Where Adventure Holidays Begin

A well organised trip visiting the main highlights of Jordan in a week. We had a great guide, Nuwar Jodeh, who shared with us her vast knowledge or Jordan and its history. The accommodation on the whole was great and we were well looked after in the hotels with regards to food and services. Also there was time to relax when visiting the Red and Dead Seas. Nuwar and our driver ensured we had a magical tour discovering the highlights of this amazing country. I had the pleasure of sharing it with a great group of people too.

Donna S A Week in Jordan

We booked this cycling trip to provide an additional week following the Exodus ‘Walking in the Azores’. That holiday visits four islands but not Terceira. So, by booking both trips we were able to visit five of the nine islands. It’s easy to get between islands by ferry or plane. There is a lot to see on Terceira so it’s a good place to visit. Angra is super, the volcanic cave is really good and I developed a keenness for photographing the colourful ‘imperios’ of the Holy Spirit which can be found in most villages. They look like (but aren’t) brightly coloured little chapels. The cycle route takes you round the island over three days with inland rides on the other two – five days in total. You can see quite a lot. When you go inland off the coastal roads it can be quite steep. This is especially the case with the first day of cycling (Day 2) which is probably the toughest, especially if you’re getting used to the bikes. These are mountain bikes with 2 x 10/11 gears. We’re used to hybrids and 3 x 8 so these took a bit of getting used to and we found we needed to walk up some of the hills. Having recently done two ‘moderate Exodus’ cycle trips, I reckon it is one is at least ‘moderate’ with some tougher bits where it’s absolutely fine to walk. One of the nice things about Terceira is that outside the towns there isn’t lots of traffic. We adjusted our route on Days 2 and 5 (the inland days) to suit our interests and were given good ideas from Tiago who supplies the bikes. Day 3 was our best day. There is a choice of routes. I did the route down to the edge of the coast and my wife stuck more to the roads. There were great views of the islands of Soa Jorge and Graciosa and we had lunch at the café attached to the cheese factory. The highlights of Day 4 were cycling through a herd of cows that was being moved between fields, cycling through the US airbase (mostly mothballed) and arriving at the religious monument that looks down on Praia. Praia is lovely. My wife relaxed on Day 5 in Praia and I cycled in the morning to the mountain with the wind turbines, for a great view both ways. We were lucky, there was a summer festival while we were there and we enjoyed a local food area, bull running and marching bands. It rained on Day 6. I completed the route and could see that it is pretty nice through some fishing villages and past interesting volcanic hills. We then added an extra day in Angra. So there are five interesting days of cycling – especially if you’re used to mountain bikes, are good at steep hills or don’t mind walking occasionally. If you’re not so sure then e-bikes are available and one of us would have preferred that! Being self-guided, the dates are flexible and so it’s easy to combine this with another trip or your own island-hopping plan. We booked late and at relatively short notice but rooms were available by upgrading our accommodation. The other islands we visited were very interesting and had different attractions – see the walking tour for ideas. Tip: one of the delightful things about the Azores is the blue hydrangeas. Our week in Terceira was in early August and we found that the hydrangeas were getting past their best at lower elevations.

Nigel Turner Walking in the Azores

If you have thought about visiting Costa Rica, then don’t put it off. We visited this delightful country in September, not apparently in the Wet Season, but in the Wetter Season! However, don’t be put off by that. When it rained (mainly in the afternoons) it did rain heavily and it came at a time for a welcome rest. But despite that we did achieve a tremendous amount, and it is worth noting that some things can only be seen at this time – eg turtles laying eggs in Tortuguero, and whales playing in the Pacific Ocean. Key to the success of our trip was Glenda, our outstanding guide (and a “good witch!”): she knew exactly where to go to see the sloth and baby feeding in the trees, where the ellusive quetzal could be found, how to hunt down the red-eyed tree frog at night; she was also an expert on the country‘s biodiversity guiding us through Rain Forest and Cloud Forest, identifying all the trees, ferns and plants; in addition, she was always on hand to save cameras dropped into lagoons, and advising how to order the best well-balanced meals in the Hotels, Lodges and Restaurants. Costa Rica was unforgettable in so many ways, and I for one was so glad to have chosen this Exodus Trip .

Paul Henderson Discover Costa Rica

A group of strangers met at Porto airport, and departed from there a week later as friends. The week was well planned, excellently organized, by and expertly led by Lina and her husband Antonio. They lavished care and attention on us to ensure we enjoyed to the maximum our time in the beautiful Douro valley. The walks were delightful, with panoramas of vineyards and river valleys. And, of course, every day we enjoyed tasting the delicious wines and ports of the Douro valley. New tastes and types of wine were explained by expert guides at the wineries, and enjoyed with gusto. No swilling round the mouth and spitting into a spittoon for us! The food was delicious and portions were extremely generous. A single order divided into two halves was not unusual in restaurants. We had outstanding lunches at some of the wineries, in beautiful surroundings. A most enjoyable holiday.

Cathy Peck Portugal: Walking & Wine

This is 7 days of intense travel round the highlights of Sicily. It is not leisurely and Exodus do longer trips. A huge amount is packed in so come prepared for some early starts and a really active week.

Fran Hall Treasures of Sicily

Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The hotel was comfortable and the food very good. Hotel staff very friendly Saw everything we wanted to see.

Hazel McMillan Highlights of the Amalfi Coast