Vamos Todos — Local services in Jdaidet El Matn

I have recently returned to Lebanon and have been looking for ways to deepen my understanding of the country and to visit more places while I am here.

So I joined Vamos Todos on a recent walk near the village of Jahliyeh in the Chouf mountains. Here is what I found.

I was warmly welcomed by the leader Mark and his team when I joined the group. For the entire trip I found everyone to be courteous, helpful and friendly - Mark took the time to know people's names and to speak to us in our own languages, english, french and arabic.

The walk was very well organised with very clear safety measures - Our guides walked at the front, rear and centre of the group and communicated constantly with each other by radio. I was very confident that in the unlikely event of an accident, that the team would have been more than capable of dealing with it.

Mark constantly engaged with all of us, sharing information and stories, making for a really interesting and enjoyable walk - Our group consisted of a nice mix of Lebanese and international walkers, with all ages and abilities represented. At no time did I feel rushed or hurried, and I really liked the way we were all brought along together.

The route chosen was really beautiful, and included lots of variation - I got some beautiful pictures of forests and waterfalls, as well as some really lovely hill side scenes and views. Mark spoke frequently and knowledgeably about the flora and fauna of the area and was very happy to repeat the information in a different language or if people didn't hear the first time.

Our walk concluded with a beautiful lunch which we ate together under the trees at the end of our trail. The overall atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed, which encouraged us all to engage with each other as we walked and when we sat down to eat.

In short, Vamos Todos gave me a thoroughly authentic and enjoyable experience - I have rarely had a better day as part of an organised group. It is very competitively priced and I certainly felt that I received great value for my money - I would gladly have paid more to receive the same experience. We were led along our path in a gentle and very respectful manner, and all the team were very attentive, helpful and polite.

I recommend Vamos Todos with all my heart - I will certainly walk with them many more times while I am in Lebanon - If you are looking for a special day out as an individual or as a family then this is for you - Hope to...

In short: Mixed feelings about my trip with Vamos Todos, honestly. Our guide, Mark, was not professional and behaved unfriendly. 👎

I joined them for a hiking trip + wine tour mid March 2022. Before we arrived at our starting point, we stopped for breakfast along the way. It was a nice place which is why I decided to grab one last pastry before leaving. Though while I was inside to order, our guide decided that it‘s time to leave now: prior to our arrival, no strict times or when we’d leave were communicated. As I waited for my order, they all boarded the bus - which I could not see nor know from inside! Then my friend ran inside to tell me that the guide wants to leave NOW and that he will not wait another minute. My order was only finished that very moment and I sprinted back to the bus. There, I was greeted by the words „We have been waiting for you, you are late“ and then „Next time when someone is late, you will have to take a taxi.“ For me, this is not only unprofessional but unfriendly too. Again, we were not told when we would have to leave. Then, the guide didn‘t even come inside himself to inform me but rather sent someone: he didn’t care about me. This is unacceptable as 1) I‘m a foreigner and he‘s Lebanese, I don‘t know how things work around here but he should and 2) I paid 500k LL for the trip, more than any other tour organizer asks for. Given this, I expect even more some professionalism. Also, he did not show some sort of compassion (acknowledging the fact that he did not tell us a fixed time) but only told me that I would be on my own the next time. Excuse me?! I paid good money and I am a guest, this is not how one should be treated. The hike was with another guide which made it more enjoyable, the wine tour could be improved (we had to drink 7 wines from only 1 glass which altered their tastes) and I honestly expected more from the lunch. Considering how stressed the guide was with times - during lunch he told us to hurry several times while we were having nice conversations - it‘s ironic that we were back in Beirut already at 3pm but not at 4pm what we were told beforehand. While I enjoyed the region we visited, the unprofessional and unfriendly behavior from our guide completely ruined the trip for me. I hope that he will show more understanding and empathy for his next guests - open communication would also help. Personally, because of this bad experience, I don‘t think that I will join one of their...

Poor communication, poor organization, poor service. The hiking guide did not stay with the slowest of the group, some of whom were having real difficulty. For those who only did part of the hike, the 1-hour wait for the rest of the group ended up being 3 1/2 hours. No responsibility taken by the operators, who wouldn't discuss our concerns and didn't respond to messages. Very unprofessional and not value for money at all. The lunch catering and venue were excellent however.

This is my 6th trip to Lebanon and I have toured the country a lot. This was a negative experience I would not...