Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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60 Reviews

4.4 out of 5

Barbara Thomas

Reviewed October 2024

Better than expected

This was quite a hectic trip with 1 night spent in each location (bar one)& quite a lot of driving in between. 2 days in particular involved hours of driving around winding mountain roads (I would advise taking sickness pills if you suffer from travel sickness. What a stunningly beautiful country! More mountainous than I expected. Food & drink was of very good quality & much cheaper than UK. The only hotel that let us & Exodus down, was Hotel Pogradec on Lake Ohrid…the breakfast was appalling & everyone complained. The hotel even had the nerve to charge for coffee (the tea on offer was awful). That particular hotel apart, the service & friendliness of the Albanians was wonderful. Quite A wide variety of places/sites visited, from Churches, Castles to Museums, Archaeological parks & more. The whole country was more advanced (if I can use that term) than expected, especially places like Gjirokaster, Tirana & Berat. Overall, a very worthwhile country to visit.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to choose: The Lunch we had with a local family in their home in the beautiful high village. Apolonia & Butrint Ancient Sites,Gjirokaster, the view from the bridge in Permet & when at the top of the mountains generally. Just the views!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Edjon was quite a character..a walking history book on Albania! However, sometimes all that travellers need is a simple bullet point answer from a question & Edjon didnt seem to 'get' that. Some of his talks were v long speeches with too much info so in the end you dont absorb anything. I cant identify with recent Reviews here with regard to Ed socialising with the group as the only meal Ed had with us was the final evening & that was q brief. However that could be down to Group dynamics or it being the end of a long season.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack lightly as you are moving every morning. Be prepared for a couple of days long drives. Take GBP & change them into LEK when there (you cant buy LEK in the UK). Most places take cards & Euros but you need local currency as well. If you're not very mobile then it's essential to take a walking pole for 1 of the walks (which is really a hike uphill).

Catherine D

Reviewed October 2024

Mountains and fun memories

A tour that covers a lot of the south of Tirana. Lovely, mountain scenery, some delightful towns, (some not so pretty). The days were full and varied, we learnt about Albania’s history, met welcoming locals and swam in the warm Ionian sea. And we ate Very well! Great food for veggies.

Most Inspirational Moment

Berat was delightful and the hotel, particularly my room, in Gjirokaster was enchanting. Loved swimming in the sea. The parfait in Berat... yum!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Edjon was brilliant. He is a natural group leader. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Albania, always happy and smiling. He made the trip most enjoyable with fun filled days, adding additional spots for us to enjoy. And Medi, The Best Driver! We did some hair-raising drives, but we were in the safest hands with Medi. Along with Edjon, they brought much fun and laughter, joined us every evening for dinner and dancing. Their bond and laughter made it such a fun trip. We were very lucky to have them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's getting popular, best visit now before it gets busier and buildings go up. It's easy to change money in the bigger towns.

Karen Babbage

Reviewed October 2024

Lovely landscapes, vibrant towns and hidden gems

An ideal trip for those looking to get off the beaten track and learn about this country’s interesting and long history first hand, and enjoy its food.

Most Inspirational Moment

Village of Lin with its ancient mosaic and stunning views over Lake Ohrid.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader (Ed) was great and he enhanced the trip with additional visits and food/drink tastings. Medi is probably the best driver we’ve ever had (in 30 years of group travel). He was a safe and thoughtful driver and great fun, joining in with almost all our activities.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don’t need walking boots for this trip – good trainers are enough.

Sara Weinberger

Reviewed October 2024

Beautiful Albania

Albania is a beautiful country, complete with incredible mountain scenery, beautiful cities, mountainous towns, and stunning seascapes. This trip enabled me to see a lot of Albania, learn about its history, and sample its delicious food. Though it was pretty tiring changing hotels almost every day, that was a price worth paying to discover so much of this magical country.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved looking at the breathtaking scenery from the window of our mini-bus. I ordinarily don't like buses, but Diu, our bus driver was an incredible driver, who often stopped to buy us fruit on roadside, and made sure we were all enjoying our trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was kind and knowledgeable, though I wish he had spent some time on the bus teaching us an occasional Albanian word, asking us how we were doing, etc. For those interested in archaeology, because he is an archaeologist, our group leader supplied information at several archaeological sites.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You will see a lot on this trip, but changing hotels almost daily can be exhausting. Accommodations were almost all very adequate.

Stephen Babbage

Reviewed October 2024

Had a great time!

This was a very well run tour, with good accommodation and (thanks to our tour leader, driver and fellow passengers) a terrific atmosphere. Albania perhaps doesn’t have as big highlights as some other countries we’ve visited, but this Exodus trip is an excellent way to see it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying inside the ancient citadel of Berat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Edjon (Ed), and our driver Medi, were both great fun. It would be impossible not to have a good time in their company! Ed also arranged for lots of little extra visits, tastings etc that significantly enhanced the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t expect the slickest tourist experience in Albania (e.g. the dishes you order in a restaurant may not come out in the order you expected); just roll with it. Do expect friendly people and a very safe country. Don’t go in peak summer unless you’re OK with very hot weather – September was a very pleasant time to be there. Changing money in exchange offices is extremely easy, and there’s no commission.

Marni Goodman

Reviewed September 2024

Exodus for the win!

The sequence of the tour, and the time allocated for each stop was perfect. It was well balanced between culture, history, nature, food, and people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking into my hotel in Berat. I felt like a princess being able to sleep in a castle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Edjon M was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He was considerate of every participant and made an effort to give each of us individualized attention and care. Ed added several extra stops to give us additional experiences and exposures to history and culture that were not part of the planned itinerary, and I actually think that without all those additions, the trip would not have become such a highlight of my travel experiences. More importantly, our bus driver, Medi H was incredibly acting as an extra leader in addition to giving us a smooth and safe ride along all those crazy roads. Our driver also helped people on rough terrain, cheered for us, hugged us, danced and swam with us, helped set and clear tables at meals, joked with us, and ate and drank with us. I truly feel his enthusiasm made our group of 15 tourists much more cohesive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Choose Exodus, for the tour organization, the group size, and the staff!

Claire Aldridge

Reviewed September 2024

Albania - a surprising little gem

A most enjoyable holiday, shared with a lovely group of people – at a far more relaxed place than other Explore holidays I’ve done. We covered a lot of the central and southern part of the country – and it felt like we probably touched upon the majority of the major sites and towns.

Most Inspirational Moment

Berat - I'm glad we stopped for two nights, as it's a really gorgeous place. Plus the beautiful scenery - I was naïve to how mountainous Albania is. Looking through the window whilst being driven through it was spectacular. The one hike included was lovely - more hikes would have been nicer...but I suppose I'll have to do the walking in Albania trip for that! The included family lunch in Dhoksat was wonderful. As was the Berat house visit for coffee, raki and sweets. Great bars and cocktails in Gjirokaster.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Klodi spoke great English and managed to condense huge chucks of historical information into more manageable sized pieces. His knowledge on history and archaeology was phenomenal. What I found unusual was, when we had been shown around a site or museum, we were not given the opportunity to have any time to self explore or go back to look at things or have even 20 minutes or so of "free time". I've never had a guide not allow for this - maybe the itinerary time was simply too tight perhaps? (see below - chilled starts and super long lunches!) Our driver, Medi, to a certain extent almost became part of the group. His driving was excellent, and he smiled throughout. He joined us for a number of visits to museums and churches - even though I don't actually think he had to. He genuinely seemed to enjoy being on the trip - even though he was working!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for some places to feel a little like a whistle-stop tour (as often is the case with these types of trips where you're trying to pack loads in). The morning starts were leisurely (9am) - which was quite nice. But there were some places where I would have liked to have stayed longer, or seen more and that would have only been achieved if we'd left the hotel earlier in the morning. Or alternatively had a shorter lunch break (which I suspect is impossible in Albania - as service is so slow.....friendly, but slow). Which on the positive side means food is hot and fresh, and allowed for a nice chilled, relaxed holiday where you got to chat with your fellow travellers - I'm just not used to lunch breaks lasting between 90 - 120 minutes. But once you get your head around the relaxed nature of Albanian service and accept it - you'll probably come to quite like it!

Emma Speakman

Reviewed September 2024

Highlights of Albania

This was my first trip with Exodus and it didn’t disappoint! The itinerary was quite fast-paced which meant we could cover a lot of ground. It made for an extremely interesting trip with a variety of history, culture and picturesque landscapes. I’d highly recommend it.

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery was breathtaking in Llogora National Park, Kruje and Berat the latter of which was especially lovely as we stayed within the castle walls. I had no prior knowledge of Albania so found the history both compelling and fascinating and enjoyed seeing the archeological ruins at Apollonia.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have to give particular mention to our tour guide Armir and bus driver Medi who were both excellent. Armir was very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject and Medi was a very capable and safe driver. As a group we were lucky to have them and they made the trip a fun and memorable experience for me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Insect repellent to fight off the Albanian mosquitos…they took a shine to me! Also, ask for two sets of keys if sharing a room.

Kim Shern

Reviewed July 2024

Very scenic & nice towns

Loved the variety of places we visited and didn’t mind the fast paced itinerary as we were able to cover a lot of ground with frequent enough stops along the way and free time in evenings. The scenery is beautiful, the people are warm, friendly and helpful, beers were icy cold (June!), very affordable, and all towns walkable and great for exploring.

Most Inspirational Moment

The mountain scenery (Day 4?) was outstanding. The home-hosted lunch was a true delight - best food on the trip, gracious hosts, and beautiful garden. Two days/nights in Berat was the highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Artur took good care of us and was passionate about sharing all aspects of his country. Very knowledgable, helpful, personable, and gracious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go! Great destination for solo travelers (ease and comfort of exploring on own day or night, any town). Sturdy hiking shoes extremely handy for the cobblestone streets and light hikes. Favorite Albanian souvenier (beautiful hand-made purse) and friendliest shopkeeper I've ever met was in Kruje towards top of bazaar near castle - Alida Teta.

Nicholas Wilkinson

Reviewed July 2024

Full on tour

This country was much more than I expected. The scenery is jaw dropping beautiful lake. The Roman remains are well preserved and well presented with lots of information.
The people are lovely and so helpful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The local lunch prepared for us was just lovely so fresh with all the vegetables from their garden.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Artur Lumani our guide was very knowledgeable and always there for us. He really was a pleasure to have as a guide!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the accommodation is a bit dated but they are all clean. Breakfasts in some places were poor but Artur always supplied us with fresh cherries which were delicious...

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