Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Alessio, gave a personal touch to each experience and made the trip memorable. He regularly went out of his way to make sure everyone in the group was happy.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Sicily Food and City Adventure
My wife and I had a great time on the trip. Our tour leader, Alessio, did a fantastic job and really made our daily adventures both fun and educational. 5 Stars for him!! We usually do not travel with group tours, but in a place like Sicily it made the daily travel arrangements and transportation much easier and seamless.
Everything was wonderful, except for a few of the hotel accommodations which were a bit uncomfortable.
Some of the highlights for us were the cooking class, temples in Agrigento, the Villa Romana, street food tour in Palermo, Mt. Etna hike and the wine tasting at Gambino Winery.
A Great Experience Walking a Wonder of the World
This trip was a brilliant time; every day you’re walking on the Great Wall of China, mostly in areas with few other tourists and amazing views. The weather was kind to us so the panoramas are spectacular. Our tour leader Stone was so organised and an incredible help in a country where most locals don’t speak English (my Mandarin isn’t too good either), and the food and hospitality at the local guesthouses was great too. Accommodation was better than expected having been described as basic!
Most Inspirational Moment
The Jiankou "wild" section of the wall - up in the mountains, overgrown, and like something out of a fantasy film.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Stone was brilliant - knew his stuff, happy to share personal stories about living in China as well as history, folklore. So organised, we always knew what was going on, and was a real help with taxis etc in our free time. Was also great at making sure those in our group who had allergies were provided for when we had group meals. He taught us Mahjong too!
Advice for Potential Travellers
China is pretty much fully cashless - WeChat Pay or Alipay is used everywhere, so I'd recommend downloading these and familiarising yourself with them before you go! Getting an e-sim (I used Airalo) which allows you to get round the Great Firewall (so you can use apps like WhatsApp, Google, etc) is useful - the signal in the areas we visit is great. WiFi is also widely available, though this does restrict you to Chinese-approved sites. Bring a good pair of walking boots and expect there to be a lot of steps on the Great Wall.
Great trip -met all my expectations
A fast paced but very enjoyable introduction to the many highlights of this fascinating and friendly country
Most Inspirational Moment
I really liked the historic sights of Porto but the standout moment came from my first sightings of the Douro valley
Thoughts on Group Leader
Carla was a superb leader in all respects. Her knowledge and enthusiasm was always inspiring. She was very well organised and ensured that every minute of the tour was well spent. She had a friendly rapport with everyone of us and took care to meet our individual needs.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Expect some busy days with plenty of up and down walks
Does exactly what it says. Many wonderful varied sights visited
Excellent well planned visit including towns cities music and countryside and coast. Not too much driving which is a bonus. Glorious scenery and interesting places visited. Good choice of venues for dinner and accommodation.
Most Inspirational Moment
Douro Valley with the port tasting and boat trip. Superb lunch at the vineyard. Also loved the Monestery at Batalha.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent her enthusiasm for her homeland was infectious. Great deal of information given at each venue and questions always answered to clarify our understanding. Always smiling and a delight to travel with!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Sturdy footwear to cope with all the cobbles which can be slippery
Trek of a lifetime!
If you think you’ve only got one big trek in you, this is the one to do!
Most Inspirational Moment
The satisfaction of completing the ascent of Dead Woman's Pass. The night sky and sunrise at every campsite. The meals provided during the whole trek were incredible. How the team could bake a cake at the top of a mountain I still don't know! Excellent food, hearty portions, and catered to very diverse food preferences and allergies. The porters were really made to feel like part of the family and it was lovely to hear their stories, as well as the stories of our local guides.
Thoughts on Group Leader
William was exceptional. His experience, love of the mountains, professionalism and care for both clients and porters was outstanding. He was mentoring assistant guide Luis, who is well on the way to becoming an excellent lead guide. They both had to deal with two medical events on the trek; this was done efficiently, safely and with no impact on the rest of the group. Their local knowledge was so extensive, ranging from local flora and fauna, to culture and history. In particular, William's recollections about his grandmother being a local healer, the love for his mother, and his beliefs in the traditions of the circle of life was both emotional and thought provoking.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Exodus's itinerary is what sets it apart from the other companies. The choice to leave camp 3 later on day 4 of the trek (rather than around 3am like the other companies) so that you can rest in Machu Picchu town before touring Machu Picchu site is what sets this itinerary apart. We couldn't imagine having to do the trek, tour the site, and travel back to Cusco on the same day. Luggage note - This is not an Exodus issue. We flew with Iberia and were told emphatically at Heathrow by their staff that luggage would go all the way through to Cusco (final destination). However, on arrival at Lima (and after leaving the baggage hall) we found out that this information was incorrect. It was a little stressful to retrieve our luggage before the next flight. Our advice would be to check the carousel before leaving the baggage hall to save the stress.
An Amazing Adventure
A well-organized trip with an amazing guide and driver. The sights and sounds of Morocco will not disappoint. The various landscapes, depending on where you are in Morocco, are breathtaking. This trip will not disappoint.
Most Inspirational Moment
There are so many incredible moments from this trip, but a highlight for me was the Sahara Desert and the camel ride.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader was Ait Lmouden Mohamed. He was very knowledgeable, kind, caring, and patient. And he had a wonderful sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Some of the accommodations are sparse, but they are clean.
Lovely way to experience Portugal
Thank you Dinis, Ines and Philipe our guides and support for a great holiday. My friends and I decided to do this trip on e-bikes as we were a bit out of cycling practice to say the least. We found the e-bikes comfortable and they made getting up hills and covering ground really easy so we could concentrate on the fabulous landscapes we passed through. Half the week the weather was lovely.We encountered a May Day parade in one village and were invited us to join them but we had to press on to get to our next stop. We had too many impossible to resist pastries and Dinis guided us to some great restaurants. For those who love fish and seafood this trip is heaven. Good selection of hotels and great company, we were 16 with people from US, Canada and tbe UK. I’m trying to think of a highlight. Maybe the fish restaurant on the cliffs on the fourth night, but really so many fabulous views and interesting places and so diverse it’s hard to list them all. A few days of bad weather and the country wide power cut were quickly forgotten. All in all an unforgettable trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing storks nesting and the breathtaking waves on the Atlantic coast or was it watching my friend enjoy an extra large pastel de nata?
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dinis
Advice for Potential Travellers
Ok- it did rain and sometimes very hard and for several hours. We improvised with plastic bags in our shoes and under our bike helmets. So take a few.
Birthplace of so much great music
For much of my life I’ve enjoyed the musical genres originating in the Southern US. What this trip did was to put it all together – the evolution of music set against the political and economic history of the area. Fascinating and enjoyable.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hard to pick one. Preservation Hall and Grand Ole Opry were musical highlights. The Civil Rights Museum was so moving - located at the motel where MLK was assassinated - and very comprehensive. The Country Music Hall of Fame was worth at least half a day.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jay quite simply, made the trip. The bus journeys were enlivened with his knowledge and fabulous playlist designed to accompany the history and progression of musical styles as we journeyed north. He joined in the group banter in the bus, drove safely, worked hard, unloading and loading luggage, and was very helpful at ferrying us around even to optional activities.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book ahead for Preservation Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. Some of our group were disappointed not to get in or be seated r standing at the very back. The food was not to my taste - deep fried pecan pie anyone? And vegetables were hard to find with limited choice. I bought supplies at a health food store for my lunches (there was an ice box in the bus) Some prices were a shock . My last night dinner (1 course with veg and 2 glasses average wine) was $62 - then with sales tax, 20% obligatory gratuity and an extra tip for kitchen staff, the final bill was $93. The trip notes suggestions for tips for the guide are way out, considering that he drove, hauled luggage, saved us some taxi fares. $12-$15 pp per day is a more like it. Given the shocking amount of plastic waste (polystyrene plates and plastic cutlery) you might want to consider taking some travel cutlery with you.
Amazing adventure
I would definitely recommend this cycling adventure.
Most Inspirational Moment
The extraordinary coastline and breathtaking views around every corner of the beautiful Atlantic ride are priceless!
Thoughts on Group Leader
All the leaders were professional,thoughtful and caring .
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do this ride!
Loved this one..
This country is so diverse and exodus shows you that from the start! We started on the Caribbean side at Tortuguero and basically got soaked the whole 3 days we were there, it rained and it rained but our group got on with it with a smile. That area would have been wonderful if the weather hadn’t been against us but it was what it was!
We still suffered a bit of bad weather at Arenal and i never got to see the volcano as the cloud was on top of it all the time, the walk was lovely up to it though and the landscape is beautiful.
The weather started to improve as we travelled over to the pacific side , the birds and the wildlife are abundant , we saw that many sloths on this trip we stopped taking pictures of them ha
There are some long drives in this trip but never more than a couple of hours on the road without stopping, lots of views to look at and of course we stopped if the driver or guide saw anything interesting to see as well, (a couple of macaw’s were spotted and we pulled over to get some great photos)
The wildlife is all around you if you take the time to look, the leaf cutter ants and the ant highways through the forest floor , the frogs , the sloths… so much to see!
Whilst you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic for this trip , i would suggest that you are able to walk long distances and tackle some steep slopes. You can always sit by the pool if you don’t want to go on the hikes but you would miss out on the whole point of the holiday if that is what you aim to do.
Exodus pull it out the bag every time with the accommodation , all the rooms were lovely and well chosen , its one of the reasons i have booked with Exodus 4 times now.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved the boat trip, the birds were fantastic to spot and we saw turtles and crocodiles as well. Also the Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was the most basic room of the trip but the best location , you are surrounded by forest , the birds and the wildlife are wonderful and a dip in the pool in the middle of it all was so special.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Pedro was very knowledgeable and passionate about his country and what they are doing towards tourism and re-forestation.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take good walking shoes , something that will dry out because you are likely to get them wet, and a fold up rain jacket that goes in your bag. Plugs were American type plugs. I got an e sim and it was a great idea, i had internet all the time and signed into wifi at the lodges ( which were all wifi friendly) I took colonies but everyone accepted dollars , in fact it seemed to be the best form of money, your cards are accepted at all the restaurants its only for tips and small venders that you need cash. Even though it rained i still wore shorts as it was better to have wet legs than wet trousers ha ha and its still hot!