Aegean Coast And Lakes Ride

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 13 reviews.

Sandra Glasgow

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written September 2011
What a fantastic holiday. Turkey is amazing- the people, scenery, accommodation and food.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
My son had been to Pamukkale and I had always wanted to see it. It was really special and Ephesus too.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali was an excellent leader. He could explain things clearly and kept an eye on us all so we all felt secure, but he also had a good sense of humour so we had fun as well as good safe cycling.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Check temperatures/dates as it was rather hot for me early September. However we were always supplied with water on the rides.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I wish I had tried Exodus cycle trips sooner. At 72 I don't think I will manage to fit in all the trips I'd like to do.
Barbara MacMillan

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written September 2011
This was my first trip to Turkey and I know I want to return. The countryside was so beautiful and unspoilt, the food was perfect for me and I found the people charming. There were eleven of us on the trip, and although our physical prowess varied and some of us struggled a bit with the heat combined with some hill climbs, I never felt a failure for deciding to take advantage of the support van on a couple occasionsJ
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were several inspirational moments. I especially enjoyed the time spent in a little place which I think was called Kuanos. While there we sailed to a remote island with Ali and a local boat man, and stayed in quaint chalet type accommodation. The atmosphere ceated by that village was very special.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali was an excellent leader who managed the motley crew so well. The fact that he was extremely handsome yet still modest was an added bonus!! In fact we were very well taken care of by all three lads - Ali. Yashid and Cammy whose camaraderie and sense of fun was infectious. Our safety was obviously high priority but this never upset the balance of enjoyment.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I would say that the trip was more challenging than I had expected but that was OK. Also I wish I had taken note of where we spent each night as the itinery was adapted in some places. Our time at Pamukkale was limited so it might have been useful to have the guide leaflets in advance.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would say that my 10 companions were also pretty great:-) All in all it was a fantastic week.
Julie Tidy

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written August 2011
A fabulous opportunity to see the 'real' Turkey away from the busy tourist areas. Amazing cycling but very, very hilly. Not for inexperienced cyclists as this trip is quite challenging and I would not recommend going during August unless you cope well with the heat!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The personal achievement when I made it up to the top of a hill and adrenaline rush cycling downhill for 7km. Also, visiting Ephesus which was incredible. I felt like I had been transported back 2000 years!
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader was friendly and knowledgeable and was easy to get along with. He made sensible decisions eg visiting Pammukkale and Ephesus later in the day when it was less crowded and cooler.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I found energy bars/powdered drinks useful. Be prepared for long hill climbs and quite a bit of time spent on the bus tranferring to the start/hotel at the end.
John Chester

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written June 2011
A well organised trip using lots of local knowledge not readily available to the independent traveller
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The mountain rides
What did you think of your group leader?
Helpful and knowledgable guy
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't be put off by the reference to challenging climbs,the view from the top is well worth it
Andrew Hewitt

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written May 2011
Overall a very enjoyable holiday with some good rides and spectacular scenary, particularly Lake Bafa and group of nice people who all got on well. But the route could be improved so that less time is spent on busy roads - we probably spent in the region of 30-40% of our time on what were really quite large, busy, fast roads (though the third day's cycling was cancelled due to fog of all things so I can't comment on that).
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Lake Bafa. The sunset was spectacular, the scenary beautiful. I would also say coming down a 10% incline on a dual carriageway overtaking cement mixers and lorries at 30mph+ on the Saturday morning inspired a certain amount of adrenalin and fear. On the other hand the descent on the second day was wonderful - quiet roads, sweeping bends, spectacular views. Ephesus was also good value - it was worth paying the money for the guide, as he was really knowledgable and made the place come alive.
What did you think of your group leader?
Semih is a very nice, personable bloke and I think could potentially be a good tour leader. He was anxious to please and was always on hand to help if needed. He and his team did a great job of finding a really nice restaurant to go to when the cycling got fogged off on day 3. However, I felt he could perhaps benefit from some training in what is expected of a tour leader, eg a more detailed briefing on where we were going in the morning / the previous evening, some indication of how long the route was going to be and generally being a bit more proactive at sharing information rather than waiting for us to ask questions. I also perceived a bit of a langauge barrier (though his English is infintiely better than my Turkish!). I think Semih may also have benefited knowing the route a bit better (or at least having a decent map - Google maps seemed to offer more detail than the one he had!). I understand that revisions to the route to avoid using the big D400 dual carriageway so much are being considered (we must have done at least 30km on it on the last day - not much fun). I couldn't encourage that more. Finally, I think more care could have been taken to ensure those who tended to cycle towards the back of the group got sufficient food and support, particularly on the first day.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
By the end of the week the group was of the settled view than this was at least on the tough end of "moderate", particularly the climb on the first day (contrary to what the trip notes might say, it was far from flat or mostly downhill). Be prepared to do some cycling on fairly busy, albeit wide, roads and to cycle for fairly long periods without stopping too much. Bring your own energy bars etc as although energy was available there could have been more of it. I really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it to anyone who has a bit of road cycling experience / confidence and doesn't mind a bit of traffic. That said, there were parts of the ride which were just wonderful, quiet undulating roads - eg day 2 was great as involved cycling by a lake for about 15km, climbing a hill and then coming off it in to wide open plain with great views and at considerable speed - although the downhill on the morning of the fifth day was, as I mentioned above, pretty scary because there was just nowhere to stop and some nasty blind corners, so the only option was to just keep going down the hill. Not for the faint-hearted.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I, like others in the group were puzzled by the route selection. For example, why stop with something 3-4km to go on roads where the only other traffic appear to be donkey and carts by Lake Bafa when we had been cycling down an (albeit very scenic) stretch of dual carriageway most of the afternoon? Ditto on Day 5. If the aim is to limit length to c60km a day, why not start a bit later on the busy road so as to have the enjoyment and sense of acheivement of actually cycling to the destination? I got the impression that there was a safety concern re the narrowness of some of the roads; but when the only oncoming traffic is a donkey cart and the odd car or tractor, it's really not as dangerous as being overtaken by enormous trucks on a multilane highway with a gravelly hard shoulder and there are plenty of English country lanes which are narrower but fine to cycle down.
All the hotels (bar maybe the second one, which was not geared at foreign tourists and garishly decorated but the food was excellent) were good, particularly the last one in Dalyan (though I'm not a massive fan of Dalyan itself - very touristy). I'm giving it 4 stars as I had a great time both cycling (most of the time) and in the evenings though that might be a little generious as the routes on Day 4 and 5 need serious revisions, and more warning needed to be given of the climb on day 1.
I was very grateful to Yasser for his mechanical skills and Mustafa for his driving - they made a great team and it was fun hanging out with them and Semih in the evenings.

Exodus Response
This particular departure encountered some difficulties in the form of a number of roadworks, forcing a last minute change of route. These works are now finished and the trip will return to its original route, and so not need to cycle on some of the busier roads.
- Exodus Staff
valerie murray

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written October 2010
Great holiday and last day at Dalyan beach was good optional end to holiday. Cycling sometimes challenging but most enjoyable, especially the downhills. Turkish food really good and tasty. All the Turkish people we met were friendly and courteous.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We really enjoyed Ephesus, but the overly long transfer times curtailed our time spent there which was a pity. Having never been to Turkey, this holiday enabled us to get a better understanding of the geography and its people, which we felt was very important. Exploring the rural countryside, rather than the beaches, we thought gave us an insight into the 'real' Turkey, albeit on a very small scale, but that is what one would expect within one week!
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader and his two assistants were very helpful and friendly. However, it would have been better if the leader's English was better, as often instructions were sometimes lost or misunderstood in translation.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We thought the transfer times did not correspond with the trip notes. Some were far too long, and curtailed the time we could spend visiting two of the most interesting locations - Ephesus and the salt spas.
Brian Helsdon

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written October 2010
Overall I enjoyed the trip. I thought the cycling at times was tougher than the B rating suggested: you should be fit for this trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing Ephesus at dusk after a long day cycling and travelling by bus.
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader was friendly and we all bonded. My reservation would be his standard of English which I don't consider good. It prevented a closer relationship between him and the group and led to occasional misunderstandings. For example he seemed to pronounce village and bridge the same; important if that was the next meeting point.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be fit, be prepared for a couple of 5-7k uphills, the one on the first cycling day is particularly challenging. Only one person - me!!! - did this without either stopping or walking. The scenery is breathtaking at times with the mountains and lakes. The last, free, day at Dalyan was relaxing and there is an excellent beach a river boat ride away fron the hotel.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My advice to Exodus would be to quality assure this holiday again. As above I think the standard of English of the guide could and should have been a bit higher. I would have rated some of the hotels as basic rather than standard. In particualr the one near Ephesus, though central, was of poor quality. My room had wires exposed in the wall sockets, not reassuring. Perversely the one hotel rated as basic was really rather good in a pretty, albeit islolated, position close to a lake.
Another reservation is that there were several cycling sections on busy main roads. Indeed for one short section we cycled on the hard shoulder of a motorway!