What people say about Astra
"Beautiful park but not much information from the guide"
The trip starts at the center of the old town where our quiet guide met us, introduced herself and ushered us to the 8 person van, where the 7 of us squeezed in. The guide immediately inserted a cd of Estonian music. If it wasn't for a very talkative fellow traveler, I'm not sure she would have spoken through the entire drive. The first stop was a waterfall with port-a-potties. It's not a very big waterfall but it has unusual color which the guide explained briefly came from the colors of the peat moss. Next was the bog where the guide ushered us to the trail, told us to beware of the "bad" mermaids in the bog, read the board at the beginning of the hike on how the bog was formed, showed us a couple of plants and sent us on our way. She drove the van to the end of the trail, so there is no guide during the bog part of the hike (a bit more than a mile). Note that while the beginning of the hike is a full boardwalk, the second part of the hike is a two plank, slippery walk, so wear good shoes. There's a tower you can climb up half way in to get broader views of the bog. The bog is beautiful with many different colors of peat moss and mushrooms and plants. The guide met us at the end of the bog trail and then took us to lunch. While she answered questions at lunch, she didn't really contribute any information without someone asking questions. Lunch was very good in an interesting lodge at the fishing village. We walked to the beach where the guide gave a brief history of the fishing village, got on a giant swing where the guide briefly discussed summer festival and then headed to the manor house. Here the guide gave us a brief history of the manor house and Estonian history in five minutes and then we were on our own for about 45 minutes. We met back with the guide and drove back. The guide did not speak to the group the entire hour back. I've since been told that Estonians are "introverts", and the guide seemed like a "nice person" if a bit shy (unusual for a guide), but it was the strangest "guided" tour I've ever experienced (I had another tour the next day which was much more similar to what I expected--with the guide actually giving history, statistics about the city, etc. unprompted, adding great value to the tour). I'm not sure if this is the usual way these tours go, but I was disappointed not to learn more about the bog, estonia, etc. I gave this level of detail about the experience because I would have found it helpful to know these details BEFORE I selected this tour.
"A memorable day !"
The day was very well organised from start to finish. The waterfall, walking across the bog on the boardwalk, the delicious food, the fishing village. So much in one day. It was a great experience, made perfect by our guide, Astra, who answered all our questions with enthusiasm. Didn't see the time go by. If you want to discover something different, don't miss this opportunity.
"Unmissable experience"
This tour is a wonderful taste of Estonian nature, culture, and history. We stopped at the impressive Jägala waterfall, enjoyed a lovely lunch in a historical inn, walked through a beautiful birch forest to the beach and historical fishing village, and explored the charming grounds of a former manor house. The centrepiece of the tour, however, is a walk through the spectacular Viru bog and surrounding forest landscape. We can't recommend this highly enough. The nature is really unique, peaceful, and beautiful. Throughout the day, our local tour guide, Astra, shared historical and scientific insights to help us put the different experiences into context. Astra was really friendly, knowledgeable, and approachable. Thanks so much! The lunch at the inn was delicious and had plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available. The small-group tour format worked really well where we had time to get to know each other as well as our guide. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Tallinn, especially for the first time, and wants to explore outside of the city. I would venture to say that the bog alone is worth it, but every other part of the tour adds up to a wonderfully enriching experience!
"Interesting and informative!"
The tour was a convenient way to see several different places outside of Tallinn that weren’t easy or were impossible to get to by public transport, especially if you’re tight on time and only spending a few days in Estonia. It was great having a knowledgeable local guide driving us around and explaining the history, culture, customs and nature of the area as we went along. Stopping for lunch at the cute wooden thatched restaurant in the fishing villlage was fun. The highlight was the walk along the boardwalk in the peat moss bog. Our guide Astra was lovely, accommodating and happy to answer all kinds of questions about the various things we saw. It’s definitely a tour worth doing.
"Great day in Lahemaa"
I'm so glad I was able to do this tour and see more of Estonia than Tallinn! The bog was a cool experience, seeing wild blueberries, cranberries, and the beautiful views. Lunch at the centuries old restaurant was delicious and filling. Unfortunately the Sagadi Mansion house was closed, but we still were able to walk around the property and enjoy the gardens. If you are thinking of doing this tour, the answer is do it!
"Nice memories from Estonia"
I liked the tour, i discovered a part of Estonia and i enjoyed the trip also thanks to the guide Astra that was very profesional, friendly and helpfull
