In this month’s eNewsletter

Bears, whales, icebergs, 24-hour daylight and only a few hours flight away. It’s Spitzbergen, a dream destination yet to be fully discovered. Paul Goldstein has recently returned from his latest trip there, and – yes, I know that to those of you who know Paul this sounds unbelievable – his tales have rarely been more enthusiastic.

Mount Toubkal, in Morocco, is “mountain of the month” in our “10 Great Treks to do before you die” series, whilst our Italian spokesman Francesco (or Franco, as we like to call him) gives you a first-hand insight on his home country, Italy.

Our Senior Product Manager Mike explains why a winter holiday in the Arctic is less cold than it might initially sound, and Marketing Manager Crispin helps you find the perfect family holiday for you and your children.

On the Responsible Tourism side we give you an update on our Tanzania Porter Education Project.

Enjoy!

The Exodus team

Spitzbergen – Bear Central

Paul Goldstein, wildlife photographer and Polar expert, has recently returned from his latest trip to Spitzbergen. Despite having been there at least a dozen times, his enthusiasm has not dimished. >>>

10 Great Treks to do before you die – Mt Toubkal Climb

If you are looking for a challenging trek but only have a week to spare, then an ascent of Morocco’s Mt Toubkal is difficult to beat. Standing at 4,167m above sea level, a trek to the summit offers experienced walkers the opportunity to scale North Africa’s highest peak. Following ancient mule trails our route passes through Berber villages and intricately terraced valleys to the jagged granite peaks of the High Atlas. From the summit walkers are rewarded with dramatic views of the plains of Marrakech and the teeth-like peeks of the High and Anti Atlas ranges.>>>

Italy through the eyes of an expat

Italy is one of the world’s most visited countries. Blessed almost year round with great weather, delicious food, friendly people and a plethora of sites to visit, one would expect that it’s the perfect country to live in. Yet, every year there are thousands of Italians who leave their home country to live somewhere else. Francesco, our Marketing Executive, is one of them. In this article he shares his thoughts as an expat. >>>

Did you know that …

On Italy and travels
With more than 40 million foreigners touching down during just one year to visit some of the most amazing places in the world. Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world. Don't be left out, be one of them before you hand in your passport.

On Italy and pasta
Cooked “al dente” (al-den-tay) literally means "to the tooth," which is how to test pasta to see if it is properly cooked. The pasta should be a bit firm, offering some resistance to the tooth, but tender.

On Italy and pilgrimage
In medieval times, Archbishops of Canterbury in particular were expected to make the journey to Rome to receive from the Pope their palium or stole of office.
In AD 994 Archbishop Sigeric made the journey in person and kept a detailed record of his return journey called 'From Rome to the Channel', thus determining the birth of one of the world’s most famous pilgrim paths, the Via Francigena (the route of the French/Franks).

Feeling the weather oppressive? Imagine life in a freezer!

Winter is a favourite time for many Scandinavians - a surprising fact for those of us from milder climes. Contrary to popular belief it is not dark all the time, and you aren't house-bound waiting for temperatures to rise above freezing. Close to the Arctic Circle, the sun is only below the horizon for a few days over December and January, and by late March the days are longer than in the UK.

Minus 20°C represents nothing else but a great day for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing or ice-fishing. The Arctic cold is a dry cold, which can feel surprisingly comfortable. Combine that with the Northern Lights, stunning scenery of frozen lakes and snow-caked trees, and a beautiful low, clean light, and you have one of the most magical environments to live in, or to holiday in. To keep them cosy in the cold temperatures (-40°C is not uncommon), visitors are given special insulated clothes for the activities - thermal overalls, boots with extra foam insulation, furry hats and big mitts. Even the handles on the snowmobiles are heated!

To really get to feel the Scandinavian winter in full, we recommend a night on ice. Our holidays feature two Ice Hotels, the original in Swedish Lapland, and a sprightly newcomer in French-speaking Quebec. But for a hands-on experience, real winter adventurers can build and sleep in their own igloo on our holidays in Swedish Lapland and our Finnish Wilderness Week. It maybe -30°C outside, but inside the igloo you'll be sleeping in a comparably warm -5°C and a cosy 4-season sleeping bag.

Family Adventures at October Half Term

Fresh back from your summer holiday, it’s now time to think about a family adventure for October half term. What better way to bribe your children to knuckle down at the start of the academic year than the lure of distant shores in just a few weeks time?

Just a few hours from the UK, choose between our Turquoise Coast activity holiday in Turkey, where you can sea kayak over sunken cities, or our Camels & Kasbahs trip, where you can enjoy Morocco's colourful souks, palaces and vibrant street entertainment.

If you’ve got the luxury of a two week break, experience the wonderful wildlife of South Africa on our Cape Escapade holiday with whale watching at Hermanus or venture slightly further afield in the search of the elusive tiger on our Taj, Tigers & Temples trip to Northern India. For a holiday of contrasts, try our Canyons & Cowboys trip to America’s Wild West, combining a stay on a genuine cowboy ranch with the glitz and bright lights of Las Vegas. The possibilities are endless ...

To request a copy of our new dedicated family brochure please click here.
For a complete overview of our family holidays please click here.
If you are particularly interested in our Octobe Half Term Family holidays click here.

Explorer of the month – Ferdinand Magellan

The maritime explorer Fernando de Magallanes was born in Spring 1480 in Sabrosa, Portugal. Magellan’s CV is certainly an enviable one. He became the first person to lead a successful expedition to circumnavigate the globe, the first to navigate the strait in South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans (the strait was later called “Magellan Strait” in his honour), the first European to reach Tierra del Fuego on South America's southern tip and the first European to land in the Philippines and meet its native people. It was him who gave the name to the Pacific Ocean, due to their
apparent stillness.

On his expedition, Magellan and his crew made several discoveries that are considered “obvious” nowadays. For instance, he observed several animals that were entirely new to European science. These included the "camel without humps", which could have been the llama, guanaco, vicuña, or alpaca. A black "goose" which had to be skinned instead of plucked was the penguin. The full extent of the Earth was also realized, since their voyage was 14,460 leagues (69,800 km or 43,400 mi). Last but not least, Magellan’s expedition established the need for an International Date Line.

Magellan died on 27 April, 1521 during the Battle of Mactan, in the Philippines.

Responsible Tourism – Tanzania Porter Education Project

Those who have successfully reached the summit of Kilimanjaro will testify to the importance of their accompanying porters. It is them who carry all the kit up the mountain and who motivate trekkers to reach the top. Jim Foster, our local operator in Tanzania, writes about the importance of educating the porters to give them a better life, whether it is in travel or not. >>>

End of Season Sale

Our partners Evans Cycles are the UK’s leading cycle retailer – stocking the largest range and best brands in the country. Their experts will make sure you have the right gear to make the most out of your cycling holiday. Now’s a great time to take advantage of the great deals in the ‘End of Season Sale’! >>>

Meet the Exodus team – Travel presentations

Want to see who is sitting at the Exodus’ telephones? Then come and meet us at one of our presentation evenings. These free shows are informative, fun and ideal if you are looking for a first-hand insight into what an Exodus holiday is really like.

London
Award winning photographer Paul Goldstein will host our next Africa and Polar slideshows on 5 September and 12 September respectively, whilst on 19 September our Overland Product Manager Ian Picken will show you the best slides of the Americas, all taken on our Overland expeditions from Anchorage to Ushuaia.

Don’t miss a night of dazzling images, provocative commentary, hilarious anecdotes and forthright opinion. Our slideshows are free and ideal if you are looking for a first-hand insight into what an Exodus holiday is really like.

Click here or on the links above to reserve a seat on one of our slideshows and to see our slideshow calendar with information on dates and venues for the next
few months.

Photo competition

This month we have to admit that we found it exceptionally hard to choose a winner for our photo competition, as many of you have sent us in some very good shots. In the end we decided that the best picture was the one on the right, taken by Ms Margaret Beuth, in Rajasthan, India in January this year. Congratulations Margaret, Paul Goldstein’s photography book is on the way to you.

To take part in our competition simply send your favourite pictures to enewsletter@exodus.co.uk and you might be the next winner! Please remember to tell us when and on which of our holidays the photo was taken.

We value your opinion

Do you have any suggestions for improving our eNewsletter? Is there something you really would like to read about? Whether they are good or bad, we would love to hear your comments! Email us at enewsletter@exodus.co.uk to have your say.

We are grateful for every comment and, if possible, we will try to incorporate
your suggestions.