This summer, Ruth Ann embarked on a special trip to Ireland to celebrate a milestone birthday alongside her daughter and sister. After discovering Crystal Travel through our website, her daughter contacted Ann to help them plan an itinerary that matched both their preferences and budget. With a few adjustments, their dream vacation was finalized. Though the weather wasn’t quite in their favor, the women still made the most of their time in Ireland, creating lasting memories despite the unpredictable skies. Read on to see how they embraced the famous Irish weather and made their trip unforgettable!
Name
Ruth Ann
How would you rate your trip?
Who was your travel expert?
Ann
How were your accommodations?
Great – It was perfect to have “triple rooms” at both locations affording each of us our own bed. The G Hotel in Galway was modern and felt like “new Ireland.” Room was comfortable, lovely bathroom, helpful staff at front desk and concierge desk. The spa was fabulous. After an overnight flight with no sleep, it was nice to soak in thermal pools and saunas and steam baths. Great for relaxing before bedtime. Breakfast each morning was delicious
The Muckross Park Hotel was equally lovely but in a different way. It felt like “old, traditional Ireland” with it’s park-like setting and gardens outside and traditional decoration and spaces inside. The Yew Tree Restaurant where a delicious breakfast was served each day was also the home in the evening hours to a spectacular celebrity-chef venue with an outstanding 2 or 3 course meal. Again, all the people we interacted with at the hotel were lovely and helpful.
Did everything go smoothly with your transportation?
Yes – Thankfully, our flights in both directions were on time or early. Boarding went smoothly. We found it so much easier to fly in and out of Shannon versus Dublin. The food was pretty awful on the flight (lesson learned to bring your own snacks and a bite to eat).
What tours, attractions, or activities did you particularly enjoy?
Aran Islands/Cliffs of Moher tour out of the Galway Docks was very good. Extremely rough seas (10-15 foot waves) due to Hurricane Ernesto in the Atlantic on the return trip (probably 25% of the boat became sea sick), but the boat’s crew was quick with seasick bags and to help passengers to fresh air. The Off-Road Adventure of Inish Mor was really great. Padraig was gracious (even offering dry jackets and socks), knowledgeable and possessing Irish warmth and charm. Even on a miserable day with rain bucketing down, he made the tour enjoyable. The worm hole is on family-owned land so he was able to access places on the island others might not see.
The Gap of Dunloe Traditional Boat tour of the lakes of Killarney and horse and carriage ride through the gap is probably my favorite thing to do in Ireland. Again, because of the hurricane, we had very little good weather, but the sun shone on our ride through the gap and it was really beautiful. The Sea Safari out of Dingle was canceled because of the weather/seas.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
I loved driving bits of the Ring of Kerry, and Slea Head Drive. Again, the Traditional Gap of Dunloe tour on boat and horse drawn buggy are always favorites.
Would you travel with us again?
Yes!
How can we improve for next time?
Nothing! We were really pleased with all of Ann’s advice, bookings and help.
