Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Personally it was experiencing the Day of the Dead in the evening, with the families in the cemetery. The atmosphere was incredible. To see the decorated shrines and just be there with everyone, was a joy! I loved the skeleton figures everywhere and the rich colours of the marigolds on the altars. Oaxaca was a terrific place to see & feel the celebrations. We also had a great time at Frida Kahlo's house,in Mexico City even thought here were long queues, our guide had prebooked so we got in without too much waiting. I wasn't prepared for the scenery to be so varied either-vast plains,mountains, jungles, forests.... Seeing the Gulf of Mexico just as the sun set was magical! Unfortunately in Oaxaca, we were very disappointed when told by our guide that although printed in the itinerary, we were not going to have lunch with a local family, take part in the parade or go to the family's shrine in the evening. Many of the group wanted to dress up, have their faces painted and really immerse themselves in the experience. In fact that was why we had chosen Exodus, because it offered those things. But it was not to be. Perhaps the trip notes should reflect this in future, so as not to disappoint clients.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arturo was all things to us all. From being a mine of information about his country's history, culture & religion, he was always willing to go the extra mile - from providing medication when we were ill ( a bad cold struck most of us down during the trip) to providing a fruit plate & bananas for my husband when he suffered an upset stomach and was unable to leave the hotel in Oaxaca for 2 days. Arturo took us to some very good restaurants so we could experience the variety that is Mexican cuisine - despite my dislike for chillies! He was always patient and mostly helpful. We especially had a good time with him in Oaxaca watching the dancing in the square from the restaurant balcony.

Advice for Potential Travellers

.Be prepared for long journeys - with little in the way of 'enjoyable' food when travelling from place to place! Motorway services & cafes do not cater for gluten free diets - so take snacks with you - cereal bars, small packs of dried fruit & nuts etc. You can buy snacks but the food is very 'plastic'! . Take Mexican pesos with you - although US dollars can be exchanged, you are not always near an ATM or bank. . If you like crafts, Mexico is a wonderland. Make sure you have room in your case especially for souvenirs of the Day of the Dead. We experienced some VERY heavy rain one day but generally the weather is good in October/November - take a brolly/packable waterproof in your rucksack. . Take headphones, iPad/tablet, Kindle, book etc to pass the time on long road journeys.

Most Inspirational Moment

The second day in the river boat. One of the trips out we saw possible 70% of all the wildlife we saw during the whole two weeks. I witnessed a few (about 10) sea turtle hatchlings make their way into the sea, this was the highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader (Ed) was brilliant, knowledgeable, funny and went out of his way to ensure we all had a great time. He did everything he could to find the wildlife we all were desperate to see.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be under the impression that you will be surrounded and see wildlife other than birds. Yes you will see mammals, reptiles, insects etc., but the majority of the time.... birds.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving early at the market in Aswan with a real local insight into life. Stumbling in on a coptic Christian festival at the monastery. Hanging on to a camel for dear life! The felucca trip. Aswan was the best bit for me. Watching river life on the Nile and the friendly people waving.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sayed was outstanding. He was incredibly well organised and genuinely kind and so enthusiastic about the sites and his country. We loved hearing him bring both ancient and modern Egypt to life. He was inspiring.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do the excursions. They are undersold in the trip notes and at the monestary at Aswan and the tombs of the workers we were privileged to be the only tourists in sight. Leave any shopping for Aswan where the people are more relaxed and give less hassle. Take binoculars for the amazing bird life. Very early starts but a price worth paying to see the sites with fewer people around.

Most Inspirational Moment

The picnic of market-bought treats, in a Palermo pub. Cooking lesson. Exploring Greek, and Roman, remains. Gelato. 'Climbing' Mt Etna.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely the best. It was like being with a favourite member of the family, one who knew his stuff inside out.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it.

Most Inspirational Moment

See above

Thoughts on Group Leader

See above

Advice for Potential Travellers

If possible keep to a small group. This allows you to be more involved with the guide

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the local families and restaurants for lunch/dinner, and seeing Halong Bay in real life!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing! Phuong Le was great, couldn't have asked for a better group leader. She gave us so much information about each place we went, taught us some of the language and took us to some amazing local restaurants.

Most Inspirational Moment

For Roderick the visit to the Ta Prohm temple. For Angela the overnight visit to Halong Bay.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nam (Vietnam) was a very good group leader with a fine sense of humour once he got to know us. He had good knowledge of the places visited from historical and cultural aspects to advice on footwear, toilets etc. He added personal touches such as telling us of his family and presenting a rose to a group member who had a birthday. Boray (Cambodia) was similarly a very experienced group leader, who managed to fit in a great deal into our very short visit to Cambodia. Particularly notable was his obtaining return flights for two group members who had a family emergency, for which he is to be commended.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suitable footwear for climbing steps, uneven ground and slippery conditions. A range of clothing to suit tropical and cooler conditions. Carry a few sheets of toilet paper. Water can be carried onto internal flights in Vietnam.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hummingbirds galore - the speedy devils were a challenge to photograph but I managed some cracking shots that I was pleased with. I was not expecting to see any turtles at Tortuguero so watching the hatching turtles scurry down to the sea was special. Maybe the premise of a new beginning was why it was magical - we all were blown away by that. Personally I just loved the quiet time I had in Santa Elena Cloud Reserve standing in the rain, being harassed by a hummingbird and looking at the beauty of nature surrounding me.It was the sheer variety of plants, flowers and birds on our trip that allowed me to just enjoy nature and relax.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andres was a master of bird identification- he just listened, watched and studied to show us an impressive array of birds on this trip - 230 or so. He was thoughtful and made sure he knew why we were doing this trip - ensuring that why we were here was covered. His patience was unlimited and he had information with quick wit and a smile all the time. Our driver, Alexandros was a laugh, an amazing driver who kept us safe, brilliant evasive control when needed and was always keeping the bus immaculately clean.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go. Costa Rica is beaches, rainforest, towns, cloudforest, canals and very friendly people. I took colones and US dollars as purchased at home but US dollars was regularly accepted and change given as colones. Take a good lens and plenty of memory space - I took over 8000 photos. As a vegetarian, usually easily catered for in our hotels or when we ate out. Tropical fruit, good quality food everywhere - not gourmet but tasty. If you are wanting partying, late nights and cities - this trip is not for you. If you want open area dining with the local animals watching you eat, marvelling at the beautiful nature and early nights/ possibly early mornings - then this is more your trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are several. Going to the killing fields/S21 prison was very sad and understanding how people were treated in these difficult years of Cambodian's history. The guide we had that day was excellent and really helped to understand these terrible events. Angkor temple complex - wow! All the temples we visited were truly remarkable and just took your breath away. The pictures do not give it justice. Really glad to visit them - full of amazing sculptures, decorative inscriptions and history. I must say though that the humility, positivity and eagerness to please and share their stories from local people was heart-warming. All the children were wanting to say hello as we cycled and wave to us. I really got a good feel from Cambodia and it's a country that I would like to come back to.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Channy was just fantastic. He was really lovely guy - kind, considerate and passionate about the trip and his country. He was full of humour, had a great laugh and went out of his way to make sure all of us were OK. He was really knowledgeable about the country's complex history and religion and gave our trips real context. Unfortunately one of our team had two dogs run into his bike and cause an accident. Channy and the support team were very professional and got all the help to him really quickly and followed up to make sure he was OK. His knowledge of the route was excellent and he suggested some slight changes to some routes which were absolutely right. The route suggested through the jungle at Angkor was one such alteration which was my favourite day and route and a much better way to get there than on a busier route taken by other tourists. He was an absolute joy so thank you again Channy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A few things: 1. Gel saddle - made cycling much more bearable 2. Prepare for the heat - coming from the UK not used to cycling so much in 32-34 degree heat with humidity. We all managed it and we had pit-stops and re-fuelling breaks and excellent snacks 3. Just book it - you will have a fantastic trip and see a fantastic country.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to choose from! 1. The beautiful mountain scenery. We were very lucky to have 3 days of clear blue skies and stunning snow capped peaks. 2. the rural scenery of terracing and little villages with in depth viewing of the culture and local communities 3. The fabulous Nepali food, if you like curry and spicy, this is foodie heaven. There is plenty of it and all great quality, I had no stomach problems at all which was a nice surprise. 4. The lodges were amazing, so hospitable and well catered in stunning locations 5. Rhino viewing in Chitwan, some great encounters and some beautiful bird life plus the gharial breeding programme

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Keshar was a very experienced leader of 20 years. He was calm and competent with an amazing knowledge of everything that Nepal could show us, from the culture, food, restaurant suggestions and paths through the mountains. Couldn't fault him. He is very passionate about his country and supporting a lot of community projects. Would highly recommend him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit for the trekking else you won't enjoy it. Be prepared for all weathers, pack light but need clothes for freezing to sunbathing! We had from 18degrees sunshine, to relentless rain and thunderstorms in Chitwan. Be open minded as things don't always go to plan with travel in Nepal. The roads are rough, the traffic is completely terrifying and whilst distances are short, travel times are long. We had a car accident and had to spent half an hour waiting for negotiations into who's fault and who should pay! As the Dhalai Lama says, cultivating patience and tolerance is the key to happiness...…...