I went on a group holiday to Puglia – and this is why you should too

When Yolanda Zappaterra was invited on an escorted trip to Puglia with Travelsphere, she got more than she bargained for.

As an independent traveller who has spent decades putting holidays together, and still enjoys doing so, I’ve never really considered escorted holidays. So how did I come to find myself on a bus at Bari airport heading off into the verdant hills of Puglia’s Valle d’Itria with 28 other tourists, a jovial Irish holiday director, Denise, and a decidedly more lugubrious Italian bus driver, Mirko? It was the pull of Puglia.

Getty ImagesThanks to A-list stars such as Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep and Madonna, the many charms of this predominantly agricultural region in the heel of Italy’s boot are firmly on the tourist trail these days. But it’s still hard to get around it without a car, so Travelsphere’s escorted tour featuring daily excursions to its main attractions seemed the perfect way to explore. And it didn’t disappoint.

Boundless offer: Boundless members can enjoy savings on both long-haul and European holidays with Travelsphere. Save £100 per person on long-haul escorted holidays like Yolanda’s trip to Puglia. You can also save £50 per person on European holidays. Book two or more holidays on the same day and save an additional £50 per person.

Escorted tours can be awkward to begin with, as people try to tentatively connect. But this tour eases the process with our first excursion, to a fortified farmhouse, or Masseria, close to our beautiful 4-star countryside hotel. Here, over a laughter-filled pasta-making class followed by a long lunch filled with local produce, we begin to learn not only why Puglia is so special, but why group travel is so special.

Yolanda ZappaterraDrawn from every corner of Britain and every walk of life, we’re soon bonding over shared stories of places we’ve been, places we hope to go, people we’ve met and experiences we’ve had. Many of the group have done dozens of escorted tours, and I’m keen to find out what they like about them.

I receive all kinds of interesting answers, most of which can be summed up as one thing: they take all the stress out of a trip. Meaning that with accommodation, transportation, excursions and dining sorted, you’re free to just enjoy the places you’ll be visiting without having to figure out how to get to them, where to stay, where to eat and what to do.

But another appeal of group travel soon becomes clear; it’s fun travelling with people who all share a desire to be in the same destination, discovering its culture, history, cuisine, natural attractions and communities. And it’s fun getting to know these people, which I have ample opportunity to do as we explore this gorgeous, lush region – one which features not only some 400km of Adriatic coastline but an agricultural heritage that persists today, and some unique architectural attractions.

On daily excursions, most included, two optional, we discover Lecce, called, with some justification, the Florence of the south for its baroque architecture, which sits beguilingly alongside impressive Roman remains, and the village of Locorontondo, distinctive for its unusual cummerse houses featuring steeply pitched gabled roofs built with limestone slabs.

A full-day excursion takes us to the dramatic town of Matera, who's incredible 3,000 habitable caves, or sassi, include 8th-century churches adorned with frescoes that are still visible today. Another to the 13th-century Castel del Monte and the fishing town of Trani, dominated by an 11th-century cathedral on the sea.

Getty ImagesDotted everywhere are the trulli Puglia is famous for; the comical, conical-roofed round limestone dwellings dating as far back as the mid-14th century. The 1500+ examples in nearby Alberobello have a UNESCO designation, and exploring them together is richly rewarding; in small groups we make finds that we eagerly direct each other to. And each evening, over dinners filled with local dishes and the occasional off-menu item we’ve heard about and are keen to sample, we talk about the things we’ve most enjoyed about the places we’ve visited that day, and what we’re looking forward to the following day.

Getty ImagesIn the bar on our final evening, quizzing the group on their most unexpected aspects of the trip, someone says that for them, it was the interaction with locals. And they’re right; in meeting Franco and his family at the masseria, getting to know the hotel staff, and chatting to Mirko during bus breaks, all with Denise as a great interpreter, I had more authentic conversations with the locals than I’ve had on many solo trips.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. I’m already looking at Travelsphere’s Uzbekistan tour, which looks amazing but isn’t a destination I’d confidently tour independently…and I’ve already Whatsapped some of my newfound friends from Puglia to see if any of them are interested in joining me on it.

How to have a great escorted trip

Make the most of your Holiday Director

Denise made a point of giving us all her mobile number as soon as we arrived, and encouraging us to use it, be it with requests for firmer pillows or help with bus timetables.

Yolanda ZappaterraBe aware of limitations and expectations

Read up on excursions before deciding whether to go on them, and if you have questions, discuss them with your Holiday Director. For example, Denise rightly pointed out, “not everyone likes to walk at a group’s pace, so understanding the walking level is important".

Getty ImagesMake a list of things to consider before booking

How many excursions are there? How long are you prepared to spend on a bus? Are you happy with the slow pace of group walking or the amount of walking? Does the itinerary cover the attractions you want to experience? All these kinds of things should be covered on a tour operator’s website, and telephone agents can help with any that aren’t.

Don’t look at prices, look at reviews

The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is just as true for escorted holidays as everything else. Travelsphere’s Puglia & Basilicata tour isn’t the cheapest on the market, but excursions, accommodation, food, guides, Holiday Director, itinerary and planning were all 10/10.

Don’t feel you have to do everything on the itinerary

With the help and support of my Holiday Director, I felt confident in having some lie-ins and me time with a day trip to the beaches of Polignano and Monopoli, and another to rent a bike and explore Alberobello and the landscape around the hotel.

^{This article was accurate at the time of publication. Please note information and offers shown may change over time.}