Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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14318 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed October 2013

TREASURES OF SICILY

A good all round trip that took in most of the big ‘must see’ sites. The food was an unexpected bonus as I had no idea just how fresh and unique it could be. The guides were attentive problems solvers when needed and very knowledgeable.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was Monreale which left me overwhelmed. Also, coming in a close second the theatre at Taomina, not so much for its looks so much as the alignment with Etna as a backdrop. Having studied 5th century Athens/States I knew how much that would have influenced the plays. Monreale was something else. I only wish I had got to see the outside cloisters, but the gold mosaics, the marble floors and designs were outstanding. The whole trip managed to encompass so much I had read only about or learned about in one country. My imagination just soared. As a child I adored the Greek myths and legends, as an adult I studied Greece and Rome, here were examples of everything, what a place!

Thoughts on Group Leader

I thought he was great. A man passionate about his country, food, its problems and his Etna. Now, I was not keen about Etna, but he coaxed me up in foul weather and actually made it very interesting. He was also very kind about my lagging behind with a filthy cold and swollen ankles which lasted a few days. The driver was great too. Both were keen to promote Sicily and I was keen to absorb the information.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you dont like fish your diet is more restricted. There are some small cars to take you up to some sites if the heat or swollen ankles get you, which costs a few euros, same goes for Monreale steps. I took a taxi up and walked down. Its not easy getting tea. The beds were great for me, on the firm side. The hotels were fine, some were basic but clean. The only down side of Sicily are the stray dogs all over the place. They look well fed but thirsty and found on roads, sites etc. I did get bitten a few times by insects (late Sept) and our guide told us that Zingaro was bad in August. Wear a hat, take water, the tap water was fine. The heat was terrific. The mini bus just about coped with the heat. Bit of a hard ride but I didnt get backache as with my local buses. Be prepared for early starts 8 or 8.30am and they are an hour ahead too. This makes sense to help avoid some of the crowds (Monreale was packed by 10am) and the mid day heat. Take many paracetamols as they are 3 euros a small box!

Reviewed October 2013

CHIANTI: WALKING & WINE

Another fantastic holiday by Exodus (Waymark). Our 7th trip. And not our last.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the Tuscan countryside. Absolutely beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ale is just the most fantastic guide. We had met him before on our trip to Spain two years ago and it was a delight to be on holiday with him again. He makes his job look so easy but manages to combine being great company with a being a professional guide who is both informative and 'in control'.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes. Book tickets for the Uffizi BEFORE going on the holiday. This didn't occur to us so we essentially missed the chance of visiting the Uffizi on our day trip to Florence. Although we found the walking very easy and pleasurable - there were still one or two people who found the going tough. In the grading of your walking, I think you need to be explicit about the type of walking on each holiday.

Reviewed October 2013

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Cycling on varied terrain across some quite different parts of India, from cool hills and eucalyptus forests, to tea plantations, bamboo and coconut palms as well as National Parks. Accommodation excellent (on the premium trip) and the staff incredibly helpful and caring. Sometimes the traffic was a little much, but I just got in the bus!

Most Inspirational Moment

The long downhill from Ooty was the most varied of days with amazing scenery. I also enjoyed the quality of the food, I don't think we ate the same dishes twice. We saw a wild elephant in the National Park and had time to relax as well as cycle. People were really friendly and kind.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vishnu was great, really informative and made sure we knew what was happening each day. He was also a good first aider, and when I came off my bike on the last afternoon, he patched me up (it wasn't serious!) Our driver Ashok was so caring, and he prayed in the bus every day for our safety, which I appreciated a lot. Sheebu the mechanic looked after the bikes and made it a trouble free trip - he even sourced me a peaked hat for the downpour that threatened to wash my contact lenses from my eyes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There's quite a lot of traffic on some segments, so be prepared for that. India has changed a lot and continues to morph, so what used to be backwater is now densely populated.

Reviewed October 2013

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliant.The whole experience was great, we were not dissapointed with anything, the trip notes were accurate and Exodus kept us informed all the way.

Most Inspirational Moment

I guess the most unexpected and uplifting exerience for Kathy and I was the bonding with our fellow walkers, guide Nick, John & Jane, our hosts.The bonding of everybody was a delight, we had so much fun both on and off the walks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nick was great, he was very thorough in his preparation of the walks and was attentive to everyones needs.Nicks passion for the wilderness is evident in his manner, he just lives for it. He also has a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it as the saying goes, I celebrated my 60th birthday on the trek and could not have been more at ease, the accomodation was fantastic. Just read the trip notes, they are comprehensive and don't be afraid to ask questions of Exodus if you have any, we found Exodus responded in a timely and professional manner.

Reviewed October 2013

INCA TRAIL, TITICACA & NAZCA

Great, well organised trip- everything went nice and smoothly

Most Inspirational Moment

Finally arriving at the Machu Picchu guard house having completed 4 days of walking through the mountains and just soaking up the sublime view.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really helpful and calm, but organised and kept everything flowing with no issues. Knowledgeable and friendly too

Advice for Potential Travellers

The Inca trail gets cold at night- make sure you have a good sleeping bag (warm in minuses), walking poles were surprisingly useful.

Reviewed October 2013

WALKING IN BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

An excellent trip to a beautiful country with outstanding local guides. The itinerary provides a good mix of walking in great scenery with time spent exploring the cities of Bosnia.

Most Inspirational Moment

The rafting trip down the Neretva River. This was my first experience of white water rafting and I found it exhilarating. The Neretva canyon itself is magnificent - with plenty of rapids punctuated by really peaceful sections between vertical rock walls. The walking in the Sudjeska National Park was a wonderful experience - rocky peaks and grassy hills. It was so quiet you almost felt that our party had the mountains to ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Samer was simply outstanding - the best guide I have had on any of my trips. He is extremely knowledgeable about his country and provides a very balanced view of its recent history. He has a great love for the mountains of Bosnia and is sure to inspire you. He ensured that all the trip arrangements went smoothly and is an extremely patient guy - despite us probably asking the same questions several times over. During our visit to Bosnia Samer was ably assisted by Srdjan - a tower of strength, whose "Tardis" like rucksack produced flasks of hot water (tea/coffee), biscuits, fruit and all manner of nibbles to keep us going on the walking days.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and do not expect gourmet cuisine (especially at the start of the holiday in the first two hotels). The restaurants in Sarajevo and Mostar are very good, however, and the prices cheap.

Reviewed October 2013

PERU EXPLORER

An amazing trip which just kept giving, from sea level to the mountains, it was all unforgettable!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to pick just one inspirational moment but my personal highlights were:Seeing penguins in the wildThe Inca Trail... and arriving at the Sun Gate in the Sun - after two days of rain and hail (don't forget to pack a plastic poncho, it could become your new bestfriend!)The Amazon - wow, wow and thrice wow!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carlos couldn't have done enough for us, even arranging and leading tours on the free days in Cuzco for the people who didn't do the trail. His knowledge was vast and he had a good sense of humour - which I think is a must when dealing with any group of people - Thank you Carlos for a fabulous holiday!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take enough memory cards for your camera - I blew through 1500 photos in the three weeks very easily and I didn't even think I was taking many pics!Definately take a plastic poncho for the Inca TrailWhen they said it could be cold in the Amazon, it really can (still a little in shock at the 3:45am wake up call but it was well worth it!)The food in Peru is amazing! Far better than I was ever expecting - and despite eating like a horse (and making the most of every help yourself buffet) I still came back lighter - result!Apply mozzie repellant in Arrequipe - didn't get bitten anywhere else but was chewed there.Walking poles are a must for the Inca Trail. I'd never used them before and they were an absolute god send for hauling yourself up the big steps and acting as brakes on the 'smaller' onesTake more than one jumper! I foolishly didn't and it can get quite cold at night and the air con on the bus can be a bit of a mixed blessingApply suntan lotion even when its a grey day (found this out the hard way, doh!)You can get sols (currency) in the UK - which I did and the exchange rate was pretty good. Try to keep the notes as small and 'clean'/untorn as possible though as they don't like them otherwise.If you don't have a loo on the bus, which we didn't, you could spend a couple of £ a day on the toilets and they generally cost 1 sol (25p) a pee (and you often needed your own loo roll and soap) so try to get change when you canYou will have an amazing time, go on, book it, you know you want to really!

Reviewed October 2013

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

The trip exceeded our expectations, the chalet hosts john and janet were amazing , nothing was too muchtrouble and we were spoiled with gourmet meals everyday. The setting was very beautiful and the hot tubwas very special after a days walking.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a number of inspiring moments, the trip on the cable car to the Accueill de Midi is magnificentit takes you up to 4480 mtrs and is right next to Mont Blanc a truly enchanting exparience, the other highlightsoccured on every walk just being in the Alps and seeing such majestic sights in particular the numerous glaciers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Nick Mortley and he was absolutely first class he had a real depth of knowledge forall things mountain and walking . He lead our group of 14 very well always being sensitive to the needs ofeveryone and getting the pace just right.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip is graded as moderate and whilst we coped well it was no less demanding than the trip we did to Mt Toubkal which was graded as challenging i would say make sure you have good fitness because of the amount of ascending and descending each day it can be hard on the knees if they are prone to problemsbut other than that just the usual stuff i.e good boots waterproofs wicking layers and water bottles.

Reviewed October 2013

WALKING THE GREAT WALL

Outstanding local rep with Kevin (Great Wall of China). Trip was just as described.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being in less tourist type places.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kevin really made the trip. Great sense of humour, kept us safe, helped us bond as a group and organised a Birthday cake for my husband.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bed's in China are incredibly hard, having experienced this before we took sleeping bags to have extra cushioning. Walking poles are a great help for this trip.

Reviewed October 2013

MT TOUBKAL CLIMB

A great trip and well organised. The trekkers were a tremendous crowd and the group got on well. The camp food was brilliant.

Most Inspirational Moment

Starting out for the peak under a full moon and seeing the head torches of other groups ascending through the blackness of the landscape. We were very lucky to be on the peak at 09.00hrs with wall to wall blue sky, the panoramic views were unbelievably grand. And I think an inspiration to everyone was the sight of a senior member of the group reaching the summit after a slow but dogged ascent. Just means that I have to keep on going for more years!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdulla, our leader was brilliant, classified himself as the slowest guide in Morocco but the pace he set was spot on for all but a couple of senior members. These were catered for by Abdulla's 'long stop' who looked after their welfare at the rear of the team. The support team were very friendly and the cook did marvellous things with lots of fresh food.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit! 4,167m is not overly high but there are a couple of 1,000m days. Going downhill also caused a few aches and pains so don't neglect this aspect of a climb, what goes up must come down. Travel as light as possible, if a large rucksack is used then there is a tendancy to fill it so decide early on what you can leave for the mules to carry during the day. Observe strict personal hygene rules, take lots of hand gel and wipes. Several of the team suffered with upset stomachs at some time or other during the week and two of the team had to miss summit day because of sickness. If travelling on your own, opt for the single occupancy tent, a small extra charge but worth it for the space and comfort.

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