Mountains & Villages of Evia, Greece

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 47 reviews.

Susan Mortimer

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written October 2012
I didn't know quite what to expect never having been on an organised trip before and being a bit of a loner. However the holiday was amazing. Not only was the walking good, although I might have liked something a bit more strenuous, but the accommodation was just right with lovely views from our balcony room and our guide was wonderful, providing history and stories to enlarge our visual experiences. All in all it was a most satisfactory holiday which I am still thinking about long after my return. Thank you Exodus,
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Loved the Demosarios Gorge walk also swimming from a lovely bay.
What did you think of your group leader?
Can't speak too highly of Thanos. Not only was he interesting and entertaining but also very dependable.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
No it's quite clear in Exodus literature
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just go for it, a lovely holiday.
Alastair Gordon

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written October 2012
A great holiday, with a very pleasant group, a brilliant leader, good walking in attractive scenery, and based at a simple friendly family hotel.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Thanos's moving account of the Canadian soldiers whisked to safety during the war and what happened to the family that helped them.
Walking-wise, the Demosaris gorge and the Roman aqueduct descending from Castello Rosso.
What did you think of your group leader?
Thanos was brilliant. He organised things very well (cafes, transport, etc - and finding a reliable taxi-driver and central hotel for us when my friend and I used the free day to end up with 2 days in Athens), answered all questions and had fantastic local knowledge, and walked at a reasonable pace on the whole (but we did get a bit too strung out on occasion when going downhill and there was the deadline of a bus to catch).
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
October seems a good month - I was glad that on no day was it uncomfortably hot while walking. I found the long descents over boulders quite testing, even with poles, as falling forward is more painful! but overall the walking was very enjoyable. Good hotel breakfasts, evening meals at local cafes acceptable (with wine flowing freely) but pretty unimaginative.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Group holidays are a good thing (we were 18) - I had not been on one for 40 years! Perhaps one always gets a good mix of people at this time of year (no one under 40, and 7 over 70 including me, and varied interests)?
I thought the Evia trip was excellent value for the amount of enjoyment involved, and it makes me inclined to try the Greek islands trip some time (with for me as a classicist the special attraction of Santorini).
penny gray

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written October 2012
One of the best group walking holidays I have been on, and excellent value for money.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Wartime stories while doing gorge walk.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. Background knowledge, stories, general entertainment value were all first class.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Trip notes said it all.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Hotel was perfect and hospitality really welcoming. Restaurants were all good. Could not fault whole holiday in any way.
Gerald Paine

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written September 2012
Excellent Leader, Group and Holiday! The dining out at different restaurants each evening was really enjoyable.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walk down the Dimosaris Gorge and the well earned swim after (although the beach wasn't deserted as stated in the brochure - there were 4 other people there!)
What did you think of your group leader?
Costas was an excellent Leader - extremely knowledgeable about the area and its history, enthusiastic, a good communicator and very sociable.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Book now.
John Brunton

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written June 2012
If you're planning to take a walking holiday do not choose this trip which is little more than a glorified site-seeing tour. The holiday might have been better had the usual local organiser been our tour guide
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walk along the Demosaris Gorge
What did you think of your group leader?
An affable and loquacious Greek-American who, on his own admission, was not a qualified tour leader. He had a good knowledge of history but very little knowledge of;local geology, flora or fauna and spent most of the week pointing out the residences of his innumerable relatives!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Previous reviews have mentioned that, Thanos, the usual local organiser, is an excellent tour leader. Make sure, when booking, that he is leading the tour for the week you've chosen.
Take ear plugs - the hotel is very noisy and many members of our group had difficulty in sleeping due to the street noise

Is there anything else you would like to add?
A pleasant enough trip but this is the most disappointing of the five exodus holidays I've experienced
We were a small grop and were ferried around in two taxis. One of these was dilapidated and its seat belts didn't work which certainly added a certain spice to journeys on twisty mountain roads. It would have been far more sensible to transport the group by minibus. This would have permitted the tour leader to provide the entire group with a commentary about the landscapes through which we were being driven.
Caryl Hartwright

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written May 2012
Overall good but there were also some drawbacks
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I would not describe any aspect as inspirational. However, our favourite aspect of the holiday was our lovely hotel room with a great view out over the sea. Despite being a fairly basic hotel, the owners were very friendly, helpful and relaxed and the location could not have been bettrer.
What did you think of your group leader?
We had two group leaders, with a switch mid-week. One was better than the other and the switch led to some discontinuity and some confusion when plans did not seem clear at all times. Each day was fine, but not all questions about arrangements for subsequent days could be answered. Would be better to stick to one group leader.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are a strong walker, don't do this holiday. Advice for organisers - when the pace is slow, don't stop so often. One day when we walked to a beautiful beach, we stopped so much on the way there, that we barely had time on the beach. A small number of us snatched a quick swim then we were off.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Overall, rated good, but I would not especially recommend this to others. It was relaxing and Evia was interesting, but improvements could be made. Food was good, hotel was good, walks were interesting but very slow. Group too big.
Angela Horton
MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Written April 2012
A wonderful holiday in an unspoilt part of Greece. The walks were as described in the brochure of varying lengths between 8 and 15 miles. The Galaxy hotel was simple but welcoming and had everything that I needed. It was lovely to have a fridge and tea and coffee making facilities. My room and the rooms of the others in the party faced the sea which meant I could sit on the balcony and watch the fishing boats.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Peaks of Mount Ochi
Swimming in the sea after the gorge walk
The lovely lunches
Tasting a variety of Greek starters
Sitting drinking beer outside the local tavernas after a day's walk
The ancient ruins
The mountain flowers
What did you think of your group leader?
Thanos was friendly and well organised and took great care of all of us. He was passionate about the island on which he grew up and delighted in telling us facts and stories.
Everyday at precisely the right moment Thanos would produce a bakery box full of delicious biscuits or pastries which was appreciated by everyone in the group.
Thanos chose some great places to eat and he continued to entertain us at dinner with his anecdotes. I particularly enjoyed the great range of starters. The food was great for vegetarians.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
It was hot during the day in April but cool in the evening so take something to keep you warm in the evening
There is free WiFi in the lobby and you can use the reception computer. Useful for doing online checking in and printing your boarding pass
The rooms have tea and coffee making facilities with tea, coffee and biscuits
The room has a fridge
Towels are changed daily and can be used to take out for swimming
The museum is small but worth a look on your free day
The beaches have stones so water shoes are really useful on swimming days
Hairdryers are available from reception
The ferry leaves Rafina at 9pm so you really need to have your evening meal in Rafina on the Sunday evening.
Agean Airlines provides a hot meal and free drinks including wine. Remember to book your vegetarian meal at least 24 hours in advance.