Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Matera: seeing the kestrels swooping in the mornings, views all over the town, esp from the gorge walk. Staying in a trullo The visit to the olive farm. Lecce's wonderful cathedrals and rooftop terrace of hotel.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabrizio was very enthusiastic and helpful, with lots of suggestions for restaurants etc. He did a lovely welcome/orientation session. Always joined us for meals, was very good at dietary requirements etc. His instructions/timings etc were always very clear. He was always very sociable with the group and happy to chat. As previously mentioned some of his information was out of date eg opening times for cathedral, restaurants but this was probably due to post Covid changes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good shoes. Waterproof and jacket for the April departures. Solo travellers should be aware that there are quite a few free afternoons.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding. Our previous trips with Exodus have been with leaders who are native to the country. This has many advantages. Although she is english, Sara has led this trip for over 15 years and is pretty much accepted as a native by the locals. Furthermore, her professionalism and dedication to making the trip safe and enjoyable for the group was beyond question. Shortcomings in equipment were overcome using spare kit that she has accumulated over the years, minor injuries werer attended to, advice on how to use walking poles was dispensed, rail tickets were acquired on our behalf etc etc - both the expected and unexpected were more than adequately addressed. She even baked buns to welcome us back from our walk on her day off

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have the appropriate clothing and equipment for a day out in the mountains.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention, but street food in Palermo markets, lunch in Piazza Armerina, and all the incidentals associated with visits to local producers (meeting water buffalo herd, cookery lesson near Trapani). Visits to cultural sites were a good contrast: it was interesting to see how they had developed and changed since we visited over 15 years ago. The fact that, despite its being the first tour for over 2 years, it all seemed to run smoothly.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rosario was really enthusiastic about the history and culture of his home island, and ready to transmit this in his good English; he also has a good sense of humour, which may have been tested at times. He managed to deal with the varying requirements of the group, and was always ready with recommendations of ways to spend any spare time, or places to eat. Our driver, Maurizio, was excellent, both at negotiating some of the roads and dealing with slight changes to the route, in particular being led through Piazza Armerina by a police car, rather than having to wait for an hour while the Giro di Sicilia passed through.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect a restful holiday! Apart from at the beginning and end, with 2 nights each in Palermo and Catania, we stayed somewhere different every night; that provides a challenge for sensible packing. if you're going in early April as we did, you may need some warmer clothes to deal with the time in Ragusa, Noto and Mt. Etna: while the UK was having a heatwave, we were all scrabbling for extra layers to cope with the cold winds!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the range of produce in local markets, and tasting regional products in their locality.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rosarios was great fun, but well organised, and took account of the various requirements (particularly dietary) of our varied group. His English was pretty good, and he was extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture of Sicily - and eager to share it. He was also helpful in suggesting where to go in the limited spare time, and on places to eat (though there were some evenings when we didn't need to, after the tastings of the day). Maurizio, our driver, was extremely good, and very patient with us and the odd hiccup with traffic conditions. He did a wonderful job on some intersting roads.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect this to be a restful holiday! There's a lot of travelling, even with stops for tastings or cultural sites, and it's only at the beginning and end that there are 2 nights in the same place. Palermo airport seemed very well organised; Catania not so much. Be prepared for much waiting around in between check-in and boarding. Gatwick was extremely well run on our departure, but earned a few black marks on our return: no staff to move a stairway to the plane for disembarcation, and long waits before baggage arrived.

Most Inspirational Moment

being in wadi rum during the day climbing sand dunes and exploring in the jeeps, but then at night after our amazing dinner cooked in the ground we sat outside around the fire and had tea watching the stars till early morning with our guide. seeing the treasury for the first time was an emotional experience and one not to forget. visiting the baptism site was very special as was Mount Nebo and the church there as a service was underway. I would say everything we did was amazing. Dinner with a local family in wadi musa was amazing and the food all home cooked was incredible and seeing how the whole family interacted with each other was beautiful

Thoughts on Group Leader

our guide Ayyad was knowledgeable about all we asked and made everything fun and was always looking out for us as we had some older ladies in our group, always there with an outstretched hand in case we should need it. he immediately was making jokes and got the sense of humour that we had and we all became a little family. it was especially special as it was Ramadan and he was fasting and we experienced normal people out breaking the fast and shopping. he gave us time to shop and take pictures and was always explaining what was in the food we were eating. defiantly made lifelong friends with everyone in our group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

defiantly book this trip even during Ramadan as you get to see many different things that you wouldn't otherwise and don't be scared to go out and explore the locations that you stay in at night

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the quality and quantity of fruit and veg in the different food markets we visited in Palermo (and watching the non-veggies attempting to eat certain local delicacies).

Thoughts on Group Leader

As before - he was excellent. Not only was he knowledgeable but also his spoken English was really good. Maurizio the driver deserves praise too for safely negotiating spaces scarcely wider than his vehicle.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't think that holidays are restful in any way! If you fancy a rest, I'd recommend extending the holiday by a few days. Arriving a day or two early ensures you start the holiday well-rested rather than tired from rising very early for the group flight. Plus add a day or two at the end if you'd like to see Taormina which sadly isn't included in the current tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me the valley of the temples, made even better by the great guide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rosario was a great guide, very knowledgeable of all aspects of Sicilian history, culture and food. Organised us well and provided good options for what to do with any spare time we had, allowing me to make the most of these limited times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Not much time to unpack in each location so dont take too much! Catania airport is a crazy place, be prepared to queue.

Most Inspirational Moment

I'm no Attenborough yet was frankly in awe of the fantastic range, colour, sound and scale of the flora and fauna, and at such close quarters too. The designated highlights live up to their billing but is it often smaller moments that shine. Examples include a stop for fresh coconut at Playa Hermosa, walks along the beach on both coasts, a swim and beer near Puerto Viejo, the team riding formation and being overtaken by a local wearing flip flops, the serenity of the gardens by the ruined church where locals shared a Sunday picnic, & the bonding of the group - on and off the bike aided by beer, red wine and the occasional mojito. If I had to pick just one, it would be stopping mid ride in the Central Highlands, seeking a spot of shade sitting at a bus stop, and taking time to soak in the stunning views on both sides of the ridge. Picture postcard stuff. Wonderful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Robert Aguilar was an excellent Leader in the best tradition of Exodus Tour Guides. He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, an excellent communicator, strong rider, and responsive & flexible to traveller requests and requirements. He was ably assisted by Mechanic Paul and Driver Luiz. Paul rode strongly at the front making a good but not furious speed which kept the faster riders safely in check but not frustrated by pace. Mechanical matters were few but dealt with with aplomb. Luiz was the archetypal driver - silent but quietly effective - always on the right place at the right time with everything done. Altogether a superb team and tribute to both Costa Rica and Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Whilst there are climbs, largely in the Central Highlands, the cycling is not overly difficult and heat & humidity more of an issue than the terrain. You don't notice it whilst riding but certainly do when you stop. Regular sunscreen and fluids a must. 2. My wife and I wore arm screens as sun protection and these were such a big hit that we lent our spare ones to our fellow riders. A buff/snood can also be handy. 3. I tried my brand new SPD-cleat cycling sandals on this trip and there were a revelation - highly recommended. 4. Take a light rain top for the occasional (heavy though not cold) shower. 5. Food is plentiful and good quality, and you do develop a taste for rice with beans in varying permutations. Fish good and some excellent steak also. Fruit plentiful - pineapple, watermelon, papaya, banana & mango. 6. You can drink the water in most places and in the few where you cannot, bottled water is available/provided. In the alternative, Chilean red wine or the local ("Imperial") beer will do. 7. There are a couple of laundry opportunities mid-trip so resist the temptation to pack too much kit - both on and off bike. 8. You don't need any local currency (colones) as US Dollars in cash (though not GBP) plus credit cards suffice everywhere.

Most Inspirational Moment

Day 6 - Buffavento Castle and the Five Finger Mountains. Although it is over 600 steps up and the same down, the castle is situated right on the ridge of the Five Finger Mountains, so you can see both sides of the island (and the coast of Turkey on a clear day). Because of the steps, it is quiet with no/few other tourists, so we had the castle to ourselves! The lunch stop is further along the ridge, so more spectacular views across both sides of the island.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Geser is an excellent guide, very knowledgeable, patient and very helpful. His english is amazing and he has a good sense of humour. He spent a lot of his time with us and nothing was too much trouble for him. He really made the holiday very special and I hope that Exodus will continue to use Geser as a guide for future trips.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our flight was delayed, so we arrived very late but Exodus/the hotel had unexpectedly arranged for a snack of soup and a filled roll, which was very well received. It is a long flight and transfer, so would recommend taking a packed lunch to have on the plane. Make sure you have high factor sun screen as the sun is strong, even on cloudy days.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are too many moments to choose from. The walk to the summit of Mount Sumbra was challenging and certainly tested my head for heights, but the view from the top was out of this world - we could see the snow-covered peaks of mountains in nearby Emilia-Romagna as well as the broad sweep of the Italian coastline. I also really enjoyed the free day in Lucca - it is a stunning city with a lovely walk around the city walls and some interesting attractions, including the Torre Guinigi which gives you excellent views across the whole city. And then, of course, there was the 'village walk' led by one of the members of the family that own the agriturismo we stayed at - it provided a fascinating insight into the culture of a region that is still relatively unexplored.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara was absolutely awesome and the best leader I have encountered in all of my trips. She had a genuine interest in each and every member of the group and nothing was too much trouble for her. She also had a real passion for the area and her close connection with the family that runs the agriturismo meant that she was (and is) a well-integrated part of the local community. I really could not have hoped for a better person to lead our trip - she was wonderful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for all weathers, particularly if travelling in April. The trip notes warned that snow was possible on the mountain slopes, but the snow cover we encountered was deep (apparently exceptionally so). It was easy to walk through and added to our overall experience, but I would definitely be prepared to take a thick waterproof coat, waterproof trousers and some decent hiking boots if travelling early in the season. Sara also loaned me some walking poles that were very useful when negotiating downhill sections covered in snow/rocky scree.