Reviews

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was amazing. The most interesting well informed leader who looked after us all and kept us constantly well fed, well informed with history of each country, entertained with stories, music, Tom Lehrer, and was amazingly knowledgeable in every respect. The Baltics were a great surprise with so much history, some of it in the times of the Soviets not very happy, very beautiful and spotlessly clean and tidy. We also had some wonderful food too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really excellent holiday however a couple of the hotel rooms were very hot with no air conditioning at all. I am an experience cyclist and while the bikes worked well they were heavy and had poor gearing. I have been on many cycling holidays, the majority with Exodus but there were the heaviest bikes I have used so far on any holiday. Other than that, as I said earlier, just a wonderful holiday and only 3 potholes!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the beautiful scenery and the fascinating historic towns. The museum of Medieval Art in Korçë was stunning. I’m not a huge fan of Icons but this museum was excellent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Artur is a lovely man, very well organised and attentive. Unfortunately his English was difficult to understand when he was explaining the history, archaeology etc.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Shoes with decent non-slip soles are essential for the slippery cobbled streets. A trekking pole useful especially if it is raining.

Most Inspirational Moment

Impossible to choose any particular highlight – every single day brought interesting new sights and enjoyable experiences.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Francesco was very well-organised and extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography and culture of Sicily. We thought he was brilliant!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take good walking shoes, especially for the Zingaro coastal walk, which was quite rocky and steep in places. As the beaches are stony there, I would recommend taking along a pair of flip-flops or jelly shoes if you’re planning on swimming.

Most Inspirational Moment

Journey to, and arriving at, the Refugio on day one, completely surrounded by extinct volcanoes covered in lush vegetation.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julia was a wonderful leader. She is a genuine, caring person who connected with everyone in the group. She spotted and resolved any potential issues, often before the group noticed anything was awry. She is passionate about showcasing her country and has a deep knowledge of its history and culture which she shared enthusiastically.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go now! Bolivia still feels relatively unexplored and authentic. If you have time, arrive before the tour and spend a couple of days in Santa Cruz and then stay on in La Paz for three days at the end. There’s plenty to see and do.

Most Inspirational Moment

The day in Perugia. However, all the hilltop villages were spectacular.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Veriano Verde was excellent. As mentioned above he altered the itinerary to take account of the group as a whole and the inclement weather (uphill was safer than downhill). He gelled very well with the group and his English was excellent. He arranged additional guides in the towns to those specified in the trip notes which was beneficial to the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect to see the insides of any of the sights in Rome, but you do get a good history of the city.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of it really, as so varied. Most moving moment was walking through the American cemetery and seeing Omaha beach, and then walking through the British cemetery at Bayeux. Enjoyable, cycling beside the canal with the flower strewn locks, cycling by the sea, cycling towards Mont saint Michel, walking tour of St Malo. Lots of history. Loved seeing the Bayeux tapestry with the amusing audio guide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Celine was great. Her first lead, and did well. Managed the different speeds of the 4 guests, keeping us all happy. Excellent English, and organised and led us so all we had to do was follow and enjoy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had ordinary bikes, but there were some climbs, and a couple of times we got off and pushed. But definitely doable on a non ebike, as none of us were really “cyclists” and all coped fine. Remember this is a level 1 and it’s okay to do 9 miles a hour, even if some guests want to go faster, the timings are for the slower speed! Gel saddles help! The bikes have a pannier, so a small bag with your things in that you can easily take out for the stops is useful. There’s a small bag on the front for your phone. If you’ve not seen the Bayeux tapestry, well worth the visit. Audio guide is half an hour, and very amusing guiding you through what the tapestry is portraying. It’s 10 minutes from hotel, so easily fitted in before cycling starts for that day.

Most Inspirational Moment

The stay at Lake Son Kul..Riding horseback along the shores of Lake Son Kul, watching the sunset, visiting the family nearby in their yurt who spend their summer in the hills, sleeping in a yurt overlooking the lake for 2 nights and climbing the hills behind for great views of snow capped mountains!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ale Moreiras (Alex) was amazing and up their with the best of the leaders we have ever had. He was caring, attentive to individual needs, super organised, energetic, knowledgeable, efficient and funny.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get your visas sorted well in advance! Especially Tajikistan as it will probably be rejected the first time or you will be asked for further information before it is processed. Don't stress about the entry date; put down the date a couple of days before you expect to enter to be on the safe side as it is valid for 30 days. Take lots of layers as temperatures varied from zero to 40 degrees. (June) You will probably only need one set of cold weather clothing,(fleece, coat, hat) for Lake Son Kul but worth taking. Trousers that zip off to shorts are particularly useful for temperatures that fluctuate during the day. Men need knee length shorts or trousers for Mosques but usually they provide a skirt to wear ontop of shorts. Ladies need to cover knees and shoulders, so knee length dress, longer shorts or trousers plus a scarf/throw for head, shoulders is useful. Most of our group went down with a tummy bug during the first week but it only lasted for 24 hours. Could have been heat exhaustion, or something they ate. Most people stopped eating for 24 hours and took Immodium and rehydration salts and they were fine after that. Use bottled water even for brushing teeth. Take lots of patience especially getting into Turkmenistan. You'll need it to overcome all the red tape! Also need to have a covid test on arrival $30 cash!!

Most Inspirational Moment

1st and 2nd day on the new tarmac riding through majestic alpine like valleys and passes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great - Juli was cool under pressure, sometimes a little disorganised but always with our wishes and requirements foremost in the planning. Plenty of good advice for alternative options should we be up for it. I enjoyed the "fixer" attitude!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Maybe try to avoid the hottest weeks for your tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

The last day was inspiring from a sports perspective. The early part of the trip is very relaxing in green and mountains

Thoughts on Group Leader

Friendly, very experienced. He gave us framework and leeway at the same time

Advice for Potential Travellers

Mid-June is almost too late in the season: High temperatures and cycling and ascent are difficult to accommodate

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing the night sky and the milky way when we were staying in the Yurt The eagle hunting display

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vitaly for the first week was excellent - knowledgeable and a good organiser. Dilshshod in Uzbekistan was something else. A wonderful and caring man. Not only was he an excellent leader but he went way beyond the call of duty when I had a serious health emergency in Samarkand. I suffered from a TIA and had to be blue lighted to the hospital where i stayed two days. Dilshod came with me and my wife in the ambulance. He liaised with the hospital staff which was really necessary as none of the doctors spoke any English. He visited me while i was there and was essential to allow communication between me and the medical staff. Dilshod was not just helping out he obviously really cared about my welfare. We would have been really stuck without him- thank you Dilshod. The exodus staff back in London were also very good - very concerned and eager to do all they could to assist -thanks to Max Bickerstaffe and Joe Figueiredo plus others whose names have escaped me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On Day2, the optional hike to the waterfall in the Ala-Alcha Gorge is quite strenuous. Certainly more effort than a day hiking on a moderate Exodus hiking trip. But you can always turn back if you get tired!