Reviewed December 2018 Helen U Trip: Stockholm & The Baltics in Winter A whistle stop tour of the Baltics This is a great taster of the Baltic cities of Tallinn, Riga and Lithuania, as well as a brief introduction to Stockholm. The trip is marketed as one for Christmas markets but it is so much more than that; it provides a fascinating insight into their histories and cultures. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It's hard to capture one but Rundale Palace was magnificent and really interesting; the huge decorated Christmas trees in each city were works of art. Plus the mulled wine was always good! The local tour guides in each city were excellent and worth standing in the cold for several hours. What did you think of your group leader? Lukas was a great tour leader, very knowledgeable and always on hand to help. Being from Lithuania his knowledge of his country's history is mind-blowing, and his English is faultless. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? There are three walking tours on the trip so it really helps to go prepared for the cold weather. Layers are always useful and be prepared for rain and snow. There are plenty of cafes to go into in each place to warm up! In addition, the amount of free time you have in each place is limited, so it is probably useful to have an idea in advance of anything you particularly want to see. The hotels are all centrally located so finding your way around is very easy. There is obviously a lot of travel during this tour (take a book!) but it never felt too much as the journeys were always broken up by visits to various places, all of which were definitely worth seeing. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is a great trip for anyone wanting to learn a bit more about the Baltic states - I will definitely be visiting them again!
Reviewed December 2018 Mary Fenelon Bourke Trip: Discover Sri Lanka Unforgettable Sri Lanka This two week trip of Sri Lanka covers a lot of ground & various experiences & really gives the traveller a great taste of what this wonderful country has to offer. We had cultural experiences in Dambulla & Sigiryia , saw elephants & leopard on safari ,experienced hiking, biking, white water rafting, tea plantations, cities like Kandy & Galle, colonial experiences in Nuwara Eliyia , super food & the services of Ruwan an exceptional guide. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Climbing Lion's rock in Sigiryia, seeing leopard in Yala, white water rafting in Kitulgala. What did you think of your group leader? Ruwan is a fantastic leader, super organised & efficient but in a gentle effective way. He made sure that we had great experiences.He is clearly passionate about his country & his job & he ensured that we had a memorable holiday. He also was very funny which is not easy when English is not his first language. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for rain most days in November/early December. We were lucky that it was mainly in the evenings but it was still more than we expected. Bring good insect sprays, walking shoes for the hikes & climbs & temple cover up clothes for the temples. Is there anything else you would like to add? It would have been nice to spend more time in Galle as it is a lovely city & we only had three hours there. Perhaps an overnight would be an option. It would also be nice to be able to eat other than in our hotels more of the time as you can get tired with the hotel buffets.
Reviewed December 2018 Nick Street Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek Great winter sun and mountains in view of the sea Great weather. It was sunny every day apart from one (in December). Aitana and Puig Campana summits were spectacular. Aitana had a fall of snow the night before so we had sun and snow covered landscape with views of the mountains and sea. Great group with a competent and amusing leader (Jose). What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Aitana and Puig Campana summits had extended excellent views and were great walks. What did you think of your group leader? Jose was competent, hard working, friendly and funny. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Great destination for winter sun in the mountains within easy traveling distance of the UK.
Reviewed December 2018 qe esrd Trip: Julian Alps to the Adriatic Cycling Julian Alps Test Post Test post please ignore What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Test post please ignore What did you think of your group leader? Test post please ignore Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Test post please ignore
Reviewed December 2018 Sarah Fordham Trip: The Inca Trail An amazing experience This was one of the toughest challenges I have put my body through but was so worth it. I had an amazing time and the trip was so well organised. I am in love with Peru now and already thinking about when I can go back. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It was incredible to make it to the top of dead woman's pass. It was a tough day but it was an amazing sense of achievement when we were at the top looking down. And of course the first view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate is breath taking and made it all worth while. What did you think of your group leader? Ollie was so knowledgeable and really made the trip special. I think the whole group learnt a lot and he bought the culture and history to life for us. He was able to answer all of our questions and he is clearly passionate about what he does. He was also patient when we were physically struggling and needed to rest a lot, and was full of good advice. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Make sure that you acclimatise as much as possible in Cusco and also make sure that you have decent equipment as you will be relying on it for the days you are hiking. Learn a few Spanish phrases so you can at least introduce yourself to the porters, I had to rely on others in the group and the group leader. Is there anything else you would like to add? The porters were amazing! They were all very kind, despite the language barrier, and looked after us all very well. The food was some of the best that I had while I was away.
Reviewed December 2018 Peter Hadsley-Chaplin Trip: The Inca Trail Inca Trail - Exodus rating: Excellent! I couldn't praise the Exodus team more highly for helping to provide me with one of the holidays of a lifetime! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Entering the Sun Gate and seeing the City of Machu Picchu below me for the first, with the stunning mountain backdrop. The photos simply don't do justice to the real thing. What did you think of your group leader? Holger ('Ollie') was absolutely top rate. He was patient, kind and considerate as well as exceptionally well informed, not just about Inca, and pre-Inca, history but also about the wonderful flora and fauna that we encountered along the Trail. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for very cold nights in your tent (in December). Whilst at times beautifully warm and sunny during the day, the temperature got to 5 or 6 degrees at night so wearing a couple of layers of clothes, plus a liner inside my sleeping bag, kept me snug and warm. For the fair-skinned, wear a hat with a suitably wide brim as the sun could be quite fierce at times during the day. Is there anything else you would like to add? Be sure to travel with Exodus - from the team in the UK office (especially Alec Worthy and Treherne Francis) to the team in Cuzco, plus our wonderful porters, our fantastic chef and, last but not least, our brilliant guide, Holger, everyone couldn't do enough to ensure that we had a fabulous, and memorable, trip!
Reviewed December 2018 jim braiden Trip: Undiscovered Atlas Undiscovered Atlas Great trek- hard slog but worth it- stunning scenery- first class support from Lassan our guide and his team - particularly our cook Hussein- who was superb. Weather was great- tents etc very comfortable. Highlights- lunch under tree shade in Berber village, dip in mountain pool on second last day and the superb Riad we stayed at on last night. As usual with Exodus a first class experience- made even better by the people in the group - great bunch What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Ascending Jebel Aklim What did you think of your group leader? Lassan -fantastic, patient, competent, always has a fall back plan- he even remembered me from a previous trip - he was a junior guide when I did Toubkal Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Yes Last night in Riad - lovely place but no toiletries - so bring soap and shampoo !
Reviewed December 2018 Elizabeth Smith Trip: Self-Guided Trails of La Palma Excellent way to walk in La Palma's rugged scenery Well organised trip with all we needed to do some reasonably strenuous but not technically challenging walks in a mixture of coastal and volcanic terrains. The travel arrangememts, accommodation and food were all fine, and it was good not to have to move on every night to new accommodation(3 moves). The route guides were straightforward for the most part and the paths well marked. La palma is relatively unspoilt and we liked meeting almost no-one on several of the trails! Weather was fabulous. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Caldera crater walk was stunning - the rock formations have to be seen in real life - photos don't do them justice. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for the number of steepish descents and ascents the ravines (of which there are many) entail - they're fine but good to be mentally prepared!
Reviewed December 2018 Ken Plumb Trip: Annapurna Circuit Wonderful Trip A more varied trip than the Everest trips I have done. The whole trip was amazing - great group of trekers - great leadership - wonderful support staff - epic scenery. Every day brought something different - from rice fields to baron high mountain areas - from 25 degrees to minus 12 ! - from high mountain views to flat valley landscapes. So, so glad I did this trip What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Crossing Thorang La Pass at over 5400m was a wonderful day - long, tiring but epic. A landscape so unlike anything in Europe coupled with the physical effort of walking uphill at high altitude. We all made it thanks to our great Nepali team. What did you think of your group leader? Kumar was a real star. He seemed to anticipate our every need and organised his staff superbly. He looked after people when that has problems during the trip. He was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We were so lucky to have him. A really top class Exodus leader. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Layers of clothing are the answer form temperatures which varied so much. Take a pillow case - almost no weight and more hygienic than just using the pillows which may not have been cleaned for a while. Steripens are recommended and work very well. Be very careful with your hygiene - many people had a day or 2 with 'issues' but I was fine - hand gel is the key ! Be reasonably fit - you do not have to be superfit. Take antibiotics and Diamox with you in case you need them. Use suncream a lot - the sun burns you at high altitude. Take your time on the trek and enjoy the views - take a good camera. Take a buff for use on the dusty roads you sometimes have to use. Is there anything else you would like to add? If you can afford the time, this trip has a bit of everything for someone with a bit of adventure in their soul ( or even sole! ) , Nepal is a wonderful friendly, inspiring place ! Go for it.
Reviewed December 2018 Ashley Foley Trip: Thai Indochina Explorer Wonderful trip I really had the best time on this trip. The tour guides were amazing. So knowledgable and professional. Everything was perfectly organised and we squeezed a lot into a very short space of time. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Angkor Wat was wonderful. Our guide was from the area and spoke very passionately about the temples and about growing up in Cambodia. What did you think of your group leader? All three were amazing. Catered to our every need and made sure we had an amazing time. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be careful of the water in Cambodia! Is there anything else you would like to add? The accommodation in Sihanoukville was disappointing. It wasn’t the one included on our itinerary and was of a much lower standard than the other hotels on the trip. It was far from the beach and the centre of town and was in the middle of a building site. However, I do now understand that the original hotel cancelled the groups booking and the team was unable to find another suitable place. It certainly didn’t spoil my trip but it would have been better if expectations were managed before we arrived at the hotel. The Exodus team and the group leader were very understanding and accommodating and did everything they could to resolve the situation.