Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There is no doubt that swimming with a variety of sea life in warm waters is why one comes to the Maldives. Throw in some great sunrises and sunsets, remote and not so remote islands and a few storms and you have a nice variety. These islands are unique in of themselves and alone worth the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A good group leader is someone who knows what they are doing, leads and makes sure everyone is enjoying themselves. My fellow travelers summed it up well--Kamey is a genuinely nice person who likes to have fun and wants others to have fun as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our departure was the inaugural Marine Wildlife of the Maldives excursion. We were fortunate to have an Exodus representative on the trip and the updated trip notes will cover some of my points. To be clear, the focus of this trip is snorkeling and not diving. There was only one day, Thursday, that diving was a true option. I arrived on the island early and did my diving with the local operator for our trip, Secret Paradise. I had some excellent dives and saw some great sea life. Gear--while the gear on the MV Felicity was very good it is always best to bring your own mask and snorkel to insure no surprises. I brought a shorty but didn't need it. There is no need to bring any towels. What you do need is plenty of good waterproof sunscreen--suggest SP 50. A rash vest with a good SP factor is also a must. For those of you with thin hair on top you should bring a swimming hat. The underside of your arms, tops of your feet and the back of your legs should be given special attention. The MV Felicity has teak decks which means no shoes can be worn while on board. Some boats allow for non slip socks which you might inquire about. I also brought my own bar of soap and liquid laundry soap. Reading material is a must for this trip. There is plenty of leisure time on board. I brought binoculars but never used them. Our captain was kind enough to turn on his Wifi for a few of hours in the evening on a couple of nights. Beer cost 3 dollars US and I believe a bottle of wine went for 22 US. You record how much you drank and settle up at the end.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of Monte Prado.

Thoughts on Group Leader

They don't come much better than Sara Bull. Nothing was too much trouble and she was very well-organised and knowledgeable. I have been on a lot of Exodus holidays and she was certainly in the Hall of Fame.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just enjoy a lovely holiday in a lovely part of the world.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were lots, but real highlights for me were: eating fresh seafood overlooking the harbour in Sciacca, an incredible meal in a restaurant under the church in Ragusa, amazing food tasting in the boutique hotel at Piazza Armerina after seeing the Roman mosaics, wandering through the market in Siracusa checking out all the fresh produce, and plenty of cheap but excellent local wine!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabio is a nice guy and obviously loves his island, although he did sometimes lack the authority needed in a tour leader, perhaps because this was the first time the trip had run and he was not so familiar with the itinerary. His knowledge of Sicily was excellent, especially the geology and geography.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you go on this trip, be prepared to eat lots! There was so much good food on offer that you'd never go hungry, and you'll never eat the same thing twice. Try as many of the local specialities as possible, and make sure you have plenty of space on your memory card because there's so much to take pictures of, whether it's the beautiful old towns, the market stalls or the dishes that arrive in front of you at the restaurants.Also, try to relax and adjust to the Sicilian way of life - service in restaurants can be slow and seemingly disorganised, especially in the west of the island which receives less visitors, and drinks are usually served at the same time as the food, not before the meal.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling along the coastal roads of the Costa del Sud on day 7 was superb, so many beautiful views at every turn. Cycling down to the village of Nebida after a challenging climb on day 4, the lovely views, and a rewarding swim in crystal clear waters made it worthwhile!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele Q was very professional and his English and knowledge of the area is superb. He obviously loves what he does and was great at keeping us all motivated, even on the tougher climbs. He even added extra hill climbs for those wanting to put in some extra miles! He and Ado (our support driver and provider of some very welcome refreshments) made a great team, both were fun, friendly and keen to ensure that everyone enjoyed their holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need some level of fitness to enjoy this trip but don't be put off by the reference to hilly climbs, it's really only on days 2 and 3 and it isn't continuous. The scenery (and ice cream!) will make it well worth the effort.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hanging out by the beautiful cascades! Not a bad place to have spent my birthday!

Thoughts on Group Leader

It was Alexis first time leading a group in Corsica, he was very well organised and didn't make any mistakes! Considering he is not a local (which worries me sometimes!), his knowledge about the place was great and you could see he genuinely was interested learning about this island. Fun and friendly, you'd be lucky to have him as your leader!

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the Sun Gate and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dennis Dolmos was excellent throughout. He was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, making sure he was around for anyone who required anything from him. His recommendations were always good and we were all happy to take him up on them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ignore the trip notes on currency. The US$ is widely accepted in Lima, however this is not the case anywhere else and soles will be required. They are fairly easy to get at ATMs.

Most Inspirational Moment

Stunning scenery throughout- way beyond expectations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent- a relatively new trip but well organised and suitably flexible where necessary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Albania is as safe as anywhere in Europe - don't be put off by any reports to the contrary.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think of what stands out the most of this trip is how our tour guide Marinella embraced each and everyone of the group and we felt like a big family gathering and had a blast! All because of Marinella's attention to our well being.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The most professional guide ever.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you train for hills . Even if only few of them they are still hills!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the mountains. Beautiful scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a hat and walking sticks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pretty much everything we did was amazing on this trip. We were very lucky to see two male leopards in the Khwai reserve next to Moremi, endangered African wild dogs (one pair with 10 pups and a the next day a group of 5 dogs hunting), male lions (three times in Moremi) and a pride of lions in Savuti including about 6 cubs and 3 lionesses feasting on a wildebeest. Of course, there were many elephants too who will visit your camps in Savuti and Moremi and also zebra, impala, kudo, buffalo, wildebeest and beautiful birdlife too. The Okavango delta is really beautiful and I really enjoyed the Mokoro rides and the game walks. Also, it is really worth doing some of the optional extras at Victoria Falls - I did the white water rafting, 15 minute helicopter flight and the sunset dinner cruise. I would recommend all of these without hesitation.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was great and very friendly. Kenny was a man on a mission when it came to tracking down the animals and as I mentioned we were lucky to find leopards and wild dogs and this was definitely down to his efforts. The guys who cooked for us at camp were also amazing and I don't know how they consistently served up such great food on the camp fire (including freshly baked bread!).

Advice for Potential Travellers

I went in June which is a really great time to visit. It's their winter but this means it's clear blue sunny skies and about 28 degrees every day which was perfect. The sun goes down at 6pm and then it turns cold which makes it more comfortable for sleeping but ensure you have some warmer clothes for the evenings. For the long drives the truck is open sided so take a lightweight scarf to protect your face from sand and wind and a warm jacket like a fleece and maybe some gloves and warm hat. There are some mosquitoes in Victoria Falls so take a mosi net for your tent as these are not provided. I used Incognito products instead of Deet and got no bites all trip. The optional Chobe sunset cruise is a must and as I said before it's definitely worth paying for the optional activities in Victoria Falls. Be aware that there are 4 staff that you will need to tip at the end rather than the normal one leader you have on most trips so factor this into your budget. The tips came to about $160 in the end although it's up to you what you give. Be aware that if there are more than 8 of you booked on a tour then the vehicle will be cramped. We had 7 which was just right as no one had to sit wedged in a middle seat with a worse view.