Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of a big hill and then being able to come down the otherside to the sun set, we got to the hotel by Lake Nicaragua in time for a sunset that set the sky alight, in that moment you really felt like you were on another planet.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was lovely, very funny and was able to interact with all group members, he had a personal touch and got on well with the drivers and mechanics, it was a great atmosphere.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most places you go take card payments, so you don't need as much cash as you think!

Most Inspirational Moment

Karnak and Luxor temples at night

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Naiel had extensive knowledge of Egyptology - I still don't know how he remembers all of those dynasties. He was friendly and helpful throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

MONEY ATMs are readily available including in hotels. You can only withdraw Egyptian pounds (EGP), but get some (I needed about 80 GBP worth) for minor purchases, meals, drinks – and toilets, where you will be asked for a tip of 10 EGP (about 27p), so a wad of small notes is useful. US dollars (USD) are the most useful currency for the tip kitty, meals, hotel bills, optional trips and major purchases. They are acceptable almost everywhere, including street sellers, but there is no coinage in circulation and the price might be rounded up generously. You are likely to pay rather more than if you use EGP. Change, if required, will be in EGP. I got through around 350 USD. Sterling and Euros are not so useful. They may be acceptable in hotels and major tourist shops, but not generally elsewhere. Credit cards are fine for optional trips, hotels and major purchases.

Most Inspirational Moment

The town of Besalu with its winding streets, monastery and absolutely breathtaking12th Century Bridge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was organized, professional, and patient. He was also a wealth of knowledge on each place we visited.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the boat trip at the end. A real rest from the hectic nature of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Biju was a fantastic group leader. He was ever helpful, enthusiastic very informative and passionate about his job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to avoid the dreaded tummy troubles, take care on your choice of food and drink. I had no problem at all and the places we ate at were all excellent. However, if you eat street food or drink tap water be prepared for the consequences!

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlights are too numerous to mention but the stand-outs for us were the two long descents from stunning Susques down into the Humahuaca gorge and the final days biking down Bishop's slope.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ale was charming, ever cheerful and worked hard to keep our large group on track. He had great local knowledge and interesting stories that embellished our trip. Our feeling was that there were not enough staff to deal with the group in an efficient way. There were just three people including Ale to drive the 2 vans and provide stop breaks and lunch. Loading the bikes and lunch preparation was slow and time consuming meaning that we often arrived late at the final destination with little down time before our evening meal. The van that was meant to be readily available with our possessions including additional clothing was always at the back of the group which sometimes meant waiting up to 90minutes getting cold for the van to catch up for example.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We definitely benefitted from arriving a few days earlier in San Pedro to acclimatise to the altitude. We also enjoyed visiting some of the sites not covered by the trip on our own (we hired a car), namely the Altiplanic lakes and Chaxa lagoon. Some people in our group suffered from the effects of altitude for a couple of days. Sandy gravel roads were a significant feature of this trip, with one full day on gravel. Experience in off road cycling would be of benefit for these sections. The bike seats were not comfortable for us, consider bringing your own or a padded cover. The weather was unusually warm for our trip meaning that the many warm clothes we brought were barely worn, however you do need some warm clothing for the cooler nights, high altitude and the Geyser trip. Salta was a complete surprise for us. Larger, more interesting and enjoyable than we anticipated. Well worth an extra night or two stay at the end as there is lots to do in and around the city. It also felt completely safe to walk around at all times of the day and night. Argentina is currently very cheap with the blue rate being offered by credit cards and currency exchange from American dollars.

Most Inspirational Moment

The cookery course, the trip to Hoi An, our Vietnam guide TV.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanh made the whole group very welcome from our first greeting at the airport to our departure to Cambodia. He was very knowledgeable and extremely attentive to the groups needs. We all felt very well looked after with Thanh.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages in Cambodia, visiting the local food market with Rit,. Swimming in the reservoir, Visiting Ankhor Wat , visiting the Cu Chi tunnels and staying at the Mekong Boutique Resort and Spa. Also our leader Rit was fantastic and the group worked well together. We had some delicious meals.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Rit went above and beyond to ensure we had a good holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

"The main highlight for me was Machu Picchu! I loved the 1 day Inca trail upto the site, I found it challenging but worth while. The floating reed islands of lake titikaka was so fascinating, I really enjoyed that day so much! The couple of nights at Inkaterra lodge in the rainforest was fantastic (I would have loved to spend another day there)."

Thoughts on Group Leader

My guide William was absolutely fantastic, he made the trip so much more than I expected. His attention to detail was 10/10 and really wanted us to have the best experience possible. He was friendly, knowledgeable and very professional. Always giving us information and insight about everything he possibly could, he really is an asset to Exodus travel and a great ambassador for Peru.