My Just You Story: Jan

Jan Clark has taken over 15 holidays with Just You, here she tells us why she loves to explore the world with us….

"Travelling means so much to me. I really love to see as much of the world as possible, for me it is the opportunity to experience other cultures and really explore the history of a country. I love history, so if there is a pile of ruins to be seen and it’s a few thousand years old, I am there!

With Just You, you meet the most amazing people on tour. I’ve made friends for life, so that for me is a big part of being able to travel on my own, but within the safety of a group. On these holidays I don’t have to think about organising anything. For me, Just You is a no-brainer, it is so easy to achieve the things I want to do when I go away on holiday.

Solo adventures in India

From the trips I have taken, I would have to pick out India as a real highlight, it really is an onslaught of the senses. A particular place for me was the Ranthambore National Park. It was our very first trip into the park and it was a cold morning, and the sun was just up. Within two or three minutes two enormous tigers came out of the bush in front of us and were just 50 yards away, I mean you could not have arranged it any better. It was incredible.

One of the most exciting moments of my life was while driving around the park, suddenly, the local guides, who are so tuned in, said to stop the bus. The whole jungle went silent, and you knew that something was coming, something very dangerous. We looked up to a ridge and there silhouetted was a leopard, it was just amazing, the hairs went up on the back of your neck. The leopard was there for a moment and then gone, it was so exciting.

Highlights of Canada

In Canada, there were so many unforgettable moments, from going out on the glacier to white water rafting. Brian Croft was our Tour Manager and he really knows his stuff. Brian pulled the coach by the side of the road and he was pointing out a double entrance tunnel. This was cleverly designed to help the trains climb the steep incline. Brian had it timed to perfection, while he was explaining how the train spirals within the mountain, a train appears and goes in the lower tunnel and appears out of the top, it was brilliant. On that tour I travelled on the Rocky Mountaineer which was fabulous. It is a fantastic way to see wildlife, we lost count of how many bears we saw on that trip. Canada has such stunning scenery, spectacular landscapes, and of course there is Banff, which coincidently was where my Dad was stationed during the war as a flying instructor. He was based at the Banff hotel, so that was very emotional when I saw where he would have stayed.

Memories of Jordan

I have fantastic memories of Jordan. I had wanted to see Petra since I was four years old. Then I went with Just You a few years ago, it is a wonderful country, and it was such a good tour, I wish I had stayed there longer. As it had been such a lifetime dream to see Petra, I had not thought much about the rest of the tour than going to see Petra. We went to see Petra early in the week and after that it was just a highlight every day. To go to Wadi Rum was amazing, it is one of the most magical places, sleeping in a camp that was made out like a Bedouin tent was awesome. We went out on a stargazing experience, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would look at the Andromeda Galaxy, what a marvellous highlight that was.

Why I choose Just You

What I love about Just You is that you can quickly make friends and get to know a little bit about everyone on the tour. It is a readymade group to join in with, and there is also time to go off and do things on your own if you wish. I always think that the balance is very good, it gives everybody the opportunity and those that are slightly shy will be drawn into the social side of things.

I feel that with Just You, there is a sense of freedom with safe boundaries. I always know that Just You has researched all the experiences, they know what the customers will be interested in. In Georgia for example, I really enjoyed meeting the local wine maker and his family and talking to him. It takes some serious expertise to put that together, and that is what Just You does above others.

It is great that we have our own room, it is always a twin or double room, and the fact that it is one price. It works for the extrovert and for those people who are slightly shy, it is like travelling with a safe pair of hands. As I always say, if you are nervous just do it, people will draw you in and you will make great friends.

As I look to start travelling again, I would love to return to Jordan and see more of Petra and the Dead Sea, and to see the amazing Wadi Rum again. I would also like to go to Santorini, which I am sure would be a lovely week away."

All photos courtesy of Jan