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A great mixture of walking and culure/wildlife
Seeing the wild bears and a wolf from the bear hidein the woods
Excellent, he got to know us really quickly. he knew loads about the areas we visited.
In August it is extremely hot. 40degrees in the sun and there is quite a lot of exposed walking with no shade.
Pleasant weather, a comfortable guest house with good food. The holiday gives good opportunity to see wildlife unobtainable in western Europe, together with a very different culture plus some good trekking. The holiday "did what it said on the tin".
Without a doubt the visit to Libearty, the bear sanctuary, as this is restricted access and not generally available to tourists. We were given an exclusive guided tour for most of the morning and were able to see many bears. Note, the sanctuary is not a zoo and is no way a "commercial touristy" venue, itis a working wildlife concern.Must mention Bran Castle in passing, as I'm fond of the book and films regarding Transylvanias most famous son...
Cosmin was very helpful and spoke excellent English. He was also mindful to accommodate all of the group's capabilities particularly when one or two were feeling the weather during the walks. He used to be a Ranger in the park, and has a good knowledge of wildlike and history.
The weather was hot at this time of year, mid 30s degrees C a good capacity water bottle is a must. We were able to re-fill at one or two points in the mountains from natural springs, Casmin will advise.The weather can turn quickly though, always take a raincoat; when it does rain it won't hold back, but lasts about 30 minutes or so. The thunderstorms were great if you enjoy such things.If you do the optional bear hide in the evening (which I recommend), this will be at dusk so sort out your camera before setting off; the red light emissions can scare off the beasts. The hide is well built and protected, you will be safe. Sit still and don't figit though!If you can, take binoculars (these are good whilst in the hide even though the bears are only 30 metres or so away) and we saw chamois and eagles etc in the mountains.Sun screen essential. Insect repellant needed on the beaver watch evening as it is by the river and again at dusk. The mountains seemed fairly clear of biting insects. I may confirm there is no need to pre-load on garlic for these evening excursions.,
The hotel is comfortable and was kept clean daily to a high standard. You will need Lei for the Brasov day, but (at the time of my holiday) could pay the hotel honesty bar in Euro as well as Lei. You can pay for duty frees at the airport in Euro as well. You will need to pay Euro for the bear hide though. Most Romanians I met in cafes etc spoke very good English, I shouldn't panic about a phrase book.A couple of packets of jelly babies or whatever helps to maintain energy levels in the trekking days. You will make a picnic type lunch from the continental style breakfast, so a plastic lunch box would be useful.
A great holiday mixing exercise, nature and culture in a well balanced package supported by a brilliant host and venue!
For me it was the wonderful scenery, the view from the hill just climbed just made the hard work so worthwhile!
Our group leader was very knowledgeable though he did have a thing about 'red breasted shrikes' and other avian treasures, our minbus braking unexpectedly to point out this wonder or that. And we were lucky that we did see a good number of interesting things. But not only did he know his local area but also his local history which was shared with us and made it all so much more meaningful.
Grab every opportunity offered, you will enjoy it!
Our hosts and their support team were wonderful. Everything was so relaxed and they were so helpful and friendly and enthusiastic about the area they live in. The accommodation was really good and the food was excellent, I just ate too much!
This was my first group holiday with Exodus and I was travelling on my own, so hoping for a nice group of fellow travellers, plenty to do, good food and accommodation and well planned and executed travel arrangements. This trip pretty much met all these expectations and exceeded some. The actual walking part of the holiday was tough at times but manageable and certainly enjoyable (rain didn’t help – but I can’t blame Exodus for that). Accommodation was simple but comfortable and everything worked. Food was good. The company (fellow travellers) were great and we really got on well. The guide was great and overall it was a very good holiday.
Seeing the bears in the sanctuary was incredible, the stories of their rescue and how they are now thriving was very moving. However seeing wild bears was also amazing.In addition the beautiful Carpathian landscape especially when high up in the sheep pastures and pine forests was lovely.
Cosmin Dan was excellent, very knowledgeable, very patient and looked after us very well.
You don't need much extra spending money on this trip, the bear hide and the visit to Bran and Brasov allow some opportunity and you can spend money at the guesthouse on excellent local beers and wines, but generally everything is provided. Good waterproofs (essential for the week we were there) and perhaps boot cleaning kit is a good idea.
I really liked this trip, and Romania. I would certainly consider returning, even repeating the same holiday again some time.
A hidden gem of Europe.
Wow our hostess Katerina was a pretty inspirational woman, speaks 3 languages, runs a guest house in a national park, and has been at the forefront of animal (particularly European Brown Bear) protection and conservation in the Carpathian region.
Cosmin Dan was a great leader, with imense knowledge and love for his surroundings.
You will be going up and down Mountains, so definately a reasonable level of fitness needed however Cosmin was very good at breaking often and making sure everyone caught up. If I did this trip again I would take just Romanian Lei with me and not bother with ATMs or taking Euro's as you dont need an awful lot money, unless you are a serial souvenier hunter!!
I think most people would be pleasantly surprised with Romania, it is truly an up and coming country with some stunning countryside.
Generally a good holiday, but definitely biased towards the walking and wildlife aspects of the trip.
Romania is a beautiful country and we will definitely be returning to explore more of its countryside and cultures.
Cosmin was a very knowledgable and enthusiastic leader, keen to share his his knowledge of Romanian wildlife. He also interacted well with the group and was interested to learn from us as well as the other way around. Katarina's tour of Libearty was very interesting and touching - her personal involvement in the project made the trip special.
Take good quality binoculars for the bear hide trip and river trip. Take duct tape to mask the red light on your camera as the red light disturbs the bears at the hide. The bears also dislike bright colours - so dark clothing is required.
Try to extend your trip at beginning or end with a long weekend in Bucharest - it is a lovely historic city with a cafe-society atmosphere. Ignore the post-Communist guidebooks!
This was a great first visit to Romainia. The carpathian mountains were beautiful, the food was great, and the people were friendly. We had awsome hikes, and good accomodations.
For me the most inspirational moment was the first mornig. We had arrived in Magura(our host village) in the middle of the night in total darkness. In the light of morning I could see the beauty of the surrounding mountains, and the quaint little farms on the slopes all around us.
Cosmin was very good. He had a true love of his culture and enjoyed shareing it with us. He spoke very good english. Cosmine was also confident enough to be patient with the slower walkers in the group, yet willing to let the stronger ones forge ahead. Cosmine was also well organized.
You should go with a reasonable level of fitness. The hikes are not hard, yet you are in mountainous terrain. Also, if you have favorite trail snacks you should bring them because some of the selections for the lunches are a little limited and repetative. Like it says in the trip notes, don't change money at the airport. The exchange rates are poor, and we didn't need any cash for the first couple of days in the trip anyway.
This was a great oportunity to see a "slower" way of life to that which many of us in the west live, where many people still use a horse and cart for daily life, and dont have to run to the store for their milk and eggs. Romainia seems to be in the discovery stage of tourists, so you wont be bumping into throngs of other visitors like you do in many other places. In short, this was a very good way to spend a week.
A good mixture of wildlife, walking and culture.
When a mother bear and three cubs appeared at the bear hide and happily started eating and playing.
Cosmin was great. He retained an air of quiet confidence throughout the week, whilst working hard to ensure our trip ran smoothly.
Please note that about half the week is walking. Some of us had failed to spot this and had chosen the trip due to the focus on wildlife. However this said, the scenary on the walks was fantastic and the exercise did us all good!I didn't need as much money as I thought I would, but then the optional forest walk and bird watching trip didn't even get a mention. There was opportunity to change money on a couple of occasions during the trip when needed.Don't drink too much schnaps, it goes to your head really quickly! The guest house is everything you could want. Clean rooms, delicious dinners and great hospitality. Be prepared for plenty of cheese sandwiches for packed lunches though!
If you're looking for just a week away then this trip is worth taking.
An excellent trip covering everything i wanted to see and do whilst visiting Romania, at a pace to suit all!
To me meeting the Bears in the WSPA sanctuary was incredibly emotional as a supporter of the charity this part of the trip was very special to me and having the oppotunity to see 7 Bears in the wild including 3 cubs was outstanding and a moment i will never forget!!! Nature is always a source of inspriation to me where ever i go and Romania was no different.
Cosmin the guide is very knowledgeable, polite and truly passionate about Romania and its incredible wildlife, with good reason. He must be so proud to show people his country and all it has to offer. I learnt a lot from him during my time there and he was able to answer all my questions. Thank You Cosmin :) I would like to mention Katarina & Herman who run the guest house also, what remarkable people thank goodness there are people out there who care so much about the natural world, and who do all they can to protect it. Well Done and what a beautiful, well run guest house.
As a huge animal lover i find it hard to understand anyone who doesnt like Dogs but if you have a fear of dogs be warned there are dogs everywhere!! although all the dogs are all very very friendly, well looked after and love to be in your company, i enjoyed this. I went at the begining of September and the weather was hot and sunny - Take sun cream.
The trip ran smoothly and Nature didn't fail me (although it never does!) Romania is a truly BEAUTIFUL place of mountains, landscapes, wilderness and wildlife, every inch is a photograph. I love photography and take my camera everywhere but you dont need to be an expert to get a good photo here! This was my first trip with Exodus and as a solo traveller and i would do both again without hesitation. The group was a mix of solo travellers and couples of various ages. The guest house was beautiful, well run, the food served was lovely and the views are outstanding. Cosmin the guide was friendly and knowledgeable and ensured the whole tour ran at a pace to suit everyone. You do need to be a certain level of fitness as you are in the mountains so a lot of up hill, but its worth it. I am vegetarian and this was very well catered for. Romania is a wonderful place and the people are friendly - I could live there and i would recommend a trip to anyone! :)
A great mix of walking & sight seeing in a relatively untouched part of Europe with the added bonus of a lovely hotel.
The walking was great, especially as we were really lucky with the weather (7 days of sunshine!). Wonderful views throughout and a nice mix of woodland and mountain pastures. The two main walking days were certainly my highlight.
Cosmin was great, one of the best Exodus leaders I have had. Extremely knowledgable and it was really nice to have a local guide who grew up in the area.
Try to read Bram Stocker's Dracula before you go and stock up on tasteful Dracula souvenirs at Bran Castle!
