Corsican Mountains & Villages

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 21 reviews.

Stephen Bamford

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Written September 2012
Excellent holiday - spectacular scenery, good company, friendly welcoming hotel with good food, skilled group leader.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The view from the top of the hill on the last day - and sense of achievement in getting there ! Being able to manage a couple of walks that were beyond our comfort zone.
What did you think of your group leader?
Very skilled and knowledgeable, taught us a lot about walking in difficult terrain and using walking poles. Adjusted to poor weather in first few days and offered an alternative additional walk on rest day because one walk had to be discontinued. He inspired confidence and was generally friendly, helpful and informative, using his language skills well with the group and local people. If there was one minor issue, occasionally he could come across as a bit brusque.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring walking poles - we found them very useful on the steeper terrain.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We enjoyed the holiday rather more than a self guided one we have done in the past - having a guide enabled use to explore terrain we probably would have avoided otherwise and it was great to meet new people.
Colin Read

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Written September 2012
This was well up there with the best walking holidays I have been on. There really was nothing to criticise and even the weather was as close to perfect as you are ever likely to get in the mountains.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Just walking amongst the spectacular mountains of Corsica in good company, and still managing to get up and down some quite challenging hills and back to the Bar des Amis in the evening, without undue pain and distress, was all the inspiration I was seeking.
What did you think of your group leader?
Rude was an excellent leader and guide. He knew the routes well, judged our abilities accurately and was always efficient and helpful, whilst exhibiting a good sense of humour. Could not have wished for a better leader.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Follow the Exodus trip advice and equipment list and you won't go far wrong. Read the description of the grade of walking carefully before booking. "Moderate" in this case is about equivalent to Ramblers grade D+, at least in my experience.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It was just a great trip.
Gwen Higgins

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Written September 2012
Satisfies the desire to climb mountains on an island with a colourful history of bandits especially before the rule of its most famous son, Napoleon, without sacrificing the comforts of a family run hotel or the pleasures of the local village bar and bakery. Energy expenditure well balanced with time for relaxation and enjoying the pace of village life plus time to explore Ajaccio on day off.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Opening the window of my room onto the view of the mountains in brilliant sunshine and blue skies on day 1 creating the feeling "it doesn't get any better than this" .....but it did!
Finding so many "glass half full" like minded people in the group
What did you think of your group leader?
Rudi was an excellent leader- friendly, helpful, patient and balanced his time across the group very well.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack your swimmers as it was still very warm in September
Ruth Thomas

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Written September 2012
A most enjoyable holiday: wonderful scenery, good variety of walks, excellent leader, great company and lovely sunny hot weather most of the time. Comfortable hotel, within easy walking distance of the village bakery and a good bar, as well as being close to the railway station.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were many of them, throughout the holiday, including the great view of mountains from the balcony of the hotel,  superb views during our walks (particularly those in the mountains), and from the train on our various railway journeys (i.e. on 3 of the 5 walking days, and on our day off, when most of us went to Ajaccio).
I loved the fact that we never had to travel by mini-bus at the start or end of the walks. If we weren't using the train, we started the walk from the hotel.
The group was full of interesting people, and we got on very well (and gave the bar in the village plenty of business), so that was another big plus point about the holiday.
What did you think of your group leader?
Rudy was very well-organised, knowledgeable, reliable, considerate, patient, and helpful at all times, but with a good sense of humour too. He always tried to ensure that we were all able to go at a pace that suited us: for anyone who wished to go ahead he would explain the route in advance (including any points where there was a danger of going the wrong way). He was very good at giving us the opportunity of visiting bars in any villages that we passed through (and even, on the final day, carrying provisions so that he could brew teas / coffees for us in a shepherd's hut for which he had the key).
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip notes are pretty accurate, so if you like the sound of it, go ahead and book it!
The quality of the food and drink at the hotel was excellent but don't expect many vegetables with the evening meal (I understand that this is typical, rather than a feature of this particular hotel).   Also don't expect a big variety of choice at breakfast. It consisted of fruit juice, croissants, bread, jam and tea/coffee. But the bread was always fresh and plentiful.   The hotel owners, and staff. were always friendly and helpful.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the trains were very modern and comfortable, and (in our experience at least) mostly on time, or only slightly late. (I understand that the new trains were introduced only in the past year or two, and initial "teething" problems in the transition period are now resolved).     So I suggest that you shouldn't be put off by reports from earlier years about the trains being unreliable.
John Rhodes

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Written August 2012
Excellent hotel with great food. Atmospheric village in a remote spot. Great scenery. Very friendly people in the group, we all got on well.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The beautiful woods and views from the mountains sides. Seeing the semi wild pigs was somehow very interesting.
Swimming in a mountain river pool was perhaps the best thing.
What did you think of your group leader?
Good sense of safty and well organised.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The walking is easy. There are a lots of woods, so you will love it if woods are your thing. They really look undisturbed by mankind or industry.
Do not go in big boots to the seaside, you will look like a being from another planet ( as I did! I also persuaded my mate that boots would be needed for the coast walking.There were many curses). Go with icecream and beach in mind.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It rained over 2 or more days, so that was a bit of a bore: I had hoped for all out heat, but there you go. But we still did interesting things on the rainy days.
Jane Rigby

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Written July 2012
We stayed in a friendly family run guest house overlooking the village and mountains. The mornings and evenings were filled with the heady perfume of lime blossom. Immediate relaxation! The mountain scenery was stunning and the people warm and friendly, appreciating us trying to speak French or Italian with them!Some days involved quite a bit of country lane walking or had periods of hanging around waiting for the public bus to turn up at the end of the day, which I found frustrating as I wanted to be walking in the mountains that surrounded us. However the last 2 days of walking were in the mountains.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walks that included parts of the GR20 and the refreshing mountain streams where we could paddle, dabble or swim dependant on how brave (or hot) we felt!
The food in our guest house was excellent but with a typical breakfast of freshly baked croissants and bread with jam plus coffee and orange juice, we felt the need to supplement this with fruit bought in the village.
What did you think of your group leader?
Rich was an excellent leader with bags of personality, enthusiasm and energy. He taught us quite a lot from how to correctly use walking poles to spotting and following the required waymark signs....etc.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The temperatures were 32-36degs C so take a hat but don't bother with swimwear or a travel towel as we just went into the streams as we were - very liberating! Zip-offs were useful to wear in the macquis areas to prevent scratches and, if you're prone to bites, have insect repellent / after bite, etc with you.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Although the plan to 'build us up' to longer or harder walks was a good one and it was interesting to use the local 'Michelin' train, it was frustrating not to access more 'hills & mountains' trails and to hang around (one day in the full heat of the sun) waiting for the public bus.
Could Exodus not provide local transport on some of the days to maximise the walking time and even expand on the range of walks made available?
Duncan Brice

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Written June 2012
An excellent walking holiday the tone of which was set on the first afternoon when we all went for 'trial' walk to assess our abilities - a sound idea. We got to know the group from the very start which set the scene for the rest of the week.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There was no single moment. The entire week was so varied with the use of the local railway to get to & from the walks, the villages and magnificent mountain scenery. Hugely enjoyable.
What did you think of your group leader?
Richie, our leader, encouraged us all so that even those of us who doubted our abilities did manage to achieve all the walks. He gave good advice without 'pushing it' and enabled us to really enjoy the week. The best leader I have come across on this type of adventure holiday.