How to make an adventure of your Gozo holiday
Baron Holiday Homes is proud of its reputation for providing guests with high quality self-catering apartments, villas and farmhouses. But having a great place to stay is only one element of a memorable holiday.
We understand holiday time is precious and we not only offer a range of in-house services to our guests (from a private chef to a pool-side massage), we have also forged partnerships with trusted local suppliers to help you, your family and your friends make the most of your visit to gorgeous Gozo.We call it the Baron Experience.
One of our leading partners is Gozo Adventures, which organises a wide range of sporting and ecotourism activities as well as day tours, family tours, corporate events, and team building activities.
We talked recently with Xavier Wambergue, owner and director of Gozo Adventures, to find out what makes the company tick and to hear more about the great range of activities they offer our guests.
1. How long has Gozo Adventures been running?
It was established back in 2006 as a climbing company, and expanded it's range of activities in 2011 to include the full range we offer today.
2. What does Gozo Adventures offer visitors to Gozo?
We offer archery, scuba diving, sea kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, hiking and segway tours so that visitors can enjoy some of Gozo’s beautiful scenery. We also arrange eco-cultural days where visitors can find out a little more about traditions and life in Gozo.
3. Who is in your team?
Visitors will probably encounter Alexandra in the office as she deals with enquiries and bookings. Then we have a team of experienced guides - Michael, Dorothy and David for sea kayaking, Didi and Stevie for climbing, J.C for biking, Mark for hiking, and you might even find me leading the eco-tours myself!
4. Can you tell us about the qualifications your instructors have?
Our sea kayaking instructors are all highly qualified guides and instructors in either the British Canoe Union or Irish Canoe Union systems. Our climbing guides have over 70 years of climbing experience between the two of them, and have opened many of the routes in Gozo. We can truly say that between our team we really have kayaked, climbed, cycled, walked and snorkelled the whole of the island!
5. And do customers need to get special travel insurance or does Gozo Adventures have all that covered?
Our activities should all be covered by your standard holiday insurance policy but do check your policy wording to be on the safe side. But yes - Gozo Adventures is a fully licensed and insured company.
6. What makes Gozo Adventures different?
We love Gozo and enjoy showing it to others. We try to keep our our group sizes small so that we offer the highest quality of experience we can. This means that we can keep you safe and concentrate on having fun or answering your questions.
Hopefully you come back from a day with us feeling like you have achieved or learnt something and not just ‘seen’ things.
7. Do you enjoy your job?
In the summer high season it can be a very stressful job as we are operating at full capacity and issues of transport, parking and weather can all interfere with our careful timetabling. But when I read a review saying that a trip with us was the best day of someone’s holiday it then all feels worthwhile!
8. Do customers have to be experienced in a particular sporting activity to try it?
Not at all! Although our experienced guides can cater for experienced sports people and offer training courses, the majority of our clients have never tried the activity before. We ask a few questions when you book, so that our guides have some idea of your level.
We then spend time on safety and basic instruction, and always tailor the distance / speed / difficulty to suit the ability level of the group. Our aim is to give you the right balance of instruction and fun so that you build confidence and hopefully want to try the activity again!
9. Do you offer any activities for families and groups?
We have insurance for visitors of 8 years and up to take part in our activities, so often work with family groups - whether for a day trip, or for a longer holiday where families can try out different activities each day.
The same can be offered to groups of any kind. And we also arrange team building events for corporate clients.
10. What would you recommend for a fabulous day out in Gozo – for a) a young couple; b) a young family; c) a family with teenagers; d) an older couple, or group of friends?
a. Sea kayaking - we take it easy in summer as its so hot, so mix sea kayaking with some snorkelling stops, and a lunch stop. It's our most requested trip and will provide you with plenty of Instagram moments. We have single and double kayaks to choose from.
b. Sea kayaking - but perhaps with our sit-on-top kayaks which are more stable - and perhaps for a shorter half-day tour as it's hard work for the parents to do all the paddling!
c. We can keep teenagers busy for multiple days as they love all our activities! So ask us about multi-day offers!
d. For older clients / groups we recommend our Eco-Cultural Day. This takes you to a few places which you wouldn’t usually have access to as a tourist, and where you can meet some locals and ask them directly about food, culture and life in Gozo.
We don’t give too much away, as we’re never quite sure about who we will meet, or what you will ask!
11. What's the best review you've ever received?
We have many glowing online reviewsand the team can take the full credit for them as the guide on the day is very much the face of the company.
Personally I think the one which means the most to me was a family who came on a kayaking trip. The following summer they came again with extra family members and also asked us to arrange some other activities and a boat party for them. Then they contacted us another year to ask if we would be able to organise a wedding!
That they trusted our organisational skills and knowledge of the island as well as the quality of our activities and service was very satisfying. There is now a baby - and hopefully a new generation of Gozo Adventures customers!
12. How long have you been working with Baron Holiday Homes?
Since 2011. It's a perfect match as we both offer a high level of service to our customers and always make sure guests have a good time. :-)
Ask us for help
Baron Holiday Homes is happy to organise your next adventure, car hire, tours of Gozo, and special activitiesfor our guests.
Just get in touch and we'll tell you all you need to know about walks near to your rental property, special events in villages nearby, and other local information.
Posted in Activity, Adventure, Baron Experience, Partnerships, Summer, Things to do
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