Great adventure and my first trip to Africa. Starting in South Africa with good wine and penguins, onto Namibia seeing the second largest canyon in the world, ancient cave paintings and sunrise at the Sossusvlei dunes. It’s a great trip if you are no rush and limited by time. Sit back and enjoy the scenery go by. Extend your trip both at the beginning and end. There’s lots to do in Cape Town and many adventure activities to try in Victoria Falls. Wildlife in Etosha and Chobe was incredible. Abundance of zebras, giraffes, elephants and special spottings of cheetahs, lions. Kanoeing on the Orange river and the mokoro ride in Botswana were also special things to mention. The long drive days are a small sacrifice to see all there is on the itinerary!

Anna Lastuvkova Cape Town to Victoria Falls – Hotel/Lodge

The grandeur of the Mont Blanc massif is incredible to witness. The hiking was diverse, offering a fresh feel to each forest, peak and trail. I was amazed every step of the way and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I didn’t know views could be so break taking! Chamonix was a beautiful charming town – it was a great place to end each day.

Sonja Mobbs Mont Blanc Highlights

Kenya’s week-long safari adventure was an unforgettable journey, taking us from the breathtaking elephant herds of Amboseli National Park beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, to serene early-morning boat rides among hippos on Lake Naivasha, and the vibrant birdlife of Lake Nakuru, where hundreds of species filled the skies. It concluded with the wildlife-rich plains of the Masai Mara, where we encountered lions, rhinos, giraffes, and zebras in their natural habitat. Each moment was seamlessly organised, our guides were expert in all areas, covering topics on not only the animals in the parks, but welcoming us into the essence and culture of Kenya as a country, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in all that Kenya had to offer – it’s beauty and wildlife while experiencing the peace and wonder of Africa’s landscapes—a truly inspiring and transformative adventure.

GRACE THORNTON Kenya Safari Adventure

Itinerary was jam-packed with great sights and activities that gave us a taste of both ancient and modern China, while still leaving some free time to explore on our own; excellent value. All the hotels were very good (luxurious for Exodus), with the Tianfu Sunshine in Chengdu being stand-out for room facilities and decor, the Bell Tower in Xi’an for location and generous room size, and the Dong Fang in Beijing for the most extensive and best quality breakfast buffet (and period charm in the historic coffee shop, courtyard, and public areas); Golden Tulip in Shanghai was also very glamorous and well-located for the Bund. Transport (bullet trains x 2, internal flight, private minibuses, and public buses) was all excellent – punctual, efficient and clean, and our trip leader, Sunny, got us to all the attractions before the busiest crowds, and marshalled us well on public transport. (There were only seven of us on my departure – five solos and one couple – which was a good number; I can imagine a full cohort of 16 would be much more challenging to manage in the busiest locations.) Food was amazingly cheap and generally good (you can eat well for a fiver, and feast for under £10; large beers cost around £1), although some of us might have liked an option once or twice to have a more upmarket and relaxed dining experience. This trip takes in all the main tourist attractions (Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, a section of the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, panda breeding centre), and they were all well worth seeing, but what I enjoyed most was having some time to explore the lesser known cities, Xi’an, and Chengdu. Xi’an was my favourite, for its historic centre, and lively night-time vibe. I would have liked some more time in Shanghai (not least because I was on a quest for family history); a day and a half on the official trip itinerary is not enough for such a vibrant city, specially as we lost half a day (the group trip to Yuyuan Garden) due to heavy rain the day we arrived. Luckily, some of us had late flights on departure day, effectively giving us another post-trip day in which we were able to visit the Yu Garden independently, but it would be good if this extra day could be factored into future trip itineraries. (Personally, I’d trade Beijing for more time in Chengdu and Shanghai. I’m planning to return to Shanghai independently.) As a solo traveller, this was my first long-haul trip, and it was brilliant. Just go!

Ming Ho Essential China

I’m writing this two months after coming back. I’ve just finished my photobook of the trip and completing this made me realise how much fantastic stuff we saw. And how it’s like two trips in one. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are based on mountains, open spaces and some walks. Uzbekistan is cultural, four interesting cities and fantastic Islamic architecture. It’s great to have experienced both and enjoyed three new countries in one adventure.

Nigel Turner The Silk Road

The trip started out as a bit of a disaster as Royal Jordanian airways had to divert to Cairo, due to the current situation between Israel and Iran. That couldn’t be helped . Upon arrival in Amman 12 later, we were met by an Exodus rep.
Because time had been lost there was a lot of catching up to be done.
Out tour guide Mikhled had made some very sensible decisions , and although it had been a very long 36hours, from leaving home, we went straight to some of the most wonderful sights as soon as we got to the hotel.
So in fact, we didn’t miss out on anything because of the diversion.
The hotels were clean, friendly and catered for all our needs. They were centrally located too.
The distance between some locations was a lot, but the coaches were air conditioned and lots of stops on the journeys.
There was only 8people on the trip, and it was great, as everyone got along really well.
Evening meals were not included, however Mikhled, gave us lots of options . being a vegetarian was a bit hit and miss at times, but the starters made up for the main meal. Mikhled took us to some family homes for dinner, and that was very special.
Petra , the main attraction was very quiet due to the “Middle East” situation, which made it all the more enjoyable . It was very hot, so not being busy was ideal. Lots of free time on both days there . Mikhled never rushed us.
The Dead Sea wa amazing, if not a little weird. It certainly needed to be done. A half day of relaxing at The Red Sea was welcomed.
The holiday Inn was amazing, I had the luxury of a “Sea View” room, which was amazing .
Bethany beyond The Jordan was very special to me, however slightly marred by the Military , carrying firearms in such a holy place.
Understandably, as Israel was a stones throw away, but it did ruin it for me.

Berna Owers A Week in Jordan