This was my second solo trip with MBA and definitely won’t be my last.
The accommodation is a hotel (not a campsite which is referenced sometimes on this page) a short (hilly) walk down to / up from the beach and plenty of bar / restaurant options in Cala Gonone. The hotel was spotlessly clean with rooms being cleaned and bathroom towels changed every day - you can hire beach towels from the hotel if you don’t want to pack one. The views from the hotel terrace of the Sardinian coast were just stunning (pictures do not do it justice).
The breakfast included at the hotel each morning is a lot better than the pictures shown on this page. On the days lunches were provided by the hotel, the portions are generous, tasty and better than just a sandwich e. g. rice, pasta, couscous. They were always vegetarian to cater for everyone in the group. Lactose and gluten free were also catered for. You need space to pack your lunches in your bag each day so make sure you bring a back pack big enough to carry a lunch box, water and anything else you need for the day, e. g. towel, swimwear. The first evening meal is provided by the hotel and the final evening meal is at an Agriturismo which was my favourite meal of the week.
Ivan, our guide would usually meet us around 9am for activities and would leave us around 2pm. This meant that people that arrived in groups of 2 were able to do their own thing and people that came as solos were able to have solo time. Ivan was able to move some of the activities around depending on the weather and also so two people that arrived a day late didn’t miss out on the more exciting activities. I loved the variety of activities across the week but the boat trip was my favourite day however, it would’ve been better if the trip finished later to allow more time on the beaches / coves. We didn’t do any snorkelling the whole week which I was disappointed about. The kayaking activity is sunrise sea kayaking, not lake kayaking like it says on the page due to a sewage issue in the lake. Our kayaking trip was cut short due to strong winds however Ivan arranged an easy hike and lunch for us instead. As some of the other reviews have mentioned some activities e. g. Coasteering and kayaking could have done with a second guide even with us not being a full group (we were a group of 9) but appreciate 1 guide is probably to keep the costs down. In the absence of a second guide, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to spend the week with. We all supported each other through every activity.
This trip is ideal if you’re looking for a mixture of activities and free / chill time but maybe not ideal for someone that wants to be kept busy / active by a guide all day / week.
All in all, it was a great week with a great group of mixed aged (30-60 year olds) and mixed experience people that got stuck in to every activity.