Holiday Stories

Get inspired by some of the amazing experiences of our holidaymakers.

Spring in Iceland

“The raw natural beauty of Iceland, with its geysers, glacier fields, hot springs and waterfalls, is stunning. How could I not want to visit a country that’s known as the land of ice and fire?

Keith Lauder with the dog sled in Iceland The Icelanders are keen to keep their heritage alive, and even on our way from the airport we visited a traditional Icelandic house and a Viking long ship. What a start to our trip. The next day, after a sightseeing tour of Reykjavik, we visited the Blue Lagoon, where we swam in the mineral waters heated by the volcano. I felt great afterwards - refreshed and, dare I say, youthful!

Then we really experienced the natural beauty of Iceland. We visited the Gullfoss waterfall in the Thingvellir National Park. It is frozen for most of the year, though luckily not for us, but it was so windy we had to hang on to each other for dear life! Next we moved on to the Rift Valley at Pinguellia, then up to the Strokur Geyser, which very kindly erupted for us.

To cap it all, on our free day I got the chance to fulfil yet another dream of mine, dog sledging – 'Wow!' I remember thinking ‘the folks back home will be so jealous’. Seven husky dogs pulled us for over an hour across the ice – it was the ride of a lifetime!”

Keith Lauder, April 2008
Keith has been travelling the world with Vitalise Holidays for over 12 years

Sighted Guides – join us in Iceland this September

Help more visually impaired people experience the holiday of a lifetime by becoming a sighted guide on our next trip to Iceland. Details of our upcoming Iceland holiday, September 2008

Skiing in Livigno, Italy

“When I first heard about being a sighted guide, I thought ‘I could do that’, and I haven’t looked back. The week I spend each year with Vitalise is one of the most enjoyable week’s skiing of the season.

Two skiiers The highlight of the week in Livigno was when we went out with visually impaired skiers Mark and Jim. The guides were myself, Peter and David. David was our safety man, he comes down behind the skiers, watching for danger, sweeping in when needed and generally protecting the group.

We skied hard and fast all day. The thrill of doing a run of 1,302 meters top to bottom, with these guys matching each other turn for turn, is just unexplainable. Take your best run ever and then double the thrill you got and you’ll be getting close to the immense exhilaration, pleasure and reward that we get from being associated with these skiers.”

Adrian Eastwood, February 2008

Canal boating in Shropshire

"When I volunteered as a sighted guide, I selected a canal boat holiday as my first choice. I met visually impaired holidaymakers Michael and Daniel and fellow guides, Ian and Glen, all Carole (left) with the canal boating group under the wing of tour leader Alison.

Our boat, Shropshire Lass, was to be our home for the week and we set about learning the ropes – literally!

As a sighted guide, I described the passing scenery and warned the holidaymakers of potential hazards – including overhanging branches and giant nettles! We cruised from Lyneal to Llangollen, passing from England to Wales through stunning scenery, over two spectacular aqueducts, through numerous tunnels - including one at Chirk which was 1,400 feet long! - and negotiated two sets of locks and one swing bridge.

Before we knew it, our week’s journey was over. I came away with a much better awareness of visual impairment. Neither Michael nor Daniel let it stop them from trying new things. I would definitely recommend sighted guiding. You just need to be prepared to muck in, be flexible and above all, ready for a laugh!"

Carole Johnson, September 2007

A trip to Rome

"One of the highlights of my trip to Rome was guiding Margaret around the Vatican museum and the amazing Sistine Chapel. I trawled my vocabulary for every adjective that could paint a verbal picture of the sight of this masterpiece. The warden understood what I was trying to do and allowed me to continue talking. There were amazing wall hangings and painted ceilings everywhere, but after the Sistine Chapel these were hardly noticed - it must have been a ‘ceiling too far’ for most people. How easy it is to take the things you see for granted.

Being a sighted guide can be tiring. It can be hard work at times and it certainly tests your descriptive powers, but it also brings a whole new dimension to your own interaction with your surroundings. As a guide you see more - you have to - you are always looking for the best things to explain and describe to the person you are guiding. I had been to Rome several times before, but I had never experienced it like I did this time."

Paul Stanbrook, February 2007