Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiking to the top of Monte Piano and seeing the Austo-Hungarian Trenchs vs the Itialina trenches only 500m away from each other at 2000m up a mountain.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas Mahlknecht was fantastic. HIs local knowledge was excellent with great organization. His ability to speak German, Italian and English in the same sentence was such a asset to overall experience. thank you Thomas.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your hiking boots and be preapered for a hiking holiday! Its truly a hikers holiday. long days out on the hill with a lot of ground covered. especially on the grade 5.

Most Inspirational Moment

Driving through the Mont Blanc tunnel with no issues and arriving in gorgeous sunshine for a hike through the alpine hills in Italy. Trekking to Refuge Bonatti and finding out from Mark the story to this man’s interesting life. Set in alpine meadows with waterfalls and streams flowing down, teaming with wildflowers and butterflies everywhere, truly magical. Then ice cream, such a perfect day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mark is an experienced guide and what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing POV. He was full of interesting stories, facts and knowledge about the area, the people, the flora and the fauna. He has such a keen eye and was able to spot animals so quickly, and we seen a lot! Ibex, chamois, wee shrews and a beautiful fox, lots of marmots and birds too. We had daily briefings before supper to plan our route, he made changes to benefit us with weather conditions and times etc, everything went like clockwork and again we can thank Mark for his experience and foresight! Easy going and funny with jokes along the way but also serious at times when caution was needed, we all felt safe under his guidance. His knowledge of the area is extensive and he is happy to share it with you and answered all the questions we had.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for steep climbs at times but rest breaks are well timed. Enjoy the majestic 360 degree views at every turn and breath in the fresh alpine air. Good boots and two pairs of socks keep blisters at bay and normally I don’t use trekking poles but they were invaluable, esp on the more rocky terrain. Check out the spa in Chamonix, good for tired legs on the free day and Auguille Du Midi is so much better when it’s a clear day if you can plan for it, good luck. The trail descents can be tricky too so watch out, and you will love this trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Mark was fantastic. His deep knowledge of the region and the hiking trails made all the difference.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You are likely to encounter at least one or two days of rain. Make sure to bring waterproof clothing. I also found it helpful to have hiking poles.

Most Inspirational Moment

Wild camping in the okovango delta. Meeting local polers who guided us to hippos, giraffe and elephants.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adonia is a terrific leader, he made the trip so memorable with his expert knowledge and friendly manner. Never phased, always chilled. Always in a good mood. Also a good cook!

Advice for Potential Travellers

As others have posted, take small dollar bills. Take warm clothing for early mornings and evenings, especially in delta. Also gets cold in open sided vehicles until day warms up. We loved the helicopter at the delta. Also the last night the group did a sunset cruise, food and scenery lovely.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Kuldiga, Turaida Castle, Saaremaa

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rita, our guide, was a very good organiser, always calm and reassuring

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the pinnacle of our first hike and experiencing the spectacular grandeur and almost surreal vistas of the natural beauty surrounding us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrian was a gift. His adeptness and competence as a trail guide were quite obvious, but it was his kindness, encouragement and exuberance that motivated and guided all of us. He truly is at home in the natural world and with all people; his joy is contagious. He made sure that each participant was successful. His nightly briefings were informative and he had everyone laughing at his explanations of all things "alpine"! We are tempted to repeat this exact Exodus expedition just to enjoy Adrian for another week of our lives. Carolina and Sebastien, the chalet hosts, were also delightful. Constantly smiling, they seamlessly performed all the "behind the scenes" duties to keep us happily satiated and content, plus they were excellent drivers when needed!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our family has done quite a bit of hiking, but this trip was challenging and our feet felt the ill effects. We survived and enjoyed the trip, but Band-aids and moleskin were much needed to help our toes. Moderate hiking in the midwest, USA, where we are from, is very different than the moderate hiking in this part of the world! We also had very warm weather during our stay and slept with open windows. The street traffic in our room was noisy at times so earplugs would certainly help a light sleeper. Meeting new people from all walks of life was a real treat, so come with an open heart and mind!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention - maybe swimming in the Pacific at sunrise, zip lining through the rainforest or just sitting and watching birds and monkeys in their natural habitats

Thoughts on Group Leader

Daniel was absolutely outstanding; passionate about his country and keen to share the history, culture and all his knowledge of the wildlife with us

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack spare memory cards and batteries for your camera! We saw so much wildlife (I think 76 different species of birds) some of which we never thought that we'd be lucky enough to see. We had some properly humid conditions on a couple of days when we ended up sweaty all day (but still able to have fun). Don't assume that you'll be able to get handwashing dry overnight in all locations due to the humidity. Currency is easily available (I got mine from Sainsburys) so take a mix of Colones and US dollars then you can pay in whichever currency is quoted, but do always ask as we thought one price was US dollars and it turned out to be thousands Colones which made the item much more expensive than we first thought. Although not cheap for food and drinks we didn't feel that it was particularly expensive even for drinks from the bars in the more remote hotels. All our hotels were lovely and the food is plentiful with lots of different options.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first hike as it was a tough one that I was able to do-- once I did it I knew I could do the others:)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Honestly, he was the worst leader I have ever had and I go on at least 1-2 tours a year. I had read the descriptions beforehand so I read both the glorying reviews and the critical ones. My experience was the same as the critical ones. On the first day, Bruno arrived very late for our meeting. He said that the local tour company had a different time than what Exodus had on the sheet. He wasn't positive about the tour...telling us the weather would likely be bad and the hikes would be really crowded. Only 6 of us were there...he didn't wait for the others to come an hour later as he told us he wasn't paid for that and he had to get home (other side of the island). I had eaten before...the others went to a restaurant as a group. They said normally there is a group dinner which there wasn't. It wasn't a 'this is going to be awesome' prep talk. The next morning was chaos as the whole group was there...he didn't give others maps or do a talk like he said he would. For the first hike, he literally took off ahead of us, then chatted with several other tour guides and the park rangers so he was behind us. I had no idea where he was. I waited for someone to take photos...but then I got separated from her. So I ended up being alone in the middle of the peninsula--luckily I knew to hike to the oasis but with hundreds on the trail I wasn't sure who was in our group and who wasn't. When I met up at lunch he told me he knew where I was that he could see me so knew I was ok. There literally is no way as the whole route of the trail is not visible at one time. On the way back he told us we could take our time....then he flipped out at the one girl who had which was the same person who had gone up the trail a the end of the peninsula by herself which he said we could do but then was ticked she wasn't with the group and didn't end when he thought she should. The second day hike he was mad at me when I arrived about 5-10 minutes later than the others at the beach/town. He said he couldn't come looking for me and questioned if I could do the tour. I told him my knees were hurting. He didn't come at all to see how I was doing. The other people in my group knew I as walking slow down the street as my knees were 'locking' and were sore. They said I was literally minutes after them which is what I thought. He was ticked when we got to Aqua Natural and there wasn't a room for him...there was no bag taken off the bus so I question it. And having read he didn't stay with groups other than 1 night it seems to be the pattern as literally he only stayed with our group the next night at what was the fancy hotel. That night he ate dinner with some, then stayed at the table by himself, though he did buy a bottle of Madeira wine that he had the waitress hand out. When we left the hotel to return to Funchal he made a big show of there not being room for the luggage--again...this isn't new as per other comments. For all the hikes, he went at his own pace and only rarely did he make sure that people were ok and with the group. I am in an organized hiking group and the leaders always introduce the hike, what we are going to see, where we are going, and make sure there is a sweep. There was none of this. On the free day in Funchal, he had it off...and literally dropped us at the hotel. After the last hike, he took our group to a coffee stop. He stayed inside the entire time and came out to the group only when someone came out to get him so that they could give him the tip money. He told others it was his last year with Exodus and it showed as he didn't really perform well as a tour leader or hike leader. He did tell us a bit about flora on the second day hike at the beginning and would do a brief intro on the day's plans before ending it with there will be lots of people on the trail and the weather likely won't be good. And he sent a list of google links before we got off the 'bus' at Funchal on our last day not before. He would mention supermarkets but that was really it in terms of providing advice. Literally he was a 9-5 tour leader who was on his own hikes with others just happening to be with him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring hiking poles--you need them. Bring gloves/hat for sunrise. Bring ziplock/plastic containers for lunch....I made my lunch every morning at breakfast. There is lunch type food and the hotels don't care. Make sure you have lots of water...and kleenix if needed while on the trail (there are no bathrooms). I trained everyday for 6 months for this tour...and I found a few of the trails hard to do due to the steps (natural and made with rocks).

Most Inspirational Moment

Vrango island trip (although I would suggest reading up on other nearby islands as some boat timings stop off at various ones and I could have done one of them in the afternoon on way back - our ticket included all public transport, including the boats. I also enjoyed the walk around Suomenlinna island, Helsinki. Apart from a good walk in fresh air, the scenery was lovely and it was good to admire pretty buildings along the way too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Peter was excellent and very informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Weather can be very changeable all of a sudden, take layers and jacket/raincoat and an umbrella. Transfers between hotels and stations from city to city involved a lot of carrying/lifting on and off your own luggage (in particular on trains... some had very high steps), best to take two smaller cases/baggage rather than one larger heavy one. Sounds like, from some reviews, I was on a different trip, guess it depends on who your tour leader is! Two negative points on the trip - one day in Oslo is not long enough (especially as there is a boat trip in the morning, which is lovely). The flight the day before gets in too late to do anything in Oslo and, due to delay from UK, we even missed the pre-arranged group dinner so Peter had to think quick on his feet for alternative. Definitely need another day, either added to itinerary/tour, or arrive day earlier and get as early a flight as you can in the day. We were all of the same opinion... another day needed in Oslo. I don't know why just the one day there, we had at least two in other major or capital cities, albeit Turku - as delightful a city as it is, one was long enough... although the tour arrives there on a Sunday when virtually everything is shut! and leaves early on the Monday.) The other negative point, for me personally, was the boat trip around the Stockholm archipelago... apart from the weather not being brilliant and handing out blankets and going rather fast (not to mention the commentary!). I did not enjoy the boat trip at all and found it a waste of time and money as the ferry from Stockholm to Turku took exactly the same route, so you saw the same places, higher up (top deck of ferry) with much better views. I personally think this could be an optional extra and the money spent on the boat trip put to better use, such as towards an extra night in Oslo! By comparison, the Oslofjord boat trip was total contrast, on a leisurely electric boat, and I did not feel like a tourist - better boat trip by far. Of course, this is just my opinion. Sculptures - cute "homeless fox" sculpture on waterfront before Drottinggatan in Stockholm, and cute "wise mouse" very tiny sculpture in Helsinki (on a staircase two roads up from the Cathedral) if you like different and unusual sculptures to the usual human/equestrian ones you usually find in cities. Dining out - the fish and chips in Gothenburg (Feskekorka... "fish church") and on western harbour on Vrango were the best I have ever tasted, the fish batter is nothing like British fish and chips and you can taste that the fish is really freshly caught. If you like Italian food, visit Rodolfino's Italian Ristorante (authentic Italian cuisine) close to Riddarholmen in Stockholm, at the top of Gamla Stan - I ate there both days and had the same dish both times, it was that good, service excellent too).

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to select Being in nature, the landscapes, the wildflowers

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic-see full review

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare by hiking similar distances and carrying all required items-ideally with elevation gains