Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many moments: Our first sight of Mount Fuji as we approached in on the train and the various perspectives of Mont Fuji from the Hakone region. The sight of Matsumoto Castle gloriously lit at night and the excellent tour of Matsumoto Castle by a knowledgeable volunteer guide in the day. Seeing the cherry blossom in Toko's Park and understanding the significance to the thousands of Japanese people having their picnics under the trees during the day and night. Fushimi inari-taisha shrine. Our day trip to Hiroshima. Walking along the sunlit path through the trees to see the 'Snow Monkeys' bathing in the hot springs. Bathing in the outdoor onsen in Yudanaka. The Hokusai Museum in Obuse.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had a young Japanese group leader called Misa. She gave us a daily briefing of each day's activities and ensured that our travel arrangements ran smoothly by giving us timings, meeting places and train platforms. She was very helpful with the dietary requirements of the vegetarians and those with food allergies and always made sure that everyone in the group had suitable food. Misa was particularly good at giving us detailed information about the attractions we viewed and the Japanese culture for example how to wash at the shrines before praying and how to pray. She also made sure that we followed Japanese culture by being very quiet on the trains. It was clear that Misa was very proud of her country and was keen for us to get as much out of the trip as we could. I was also impressed with the way she made sure that any litter was taken with us or place in the trash cans. Misa went beyond her line of duty when she escorted us to the Hakone area on what was our free day in Tokyo. Having her with us make the trip far easier and more interesting than if we'd gone alone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trips notes, which are very accurate, carefully and think about your own limitations. You are travelling on public transport and whilst you have a seat on the longer journeys you often have to stand on the short journeys on very crowded trains. There is a certain amount of walking and climbing steps etc and if like us you love walking great but if you never walk you could find it tiring. Do try the onsens particularly the outdoor one in Yudanaka, this might be your only ever chance to do so. You do sleep on the floor and eat sitting on the floor in the Ryokans which was great and we felt immersed in the culture but some people with bad backs etc could find it problematic. If you are a vegetarian be prepared that you will not be eating the same amount of fruit and vegetables that you are used to and check carefully about the broth the noodles are cooked in. The fruit in Japan is extremely expensive in all the regions we visited. We shopped in the large supermarkets and apples were £1.50 each as were oranges. Bananas were 80p each. When we were served fruit as part of our breakfast we had a quarter of an orange.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visit Petra, the site is huge and around every corner there is something amazing to see. Petra at night was fabulous and so different from seeing the site in the day time. Watching the stars at Wadi Rum was a magical experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Issa was fabulous. He was so passionate about his country and could not do enough for us, to ensure we saw the best and enjoyed ourselves.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are a lot of steps ( 857 each way to fhe Monastery), so take lots of water

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the sun rise over Everest, shortly followed by a snow avalanche!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good! Passang went above and beyond for us all!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Stock up on loo roll - it gets more expensive the further up you go! And don't skimp on the sleeping bag, you NEED a really good quality one.

Most Inspirational Moment

Dining with a local family in Hue with dinner followed by Linh our guide playing guitar and the family's three year old granddaughter singing along with gusto. Closely followed by Dalat, Hue, the Hai Van pass climb (and descent) and naturally the splendid Halong Bay.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Linh was enthusiastic, well organised, frank and informative, amusing in his presentations, honest about the good and bad of his country, and a very good cyclist to boot. Backed by a strong and enthusiastic support crew in Tam, Tan and Ho. All four were excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lot of time on the bus between venues and rides (it is a long country) so bring reading material. ATMs are plentiful so no issues obtaining cash. Bring lots of sun cream and I'd recommend a supply of re-hydration sachets. If you forget there are pharmacies in all the towns/cities en route.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching Stella Point was incredible as we were getting to the stage where we were so physically tired that we were doubting whether we could make it, our wonderful guides gave us the support, encouragement, positivity and inspiration to get us to the top, allowing us to adopt the mind over matter approach and they were with us all the way. I can honestly say the crew have had a huge impact on us as people and they have inspired us as much as the climb of beautiful Kilimanjaro itself.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I will be writing to Exodus separately from this review with a glowing and detailed letter of praise for the crew as I feel Justine was outstanding in his role as our group leader. He was thoroughly deserving of the award that he won and I would go further to say if there are any other awards in the world of mountain guiding on a national or international level I would not hesitate to nominate him. It was a real privilege to have met him and to have been guided up Kilimanjaro by him and as my family were on the trip with us I would like to say we felt so secure, safe and had complete trust and confidence in him. He was positive, encouraging, sensitive, thoughtful, very kind and was very well organised and thought of everything. To top this all off a great smile, personality and a brilliant sense of humour- a very inspirational man! I would also like to point out that the entire team were first class. The other guides were also outstanding, I would like to point out that Mussa was a wonderful guide, also incredibly positive and supportive with also a lovely personality/sense of humour. We had complete trust in Mussa and he was so helpful and kind to us, again I will be writing to you to explain in detail. He would make an excellent tour leader too. James aka King James was a fantastic guide who was very knowledgable, kind, helpful and again encouraging and supportive and kept giving us boosts of positivity. We were never rushed along,even though we were walking a slower pace to some of our fellow climbers. Again we had 100% trust in James and he would also make a brilliant lead guide. It was an absolute pleasure to have 2 female guides, Anjela and Lucia who were both a pleasure to walk with. Again, both very supportive, kind and could not do enough for you. Both very smart and strong ladies who we had our trust in. We feel so lucky to have had this team of 38 looking after us so well and we have so much praise and admiration for all the porters, cook etc. I cannot fault any of them, they were all brilliant. I will be mentioning a few of them in my letter.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would say if you are thinking about doing this challenge, just book it! You will not regret it and I doubt you would find any other trip where you are looked after so well, I read that they 'have your backs' before we went on our trip and I can honestly say it is true. Go for it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the "real" Cuba away from the tourist hot spots and living like a local. The snorkelling was brilliant on the Catamaran trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Laz was a brilliant guide, so knowledge and passionate about his home country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack a scarf or some form of cover for your face as some of the vehicles do chuck out some smoke!! Wear plenty of sunscreen, the heat is deceiving when you are cycle with a head wind. Wear sunscreen on your lips too - a few of our group had blistered lips. Pack some toilet paper. Cycling shorts and a gel saddle are a must. It can get chilly in the evening so pack a cardi/pashmina. Ear plugs are also handy as some hotels are on main roads. Mask and snorkel if you go on the catamaran trip. Ladies a turban towel for your hair as most places only provide one towel each. I wore a pair of closed toe open sandals which were ideal for keeping your feet cool. Also some sort of carrier for your bike to hold camera, money, tissues etc is handy

Most Inspirational Moment

The first view of Positano on the Path of the Gods.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severio was great-his connection to the community was palpable, and his advice on "the best" gelato and cappuccino was always right on target.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this trip; you won't regret it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Robben Island was well worth visiting and so was Langa township. Very thought provoking experiences. Loved walking round the top of Table mountain and walking along the coast at the Cape of Good Hope.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin is the perfect guide. Friendly, likeable and professional. Nothing was too much trouble for him. We learned such a lot from him and it's obvious he loves his country. His knowledge of plants animals and birds is amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There's a lot of moving about so don't overpack. I kept mislaying things so keep stuff in labelled bags.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the houses and hearing the stories of the lives of the inhabitants of Matera Sassi Caveoso who were only moved out of their cave homes by the government in the early 1950s.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the challenging rides through the majestic scenery of the Drakensberg Range and, particularly, the ride along the spectacular Blyde Canyon. Spotting wildlife in the Kruger National Park and observing a rare African Wild Dog face off hyenas on a morning game drive was inspirational!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader worked hard to ensure the group was looked after well. He has a good knowledge of local history and was sociable with the group. All the team of guides worked hard, were good-humoured and took care to ensure everyone had a good time, plenty to eat and drink and enjoyed the cycling and other activities.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is plenty of uphill on many of the routes so a bit of cycle training is advised. However all the routes are do-able and there is a support vehicle following the group at all time. Great for travellers who want social media downtime as WiFi is limited in many places.