Exodus Edits: City Breaks are Boring

Don’t get us wrong. We love a city. They’re the pulse of a nation and showcase the very best of its culture, food and architecture. But come on, long museum tours en masse, following tourist trails and eating at restaurants packed with out-of-towners? Boring. You can leave a city and feel like you didn’t really get under the skin of it. When we visit a city, we want a little spontaneity. Some action. More adventure. That’s why our Exodus Edits itineraries are different.

The hotels are dull

Take our Cabernet & Capers in South Africa trip. In Cape Town, you don’t stay at a soulless multinational hotel. You stay at the super-cool Grand Daddy Hotel in the heart of the action. It’s right on Long Street and it’s got it very own rooftop Airstream Trailer Park. And you won’t just join the masses on the cable car up Table Mountain – you’ll seize the day and climb that beauty.

You eat at underwhelming restaurants

On a city break, it can be oh-so-easy to fall into the tourist trap of eating at overpriced restaurants that are close to major tourist sites, right? On ourLandscapes & Limoncello in Amalfitrip, you won’t be dining shoulder-to-shoulder with a load of tourists, you’ll find yourself on the Path of the Gods feasting on a local spread of tomatoes, mozzarella and antipasti in a hut that clings to the cliffside.

The tours are tedious

Have you ever joined a tour on a city break because you feel you really should learn about their local history/architecture/random obscurity? Only to find it was two hours (or more) that you’re never going to get back? Us too. But we’re a bit smarter about the tours on our Exodus Edits itineraries. Take our Street Food & Sunshine in Sicily trip. You take a foodie adventure through Palermo, sampling dishes from street food vendors that the locals love and check out the epic nightlife too. That’s more like it.

You miss the countryside

For everything a city break offers, it doesn’t tell the whole story of a destination. Too often, we can dip in and out of a city without taking the time to appreciate the rest of a country. Not so on our Pho, Fun and Sun in Vietnam trip. While there’s plenty of time to be swept up in the enigmatic cities of Hanoi and Saigon, you explore Vietnam’s tranquil countryside and gorgeous coastlines too.

The day trips are predictable

We appreciate there are must-see/must-do city experiences as much as the next person. But all too often, day trips from city breaks can become a bit, well, samey. Step forward Summit & Spices in Morocco – an epic trip that involves an incredible hike to the top of Mount Toubkal and is bookended with exploring fabulous Marrakech. That’s more like it.