A "New" Italy to Discover

As far as I could determine, no one in my group had any idea of the many wonderful things that were to be discovered in Pulgia. A few promo photos of Alberollo, with it's stone roofed houses, seemed to be the main reason that most of us were there. However, the food, history, hill top villages and the beautiful Adriatic Sea proved to be far more than just "frosting on the cake" for this trip.

More Italy

So many people think they have been to Italy until they find Puglia. Then, and only then, do they meet the real Italians, have fresh food, and see the wonders of Puglia. The group was filled with travelers who had never been to the boot heel of Italy, and everyone enjoyed the special treats that Puglia had to offer. I wish we had more time in Puglia--it would have been better to fly into Bari instead of Naples. I would have liked to have less hotels and more time in Puglia. But then we would miss the boat ride around Capri, which was magnificent.

puglia & southern italy

Well designed: Pompeii to start and Capri at end, with unique Puglia in between. Of Puglia's many experiences, my most memorable were Mont'Sant Angelo and St. Michael's sanctuary, the sassi of Matera, the trulli of Alberobello, and dining at Duke Guarini's vineyard. Improvements? Maybe extending the tour to include the Amalfi coast, switching some of the optionals to included, and changing the 3 2-night stays in Puglia into 2 3-night stays. Special thanks and kudos to our excellent tour director Katia Di Lovodico who shared insights into Italy's culture and customs and people, and was especially thoughtful and caring.

Undiscovered Italy

How many people do you know have ever been to the heel of Italy? The region of Puglia is largely uncharted territory for most American visitors. So when Go Ahead offered it as a new tour this year, we jumped at the chance to go. It absolutely exceeded our expectations. Imagine seeing the ancient ruins of Pompeii on the first day and ending with the spectacular Isle of Capri on the last day. But the real journey begins as we headed east toward the Adriatic Sea into the region of Puglia where the hills are green and rolling. The vistas are breathtaking, especially at 8,000 feet atop the Gargano Peninsula to the way to Monte Sant'Angelo. The fascinating trulli of Alberobello are white-washed dwellings with conical roofs made of limestone slabs. The ancient sassi of Matera are cave houses built thousands of years ago. See it all now, before Puglia becomes "discovered" by tourists.

a really good trip

Hotels were comfortable for a triple room, except for the Carlton in Sorrento.. Lisa Laurella didn't care for sleeping on a pullout chair. I noticed that the tour now has a different hotel in Sorrento. The tour to Castle De Monti was not impressive. Could have skipped that one. On a whole, the hotels, restaurants, food and tours were very good. The tour leader Katia was very good. Made our stay very enjoyable.

Wonderful trip to a beautiful place

Loved the combination of history and current aspects of Puglia. Having first a tour of an area, then time to strike out on our own was great. Our tour guide, Katia, was fun, enthusiastic and very helpful in any situation. Every day was a new learning experience, a new understanding of a culture contemporary, yet ancient. The combination of city, town and country was just great, with opportunities we would never have known about without GoAhead and our tour director. Wouldn't change a thing!

One of my best trips to Italy

This tour was paced with two nights at each location. I had never heard of Puglia even though I had visited Italy several times before. The small villages we entered were so interesting. The trulli, conical stone homes, were amazing. Of course I loved being back in Sorrento so I could shop and relax before the long flight home to Tenneseee. Every one interested in travel should see this area.

good, but needs fine tuning

the guided tours in some locales needed a little more substance or were difficult to sit through

Great tour of Southern Italy!

My first tour and it was a great experience. Interesting and in-depth discussions of each locale, museums, and Puglia with Linda, our tour director who was very knowledgeable of Southern Italy and all the places we stopped. Awesome sights in the various towns visited, with the historical trulli and sassi as really wonderful sites to experience. I rated this as more than a comfortable pace because some of the walking on uneven cobblestones and hilly terrain was difficult for some in the group. The hotel in Alberobello was excellent and luxurious...more than expected and a great stop for relaxation and to get a second wind for the rest of the trip, plus Alberobello is a town we could have spent more than a day investigating. Overall it was a great trip, with great optional trips to Otranto for the luscious meal and wine tasting, Mont Sant'Angelo with the gorgeous views and interesting historical town, and to the Grotte di Castellana, but particularly the masseria for the outstanding dinner and historical site.

Visiting the past in Puglia

Be prepared to go back in time to stone dwellings perched high and low. Visit the past in the present and be moved to contemplate life as you know it and what you might have experienced years ago and how the people conquered nature and the forces of nature. Relish the food and wine. Be prepared to be challenged and rewarded beyond your expectations.