Most Inspirational Moment
Nothing specific, just a thoroughly enjoyable experience
Thoughts on Group Leader
Exceptional
Advice for Potential Travellers
Get on and book that adventure, you wont be disappointed.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Wonderful holiday
Great walks, spectacular views, wonderful company, enjoyable food, fine wine, exceptional leader, all the ingredients for a memorable break.
Amazing Sicily!
A fast paced, very full itinerary, covering some truly amazing places. Great group, made up of caring, fun, interesting and interested folks from a whole range of backgrounds. Highlights were the Etna Volcano visit by cablecar and Greek Temples at Selinunte. The tour does not include the mosaics of Villa Romano or the Aeolian Islands, both of which I still want to see….so look out Sicily, I’ll be returning!
Most Inspirational Moment
Hard to name just one...Seeing the remnants of the recent eruption on Etna....smoke rising from the summit. Or sitting on the steps of a church in centre of Syracuse eating the best Arancini with a cold local beer. The beautiful wildflowers at Selinunte Temples. Thr fun the group had at Tiziano's birthday celebration at the Agriturismo rural hotel. The awesome gold interior of Monreale Cathedral. Walking into the 'Church of the Holy Water' in Palermo and the organist belting out Bohemian Rhapsody. Or perhaps swimming in the stunning turquoise sea on the return from the Zingaro Nature Reserve walk.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tiziano was fabulous. Very well organised, and really good at getting us to coordinate, arriving and leaving on time being important on such a packed tour. His knowledge of the sights, culture and (obsession!) with the food of his country were inspirational! He had a very caring nature and went out of his way to ensure we were all well informed, looked after and having fun at every step of the way!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try and pack lighter as you are moving hotels most nights and sometimes the bus isn't able to park outside the hotel
Amazing experience
This trip far surpassed my expectations. Yes India is a noisy, crowded, chaotic and messy country but WOW it has so much to share. From historical sights to magical landscapes, alongside constant bombardment of exotic smells and people. I cannot recommend this trip enough. It has totally opened my eyes to how wonderful this country and its people are.
Most Inspirational Moment
Of course, the Taj mahal must always take precedence. The visit there was the purpose of my tour. And it did not fail to astound me. But I fell in love with Jaipur. Its walled city and the markets within. Amazing
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Krishna was everything you could ever want in a tour guide - extremely knowledgeable, helpful, considerate, courteous, thoughtful, genuine, organized, punctual and had a true passion to share the wonders of his country both historically and present day. He answered every question thrown at him - considering the range of questions this was no easy task! Honestly, I could not have asked for a better person to introduce me to the wonders of India.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't be worried about the negative attention that India often gets. Go on this tour and experience just how magical this place is.
Magical Mountain Moments
If like me, you seek a mountain adventure with the chance of meeting strangers and leaving with new friends, this could be the trip for you. My experience was everything I had hoped for and more. Stunning walks with spectacular scenery, led by Fred, our knowledgeable and wise mountain leader. Fabulous companions on the trails sharing tales and stories and life’s experiences. A large family feel to our cozy wood chalet with our wonderful Chalet Chocolate hosts Sol and Tomas who provided delicious food, catering for everyone’s dietary requests, and always with a cheery smile. Returning after the day’s walk to a Sol & Tomas fresh baked cake, sharing a cup of wine in the hot tub in lovely gardens overlooked by the Mont Blanc Massif, and spending evening time with laughter. A trip to heal the soul !
Most Inspirational Moment
After watching your feet on the rocky trail, manoeuvring across a tricky terrain, or popping out of tree line ….. turning around and seeing the majestic mountains sourounding you and leaning into it like a giant hug. I could never tire of it. Exploring the alpine wildflower meadows in July in the mid altitudes was joyous. Such variety of plant life and wildlife, and delighted to discover the elusive blue gentian! Eating lunch in front of eight glaciers of the Grande Jorrasses on the Italian section of the TMB was an incredible experience, and humbling to see how far the glaciers have retreated.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fred was everything you could hope for in mountain leader, professional, experienced, personable and attentive. He watched closely and responded well to people’s individual abilities, offering guidance and encouragement as needed. He gave clear and informative evening briefings to set the scene for the day ahead and joined in with our evening meal with easy and friendly conversation.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The walks aren’t technical and don’t require ultra fitness, but stamina to repeat 6hrs of mountain hiking daily with reasonably long periods of ascent, is advisable. Know your own abilities when booking this trip. Highly recommend walking poles for the descents. Room size and layout will differ in Chalets and hotel accommodations, not all are equal. If you are considering this trip, it is likely you are for the mountain hiking rather than the bedroom, be mindful that you might not have the best room and ask yourself whether it would matter. If you want to experience glaciers … don’t delay too long ! Always listen to your guide … take your waterproofs everywhere every day !! 😃
Discovering the Baltics
A very interesting trip that gave a good overview of the three Baltic States and didn’t just concentrate on the three capital cities.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting the Soviet era nuclear missile base in Lithuania
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Andrius Mazrimas was an excellent guide who took great care in ensuring that everyone felt comfortable and dealt with any issues as they arose. He ensured a good balance between the guided tours and the free time, and didn't overschedule - which made the trip into an enjoyable holiday. He also added a nice personal touch to ensure that we got a good flavour of the countries that we visited
Wonderful holiday : Spitsbergen Photography - Under the Midnight Sun
We had been looking for an Arctic or Antarctic holiday for a while, so when this Exodus deal came up, we jumped at the chance. Our hope was to see polar bears and arctic foxes, but we know that the animals are wild and unpredictable, so tried to set our expectations realistically. The trip was well planned and organised; we had time on arrival at the Helsinki airport hotel on Day 1 to get the train into the city for a half-day exploration. The next day we flew to Spitsbergen and then onto the boat. We were very pleasantly surprised by our cabin – much bigger than we had expected. The staff on board were excellent – both the Expedition team and the crew, the catering was wonderful and it was perfect having soft drinks available all day, with wine & beer served with dinner. Our wildlife expectations were more than met, sighting 2 different whale species on our first evening sailing from Longyearbyen! The highlights continued via the daily Zodiac trips and hiking onshore : reindeer, arctic foxes, walrus, whales, many seabirds and flowers – and of course, we saw polar bears. We know how lucky we were, but we saw 6 bears in 3 different locations, The Expedition team were all very knowledgeable about both flora and fauna and were happy to share information. But we should also stress that they were very safety-conscious and ensured all the guests were able to do the activities safely. We had such a good time, that we didn’t want to leave the ship to come home!
Most Inspirational Moment
Being woken at 0415 one morning with the announcement that a polar bear was on the ice sheets approaching the ship. We all rushed on deck and watched the bear approach so close to the ship, looking curiously at the yellw parka-clad tourists gazing down. The bear was alongside for many minutes, allowing us all to appreciate her beauty. Despite the fatigue later that day, the early morning call was really appreciated.
Thoughts on Group Leader
There was no Exodus rep on the ship; the Expedition Leader was Ryan from Quark. He, the Captain and the Expedition team worked hard together to ensure that all the guests on board had the best opportunites to see different animals, birds and scenery. At one point we were the furthest east of all ships in the archipeligo and at another time, the furthest north - we really did feel like Explorers! Ryan managed the Expedition Team well, so that everyone contributed and we had the benefit of their combined knowledge, whilst interacting with different members of the Team on the Zodiacs, the hikes and the special paddling/kayaking activities. Ryan was an excellent and effective Expedition Leader.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for early mornings if animals are seen as their sighting is shared over the ship's tannoy. Ensure you have waterproof trousers and a waterproof day pack for getting in & out of the Zodiacs. Layers are essential for staying warm, not not too hot!
Fantastic Baltics
This was a fantastic trip! Each of the countries are unique and there is something to love about all of them. The trip itinerary is really well planned, and there is so much free time in the capitals that you can really feel comfortable just wandering around. I was lucky to be in a group with a really lovely and enthusiastic bunch of people, as well as all the memories, I even came home with a newfound enjoyment of castles.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were so many. Vilnius nightlife is intense. The former nuclear missile site was fascinating. The Curonian Spit is beautiful. Jurmala real estate makes me want to win the lottery. The Riga medical museum is a must for healthcare geeks like me, although the two-headed dog is something that sticks with you. My favourite stop on the trip was Kaunas, and to be honest I can’t even explain why, it’s just a charming little city.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andrius was brilliant. He is so laid back but still managed to run a tight-ship. He was really open and honest about his experiences growing up during Soviet times, and how things changed as Lithuania became independent. Andrius also has a fantastic sense of humour and quick wit, and a lot of the time it felt like we were just hanging out with him. The local guides were all great as well, and the two drivers were both really good and I felt safe at all times.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A lot of museums are closed on Mondays, so if you’re going to be in one of the capitals on a weekend into Monday it’s worth doing some research to prioritise what you want to visit. Unless you’re really into cabbage vegetarians might struggle. Don’t forget your insect repellent for the national parks, and invest in a good pac-a-Mac.
Wonderful trip all around
The camping trek around Mont Blanc was great fun. Perfect combination of challenge, reward, and just a fun group of people to be with. Our guide, Mike, kept us on track on the trail with very convenient breaks at refuges and summits keeping a steady pace that all could manage while not micromanging the group. Kieron kept our camp put together in almost always changing locations and created lovely meals. The sites were all well chosen and almost all had some sort of shade/rain cover which was lovely.
Most Inspirational Moment
The quiet moments on the summits just enjoying this beautiful part of the world were my favorite.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike and Kieron made a great team and worked well together.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You will enjoy this trip much more if you are in good shape before the trip. Your knees with thank you for bringing and using hiking poles as pretty much each day is up to a col or summit for lunch and then down to a valley to camp. Doing this trip over 14 days allowed for a relaxed pace with several rest days added in. If your group hikes relatively fast you will have plenty of time at camp to explore the towns, play games with your fellow guests, or just hang out and read a book. If you need something to do all the time you may want to pick one of the more compressed trip styles-- which would mean covering more ground each day with less down time in camp.
Silk Road July 2023
A really good experience to three very different countries. The scenery in Kyrgyzstan on the hikes was outstanding. Comfortable for reasonably fit people although altitude will take your breath on occasions. Golden Eagle hunting experience was one of highlights of the trip. Only a brief time in Kazakhstan although Charon Canyon was outstanding. The Registan in Samarkand and other monuments throughout Uzbekistan were absolutely stunning. Both our guides Vitaliy and Dilshod were incredibly knowledgeable and did everything to ensure everyone had a good trip . The weather was challenging at this theme of year with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees but with ‘siestas’ built in where appropriate it was still manageable for sightseeing. Food quality for me was a pleasant surprise and excellent throughout. ATMs readily available in big cities as is money exchange. Credit cards also taken in many places. Overall a very good trip and highly recommended.
Great first exodus experience
This was my first experience using Exodus and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I had. A great time with a really wonderful group of people. Our guide, Andrius, was great with lots of great local knowledge and facts he was able to share.
Most Inspirational Moment
I really enjoyed the day on the Curonian Spit