Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspiring moment of the trip was undoubtedly the incredible teamwork ethic and camaraderie running through the entire contingent of porters and assistants that made the trip up the mountain with us. while I wouldn't say that reaching the top of Kilimanjaro pushed me to my *absolute* limits (as I have a high level of fitness) I do believe that the process was rendered that much easier by the real 'togetherness' that our group enjoyed. The professionalism of the crew travelling with you could not be surpassed and I can imagine that for the naive, a trek like this could quite easily take on a more sinister veneer if not given the level of support that the AWC gave us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader led by example from beginning to end; you could tell he was monitoring everyone's progress like a hawk despite displaying an unbelievable calmness on the outside which, in turn, kept everyone at ease. His nightly chats with the group were both entertaining, informative and full of hope and optimism which went a long way towards helping get us out of bed in the mornings!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not an easy trip, do not get it twisted; I take huge heart in our decision to travel the Lemosho route (thus giving the longest time to acclimatise) sadly vindicated by the occasional sight of casualties carried down the mountain on the last couple of days. Having carefully taken our time from beginning to end, reaching the top was overwhelming; it was my first serious mountain-climbing achievement, and has already given me the enthusiasm to save up and do it all over again in another continent when time and money permit! I would also advise going ahead with all kit recommendations and not attempting to travel light in any respect; you won't need to carry most of this stuff anyway, and given conditions can be quite bleak towards the latter stages of the trek I wouldn't have wanted to be caught short without any essentials. Having brought the kitchen sink with us, this wasn't the issue but it was for some.

Suggestions

If you're in two minds, just do it. The staggeringly beautiful variation in terrain, group spirit when reaching the higher stages and views on the way down render this the perfect starter mountain for anyone looking for a manageable challenge.

Most Inspirational Moment

The history of the American war and how it gave a balanced view rather than the one sided view we got when it was in progress.The resilience of the Vietnamese people and how nice a race they are

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic, a little gem.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont take too many clothes.

Suggestions

Ref the above comment the availability of laundry services sourced by Thang meant it was easy to keep your dirty washing to a minimum. It would help if this was made clear in the trip notes.Would recommend Exodus to anybody, the organisation and attention to detail was unsurpassed.

Most Inspirational Moment

My husband and me tunnelling into opposite ends of the quinsi and meeting in the middle both covered in snow but still grinning.  The Huskies on the dog sledding trip leaping up and down in their sheer enthusiasm.  Snow that stays glisteningly white and doesn’t fall off trees.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ollie was great.  Well organised, always willing to help and answer questions.  Always taking us into deep snow which is much more fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

They really do provide you with enough gear apart from a neck scarf.  Don't be lulled by the cosy dining room, always take warm stuff with you in case there is a Northern Lights call because once you go out and look you daren't go back for warm clothing in case you miss them.  Careful not to slip on the ice when climbing out of the hot tub (it was my only injury of the week).  The hot chocolate isn't free.  You don't need much cash at all - you can put everything on a tab at the basecamp and pay by card at the end of the week.

Suggestions

I was initially concerned with the cost of the holiday but have no regrets now I'm back.  It was so refreshing, fun and exciting it was worth it.  I loved the fact there was so much trust.  After a morning of snow shoeing they just said keep the kit all week and go out whenever you fancy.  We used our free time exploring the area, tobogganing and kick sledding.  In the evenings it was nice to relax in the hot tub.  We took lots of games with us for the evening and enjoyed the drum making.

Most Inspirational Moment

 Too many to say!  The first wonder was seeing an albatross fly past our cabin window when we opened the curtains in the morning.  Then there were the hundreds of thousands of penguins on South Georgia at St Andrews Bay, Shackeltons Grave at Grytviken, and the pod of Orcas that swam past the ship at one point.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

 Kirsten was an experienced and conscientous leader.  Excellent briefing and debriefings.  A general feeling that she knew the area well, the flora and fauna, together with the inherent risks associated with any landings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

 Be prepared to accept that conditions in the Southern Ocean completely determine what you can or cannot do by way of landings.  Choose a ship (like ours - The Ioffe) which can handle bad conditions and on which the movement of the ocean is less obvious than on lesser vessels. Be prepared to be amazed!

Suggestions

The Expedition Team were exceptional, the Crew wonderful, the food was very good and very plentiful. Expect to put on weight! It helped to have a superb, well captained, ship like the Akademik Ioffe, which was more stable than one would imagine, even in a Force 12, in the Drake Passage.You will take more pictures than you imagine, but do spend some time not looking through the viewfinder.The DVD at the end of the trip was great. It was nice not only to have a slide show, but also all of the peoples best picture choices. The maps and daily bulletins helped to write up journals and remind us of anything we had forgotten.If you can go to South Georgia, do so. The combination of scenery, history and wildlife makes South Georgia one of the  special places on this planet. It does help if you can get the very good weather we had.If you have any desire to go - then GO!  

Most Inspirational Moment

The Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels

Thoughts on Group Leader

This being my eighth Exodus trip all group leaders have been very good, however the group leader on this trip surpassed them all in terms of organisational and social skills, knowledge, humour and constant concern for our welfare.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light as plenty of opportunity to get laundry done en route.Everything very cheap

Suggestions

Just a fantstic trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chi was a fantastic leader, he was very informative, helpful, chatty, all round excellent.  We had a couple of bad incidents, one lady came off her bike and broke her leg and we were involved in a road accident.  Chi was fantastic with how he dealt with both incidents, we could not have asked for more in a guide.

Suggestions

Brilliant holiday - would very much recommend.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing "B2", the most dominant male tiger in Bandhavgar, eating at a kill, washing himself like a domestic kitten, strolling nonchalantly across the track to a watering hole, growling... or perhaps the highlight was getting almost uncomfortably close to tigers from our elephant-back vantage point

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb.  Harish Kumar has so many years experience of leading tours, often birding and nature tours, in India that his knowledge of the wildlife is encyclopedic; and his relationships with the parks, hoteliers, etc. strong enough to make things work as smoothly as they can (given that this is India).  India is not a trivially easy place to travel but Harish and his colleagues in India made things work for us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I do recommend the trip but you do need to think twice before you book.  It's a long way to fly then train and minibus to undertake perhaps 50 hours of game drives without the certainty of seeing these (admittedly magnificent) animals.  If you think you may take a serious dislike to the public transport, food, high risk of Delhi Belly spoiling a day or more of your trip, or frustration at (temporary) lack of tigers (or indeed if you are very lucky getting 'tigered out' by the end of the trip!) then you might be better off doing e.g. an African safari or a more leisurely 'cultural' tour of India.You need to have a certain level of robustness, in my view, for this trip's rewards (tigers and some, but not much, of the region's history) to outweigh its frustrations and pitfalls.    However, if you are committed to the idea of seeing this animal in its last redoubts, then this is the trip for you.  While (in my opinion based on what I learned on this trip and from speaking to many other travellers) any trip that spends more than 2 full days in Bandhavgar will pretty reliably give you tigers, this trip gives you time in two other reserves which are not only pretty rich in tigers themselves but have their own characters and strengths: Ranthamore with its ancient fort and hunting palaces scattered through the park; Kanha with its open grasslands and rich bird life.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Passing through the Siq at Petra for the first time. Then walking upto the High Place using a route that was off the beaten track and gave a different perspective of the site.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The tour leader was one of the best I've experienced. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he could answer any question about all the sites we visited.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a fleece in the colder months - and ear plugs if you're a light sleeper and likely to be woken by early morning prayers (.. and perhaps snoring in Wadi Rum)

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting the locals.  They have few material possessions, which we take for granted in the UK, and yet they are incredibly generous.  We were invited into homes, and offered food and drink, which families could ill afford to give away.  It reminded me of what is truly important in life - family, friends and a sense of community.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb.  Knowledgeable, friendly, thoughtful and attentive.  Two members of the group celebrated birthdays while we were away and Laz arranged cakes, American cars and entry to salsa clubs!  The drivers, Tuna and Alberto, were also very friendly and did a brilliant job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to Cuba!

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyday the brilliant blue sky for us sun starved Brits!The food - tasty, varied and plentiful, the porridge kept us going in the mornings. The scenery in the mountains and learning a little of the hard life of the villagers, which has changed litle in 500 years. The people we met were unfailingly cheerful and friendly. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was great. He was kind, patient and gentle. Very happy to answer our questions which he must have heard a million times before. He worked very hard and only seemed to be off duty when we were asleep. He was encouraging on the walks too. A real treasure!Mohammed gave us a very interesting tour of Marrakesh.The cook at the gite was great, we specially welcomed the hot tea and food on our picnics. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Hot water bottle to get you off to sleepPillows and blankets provided, we were always warm at night sleeping in thermals. Couples had their own room which was a bonus.No shoes in the dining area so good idea to take thick socks. As others have said it really does get cold up in the mountains you do need thermals and fleeces, hats and gloves. The puddles were frozen when we were walking. Andrex wipes useful for a 'wash' in the morning, and slip on shoes to go to the shower - ones you can wear socks with. Blisteze seemed to be the best for preventing chapped lips. Also soluble vitamin C tablets to make the treated water more drinkable.  

Suggestions

This was such a great holiday. We always felt safe, everything was well organised too. Maybe we were lucky as our group of 16 got on very well. It is so interesting hearing other travellers tales.It is not a restful holiday, although they do say a change is as good as a rest. We were on the go most of the time and ready for bed by 9.30! The walks were quite challenging, especially the last 32km walk, which involved lots of walking on stones as well as the climbing. Some people in the group chose not to do it. The 3 walks were graded to build up our stamina, though I would say you have to be reasponably fit to enjoy them. We found walking poles invaluable.The scenery is stunning, amazing. Coming back to Marrakesh didn't feel a scary as it did on the first day and we enjoyed the souks and eating freshly cooked food at market stalls in the square.If you want to shop then I recommend getting 'Shopping in Marrakesh' by Susan Simon. it is a lovelybook in its own right , describing various shops, with photographs of each one. I got it from Amazon and it is very useful, explaining where you can buy different things , giving walking maps and recommending reliable traders. The ladies in the group loved it!  Last of all check the website for the latest ideas of what the villagers need most at the time you are going. I know it takes time, but they have so little...........................We came back feeling envigorated and refreshed, and would really like to visit Morocco again.