Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The great open plains.The hospitality of the nomadic people and the camel's cheese, salted tea and soured mare's milk that they offerred us.The Mongolian way of re-commencing religion/Buddhism in their country after Soviet rule.

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was absolutely lovely. Did her best at all times.English skills required polishing up.She didn't have very much control over the drivers and we kept losing the other trucks (we were in a convoy of 3 trucks) and had to double back etc. Also, got lost in the Gobi desert twice! Ended up having extremely long drives of 12hrs and 14hrs on 2 of our travel days. She didn't want to worry us and told us that everything was fine when it was obvious that it really wasn't. It would have been better if she had told us the truth and we could have helped her look out for landmarks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware of pickpockets at the Naadam Festival in UB. They are particularly aggressive and use the slash (yes, with a knife) and grab method.The view in the stadium from where tourists are seated is not ideal. We couldn't really see anything happenning in the centre of the stadium where the opening ceremony was held. Try to catch a festival outside of UB and you will get a much closer and rewarding experience.Bring travel sickness medication if you suffer from it as the truck rides are rough, bumpy and very, very long.Food isn't bad just boring. Be prepared for lots and lots of coleslaw and boiled mutton. Condiments and lots of beer will assist in washing it all down.

Most Inspirational Moment

The enthusiasm and strength of the husky teams was awesome. I'll never forget the quiet whisper of the sledge and the sense of wonder as we sailed along the trails in the remote forest under the pink skies. 

Most Inspirational Moment

I had several inspirational moments.  The first was the moment when I first managed to stay upright on skis on the first day, the second was skiing out over Kvitavatn lake, then in turn the moment when I managed to herring bone uphill successfully, to snowplough downhill under control, telemarks to provide better stability, and the first run without an instructor around the ski tracks.  Skiing in a force 9 gale was pretty exhiliarating too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ilse was amazing.  She is hugely talented, incredibly patient and knows exactly when a word of praise or a word of criticism will be most appropriate.  Several times when I was struggling with something she would pay me a compliment that lifted my mood entirely, equally she never let go something that I was doing badly (pole position for general propulsion mostly!) if she thought I could improve it.  Full of energy and enthusiasm, she was inspirational.Chris was also great - very different in style, he would talk us through an ascent/descent then leave us to make some decisions about how to approach the obstacle so that we had to think independently about what we were doing.  He was never too far away to come back and rescue me from various trees, snow drifts and ski contortions when I managed to hit them but it gave a real sense of achievement when something went well...because you'd done it right.  He picked me up out of more piles of snow than anyone should have to do, but always with a smile.  He was also great when I gave myself a minor injury on the final day, and got me back to the lodge not only in one piece, but cheerful and with a sense of achievement.At the end of the week we were presented with a disc of photos taken for us where quite a few of us were not taking many through a) fear of crushing the camera b) concentration on skiing or c) being in a snow drift, so we have a great record of the week. I cannot rate the leaders highly enough at Kvitavatn and I can't wait to book again for the coming season.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cross country skiing makes everything hot - don't dress for downhill or you'll bake.  Light layers are a must.  Do take a flask, mittens are a winner and most of all definitely take gaiters and waterproofs if you are a beginner. You will fall over......maybe not as much as me, but you will fall, and staying dry is the key to enjoying your trip.  Take the smallest day pack you can manage (flask, lunch, layer, camera - you don't need much else) to keep your balance under control.  I also took my yak tracks (for gripping ice when walking around) which I found really useful when it got slippery around the Fjellstoge towards the end of the week.  Not falling down off skis was a desirable state of affairs given the opportunities for falling over on skis!Inevitably snow conditions vary (we had a couple of warm and therefore very slippery days) and this can be  a bit frustrating, but the leaders are very good at picking out the best possible activities for the conditions. You'll get a lot out of the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching hairpin bend 1 on the Ooty climb and finding out the road still goes up!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was good; could have asked a little more what we wanted eg. getting to the beach and then we had to wait and eat hot chips before we could go for a swim!

Advice for Potential Travellers

From reading some of the other reviews...it's a Moderate-Challenging cycling trip; that means you should be able to ride a bike, some distance, change gears, ride in traffic and, hopefully, not fall off.  The traffic was daunting at first (day 1 returning into Mysore in the dark) but you soon learn that it works, they merge and give way when they need to.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the sun rise as we approached the crater rim and thinking we were close to the summit after nearly 8 days of hard treking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He inspired confidence, was well respected by everyone and kept a close eye on the group to ensure any problems were quickly dealt with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of long walks preferably over hilly terrain.Take damp wipes for personal hygiene.

Most Inspirational Moment

Well, reaching the summit Uhuru Peak as the sun popped its head above the crater rim is about as good as it gets. When you come down from the summit physically and mentally to catch you breath and reflect on what's just happened then reality sets in on what you, the team and the guides have just made happen.  All 11 of us in our group made it to Uhuru Peak, we supported each other as did the fastastic Tanzanian team of guides and porters. I've come away with some new friends and a deep humble respect for the Tanzanian team that did everything they could to help us on our journey to the top.At some point you'll realise how different a way of life it is for the people of Tanzania, economically there's a huge difference between us, but are we any the better for it? I don't think so, I can't wait to go back and experience more of what East Africa has to offer.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charles is one of those outstanding people you occasionally have the fortune to meet in your life. Respected and admired by everyone on the mountain. Great guy, really good at his job. If I was going on a similar adventure again in the future I'd go out of my way to ask for Charles at the group leader. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do a lot of trekking back home before you leave with the equipment you plan to use on Kilimanjaro. You can't really prepare yourself for the altitude, but if you get fit in the gear you are going to use then you know it works and it'll help a bit.Weigh your gear before you leave, make sure you are under the 15kg limit with all the gear you expect to have in your Exodus kit bag.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the streets of Havana, experiencing the old world charm and attending a Cuban disco where you see local people enjoying themselves in an almost tourist free environment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic - She knew all relevent information and was extremely pleasant and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go there before Fidel dies as Cuba still retains that old world feel, free of multinational organisations and brands. I could see the changes in freeing up the restrictions on Cuban people so I would recommend going sooner rather than later.

Most Inspirational Moment

Opening the window of my room onto the view of the mountains in brilliant sunshine and blue skies on day 1 creating the feeling "it doesn't get any better than this" .....but it did! Finding so many "glass half full" like minded people in the group

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rudi was an excellent leader- friendly, helpful, patient and balanced his time across the group very well. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack your swimmers as it was still very warm in September 

Most Inspirational Moment

Being told by everyone that I was amazing, inspirational,brave, super fit by the team and even complete strangers we met on the trek. I thrived on this and although it was challenging at times I was more than ever determined to complete it.Being given a standing ovation by the rest of the team and the porters when I arrtived in camp at the highest point  Winay Wayna 4150m ( it means forever young female) and since everyone else was about half my age I did feel proud to have done this. Similar experience at the Sun Gate after climbing those practically vertical steps having abandoned my trekking poles and did on all fours hands and knees, many photos were taken.Was presented with the tee shirt 'I survived the Inca Trail' at Machu Pichu, by our guide Juan. Willl treasure it forever.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan was excellent he explained in clear detail the days' proceedings and also gave descriptions of interesting features on the way. He was extremely knowledgable about the whole area.For me personally he was very encouraging, he said I was his 'challenge'!!! Often he would help by carrying my day pack. Also on the cold camping nughts gave me his hot water bottle!!He should share in the achievement as without his help and encouragement I may not have  'survived'

Advice for Potential Travellers

I trained for about a year prior to going because I knew that as an older member it would be challenging. This paid off and I think even younger persons should do some kind of training. Most people felt it was a bit more than 'Moderate'.The mantra for going upwards was attitude not altitude and for coming down concentrate.I found going up I got breathless so you need to try and increase your lung capacity. Coming down I was fine as I do not have any knee problems. Overall try and increase your stamina and endurance.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat was probably the one of the main highlights. This wasn't really part of the tour, but suggested by the guides as optional, who then organized to have a 'taxi' waiting at 5 am. It was INCREDIBLE!! But all the time we spent in Angkor Wat was amazing. Definitely is one of the 7 wonders of the world.Going to see the students at the School for underprivileged children in Cambodia was very insightful. Great kids! The Mekong home-stay was really fun as well as the riding around the Delta... would have liked that to last 2 nights it was so good! The family were lovely.The local people, especially the kids that would rush out and say HELLO and wave when you could cycle past...  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Al was with us all the way from Bangkok. Always ready and willing to help and full of knowledge about history, food, where to get odd and ends etc... Always with calm, with a smile and made sure you didn't have to worry about anything.Fila, our Cambodian guide was GREAT especially with  the tours around the temples in Angkor Wat. He is passionate about his country and for its future. He was keen that we tried all the specialities of the Cambodian cuisine and I am pleased that he did. There is some great food!  Or Vietnamese guide was good too, but after Fila, he had big shoes to step into... 

Advice for Potential Travellers

This tour is set up for all levels... you just do what you can at your speed. There is no stress if you aren't very fast and the speedy ones race ahead, but always waiting at the next stop.There are regular breaks and the support teams always ready with food and drinks waiting for us.  The support teams in each country made sure that the bike was ready for you in the morning and at the end of the day packed it up for you. As well as loading and unloading your luggage at the hotels. You almost didn't have to lift a finger to do anything... Apart from the cycling it was a relaxing holiday as you are so well looked after by the guides and teams.You are in Asia and it will rain... get used to it. It cools you down, and then you get dry in the warmth. I would not say that it was a down point... It is a change from the heat and sweat.Make sure you wear padded pants.