Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Departing on Day 11 from established walking routes to pick our way cross-country between valleys, over high places with the most-inspiring mountain views: Feeling for a few hours as free and alive and happy as I can..

Advice for Potential Travellers

All the shepherds huts and guest houses are very clean and provide mattresses with quilts and pillows. It would be probably suffice to take some thermals for the occasional cold night rather than lugging a sleeping bag with you, by mid/late July at least. The water was absolutely fine for drinking throughout the trip, be it on walks or in the overnight stays. Since during the first section of the trip no fruit was provided, dried fruit (apple, apricots, etc) would be good to bring as a supplement to the packed lunches or for snacking. Beware that the hotel pool cited at Boge may be closed. In mid-late July there were horseflies - don’t forget your anthisan cream.

Most Inspirational Moment

Salt flats and Lake Titicaca. Do the trek on the island if you can - exhausting at altitude but so rewarding too. Buying a stick of dynamite to give the miners at Potosoi! Seeing vacuna and lamas flamingos and an Andean fox.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Exceptional. Melanie was so kind and helpful with our large group of very experienced travellers. Wise head on young shoulders. Mel made the trip for me. Always smiling and laughing even with crises that seem to be inevitable in travelling in Bolivia. She deserves a medal!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take care regarding the advice on the cold and altitude. This is a totally full on trip rather than a relaxed holiday! Expect to be exhausted at times but repaid with stunning scenery.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to experience the history of the three countries was really the highlight for me. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been through a lot in the past centuries and you get to see and hear about all the invasions, rulers and quirky beliefs in each country. In Lithuania we got to visit the Hill of Crosses (Christian protests) and the Hill of Witches (pagan legends) which were both interesting in different ways. My favourite country was Estonia and the couple of days cycling in Lahemaa National Park were brilliant. It was also enjoyable seeing the capital cities. Fairy tale Tallinn (get up early and go for a wander before the crowds appear), Riga is good for souvenir shopping in the little cobbled streets and squares and Vilnius has plenty of churches to see. I even found a beer and music festival in Klaipeda. I really enjoyed wandering the old town in Riga during and after a rain storm which drove most people indoors. Perfect for some moody, uncrowded photos.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lukas was a great guide with infinite patience and a good sense of humour. His knowledge of the local history is endless! He was able to recommend some great restaurants along the way and my favourite meal was a home-smoked salmon lunch that he arranged for us on one of the days in Lahemaa NP. He gave clear instructions each day and was quick with his antiseptic spray on the odd scratch and bump that happened! I have to give a special mention to our Ukrainian driver Anatoli as well who was a very competent chap! He was able to pack the truck each day with precision, got the bikes sorted for us in record time and was an excellent driver. He didnt speak much English but I think it understood more than he let on!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to add a day or two pre and post tour. There is plenty to see in both Tallinn and Vilnius so well worth extending if you have the time. Be prepared for all sorts of weather. I was there in early July and we got rain, sun and everything in between. A good waterproof jacket is essential as is an umbrella for exploring the cities. You will get rain at some point! Pack light if you can as some of the hotels do not have elevators. All the hotels used are well located within walking distance of town. The only exception to that is the hotel in Palmse which is remote but that in itself is a charm, located in the grounds of an old manor so take some time to explore the gardens here. Also be prepared to eat - a lot! The food was surprisingly good everywhere we went and plenty of local dishes to taste. As was the beer. You can eat reasonably cheaply too. Take some euros with you but credit cards are readily accepted and almost all restaurants split the bills for the group. ATMs are available everywhere too. It is worth waiting til you get to Vilnius if you want to buy any amber jewellery. There are plenty of shops in the old town. Other people have mentioned taking a travel plug for the sinks and I would advise that too if you want to do some handwashing. Dont rely on hotel laundry facilities as the hotels that did offer it were charging ridiculous rates! It's worth handwashing your gear yourself. The hotels are adequate but the rooms are small in some places so expect 2-3 star properties. Breakfasts are included and were very good, particularly in Tartu. Some of the bigger hotels were swamped with German tour groups so breakfast was a bit of a scrum at times!

Most Inspirational Moment

Finishing the hike at almost 1500 meters uphill. what a great trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Aglier or (AGS) was great really helpful, she made the trip fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get in shape before you go, don't pack to much stuff like i did. Its going to be tough don't complain, expect it. Be very careful when walking i fell 3 times on the snow and mud, but not on the rocks

Most Inspirational Moment

The views on the walks were all awe inspiring! I also really enjoyed my visit to Bolzano on the free day to visit 'Otzi - The Iceman!'

Thoughts on Group Leader

Albert and Martin alternated between the moderate and challenging walks each day and both were highly approachable and knowledgeable about the area. They were also very sociable within the group on the walks and at meal times. Overall they did a brilliant job in ensuring the success of the holiday!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you like day walks in mountainous areas then this is a great trip to do!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through alpine meadows carpeted with an amazing variety of flowers. The trek up to the glacial lakes lakes of Jezerca & on over the coll - the surronding peakes were stunning. The spontanious rakki party at the Sylbice hut was typical of the local hospitality

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two guides / leaders throughout - Deni & Dorien. Both were caring, helpful & keen to impart local knowledge. Although Deni was the notional leader he was younger than Dorien, who was also his employer! Keeping the large (16) diverse group together proved difficult and unfortunately limited the information flow en route. On the occasions when Dorien lead & set the pace the group was far less spread out. However there was a significant pace difference across the group which would have tested most leaders.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trek passes through very few centres of population 7shops are a rarety. Food is what is availble / grown locally. Fruit in particular is limited and not generally included in packed lunches. Stock up when the opportunity arises!

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was seeing a turtle laying her eggs. Magical! For my husband it was snorkelling which he absolutely loved and saw two turtles, two stingrays and tons of fish.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge is an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. He has a great relationship with Henri, our driver. Jorge and Henri gave up there time off so we could get a good view of a Resplendant Quetzal which we spent a good 45 minutes watching. Magical!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the itinerary and trip notes before booking! Your move around a lot on this trip which isn't for everyone, although we loved it as we feel we've had a good snap shot of what Costa Rica has to offer. Research the hotels before you go, all details are in the trip notes to see what each one has to offer. Things to take- an umbrella as we ended up buying an one. The rain isn't like the rain in the uk as there is no wind and we noticed its what the locals use, plus you get so hot in a poncho; take a hair dryer if this is important to you as not all hotels provide them, good walking shoes, light clothing, water proof sandals or flip flops are handy for wet landings or walking through streams; towels are provided for snorkelling at drakes bay so we were glad we didn't weigh ourselves with taking a beach towel from home. Take bug spray and after bite cream. Also take plenty of money- we took colons and found we got a much better deal on things for doing so. Walking wise the only walk i struggled with (being exceptionally clumsy as i am) was to the waterfall at Corcovado as it was pouring with rain and it was quite uneven under foot. There was also a large river to wade through to get to it. If you go on the turtle watching tour (very highly recommended) you will have to wear the worst wellies known to man, so take long socks! Some people chose to ignore the advice to wear them and ended up knee deep in mud. Also ignore when told not to take a torch on the turtle watching- we were told not to by the company (not exodus!) and then got told to take our torches out for the walk! Foodwise i did struggle with eating in some places being vegan, but luckily i had taken some items of food with me, such as pitta breads. Its not that food wasn't provided for me, it was more that they only provided one vegan option and it would have meant i had exactly the same meal for lunch and dinner 2 days running. Also it means that you're not just eating fruit for breakfast as places like villa florencia that didn't provide anything i could eat for breakfast ( and all costa rican bread appears to contain milk). For us (my husband has food allergies) the best places to eat were at Cahuita and Drakes bay. Food portions can be small, especially in Totuguero, so was glad of the extra snacks i took. Hotel wise, some of the hotels are what could be deemed as basic, especially Drakes bay. Again, this wasn't a problem for us as we saw the lodges as a base to sleep only, especially as all lodges at Drakes Bay are on the sea front, and you can sometimes see dolphins swimming by. Tortuguero's lodges don't have glass at the windows, just bug nets, which we loved as it meant going to sleep listening to the thunder and frogs croaking, and waking up to the noise of howler monkeys. However, on the flip side it it meant the place is constantly damp, so I'd recommend not unpacking here as it meant clothes got wet if left out the case. Air conditioner is in all rooms except Tortuguero which has ceiling fans. For us, our favourite place was in the cloud mountains at Savegre. Quiet, not over loaded with tourists, and beautiful views. For us, it was paradise.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Mont Blanc in all its guises, the wild flower meadows and celebrating with Prosecco at the top of the final ascent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kim was kind, funny and inspirational. We all loved her.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching everyone on the group achieve those hills. With love and laughter, you can all get there and enjoy the rewards, be it gelato, carafes of Prosecco or a stunning view.

Thoughts on Group Leader

THE BEST

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was my 1st trip since being on my own - I couldn't have done anything better. It was scary clicking that 'booking' tab but my life restarted as soon as I met the Exodus crew. So if you're not sure -honestly, do it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching everyone on the group achieve those hills. With love and laughter, you can all get there and enjoy the rewards, be it gelato, carafes of Prosecco or a stunning view.

Thoughts on Group Leader

THE BEST

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was my 1st trip since being on my own - I couldn't have done anything better. It was scary clicking that 'booking' tab but my life restarted as soon as I met the Exodus crew. So if you're not sure -honestly, do it!