Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
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101 Reviews
4.5 out of
5
Reviews
Nicola Ball
Reviewed September 2019
Great holiday
Really good mix of culture, wildlife and walking. Clean and comfortable hotel and all the meals were excellent.
Most Inspirational Moment
The highlight for me was definitely watching the bears in the wild, it is worth every penny, we were fortunate enough to see 8 adult bears and 2 cubs, I could have watched them all night.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Could not fault our group leader Sebi he was excellent - attentive, knowledgeable and extremely professional. He saw to it that everything ran very smoothly and he looked after everyone in the group equally very well (we had a full group of 16 people) he was quietly passionate about Romania and it’s wildlife and had a lovely sense of humour. On several days he was assisted by Radetch a guide in training who was equally delightful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The trip to the bear Hyde is a must, take some binoculars.
Daniela Amabile
Reviewed October 2018
Beauty, as to be found nowhere else.
Waking up every morning to the glorious Autumn colours of the Carpathians is something I will remember for the rest of my life. The beauty of the forests, the splendour of the mountains and the simplicity of the life there is something I never imagined. Granted, I was initially inspired by my interest in the Dracula legend to go but after experiencing the wilderness there, I can honestly say that I fell in love with “the land beyond the forest”.
Most Inspirational Moment
When I managed to make it to the top of the mountain on the long hike without collapsing :-).
Seeing Bran castle.
Sitting up at the monastery, looking at the mountains with the sun behind them.
The views of the scenery during our lunch breaks in various locations.
Being on top of the mountains and looking down at the clouds.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the natural environment of Romania and its history. He also has a great sense of humour that kept us entertained. With his experience as a leader and training in the army, I definitely felt safe and in capable hands. And he was unexpectedly charming.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try to remain as healthy as possible the week before this trip. I came down with a 24 hour stomach virus 2 days before the trip and it made the first few days difficult as I was still weakened.
Also, walking poles are your friends. Definitely learn how to use a pair before you begin.
Suzy Franklin
Reviewed October 2018
Wildlife and hiking
A well paced hiking tour with free time to relax in the remote alpine accommodation, in the mountains of Transylvania. This is certainly the place time forgot with small farming communities farming sheep and cattle, and small orchards aplenty. Dogs are tied up or in the fields protecting the livestock from the bears and other predators.
The accommodation is basic but comfortable. We went when the weather was getting cooler and at times it was a little cold in the room. We had to remind the owners to put the heating on, which they did!
There were 3 course set meals in the evening that were hearty and consisted of local produce but possibly limited if you are vegetarian/vegan. Don’t expect there to be snacks like crisps and chocolate to be available, expect local fruits instead!
The guide kept us updated on the itinerary during the week and gave a very informative tour of Brasov and Bran.
All in all – a place to get away from it all and enjoy a slower pace of life! It was a very noncommercial region to visit and very refreshing in that sense!
Most Inspirational Moment
The hard work of the people in the bear sanctuary, who had rescued bears that had suffered cruelty and now been given the best chance of life - all funded by donations with no government money! One bear had been blinded and had its claws cut so it would tolerate people having their picture taken alongside it.
Quite emotional to hear the sad back history of some of the bears. The good news is that owning a bare is now banned in Romania.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was friendly, quiet, amenable and informative.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take your thermals, scarf and gloves if going in the autumn as it get's cold in the mornings.
John Chapman
Reviewed September 2018
Lots of bears
I enjoyed the walks although quite a proportion of the walking was on dirt tracks ( Romania doesn’t appear to have much in the way of public rights of way over farm land)
Most Inspirational Moment
The Bear watching was great, we saw lots.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was an ideal leader for this type of holiday.
Neil Thompson
Reviewed September 2018
Breathtaking
Having been on several Exodus trips before I was unsure of what to expect as I not done any trips as remote as this. Not removed from civilisation but bit on the verge of wilderness.
The walks produced breathtaking scenery of the mountains and forests, all conducted at a leisurely pace mainly over unmade paths, meadows or very easy woodland walks, which posed no problems for any of the group.
Although not able to see every animal that inhabits the forest there presence was evident. The added option to under the guidance of a local ranger, see the brown bears in the wild is something that should not be missed. This was defiantly a highlight of the trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The stunning scenery was only beaten by seeing the Brown Bears in their natural environment which was by far the highlight of the trip, this was even more so augmented by visiting the bear sanctuary which was heartbreaking to see and hear how thes poor animals had been persecuted for the amusement of humans.
Thoughts on Group Leader
In Thomas we could have not had a better guide for our holiday. He was both funny and increadably knowledgeable about the environment and the history of his country.
On any of these groups holidays the guide plays a pivotal role and Thomas really help make the week special and an unforgettable holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Located within the mountains the weather can be changeable host to hour so would suggest a good light weight rain coat/clothing, again good walking boots are definitely an advantage. Walking poles are an advantage on some of the walks, but I do have a slightly weak knee.
I took £100 in the local currency and spent a little over, being able to pay the hotel for the visit to the Bear hides and the honesty bar in Euros helps with this.
Julie Bridge
Reviewed September 2018
Carpathian walking and bears!
We were extremely lucky with the weather (Aug), however, this did result in some of the hiking being rather more strenuous than anticipated as it was really warm most days – take lots of water!
The trip was brilliant, highlights every day, but the bears (in the wild and at the sanctuary) definitely made the trip!!!
Our guide, Thomas, couldn’t have been more interesting (and funny) and extremely knowledgeable about the fauna, flora and history – simply the best!
Villa Hermani was a hit too; friendly & helpful, good food and very reasonably priced drinks.
Highly recommended trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The bears without a doubt!
Lovely to see in the wild, however, visiting the sanctuary in bright daylight produced the best photos.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide, Thomas, couldn't have been more interesting (and funny) and extremely knowledgeable about the fauna, flora and history - simply the best!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take plenty of water on your hikes, especially if warm weather.
Villa Hermani - don't bother with their wi-fi; extremely slow (used 4G instead).
Jacqueline Harris
Reviewed August 2018
Good varied trip with great guide.
This was an interesting and varied holiday with excellent trips, varied walks and an excellent guide.
Some of the days were long and involved a fair amount of time in a transit or small bus which was not always comfortable especially when it was hot. However , it wasn’t overly arduous and added to the overall interest of the week.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery on the first two days of walking.
Watching the bears feed from a hide was also fascinating.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was really excellent. He was knowledgeable about the area and it’s history and had a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long days of varied activities. Take some biscuits/ energy bars !
While the walks were not overly demanding you should be used to walking with sturdy shoes.
The transfer to the hotel takes several hours from Bucharest which means a late arrival , especially if the flight is delayed ( we arrived at 6a.m ) .
Emma Cowen
Reviewed August 2018
Picturesque places, lush landscape and beautiful bears.
A great way to spend the week, walking in the countryside, seeing many sites with fantastic architecture and cute bears doing their thing in the wild.
Most Inspirational Moment
Watching the bears in the wild from our bear hide and seeing how they play, eat and look out for each other. Also the visit to sanctuary was interesting, but sad to hear how those bears had been treat in their earlier years before being rescued from their previous owners.
I also enjoyed the long walk along the canyon and the visit to Dracula's castle.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and always had an answer for every question asked. He also made sure every one's needs were catered for. He also knows the area very well. His assistant Sebi was also helpful and friendly and knows the area well too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you have a good pair of walking boots, plenty of water and waterproof gear.
Sylvia Ryan
Reviewed July 2018
Transylvanian experience and hospitality at its finest
I booked this trip primarily to see the bears and enjoy some leisurely walks through the meadows and forests. It exceeded my expectations, mainly due to our guide Thomas, the lovely hosts Herman and Katerina at Villa Hermani and the variety of local experiences from the ride in a horse cart, tea at a hilltop monastery, dinner at a restaurant specialising in game meats, harvesting mushrooms after the rain, and schnapps and cake at a fortified church with an intriguing priest! Transylvania is a beautiful part of the world, still in a time when we were closer to nature where animals are respected and in proximity, shepherds tend the flocks, and the landscape provides a bounty of wildflowers, fruit, hay and mushrooms.
Most Inspirational Moment
The visit to the Libearty sanctuary, learning of the history and great work they do to return these wild creatures to a semblance of a wild existence they deserve. The story of Maya was very sobering and I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one to shed a tear. Seeing these bears' behaviour compared to the real wild bears from the hide was quite a contrast. I was also pleased to see they had some wolves at the sanctuary - dogs did bark for a short while in the late evening around Magura but the second night I heard distant howling and I want to believe that was some of the wild wolves! Also the bear hide is a must, we spent a good couple of hours viewing well over a dozen bears plus four cubs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was a gentleman guide. Literally. Modest, engaging, and genuine. Wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of Transylvania, interested in the experiences and thoughts of the folks in the tour group and always willing to assist. An excellent leader in which you are in no better hands.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Because of the mountainous nature of the region it is hard to gauge the weather more than a couple of hours out and rain can start and stop fairly quickly on a cloudy day. I note from a previous review that they thought the horse cart ride should have been cancelled because it was a rainy day, but in our case it was raining up to when we got to the carts and then it stopped raining. When we finished the ride, the rain started again! The cart ride was a highlight for me and I would have enjoyed it even if it continued raining.
I would also say bring more than two pairs of shoes as it does take a couple of days to dry a pair after a rainy day. And yes bring cash to cover the extras (bear hide was 210 lei and wifi access about 25 lei).
(Edna) Pat Arlette
Reviewed July 2018
What does this mean?
This was a very well thought out holiday with an excellent mixture of walks and visits designed to give us an insight into the local way of life that fell exactly into the leisurely/moderate grading.
Most Inspirational Moment
Can't think of anything in particular
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent - very easy going manner with a wealth of historical knowledge
