Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

gliding across frozen lakes covered in snow with the sun shining  and nobody else around Standing at the top of a mountain pass looking out across the mountains one morning having just watched heroes of telemark on dvd the night before in the lodge- it gave a real feel of what those men went through in WWII.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two - they divided their time between both groups. Mary and Ilse were both excellent, profficient at the sport and their local knowledge was excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont forget your gaiters. Cross country skiing in Kvitavatn is not limited to the tracks - all terrains are covered so you will spend a lot of time in deep snow.If you dont have gaiters you get very wet feet!Go to the gym and work out on a cross trainer before you go - any preparation is worthwhile as the trip is very active and you will find muscles you didnt know you had!Dispel any notion that its like alpine skiing as its nothing like it - far harder, far more energetic but definitely more worth while in my opinion! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

First rate

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are wrapped up well against winter cold in the mountains; both on and off the bike.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking down the siq for our first glimpse of The Treasury for the Petra by candlelight evening.Exploring Petra, especially the 'adventure hike' we did to the high places above The Treasury.The night spent at Wadi Rum and seeing the amazing starlit sky.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dani was just brilliant. He truly loved his country and was very knowledgeable. He was fun to be with and looked after us all very well. He was caring and considerate.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As we went in February and north Jordan had snow, I would suggest plenty of layers with more warm clothes than you might expect to pack. Take a good sleeping bag for the night in Wadi Rum. Comfy walking shoes/boots essential.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly walking the Tongariro Crossing. I challenged myself further by doing the extra add on of Mount Ngauruhoe, aka 'The Doom' from Lord of the Rings. (Previous walking experience and high level of fitness essential. Don't contemplate it otherwise.) I was apparently the first Exodus client to have done so. The Siberian Experience; a flight in a light plane into the wilderness followed by a 3 hour walk and jet boat back out. White-water rafting on Buller River, kayaking Queen Charlotte Sound and cruising Milford Sound all followed very closely behind in a trip packed with so many inspirational moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Clark and 'Jif' (Geoff) were two great, competent, humerous guys. They oozed enthusiasm and knowledge of their homeland which they constantly shared with us. In addition they kept the group spot on with what was a very tight itinerary. I was full of admiration for their excellent driving skills which they carried out whilst participating fully in all the activiteis undertaken. Clark was clearly a man of good taste and always selected the most excellent coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants for refreshment breaks and the purchase of packed lunches. Thanks for the extra inches on the waistline Clark!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light taking easily laundered tech clothing. There are sufficient opportunities at hotels with laundry facilities to refresh your wardrobe/bag.Budget well to make full use of your free time in Queenstown. There are so many extra activities to do there; cycling, the luge, paragliding etc. Don't miss out!Several hotels have spa pools free to use by guests. Make the most of them to help those worn out muscles.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were fortunate enough to witness several families of hippopotami in the river loudly enjoying the water.   We also came across a young family of lions in the bushes eating what was obviously a very recent kill.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader spoke excellent English and had a very wide knowledge of the country, wildlife and culture.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Exodus provides sufficient information beforehand - just go with an open mind.

Most Inspirational Moment

Impossible to decide on one moment as there were so many highlights.  I really enjoyed the various activities from the bike ride in Hoi An and the cyclo ride in Hue, to drinking coconut juice from a freshly cut coconut in the Mekong Delta.  There are plenty of boat trips and these were all superb.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Giang was excellent, he was very passionate and knowledgeable about his lovely country.  He was always willing to provide ideas and help sort out arrangements, even in his free time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was very easy to get laundry done in Hoi An.  The hotel service was relatively expensive so our tour leader arranged for us to drop our clothes off at the bike shop!  Everything arrived back clean, fresh and pressed, all at a reasonable price.Like all Exodus trips this is a busy and active holiday, however, I did not find it too tiring.  The bonus of this type of holiday is that you come home with so many wonderful memories and photos.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, this was doing the Tizi n Test pass..20k ascent on roads bending in and around the mountains, and to reach the top and see the road back down from where we came on one side..and an awesome view across the next valley, where we were to decend, on the other. Absolutely incredible - a great reward for the mornings climb!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andy was great as our group leader - very calm and organised, and put up with our constant questions on the routes. It added to our holiday that he is so taken with Morocco and was keen to pass this on to us. The trip to the women's group, and also the morning walk around Marrakech on the day off really made us see and appreciate the more hidden side to the country more. He was also a good motivator in terms of the cycling..never would I have thought I would be racing up mountains!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you go in Feb take warm clothes

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to select as the trek up and down the Todra Gorge, the camel ride into the Bedhouin camp in the Sahara and the scenery in the High Atlas were all up there.  Not forgetting the relaxing time back in the warmth of the resort of Essaouira, with it's fascinating port and wonderful fresh sea food.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was informative, knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about his Country, sensitive to the Group's needs and had a wonderful sense of humour.  He seemed really happy and excited when he was able to manoeuvre a mock Wedding celebration between a pair in our group the man[Tim] of which was going to propose to his partner[Kensie] on Valentine's evening, for which he had already invested in a beautiful engagement ring!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do believe the weather advice that Exodus give you in terms of the cold temperatures at this time of year and take plenty of warm clothing.  After 6pm and through until about 10am the temperatures were very low and some of the buildings had no heating[as 75% of the year, I guess the temperatures are so high as to be uncomfortable].  However, our own cocern from the Climate sites we had investigated, which predicted up to 9 days of rain in Morocco during February, were totally unfounded from our experience of 5 minutes of showers in Marrakech on the Friday before we came home on Sunday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling for 4 hours in the countryside surrounding Hoi An in a small group with a local guide (organised by our TL) who knew his ways through the many waterside paths. It rained but that made it a truely Vietnamese experience.The variety of food available. The cooking school in Hoi An was enjoyable and a nice inclusion.Kareoke with some of the group in Saigon; organised by our tour leader in a private room place which also had good food and cheap beer. The Mekong Delta - I knew little about it before going and the various boat trips took us to see a variety of industries and environs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb. Dzung is one of the best tour leaders I have experienced, and mature beyond his 26 years. He established early on what sort of experiences, food etc that we were all interested in and made sure we were given the opportunities we sought.My only disappointment with the tour leading is that Dzung was left behind when we left for the last 2 days in Angkor and the "tour leader" in Cambodia was sub-standard - basically he was a historical guide who did not look out for us at all. It was a flat end to what had been a good tour, and given it was the most "deluxe" type of Exodus tour, it seemed mean not to keep the Vietnamese tour leader for the last 2 days to ensure the group ended on a "high".

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect Halong Bay to be the highlight; it's a mass touristy experience and care for the environment seems minimal. The water was full of floating rubbish and the boats didn't appear to have holding tanks or the courtesy not to run noisy generators all night. Eating out in Vietnam is cheap so order more than you think you might eat and share some of your "finds" with others in your group.Try to take lots of US$1 notes if you can get them as they are useful for tips, purchases etcDon't sit at the front of the bus if you are a nervous passenger as Vietnamese road usage is scary! I didn't take the group flights, and the others complained about them (seat size, route and stopovers). I paid a bit more to fly via Bangkok, but it saved me 8 hours travelling on the way home, so I thought was money well spent.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Despite the breathtaking scenery for me everything about the was encapsulated in a brief moment whilst we were riding through a village. I was 100 metres behind one of our group and could see clearly children running and skipping out of their homes to shout 'hello' and give him and then myself high fives as we went past. This was par for the course everywhere we went - as I was riding up the Hai Van Pass motor cyclists pulled up alongside to say hello and chatting to me as I was fighting for air! Vietnam is a beautiful country with wonderful genuinely friendly people.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lynn was excellent. Planning and execution of the trip was faultless but the extra dimension was brought to the trip by his personal stories of his experiences growing up in a war torn Vietnam. It was not only interesting but allowed us to understand on a personal level the challenges the Vietnamese have faced in relatively recent times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My only concern about the trip was me travelling on my own - there was the unknown element what the other of the other people on the trip were like. Do not let this put you off! Of a group of 10, 5 of us were solo travellers but we soon realised we all had the similar ideas, values and reasons for going on the trip and this made the basis of making some really good friends - in fact they made a good trip great.