Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Our tour leader, Alessio, made the trip. But the nights in Palermo and Ragusa were the best. As those cities were most interesting. Along with the vineyard visit on Etna. All the visits to the produce makers (olive oil, cheese, wine) never felt like merely a sales exercise. There was no hard sell. But all were interesting. And delicious in terms of sampling. The mix of accommodation types was really good.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alessio was brilliant at making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. You felt in very capable hands. We didn't have any dramas on our tour but I'm sure he would be excellent at sorting anything out if required. His local knowledge, as a Sicilian himself, and enthusiasm for the food and culture of Sicily is incredible. He can talk (!)but always in an interesting and sometimes amusing way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't do this trip if you just want to sit on the beach or by the pool. You won't get much chance of that. Our group were almost all 50 years plus. There aren't any onerous levels of exercise involved but you do need to be able to manage a certain amount of walking. I would suggest that doing this in the spring or autumn is best to avoid the intense heat. But it did feel a bit end of season'ish in late September.

Most Inspirational Moment

For the main programme, I loved the visit to Ephesus as it gave me so many good memories of visiting as a child with my parents. But for pure enjoyment, the optional boat trip on the turquoise coast and the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia were truly awe inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ebru was a wealth of information with detailed knowledge on every sight including stories to bring the places alive. There was maybe too much for us to take in, and a shorter brief with more free time to explore may have been a better approach, especially in the hot sun. She took us to some interesting restaurants and was well organised with the group tipping kitty, which took away some of the stress from the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some good books and music for the long drives. You also need to stay for extra nights in Istanbul if you want to see everything.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to pick. Staying at the Delta and the optional helicopter ride, were memorable, but all the major visits in their own right had much to offer. Being so close to the wildlife at the camp, hearing lions, hippos and elephants during the night and seeing the night sky, was truly memorable. Walking close to rhinos in Motopo was amazing. Seeing the stunning Victoria Falls was a great conclusion to a trip that kept on giving.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Onary, our guide, was professional, well organised, hard working, knowledgeable and enthusiastic; an all round pleasant guy. We can not speak highly enough of him and his efforts were a significant factor in making this trip such a memorable experience. He is also a great cook! Indeed, some of the best food was cooked on the camp fire! Such sentiments also go out to the group who contributed to making the two weeks together a real pleasure. Staff in the hotels, various guides, the polers and others we had contact with during the two weeks were all invariably pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We used our bank cards sparingly, taking with us US$ in mostly small denominations, which worked for us especially in Zimbabwe. Others within the group seemed to use their cards with no problem. We would advise against $100 dollar notes as change is not plentiful and people were pleased to receive small denomination notes. One piece of advice is to have all footwear readily available on arrival (perhaps pack a spare carrier bag) as there are three foot and mouth stations in which you need to dip all your shoes in Botswana, the first being soon after arrival. Also take at least one Botswana plug adapter. If travelling as a couple, it would be advisable to split your clothes across baggage as luggage can/ did go astray (something we’d never thought of before!). Optional visits, such as the helicopter ride over the Delta, the meal at the local produce restaurant at Victoria Falls and the sunset cruise on the Zambezi, are well worth it. The optional night safari in Hwange was perhaps a bit expensive for what it delivered, but who knows on a different occasion?

Most Inspirational Moment

The cookery class was superb and the vintage Vespa ride great fun. Enjoyed pretty much all the activities so hard to narrow it down.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A little disorganised at times and didn’t always keep to timings but not a problem. He was always willing to help out and it can’t be easy keeping 16 people happy all the time!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Plan to spend some extra time in Bali as there really was no spare time at all. Be prepared to spend hours everyday travelling by minibus.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Self-guided.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hotels were better than we expected. Not Exodus’s fault, but all our hotel rooms were unairconditioned, so it was hot (leaving the windows open in-town makes it quite loud). Exodus says their bikes are “hybrid”…that might be a tour-industry term. The bikes are heavy upright rental bikes with a big bouncy seat and huge tires…not what US customers might consider to be a hybrid bike you’d use for distance riding. Consider bringing your own seat and clipless pedals (which the guy delivering the bikes said he can’t install). We found you need to pay (in cash only) a daily tourist tax at hotels in Austria, not included in your tour price. Exodus added a wine tasting on our tour, which turned out to be very nice…pleasant tasting room, courteous service, excellent wine. The printed and app directions weren’t as easy as other tour company’s apps, but it’s not a huge deal since you’re just biking down-river. The provided navigation app crashed a few times a day, but when it worked, it took you to the town, but not the hotel. This is not also a big deal in a tiny town…but one hotel required waiting for a van to take you 5 miles up into the hills, and our Vienna hotel was on the outskirts and without navigation it was a harrowing 90-minute experience trying to bike/walk through busy Vienna roads without English-language instructions. Some emailed questions we asked Exodus were never answered, and other answers were delayed a number of days before someone got back to us. After we paid, we were required to sign a document that literally says “Exodus can cancel our trip for any reason whatsoever”. So, you’d be on the hook for international airfare you bought. Which raises the issue of travel insurance. In its documentation it sends after you pay, Exodus says, “Please note to travel with Exodus, you must have adequate [insurance] coverage for the activities involved”. In other post-payment documentation, it says, “You must carry proof of insurance with you on your tour: if you cannot provide this at the start of the trip, you will be required to take out a suitable policy at that time.” Both times, Exodus provides the link to their “partner”, Redpoint Travel Protection. Judging one’s tolerance for risk is obviously (and only) the consumer’s decision, but Exodus’s pretend-compulsory upsell was kind of a stain on what would have been a reasonable consumer experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery and group.

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was helped by her husband. They where an excellent team.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walks were great but a little harder than ‘easy’ but we all made the end of each walk.

Most Inspirational Moment

Great new itinerary!

Most Inspirational Moment

Glacier walk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

JP was great at suggesting and organising activites to satisfy a wide range of needs on our trip. He also was able to salvage days that were altered by road closures, all at the last minute. We was very helpful and good natured.

Most Inspirational Moment

We had a fantastic week with good company, amazing scenery, good food and good views of the cliff nesting white storks and other sea birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Luis and Ines were outstanding guides and went above and beyond to give us a great weeks walking in coastal Portugal.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Shoes and or walking boots with good grip.