Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to just pick one moment for the trip. Every day there was something differrent and amazing to see.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kieron our camp leader was amazing. He always had the tents set up for us at each camp site. Kieron also made us awesome meals throughout the trek. Mike was our guide during the trek each day. He was fantastic and full of knowledge about the local flora and fauna. Both Kieron and Mike had a fantastic attitude, they were always happy and smiling. If you had a question or needed help with something they were always there to help. Thank you very much Kieron, Mike and Exodus for such an amazing experience. Cheers

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. The ascents on the trek are very steep, so make sure you are hiking fit. If you are not very experienced at mountain trekking. Then you should start training three or four months before you do the Tour du Mont Blanc trek. 2. Purchase good hiking boots and break them in before the trek and good hiking poles. 3. Make sure you have a good lightweight, warm and waterproof coat and pants. Even during the summer days it can get cold at the higher parts of the trek. 4. Carry at least 3 litres of water, a hat and some good sunscreen lotion. 5. I travelled from Australia, so I had a long flight to get to Geneva. So I decided to arrive four days early before the trek to get over the jet lag. If you are able then I highly recommend arriving a couple of days early. 6. Take a small power bank with you for charging your phone. There is a charger in the back of the truck with multiple charging ports for charging phones. But sometimes the charging ports were all being used. So I found it easier to charge my power bank in the truck when there was a free port. My power bank would then have enough power to charge my phone three times.

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.

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

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.

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 !! 😃

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

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!

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.

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.