We started the day at the Melk Abbey, a grand baroque building with 500 rooms dripping in opulence. Guides were lovely but I much preferred the scenic walk back down the hill thru the charming town of Melk to the extravagant abbey. Melk Abbey (Mary Curry)
Back onboard we had our nicest weather of the trip. We enjoyed the gorgeous scenery of the Wachau valley sailing downstream from Melk to Durnstein. Though there was still a chill in the air, I stayed cozy in the hot pool on the sundeck, admiring the castles we passed while soaking in the warmth!
After lunch we opted to skip the afternoon excursion in Durnstein so that we could decorate gingerbread cookies in the Chef's Table restaurant. We were given gluhwein and chef hats and went to work on our cookies! Making Gingerbread on the Amalea (Mary Curry)
When we finished, there was still an hour or so until sunset and Durnstein did look exceptionally charming so we decided to walk into town. At the front desk, the receptionist asked if we were walking up to the ruins of Durnstein castle perched high on the mountaintop overlooking the town. I hadn't thought we had time so I jumped at the offer and he gave us directions to the cobblestone walking trail. The walk up was lovely with signs talking about the history and legends of the area including the 4 months that Richard the Lionhearted had been imprisoned here. View from Durnstein Castle (Mary Curry)Durnstein Castle Ruins (Mary Curry)
Once at the top we had stunning views of the Danube and the Durnstein Abbey below. We had the fortress to ourselves as dusk fell over the mountaintop and the castle lights came on. Considering the castle was built nearly 900 years ago (1130), it was remarkably intact. Sitting over 1000 feet above the Danube, it is the most imposing structure in the area.
We made it back to town in time to catch a few souvenir shops still open and ride the 'fun train', a cute trolley, back to the ship.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.