Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Every place we visited had its own charm. Lake Ohrid was fantastic. It is beautiful yet not so crowded. We had some free time there and I had the chance to go for a short swim in the lake. I was very pleasantly surprised by Skopje. It is beautiful!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nebojsha was very knowledgeable, calm and friendly. He liked to socialise with the group which was appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a waterproof jacket, the weather can be unpredictable, and a swimming costume to take advantage of the spa hotel in Skopje and/or to swim in Lake Ohrid. Make sure you have enough space on your memory card.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Dead Women's Pass at 4215 metres. Such a sense of achievement and the views were spectacular. Also walking to the final campsite through the cloud forest and seeing Machu Picchu mountain in front of us and snow capped mountains in the distance to the left and right. I managed to phone my wife from this campsite which was great (and also found out England had won 6-1 in the World Cup the day before). Unbelievable views again when I woke up the next morning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julio was a really great group leader, very informative, helpful and encouraging throughout the whole trip. How he remembered everything he explained to us when we stopped off at the many Inca sites on the way I will never know. He showed a great deal of care towards all of us and also towards the environment of the trail, frequently seeking out orchids and other flora in the cloud forest (and pointing them out to us) to check on the health of it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If trekking the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is something you are thinking about, all I can say is Just Do It. You will not regret it, it's fantastic. Don't worry too much about the altitude - as long as you take your time and drink plenty of water you should be fine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing my wife get to the summit when I had to turn back. Well done my love.

Thoughts on Group Leader

JT was superb. He was joyous and enthusiastic about Kili, Tanzania, his crew and us. He and his crew welcomed us into their family and we all left, I think, leaving a little part of us with him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be smelly - you cannot really wash until getting back to the hotel - but when you do it is fantastic! Get yourself fit, physically and mentally, it is a hard trip and you will most likely have to go past your comfort zone and what you are used to. Close you eyes at some campsites - they are crowded and there is quite some detritus

Most Inspirational Moment

Expect to be amazed ! ... From bizarre Ashgabet, historically dense Bukhara and Samarkand, roadside interactions with local herders in their Yurt camps to stunning high altitude lakes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

For a trip such as this, which encompasses moving almost every day, 5 currencies , many meal arrangements and visa challenges at borders, an extraordinary guide is paramount for success. Our guide Alejandro (Alex) was without doubt the reason for the smooth progression of the trip. His positive manner, perceptive nature, great humour and organisation skills endeared him to us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware: The trip is exhausting (particularly with temperatures averaging around 40 degrees celsius in August for much of the trip) even though much of the time is spent sitting in the vehicles. Pack light but include extra layers for high altitude. Be very sure your visa arrangements are correct.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved waking up early two mornings to ride while watching the sunrise. Not only did that mean we avoided cycling during the hottest part of the day (in the afternoon), but the sunrise over the mountains was really dramatic and the morning light was just breathtaking.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up close and personal with the ring-tailed lemurs was completely unexpected. Their indifference to us was fantastic as we watched them go about their business. Night walks seeking out the mouse lemurs, chameleons and tree frogs was equally exciting. The amazing range of scenery was stunning, even the long dusty roads against a blue-sky backdrop were dramatic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Claudia, was brilliant. She was in control at all times, had an excellent sense of humour and always in a good mood despite a few challenges along the way - especially when our internal flight to get us home was cancelled and she had to make alternative arrangements at very short notice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a head-torch for the night and cave walks. Pack light if you can - there's only a 5kg carry-on limit on the internal flights and they do try to enforce it. If you're carrying an SLR take it out of your bag before they weight it - it'll save a lot of weight! Make sure you take some Imodium with you, half of our group needed it at some point and you'll be very grateful for it on the long drives! If you're into photography, take a tripod and get some pictures of the night-sky. The views of the milky way are spectacular - especially from the beach at Ifaty. The menus can become monotonous, if you just want a sandwich for lunch rather than a full meal then just ask for one. Also, stock up on snacks when you can.

Most Inspirational Moment

Taking the wooden sampan boat on the river in Hoi An during the night, the river was full of beautiful floating lanterns. We were lucky enough to be in Hoi An over the full moon and the city had such a buzz about the place. Another highlight would be visiting the War Remnants museum in Saigon, a very emotionally moving set of exhibitions where it really hit home for me how much the friendly and happy people of this country have suffered in the past.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bac was an excellent leader, he was knowledgeable and very keen to give us an in depth understanding of his country. His English was fantastic and he always answered our many questions enthusiastically. Bac's ability to solve any problem quickly and effortlessly was very impressive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Budget to take more money than the trip notes suggest, there are lots of optional excursions offered for between £15-30 each and they're so good that you won't want to miss them. The extra cycling tour in Hoi An was a particularly good one. Take cycling shorts or a padded bike seat cover for the cycling tour in Hue, the saddles are extremely hard.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was beautiful scenery throughout the trip with hospitality that was second to none. I enjoyed visiting this region with such a welcoming and friendly group from all walks of life. The welcome, food and accommodation provided at the Triangle Woodhouse in Montenegro was brilliant. Argon (owner) was very proud of his food, home and Raki! Enjoyed it so much I bought the T-shirt! I enjoyed how peaceful the shepherd huts were. The only noise and light was natural and to hear all of the animals including a wolf whilst camping was rather cool.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dorian and Arvin were two very passionate and proud Albanians who clearly loved their country and tried their very best to showcase what Albania and its culture had to offer across the region. Both answered any and all questions to the best of their ability. Dorian was the leader who used his contacts in the region while Arvin was the smiling face of the operation - both complimented each other well and ensured everybody enjoyed their time in this beautiful part of the world.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Being a new Exodus trip at times the distances in the trip notes were slightly different to what was actually walked - mainly more - however being a walking holiday, walking is to be expected. Embrace what the region has to offer. During the last evening meal in Tirana, tourism in the area was described as 'embryonic' and very much in its infancy. Give the region a chance and expect the unexpected at times but also expect and experience exceptional hospitality from all throughout.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking along a narrow ridge with steep drops of hundreds of feet on both sides. It felt both risky and exhilarating at the same time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both of the group leaders - Albert and Martin - were superb. They had a first class knowledge of the routes, the terrain, the region and its culture. They were always on hand to give us help and guidance on a wide variety of matters - those related to the walks and extra-curricular activities too. They had high energy levels and nothing was too much trouble for them. They were the main reason the trip was so enjoyable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for any kind of weather! We went in late August and the first two days we had unseasonal snowfall which created a good covering, including some pretty deep drifts up on the mountains. Plenty of layers, gloves and hats were all necessary. The next two days it was 25 degrees, so sun cream was essential. The next two, it rained pretty heavily at times so waterproofs were the order of the day. Be prepared for anything and take what you can reasonably carry. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it - especially when you're 3000 metres up!

Most Inspirational Moment

My favourite time was in the yurt camp at Son Kul lake. After a really hectic couple of weeks this was a brilliant place to relax and chill, walk and ride local horses. There are very few places in the world with no phone or internet access and no sound of roads, planes or trains - but this is one of them. I would have stayed another week here just to unwind and enjoy the spectacular surroundings if I could have.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Alejandro, was quite exceptional - his patience, calmness, kindness and good humour kept us all together as a group for this long and quite intense trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip requires a really small wardrobe in order to manage a lot of one-night stopovers, with very cool lightweight, easily washable clothing for the incredibly hot places (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and a down jacket, hat, gloves and thermals for the much cooler places (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan). If you take the Astana extension - just make sure your free day is NOT a Monday, when everything (yes, literally everything!) is closed.