Reviews

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

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14433 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Kate Bardsley

Reviewed October 2014

Tiring and beautiful

Breathtaking views…great mix of hills and amazing descents.. lovely places to stay (…a bit too much cycling for me personally but perfect for people who want to go for a bit longer each day and really get tired out!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Coming down from the tops of various mountains... amazing & beautiful views, and lots of speed! :-) .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really thoughtful, considerate and hard working! thanks

Advice for Potential Travellers

Any women out there.. you do need to cover your shoulders ALL the time (short sleeved t shirt is okay). Wash your hands and be careful where you eat.. almost our whole group all got food poisoning at the end of our trip! This trip was a bit too much cycling for me personally - roughly 9am - 5pm at least almost every day, some days finishing at 6.30 (one day was 4.30 but our trip leader said we'd finished an hour ahead of other groups he'd led) - and it meant there was less time to look around the places we were staying and not much interaction with anyone except in our group. This was a considerable difference in time in the saddle in comparison with my last trip which was only one grade down (3), and also the uphills were much more frequent and harder (although fun!). I missed having a bit more time to look around the places we were staying and just relax. It's is my own fault as, with hindsight, an extra 20kms a day does equate to an extra 2 hours so if i had thought about it beforehand I would have known, but just in case you're like me - be prepared! This trip involves a long time in the saddle, especially if its true that our group was a quick one. But that's a good thing if you want that - the cycling is great, the views are outstanding and the uphills and downhills are well balanced with one another, if you like hills.

Chris Ung

Reviewed October 2014

Amazing Lifetime Experience! Don't hesitate and book!

Kilimanjaro is an amazing experience and it’ll be one that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, regardless of whether you’re travelling solo, with a friend or a partner, you’ll be in a group of like minded people, not all from the UK, we was fortunate enough to have members from all over the world sharing their experiences and plans with us.

This trip was far beyond any expectations that I had set myself, I loved every moment of it! The guides have a great sense of humor! you’ll be quickly introduced to phrases such as “Pole Pole” (slowly slowly) as well greeting all the porters that pass you “Jambo!” (hello!).

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspirational moments, but the top ones for me are: Seeing the stars for the first time at camp, the clear view of Kilimanjaro at night, the moment you realise you are above the clouds and you see a bed of fluffy clouds in the distance. Standing on top of Shira Cathedral and enjoying the magnificent views of Shira Plateau. Sharing the adventure with the people in our group, we became great friends and it was a pleasure to have reached the top and to have shared the journey with them.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had Mussa and his team for our expedition and he was amazing, very knowledgeable and social, he was like a big brother to us, making sure we had everything we needed and that we were completely safe. He'd give us briefings every day after dinner and answers any questions we put before him. Mussa and his team works extremely hard, his assistant guides leads the walks and Mussa only took lead on Summit night, this was to ensure that he was the last one to leave camp and that everything was organised and on schedule. Mussa's team was amazing, the assistant guides were excellent, experienced and well versed in english, they set great paces and even if the team did split there was more than enough guides on route with us to reform the groups, so each segment never had to slow down for the other. Mussa works extremely hard, on the final day he was the last to leave the camp and he ran to the final check point to ensure everything was organised and ready for our arrival. On our last night in Tanzania, we had the privilege of going into town with Mussa and a few of the guides to party the night, something that often does not happen. We had such a great connection with Mussa and all future adventurers that are guided under him should count themselves very lucky!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light and don't over do it! I know many of you would have read on various sites to pack a lot of gear, have a lot of snacks etc, but let me tell you this, you are extremely well catered for! You will have a hot meal served to you every dinner, packed lunch given when needed and a hot lunch for days when you are expected to arrive at a camp early, snacks and treats are also provided as well. You only need energy snacks for summit day and nothing else, I'd recommend taking energy tablets for the water which helps you drink the required amount of water per day. (You don't need to do water purification, it was treated for us and everyone was fine drinking it). Bring some entertainment, a pack of cards or a book, some days you arrive at camp early and you often have a lot of hours to burn. Bring a pillow case to put your down jacket in for nights when you're not using it, silk liner is recommended as nights can get extremely cold! Bring a good quality camera! on our trip many bought DSLR's, the weight is fine and the pace is slow enough that you'll be taking a lot of photos! Paracetamol or Ibuprofen a must!! Headaches will come and go and this will help significantly. Diamox is a choice, only 3 out of 14 people in our group took it, research it and decide if you need it, the guides do have it but it's always better to have your own for your own convenience. VISA! try to get this before hand if you're close to the embassy in London, if arriving at Kilimanjaro during the peak time you may find the queue quite big!! Bring something to leave behind! They do so much for you, and have very little, leave what you can behind to help them.

Gary Collard

Reviewed October 2014

Classic Dolomites

I did a C grade trip in september and spent an amazing week in the mountains under blue skies and sunshine.
The views from the peaks were amazing, such incredible scenery! Really enjoyed all the walks which just got better each day. They were just the right side of challenging for me. If you’ve done the Slovenia Lakes and Mountains trip you will love this.
The hotel was a really good family run one with friendly and helpful staff. Loads of choice for breakfast and 5 course dinners in the evenings. Also sauna, steam room, swimming pool and other facilities to use.
.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing on the top of each of the peaks we went up and just taking in the views. Something to live long in the memory. Seeing the WW1 trenches and tunnels, hard to believe soldiers fought and died up there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Karl was a great leader with lots of local knowledge, very sociable with the group and had lots of entertaining stories. There were some tricky parts along the walks and Karl made sure everyone was safe and felt comfortable at all times. He kept a good pace for us all and kept the group together well. Always ready to help with any problems. Top bloke.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Even if it's hot and sunny in the valley when you start the walk, those extra layers and hat and gloves will be needed at the top. Earplugs if you get a room at the front of the hotel, those bells start early. Hire a bike on the free day and go exploring using the great network of cycle paths. The Funbob at Innichen is indeed fun! Yes you will need a torch too as there are bunkers and tunnels to explore.

Kathleen Leggatt

Reviewed October 2014

Sensational terrain and scenery

The Mont Blanc Highlights are very much that. If you get good weather with good visibility the views are stunning, the walking wonderful and it will be a thoroughly enjoyable week.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views of the Mont Blanc range as we walked day to day with different vistas of the same range will remain in the memory for a long time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mark is a skilful guide, superfit, always ready with a story or anecdote and with a wealth of knowledge of the area. Walks can be tailored to suit the weather and / or the time of year when refuges may be shut and / or the ability of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The week is denoted as Level 3 'moderate' and the trip notes explain why this mark is awarded. We were not fully prepared for the amount of 'up' at the start of the day and the amount of 'down' at the end. Most of the 'ups' feature ascents on rocky trails / paths where steps and height between rocks are certainly challenging for those of a slighter stature. Likewise most 'downs' feature work on sloping terrain which will test out the knees and thigh muscles. Sticks (a pair) are highly recommended.

Desmond Enoch

Reviewed October 2014

Inca Trail Titicaca & Nazca holiday

A fantastic and comprehensive tour covering the essentials of Peru. Well organised with a manageable sized group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Day 4 of the Inca Trail trek arriving through the Sun Gate for the first glimpse of Mach Picchu.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent! A thoroughly knowledgeable and very sociable leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that this particular trip has long periods of coach travel.

Basyl Puszkar

Reviewed October 2014

Perfection

The trip was all we could have hoped for and more. Everything went very smoothly, which was largely due to the arrangements made by Exodus and by the expertise of our guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the top of Vesuvius was special, although Herculaneum came a very close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant in every was imaginable. organisation, compassion, humour, language, absolutely faultless and a credit to the company!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just enjoy!

Suzanne Rosser

Reviewed October 2014

Botswana Wildlife and Wilderness

This was a fantastic holiday that exceeded my expectations! The trip started off gently with the delta wild camping and visiting the salt pans, but it seemed that every single day something happened that was a WOW … and things just got better and better! There were so many inspirational moments when I just had to pinch myself to check it was true and then think ‘boy am I lucky.’

Most Inspirational Moment

I have managed to limit it to three lifetime memories :- 1) The flight over the delta, in particular watching the elephants swimming/wadding in the water between islands. 2) Watching a pride of lions (thirteen including five cubs) that we had met the previous day, kill a warthog then walk towards us and drink next to our vehicle, before crossing the water and lying down to rest while the cubs played. 3)Seeing a pack of three Wild Dogs that we spent hours watching without any other cars as we found them ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam looked after the group throughout our trip and took good care of us, especially dealing with health and currency problems that a couple of people in our group had. However, I was particularly impressed with our Botswana driver/guide in the parks, Kenny, who had a fantastic level of knowledge about the wildlife that he happily shared with us. He also had an almost a sixth sense and knew exactly how the wildlife was going to behave and therefore the best place to position our vehicle. At one point there was a tiny dot of a leopard on top of a hill. He told us that, as it was getting warmer, the leopard would come down and cross the road to the brush opposite. Almost to order it did walking a couple of feet from the truck! He also had the patience of a saint and somehow managed to please everybody making sure that all group members had at the opportunity to get a good view of the wildlife. I also feel that I need to sing the praise of Mello and Paul who fed us and made sure that our every need was catered for. I felt very spoilt getting up one morning and realising that they had even refilled the hand washing water so that it was clean and warm before the group was up and heading to the toilets... luxury. Somehow Mello also managed to produce great grub using little more than a pot and campfire. In particular one of our group had a birthday and he produced a fabulous cake for her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A few items that I am glad that I took include:- 1) not only a head torch but also small torch that I hung from the centre of the tent roof and lit up the whole space. 2) antiseptic hand wash and biodegradable toilet roll (for those times you have to nip behind a tree) 3) small first aid kit - plasters, antihistamine tablets, Paracetomal/Asprin, antiseptic cream and insect repellent 4) 4)South Africain phone charger for cameras, phones 5) Walk boots and flipflops 6) I took a really cheap pillow and it was heaven! 7) A sarong was really useful when traveling to prevent sun burn and also to wrap around your head to protect from dust. 8) I took some thermal pjs to sleep in as it did get really cold on some nights Things that I forgot and wished I had taken were .. a biro (several in fact to fill in all the different forms required for Visa entries etc; a washing line and pegs so that I was able to wash and more importantly dry my clothes on a regular basis. Also it is difficult to imagine how cold it was for the first hour on a morning drive before the sun comes up - I would of sold my soul for a light fleecy pair of gloves, hat, scarf and top! I had no pride and wore socks on my hands at this point. They do give you a blanket but that really wasn't enough for me! I decided that having travelled to Africa I was gong to embrace every opportunity and when an additional activity was offered do it. The small plane delta flight from Maun was fantastic DO IT! The helicopter flight over the Victoria Falls was exciting but I personally felt the short trip was enough as the longer one did not get you any closer. Some of the group had wanted to go on the 'Walking with Lions' excursion and it was fully booked - so if you want to do this I suggest you prebook to avoid disappointment. I enjoyed the short walk across the Victoria Falls Bridge to Zimbabwe to see the falls from the other side, you can get a bridge pass to do this. I also enjoyed the dinner cruise in the evening on river however as our transport was very late there was limit to the amount of wildlife we spotted before it was dark! The cruise dinner was also quite short and just as we were all relaxed and the wine was flowing it was over. When we returned to Botswana the Chobe River Cruise was fabulous value for money- again DO NOT MISS IT! I was astounded at the amount of wild life that we saw over a quite small distance. The highlight here for me were the herds of elephants mud bathing and crossing to the other islands.

Simon Dobbs

Reviewed October 2014

Sicilian Volcanoes

Could have been an excellent trip but without the volcano hikes its a quite easy walking holiday rather than the
experience we were looking forward to.
Stromboli crater walk is currently closed and the boat trip is OK but not a replacement for the fireworks. Unfortunately bad weather meant the walk to the top of Etna was also unavailable. The remaining walks are enjoyable but relatively short and untaxing (IMO)

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent The lack of volcano summit hikes were due to issues entirely out of her control and her enthusiasm for Sicily was unbridled throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check that the Stromboli hike is available (weather permitting) as it seems to be the potential highlight of the trip

Reply from Exodus

We were very sorry to learn that due to adverse weather conditions Simon was unable to do the Stromboli crater walk and the walk to the top of Mt Etna. Whilst both of these walks are optional, we appreciate that this must have been disappointing. Stromboli and Etna are amongst the most active volcanos in the world, and since their activity can change at the last moment it is very hard to predict whether or not the walks will be open. We are aware that both volcanoes have been very active this summer, so the walks have been unavailable more often than usual. As a result, therefore, we have updated the trip notes for 2015 to explain that the summits may sometimes be closed and the optional treks not available. Marta Marinelli – Trip Manager

Wendy van Gelder

Reviewed October 2014

Petra & Wadi Rum by bike

I loved every second of this trip. I was with a fabulous group of people – only 7 of us in total but it was the perfect number. We all got on really well and had some great fun moments.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the Siq into Petra and snorkelling in the Red Sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Sami was extremely good fun. His knowledge of the area was fantastic and we learnt a lot when we toured the various sites. His restaurant recommendations for our evening meals were perfect. Everything was planned to perfection and we did not have to think for ourselves at all for the whole week. Our cycle leader was Abid and he was a member of the Jordanian National Cycle team. However, he was happy to slow his pace down for us (well me really!).

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is classed as moderate but there were some quite steep climbs and some amazingly fast downhills. I have not done road biking for quite a few years and only do spin classes now. However, there were many stops so you were never left behind the group as they would wait while you catch up and the bus and mechanic's truck were always close by and available if need be.

Karen White

Reviewed October 2014

Classic Kenya Safari

Fantastic trip from the moment I arrived until I stepped on the plane to come home. Exceeded my expectations which were high as this was my first safari. Tents on the Masai Mara were great, overlooking the river.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many but probably the perfect shot of an African sunset, lion cubs, a python making a kill, the balloon safari, the multitude of other animal and birdlife we saw and just about everything else!! I also enjoyed visiting the Masai Village and the nature walk at Lake Elementaita.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Davies was superb. Apart from being a phenomenal driver, his knowledge and experience was second to none. Nothing was too much trouble. He was polite and cheery and helped to make the holiday a special one.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy every second as the time flies past. Take a decent camera with a good zoom as you can't always get too close to some animals but make sure your camera can cope with close-up encounters too! Keep your eyes peeled all the time - there's more out there than just the big five - saw some beautiful birds too. Talk to the local people when you can - you can learn a lot more from them too. Take a torch for the camp as lighting is low in the tents. Optional balloon safari is expensive but worth the experience - glad I did it.

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