Reviews

An excellent way to see Albania

My husband and I have recently returned from cycling in Albania. What a fantastic adventure it was. Prior to going on this trip our bikes came out of the shed about once a year and since we are not in the flush of youth we had to go out cycling every weekend for the previous 5 months to make sure we were fit enough and boy were we glad we did. It was a challenging trip but we loved every minute of it. The scenery is fantastic, we could not fault the food and the hotels were a lot better than we anticipated and even quite luxurious at times. Armand is an excellent guide with plenty of local knowledge. He offered to run a kitty for meals and drinks and ordered a variety of food at every meal which made meal times so easy and enjoyable. It is a fast paced trip and we had to be up early every day for breakfast and be ready to leave by 8.30 every morning but we were glad of this because at least it was cooler when we set off and we always had a nice stop for coffee to look forward to after a couple of hours. It is a great way to see Albania and it was great to start inland and then move to the coast offering different scenery and a chance to have a swim in the sea. We enjoyed the cultural stops and the chance to learn about the history of Albania. The minibus driver was always there with extra water, bananas and snacks when you needed them and greeted us with a smile at the top of every climb. I would strongly recommend this trip to anyone but to enjoy it make sure you do plenty of hill training. We hired the bikes offered by Exodus and these were of good quality although we took our own saddles. We used the pedals on the bikes ie. no clip ons and managed it okay so if you fancy it go for it – you won’t regret it.

Bestselling holiday for a reason

This was my first time to go on a holiday with Exodus and it lived up to all my hopes. This is a very popular destination so we were divided into groups within the overall group, each with our own leader. Severio was excellent – informative, confident, knowledgeable about the area and thoughtful about making sure the walks catered for everyone’s varying levels of fitness and ability. He also gave good advice on things to do with our free day. Our group gelled very well, and we were lucky with the weather as we arrived just after the heatwave but avoided too much in the way of torrential downpours, apart from one day – and the itinerary was adapted so we still got to do the ‘Walk of the Gods’ – it felt fitting to leave this lovely, scenic walk til the last day. Equally impressive for the views was the ‘Tre Calli’ but all the walks were lovely in their own way. They weren’t too challenging in terms of distance, but definitely tough on the legs in terms of the steep ascents and descents and the many steps – those with dodgy knees, take heed and take sticks! The family-run hotel Due Torri was lovely – great hearty dinners each day, cooking demos and the chance to get involved and get to know the staff, and a good selection of breakfast choice though they could probably do with a slightly more efficient coffee machine! I have many happy memories of this trip.

Wonderful Albania

Hi
I’ve travelled a lot but must say this was one of the best places I’ve been. Wonderful scenery every day. Learnt a lot about its history. Great hotels and food. I spent £200 in 10 days.
Thanks to our guide Claudio and our driver Astrid. You looked after us every day.
Sue

Beautiful walking

Great trip. Opportunity for two walks each day. I only did level 5 which were varied heights and terrain. Awesome views. Guide changed itinerary when we were hit with early snow. Beautiful views each day. Four seasons in one week!

Tour Du Mont Blanc Week

Great people and beautiful scenery on a challenging but very enjoyable trip. Shame about the poor Exodus admin prior to the trip and the failure of any Exodus representative to meet us upon arrival at the airport (as promised).

Fantastic hiking against stunning backdrop of limestone.

This was a week of walking to celebrate my return to health after cancer treatment. It was a positive experience on every level. Both the landscape and the company were special. The hikes were challenging (I chose the 5), and all members of our group especially our leader Albert were supportive and encouraging.

Great exercise, top food and an excellent guide

The Tour surpassed my expectations. The days can be long and the climbs can go on, but it’s worth it for the incredible views, excellent food and the stories and jokes along the way.

Challenging but very rewarding week in the Atlas Mountains

A challenging trek but definitely achievable with a good level of fitness and pacing yourself. The terrain is very tricky, with steep inclines, scrambling over large rocks and long sections of loose scree. However, the scenery is inspiring and you’ll finish the week with a real sense of accomplishment. Rounding off the trip with a day in the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh is great fun.

Wonderful Ladakh!

I booked this trip through Sawadee (Dutch partner of Exodus) and I would do it again. The trip was very well organised and lead by Valerie Parkinson. Our local trekking guide Wangail also did a really good job in helping us beating the paths and crossing wild rivers and moutain passes. And my fellow travellers were really nice.

This trip was amazing! A ‘hot’ start in Delhi, early morning amazing flight to Leh when you see the Himalaya mountain range when the weather is good. We had really good views! Leh is very pleasant, kind people, beautiful colours, wonderful monasteries in and around Leh. We even visited the highest motorable road in the world (5600); excellent for acclimatization!

The trekking was everything I hoped for. Really colourful mountains, interesting villages and people. We even saw baby eagle owles, pica’s (mouse hare), a red fox and loads of blue sheep! The camping was very well organized, food was excellent!

I would strongly recommend this trip when you love mountains, trekking and other cultures.

Trek of Treks

I did this exact same trip with Exodus in 2010. I loved it so much, I did it again in 2017! And again, the Alps were stunning, exhilarating and life-affirming. Every day brings you a new view of green-carpeted mountains and clangy-bell cows (or goats), snow-capped peaks, massive winding glaciers, fresh-scented larch forests, and breathtaking views up and down. The hotel and restaurant people were friendly and generous with their servings and their service. I could do this again.. and again… I’ve hiked hundreds of miles in the Colorado Rockies and 800 miles of the Appalachian Trail, but this is my favorite trail in the world.