Reviews

Alpine spirit

Alpine spiritMont Blanc highlights – Guided walk – 03.10.2015 to 10.10.2015- Sharwari DeshpandeI stood in the balcony of our pretty chalet, gazing humbly at the Alps, hoping they would welcome us. Then I looked a bit higher, at the blue sky and made a silent appeal for the weather to be favorable. I sensed the invitation as well as the approval, the optimism, generating some warmth in me in spite of the chill in the open balcony. En-route to Chamonix, anxiety peeped through the colouring foliage, it was a one and a half hour ride in the bus with Mark, our guide and the other team mates.  Settling down in the Chalet was easy, after which we explored  charming Chamonix. A river flowing busily beneath a bridge, sports shops, eateries, chocolateries, lots of flowers everywhere, friendly people and of course a cute little train crossing by, did a great deal to raise the spirits. Supper times in the chalet, promising to please, chatting, sipping wine with the team mates and enjoying the hospitality of the wonderful hosts, Jane and Collins. The edible delicacies that the culinary expert in Jane dished out, were always looked forward to. The meals were well presented, appetizing and always followed by simply irresistible Desserts. The walks were not easy but not too difficult. A certain level of fitness is required. One should be able to run, may be 5 Km in 30-35 minutes and walk for 8 hours.  Anything less than that is bound to hold up other members of the group who are fit. The trek was graded as moderate but the definition of Moderate was not given so I thought of providing one as per my understanding. We were a team of  8 people. 6 from UK, and two of us from India. One solo woman was older, around 70 and one 25 year old young man. All the rest were within 40 to 50 years of age. The older woman had to drop out on the first day as she could not catch up with the others. On the last day, 2 of them dropped out.  The rest of us completed the 5 day trek. The walks provided spectacular views and we were blessed with good weather. Apart from fitness, these are requisites which make the trek enjoyable. We were fascinated as we explored around the Mont Blanc, passing through three countries France, Switzerland and Italy. Mark knew the route well and also had a fair understanding of the weather forecast. We walked almost 7 to 8 hours for five days. Day one was Orientation. On the second day, we went from Montroc to Aiguettes des posettes at 2201 m height. Col de Posettes to Chalet du Balme and from Le tout back to Montroc. The third day, we walked through the Merlet national park, spotting some red deer and gazelles inside a fenced area. We stopped at a very picturesque refuge, Bellechat at 2259 m. From here to Aguettes des houches, chalet Chailloux and then to Bettey parking where the car took us back to the Chalet Chamonix. This was an interesting and long walk through the woods. It was drizzling and the ground was wet and slippery and we had to watch every step. Day four was free day. The free day was spent in sight seeing and shopping in Chamonix and at night dinner at a plush restaurant with the team mates, followed by drinks at the Jekyll and Hyde pub !  Day Five took us to Col de Voza from Maison Neuve. We stopped for lunch near the Passerelle bridge, moving on to Le Champel and then to La gruvaz. The next day was interesting as we walked on the Italian side. We drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel(22 miles) to Italy, walked through the Bonnatti refuge, moving further to the beautiful Ferret valley and ending at Courmayeur. On the last day we started from Col de Montet. Then from Windy point to Lac Chesery, a calm and serene place. On the way stopping at La Floria and then the unending walk through sloping loops, into Chamonix outskirts and back to Chalet.   The 2 minute standing stops were timed so well, they gave some relief after a steep climb. There were some adrenaline moments, wherein the road was narrow or no road, climbing on large stones, slippery road but Mark was careful and helped wherever required. Almost every time after this, on the next turn, full of beauty, the landscape would be treat to the eyes.  The five days brought to us different flavors. The first day introduced us to the Alps. We were awestruck by the breathtaking views of the Mont Blanc, Aguille du Midi. The walk through the woods of Merlet National park was interesting. It rained on one of the days and that too was enjoyable, gave opportunity for the poncho to be worn. Most of the packed lunches we had, by a stream, lake , very scenic refuges. These beautiful locations refreshed and replenished the energy.   Café au lait in a cute café on the way on one of the days, provided the  ‘high’ which had me almost romping downhill.  I was most delighted to have the yummiest Hot chocolate at Café Bonatti. The chocolate walnut biscuit was great accompaniment. This also helped to infuse some enthusiasm. The Café is named after the  legendary Italian climber Walter Bonatti. Photos of the climber were displayed in the Café. We enjoyed great views of the hills during a balcony walk. Climbing on the Italian side exciting. At the end of the long stretch, we had ice cream at the Gelateria in the cute Italian town of Courmayeur.      The most exciting moment was when we spotted the Ibex and Chamois grazing in the mountains. They were indifferent to our ogling and continued with their meal hungrily. It was good to know they felt safe and did not flee at the sight of humans. The last day was longest but Mark took us, on the route, to the ‘ Chalet Floria’ , floral extravaganza in a Café. We had the nicest blue berry cake and myrtille yoghurt but what gladdened the heart was the flower garden so well maintained, colourful and lovely. We were once again rejuvenated to carry on our long trail, on the last day, back to cosy little chalet Chamonix. To summarize, this was the most well organized, efficiently guided walk, at a splendid location with excellent company of like minded and fit fellow trekkers,  hosted at the chalet with great warmth and care.This was indeed the best way to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and my husband Upen and I will cherish every moment.   Thank you Exodus. 

Judith Cameron

A great trip in regards to where we went and what we saw, however the group was far too big, 17, which had an impact on pace we could go and at times it felt like we were like any other tour group being herded around which is not why I chose to go with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Great Wall, Terracotta Army, 3 gorges, the amazing scenery especially around Yangshou.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was an absolute star, she coped well with the large group, she was knowledgeable, had the patience of a saint and always had a smile. She really went the extra mile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check size of group. Cruise ship was also far larger than expected, 320 as opposed to 150, and was a bit like being at a Butlins camp including the wakey wakey call in the morning that burst through the intercom in your room. Learn some basic phrases in Chinese. Go cycling in the rural areas.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Judith for her review, although we are sorry that she had some concerns regarding the group size and the number of passengers on the boat cruise. It is extremely rare that a group size should exceed 16 as we realise that smaller groups can ensure a good group dynamic and experience; we would therefore like to apologise that this negatively impacted upon her enjoyment of the trip. The trip notes for 2016 have been updated as to the number of passengers on the boat cruise, but we regret the disappointment this caused.

Highlights of Turkey

An excellent introduction to this large and fascinating country. The itinerary allowed us to get a real flavour of the history, archaeology and topography. The sites and ordering of the stop-overs were excellently chosen.

Picos de Europa

An excellent week’s walking. Jim and Pilar and the staff at the hotel were welcoming in a relaxed and sociable style and the food was outstanding. Alvaro the guide was lively and informative and passionate about his local area. The Picos offers wonderful scenery and we were lucky to see Griffin Vultures close up as well as chamoix, red squirrel and salamander.

Jordan by bike-fantastic!

Brilliant guide and bike guides. A trip for any level of fitness (imo) though don’t go expecting to use it as a training holiday. Well organised with good amounts of free time.

A trip of a lifetime

What a fantastic trip.
The Inca Trail and the visit to Machu Picchu are to be savoured. There is a need to take lots of pictures (decent camera recommended) as there is just too much to take in. Reminiscing by relaxing, going through the photographs on a large screen, glass of wine in hand is a great way to relive this experience of a lifetime

Walking in Tuscany - October 2015

In summary a very energetic, informative holiday in great surroundings with an interesting group of people.

The Exodus organization of the trip and the guide were up to their usual excellent standard.

The accommodation is spacious comfortable with good food and helpful and accommodating farm family members catering to most of the walkers wants.

All in all a great holiday.

Classic Dollomites (Challenging)

This was a great trip…Lots of physical activity that yielded great views. Food included with trip price was very good…and when you asked nicely, you were able to order items not on the group menu. Hotel Adler deserves it’s 4 star rating. Good location and loved the wellness center. At the end of a day of hiking the steam rooms were most welcoming…Not to mention the comfort of the bar. Our room had a terrace so it was possible to sit outside of our room as well as hang our wet items out to dry…As it did rain and we did do wash. Chose this date because it fit with my touring in Slovenia as part of the same vacation. Thought it would also provide the best hiking weather…We had bright sun the first day, a couple days later it rained and the next day it snowed and then it was sunny again. What a special trip. I have taken several trips with Exodus and this is one of the best for hiking during the day and comfort after the hike. Plus it starts and ends in Venice which makes it easy to extend one’s stay in Italy.

Dolomites, Lake Garda and Venice

A beautiful ride amidst stunning scenery in a culturally rich region of Italy. It was a really great group of people, food was good – what’s not to like?

An excellent week in Jordan.

My wife and I recently returned from “A Week in Jordan” and our first holiday with Exodus. Any apprehension we had before travelling to this part of the world was quickly forgotten due to the warm welcome we received everywhere. Jordan is a wonderful country to visit with it’s amazing sites both man made and natural.