Reviews

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

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14353 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed June 2012

WALKING THE GREAT WALL

Brilliant off the main tourist route hiking with an entertaining and informative guide

Most Inspirational Moment

Just the sheer scale of the wall and its setting in extraordinary scenery. It was great to be able to dip in and out of the group - to be on your own to soak in the experience and the view and then to connect and share with others. We had a great mix of people, maybe we were lucky but I prefer to see it as a tribute to Exodus's marketing. The group really bonded - previous experience of group trips suggests this makes all the difference.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jerry - can't praise him enough. He was knowledgeable and free with his insight and always went the extra mile to make sure we were all happy, even giving up his own free time to arrange extras for us. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give him is that everything seemed to go very smoothly (except when the driver lost his way!), and I'm sure a lot of work had to go in to make it seem so. He also kept a weather eye open for our safety, which was needed given the sometimes almost treacherous nature of the terrain.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There's some steep slopes and iffy sections of the wall to be hiked, don't contemplate if you have dodgy knees or if you aren't at least reasonably fit.The food throughout was excellent - better probably in the rural areas where it was freshly cooked and delicious. No one on our trip suffered from tummy troubles - to my knowledge anyway! That said, if you are a coffee drinker some sachets may be a good idea.

Reviewed June 2012

CUBAN HIGHLIGHTS RIDE

Great trip, fantastic way to see a country. friendly people, amazing sights, fab music and mojitos.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finishing the cycling on the last day - up the hill - great achievment and amazing scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group Leader was fantastic - knowledgeable, friendly, responsible and good fun. very patient, nothing was too much trouble

Advice for Potential Travellers

- Take plenty of sunscreen, insect repellent and tolietries. Things are hard to come by. Take plenty of cash - cash points work but can be difficult and plenty of the places are remote. - Take a padded seat cover to put over your seat

Reviewed June 2012

YOSEMITE AND THE CANYONLANDS

The West is Best.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first view of Bryce Canyon did it for me-magic! But also Yosemite, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley and just about everywhere else on the trip was pretty special. Not forgetting the mini stops-Rachel, Nevada on the ET highway, near Area 51-prepare to be abducted, and Seligman, a little tourist town giving us kicks on the legendary, now defunct Route 66.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 2 leaders on this trip-Jeannie and Whitney. Both were excellent company and lots of fun on their first trip as co-leaders. Did I mention well organised too? Ladies-well done, (and you never again need to be shocked by the amount of beer a bus full of Brits can get through.).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this trip. Long days driving, living in tents, shopping and cooking for the group, and ridiculously early mornings are more than compensated for by the scenery. The parks are beautiful, well maintained and litter free. Las Vegas at the end of the trip provides a wake up call and reminds you of the other side of America. Tacky in the extreme, and an amazing contrast.The only grumble we have was the optional trip to Monument Valley. This was offered as "everybody does it or nobody" which puts unfair pressure on those travellers on a budget. The food and "entertainment" provided by the Navajo was nowhere near good enough. Exodus should do this extra as a drive through Monument Valley, and cut out the rest-the scenery was great but not worth an extra $100. As an extra thought, why not extend your benefitting local communities policy to the Navajo-they could do with some help in making this more enjoyable and professional, and they don't seem to get it from their government.Grumble over-loved the trip.

Reviewed June 2012

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

This was my first group holiday with Exodus and I was travelling on my own, so hoping for a nice group of fellow travellers, plenty to do, good food and accommodation and well planned and executed travel arrangements. This trip pretty much met all these expectations and exceeded some. The actual walking part of the holiday was tough at times but manageable and certainly enjoyable (rain didn’t help – but I can’t blame Exodus for that). Accommodation was simple but comfortable and everything worked. Food was good. The company (fellow travellers) were great and we really got on well. The guide was great and overall it was a very good holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the bears in the sanctuary was incredible, the stories of their rescue and how they are now thriving was very moving. However seeing wild bears was also amazing.In addition the beautiful Carpathian landscape especially when high up in the sheep pastures and pine forests was lovely.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cosmin Dan was excellent, very knowledgeable, very patient and looked after us very well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need much extra spending money on this trip, the bear hide and the visit to Bran and Brasov allow some opportunity and you can spend money at the guesthouse on excellent local beers and wines, but generally everything is provided. Good waterproofs (essential for the week we were there) and perhaps boot cleaning kit is a good idea.

Reviewed June 2012

THE AMALFI COAST

Superb hotel, brilliant location, smashing leader and great walks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Gelati, limoncello and old car.

Thoughts on Group Leader

If she plays her cards right, she can have me!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes. This holiday is everything it says on the tin.

Reviewed June 2012

CYCLING THE DALMATIAN COAST

Croatia is a beautiful unspoilt country. Thoroughly enjoyed the road cycling, was a bit more nervous on the off road sections as I hadn’t ridden on gravel before.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved all the different bits. The island of Hvar was very pretty as was Miljet. Loved the 2 longer days on the bike which are the first 2 days. Great to see Dubrovnik after all the restoration too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very calm, capable and great company. Kept the group together despite differing ability levels.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try some off roading before you go so you are confident on different surfaces.

Reviewed June 2012

A WEEK IN JORDAN

A superbly balanced trip with a fantastic guide. Wonderful people and far exceeded expectations. I had images of Petra being overwhelmed with people but it was surprisingly quiet (sadly due to the drop in tourism) I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Even with a crowd of gabbling Italian teenagers the moment when you exit the Siq and come face to face with the Treasury at Petra really is quite something. That said it was surpassed on the second day when Khalid took us on a long walk over the top, away from everybody, before suddenly finding yourself looking down a rocky abyss into the Treasury.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Possibly the best tour leader I've had, Khalid was faultless.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I've travelled a lot and love the Middle East but had put Jordan down the list as I thought it would be something of a tourist trap. In part the Syrian situation has led to a decrease in tourism which is sad for the local economy. The benefit is that the sites are a lot more free of bus parties than normal. Highly recommended from me! Jerash and Petra are stunning. Wadi Rum is big enough to hide the legions of tourists and make you feel like you have the desert to yourself. The Dead Sea is an experience not to be missed if not the most delightful place. Always plenty to do and to see, wonderful people, great food and runs like clockwork.

Reviewed June 2012

WALKING THE GREAT WALL

A great trip with a great bunch of people and a truly awesome guide. This was certainly an interesting and fun filled holiday. A great mix of walking, culture, good food and great company. Our guide Kevin was superb and made the holiday really special by taking such great care of us.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiking the un-renovated parts of the wall pretty much alone. We had the Wall to ourselves on several of our hiking days.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kevin was fantastic. He took great care of us and was extremely flexible, changing the schedule to suit our needs. His foremost objective was to ensure that we all had the best possible holiday and he succeeded here without a doubt. He was also great company and has an outstanding sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't underestimate the challenge, we walked up thousands and thousands of steps, harder work than your ususal hike. Come prepared for very hot weather if you're booking this for the summer months. The heat was even more challenging than the steps on some days. A sun hat is a must.

Reviewed June 2012

ESSENTIAL PERU

This was a wonderful trip in a huge and varied country. It was a great mix of amazing archeological sites, great scenery and fascinating people and places. Although we had a few hassles with our flights, it did not detract from a fabulous trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me personally it was seeing Machu Picchu - a lifetime ambition. We took the train rather than trekking to get there and I do not feel I missed out in any way. As it was not high season we were able to go back to the site on the second day - choosing to go early at sunrise, which was really worth the effort.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marcial Bedregal was an excellent leader. He was born in Peru and has been leading tours for decades and so knows it very well. He knew how to pace the trip to suit us best and all the best places to stop for food, toilet stops and photos. He adapted parts of the itinerary slightly to give us the best possible experience. He was very knowledgable about the history but gave us information in manageable chunks. He was laid back and friendly with us all equally and very helpful to any group members having problems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I went on the group flights with United Airlines with changes in Houston on the way out and Newark on the way back. We were unlucky with delays due to electrical problems. On the way out the flight from London was delayed and so we missed our connection and had to spend 24hrs in Houston. United Airlines put us up in the holiday Inn at their expense and gave us meal vouchers. We phoned Exodus about missing the connection and they arranged that when we reached Lima the next night we were met by the tour operator and driven four hours through the night down the coast to meet the rest of the group, so that we only missed one day of the trip. On the way home at Newark the flight to London was cancelled due to an electrical fault and we had approx 9 hours in Newark airport until the next flight. Again we got meal vouchers. It sounds bad, but I think we were unlucky to be delayed and the service on the actual flights was very good. As it was the official group flight that was delayed on the way out, I arrived home to discover a very prompt letter from Exodus apologising for my delayed journey and with financial compensation. I was very happy with Exodus' response and their actions to catch us up with the group. If we had not been on the official group flights and had been delayed we might have had to arrange our own transport at Lima to drive down the coast. So don't let my experience put you off the group flights!Apart from the flights saga, it all went quite smoothly. Two people were quite badly affected by the altitude at various times but were dealt with promptly by our guide and completed most of the trip with a few modifications. Most of us had only mild symptoms and just had to walk more slowly than usual - and not talk so much when walking! As regards money, I would suggest planning to use nuevo sol everywhere rather than dollars. I only used dollars twice - once to pay the local tour operator for some extra tours and once in a market when I ran out of sol. Most places seemed to prefer sol to dollars. I brought some from home and also changed a lot at Lima airport. For the first two to three days no-one seems to have any change but from Cusco onwards this is not usually a problem. From Cusco onwards it is easier to access ATMs or money changers.Some of us felt that we could have done with fewer hot weather clothes and more warm ones - it gets very cold at altitude especially in the early or late parts of the day. Layers are the way to go - the temperature changes a lot in one day as you go up and down in altitude.

Reviewed June 2012

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Evia is an amazing island, very green and lush and the walking was varied. I was pleased by the amount of history and local knowledge imparted by the guides. The butterflies, flowers, tortoises and slow worms interested me a lot. The hotel provided a very comfortable base with the sea, tavernas and sea front giving evening entertainment. This is a great mix of moderately challenging walking with great food, wonderful history and interesting nature. I would heartily reccommend this holliday

Most Inspirational Moment

1 Reaching the top of the path to the Roman quarry on Ohi mountain - I have always been very cautious going down and the slope up was so steep I seriously wondered if I should stop, but encouraged by the guide I kept on, and to my surprise coming down was not as bad as I had feared.2 Standing in the cave used as a church since 300AD just below the Acropolis of Styra while the guide told us the history of the area - the battles between Greeks and Persians leading to the run from Marathon just across the gulf, the problems of the early Christians and the difficulties of the villagers up to the 19th Century with pirates.3 Seeing live wild tortoises ( reminded me of Gerald Durrell) and a huge slow worm which should be called a fast worm!4 Watching the pasteli maker

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had three leaders in the course of the week1 Thanos - brilliant. Very very knowledgable about the island and full of pride in it. Infectious enthusiasm and keen to help at all times. Thanos only did one walk with us due to having to go to London, but supervised arrival and departure. Gave the impression that when he was in charge nothing would go wrong and indeed nothing did!2 Cecile - good. Took over from Thanos and was also knowledgable about the island but possibly less good at the history, although she was excellent on present day Evia. Cecile arranged for a taverna to open up especially for us to have a drink towards the end of a walk and she organised a visit to a pasteli maker which was one of my trip highlights. Cecile has a lovely personality and is obviously very well liked by the locals, she also coped well with coming into the group after the holiday had started.3 Costas- OK. I believe Costas is training as a guide. He showed us the way on a walk where Cecile was not familiar with the start of the route, and throughout the day acted as backstop and also told us a lot of fascinating facts as the walk was all around land historically owned by his family. I really liked his style and enthusiasm, some people complained he was loud, but Greek people, especially the men, are loud. Costas is proud of his island and wants to pass on his enthusiasm. His presence added to that day's walk.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I found a fleece useful for the evenings as even at the end of May the breeze was cool after dark. For the price of a coffee you can have a lounger on the main beach for as long as you like - great after a walk. For privacy walk along the front to the left of the hotel, past the castle and through the park. There are steps down to a little cove with oleanders, a prickly pear and a fig tree and space to relax. Turn left out of the hotel and then right and along that street you will find a beautiful shop to buy hand made jewellery and scarves. If you are offered a visit to the pasteli maker then take it.

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