Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I went back to Kvitavatn for a second time to try and get myself properly mobile on cross country skis.  Last year I spent most of my time sitting in snow drifts or crashing, but this year I found my feet from day one and just grew in confidence.  I have 4 inspirational moments - the first time we completed the 5km Orange Track including the terrifying "vertical" downhill without crashing; a similar moment with a bigger hill on the red 15km track; Finally mastering the art of herring boning and being upwardly mobile as well as downwardly; and last but not least climbing and successfully descending Mount Ornenipa on skis.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Albert (first 3 days) was really helpful and gave me space  to find my feet and explore technique a bit in a way that I wasn't confident enough to do last year.  Ilse (last 3 days) was as brilliant as ever.  In particular in letting me go up Ornenipa and supporting me physically and emotionally getting down again with an injury. She knows exactly when to praise and when to push, and the evening stretching and talks were great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be as fit as you can before you go, you'll have much more fun if you aren't huffing and puffing.  Also be honest about what you can and can't do, but throw yourself in.  I was useless first time but comfortable in the grade 2 group second time even though I really struggled throughout last time.Be prepared to be gregarious - you may be sharing a room with 3 total strangers in close (though comfortable) quarters, and the showers are communal too.   Kvitavatn is very quiet so not the place to go if you are looking for a lot of nightlife, but the skiing both in tracks and off track is brilliant.

Most Inspirational Moment

We had lovely clear skies for a lot of the trip so the sunrises over the different landscapes were incredible. Although seeing the Taj Mahal and Everest will remain with me forever, it was spending time on the ghats and on the water at Varanasi that took my breath away. Drifting along the river in the Chitwan National Park came a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Badam Sing made all of us feel instantly at ease. He shared a lot of information about his life, childhood and religion with us which gave a very personal insight into India. He dealt with schedule changes calmly and efficiently, changed things around to make the best use of our time, and did his best to arrange things to suit the requests of different members of the group. I was really grateful that Badam didn't bombard us with information on the long journeys - allowing us time and peace to watch the scenery as we drove. I really can't praise him highly enough!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do as many of the optional trips as you can. Don't miss the Everest flight. Bring an iPod for the long journeys and several memory cards. january/February was a great time to travel.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Barranco Wall.  This was the bit I was most worried about because I had spent hours watching it on Youtube BUT it was nothing like I had imagined and I loved it.  The guides and porters are so brilliant and they help you up anyway.Having breakfast outside in the sunshine about the clouds with the Summit in the background.    

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Florenc was fantastic.  I felt comfortable with him straight away.  He was knowledgeable and had lots of experience on the mountain.  The African Walking Company are excellent and our assistant guides, Davison, Hans, Adam and Olaf were brilliant too.  However, the greatest respect goes to Simon who was the porter who carried my kit bag and set my tent up for me everyday with a smile.    The chef, Godlisten is a legend - the food was great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Build up your training to walk for at least 4 - 5 hours at a time as you will be doing this (and longer) every day!  Book a trek with Mick and Elaina from Trek Hire UK - they give really valuable advice, tell you where you are at with your training AND it's a great day out over the Surrey Hills.Even if you are going with your partner - pay the single supplement as there is not much room in the tent (especially if you are tall or need to go to the loo alot which you will if you take diamox). We hired sleeping bags, therma rest, down jackets, rucksack and poles from Trek Hire UK - they were great and it kept the cost down.Take a pillow case to stuff your down jacket in for sleeping at night.Take an aluminium bottle to use as a hot water bottle for bed and fresh water to clean your teeth with in the morning.Take lots of baby wipes!Take time to get to know your guides and porters.  They are amazing and you will soon realise that your life is in their hands. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Actually doing 6 days of good walking and achieving some really good summits combined with full and long days of walking.  Also, having a large group that was of a mixed age and gender, that gelled from Day 1 with a passionate, do anything leader who made fantastic sandwiches too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Jose Fraile and we very quickly warmed to him.  He is local to the area, passionate about the historic footpaths, tracks and abandoned terrace farms.  Jose is very patient, eager to please, has a lovely persona, humorous and makes lovely sandwiches with a different filling each day!  He even keeps the footpaths cut back and stops them getting overgrown.Even on our free day, Jose made sure that everyone was taken care of and was happy to transport us to our different destinations.Couldn't have wished for a better leader. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

We did this trip as a mature couple and thoroughly enjoyed it so, don't even think about it - just do it.  This is a superb winter destination to top up your walking and is as good as a week in the Lakes. On the first day it rained and was cold.  On the second day it snowed on the high ground.  This did not stop us achieving our walks on either day, so be prepared for indifferent weather and take some warm clothing as we wore everything we took from the UK, even though we thought we had gone over the top with our warm and wet gear. The remainder of the week was sunny, hot and blue skies - just what we had expected. Check the weather forecast before you go and search on Sella and not Benidorm.  Every day was not a walk in the park and you need to be prepared for some tough ascents and long descents, especially at the end of a full day.  There are no coffee or refreshment shops on any of the trekking days (thankfully), but you do get the chance of a beer at the end of some of the walks and in lovely village bars.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the views from the varied and interesting walks (the photos don't do it justice).

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the wonderful remarks from previous treks about Jose Miguel are still true today. His enthusiasm and passion are infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go! You'll have a great week.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's very hard to single out one element of the trip as it was so diverse, however, the following will stay in my memory always. The Red Fort at Jaipour - the majestic elephants with their blood red robes and decorated faces and the Fort itself were amazing.The Taj Mahal in all its serene beauty.The Ganges flower ceremony and the beauty of the river at sunset .Varanasi's Holy Men in their robes.The Monkey Temple at Kathmandu.The people, who were so curious and welcoming.The colours, women working in the fields wearing bright red, green, blue, orange and yellow cloths - stunning.The noise of the horns and chaos of the roads.I could go on and on. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Guide, Badam, was like a teacher, brother and comedian all rolled into one, he made us all feel safe, relaxed and happy.His advise on everything from what to wear (it was decidedly cold a lot of the time) to where and what to eat made me feel confident and I had no tummy problems at allHe is a wonderful ambassador for his country and for Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was the first time I have done a trip of this nature so I was very apprehensive but it turned out that there was nothing to worry about. There are now 'local' offices where you can get your Indian Visa, I used the one near Heathrow and it was brilliant, no need to go into the centre of town or pay an expensive courior charge.Take a lot of hand sanitizer with you and use it frequently not just at obvious times but also when you handle cash (the lower denomination in particular are really dirty), menue's in restaurents etc.Bring lots of tissues because you will need them for public toiletts. Don't be scared of the overnight train journey, it was quite an adventure and we met sone lovely students from Taiwan who voluntered to take the top bunks which were quite high up. Just make sure your valuables are safe, just in case. Despite the air conditioning it was very warm so don't wear your thermals (like I did!).Don't forget to haggle when you are buying silks, presents etc. It's really not worth arguing over 20 or 30 rupees but in some cases they will settle of half the asking price. Be prepared for some long bus journeys, you do get used to them and when you arive at your destination it's worth every minute. The buses we used were fine but they don't have heating so if you are traveling at this time of year get wrapped up for the early morning starts.I read lots of horror stories about the road travel but they just weren't applicable to our trip at all. Be prepared to see some sad things, like the poverty that some people have to endure and lots of stray dogs, cows, goats etc. It's hard to look at but that's how it is.

Most Inspirational Moment

The panoramic views across the sierra, the amazing pena (rocky outcrops), the spectacular sunrises and the the riot of almond blossom.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose worked hard to ensure the week went smoothly for us. Excellent sandwich maker--the best! Yummy lunches, the purple carrots, cakes and chocolate were a great treat. All transportation worked like clockwork. Unparalleled last night entertainment--singing, flamenco, the tattiest tat competition, the sangria drinking...unforgettable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for all weathers--we had snow the first couple of days (or was it almond blossom disguised as snow???) so thermals and woolly hats and gloves were needed, but by the end of the week were walking in shorts.Be prepared for long days and be reasonably fit. Some descents are tricky and poles are helpful. This is a step up from a "B" grade, so expect that.Don't expect to lose weight on this holiday because of all the walking, there is a lot of eating too. The food at the accomodation in Sella (Casa Roc) is outstanding. Also, lots of chocolate involved. Jose's sandwiches as previously mentioned are "legendary".The accomodation at Sella had shared bathrooms, worked OK as people were considerate. The communal kitchen and terraces were ideal for relaxing in. We needed oil heaters in the rooms as it was quite cold at night. The hosts, Steve and Liz, both British, were extremely welcoming and the dining room was wonderfully warm and atmospheric. In Benimantell the rooms were en-suite and warmer, though the atmosphere of the place was far less cosy.Not much to do on the free day--that suited us as we did some bird-watching and read our books and had a luxurious and delicious 3 course lunch with wine and liquers at Cafe Rafal in Benimantell for euros 15 each (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Others in the group had massages (arranged by Jose), or went to the coast, even bravely venturing to an out-of-season Benidorm!! We had a group that got along well, which made the trip enjoyable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Favourite parts for me were day 2 in Petra, camping in Wadi Rum and chilling out on the dive boat in Acaba. In Petra on day 2 we walked (scrambled) up and down gorges with not another tourist in sight. Great to get off the beaten track. The Wadi Rum camp site is comfortable and secluded - and the Bedouin guides cooked a really delicious meal underground in the sand! On the last but one day in Acaba - having several hours to relax on board with snorkelling and another delicious meal was a perfect way to unwind at the end of a busy week. All in all a great trip!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ali was helpful and knowledgeable and really helped make the trip work for the group

Most Inspirational Moment

Just to see how beautiful the country is and so many different forts, temples and palaces. My favorite was actually the Jain Temple at Ranakpur, it was just amazing. But also just the driving in our little bus. We saw so much from that bus (a wedding going on and a cremation party just to mention a few). Obviously Taj Mahal was beautiful as well. It's quite amazing actually, finally seing it in real life. We went to see a movie as well, one of the optional extras, and it was such a laugh. We all enjoyed that. Just so different to watching films in the cinema at home.I also really enjoyed Udaipur. Can't quite put my finger on it, but there was just something about that city.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were all really happy with Abhi. He was just so positive and helpful all the time. One of the first things he did was make sure we all had his card with his mobile number so we always could get hold of him. Abhi shared a lot of information about himself and his family and it really made us understand the people and the culture. He had a really good sense of humour as well. I would love to go to India again, and I would love to have Abhi as a guide on my next trip.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do read the trip notes as they are very accurate. I was prepared for the long driving days and you need to be aware of that. Mind you, without the long drives we wouldn't have seen so much. I went in December 2013 and it does get cold in the morning and evening. Also the hotel rooms have air condition, not heating. Bring a warm hat and maybe a scarf for the game drives. It was lovely during the day, but bring a warmer sweater/fleece for the morning and evenings, especially if you are eating outside for dinner as we did a couple of times.Just go to India with an open mind. It's a bit overwhelming at times but the people are so friendly and helpful. I wouldn't have been able to do all this by myself, so this trip, with a smaller group, was perfect for me.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages of each of the countries, "high-fiving" the children who came running out to say hello to us as we passed by.Also, the delicious lunch we had one day in the Mekong Delta, cooked by the family of the bike mechanic, set in a beautiful location. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rit, our guide who accompanied us for the entire trip, was just fantastic. I cannot say anything bad about him. He was always smiling, and kept everything ticking along like clockwork.Sum, who was with us in Thailand and Cambodia was also brilliant - the two guides made a brilliant team, with their interesting stories and facts about the countries, their great organisation and wicked sense of humour.I was sad to say goodbye to both of them at the end of the trip. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring some good padded shorts, a sense of humour, and your stamina! This is a great trip but there are some long days, especially for the first few days. However, the group leaders are very motivating, there are so many interesting things to see, and the trip was very well organised.