Most Inspirational Moment
....night under the stars in wadi Rum
Thoughts on Group Leader
excellent
Reviews
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Reviews
cycle petra and wadi rum
Jordan…the North-South, Africa-Mecca-Damascus corridor…with the Silk Road surely the most important historical routes to travel…with scenery and modern politics to match. To stand where one can see Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Israel or Palestine…depending on your politics ;where Moses is said to have viewed the “Promised land” ; where Lawrence blew up the Hejaz railway. To see it from the saddle of a bike…whizzing into the Jordan valley…was sublime. This trip was filled with bike…maybe not enough for the really keen cyclist…history..and experiences like night under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert; a lively scramble to look down on the Treasury at astonishing Petra…as well as reeling at the sight of looking up at it at the end of a near half mile walk through a slim fissure in the rock; dipping in the Dead Sea. Always on to the next thing.
Eighteen independent souls of a big age range…early 20’s to ’70’s…herded like cats by a guide with great character,humour and knowledge, looked after assiduously on the bikes rides by two great young Jordanians who are the Jordan Triathlon team.
The support and organisation were excellent. There were just enough pacey rides and hill climbs not to frustrate the ardent cyclists…and plenty of support for those for whom the hills were a challenge. There was even a police escort…blue lights flashing.
The hotels are modest but adequate…one does not do this for the luxury…the fare a bit better than that. It was tempting enough to lure two separate travellers from Canada and one from Spain. Maybe we got lucky with our group…but we were able to do and enjoy so much because of the organisation and attention to detail of the crew…there was a plan for everything…but it was not rigid.
Walking in Puglia & Basilicata
This was a great trip! I wanted to get away and catch some November sun, walk the olive groves, see some culture and have a relaxing time. This break was just perfect for this. Puglia and Basilicata are not on the main stream Italian tourist trail and I think the area really benefits from not being too popularised.
Most Inspirational Moment
After we arrived on Saturday, we went from Alberobello to Noci for the New Wine Festival, held on the streets of the town. I really liked being part of the crowded streets, trying the wine, craft beer, roasted chestnuts (a feature of the festival) and great food from all the stalls laid out. Bands were playing and there was street entertainment, like performers doing fire eating! The local people are really friendly and I enjoyed being part of a genuine, event.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Marinella is very good. She helped us with the language and explained the local food dishes to us. She kept the itinerary rolling and got us out of scrapes, where we did not quite know what we were doing! She was very diligent in organising our trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a really good Autumn trip. Really relaxing and warm, when the UK gets cold and wet. The walking is easy but inspiring through crossing olive groves, vineyards, and amongst the trulli (cone roofed houses) of the region. It is on this basis, it should be booked.
petra and wadi rum by bike
Jordan…the North-South, Africa-Mecca-Damascus corridor…with the Silk Road surely the most important historical routes to travel…with scenery and modern politics to match. To stand where one can see Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Israel or Palestine…depending on your politics ;where Moses is said to have viewed the “Promised land” ; where Lawrence blew up the Hejaz railway. To see it from the saddle of a bike…whizzing into the Jordan valley…was sublime. This trip was filled with bike…maybe not enough for the really keen cyclist…history..and experiences like night under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert; a lively scramble to look down on the Treasury at astonishing Petra…as well as reeling at the sight of looking up at it at the end of a near half mile walk through a slim fissure in the rock; dipping in the Dead Sea. Always on to the next thing.
Eighteen independent souls of a big age range…early 20’s to ’70’s…herded like cats by a guide with great character,humour and knowledge, looked after assiduously on the bikes rides by two great young Jordanians who are the Jordan Triathlon team.
The support and organisation were excellent. There were just enough pacey rides and hill climbs not to frustrate the ardent cyclists…and plenty of support for those for whom the hills were a challenge. There was even a police escort…blue lights flashing.
The hotels are modest but adequate…one does not do this for the luxury…the fare a bit better than that. It was tempting enough to lure two separate travellers from Canada and one from Spain. Maybe we got lucky with our group…but we were able to do and enjoy so much because of the organisation and attention to detail of the crew…there was a plan for everything…but it was not rigid.
Most Inspirational Moment
..walking on the Hejaz railway..
Thoughts on Group Leader
excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
...do it all
MUCH MORE THAN A CYCLING TOUR - AN ASIAN EXPERIENCE
This is a very diverse tour. If you are looking for culture, history though the ages, people interaction, terrain, scenery, colours and smells, new experiences, cuisine, good weather, the great outdoors plus many more and some exercise on a cycle this tour will meet and probably exceed your expectations.
Most Inspirational Moment
The temples of Angkor especially Angkor Wat and getting a real understanding of the 'Pol Pot' Regime in Cambodia.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Chai the 'General Manager' is very professional, well organised and has very good inter personal skills. Fully supportive of the all group members and equally his support teams. It is not easy leading 18 travellers through 3 countries and having different support teams but Chai made it look and feel 'seamless'.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are not a regular cyclist but are reasonably fit and want 'an Asian experience' do not hesitate to consider this tour as 99.5% of the cycling is flat or on only very slight inclines although be prepared for the heat.
One for the bucket list
Tough but rewarding trip with a great bunch of people.
Most Inspirational Moment
Though not for the faint-hearted, the magnificent and rugged landscape, the tough/arduous trekking, and the tranquility of the journey allows you to put things into perspective. This, combined with a fantastic group of people, made for a most enjoyable and memorable trip.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ngima was an inspirational leader, always there with encouragement and humour to ease our journey. Ngima kept us informed throughout our trek and, along with his chief and assistant guides, made this a hugely memorable (and educational) experience for our group. (I think a special mention for the porters and Yak driver is in order; these guys, through their hard work and efforts, made the logistically challenging task of moving sixteen people's kit look easy. The work that the whole team put in made this trip a seamless and enjoyable experience. Well done all!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a tough but rewarding trip that is both physically and, at times, mentally demanding. While the group interactions and dynamics can help with mental side of things, the physical is something only you have control over; preparation is key to ensure that you are prepared for (and adapt to) the tough trekking and altitude that you will encounter. Without a doubt I think almost all of my group found the trek difficult at one stage or another, but the fitter and more prepared that you are the better and more enjoyable the trip will be.
Cycling Cuba MAU
A fascinating & very varied trip which matched all my expectations & was well described in all I read on Exodus site in advance. The combination of cycling most days interspersed with city tours & museum visits was brilliant
Most Inspirational Moment
Being on my own for 10 mins when I got off my bike to walk down a particularly steep track in the Sierra Maestra mountains. The other more experienced, braver mountain bikers rode down of course & I was left briefly on my own. Tropical rain was pouring down as I slithered down enjoying the beauty of the surroundings; an old man in a sombrero was walking slowly up hill pulling a donkey on a rope. He smiled & said ''Hola" as we passed. It felt a surreal but a magical moment.!! Cooling off with a swim in the Carribean sea after some very HOT cycling. The smiling friendly faces of children waving as we rode through villages. They had so little but always looked happy.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Erik was excellent. He was a fount of knowledge about his country and enjoyed discussing the history and current situation. He had a good sense of humour, brilliant English and was very encouraging. He had almost endless patience with a very diverse, mixed age group of clients. Lots of fun.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Hand washing facilities are not great - I wished I had taken alcohol hand cleansing gel as some more experienced travellers did. Quite a few of our group experienced travellers diarrhoea. The group leader was very keen on bike safety, sun, hydration & mosquito safety but I was too slow to realise the risks of brushing my teeth with tap water & eating the peel on some of the delicious tropical fruit provided. . . The leader did tell us later that quite often clients got tummy problems for whatever reason so perhaps a bit more advice around this included in trip notes would be valuable for people planning the trip. Another traveller provided me with immodium which was invaluable when the bus journety has to continue. . . And another had antibiotics in case of such a situation - between them they saved my holiday!!
Awesome
Absolutely excellent trip, beautiful surrounding, amazing people and a challenge to remember!
Most Inspirational Moment
The whole trip was an amazing experience and also a challenge that won't be forgotten for a long while to come. The Gokyo lakes are beautiful and definitely worth seeing. The Cho la pass is a hard day of walking and scrambling but The achievement of finishing it is worth it. The leader, the guide and assistant guides and also porters were all fantastic and a credit to Exodus and couldn't have been more helpful throughout. The accommodation on the whole was as good as could be expected for the height and accessibility and all the staff were helpful and welcoming everywhere we went.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader was excellent, he couldn't have been more helpful, friendly or knowledgable about the trip, nothing was too much trouble day or night.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This trip is not for the faint hearted, it is very hard walking/scrambling on a couple of the days and much harder than the normal Everst base camp trek.
Discover Chile
So many different experiences, this was like 4 holidays in one. If you possibly can, take the Easter Island extension.
Most Inspirational Moment
The sight of "the fifteen" - one of the sets of Moai on Easter Island. Sunset in the Atacama and dawn in The Torres del Paine were others.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alex worked so hard for us both to make sure we got the most out of the experience but also sorting out any niggles along the way. He was well informed and seemed to love sharing his country with us.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try to include Easter Island, it is an amazing place. Don't count on the penguin trip, it wasnt possible for us and apparently this is common. Be prepared for a lot of travel but it is worth it as you see so much. There are a lot of variations in temperature so layers work best. Carry snacks and a drink as there were sometimes long gaps between meals.
Atlas Decent in November
My third cycling trip with Exodus in Morocco, this MMA trip was to some of the same regions as the MMI road trip last year – this time with near-perfect weather and conditions – to experience the villages, rocks, people, rocks, food, rocks, and stunning views of the region and sand, cacti and rocks. The title of the trip is not the entire story; there is a little climbing to do, and although Strava with a phone is prone to exaggeration, it recorded 5km of ascent over the six days.
The trip marks out the difference between Jebel Sahro’s “Off Road” and this trip’s “Mountain Biking”. I suspect it requires a similar level of fitness but prepare for, learn and enjoy more technical riding.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was the good following the not-so-good. Having bounced onto a rock (did I mention there are a few there?) on a decent on the third day I wisely, I think, and for the first time on any trip, took a ride in the support vehicle to the next village. The inspirational moment was, having ridden down the remainder of the trail, found myself, with others in the group, sporting one of those unstoppable grins that you get after skiing down a fast long snowy piste.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. Tirelessly maintaining bikes; fixing punctures in flesh and egos and tyres (is there no alternative to conventional pneumatic tyres on this punishing terrain?) and always giving guidance and advice about the next section of dried-up riverbed to be ridden. Liz often gave the opportunity to push a bit harder and was disappointed, I think, that none in the group - even the resident triathlete - was prepared to get up the extra hour and a half earlier to climb the 600m to the start of the day's ride!
Advice for Potential Travellers
When it gets technical and/or steep and/or there's a sheer drop then do concentrate, but otherwise, don't forget to look around and enjoy both the views and just being there - it's too easy to focus down to the track ahead. None of the group took their own bike. The 29" wheel Genesis hardtails have seen a lot of trail but are well maintained- the advantage being that the bike is well maintained for you and don't have to take any spares. I'd recommend taking SPD equivalents and shoes, though in one or two runs with near shear drops you might want to unclip. . I booked an extra couple of nights stay in the Hotel that Exodus use in Agadir. It's very cheap and in my case, still included the airport transfer. With the weather as it was (unbroken sun, 24degC late November) I should have stayed the week! If you're into cycling ;-) you can hire bikes locally (see the hotel notice board) and cycle up into the local hills, or to the bars and restaurants in the marina.
Magical highlights of Southern India
The ‘Spice Trail’ gave us a wonderful opportunity to see the best parts of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu mountains. Our days of trekking were not too long and we were rewarded by the finest Keralan cuisine by Santosh’s ‘crew’. We have not had better food since we left the hills. Whilst we climbed 100m to 2630m over a few days the pace was slow and deliberate and none of the group found it at all difficult. Whilst we spotted tiger, leopard, deer and elephant prints and pooh we were not blessed with sightings! In Thekkady the Periyar tiger sanctuary guide was outstanding as was Abraham in his spice garden and Mr Sheril showed us how to cook up a feast at his Bar-B-Que cooking school. Back to the bigger cities was a bit of a shock from the quiet of the forests and tea plantations, however we thoroughly enjoyed the touristy bit of the holiday with temple visits and interesting highlights of life in Kerala. The trip took in all aspects of travel here with the tented camps, a houseboat stay, a beach side homestay and several very nice hotels. Overall the trip has given us a great feel for this part of India and a thirst for a return – perhaps to the North next time. Oh please don’t let the leeches put you off – nothing that ‘leech socks’ and a handful of salt or snuff couldn’t fix!!
Most Inspirational Moment
There was too much going on to say that any one 'moment' was the most inspirational. Reaching the summit of the 2nd peak; wondering if the tiger was stalking when we saw the very recent paw print; the beauty and scale of the Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar Temple; the calm of the backwaters from the houseboat; the amazing murals of The Mattancherry Palace; and of course the amazing Keralan food!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Santosh was fantastic. We were a small group of 5 Brits of similar age - a possible challenge for any tour guide, however San read us all perfectly. He showed great judgement where he 'rewrote' the trip agenda to suit the weather, which washed out two of our campsites. He improvised on a 'day off' with a really interesting jeep tour of a tea plantation and 'found' hotel rooms for us all. His knowledge and experience as a guide, gained over many years of working with tour companies, was extensive and he carefully explained as we went along and also answered the many questions we had about life in modern India.