Reviews

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!!

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to decide as it was a fabulous trip with lots of experiences - Seeing the leopard in Chobe NP, watching hundreds of elephants get together in the water hole in Hwange NP, coming up close to Rhinos in Matobo NP or the fabulous camping trip in Okavango Delta or seeing Victoria Falls for the first time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rowan our guide and Sifiso our driver certainly lived up to the good reviews others have previously placed. Nothing was too much trouble, Both shared there experiences and information Sifiso was a great driver - so we felt safe all the time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember your torches and head torch for the camping plus if there is powercuts - which occurred in Zimbabwe. Remember to take a travel plug adaptor for Botswana/South Africa you will need it to charge up anything. Also take an additional battery pack for charging your phones ( if used as a camera) whilst camping. It does get cold on the morning game drives - take layers - hats, gloves, windproofs etc you will need them! Also the evenings can get cold. We took lots of photos - but also you need to take time to experience the wildlife not through a lens. If you are thinking of doing this trip - just do it - you will not regret it. It is fabulous.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was very impressed with Tibilisi. Clean city with lots of open spaces and a mix of modern and old architecture. Especially like the cafe culture. The food throughout trip was excellent and very reasonably priced. Really impressive scenery in the Causcasus mountains

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armenia is developing it's tourism industry and I suspect that is why our tour leader wasn't a tour guide by profession. Taguhi was by profession an English lecturer at the University in Yerevan and you could tell. She had done lots of research and sometimes delivered her commentary like a lecture with far too much detail. Having said that, she was competent and kept on schedule, organising meals as we went along. It was actually nice to have a leader who wasn't a trained guide, just a local who is passionate about her country, it's history and culture. Taguhi is intelligent and she will quickly learn how to refine her skills as a guide. I had no problems. Just a little less detailed information please. In Georgia, our guide was Ia Mikiashvili. . Ia was in her early twenties and not long out of University where she studied tourism . Ia said she was little nervous at first as this was her first English group but she proved to be an excellent tour leader in every sense. She is a very friendly person with good English and she got on well with everyone. Ia has a good knowledge of the itinerary and can advise on places to visits, restaurants etc. She made herself contactable at all times and she has good organisation and problem solving skills . I think she will do very well in the tourist industry. Very well done Ia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are interested in Georgian and Armenian churches and monasteries you will love this trip but be prepared for some long days travelling. Make sure you check in on line. Either print your boarding pass or download to your phone

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the various sections of the wall and getting to shake hands and get a signed book from the person who discovered the Terracotta warriors.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Passionate and knowledgeable about his country. Tried his very best to make sure the group enjoyed the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do the Terracotta extension as you see a more authentic China than Bejieng. Xi-an is much cheaper £3-£4 for huge meal and drink and overnight train journey is certainly an experience. You can get away with shorts on the walks and certainly only need summer walking boots but ensure they have good grip as some sections of the wall are steep. Only take very light waterproofs, Chinese just use umbrellas. Practice using chop sticks before you go.

Most Inspirational Moment

The lunch in an old hut overlooking the sea after a good walk

Thoughts on Group Leader

Virginia was great, attentive and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just enjoy it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the perimeter of Mount Vesuvius with a hugely informative guide. Feeling the heat and seeing the steam rising was fabulous.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severio was excellent. Very charismatic and funny with lots of great stories to tell. Really enjoyed all the walking led by him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take good walking boots or shoes, there are lots of uneven steps and some scrambles along the way. Doing some hill walks in advance of the trip would also be useful preparation.

Most Inspirational Moment

Making it up Brevent on the the last climb to complete the two-week trek!

Thoughts on Group Leader

John is an exceptional Mountain Leader: very experienced and certainly knows his stuff. He had a knack of popping up beside you for support any time you were feeling anxious about the path or there was a precarious snowy/icy section or river crossing. Certainly felt very safe in his hands. He is very knowledgable about the mountains, flora and fauna and has stories about his own adventures around the world to keep you entertained with. Set the perfect 'Fairy Step' pace on the hikes to make it seem almost effortless, which made all the difference, especially in the 35 degree heat we had on some days. Very well organised and always made sure we had a good spread for lunch. Even good at opening the impossible gherkin jars!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although this is a summer trek, there was plenty of snow still on the path for our trip in June, so be prepared!

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming in the fjords.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lucas was great - very friendly and keen for everyone to have a good time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a lunch box and water bottle if you are keen to cut down on your plastic use. It was rather disappointing that despite Exodus's pledges on reducing plastic, one of the very first things that happened on this trip was everyone being given plastic bags and bottles to make day 1 lunch. Ask for a detailed briefing at the beginning of the week. Take your swimming gear - this is not on the trip notes. The guest house has a small pier with sun lounges and steps for swimming if you are lucky with the weather.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our guides were the most inspirational part of the trip for me - two very different characters who complemented each others skills and personalities and really made the trip the great success it was. You wouldn't have known it was their first trip together. Of course going to the summit of Mt Toubkal was a challenge achieved, and doing the trip with my son was great. One lovely memorable moment was an exchange a couple of us had with some children who were selling buttermilk/kefir on the path into Imlil on our last day of walking. Rashid chatted with them in such a genuine, open way that we were all quickly smiling and laughing and left with a delicious drink!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outsanding

Advice for Potential Travellers

If, like me, you're too old to like sleeping on hard ground, get a portable camp cot. Folds down well into your kit bag. Mine is FE Active branded, (other makes are available, no recommendation implied or paid for!) and is light and sturdy enough for a 90kg man. It made sleeping a pleasure. We took a couple of extra days in Marrakesh after our trip, which I would recommend, but probably not in July or August! The daytime heat forced us to spend our days by the hotel pool, so we only went out in the early morning and evenings.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the Sun Gate at the end of our trek and glimpsing Machu Picchu below was an emotional moment. Arriving at the summit of Dead Woman’s Pass on day 2 was also special. Both of these moments were enhanced by sharing the experience with a lovely group of fellow travellers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julio was a wonderful leader. Organised, knowledgable, friendly and empathetic, his skill in leading our group was superb from beginning to end. As a group, we knew we were in safe hands. He was very ably assisted by Anthony, whose easy going, friendly personality really added to the group dynamic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trek is graded as ‘moderate’ but day 2 of the trek to Dead Woman’s Pass is quite a challenge, especially in the hot weather in which we were ascending. Combine that with the effects of altitude, and putting in some training, in advance of the trip, is definitely useful. Give yourself an extra day in Cuzco prior to the beginning of the trip if possible. It definitely helped me adjust to the altitude. On the trek itself, walking poles are invaluable. Even members of our group who normally don’t use them, found them very useful in the descents. Although some snacks are provided on the trek, I would recommend taking more. The food prepared by the chefs is excellent (especially given the facilities they have at their disposal) but you’ll burn a lot of calories and I found I needed extra snacks. Finally, if you are travelling as I did in July, the night time temperatures really do drop. I used all my extra layers to keep warm.