Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Trekking chimps and gorillas. It was a real life experience getting so close to them in their natural environment. Magical moments that I will never forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was knowledgeable. However, communication wasn't his strong point, and we were often just driven and dropped at places with no idea what was happening next or what the plan was. I think there should be a driver and group leader on this trip as it is a lot to expect someone to drive so many miles each day on badly made of unmade roads and lead and guide a group at the same time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a long car drive on arrival at Entebbe. We expected a 5 hour drive, but it turned out to be nearer 9. Also there is a lot of driving throughout the holiday, although scenery is amazing and some of the miles covered where as a safari drive.

Most Inspirational Moment

Of course, the chimps & gorillas were the stars of the holiday - so humanlike & gentle. I got the impression they were looking at us considering our likeness' & differences just as we were with them. However, the people of Uganda left an impression we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. They are incredibly hard working people living a much different lives than our own. It takes so little to be happy!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Five out of five stars. Our group leader was fluent in many of the 31 languages/dialects of different areas of Uganda. This trip would have been very difficult without their expert guidance.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We would suggest bringing a few items to give to the children at the orphanage/school and communities you will get to visit. The children and adults treasure them - pencils & pens, crayons, coloring books, paper, toys such as balloons, beach balls which are compact & light to carry, clothes - just about anything. Remember, however, you want to please them with these gifts without unintended insult, so ask your group leader to help you know when, where, & to whom they should be given. He/she will know the customs of the people. Also, during your travels, please be courteous & ask people before you take their pictures. As a side note, if at all possible, we would recommend avoiding Kenya & Delta Airlines on the trip there & back. Emerates or Ethopian Airlines were recommended by people who have traveled extensively in Africa.

Most Inspirational Moment

Obviously the summit for those who reach it, otherwise the imposing Barranco Wall.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abraham from the Africa Walking Company is a gifted and strong leader, managing as he does 57 guides and porters not to mention 14 walkers. The sheer logistics of getting all of us up the mountain at the same time with no hitches would make me dizzy! The guides were watching us all the time and checking our condition, giving advice and generally keeping us going. We were also extremely well fed and lacked nothing to eat or drink, the chef and porters were all fantastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take Exodus` notes seriously and be well prepared. The whole point of this trip is to get you up Kilimanjaro in pretty extreme conditions. It is not for beginners and is a hard climb even for experienced walkers. The camping, though well organised, is fairly basic. Once wet, stuff can`t really be dried, you will be cold and uncomfortable a lot of the time. You will need to be determined and resourceful. The walking itself is ok until summit day but gets harder as the oxygen levels drop. This trip gives you an extra day to acclimatise and no one in our group had serious altitude sickness beyond breathing difficulties. You just have to do everything very slowly indeed, even standing up!

Most Inspirational Moment

My highlight`s are many but the view you get from standing high on of the Albanian alps taking in the magnificent scenery is breathtaking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dorien. Well what a man he is not only well learned in the history of Albania, he is also funny, he also was able to relate to all the group, whatever age or gender.He was just lovely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and just enjoy this wonderful country

Most Inspirational Moment

Every time we reached the "Col" from one valley or country to the next, and had the fantastic views in both directions...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jenny was great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

These hills are high and the ascents are steep. You will climb 900-1200m per day and it can be hot. So pack really light. Our packs weighed about 6 kg [not including water]. Suggestions: take 2 walking T shirts and one evening shirt. Take 2 pairs of "zip-offs", 2 or 3 pairs of socks, one/two warm fleece, and waterproofs/windbreak. Each night wash your "smalls"/shorts etc in your room and they're usually dry by morning. Take headwear (something that will keep your head warm at altitude and something to keep your head shaded from the (very strong) sun. Carry two medium sized waterbottles. Take sunglasses, suncream and some travel wash. No need for insect repellent. Accommodation has hair dryers. Some places have wifi, some places dont, and one place has no mobile signal at all. Have shoes with really good grip - you can be on mud, on rocks, and on snow. Take flip-flops or similar for evenings in hotel. Most places give you a little soap or shampoo too. Most people brought walking poles, we didn't. Personal preference. Fine without but helpful on slippy areas. You can leave stuff at the first night's hotel and it will be ready for you on the Thursday on arriving in Chamonix. so then you can refresh clothing etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being with a group of people from all different walks (pardon the pun!) who ended up genuinely caring for each other by the end of the week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was amazing, knowledgeable, personable, caring, kind and considerate. He is also a very funny and likeable person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When going off trekking, stick with your group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our moment of reflection at Isalo National Park. Getting up close with lemurs in their natural surroundings. Breathtaking scenery & landscapes. The opportunity to see something of village life & how hard working the people are.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was an inspiration himself! He certainly had his work cut out for him from the start with 5 people off the group flight arriving minus their luggage & Exodus's brand new bikes sitting at the airport tied up in red tape. Luckily everyone was reunited with their gear by about day 2/3 & we finally got our lovely new bikes on day 4 after riding loan bikes hired virtually the day before we arrived. Mel went out of his way to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves. He always had a smile, a sense of humour & an aura of calmness even when everything could easily have gone pear shaped. He kept us well informed of any changes - like our flight from Tulear which changed from a late afternoon flight to a very early morning flight virtually within an hour! If there was something we wanted to do that wasn't necessarily in the itinerary (like an impromptu village visit) like a genie, Mel delivered! Over the course of our journey, he also became an expert at finding "lady bushes" - an essential skill when there are no "real" toilets virtually anywhere en route! Mel is so very passionate about his country & it is easy to see why. He also takes the most stunning photos!

Advice for Potential Travellers

In June, be prepared for some cold, possibly wet days. There are few opportunities to dry wet clothes in these conditions ( no matter how quick drying your fabrics might be) so extra changes & plenty of warm layers are essential. Our snacks were plentiful & varied. Lunches were generally "picnics" so we would either stop at a supermarket or the hotel would make baguettes. Overall the food in Madagascar was good & reasonably cheap. Breakfasts were generally always eggs - fried, scrambled or omelette so if you have an aversion to them you can buy cereal at the supermarket.

Most Inspirational Moment

The two "challenging" days; up to the Col de la Seigne and the Col du Bonhomme. Both involved longer days, lots of climbing and lots of snow. However we were rewarded with great views and got our best view of Mont Blanc at the Col de la Seigne.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Kim, was great! She took an interest and had time for everybody, was great fun and honest about what lay ahead. She was great during our first day baptism of fire in bad weather and lots of snow! We're all fully trained to "dig our toes in", "use our poles" etc when we see snow now!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you're fit before you go. While the days vary in difficulty, added fitness will help you enjoy your trip. My knees suffered from the steep descents so I was glad to have lots of ibuprofen and some knee supports.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our hosts Sarah and Rich were very nice and friendly people - it is worth going on the holiday just for Sarah's amazing cooking. We all looked forward to seeing what she created for dinner. I had the best food across the week that I have ever had on any holiday. I was tempted to miss one of the walks and ask her if she could teach me how to cook like that. Forget Jamie Oliver and the rest - Sarah is the boss. The walks - and Sarah's lunches - were consistently good and it is difficult to pick out a favourite.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guides Rupert and Jen were very reassuring and set the length and pace of the walks according to the capabilities of the whole group. They dealt very well with members of the group with height concerns on elements of the walks and made the walks fun. If you can't talk while you walk, you're walking too fast was one of their suggestions! Jen taught us how to use walking poles correctly which was a massive bonus from the holiday. The Italian walk, Le Brevent (suggested to the group by Jen as it was more interesting than the Aiguillette Des Houches walk) and a snow covered Lac Blanc were all really rewarding walks with super views. Jen took us on a little used path on the return from Lac Blanc and we got up close to Ibex, Marmotts and Chamois which was an unexpected bonus.

Most Inspirational Moment

I have to say that finishing the 500k ride feeling good, seeing what we saw and having made new friends was fabulous!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jan was fabulous! Knowledgeable, conscientious, and fun to be with.