Reviews

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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55 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

S J

Reviewed April 2018

Cycling Puglia and Matera

I have just returned from a fantastic week, exceptionally well organised and led by Michele our superb guide. Through his infectious laugh, confident and approachable manner he quickly developed an excellent group spirit. It was great to cycle through such a rich and varied landscape, visiting many UNSECO sites. He found amazing restaurants for us to eat at every night and organised a fantastic array of dishes for us to try. He was well informed about all the places we visited and for those that wanted to he would show us around.

Most Inspirational Moment

The way the group of like minded individuals quickly gelled as a group and shared many life experiences and loads of laughs!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely superb. This was my first trip of this kind. As a sole traveller he instantly put me at my ease. He was always happy and cheerful, ensuring everyone thoroughly enjoyed the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

With the spring flowers, lack of tourists and a great climate for cycling April was a great time to go. Invest in a good pair of bib cycling shorts - well worth it!! The cycling was relaxed and you could cycle at your own pace.

Suzanne Potts

Reviewed April 2018

Cycling in Puglia

A varied week of cycling terrains offering an insight into Puglia. The locals were the friendliest yet and their food spectacular and inexpensive.

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting other nationalities, discussing our differences, laughing about our shortfalls, learning from each other and growing in strength as a group as the week progresses.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have been on many adventure holidays with different companies and without doubt Michele - our group leader was the best so far. He manages to lead in such a way that makes you feel confident and secure in your abilities to tackle any terraine. His humour ensures no one takes themselves too seriously and therefore the group gels very quickly and is able to support and encourage one another all the way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember it's a holiday and don't take yourself too seriously - those who laugh last and make lots of friends!

Carlo b

Reviewed October 2017

MWV - Cycling Puglia and Matera

This was my 8th cycling trip and my first time in Puglia and it was a very enjoyable tour. The overnight towns were all very beautiful each with their own special charm. All the hotels were located in or within a 15-20 minute walk to the historic centre. Our group was lots of fun and got along well. The cycling was fairly relaxed overall but there were some short hills and one day was quite windy so it was more challenging than other days. Highly recommend this tour for the fabulous food, wine and sights.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many but here are a few: 1) view of Matera during breakfast and at night from Il Belvedere hotel 2) Matera at night 3) group dinner at "Soup Kitchen Ristorante" in Matera 4) Ostuni 5) the picnic lunches 6) so many great views of the sea 7) gelato 8) staying in a trulli home in Alberobello 9) coffee stops 9) last but not least: Italian caffe

Thoughts on Group Leader

Emanuele was great. He was very organized with a calm and laid-back demeanour which made the trip a true vacation. He kept an eye on everyone and dealt gracefully with all requests for bike adjustments. Nothing fazed him. The coffee stops and restaurant suggestions were all wonderful with excellent Italian food and wine and great-tasting espressos. And Piero, who drove the support van, prepared very tasty picnic lunches with plenty of local Italian delicacies and even took special requests -straciatella!

Advice for Potential Travellers

I always tell people who want to do a bike tour that they will enjoy it a lot more if they are at least comfortable riding a bike - it's not the time to learn how to cycle. We were lucky because the weather was perfect for cycling every day but one day we missed a potential rainstorm so rain gear would be a good idea. Arrive in Matera a day early to explore the town and stay in Lecce an extra day to explore that town too.

Judy Baulf

Reviewed September 2017

Cycling in idyllic Puglia/Matera, ice cream, lechessi, vanilla pastries, swimming and sunshine everyday!

A thoroughly enjoyable cycling holiday in a beautiful part of Italy with amazing scenery, food and comfortable hotels.
The group were a friendly and fun bunch of people and we all got on extremely well.
The cycling was just right with enough variation and climbs to challenge but not overwhelm.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying in a Trulli house in the beautiful town of Alberobello. I think cycling to the beach en route to Lecce and swimming in the Adriatic sea.......bliss. Fig and ricotta ice cream in Lecce and the cheese tasting lunch en route to Gallipoli.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Emanuele was an excellent guide and good company throughout the entire duration of the trip. His local knowledge of the general area, specific knowledge of the history of the towns and his recommendations of the local restaurants and wine were invaluable. He went to extraordinary lengths to cater to any of our specific requests to ensure we had the best experience possible and his enthusiasm for the region was obvious and infectious. He spoke excellent English and had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it.... you won't be disappointed with a single day.

Alison MacDonald

Reviewed September 2017

Excellent tour in Heel of Italy (Matera to Lecce)- a photographers mecca

Emanuele was an excellent guide. He went above and beyond to create a truly memorable cycling trip for all the people on the tour. This trip is a photographers mecca, the towns we visited were so unique, beautiful scenery and visiting UNESCO world heritage sites. An excellent group of like minded people whose company we all enjoyed sharing a laugh over a beer at the end of the day.The roads we cycled were very beautiful, mostly very quiet and a couple of days were more challenging with the hills but quite manageable. The accommodations were truly memorable from Sassi to Trulli to a Convent.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding the "Roller Coaster" and making it all the way up. A hot day, quiet road and when we turned the corner the Roller Coaster was waiting for us with Emanuele at the top to cheer us on and take our picture. Also the accommodations were very unique and they all looked after us very well.Loved staying in the Sassi and Trulli accommodations, that was amazing. Loved this group of people we rode with,chatted with and shared our stories over dinner and wine. The scenery was spectacular, from the lovely quiet Italian towns to breathtaking scenery along the coastline.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Emanuele was wonderful and worked so very hard, very attentive and knowledgeable guide who was always more than willing to answer all our questions and paid great attention to all our safety.He was a very experienced cyclist who took us to some excellent foodie restaurants and shared his love of history and his involvement in reviving the old historical routes and turn them into cycling routes. He clearly briefed us on the night before, describing the route, using riders as waymarkers for the route and designating a rider to sweep at the back. The van was always behind us and Piero worked very hard to refill all our water bottles, prepare picnics in the parks for our lunch.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a wonderful trip. Clearly a level 3 Moderate, all of it manageable. It would be a good idea to put the leaders cell phone into WhatsApp.Hills were a bit challenging especially on the hot couple of days but never more than we could manage and often short and sweet! The support van was always behind us with Piero filling our water and preparing our lunchtime picnics. There is only 1-2 seats in the van with limited room for extra bikes but it was never a problem. The group all rode together, Emanuele designated a rider to sweep at the back.We all had paniers. Only a couple of stops for swimming.

Gunnar Joakimsson

Reviewed June 2017

Puglia and Matera cycling

Excellent tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visting Masseria and also cycling along coasts.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marinella did an excellent job - she did the job of two

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had one morning of rain, be prepared for that.

Christine Nichol

Reviewed May 2017

Cycling Puglis

The sun shone,the bikes were sturdy to cope with the bumpy roads and the food was outstanding. After a long and undulating first day I thought I’d
never keep up. But my legs did get used to the speed of the others and the hills became just a small challenge. A great holiday with lovely people.

Most Inspirational Moment

I cycled to the top of a coastal hill encouraged by our guide Marinella. I thought I would have to walk but No........

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marinla worked so hard she made our holiday. Fixing bikes, sorting out the route and places to eat,making picnics giving encouragement.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good sense of humour required!

Shaun Roper

Reviewed May 2017

Cycling in puglia and matera

Beyond expectation in all ways, culture, food, architecture, and a guide that was simply perfect and a credit to the company

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wonderful cities and the pleasurable cycling combined with a guide second to none

Thoughts on Group Leader

It would not be possible to find a better guide. Marinella was attentive, had a great knowledge of history and culture and a great sense of humour

Advice for Potential Travellers

Request Marinella and book today

Hilary Sayers

Reviewed October 2016

Cycling Puglia and Matera

Wonderful scenery, historic towns, lovely food food and wine and a great tour leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling along the Adriatic coast

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mariella was fantastic - very knowledgeable about the area, had a great sense of humour, and went out of her way to make the trip special for everyone. She even organised a toast for our anniversary. The guided tours were also a bonus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Watch out for loose gravel and potholes

Brendan Watty

Reviewed October 2016

Cycling Puglia and Matera

It was with some trepidation that my wife and I joined this guided tour. Not only was it the first time we have participated in an organised group tour, it also involved some serious cycling. We need not have worried. Our tour guide, Marinella, was superb in ensuring that everyone had the best possible time throughout the week’s tour. Puglia was a gorgeous region to tour, with many beaches and a variety of sights. The accommodation was very good with the highlight being the overnight stay at the renovated monastery near Avantrana. Our group was a mix of nationalities and a significant bonus was the opportunity to engage with these people and learn a little about them and their home countries. The cycling varied from 45 to 70+ km each day, which both my wife and I found manageable. We had both done a reasonable amount of preparation, which was extremely helpful.

Most Inspirational Moment

We encountered some heavy rain on day 2 of the tour. It really belted down during the last hour of the ride. When we arrived at our overnight stay I was having a bit of a grizzle about the wet weather to one of the other riders, Chris, from New Zealand. She said that when the rain was at its heaviest she was having a laugh! She was participating doing something she enjoyed, and yes, the conditions weren't ideal, but she had many friends back home who would be tucked up in front of the fire, but she was getting out and about. An inspirational moment for me!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marinella fulfilled her group leader role with flying colours. She loves Puglia, knows it well, and was passionate about sharing her knowledge. She worked extremely hard at making everyone feel part of the group by suggesting places to eat at night, and also through organising our lunch each day. The group was a large one, and I felt that she should have had an extra support person who could have ridden with the group. We had a back up vehicle but it was not always possible for it to follow the group. If there was a mechanical issue, (and there were a few), Marinella would have to back track and attempt to remedy it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do your preparation on the bike. The distances are not huge, but it's constant each day. Although the route is mainly flat there are some hilly sections.

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