Transylvania Trail

This adventurous seven night trail begins at Equus Silvania in Sinca Noua and involves a 150km journey on horseback through the hills and medieval villages back to the riding base at Sinca Noua.

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Reviews:

"Romania is a perfect riding country, to be honest it exceeded my expectations. The horses were brilliant, well looked after and very fit."
Mietje, Northamptonshire.

Overall rating 4.8 out of 5. Based on 5 reviews in the last 12 months. Read The Reviews

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Romania - Transylvania Trail :: Received on - 3/08/2010

Important Notice: The following comments have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of In The Saddle, its directors or employees.

Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but In The Saddle is not liable for any errors or omissions.

The Riding :: Using a scale of 5 = excellent/very much so, to 1 = poor/not at all

I loved Aladin - the horse I had for the first three days (very satisfied). He was forward going , fun, foot sure and a gentleman to deal with when you were on the ground or mounted. I was less satisfied with the horse I had for the last three days - (safisfied Weds/Thurs but unsatisfied Friday) Viscol. He struggled to keep up at walk and was not very foot sure - I spoke to the guide Antoine on his second day (the Thursday) about him stumbling at walk trot and canter to check if this horse commonly did this or was he struggling? Antoine was not aware that this was a common problem with this horse. On the last morning (Friday) Viscol stumbled three times at canter and felt as if he was going to fall. We moved from 2nd position to last so we did not hold the ride up. I spoke to Christoph about this at the time and he explained that the grass was slippery and that his horse was slipping too. I felt that that part of the problem must be that Viscol was tired as this problem was getting progressively worse. After lunch it rained and Viscol improved. The riding was fantastic - all that it promised. A fantastic pace over rolling grassland - superb! (ITS Note: We were surprised to hear of one of Christoph's horses not being sure footed, as guests usually comment on how sure-footed they are. Perhaps the going did affect this particular horse or he was tired. All the horses usually wear studs which aids their stability, but during this ride Viscol lost his back studs and damaged the thread, making it impossible to put replacement studs in during the ride.).

Accommodation :: Use a scale of 5 = excellent, to 1 = poor

Having ticked a twin room box on booking I was not expecting to share with a third person on two occasions. It was not an issue (as she was lovely) but I would have preferred to have known in advance that this was the norm. Also more description of "basic accommodation" ie that you may be sleeping on a setee in a dining room with the toilet in a different building would help manage expectations! Sharing with other people was clearly a big issue for 2 other people in the group and they ensured that they always got the best rooms or so it seemed. I was a bit disappointed that the allocation of rooms was not better managed so that we all had good and bad. Deborah and I never had a toilet in the same building (except when in dormitory) and when most of the rest of the group were in the traditional houses with the drawer beds Deborah and I had twin beds in a dining room with an outside long drop toilet! On the 3rd night I had a setee and 2 chairs pushed together, again in a dining room and Deborah had a bed setee in a room with a freezer, which was noisy. Also disappointed that we did not stay at the Priests house on night 3 - it was lovely and it was difficult to know that the staff were in the lovely accommodation and I was on my setee! I wish I had not seen it! All food fine and plentifull, except 3rd night when disappointing. (ITS Note: We are careful to describe the accommodation on this ride as accurately as possible, do highlight that sleeping arrangements may be shared with a number of people and never guarantee a particular guesthouse. This is mentioned on the itinerary and also in the letter that every guest receives. We will review everything again to see if it can be highlighted even more. With regard to the accommodation on the third night, often the group stays at a former priest's house in Ticusu, but this is never guaranteed. On this particular week the owner was called to Germany at short notice and so was not available to host and cater for our guests and another guesthouse was used instead. The horses stayed in their usual paddock at the priest's house and in order to be close to the horses, the guides stayed here also. This was a very unusual situation where the guides' accommodation was of a higher standard than the guests').

Pre Holiday :: Use a scale of 5 = excellent, to 1 = poor

Re transfers Sorry can't remember the English Intern's name that collected us from airport but she seemed unsure as to how long the bus would be & where it would arrive and we ended up waiting outside the building with our bags - it was very hot! (It was not actually long but the uncertainty was worrying fot a short time). Some bottled water on the bus would have been very welcome! The journey was delayed slightly by the driver being fined by the police for not wearing a seat belt - he did not wear one after being fined or on the return journey! (ITS note: Bottled water on the transfer bus is a good idea and we will follow this up for the future.)

The guides were fantastic - really thought Antoin was knowledgeable, fun, interesting and lead a fantastic ride. Barbara and Chrisoph also very experienced, laid- back, approachable, fun and of course excellent horse men & women. The horses were well cared for and most were very fit and clearly enjoyed their work The half day off riding visiting the church was also really interesting, particularly with Christoph's input The riding was fantastic and I have never ridden so far and so fast over such wonderful countryside. Sorry to be so detailed about things that could have been better - just trying to be specific so the issues can be dealt with more easily.

Yes.

Location: Ride through the beautiful landscape of the Carpathian Mountains and explore the wonders of Transylvania. Stay at local guesthouses along the route.
Weather: Spring has warm days with cool morning and evenings. The summer months can be hot. Autumn is usually dry and cool.

The Riding

The horses are ridden in English tack. The riding is a mix of paces to suit the terrain and is fast in places. This ride is only suitable for experienced riders who are confident and in control at a fast pace. You must be confident handling a horse at speed in a group situation and comfortable ridin... more »

Abigail Wood
Romanian riding specialist

Abigail Wood says: An adventurous seven night trail ride covering 200km; ride through meadows, over hills and past medieval villages. More challenging than the centre-based option because you are moving on each day with some long distances to cover.

My top tip: Antiseptic hand cleanser is very useful for putting in your saddlebag or pocket for cleaning hands before picnic lunches.

call me on 01299 272 239

email abigail@inthesaddle.com

Linked Photo Galleries:

Thanks to Adrian Moyes

Conservation Carpathia Foundation:

More information on the wildlife charity you are supporting by going on this ride.

Find out more about this ride:

Itinerary »
Latest ride report »

Press articles on Transylvania Trail

Article for Sports Endurance Newsletter - Medias Trail - Transylvania October 2008 Get the full feature here »

Suitable for experienced riders only
Open May to October
Saturday
7 nights / 6 days riding
4 - 7 hours riding per day
Price from £1,182 excluding flights

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The Riding

Abigail Wood Romanian riding specialist

Find out more about this ride:

Press articles on Transylvania Trail

Availability:

Transylvania Trail

Transylvania Trail

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Transylvania Trail

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Transylvania Trail

Abigail Wood
Romanian riding specialist