Everything was fine!!!!
An important information:
The trail along the first of the 2 golf-clubs, we passed, can`t be used any longer - you have to go around the golf club, that`s much longer now!!
There are 2 reasons for this: a cliff fell down
the golf club has a very big and new fence

Beautiful coastal scenery from the tops of cliffs and headlands as well as from beach level. The organization of the trip and the information provided to us by Encounter Walking Holidays was top notch. One particular highlight was our ability to arrange an unexpected (for us, in this area of England) afternoon water-ski on the river Ex estuary. The degree of difficulty for each day's walk, as expressed in the provided itinerary, was very accurate. A tip for other customers is to be prepared for some long and steep sections of rough steps and/or paths almost always followed by a corresponding downhill section as the path continues from river mouth to headland to river mouth. The accommodations were perfectly located within the small coastal towns on our itinerary.

what we enjoyed the most was meeting people along the path - all very happy , helpful with directions, places to eat. local history as we were on the path during D DAY honoring those who participated during WW II - stories from people who lived in the area during that time. we ate a lot of good food and drank a few good pints along the way. accommodations were placed well and very good, hosts were very helpful and most tried to adjust the breakfast times if needed. . ( 3 * and above B&B). company was very responsive to a concern we had and hoping that the feed back will help others in the future..

Encounter does a great job of providing daily details about each segment. We've used several walking agencies and Encounter sets a high bar in terms of providing important detail that is helpful for a successful walking experience. However, I suggest you rethink the time frames for the complicated day with transfer around the Erme and ferry to Bantham. Fortunately, our taxi driver was wonderful and suggested we don't start at Yealmpton and she drove us further down the Coast Path to another starting point. She was 100% right. I'm not sure we would have made the last ferry to Bantham and we're not a slow walking group.

One thing I suggest you consider is to check in with your walkers - especially those walking for multiple weeks.

Overall, we were pleased with our lodging except for a couple of places. The Hotel in Looe was a big disappointment. Also in Bantham. Staff were very unhelpful and not engaged. There was no cell coverage or Wi-Fi available, which was an issue for us as we didn't get an updated weather report for the start of our next segment. It was a very windy and difficult day. Fortunately, the path wasn't too much on the cliff side so we managed but if we had known about the conditions, we may have taken transport to the next town rather than walk. I would have preferred to have transport to Salcombe for lodging rather than the Inn at Bantham.

Hopefully, these are suggestions you can use for future clients. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend Encounter Walking.

Enjoyed the walk especially the Golden Cap section which is wonderful. Some beach and back of beach sections which are good as you are close to the sea but hard work on the pebbles and very wet on some of the sections behind the beach. The walk to Lyme Regis on the undercliff is fascinating but prepare yourself for 2-3 hours of walking without being able to stop or get refreshments. On all the other sections of the route, refreshments were easy to find and enjoyable.

For the 3rd year running, we used Encounter Walking Holidays to take care of the logistics of our walk and were, once again, completely happy with all they did. The lodging was great, the luggage transfers completely reliable, leaving us to focus entirely on enjoying our walk of the entire South West Coast Path (in 3 separate trips). We recommend them without hesitation!

We had a wonderful four day walking holiday - the weather cooperated wonderfully, the scenery was beautiful, each walk was varied and interesting and the towns were all delightful. Our experiences with public transit were excellent (trains from London, buses between towns) except for one missed train due to an accident-delayed bus in Lyme Regis where one cannot get a taxi without a day's notice. There is a lot of up and down on the walk between Sidmouth and Beer, so I would either recommend a day's rest after this section or building up your leg muscles before the trip. There is a lot to see and do in Lyme Regis and we could easily have spent another day there.

The planning of our walk was easy with Encounter Walking. The process happened over a number of weeks through emails after the initial itinerary was suggested. We are in Australia and email exchange was the easiest process for us. Encounter provided all the detail required so that we could plan our walk easily. The website was very useful for our planning. Showing the route in stages as well as the expectations of the walking route was essential to our planning. Frequently asked questions was helpful when some information was required especially when planning the walk from Australia. The SWCP from Plymouth to Poole is a tough walk a lot of the time. It has wonderful scenery and is generally well marked. There are days where ferry crossings were necessary and sometimes this required us to time our walking schedule to the timing of the crossings. Sometimes this meant that slowing down the walk was not an option however all this information was conveyed by Encounter Walking very clearly so this was not a surprise. The walking notes for the trip were excellent. They were very detailed and provided are the necessary information a walker needs. The information regarding the walking grade was essential and prepared our thinking before each walking day. Information on refreshments also helped with planning the day ahead with regard to food provisions. Excellent Luggage Transfer service for the duration of our trip. The Luggage was always on time and there was never a day where we arrived before the Luggage at our B&B or Hotel. The maximum weight is 20kg per person and we were slightly over on one of our pieces of Luggage, This was solved very quickly and simply after contacting the Luggage Transfer company and we were able to take out some of the weight out into a smaller bag for them to transfer each day. This was then sorted out between Walking Encounter and the Luggage Transfer company. Good accommodation all the way for our walk. It was always a surprise what accommodation was going to be provided each day. Each one provided something that was different and pleasing. It was interesting to see what the accommodation service was going to bring. Sometimes it was breakfast or it was the beds or it was the welcome on arrival. It was always different and appreciated by us. Excellent walk and services for the whole walk. Definitely recommend Encounter Walking as a company that provide bespoke Walking holidays.

Good communication with the team and timescales for finances and received very full information in the final pack. Damon helped clarify the details of cross the Erme at low tide. Fantastic stretch of coastline, varied and enjoyable, combination of quite remote and then several towns/resorts. Overall more strenuous than expected, and deadlines with ferries added pressure, so days varied in length. Though used to coastal walking, needed a break by time reached Brixham. Used Traiblazer a lot and found that timings were accurate if kept pace up, but never arrived anywhere 'early'. Didn't use A-Z, bought Harveys instead because it is more waterproof. Didn't like your notes about getting to Church House Inn at Stokenham. After a long day's walk it was a considerable extra stretch to walk all that way uphill. I think you could emphasise that bus should be seriously considered both ways. That's what I did! Finished walk at Brixham and did rest by bus and train! My wife wasn't well towards the end of the walk, so decided to return home a day early. Wanted to skip Babbaconbe and stay in Exmouth a night early and pick up car to return home but Royal Beacon couldn't oblige so had to go to Exmouth to pick up car, return to Babbacombe and drive home from there. So a combination of factors came into play. I thought beforehand I could manage whole stretch in 8 days but realised that I am starting to slow down at 73! And was troubled by a blister. In future I would arrange shorter days so there is a lot more time to relax along the way. But accommodation on that stretch is a problem in places.

We spent an outstanding time in Devon and met during our walk so much kind people

Really well organised experience, it all worked like clock work.

We were very lucky to be so perfectly guided by the expert team of Encounter Walking Holidays. From the beginning in 2015 until the finish in 2023 they drafted, planned and organized our walks on the SWCP and provided us with professional advice. We highly recommend them to anyone who’d like to enjoy a smooth and carefree walking holiday in the UK, especially when from abroad. Rumor has it, there is a new Cornwall circular walk (Tamara Coast to Coast), which is very tempting to us ????. A very big THANK YOU to the team of Encounter Walking Holidays, we couldn’t have done it without you. On our walk from Abbotsbury to Fortuneswell (Portland) just after the Army Training Centre and about a 3/4 mile before the Ferry Bridge the path was closed and there was no signposted diversion and so we had to walk in the sea bed to avoid a detour. Luckily the tide was out but don't ask about our walking boots - wellies would have been a better choice ... On the whole there are lots of steep ascents and descents and so many steps on the route from Exmouth to Poole. We did the part Lulworth Cove to Poole in two days, we'd recommend to split the milage up in three walking days. We started back in June 2015 with the section Padstow to Penzance, but we got only as far as St. Just due to a strained muscle. Back on the SWCP in June 2016 we covered Marazion to Fowey and finally in June 2017 we set off from the actual starting point of the SWCP in Minehead and walked as far as Padstow. In June 2018 we walked the Fowey to Exmouth stretch as well as St. Just to Penzance, which we missed out in 2015. Due to various circumstances, we only got back on the Path five years later in June this year and finally finished the 630 miles South West Coast Path covering the Exmouth to Poole segment on 26th of June – WE DID IT! Every part has its own unique features, sometimes more and sometimes less demanding and even some tedious and dull bits, but it’s so rewarding at the same time. The wildlife, the flora, the ever-changing landscape, the beaches, lonesome coves and charming villages, so many steep climbs and descents, and never-ending steps, the path at parts overgrown with stinging nettles, gorse and brambles – I’m not complaining - and especially the sea, all of this is the unique and wonderful South West Coast Path. In Austria we have high and steep mountains, lovely lakes and beautiful landscape but no sea and therefore no coast to walk along. To us it was an amazing experience and the last bit was quite challenging too after the long pause of 4 years, but we managed well in the end and that’s the main thing.

Loved our walking experience on the SWCP. We can't stop raving about it. The scenery was spectacular, accommodation fantastic. This was our fourth long distance walk over the years, and I would say that this was the best. I am more than happy to recommend Encounter Walking Holidays and Luggage transfers to anyone considering doing this walk. I can't thank the Encounter Walking Holiday Team enough for helping us to have such a wonderful experience.

We are 77 and 75 years old, and our advice is GO! We have so many incredible life long memories. Once you start walking, despite some very minor challenges, you may become addicted.! There is an incredible feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment. Over the years, we met our goal of completing the SW Coastal, and so missed the walking that we returned recently to again walk the SW Path between Teignmouth and Plymouth. Some long days, but breath taking scenery with several lovely pubs, interesting hikers who are also completing the path, friendly dogs, beautiful gardens, National Trust sites, and lovely and welcoming B and B accommodations along the path. Encounters is spot on in providing walks geared to your interests and choices. Whether it is a short walk or the completion of the entire 640 mile SW Coastal Path, it is a journey of a life time. Thank you, Encounters.

We found the day from Noss Mayo to Bantham very arduous due to the timings of tides, ferries and the fact that we couldn’t set off earlier as we had a taxi organised to take us to the start point, ( no accommodation in Noss Mayo).The taxi at lunch time to take us around the inlet (due to the high tide) dropped us of more than a mile from the SW coast path. Consequently making the timing very tight to reach the last afternoon ferry from Bigbury to Bantham. Otherwise we had a fantastic walking holiday.

This is our fourth time working with Encounter, and as always, the preparatory experience was excellent. All of our requests (shorter day here, rest day there) were taken into consideration. Encounter provides the opportunity for a truly bespoke holiday, which we tremendously appreciate. We walked from Plymouth to Exmouth, and from Lyme Regis to Poole (we completed the Exmouth to Lyme Regis section in 2017). We were blessed with stellar weather (no rain over 21 days) and the views were consistently sublime. The condition of the Path itself was good, other than a section just past the Clavell Tower by Kimmeridge, which was TOTALLY overgrown with rapeseed - we had to push our way through shoulder-high plants. There are a number of required ferry crossings on this section (Yealm, Erme, Avon, Salcombe, Dartmouth, Teign, Exe Rivers) which we managed without difficulty (we were driven around the River Erme). We did NOT enjoy the 2 km walk along the shingle beach between Burton Mere and West Bexington, nothing to be done but persevere through it. We took the additional day to walk around the Isle of Portland which we thoroughly enjoyed. The trek through the Lulworth Ranges was fantastic, though that day (Lulworth Cove to Worth Matravers) was very long and we were very tired by day's end! We used the AZ Map and Trailblazer guide consistently, and referred to the GPS only when we were unsure (which was rare). Encounter's detailed information re how to find the night's accommodation was much appreciated. We had the opportunity to select the accommodations, so we had only ourselves to blame if we didn't like them! Other than one (Lyme Regis, the pub there has passed its best-before date) we were extremely happy: accommodations met and in many cases exceeded what we were expecting. The Smuggler's Inn in Osmington Mills, the West Bay Hotel in West Bay  and the Cricket Inn in Beesands were especially lovely. Absolutely fantastic. We are older walkers (ages 69 and 81) and have to plan our walking itinerary more carefully than in the past (we're now like Goldilocks, not too long, not too steep, not too much tarmac) to have a successful experience, but with Encounter's help, we have been consistently able to do that, and hope to do so again in 2024.

A terrific experience and one we will remember forever

From my very first enquiry I found everyone in the team incredibly helpful and friendly. Walking the whole SWCP in one go requires a lot of planning and, in the first instance, I was given a lot of free advice as well as a suggested full, detailed itinerary customised according to my wishes and desire only to stay one night in each place. All this information was given freely without any compunction on my part to go with the company. The team have invaluable information regarding the path and accommodation en route and use this to secure the best possible arrangements on your behalf. All the bookings were made (and checked) without any problems plus arrangement for baggage transfers. This saved me a lot of work. Communication was excellent throughout this process. Go prepared to be challenged physically and mentally as this is not an easy walk however the scenery, wildlife and wild flowers are stunning the whole way around. You won't be disappointed. Luggage Transfers... Invisible angels! 60 days of bags moving seamlessly from one place to the next. Only on 2 occasions did they arrive after me and them only by about 30 minutes. The majority of the accommodation was of a very good standard.

Our experience was incredible!! We sincerely appreciate all the work that Encounter Walking Holidays did on our behalf to make sure our adventure was enjoyable and trouble free.