Most Inspirational Moment
The one day off when I went walking alone and could go at my own pace.
Reviews
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Reviews
I would not recommend this trip if ...
I would not recommend this trip if you are planning on travelling alone, if you are a light sleeper, if you value a sense of freedom, or if you are hoping for any form of relaxation during your holiday.
With one notable exception, Exodus seems to have chosen the cheapest and nastiest “hotels”. They were mostlly rather scuzzy and cramped, which is not very pleasant if you are sharing with one or more complete strangers. Several of them were also right next to busy roads and one just above the motorway leading to the Mont Blanc tunnel, making it all but impossible to sleep. I spent the whole trip sleep deprived, which was not helped by the early starts, in spite of the fact that, when I enquired prior to booking, Exodus had assured me that breakfast was normally at 8.00 am on the hotel trip. Because of the daily morning rush it wasn’t exactly a holiday.
The leader was good, but could have dispensed with the unnecessary morning group exercises in favour of an extra 20 minutes in bed. The exercises were apparently supposed to alleviate the stress of the hectic morning starts, but in fact just increased stress levels by adding another item to the list of things to do in the morning before getting walking. The group members were lovely, but of very mixed ages and fitness levels, meaning that the pace was extremely slow. Personally, I did not feel at all challenged by the ascents because of this slow pace. I appreciate that, on a group trip, the overall pace has to be that of the slowest member, but I would have enjoyed the trip much more if the pace had been more flexible and I had been able to walk a little faster at least some of the time. It seems that the enjoyment of faster members of the group was sacrificed to that of the slower.
Except for one challenging river crossing, owing to heavy rain over a couple of days, the walking is not at all difficult, so, if you are a reasonably experienced hill walker with some time to organise the trip yourself, I would recommend going it alone rather than through Exodus. I wish I had done so myself. The mountains are beautiful – it’s just a pity I couldn’t enjoy them to the full. Personally, I won’t be booking with Exodus again.
Highly recommended introduction to Sri Lanka
A wonderfully varied trip. We did so much. I’ll try not to repeat what Karen said but will add a few thoughts.
The Sri Lanka we saw was surprisingly diverse. We went from low, hot and humid, by the Indian ocean near Colombo, up into the beautiful hill country, with its expanses of tea plantations, then down to the semi arid coast in the south. A great start was meeting the group. They were all positive, punctual and friendly. We laughed a lot.
I loved the food. So much choice! Buffets offered salads, curries, fruit and more for around £6. I didn’t feel the need that some felt for sandwiches and chips instead. I’m not vegetarian but found the veggie choices in the buffets to be the best options. We had great “village meals” on two occasions, plus the opportunity to try mannioc and drink tea from coconut shells.
Most Inspirational Moment
It's tricky to choose from so many. If it has to be a moment, perhaps I'll choose diving into an empty pool at 7am at the lovely Mandala Rosen in Kataragama. Music played underwater, then I came up to the quiet of birdsong as blossom floated down from the trees. More widely, it was the gentle smiling people and the beautiful countryside, especially in the hills.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Neelaka is a Sri Lankan gem. He looked after us with his unfailing cheerful calm. He must have been paddling hard beneath the surface to keep everything running so smoothly. At every hotel we were greeted with a cool cloth and a drink, while our cases were whisked away to our rooms. An absolute godsend was his dealing with tips and small payments. Without this we'd have been burdened continuously, as everyone needs tipping! We loved his little extra treats which included introducing us to fruit and veg we'd never heard of, let alone tasted. He guided us to interesting restaurants, took us to special places when we expressed interest and told us about local culture and behaviour, as well as describing in detail the places we visited. We learned about puberty rituals, which prepared us for the ceremony we saw scheduled in our last hotel, plus the surprising dependence of Sri Lankans on astrologers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Activities are optional. As the group slow coach, I didn't complete the Lion Rock climb. I went part way and then waited and watched as the stream of visitors climbed the uneven steps. I also didn't complete the Horton Plains walk in torrential rain. (NB - make sure you have a good waterproof. Some didn't. Sri Lankan rain is serious!) If you have to stay at the Hill Club, don't eat there. Go next door to the Grand. If you do have to eat there, definitely avoid the set meal. Don't buy spices at the spice place if you want a good price. A sarong or similar could be very useful in many ways. You can buy one out there. Cash can be changed in many places, with your guide's local knowledge. Check hotel bills are in rupees, not £s or you'll be paying a hotel's exchange rate instead of the bank's.
Picos de Europa
An excellent holiday with a lovely group in beautiful surroundings, and a very friendly hotel.
Most Inspirational Moment
Too many to mention!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alvaro is an exceptional leader and he clearly knows the area inside out. He was also able to predict the weather with extraordinary accuracy and I'm surprised he hasn't been headhunted by the Spanish Meteorological Agency! Alvaro was also very encouraging and we all enjoyed his mischievous sense of humour: 'if I return with 80% of you, it's not perfect, but it's not bad...'
Advice for Potential Travellers
The weather is unpredictable so if you're wondering what to pack, bring everything just in case! However, I didn't wear a raincoat or fleece all week.
Classic Dolomites - premium
An excellent week of walking in the dolomites expertly led by Alex. Very comfortable hotel with wonderful food. Breakfasts and evening meals were all very good.
The weather was cool and damp at times but Alex chose excellent routes to follow and the free day cycling to Bruneck was very good.
Most Inspirational Moment
The final day's walk to the World war 2 trenches on the Italy/ Austria border. A great climb up the mountain with wonderful views and very interesting historical sites at the top.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alex knew the area very well and planned for the fickle weather. He did not always give enough information regarding what to take on each walk but we were generally well prepared for all eventualities.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Get plenty of walking training in before you go and you will love this trip. Be prepared for all weathers and walking poles are a must in my opinion.
Breathtaking Vietnam
A fabulous experience, not least because Vietnam is such a varied and beautiful country with vibrant, hectic cities, enchanting villages and wonderfully welcoming people. This trip gives you the chance to experience all aspects of life in Vietnam and the excellent service you receive from the tour leader means that you can relax and fully appreciate everything on offer.
Most Inspirational Moment
LOTS of this trip was inspirational. All the food we ate was phenomenal - if you like cooking I would highly recommend the cooking class in Hoi An which was great fun and educational. Riding through the backwaters and villages of Central Vietnam and the Mekong Delta was wonderful - the best way to see 'real' life for the majority of Vietnamese people. If you get chance to do the additional cycling day then take it! Kayaking at Halong Bay was great fun and the best way to see the limestone cliffs. The people of Vietnam are truly inspirational having been through so much conflict and to be so open and welcoming to tourists.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Cong was absolutely fabulous. He was engaging and knowledgeable, very proud of his country and wanting us to love it as much as he does. He really understood our group and our sense of humour making the (sometimes long) bus journeys more fun! He encourages us to make the most of our time ("you can sleep on the plane!"). Every recommendation he made for experiences, restaurants, laundry, shopping etc turned out to be excellent. We cannot thank him enough and he was a great ambassador for Exodus.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As our guide advised us... make the most of every second. Yes, it is a full on trip and you will sometimes feel tired. But the travelling was part of the experience for me and I learned a lot just by looking out of the bus window! Mosquito nets are provided everywhere. I only used my cotton sleeping bag liner on the train because it was a bit cold, otherwise it was not needed. Neck pillows did come in handy because of the amount of travelling. The bikes are reasonably good mountain bikes. I did use padded cycling shorts but my husband didn't to no real ill-effect. Don't take a lot of clothes... laundry is available very cheaply at several points on the trip. Almost everywhere we stayed provided soap / shampoo for washing you don't need loads of toiletries (if you are not fussy about what you use). Just take some for the first homestay in My Chau and on the train. They are provided on the boat and in the second homestay.
discover sri lanka 12th august
This was an amazing trip, well organised the right amount of activities and free days. Sri Lanka is a truly beautiful country and the people are very hospitable and very friendly. On this tour you get to see and do so much looking back on our 15 days don’t know how we managed to fit it all in. on the whole the hotels are of a very good standard, you do get a bit tired with them mostly serving buffet meals but they are of good quality this and plentiful. There is generally an Al a Carte menu but don’t worry not like the over priced ones in the U.K just standard food and price .
Most Inspirational Moment
This was such a good trip to many to pick just one , one of my highlights was getting to the top of lions rock by 9 am in the morning and seeing that view, breath-taking. The elephant safari was very crowded too many jeeps but did see some magnificent elephants, even better when we got to our hotel (The Lake) we saw the elephants in the distance coming down to the water for and evening drink totally on their own while we were laying by the pool what a sight!! The bike ride and lunch that followed again such a lovely day, white water rafting is a must, great fun. The temples and history was fascinating. The traditional games we played on one of the days was great fun, we were a group of 16 mixed ages from 17 to 70from solo travellers to 1 family of 4 we just hit it off from day one and were like one big family.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader Neelaka was fantastic, nothing was too much trouble, everything was explained to us about the history, temples, best way to see things, he new exactly were and when we had to be somewhere to get the best view, experience on each day, this did mean a few early starts but well worth it, his knowledge and passion for his country showed in everything he did. One of the group had a birthday which none of us new about, Neelaka organised a card for us all to sign. decorated the bus with balloons and streamers and arranged a cake for our meal that evening what a special day. He stopped off on the side of the road to show us things, brought fruits for us to try, corn on the cobs, drink queen coconut milk and stopped off to see a family who produce more things from a coconut than you would ever think possible, non of this was on the itinerary .
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just go and see this beautiful country for your selves before it gets ruined by tourism. Be prepared for many changes in temperature and weather we went from 33 degrees to 14 and back to 36 degrees sun and rain, and make the most of every day.
Wonderful and magical adventure with Exodus
We did the Inca Trail trip with the optional Amazon extension. The whole trip start to finish was professionally managed by insightful and knowledgeable guides – the excellent Julio and Shandy. The rest of our group were lovely and we enjoyed their company on the trip immensely.
The trail is reasonably hard for an experienced hiker because of the altitude but we were all encouraged by the guides to walk at our own pace which really made the trek up dead woman’s pass a fun and enjoyable experience with a guide always behind us as a back marker never hurrying us.
All the guidance received about the day ahead and advise on the trek from both guides was spot on they made our trip trouble free and a real adventure.
The chef and porters were amazing hard working people and made the trip feel like luxury.
Anyone wondering about whether to book this trip should just go ahead and book it! You won’t regret it!
You need to be ‘half fit’ for the hike to enjoy it and make the most of it. I cycled 15km 3 times a week and a longer ride once a week of about 50km and found that enough to make the hiking enjoyable and not too hard.
The Amazon extension was very good and we enjoyed it. Coming from South Africa and being people who have been on safari several times meant that we were slightly under whelmed by the wildlife but all the same enjoyed the experience of being in the jungle.
Most Inspirational Moment
The day 2 hike up Dead woman's pace with my partner and friend was wonderful. Walking at our own pace, stopping to enjoy the view and each other's company was special and made possible by Julio and Shandy who quietly walked behind us never hurrying us. A wonderful day in a fantastic trip. Thank you!!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julio and Shandy were superb. Real professionals that dealt with all manner of issues quietly and professionally.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just book this trip!! Peru is fantastic and an unexpected delight. We loved Lima too it's well worth 2 or 3 days before you arrive in Cusco to see the sights and enjoy the fab restaurants.
Excellent walks in a stunning location!
The Picos de Europa is an area of outstanding scenery and has well defined walking paths. Every walk during the holiday had it’s own distinct ‘feel’ and all were excellent! The accommodation was relaxed, staff were friendly and the food was very good. Our group got on very well with each other so everything combined to make this an excellent holiday!
Most Inspirational Moment
The short scramble to the summit of one of the mountains was fun and the views were awesome!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alvaro was an excellent leader - he had outstanding local knowledge and this was combined with a genuine desire to make sure everyone in the group was comfortable and enjoying themselves. Top marks!!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bilboa can be easily reached from the airport by a frequent bus service, so if you have time before or after the trip, it's a nice place to visit!
Exciting trip to Georgia and Armenia
It was a very good trip and liked it a lot. Georgia was very special experience for me and Armenia was good as well but both in their own way. In Georgia you feel yourself in Europe Armenia is still like soviet union but still very beautiful. People in both countries are amazing, very friendly and their hospitality will leave you speechless.
Most Inspirational Moment
I think it was hospitality of local people. Even when we were stuck somewhere in the mountains somebody always offered us place to stay. Even Tbilisi and Yerevan is very friendly. At naniko (car renal company www.naniko.ge) they helped us plan everything. At Tbilisi Apartments (www.tbilisi.apartments) they help with tickets and suggested where to go. I mean people there are the best thing to see. Not many places left like this.
Amazing cycling holiday as an introduction to South East Asia
My first holiday in South East Asia and my first cycling holiday! I absolutely loved every moment. It won’t be my last cycling trip: seeing beautiful countryside, meeting locals, eating delicious food, great accommodation ranging from hotels to homestay, lovely cycling group and great memories that will stay with me!
Most Inspirational Moment
I wouldn't say inspirational but it's something that has stuck with me, and is very humbling: learning and understanding the culture and histories each of these three countries has lived through.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Chaiya: what an amazingly professional and knowledgable guide! Greeted every morning with his smile and great sense of humour! The trip wouldn't have run so smoothly had it not been for him. From the cycling to lunch breaks, to organised visits. Got to see, taste and do so much thanks to Chai.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As always I over packed, but make sure you have really (really) good padded cycling shorts, breathable cycling tops, and just go for it. Book this trip!! Make the most of it and enjoy!