Wildlife Encounters: Carpathian Culture And Wildlife of Romania

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 48 reviews.

Helen Gregory

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written June 2011
I am really glad that I chose this trip. Romania is a beautiful and fascinating country to which I hope to return. I could have easily stayed much longer. Villa Hermani is a lovely, clean and comfortable guesthouse with great food!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing 9 bears and cubs from the bear hide was brilliant. It was also great to see the work carried out at the sanctuary in Zarnesti in rescuing mistreated bears and providing them with an environment close to what they should have experienced as wild bears.
What did you think of your group leader?
Both Cosmin and Udo were very enthusiastic and knowledgable about the area and it's history : )
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I would definately class some of the walking as strenuous, a walking pole might be useful as some of the up/down hills are steep!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Try the home made plum brandy at the guesthouse!
Make sure you pay a visit to the local 'pub'!
Diane Cowan

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written May 2011
Food for the soul! - A week of stunning scenery and good company led by Cosmin and Katerina, both of whom's passion for Romania's wildlife and culture is inspirational.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Vistas so wide you can't take it all in.
So many different shades of green.
What did you think of your group leader?
Cosmin has a passion for Romania, it's wildlife and history. He is very knowledgable and he loves guiding. A great guide!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you are fit! There is no such thing as 'flat' on this trip. It was often steep and sometimes loose underfoot. That said it wasn't hard walking all day every day due to the 'culture' part of the itinerary.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The accomodation is superb. Katerina and Hermann run a lovely guest house. Clean and comfortable. The food is fresh and local every day. Beware the Schnapps!!! Say hello to Smelly Dog (aka Kurt Cobain).
Don't go expecting to see wild wolves and bears on your walks every day. Visit the sanctuary and be grateful for it. Experience the bear hide. Take binoculars and watch the beavers at the Beaver project. Enjoy the many varieties of birds including birds of prey and myriad fauna and flora every day.
ethane ashling-perry

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written October 2010
An amazing holiday, wonderful people, well organized. Saw bears and beavers in the wild but were sad not to see wolves other than in a sanctury. Perhaps an evening search could be organized for them or advertizing meterial changed to not encourage the hope that they would be actively looked for. Ethane
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing bears in the wild
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent, friendly and helpful. I would have liked more information on the flora and fauna on our walks.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take one or two sticks ( I used two) Have layers of clothes including warm gloves hat and tights as can be cold - we had snow. Practice walking up hill if not used to hill walking
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A wonderful holiday with a lovely group of very friendly people including staff and guides. Problems of which there were a few were sorted out without the group being too invloved. Perhaps a notice board for each day would be useful as some where a bit confused about meal times etc if they had not been around when they were announced
Elvie Thompson

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written August 2010
Beautiful place, lovely people, great food, fantastically unique experiences. I really didn't know where to start telling people about this when I got home, so much to say. Transylvania will stay with me for a long time.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Transylvania is a beautiful place with gorgeous wild-flower meadows among the valleys, looking, smelling and sounding wonderful. There are many old traditions still continuing there despite the slow creep of quad-bikes and strimmers replacing horses and scythes. Such a pleasure to be somewhere where 'local produce' means the lady who just milked her cow fills the jugs to go with morning coffee. A pleasantly suprising lack of vampire-related tat and very low on tourists generally. We were lucky enough to witness not only an amazing lightening storm in the mountains but three nights of the Perseid meteor shower: very special.
What did you think of your group leader?
Cosmin is brilliant: engaging, intelligent, friendly, helpful, patient, very knowledgable and obviously really loves the place. Good company and an excellent guide.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There are, in my opinion, some really tough sections in the walks; long, steep up and down-hill paths with scrabbly rocky surfaces. You definitely need walking boots.
Top tips: if you visit the beaver reintroduction programme, take some insect repellant and if you visit the fortified church at Viscri, take a torch.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I'd go back in a heartbeat.
gillian goode

Carpathian Wildlife and Culture Sept 2010

Written August 2010
I had a fantastic time in Romania, helped by great weather and a great group of fellow travellers. The guesthouse is superbly located and the hosts Herman and Katerina were faultless. Our guide Cosmin Dan imparted loads of local knowledge to us over the week, ably helped by Udo. I came home knowing so much more about the country and was amazed by how much we had fitted in to a week.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I loved the views from the guesthouse and waking up on the first morning (having driven up the bumpy track in the dark the night before) that first look out of the window was brilliant. We did several local walks over the course of the week so I felt we really got to know the immediate locale.

Seeing the wild bears at the bear hide (especially the mum with two cubs) was great and the guides had to drag us away when it got too dark!
What did you think of your group leader?
Considering Cosmin had had his second son only 2 weeks earlier, he gave us so much time and was always willing to answer any questions. ROmania hasa long andcomplex history which I am getting to grips with thanks to Cosmin. He knew and loved the area which really helped my enjoyment of the holiday. We had a really fun group and he was soon giggling along with the rest of us!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Romania is a great country to visit and I can't imagine a better location for a guesthouse than Villa Hermani.
Take mosquito spray for the beaver watch!
Expect to be well fed and enjoy the local home brew!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
JUst go - you'll have a great time and learn lots!
Phil Barker

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written July 2010
Overall a great trip with a good mixture of wildlife, wilderness and trekking activity. The guest house is really comfortable with some lovely balcony views. Cosmin the guide is a true little gent.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
For me it was the bears, the bears, the bears. We saw a mother and four cubs and then a mother and two cubs at the wild bear hide which was a special treat. However for me I really enjoyed the bear sanctuary. This isn't open to the public yet and so it is a real privilege to be able to get so close to them. They have about 50 and you're not going to get a wildlife encounter this close to European bears anywhere in the world. An excellent opportunity to photograph them close up. Walking up the path to the sanctuary was a real breath-taking moment when you see these giants just up ahead. Some of the stories of the mistreatment of some of the 'characters' there are heart breaking but now they all look really happy plodding about and climbing the trees. Oh and there are wolves there too.
What did you think of your group leader?
I have been on many Exodus (and their competitors) trips and our guide for the week, Cosmin Dan, was by far the best guide I have ever known. He could answer any question on the local geology, flora, fauna, both ancient and modern history, local culture and cookery and... when you get him going... the local hokey myths. He was also such a lovely and sweet-mannered guy and just the right side of sociable with the group. He totally loves his job and just beams walking through the wilderness. He really does add something special to this trip. I don't know if you ever read these reviews Cosmin but keep up the excellent work.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't get too attached to the 'pet' rabbits in the garden.... unless you're vegetarian. Take good walking shoes and binoculars.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Photographers.. if you want to get decen close up shots of the wild bears in the hide I'd recommend a 400 to 600m lens.
linda scandrett

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Written September 2009
This holiday was even better than it said in the brochure. Fantastic scenery, amazing wildlife, wonderful people and at the end of day's walking , mouthwatering food, good company and very comfortable accomodation.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I really enjoyed seeing the bears both in the hide and I was really impressed with the work of the people at the bear sanctuary. but when I pulled back my bedroom curtains in the morning after arriving at the guest house during the night I will never forget the scenery, it was just awesome. I was also amazed by the quality and choice of the local food particularly the mushrooms.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader Cosmin was a true gentleman, patient and kind with everybody in the group. He was knowledgeable in a way which only someone who truly loved this area could be.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't underestimate the walking, try and get as much practice as you can in areas where there are some steep hills. Take some binoculars and walking poles are an essential.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It was a shame that this holiday was only for a week because I could have stayed much longer. From being picked up at the airport we were made to feel truly at home. Our host Katherina was outstanding and she and her ladies conjured up some amazing dishes in the kitchen, which as a vegetarian I truly appreciated . I had some wonderful travelling companions which added to this fantastic experience. I would certainly reccomend this to anybody considering this holiday.