Although we did not expect crowds at the Blue Mountains (as tourism was just picking up after 2 years of Covid and we were visiting Australia from Singapore), we decided that a private tour was the best option. The next decison was who to go with. We were glad that we chose Blue Ribbon. Our guide Darren picked us up at Fraser Suites at the appointed time and we found him to be an interesting young man. He was not only knowledgeable about the Blue Mountains, Sydney and Australia, but was also able to engage us in interesting conversations about many other issues which made the long drive lively. We also found him resourceful being able to keep adapting to the weather as it was rainy and misty almost the entire day. Even at the end of the tour, the machine refused to dispense tickets and it was almost time for the ferry.
Although we did not get the see the full splendour of the Blue Mountains because of the mist, we still enjoyed the tour thanks to Darren. He brought us to the quaint Megalong Valley Tearoom were we had a lovely lunch and wonderful scones. Without him, we would not have known that such a place existed and would have probably eaten at one of the many village cafes. This is one of the advantages of having a private tour where time and place are flexible, enabling one to go off the beaten road and experience more. There is a higher cost involved but we think it is worth it.
