Reviews

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

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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14460 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Kate Ferguson

Reviewed May 2019

Amazing trip

A really great trip, Sardinia is a very beautiful place and we had a fantastic week of cycling, eating, socialising and learning about this beautiful Island from our lovely guides

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of a very challenging climb, the sense of of achievement and Endorphine release, the camaraderie with others in the group reaching the top, followed by the spectacular descent with beautiful scenery in glorious sunshine - magic!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Simone was fantastic, such a nice man who gave the impression he was really enjoying being with us and telling us about his beautiful Island. He was organised, safety conscious, knowledgeable and great company. His sidekick / driver Marc was also lovely - smiley, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Exodus seem to have a knack of finding fantastic guides who really know their stuff, are professional, organised and lovely people!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be quite fit on this trip - 3 days of significant climbing so if you are not a regular cyclist you should consider an E-bike. I loved the challenges as cycle back home but some people found it quite hard work on the more challenging days

Caroline Tutty

Reviewed May 2019

Amazing Stromboli

A great trip with some interesting hikes and lots of volcano information topped by the fantastic hike to Stromboli summit. After the quite tough trek we were rewarded with an amazing display from the old crater looking down onto the current active craters.
Unfortunately we could not go to the summit of Etna due to bad weather and the lower level trek seemed a disappointment after Stromboli.
Quite a lot of time to rest and sample local life between walks.
Hotels were good apart from Catania which was poor and would have been better to be based in Lipari town as nothing was open on a Monday night in May in Cantena.

Most Inspirational Moment

Stromboli summit was a truly wonderful experience

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marco was brilliant, very caring and looking out for all members of the group, knowledgable about volcanos and the local area and a good sense of humour

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take warm clothes for the summit

Melanie Byrne

Reviewed May 2019

Worth the wait

I tried to book this holiday in March 2018, but as there was not a single room available and as I wanted to fly from my local airport and couldn’t meet the group transfer in time, I decided on another trip with a competitor of Exodus, but this year the flights meant I arrived in time to meet the group at the airport, and despite my reservations about going in May and it being a bit too warm for walking, the whole group coped with the 27c.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views from The Cortijo, the quiet and the walk in the Grazalema park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Having read all the reviews- Michael was the reason why this year I decided I would share a room with someone unknown as no single room available, he absolutely made the trip . Amusing and informative, he looked after us well, and if we needed any information he went out of his way to get it for us. When out walking, Michael made sure we were all well hydrated, had plenty of sun screen on, took regular breaks in the shade of the olive trees and was very keen on us carrying at least 2 litres of water, as we were regularly advised to fill our hats with some and put our hats back on our heads! It really does help to keep you cool.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!

David Gartside

Reviewed May 2019

An enjoyable week with lots to see, do and taste!

We chose the trip after seeing an advert in the Guardian and decided that it sounded fun – mixing food and drink experiences with archaeology, history and geography. We weren’t disappointed. Though we don’t normally go for group holidays, this trip worked well. The opportunity to share food and drink tastings with the group added a dimension that would have been missing if we had been on our own.
Rosario, our guide, and Maurizio, our driver, both worked dilgently to ensure we really enjoyed the trip – getting us to everywhere we needed to be without fuss or bother, and handling queries and minor problems with unfailing patience and good humour.
In a relatively short time, we saw a good cross-section of the island, and came back with happy memories and a much stronger ‘mental image’ of Sicily.
Thanks to all concerned who made this work.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to choose....! The cathedral at Monreale (Palermo) with seemingly every surface covered with mosaics was amazing. Similarly the temples at Valle dei Templi near Agrigento. Ragusa Ibla was a fascinating hilltop village which repaid careful exploration. The trip up Etna was well worthwhile - the snow and gale-force winds a stark contrast to conditions at sea-level. On the food side of things the market visits in Palermo and Ortigia, and the olive farm were memorable, though in fairness to all the other locations, we were warmly welcomed and treated as honoured guests by owners and staff.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rosario worked hard throughout the trip to make sure we got the most out of it , without being pushy or bossy. He quickly gained the confidence of the group, answered a myriad of questions (on a wide variety of topics) with enthusiasm and insight, and routinely gave us sufficient information about the next few hours' activities without overloading us with minutiae. As appropriate, he organised local restaurants for evening meals and was a good person to have around to help navigate menus, clarify issues etc. He seemed to cope well with the occasional personal issues that arose, treating the person with the issue with respect, while not overlooking the needs of the wider group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip is described as 'leisurely' and in terms of physical effort that is probably about right if you choose to take a laid-back approach. However, the days were long and action-packed (not complaining) and the various stops offered lots to see and do - so in practice you could be on the go for big chunks of time. Warm clothes (layers best) and decent walking shoes / boots essential for the Etna excursion. Several people commented that they wish they'd brought a decent map to keep track of our progress. I had the TCI:Touring Club Italiano 1:200 000 Sicily with me, that was more than adequate. Available locally or from Stanford's in London ~ £10.00

Paul Mackay

Reviewed May 2019

Happy walkers

Wonderful week walking in the quite mountains of Garfagnana gave a real sense of getting back to nature. Sara, our guide, was excellent and helped make the trip truly memorable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing mount sumbra with views to the coast and Corsica beyond.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara is a star. Amazing guide and one of the most thoughtful persons I’ve ever met.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the weather to be changeable. Area has it’s own micro climate.

Rachel Speight

Reviewed May 2019

Pico's May 2019

An amazing trip assisted by the complete gelling of the group…everyone put in 100% from day 1 to make it a great success

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the peaks with the encouragement of the group and the tour leader...….amazing views and sense of achievement

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb!! Well informed and aware of the local environment - ensured that everyone was safe at all times and answered all questions and queries Nothing was too much trouble

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take ear plugs for the cow bells if you are a light sleeper!!!

Diane Humphreys

Reviewed May 2019

Walking in Sardinia

We saw many historical and cultural aspects of Sardinia that were a complete surprise to us and these were a bonus. The planned walks were stunning in their scope and very ably led by Albert, our tour leader. The weather was variable and greatly impacted on the activities so re scheduling was necessary; having said that, we missed nothing in the end. Being flexible is part of travel.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the gorge and the cave after much scrambling over huge rocks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Albert was trustworthy, physically very capable and knowledgeable and patient with a diverse group of walkers.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for all weathers and be prepared to work with the weather.

Scott Semple

Reviewed May 2019

Spectacular trek with the best trek leader

The trek to Machu Picchu in Comfort is very much a trek worth taking. Machu Picchu is very impressive as you might imagine, but somewhat overshadowed by the majesty of the Peruvian mountainside that you trek through to reach it. I was blown away by the views along the treks, particularly from Dead Woman’s Pass and our final campsite at 4000m. I do not normally write reviews and the thing that makes me want to is to highlight just how amazing our tour leader Cesar Smith (“Smithy”) was. I have never encountered a more friendly, informative and inspiring trek leader in all of my travels. Easily the best tour guide I have ever encountered. Smithy’s passion for his country, mountains and knowledge of historical contact are impressive enough, but his support for the entire group was outstanding. A few in the group struggled with some altitude effects and fitness. These members were sensitively supported by Smithy, whilst he also facilitated those of us wanting to trek faster to do so. Friendly and informative with a contagious passion for the trek, I cannot say enough good things about Smithy, our tour leader. If you have options of choosing dates with his involvement, he comes with my highest recommendation.
In terms of the trip, there are parts that are physically challenging, so I would advise reading the training guide. My wife and I trained for the trip and were very glad we did.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking up over Dead Woman’s pass and the last campsite and 4000m offered breath-taking views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I cannot say enough good things about our group leader. Easily the best guide I have ever experienced. Friendly, informative without being overbearing. His passion for the mountains and the country of Peru is inspirational. His relationship with our porters one of mutual respect. Amazing knowledge and I genuinely warmed to the man to a degree which surprised me. One of the big highlights of our tour was the tour leader. Cesar Smith (“Smithy”) comes with my biggest recommendation.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes. Read the training guide. Those that had not did struggle with some the challenging sections of the trip. Dead Woman’s Pass is a challenge for most people, so do the training for the trip.

Anne Scott

Reviewed May 2019

Don’t miss the Inca trail with Smithy

My husband and I travelled to Peru and walked the Inca trail. In over 20 years of travel (and having walked the trail before some 15 years ago) I have never before felt moved to provide a review. Of course the Inca trail and Machu Picchu were, as expected, amazing. The stand out factor was our guide, Cesar Smith aka Smithy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the hard work of the porters and kitchen staff as they all but ran up and down the mountainside with heavy packs as we struggled for breath with day packs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cesar Smith aka Smithy led the tour brilliantly. He provided support and attention for those who needed it, and freedom for those who didn’t. Smithy shared his passion for Peru, his pride in his heritage, and his love for the mountains in the most authentic way. And always with a good dose of understated humour. Easily the best tour leader I’ve had in over 20 years of travel. It would be worth changing the dates of your travel to be sure you get him as a guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

See above!

ROBERT CARTER

Reviewed May 2019

Enjoyed the visit to the Amalfi coast and was very glad I had signed up for it

We arrived on a Saturday evening and on the first day, Sunday, went down to the harbour in Amalfi to get the ferry between Amalfi and Positano. It was pouring with rain to begin with but after an hour in Amalfi it cleared and became a clear sunny day, with a cool wind. It was an amazing experience going down the zig zag of the road down to sea level and the coast below, and better was seeing the coast from the boat, and enjoying the sights at Positano. Day 2 was very interesting going by bus first to Herculiun and then Pompii and being given a guided tour and seeing the depth of the excavation, and the details of the settlements which had been destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius.The following day we walked the Path of the Gods and had a rustic lunch high above sea level with wonderful views of the coast before returning to the start.The rest of the week was filled with visits to other communities along the coast, with time to enjoy restful lunches, and local sights, seeing the scenery, and enjoying the sun until the highlight visiting Capri on Friday, and spending the day enjoying the sights there. A great holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was testing to do the walk along the path of the Gods, but very worth while, with the wonderful views of the coast line, and this experience was repeated when we were visiting the isle of Capri.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. He worked very hard to look after each and every person on the tour, and that all the arrangements, and transfers worked as smoothly as possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are going on this tour it is a good idea to be reasonably fit and comfortable about walking about for two-three hours at a time

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