Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

A toss up between Petra and the Wadi Rum; seeing the Treasury at Petra first appear between the rocks of the Siq probably takes the prize. Also taking in the Grand Canyon-esque view of the Wadi Mujib, of which I'd never heard before.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ibrahim was knowledgeable, great fun and very well organised, e.g. changing the day's activities to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The heat in the South and the Dead Sea was intense in August, I managed about ten minutes on the beach at the Dead Sea resort before having to go inside. The temperatures were more comfortable in Amman and Jerash. The week has some early starts so take an alarm with you, and in the Wadi Rum camp you'll need a torch to find the toilet block after sunset! The days in Petra are more akin to a walking holiday than pure sightseeing so you will need walking shoes (though you inevitably see people climbing to the High Place of Sacrifice dressed for the beach). Most of the sites visited have people selling postcards and handicrafts etc though it's nowhere near as aggressive as in Egypt.

Most Inspirational Moment

28km cycling ride around the Ankhor Wat complex is brilliant - it's all flat out there so not too taxing, although we were all tired at the end of the day. Killing Fields and S21 make for a very sobering and quite graphic day that you will not forget Cu Chi Tunnels and the museum in Ho Chi Minh City is brilliant and to see the story from a very local perspective is interesting Sampan down the Mekong River is great, quite short in the grand scheme of the holiday, but big on memories. Our kids (18 & 15) had an amazing time with the other kids on the trip, all about the same age and they all got on really well. So good to see them having fun and bonding with their peers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour had 2 group leaders, one in Vietnam and one for Cambodia and Thailand. Very different personalities, but both very good and knowledgable and we never felt like we were in anything other than safe hands at all times

Advice for Potential Travellers

The temples are fine with shorts that are ON the knee, they don't have to be below the knee. For those people who had the wrong shorts, you could buy classic Asian cotton baggy trousers for $3 at the temples, so don't worry too much about this. A few of our group stayed on for an extra night in Bangkok, and I think this is good advice...an extra day of free time in Bangkok could be useful just to slow the pace down before you travel home as it's a busy schedule and you may want to take in a few of the sights that are not on the trip. The homestay is a brilliant experience, it's more simple accommodation than the rest of the trip, but is very comfortable and such a fun night for the group..it's the moment on the trip where we got time to chat and become friends with each other.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky enough to see a wild pigmy elephant, crossing the river right in front of our boat. Lucky for us, we were alone on the river. Sunrise at the Wildlife Discovery Centre in Sepilok had us up close with a somewhat angry wild orang-utan, which was definitely an experience! At the Sun Bear Sanctuary we met Poppa Bear (Wong) who, if you've seen the ITV Borneo show with Judi Dench, you will know instantly. He, like every other Bornean, was extremely friendly, and happy to chat at length about about the gorgeous Sun Bears. Visiting Labuk Bay and the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary was a special place, my favourite being the Silver Leaf Monkeys and one baby. And snorkelling off of Manukan Island was top notch, and accommodation there was lush! Could have used a few more days. Be sure to order a kopi tarik at the take away cafe toward the pool. They open at 7.30 am.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Manuel, our tour leader, was amazing. We were such a lucky group and could have not asked for a better leader to gel our Exodus Team! He was knowledgable, compassionate, and a pleasure to be around. I'm looking forward to another Manuel Exodus tour in the future, as he really bonded with every member of our tour and we were all sad to say our goodbyes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Luggage - You have to carry your own nearly everywhere, so pack as light as possible, in a soft pack. Leech socks - I was very worried about finding these here before we left, but we found some in the Centre Pointe Mall on the ground level. They were also available to rent at the Bilit Adventure Lodge along with wellington boots! Sleep - Our entire group had problems sleeping on various parts of our tour. No way to combat it, but be ready. Bug spray - Take it with you an top up regularly, especially in the rainforest areas. Plasters - Take these too as you may have blisters. Roti cannai - Try this in the Centre Point basement Islamic Center restaurant. It doesn't look like much, but we were there every day were were in KK. You'll see red plastic chairs and know you're in the right place. 1x roti cannai costs 1.50RM, so like 30p, and it's the best we found on the whole tour. Noodles and rice dishes were great too. Laundry - Forget about it. Know by the end you're going to stink. So will all your travel companions. Use laundry services where they're available; we found the Sabah Tea Longhouse laundry to be a reprieve from the stink! The last hotels on the trip will happily take any clothes you don't want to take home with you and distribute to those in need. A good idea (stolen from travel mates) is to buy clothes at the charity shop and leave them with you. Best thing to wear would be lightweight long sleeved shirts! If you put any effort into this tour, you'll be handsomely rewarded - early morning treks provided us with a personal encounter with a pigmy elephant as well as an orang-utan. It was special!

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all very pleasant. The scramble to the summit of Piz Boe was fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martin and Albert were great. Professional, good humoured and patient. Also interesting fellows to talk to, which is what I have come to expect from Exodus over the years. Made us feel instantly welcome and at home.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Eat, drink and be merry!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention - every view that made us say “wow”. Realising the true scale of Mt Blanc and the way the mountains make us contemplate our own insignificance!

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were in very safe hands. Emma had a wealth of expertise and knowledge but on top of that she had a genuine interest in the people in the group and she made sure that the week was both challenging and fun. Very supportive and encouraging, she managed the group really well, keeping us together and really helping the group to bond and so get greater enjoyment from each day. A great leader!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be fit enough to be able to cope with some long and pretty steep ascents in order to really enjoy this trip to the full. I would say that poles are a must. I had never used them before but borrowed some from Chalet Chocolat and found them really useful on the descents.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a large number of elephants at the watering hole at our lodge in Etosha. Having just finished dinner and thinking 'we'll just see if there are any animals at the watering hole' only to find around 25 elephants of various sizes and ages all drinking water alongside some zebra, springbok and oryx was truly magical. Also, seeing a pride of 12 lions on a game drive. Although not too close to our truck, it was still fascinating to watch them interact with each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronney was an absolute superstar! Nothing, literally nothing, was too much trouble. He had a fantastic sense of humour and laugh, and went out of his was to ensure each and every person on the trip enjoyed themselves. I never saw Ronney without anything but a smile on his face; he really is a man who loves his job. With a group of 12 with a range of dietary requirements, Ronney made sure that everyone was catered for and happy. Ruben, his assistant was also fantastic, creating amazing and huge lunch selections at the side of the road or BBQs of an evening. They are a great team and anyone getting the Ronney and Ruben combo on a trip will have struck it lucky!

Advice for Potential Travellers

During the end of July and beginning of August the evenings and mornings get quite chilly - I underestimated how cold it could get - so bring lots of layers to cope with this. Swimming pools are not heated so unless very brave do not count on swimming. Money- Bring SA Rand as this is pegged 1:1 with Namibian Dollars and is easier to change back to Pounds Sterling if needed. Be aware of the cost of the flight over the dunes - many companies quote for this trip but often they outsource your business to another company and then the price goes up. Ensure you decide on optional excursions early so that you get to go on the ones you want. On this note - the quadbiking was excellent! The drives are long and sometimes on unmade roads. The truck does get very bouncy! Similarly on the game drive in the Waterberg Plateau. Female travellers may wish to pack a sports bra for comfort! It also gets quite dusty - a Buff or similar is useful to help keep the dust out of your lungs. When purchasing things from markets etc, listen to the starting price and then begin your offer very low, they trader will eventually meet you at a price that they judge fair, often 25% or the starting price. Don't be afraid to haggle hard.

Most Inspirational Moment

Views from Aiguille Du Midi over the clouds towards Mont Blanc. The day in Italy provided a contrast of views and a very pleasant walk with gelato at the end!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adelin was an excellent leader, considerate to all in the mixed ability group, and knowledgeable about the area, flora and fauna..

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for all weathers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Viewing Mont Blanc from the Aiguille du Midi when the clouds started to lift. Summiting the Aiguillette des Houches and being able to see the amazing, dramatic and panoramic views of the Alpes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Ads did a first class job looking after us. She was calm and supportive when she needed to be and at other times was fun to be with. Her experience and love of what she does shines through, and we felt very safe in her hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Like others have said before, make sure that you are have a reasonable level of fitness as the gradients of the walks can be challenging. Buying a Mont Blanc Multi-pass when going up the Aiguille du midi means that you can take full advantage of all the cable cars, lifts and trains, they are all easily accessible from the centre of Chamonix.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the mountain ridge to have a panoramic 360 degree view of the Alps. Absolutely breathtaking. Reaching the peak of the mountains - always a sense of achievement.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lotte - Inspirational. Made all of our walks thoroughly enjoyable, kept us informed with information as we walked, and shares amazing and inspiring stories, whilst getting to know us. Could not have asked for a better leader, especially one with such a great sense of humour! Zohi and Ben - Excellent chalet hosts. Made us all feel welcome, and were always there to help. Zohi's cooking is world class, and any restaurant in the world would be lucky to have her! You both really looked after us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your walking poles - it makes life so much easier!

Most Inspirational Moment

One of the children singing ‘all star’ on the bus. It livened up one of the lengthy bus trips. Halong Bay was picturesque. The weather was excellent which resulted in good swimming and kayaking not to mention the photographs from the glorious sunset. Whale Island was beautiful though the weather was windy owing to a nearby typhoon which brought in a lots of debris to the island. Walks around the island are well signed and worth exploring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ngoc personality and sense of humour drove the trip. He was flexible and understanding and handled all group members diplomatically. He also explained clearly Vietnam’s geopolitical and environmental challenges, the religious and cultural diversity, and the population pressures particularly on housing and incomes. He got the balance right and occasionally fooled parents / children on elements of the trip - in particular the homestay!!