Reviews

Walking in Mallorca

Lovely relaxing week on an island I hadn’t visited before.
Two centres with the contrast between the lively Puerto Soller with plenty of choice of restaurants and the quieter(and enjoyable) more remote environment of Lluc Monastery.
A variety of walks exploring different aspects of the Sierra Tramuntana from dramatic coastal paths and views of turquoise seas and steep cliffs to more sustained mountain paths leading to 360 degree views of the mountain range.
Not strenuous walking but pretty much all walks on good rocky paths, some uneven, which are perfect for regular walkers(I do use poles but didn’t need them on this occasion) ; for early April we were lucky apparently as we had no rain – if it had been wet, the walks could have been much trickier.

All of this superbly orchestrated and managed by our experienced local guide Eduard who was a star in every respect from planning the logistics of the walks, leading professionally, making sure everyone was safe, preparing lunches, driving, and particularly gelling with the group and communicating his passion for everything Mallorquin having grown up on the island.

A week in Jordan

What a wonderful country, full of Eastern promise.
The people were lovely and did not annoy us as we passed so many little shops.
The country was clean and the hotels of a very good standard, a little bit more expensive then we first though it was going to be, but it is a fairly rich country so prices are on the higher side.
The Dead sea, Mount Nebo, Wadi Rum, Aqaba were all fabulous but Petra was something else, amazing place and so much bigger than we thought it was going to be.
Brilliant week and made even nicer by the fact we had 16 companions from 4 different countries, no smokers no moaners just wonderfully friendly people who were there to enjoy this amazing country.
Thanks to all of you.

Discover Costa Rica

I would highly recommend this trip. The trip is very wildlife oriented, so if that is not your main interest, it may not be for you. However, I wouldn’t say that is normally my main area of interest, and yet I really enjoyed this trip, and it made a nice change. You get 2 nights in each place (except San Jose), so its not as rushed as some trips where it’s mostly 1 night before moving on. The standard of accommodation is very good too. Bus journeys were broken up so they didn’t feel too long, so don’t worry about the time spent on the bus. Great customer service and standards of tourism infrastructure in Costa Rica. An excellent, well organised trip, as perfect as these things are ever going to be.

The Time of Our Lives

Though I have travelled to about seventy countries, Jordan with Exodus offered me one of the best weeks of my life and I and my twelve year old will be absorbing the experience for a long time to come. A haven of peace in a troubled region, it is so important that we go to Jordan and support such wonderful people in building their tourism industry. Petra and Wadi Rum were high points, though you somehow have to make it to Jerash, the Roman city north of Amman. Our guide, Sami, organised it for us and we were taken there on the usual tour bus. I will always remember him. He was such a good guide, not just for running the mechanics of the trip but because he was so a charismatic figure, a serious scholar of all he was showing us, a superb story teller and so good at relating to the kids. At Wadi Rum he even bought a football for them and they had an amazing time. Thanks to him for making it perfect.

Comfortable trek with beautiful scenery

This is the third trek I’ve done in Nepal, the fourth in the Himalayas. I enjoyed the trek, found it easier than Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit and Ladakh- the Markha Valley. Yes, the numerous stone ‘staircases’ were a bit tough at the time, but very do-able and we were not rushed but had plenty of stops to catch breath and drink water. The tea-houses were OK (I always find the basic level of accommodation, especially the toilets & showers, also the rooms a tougher personal challenge than the actual walking) – the food they offered was OK (I didn’t get sick!!), if a bit repetitive.
The scenery was beautiful – big mountain landscapes, valleys with rippling streams and waterfalls, small villages and families farming their terraces using water buffalos and wooden ploughs. Always, the high snowy peaks were in the background. Add to that the colourful rhododendron forests and tiny bamboo bridges. When we first arrived at the Annapurna Sanctuary, I was a bit disappointed as there was no snow on the ground….and muttered to my friend ‘Oh no, just a load of old rocks!!’, but then, as we arrived at ABC, it started snowing heavily…and snowed and snowed all afternoon. The next morning, we trekked back across the flattish section between ABC and MBC and it was stunning – a perfect ‘winter wonderland’ and everything i’d hoped for.
This trek reached a lower altitude than I had experienced on my previous Himalayan treks and I was fortunate not to experience any symptoms of altitude sickness at all (whereas I did have some (manageable) symptoms on the previous ones.
Sunrise at Poon Hill was also a delight. I’d experienced this once before when on the Annapurna Circuit, but, unfortunately, on that occasion, although we climbed the hill, there was no view to be had – it was all obscured by clound. However, on this occasion, Mother Nature decided to reward my persistence and we were greeted by beautiful views of the mountains.

Discover Costa Rica

This trip was one of the best holidays that my wife and I have ever taken. . Costa Rica is a beautiful country but the attention to detail provided by Exodus and their agents ensured that it was a magical experience

Fantastic all round holiday in Costa Rica

A great way to experience all Costa Rica has to offer! Great Accommodation in a variety of hotels and eco lodges all with their own unique character. Food was excellent throughout the holiday. Very highly recommended.

Walking the Amalfi Coast

This was a superb trip – wonderful walks with stunning coastal views, lovely accommodation, food and drink and great tour guide (Michela). I wholeheartedly recommend it – just beware that there is plenty of up / down climb in the walks, especially the steps +++ down to Amalfi. It was great to visit Pompei and Herculaneum, both fascinating sites and we were lucky enough to have Hectore as our site guide. It was also worth doing Naples for pizza and the museum – we did this on our last day. Michela was really helpful in maximising the options that members of the group chose. Great job Michela and Exodus.

Manaslu circuit: a little-visited gem away from the crowds

The Manaslu trek takes one up a very remote valley through villages where life seems to have changed little for centuries, and gives the chance to see Buddhist people of Tibetan origins. This valley is now threatened by a road being built to the Tibetan border – go there soon before it is completed! The scenery in the upper valley is stunning. The Larkye La pass was very tough for me and I was most relieved to have completed it.

Albania is a hidden gem!

This trip offers an excellent introduction to the varied and interesting country that is Albania. Amazing mountain vistas, coastal views, friendly mountain towns and authentic villages. Food is fantastic, wine is good and plentiful and raki also available in a range of ‘flavours’ for those who like it!