Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There are several - The friendliness and courtesy of the Japanese people, the traditional inns, the cuisine and the well maintained roads, the incredible bullet train.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tatsuya ( Tea ) is a fantastic group leader. He loves his country and imparted so much knowledge of local customs and etiquette in only two weeks it felt as if I had been in Japan for months. Nothing was too much trouble for him either on or off the road

Advice for Potential Travellers

There isn't much need for a wide selection of "off the " bike clothes as you change into local dress ( provided ) almost immediately on arrival at hotels and inns. There are washing and drying facilities in most hotels. Take cash as Japan , perhaps surprisingly , is not a credit card culture

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to touch and see the unfinished columns see where they were made, carved by the hand of 7000 slaves 100’s of years ago. Also the trip over the Athens.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was fantastic, had a good laugh with him and was very informative. He looked after us and hes always feeding you lol

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking poles are handy. It can get chilly 1000m up the mountain

Most Inspirational Moment

Mayan sites

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arturo was, quite simply, excellent. He has immense empathy, knowledge, good humour and patience. His command of English, including technical archaeological and geological terms, was outstanding. He also looked after me very, very well when I had a slight altercation with a park bench!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments on the trip and it is difficult to name just a few. There was a lovely ride for about five miles on the Noto peninsula; there were so many coastal views that we often stopped every few miles for a photo. The traditional inns were a unique experience which we felt privileged to share. If we had been doing this trip on our own without a tour guide and Exodus I'm sure we would have missed out on these unique experiences. The cycling in the mountains and experiencing the autumn colours was heavenly. The good weather and blue skies helped of course. Tokyo and Kyoto were fascinating places and we did a lot considering we were there for only a couple of days.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Tatsuya Yamasawa, was exceptional. He was very organised and methodical and made sure that the tour ran smoothly. He was kind, very friendly with an excellent sense of humour and camaraderie. Nothing was too much trouble for him and the whole group was so appreciative of all that he did for us. He was a credit to Japan and we all fell in love with the country partly due to him. We could not praise him highly enough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In terms of advice I would say that the cycling is moderate to challenging. Our group was very good and no one had any problems, but some hills did require a bit of puffing. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone to do this trip unless they were used to cycling up to 50 miles at a stretch over undulating terrain. Travellers should also be flexible as traditional inns and traditional food are very different from what we normally experience in the west. You have to be prepared to bite the bullet and eat the raw fish, the seaweed, the octopus legs and the snails if you want to experience a traditional meal. It's worth it though to experience something truly unique.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching base camp.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing! Absolutely faultless.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit and have resilience. This isn't a trip for the faint hearted.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra

Thoughts on Group Leader

Provided a safe environment for us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It seemed like we got the less well positioned rooms; facing busy roads and in the basement with the noise of the restaurant starting at 6.30 am overhead. Ask to be moved. I does work sometimes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to say one: Many, many fantastic views (worth getting to a 'high' point for a sunrise or sunset if you can) Pompeii was much more impressive than I expected (& brought to life by our guide) Travelling on the Capri buses was memorable !

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great :) - if you get Martina then you will be very well looked after

Advice for Potential Travellers

You'll read it in a lot of the reviews ... there are a LOT of steps, and most of them are downhill. You really will benefit from doing some longer downhill walks before you come to prepare your quads/calves/knees, it will make the holiday much more enjoyable if you do. Using two walking sticks will be very beneficial.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many it's difficult to be specific - all the walks, Madurai temple, Periyar Reserve, the Houseboat... ............. The top two are getting to the top of Meesapulimalai and the many interesting and informative stops on our coach journeys.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam Benjamin was brilliant -a great guy always prepared to go the extra mile. He got on well with all the group and with a lovely sense of humour. He is very well informed and his talks on the bus journeys and the interesting stops were highlights for me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's a great introduction to Southern India. - recommend with no reservations at all. The walks in the Western Ghats are quite demanding so you need to be reasonably fit and up to walking on rough and steep terrain.

Most Inspirational Moment

Its hard to decide what was the most inspirational event on the trip as we saw so many special things. Wild elephants, ruins, temples in use and the beautiful countryside.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dileepa stepped in at last minute and did a superb job guiding us all. He knew so much history and other information about his country.

Most Inspirational Moment

I particularly enjoyed the wildlife / Borneo section of the trip (and perhaps wished I had chosen a trip with more wildlife)!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both tour leaders were excellent. Aldrin was friendly and organised and an all-round excellent tour leader. Similarly, Jeremy was helpful, enthusiastic and took us to some varied restaurants/eating places!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If the ferry crossing continues to be part of the trip - beware! The Lonely Planet guide warns that the crossing is particularly rough at certain times of year (Jul-Oct) and can be a vomit inducing experience. They are not wrong. I am never sea sick, but on our crossing almost everyone on board was sick. Be prepared!