Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The best part of the trip was to meet people from all over the world, most of them experienced travelers. They were open minded, supportive and friendly, they made the experience even more memorable! The nature was beautiful, we had one sunny day, after that rain and snow on the last day, all seasons changed before our eyes. We visited the brown bears sanctuary, that was heartwarming to see the care and love for the wildlife. And of course the Dracula castle, big tourist attraction! The food was the best, healthy, irresistibly delicious!

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were blessed with the best leader: Sebastian! Knowledgeable, proud of his country, patient, supportive, positive!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared with the best hiking shoes. I personally suffered from hurting my toenails 😊

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the bears in true nature

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martin - great leader who gave us loads of background and looked after us

Advice for Potential Travellers

Thanks for all the advice from previous reviews - ie take eye mask, ear plugs, sandwich box etc. All were really handy. A great holiday, good/varied mountain walks, lovely seeing the bears both in the wild and in the sanctuary and the trip notes are pretty comprehensive My advice would be to go out early and pass a night or 2 in Bucharest before joining the trip at the airport. I stayed at the Hotel Duke (an Exodus recommendation which was really comfortable). It was easy to get to on the 100 bus from right outside the airport and walking distance of the attractions of the Old Town. Close to the Metro too. It certainly made the transfer to the mountains better (avoiding a really early start) and the city is worth a visit too. Loads of attractions, bars etc - the Rough Guide really helped me find my way around.

Most Inspirational Moment

See the green forests and the bears in their natural habitat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebastian also known as Sebi was very knowledgeable, friendly and always available to support us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking poles are essential and be prepared to beauty and adventure in this quiet place. Accept note there are bells around the sheep and cows for everyone’s protection.

Most Inspirational Moment

The bear hide - seeing the wild bears interacting with each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Sebi was excellent. He was knowledgeable and caring.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the bears from the hide. Caterina was able to share her expert knowledge, and the bears did not disappoint

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebi was an excellent leader . He shared so much information about the area and the history. He made assessments about the group and made sure that we were all comfortable with the pace, use of shade and rest . He spoke with all of us, so everyone felt included.l

Advice for Potential Travellers

Look at the weather forecast, it was much hotter than expected. Be aware of tics, I picked one up and hadn’t had the jabs.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the bear sanctuary was very interesting and humbling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was fantastic. He was clearly very passionate about his country, and was extremely well-organised. Nothing was too much trouble for him, and he was clearly very well-prepared.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you suffer from hayfever take some antihistamines with you. The pollen count can get very high in the meadows in summer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of a clamber up the rocks and seeing the views! Waking up in the morning to the sound of the cow bell!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Couldn't have been better...knows the area really well, was very friendly and kept an eye out for everyone. Organised everything very well and was always there to help, answer any queries etc. He was key to making the holiday so enjoyable

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be fooled by the grading, all the walks are hilly as the area is itself very hilly

Most Inspirational Moment

The bear hide! We saw about 9 bears in total including cubs - an amazing experience to see bears in the wild.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebi was superb - a brilliant wealth of knowledge, made sure everyone in the group was included, and had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As someone else has mentioned - take earplugs! You will hear the dogs barking throughout the night.

Most Inspirational Moment

The evening in the bear hide was so memorable. Saw lots of bears and cubs - an amazing experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Really excellent. Very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Great flowers in May/June, the meadows were incredible.

Most Inspirational Moment

The bear hide was pretty spectacular!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tomas knows the area very well and went out of his way to share insights into the history and present-day culture of the region.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take walking poles. I was surprised that a level 2 trip included walking poles as essential items, but I now understand why. Some of the descents are very steep and those without poles found them particularly challenging. Take an eye mask - the curtains in the wonderful Villa Hermani do not block out the morning light, and it gets light early. We stayed in Bucharest for several nights both before and after the trip - it's a wonderful city and well worth a visit. Public transport is cheap and efficient - for example, the 100 express bus from the airport to the centre of Bucharest runs every 15 minutes, takes less than an hour and costs only 3RON (about 50p!)