gulliver
Unregistered User
(7/12/03 3:36 pm)

West and Southwest with Vagabond Tours

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IRELAND
WEST AND SOUTHWEST IN 9 DAYS
WITH VAGABOND TOURS

I recently returned from an amazing and unusual 9 day adventure experience to the West and Southwest of Ireland with an outfit called Vagabond Tours. (www.vagabond-ireland.com)

I was looking for a different outdoor adventure experience in Ireland. I totally enjoy outdoor adventure type vacations and have biked Ireland, France and the US many times. This time I was looking for an outdoor adventure which involved hiking, going to out of the way places and not spending a fortune to do it. I must admit that I am an avid biker who has enjoyed the expensive and luxurious biking experiences with B&R, Backroads and BikeRiders tours. These biking tours encompass the lap of luxury; staying at five star hotels and enjoying the best food the country has to offer ( one does not feel guilty eating this gourmet food cause we have biked an average of 30 miles a day and have earned it and for some reason the pounds do not add on)

This time, it would be on a more frugal note and to places in Ireland which are off the beaten track. I learned of Vagabond Tours through a Tid Bit note which appeared in Travel and Leisure some time ago. I checked their web site and they offered 4 and 5 day tours throughout Ireland experienced in a converted British Land Rover. I must admit that this really caught my eye cause I remember places in Ireland which I wanted to visit but were not reachable by ordinary car of bus. This black Land Rover ( which I soon learned was called “Truck”, not bus, car or the like, and for good reason) lived up to my expectations 100%.

The owner and currently the driver of Truck and the 4 and 5 day Ireland adventure is a chap named Rob Rankin. Rob is a 30ish, good looking Scot who emigrated to Ireland a few years back. While he currently is the chauffeur, trip planner and guide, once the word of this treasure of a vacation gets out, he will have a fleet of Land Rovers and guides.

Since I was going to Ireland for a vacation, I decided to do both the 4 and 5 day adventure tours. The only hang up with this scenario is that all trips emanate out of Dublin, so that once you end the 4 day trip you must go back to Dublin and pick up the 5 day trip. I am sure that if a 9 day trip is scheduled, Rob would not have to return to Dublin to pick up the next group.

Another reason I chose this program is that it started and ended in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland, which I did not visit on my last bike trip two summers ago. I was not disappointed! I enjoyed Dublin thoroughly. It is a small enough city that you can walk and see most of the sights in a couple of days. I stayed at the Paramount Hotel right on the fringes of Temple Bar and totally enjoyed this hotel and location. I was very happy it was not located directly in Temple Bar cause on the weekends you would not get much sleep ( unless you obtain a room facing a courtyard and have a good set of earplugs) The Irish breakfasts at the Paramount were fabulous and the service could not be better. The rates were very modest (100 euro per night ). I visited all of the “must see” sights recommended in Dublin and the three that stood out for me were the Guinness Storehouse ( I am partial to the pint of Guinness which a visitor receives at the end of the tour), St. Michans Church ( the catacombs, chock full of mummies, under this church are amazing) and the Law Courts.(I met a fellow barrister who was nice enough to take me around to a view a few trials in progress- all of the attorneys in Ireland look so neat and distinguished in their robes and wigs)

I must admit that I had a bit of hesitation at first when I was scheduled to meet the Vagabond Truck near Trinity College. I have never scheduled and paid for a vacation over the internet and did not know what to expect or if Vagabond would show up. You would not believe the contingency plans that I had, should this occur. However, right at the appointed time of 8:30 am, Rob showed up in Truck and at this point we met our fellow travelers.

For the 4 day trip to the Connemara and Burren, there were 4 guests, including myself.
The others were pack backer types who had just recently reserved a space. Turns out that the back packing couple were a lawyer from Vancouver and his college professor girlfriend. We all came from different generations and backgrounds but all had one thing in mind: a great adventure in the wild west Irish coast.

Rob Rankin certainly knows his sh_t!! He is an excellent guide, driver and companion. He knows all of the out of the way places that most tourists do not see or know about. You do most certainly visit the Cliffs of Moher, Clifden, Roundstone and the Burren. However, you see it as an adventure. Truck takes you up mountains and through pastures that no tourist bus would think of traveling. We stayed in small B&B’s which were clean, cheap (averaging about 35 Euros per person per night) and ate Pub grub for dinners. Most pub grubs were quite good with only one exception. However, the type of accommodations and eating venues can be arranged up front if you are traveling with a group of friends.

The 5 day trip covered the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle ( believe it or not this is why some people come to Ireland), the Beara Peninsula, Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula. Again, it was 4 of us with a bit different backgrounds and generations. Thankfully, there was an enchanting and effervescent lady from Ohio who was closer to my generation which made the trip a bit more sane. For all of Vagabond’s wonderful itinerary, routes and wonderful experience, there is one aspect of this trip which only Rob has total control over and which drove me “batty”. Seems he likes this type of music that his generation “devours” and with the young backpackers “egging “ him on, loved to play U-2, AC-DC a bit too loud and nerve-racking.

On the 5 day tour, thanks to my fellow traveler from Ohio who, with myself, seemed to reign in Rob just a bit and the music on the 5 day tour was toned down and more in the mood for enjoying the Irish countryside. As a sidenote, I became so accustomed to Rob’s “good”Irish tunes that I have asked him to make a CD of some of them ( no U-2 or some of the other forgettable tunes) which he promised he would do.

Each day began with a terrific and tummy filling Irish breakfast at one of the B&B’s we used. Rob had a penchant for beaches, cookouts and picnics. On each trip we barbecued at least once, on Omay Island in the Connemara and on a secluded beach near Castletownbere on the Beara Peninsula. We also hiked at least once each day for about an hour or two; visiting such secluded and interesting places as Cleary Island (we ferried over to this beautiful out of the way island) in the Connemara, Killarney National Forest and climbed the steep and rocky Croagh Mountain where it was said that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland.(he also banished me from ever attempting this climb again- I best leave it to the more sure-footed younger generation) We learned to play Gaelic volleyball on Silverstrand Beach near Roundstone in the Connemara (don’t ask Rob about this one cause the rules changed as the game progressed but, alas, the attorneys stuck it to Rob and the lass from the Netherlands in a close spirited match) Don’t ever think that a Scotch-Irishman holds a grudge. At the B&B the next night I was rewarded with the smallest room overlooking the laundry.....but life goes on and it was well worth it!)

The highlights of the trip were the sunset over Allihes on the Beara Peninsula and the Pub grub that night, the pub grub and music at McCanns Pub in Doolin, the charm of the little fishing village of Portmagee on the Iveragh Peninsula and of course, the Dingle Peninsula and the fabulous fish dinner at the Out of the Blue restaurant ( we splurged here) and the music at Murphy’s Pub. The hiking each day kept us in shape and we certainly visited some out of the way beautiful mountain ranges, waterfalls and beaches. The weather we had was fantastic; we had all sunny, clear and wonderful crisp days but for 2 days ( and what would Ireland be without a few days of rain). Rob certainly knows how to pick his spots. That’s what it’s all about.

In summary, I lucked out, so to speak. I could not have picked a better trip to Ireland and am looking forward to spending another week or so with Rob and Vagabond in the next year. ( I will bring my own music this time and stipulate in writing beforehand, probably through an affidavit, that I want equal time in the CD department)

As the old Irish proverb goes....
“May the road rise up to meet you,
And the wind be always at your back
And the days always be sunny, clear and crisp” (a bit of editorial license here)

Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions about these trips that I can be of assistance. Gulliver5440@yahoo.com

Gulliver

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1630
(7/19/03 12:09 am)

Excellent Trip Report

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Hi Gulliver,

Thanks so much for posting your very comprehensive trip report. I'm sure it will give everyone ideas about what to do and where to go for adventure in Ireland. It is always great to have first-hand recommendations. Sorry I didn't post before but I was out of town for a while and then wanted to clear up all the questions on the forum. I loved the note about the "batty" music. And only two days of rain during your trip was not bad at all. Thank you again!

Michele

Gulliver
Unregistered User
(7/19/03 8:07 am)
 
Ireland trip

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Thanks Michele,
BTW, when I refer, in my review, to alternate plans had Vagabond not shown up, I had a copy of your book in hand and a complete alternate itinerary planned. I even had a list of your B&B's, pubs and restaurants all underlined just in case. Your book is great although on this particular type of vacation, I did not have to use it that much (although I did use it in Dublin as well as your posts about Dublin on this thread)
To be honest, one of the main reasons I chose this type of vacation is that I do not drive in England, Scotland or Ireland cause they are nuts and drive on the wrong side of the road. In any event, after adding up the very inexpensive cost of this trip and the driving is included (but not the food or lodging) it made no sense for me to drive (even if I chose to do so). I could never find those little out of the way places or know where to stay or eat ( ie, Portmagee or Allihies, etc)
It is a great alternative to the bus, train or even renting a car . As long as there are no more than 6 persons in the Land Rover, it is very pleasant and when traveling alone, it is nice to eat and visit places with a few other travelers ( I traveled alone by bus a few years back and while I enjoyed the Southwest very much, it is a bit more pleasant sharing it with fellow travelers who are looking to enjoy the same things you are)

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1632
(7/20/03 1:57 pm)

Dublin Pubs

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Hi Gulliver,

It's always good when a trip exceeds expectations. You sound like my husband with backup plan A to Z when he travels. It sometimes comes in very handy when things don't go as planned.

Did you find some favorite pubs in Dublin?

Michele

P.S. It is usually the road less taken in Ireland that enchants.

gulliver
Unregistered User
(7/22/03 9:19 pm)
 
Dublin

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I will give you my favorite pubs in Dublin in the space of 2 days that I had to sample their fare ( the fare, of course were pints of Guinness)
Off of Grafton Street ( on Duke street to be more specific) I really enjoyed Davy Byrnes' Pub. The pub grub was quite good, the bartenders very personable and if it is not rainy sit on the porch and watch the world go by. I "visited" this pub on a number of occasions and felt at home.
O'Neills Pub near Trinity College was also good pub grub and a nice crowd.
For pubs with music, I think Oliver St. John Gogarty's in Temple Bar was the best, but stay away on weekends when it is impossible to fight the "hen" and bachelor parties at any of the pubs in the Temple Bar area. I found the other music pubs in the Temple Bar area very "touristy" and the music uninspiring. I would suggest on weekends visiting the other music pubs near St. Stephens Green, etc.
I did enjoy Osteria Romano-5 Crow Street in Temple Bar very much. This is a small, inexpensive Italian restaurant with terrific food. I also enjoyed Gallagher’s Boxty House- 20-21 Temple Bar- which had very good Irish food and was relatively inexpensive.
The Euro being what it is against the US dollar, everything is quite expensive in Ireland. A very simple dinner in a pub will set you back a minimum of $20 (and it goes up from there) The restaurants can be quite expensive but when on holiday, it's part of the trip's cost.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1640
(7/23/03 11:38 pm)

Dublin Pubs

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Hi Gulliver,

Thanks for the pub feedback. I'm glad you found some that you were comfortable hanging out in. You're right Temple Bar is a zoo on weekends (and can be at other times too).

Food prices went through the roof when Ireland changed from the punt to the euro. The restaurant owners claimed they just "rounded up" but I think it was an excuse to price gouge. Plus the exchange rate between the euro and dollar makes eating out sky high. So we make adjustments: have an early bird dinner, skip the appetizer, drinks and dessert and just get an entree. But as tourists we are a captive audience and must eat. Let's hope the dollar strengthens and we can pig out again in Ireland!

Michele