Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the mountain village, the quiet, the hammam, having mint tea in the home of our guide's family. Having a hot cooked lunch up in the mountains was special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Hamid was great. He was knowledgeable, considerate, funny, and always aware of what was happening with various members of our group. He shared so much about the Moroccan culture, answering and encouraging questions from the walkers. We came away with so much more than experiencing a few walks in the mountains.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared with layers for all kinds of weather. It was cold in the riad at night, but plenty of warm blankets were provided. Don't skip the hammam! I hadn't planned to do this, but was so glad that I did.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the baby turtles hurtling towards the incoming tide at Tortuguero

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant guide - very friendly and very knowledgeable about everything from the plants and wildlife to the history of the country

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring an umbrella !

Most Inspirational Moment

The early morning game walks in Okavango.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rowan is efficient and Sifiso is a good driver. Both were great at spotting wildlife for us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get some small notes if you can. We took US dollars & changed into BWP in Botswana. We spent approx. $700 (USD) pp total, of which approx. 1300 pula pp cash in Botswana. (includes delta flight & Zambezi cruise but not Vic Falls flight). We put the Maun flights & Zimbabwe supermarket shopping on plastic. Plug sockets were mostly South Africa round pin. It was very hot in October, but dry so mosquitoes were less of a problem.

Most Inspirational Moment

Halong Bay boat trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sometimes difficult to understand what he said, but he was very hard working.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting townships and meeting locals, especially the children who were genuinely pleased to see us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very knowledgeable and caring, we were invited to a leaders home in a township for dinner, very good evening with singing and dancing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for early starts, don’t pack non essentials, take $US and use atms.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every time you see a new wonder.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do all the optional extras.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting back to base camp ⛺️ after making time the summit in horrendous weather conditions

Thoughts on Group Leader

David was very talented leader in how he supported and advised us as a group and his leadership of the team of 43 porters /assistant guides who supported us. His approach was authoritative but very kind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it, it’s tough but the feeling of satisfaction is amazing m. I’m no athlete and suffer from asthma but the guides let me walk at my own pace and I made it!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the first time you walk into Petra, sleeping under the stars in the desert was great as well.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Ibrahim was perfect. Funny, informative and new the best places for food.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes over exaggerate the need for warm clothes. I went in November and was fine with a thin jumper and I had a thermal training top for the night in the desert. Some of the older people got a little cold staying out in the desert, so coats could be needed for some.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to count - seeing Everest for the first time, visiting the Tengboche monastery, making it to basecamp and experiencing the amazing camaraderie of the whole group including Bikash Tamang and his amazing Exodus Nepal team (Kami Sherpa and Lakpa Cerpa)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bikash Tamang was the reason we all had one of the greatest trips of our lives. A true professional who was constantly encouraging the group and looking out for us all at every step of the way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you train before the trip. Don't rush. Listen to everything your tour leader says and do it. They are extremely experienced.

Most Inspirational Moment

More special moments than inspirational, including the warm welcome we received wherever we went and whenever the crazy people on bikes went past. Everyone wants to meet you and smiles are everywhere but there is only time to shout ‘ Hello’. Lunch in our tour leader’s home (see below). The trip on the houseboat was special. And we got to see an elephant in the road, yeh!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shibu goes the extra mile, including inviting us into his home for lunch involving the whole family. We were treated to a fabulous vegetarian meal on a banana leaf, prepared entirely by them all. Special shout-out to Shibu’s wife who was up at 4.00am to start cooking for us. His daughter and niece sang beautifully to us after the meal. They delighted us all. Shibu is responsible for designing the tour and has done so with great care and consideration to showcase Kerala and provide you with a great insight into its life, culture and landscapes. You could not put together an itinerary like this on your own; that’s what makes it special. His no. 2, Seekhar deserves a special mention: excellent English, knowledgeable and amusing, stopping the bus to rescue puppies lying in the middle of the road. All-round good guy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Grab a bottle of your favourite tipple at the airport. Kerala is (partly) dry. Beer is cheapish, wine and spirits (where available) expensive. Take a lightweight cotton sleeping bag for the home stay, it may come in handy and don’t look too closely. On the last day cycling in Varkala, there are a couple of ‘cheeky’ hills to climb - be prepared.