains good.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Transfers, introduction & dinner . We will meet you at Trieste Airport and transfer across the Italy/Slovenia border to our accommodation. After settling in there will be an introductory dinner |
| Day 2: | White water rafting. Straight into the action this morning with the perfect introduction to the River Soca. There’s fun and games between rafts before the more serious rafting begins further downstream. It’s also a great way to get acquainted with others on the trip. Lunch at the hotel. |
| Day 3: | Mountain biking. The route today will vary according to the ability of the group. Regardless, a day of cycling on the undulating back roads and tracks of the Soca Valley will take you past rivers and waterfalls and up and down alpine valleys. It’s fabulous cycling country, picnic lunch included. |
| Day 4: | Kayak tuition & development. Once you have mastered the basics, kayaks give you the freedom to explore almost any river. During the morning we concentrate on tuition and, in the afternoon, we put our new found skills to the test on a Grade I to II stretch of river. Picnic lunch included. |
| Day 5: | Exploration trek . Our trek takes us into the stunning Polog Valley, possibly the most beautiful in Slovenia. As well as exploring the jaw-dropping scenery, we’ll cross a river on a gondola bridge and visit an amazing WW1 bunker. Picnic. |
| Day 6: | Mini-rafting . A full day on the Soca in our two person inflatable kayaks. Mini-rafts give you far more control than white water rafts and with a barbecue lunch to break up your descent this is a day that will last long in the memory. |
| Day 7: | Canyoning and night canoeing . Following lunch we head for the Trebusa Canyon where we have sole access rights. After a 20 minute uphill walk to our start point we descend the canyon via a series of slides, jumps, ducks and dives culminating in an exhilarating rope-assisted descent of a 27m waterfall. After lunch at the hotel, the afternoon is free to pack and relax before our farewell dinner and the final activity of the week, night canoeing. We follow a gentle 4km stretch of river in inflatable kayaks with only the stars in the Slovenian night sky to light our way. Watch out for shooting stars, the record on this descent is ten! |
| Day 8: | Departure. After breakfast we return to Trieste Airport. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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The area of the Soca Valley is a superb example of local people working together to ensure that the local environment, which is the lifeblood of their economy, is protected against the influx of mass tourism. The River Soca is so clean that you can simply drink from its clear waters without fear. Building is strictly controlled and there is only one hotel in the town of Tolmin, which by definition regulates the amount of tourism which the area sustains annually.
The Zavadlav family run The Hotel Krn in the centre of Tolmin. All staff are from the town itself, all produce is sourced locally and the hotel promotes recycling of produce wherever possible and encourages guests equally to do so. Furthermore the hotel stimulates the local economy further by promoting local wines and spirits which would not normally find a commercial outlet. In Slovenia we actively encourage the development of the training of local guides who receive their diplomas from the University of Ljubljana. Our presence allows these guides to develop their international language skills through constant interaction with our groups. Tolmin itself lies on the edge of the Triglav National Park. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |