Most Inspirational Moment
Many, but I guess Alvaro's love for his home and his understanding o the mountains was pretty inspirational.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Great trip, thoroughly recommended
Exodus for me works on word-of-mouth and recommendations. So mine is, go!
It’s a fabulous location with moderate-to-challenging walking, spring flora and fauna fascinating, and so unexpected: like a slice of Switzerland. Our guide, Alvaro, is one of the best – Exodus I’m sure should be very sorry to lose him – but there is such a commitment to quality from the hotel that the team will always be a good one.
Excellent food, comfortable beds, lashings of hot water… a very homely home base.
Cycle Romania
I very much enjoyed my week spent cycling in Romania. We were cycling through very beautiful scenery, visiting many interesting historical sites. We bonded very well as a group and had a great tour leader.
Most Inspirational Moment
In Viscri we visited some local craftsman. They were really good characters and it was very interesting to see their work in action.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Raluka was great throughout the holiday. She looked after us extremely well. When we got to Bucharest she handed us all a nice booklet containing a map and details of local attractions. She was always there to assist us, including when we needed some extra help because BA's computer systems had a power cut.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A lot of the guest houses had Wi-Fi, though not all of them. The Bucharest underground is really straight forward and might be useful if you want to explore different areas of the city. A lot of the places we stayed were very rural, so if you're a night owl take a book, or possibly even some dominoes!
Magical Machu Picchu
Amazing hiking over the Salcantay pass to the magical Machu Picchu.
Most Inspirational Moment
The anticipation of each turn the closer we got to the sun gate, and then the first view of Machu Picchu was incredible
Thoughts on Group Leader
Wilmer, our leader was very knowledgable and relaxed with the group - good fun
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take ear plugs! The frogs in camp 3 (might have been 4) are lovely but noisy, and you may get need them for the hotel in Machu Picchu town (depends what room you get) Also allocate at least 50soles per meal (includes one drink and tips) Food is amazing - there are great restaurants in Cusco, camp food - incredible Highly recommend green point in Cusco - it's vegan (I'm not) but they do a very reasonable set menu (4 courses) for 15soles and food is amazing (5min walk from hotel) - highly recommend
A rush!
An enjoyable trip taking in most of the ‘must see’ places in Sicily: a great overview of the island. One niggle, though, is that because of the scale of the place the whole trip seemed too rushed: lots of time in the coach, and not quite enough time at various locations to give them justice.
If you can afford the time (and higher cost), the newly-introduced ‘Sicily Grand Tour’ would be a better bet, but if you are prepared for the pace of this tour the ‘Treasures of Sicily’ does live up to its name.
Most Inspirational Moment
The stunning mosaics at Monreale. The views of Etna were great (except when the scirocco brought in the Sahara sand).
Thoughts on Group Leader
Salvo was very knowledgeable, and helpful. he also made sure there were plenty of loo stops - important given the length of some of the coach trips!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Consider carefully your aims for the trip (see my summary), but then enjoy yourself. Make sure that you have plenty of cash to pay for meals, souvenirs and tips, as you can't rely on credit or debit cards being accepted. If you need more cash, most places have ATMs. When paying by credit/debit card or withdrawing cash at an ATM, you will sometimes be offered the opportunity to pay in your home currency - as a rule, though, this will involve a poor exchange rate and a fee, so you are probably best advised to reject this option and hope your card issuer is more generous. Leave room for the gelati and sorbets (granita)! You will walk them off. As always with such tours, be prepared for some minor disappointments - for example, our tour of the Zingaro Nature Reserve was called off due to the fire risk caused by a scirocco blowing through, and the "elaborate Byzantine mosaics" at Cefalu Cathedral were hidden whilst the building was undergoing some renovation. However, there is so much else to see that such disappointments are unlikely to detract significantly from your holiday.
Amazing China trip
Everything about the trip was amazing if a little challenging at times. It included all of the ‘Must see’ sights of China, many of which were mind blowing – how did they manage to build a wall that long and high so high up in difficult terrain?! We travelled on flights arranged by Exodus from a regional airport and the transfers were part of the package and worked well. The optional trips in Beijing were good and the Acrobatic and Kung foo shows were both worth doing and entertaining. The overnight sleeper trains were interesting!! Some stations had escalators which was great but some only had staircases which were challenging and stowing our large bags in the sleeper compartments often involved lifting them onto the area above the door as there was limited space under the beds, the men in the party found themselves lifting several bags each. The optional excursion to the Han Yang Ling Mausoleum, which we did before the Terra Cotta Warriors was on a very different scale and very interesting. Most days involved leaving the hotels between 7.30am and 8.30am in order to travel to the place of interest for that day and arrive in good time before the crowds got too big. In Chengdu we did an optional visit to an ancient Chinese town en route to the Giant Buddha in Leshan which was interesting in spite of the ‘touristy’ nature of the place. We went to the optional Chinese Cultural Show which was amazing – so many unusual brilliant acts, the ‘Face Changers’ were fantastic. The bullet train was very smooth and seeing the porters carry our heavy bags to the China Goddess 2 for the Yangtze river cruise was humbling, they are so strong!! The cruise ship was much nicer than we had expected and the accommodation was very nice, we even got a lesson in playing Mahjong which was quite complicated but very interesting. The scenery in Yangshuo was amazing and the optional trip to the tea plantation was great fun even in the rain! The trip to the Ancient water town of Xitang was lovely and fortunately as we were not there at the weekend, it wasn’t too busy. One evening in Shanghai our guide suggested going to the Global Financial Centre to the Observatory on the 100th floor as the weather was good, to hopefully see the sunset over the city – we were lucky and it was beautiful. Our last day in Shanghai was wet but it didn’t stop any of the activities and we had time to see some of the city before we left the following morning.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was an amazing trip with so many highlights it is hard to name just one. The Great Wall is exactly as named - Great, the Panda breeding and conservation centre was lovely, the scenery in many places was completely unique. The sheer size and complexity of the Terra Cotta Warriors site was incredible, the story about how they were discovered and the work that had to be done to produce what is visible today is amazing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader - Jenny was lovely. She went the extra mile to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible for us working tirelessly to make sure all the arrangements for all the excursions were made in order for us to have a brilliant trip. She always had a smile and was very patient and understanding when dealing with any problems or requests members of the group might have.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The beds on the sleeper trains appeared clean but if you got on the train part way through it's journey bedding was not changed so silk sleeping bag liners made us feel more comfortable!! Public toilets are everywhere and free to use but are mostly 'squat' style and having your own toilet paper accessible at all times is essential! Before we arrived at the port our tour guide told us that there was an option to upgrade to the VIP dining restaurant which was limited to about 30 people for each cruise, she explained that the extra cost gave us assigned tables and free wine and beer with meals but the main advantage was that it was away from the 'free for all' nature of the main dining room. After consideration the whole group opted for the upgrade and we were very pleased that we had done as it gave us a much more relaxed dining experience - it was money well spent!! Before we left we were unsure what to do about money for the trip so we took a reasonable amount of Yuen plus credit and debit cards. It turned out that most of the time we needed cash, all of the optional excursions were paid for in cash as were the group meals that were not included as well as drinks for all the meals. There were plenty of ATM's available in all of our destinations and the guide was happy to take whoever needed cash when necessary. Credit and debit cards were acceptable in larger shops but cash was used most of the time. Be prepared to barter for your purchases! We did a lot of the optional excursions on the basis that we may never be in China again and every one was worth the extra cost.
Great Wall, great tour
Walking the Great Wall is a great tour with a good mix of activities. I go on theses trips to do some good trekking, but it is also nice to see the important tourist sites in Beijing. What is nice about this itinerary is that you do Beijing, spend time away and then finish in Beijing giving you a nice balance and not spending too much time in the big city. The guesthouses are a unique experience and are run by the nicest people I have ever come across. I highly recommend the Xi’an extension as the Terracotta Warriors are a must see, and Xi’an itself is very different with a lot of charm and character.
Most Inspirational Moment
Overall I enjoyed the day with the spider wall the best but really the highlight for me was any day away from the touristy, restored parts of the wall. That combined with a really great group made the trip exactly what I wanted.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jerry is one of the best leaders you could possibly ask for. He is very knowledgeable and has a good sense of humor to keep things interesting. We had many issues with our itinerary due to the Silk Road Conference, but he handled all the changes well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Check the weather before you go to ensure you are prepared. I would recommend some electrolyte supplements for those extremely hot days.
Treasures of Sicily
A very busy week spent travelling to a considerable number of places. Not much time to see anywhere properly but a good overview of the island. A lot of time spent in the coach.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking on Etna was an interesting and inspirational part of the trip - if you enjoy views and volcanoes!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader did not interact with the group and carried out his duties without humour, fun or enjoyment. This was the most disappointing aspect of the week, as having travelled with Exodus before, I have had far better group leaders who can make the holiday wonderful, exciting and longing for more. We had two other tour guides for a short period of time who were knowledgeable and interesting. Vanessa was particularly helpful on our last day helping us with travel arrangements and being a real group leader even diverting the coach to see some extra sites on the way to the airport. What a difference had she been our group leader for the week!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not take any extra items unless you really need them. Pack so you can find items easily without unpacking your suitcase each night. Bags of items of clothing are a good idea. Some people used poles when walking on Etna. Take them if you feel more comfortable using them on steep slopes - up and down. Take shoes to wear for swimming in the National Park as the beach is made up of large stones.
Reply from Exodus
We were sorry to hear that Susan was disappointed with aspects of her tour’s leadership as her tour leader usually receives very good feedback; we are in contact with Susan directly in this regard and our local manager has also followed up on her concerns with her tour leader.
Marta Marinelli – Product Manager for Sicily
cycle Romania
A brilliant holiday. The tour guide Raluca Teodor was outstanding. She was passionate about her country with all its history which she conveyed simply so that I remember so much. She was also very kind and always aware of our needs. Her co helper Liviu was also extremely helpful and they both made a good team. In Bucharest at the end of the holiday with the BA flight problems Raluca organised a new hotel for us to cater for our extra stay before our flight home via Turkish Airlines. The whole group gelled very well and this will always be an Exodus holiday to remember.
Most Inspirational Moment
I really cannot find one thing. I would say all of it. Some of the guest houses such as the Water mill, the priest's talk, Sighisoara, the cart rides.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Outstanding (see above.)
Advice for Potential Travellers
Travel light, don't be phased by travel problems!
Wonderful hiking trip, great guide Stephanie
The trip was great, really nice group of people ands very knowledgable guide with a great sense of humour. The location was beautiful and the hikes very satisfying.
Most Inspirational Moment
The hike to the Italain border in the hills Overlooking the great views of the sea and the French Riviera and Italy was beautiful and peaceful. Also the walks around Menton in early evening were very scenic.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was very good. Highly knowledgable and supportive. She had a fun sense of humour and lot's of Stories and history of about the area and the plant life.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Lot's of sunscreen and enjoying the lovely French countryside
Croatia Islands & Mountains
Activity packed trip in the stunning Croatian Landscape
Non stop loads to do and see
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking in Paklenica National Park through the limestone gorge (day 6 ). The initial trek was through a Beech woodland but gradually descended to a fantastic view of near vertical limestone cliffs used for rock climbing. Also the guided tour of Dubrovnik old Town and having the chance to walk on the Town walls
Thoughts on Group Leader
Zeljko was superb. He was proud of his country and had a wealth of knowledge about the areas we walked in. He was also courteous and kind I have been on around 10 Exodus trips and Zeljko is probably the best guide I have had. A real credit to the company.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Think about making your own arrangements to and from Croatia. The flight times arranged by Exodus are suche that you will arrive after 10.00 pm local time on the Saturday and depart to the airport around 5.00 a.m. the following Saturday so the trip is really 6 days (Sunday to Friday). There are flights back from Zadar Saturday evening to Stanstead and Manchester with Ryanair and Zadar is only 45 mins from the last Hotel. May was a good time to go with loads of flowers out. I would think the July and August may be too hot for some