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Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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15333 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviews

A spectacular week of coastal walks and unforgettable views

As an Exodus staff member, I had high expectations for this trip – and it exceeded them in every way. Walking the Island of Madeira offers a fantastic mix of dramatic coastal trails, lush levada paths, and panoramic mountain scenery. The itinerary is well-paced, with each day showcasing a different side of the island, from rugged cliffs to tranquil forests. Accommodation, transport, and organisation throughout were seamless, making it easy to focus on enjoying the experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the misty Fanal Forest felt magical, with its ancient laurel trees, followed by breathtaking views above the clouds in the mountains – a perfect contrast in one unforgettable day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was knowledgeable, friendly and shared great insight into Madeira’s culture, nature and history. His enthusiasm really added to the overall experience and made everyone feel welcome.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come prepared for varied terrain and weather – good walking boots and layers are essential. Don’t underestimate the sun, even on cooler days, and bring a refillable water bottle. Most importantly, take your time to enjoy the scenery – this is a destination where every turn offers another incredible view.

Fabulous escape into quiet trails with wildflowers and fantastic views

This is a fabulous trip if you love hiking and being in nature. In the whole week we only encountered one other person on the trails, so lovely. The terrain was varied with some longer ascents and descents but our efforts were rewarded with lovely views. Although there were 14 of us in my group we were all of a similar pace so the walks were very enjoyable.
The accommodation was of a good standard and it was so lovely to eat traditional Bulgarian and local speciality dishes everyday. There was plenty and the choice of desserts every night was a real highlight.
I highly recommend this trip. Go ahead and book it. You will not regret it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in silence to search for bears and wolves. The birdsong was amazing and we were all so excited to see bear tracks for a mother and cubs and adolescent male.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julian is a passionate and enthusiastic leader. So knowledgeable on the trails, wildlife, animals, flora and fauna of the area. We all enjoyed his stories and talks and learning more about brown bears. He ensured the group were safe on the trails and made sure we were fully prepared for each walk and the quickly changing weather.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can start off very sunny but the weather can change quickly so layers, shorts and long trousers and good waterproofs are a must. Hiking poles are useful especially on the descents although some of my group used these all the time. If like me you enjoy black tea or English breakfast make sure to bring some teabags although the local herbal tea was a nice alternative. I was grateful for my travel kettle! The trip notes are very accurate so if you feel like you would like more time in Sofia it really is worth arranging an extra night or two or ensuring that you have booked suitable flight times. A few of my group regretted not having a later flight.

Fantastic tour from start to finish

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Our tour guide. Artur, was wonderful! Very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing the history and culture of Albania. He was always checking on us to make sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying the experience. His kindness, professionalism, and attention to detail made the tour truly special.

Our driver. Diu, was equally excellent: professional, polite, and very attentive throughout the trip. He drove safely, took great photos for us. His knowledge of the roads and local area was impressive.

The Mercedes-Benz van was clean, comfortable, and in excellent condition. I highly recommend this company and sincerely thank both the tour guide and driver for making my experience so enjoyable and memorable! 😊🙏🏻⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Most Inspirational Moment

Discovering the rich history of 🇦🇱 Albania and seeing how welcoming the local people are.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I highly recommend Exodus and sincerely thank both the guide and driver for a memorable experience. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring comfortable walking shoes, and be ready to learn a lot and see some amazing places!

Calling all birders and wildlife enthusiasts!

As an Exodus employee, this was my first Exodus trip and a fantastic way to experience Costa Rica firsthand. Our leader, Johnny, was outstanding throughout, and the combination of incredible wildlife, beautiful scenery and a welcoming group atmosphere made it a memorable experience. A great trip for solo travellers and groups of friends alike.

Wonderful

We had a glorious week.

Most Inspirational Moment

Achieving all the heights. Meeting an excellent mix of people. Being guided by Sarah.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sarah was a true star.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try this holiday, it is inspiring.

Disappointing

I feel a little guilty about the three stars when others have scored this five but my level of expectation was really quite high after reading the reviews. In particular I was looking forward to wonderful scenery but instead we encountered uninspiring vistas and roads strewn with litter.
The trip notes promised mainly traffic free roads, but that certainly was not case, in particular the last ride was mostly along busy ones and the final approach into Syracuse was definitely not for the faint hearted.
The towns we visited were interesting and pretty and were the highlights of most of the days. The cyclings was the easiest I’ve experienced on an Exodus holiday (this was the twelfth ) and with, the exception of the ride up to the Cassibile Canyon, some of the dullest.
I’m probably being too negative but I did feel short changed. We actually did enjoy ourselves – the hotels were good, the weather was hot and most days we were in the pool by mid afternoon; there was a lot more down time compared with other Exodus excursions. Also loved the Sicilian food and wine and our leader was exemplary.
In general terms I’m not sure the fifty fifty split of e-bikes and ordinary ones works; we were very spread out, the e-bikes and stronger or competitive riders way out ahead and the stragglers a long way back. Saddle Skedaddle stipulate the following on one of their trips “Please note, if opting for an e-bike, the pace of riding will be set by the hybrid riders”. Perhaps Exodus should have a similar policy?

Most Inspirational Moment

I thought the fifth ride was great - best scenery of the trip, a nice climb and super switchback descent. Loved Syracuse on the Saturday night, locals quietly enjoying themselves late into the night - as much ice cream as wine being consumed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I was impressed by Michele’s professionalism and attention to detail. Trip ran like clockwork. Sebi was also an absolute brick - a super guy

Advice for Potential Travellers

I personally could not recommend this trip but each to their own and I think everyone else in our party loved it.

Review Centre
Reply from Exodus

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and detailed review, and for travelling with us again – especially as this was your twelfth Exodus trip.

We’re really sorry to hear that parts of this itinerary didn’t live up to the expectations you had based on the trip notes and previous experiences with us. In particular, your comments around the scenery, road conditions and level of traffic are disappointing to read, as these are key elements of the experience we aim to get right when designing and maintaining our cycling routes. Your feedback on the final ride into Syracuse is noted as well, and I appreciate how that would have felt at odds with what was expected.

It’s equally important for us to acknowledge the points you’ve raised around pacing and the mix of e-bikes and standard bikes. As you’ve highlighted, this can have an impact on group cohesion, and your suggestion around setting the pace based on non e-bike riders is a helpful one that we are already discussing internally.

On the other hand, we’re really pleased to hear that there were aspects you enjoyed, particularly the towns visited, the food and wine, and the time to relax. It’s also great to hear such positive feedback about Michele and Sebi – I’ll be sure to pass that on to them.

We genuinely value feedback like yours, as it helps us refine both our itineraries and how we describe these experiences to future customers. While I’m sorry this trip didn’t match the standards you’ve come to expect from Exodus, I do hope we’ll have the opportunity to deliver a better experience for you on a future adventure.

 

The Exodus Team

Wonderful trip watching wildlife in the beautiful Abruzzo region

We had a great trip with a fantastic knowledgable and patient Filippo guiding us and were incredibly lucky to spend two unforgettable hours watching a bear.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the bear was wonderful but so was spending a great evening and morning in the Abruzzo mountains amongst the abundant wildflowers on the edges of the beach forest

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fillipo was out fantastic guide - he is a part of Apennines Rewilding and was incredibly knowledgable about the ecology of Abruzzo and of the mountains - he was a great guide to the region and the wildlife and his passion for the project he works for was inspiring.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although it’s Italy and it’s May, the Abruzzo mountains are high and it’s really cold in the mornings and evenings especially if you are staying still to watch wildlife - bring proper layers of the cold ( and definitely gloves!!) and for the hike to the hut a big enough rucksack to carry them.

Highlights of Albania

A full-on but fascinating trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Several, the group dinner on the first evening and the lunch with the family in Dhoksat, both delicious. The beauty of the countryside. The visit to the Medieval Arts Museum in Korce. Our guide here was one of the artists helping to restore the icons. A fascinating visit to the Cac Dollani house in Berat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A lot has been said about Artur and Diu in other reviews and I totally agree, they are a great combination both excellent at what they do. Artur is great at telling us about his country and Diu is a very careful driver and great at taking and sharing photos. It was just a shame that our vehicle broke down and Diu had to leave us to try and get it repaired. A new vehicle and driver was found quickly and we continued on our journey.

Go for it.

A great break in the deep south of Bulgaria near the Greek border. Seeing the old cold war border fence between USSR and Greece and hearing about its history was one of many personal highlights. Such a variety of wildlife and flowers all there to be experienced.

Most Inspirational Moment

A tie between discovering a perfect brown bear paw print that was only hours old and hearing the choice of deserts each evening .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julian was fantastic. Expert on Rodopi Mountain trails, its wildlife, flowers and history. Everything ran like clockwork. Doing linear walks allowed us explore so many quiet trails.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No need to bring your own snacks. Meals and picnic lunches provided by Hotel Yagodina were excellent. And if that is not enough there is a machine outside the hotel where you can purchase bars but you will need Euro coins.

Amazing Cycling in Puglia !

It’s been 1 year since the first week of June, 2025 when my wife and I did the 1-week cycling of the Puglia region beginning in the city/town of Matera (which is in the Basilicata region, right on the border of the Puglia region). We had such an amazing time exploring the back country roads and many small quaint towns the Puglia region offers.
So many memorable stops along the way including caffe, gelato, walks in town squares (piazza).
The group of 15 riders plus Emanuele (local tour guide) and Leonardo (driver/assistant) were all great people to spend a vacation with.

Most Inspirational Moment

Matera stands out to me for multiple reasons (not the least of which is the fact that I was born there!). We thoroughly enjoyed staying in a trullo in Albero Bello. To be able and take a swim in 2 of the beaches along the way was great! The meals were wonderful (but this was no surprise). Watching the making of mozzarella and then having it served fresh for lunch was also memorable. So many, many more memorable instances along the way made this truly one of the best vacations. I have a new-found appreciation for the Puglia region and all it has to offer… we will be back!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Emanuele (local tour guide) and Leonardo (driver/assistant) were absolutely awesome! So easy to connect with and quickly establish a rapport and friendship with. Side note: personally enjoyed speaking to them in Italian (as well as dialetto Barese)!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it !! Its totally worth it and I highly recommend it: 10/10.