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Highly recommended and couldn’t stress how much effort the guides put in on making you feel welcome to this amazing country and how supportive they were in making the trip perfect for each individual. Head guide Elina is a fantastic overall lovely person.
The food was to die for (all traditional Finnish), don’t be expecting burgers unless it’s an Elk one!
The drink was expensive, but I had budgeted for this prior to the trip as I knew this would be the case. It’s good idea to purchase alcohol at a UK airport or lack some in your case before hand.
All of the activities were perfect to gain a taster of each, and once equipped with your gear, you were free to use them as you please in your free time.
I took a hike up a local hill on our free day, using the snowshoes provided, Elina showed me a map in which I took with me, and an easy to follow, well marked trail. What a fabulous day to get a view of the Russian border from the top.
The owners of the Huskies were so caring and knew a of the dogs inside out, what a lovely life they lead and the dogs really enjoy their work, this is obvious when you meet them, due to the excitement and noise they make when they know they’re going on a trip.
The reindeer are well looked after, and the herdsmen explained that they are trained to pull the sleighs in the winter when they are brought back to the farm, but released again to roam during the summer months.
I can’t tell you enough how much I love this country, the lovely people and how close they are to nature.
If your after a really laid back holiday and an escaped from the rush of day to day life, this is for you!
The way of life the Finnish lead is to die for, they really are the most lovely people with an amazing connection to nature and their wildlife
The group leader Elina couldn't have been any better, she couldn't have tried to please everyone anymore if she tried
Don't expect restaurant quality food, expect a more rustic and traditional Finnish cuisine such as reindeer, elk and fish
There are two reasons to go on this trip: in Spring for the Cherry Blossom, or later in the year to see the Snow Monkeys. We did the latter, and in fact the last departure of the year, the next being in April. We did not see any monkeys, and the people we spoke to, including the staff at the monkey centre, said that it was too early to see them. They come to a hot spring when it’s really cold. When we were there, it was not cold (avg 17 deg in the day), and in any case, the hot spring had suffered damage from Typhoon Hagibis and was not filling up. We spent a morning hiking to what was essentially a muddy pool for no reason. This was a real waste of time. Apart from this, the trip was enjoyable, but there are a number of free days which really should be filled up with – for example every person on our trip wanted to see Mount Fuji but we had to do that ourselves on a free day – I feel that this should have been part of the itinerary; the tour finishes in Tokyo with a free day on the Friday, and then another free day on the Saturday before being collected for the airport at 6.30pm. There’s lots to do in Tokyo, but we lost our guide before the tour finished. I don’t want to be only negative – we really enjoyed the vast majority of this tour, but it could have been so much better.
Hiroshima - but we didn't have enough time there.
Hard working and well organised but didn't go above and beyond. He was great in explaining all the customs and etiquette.
Take plenty of cash - UK debit cards don't work in most machines and credit cards are not as widely accepted as in the UK.
Dear Exodus:
I have had the most wonderful expedition. I’d like to say a few words about the people that made it happen.
Firstly I want to thank the support crew. Simson, Umbarra, Fritz, Matthias and Asa. These gentlemen turned camping into an art form. I’ve stayed at the best hotels and resorts around the world; this crew is second to none. Their attention to detail and service oriented guest first attitude is superb. They brought such an infectious positivity to the camp that it was impossible not to enjoy yourself. Did I mention the food? Asa catered to our every want and surpassed expectations every single night. This man is a genius on a camp fire. Absolutely remarkable. Hands down the best crew an expedition could want. I could go on and on about these guys. I don’t know how much you pay them but they are worth their weight in gold. Thank you to the crew, their efforts ensured this trip was a raucous success.
Next I’d like to thank Tracks and Trails. I wouldn’t dare go into the wildly remote areas we ventured into without a solid plan B. Tracks and Trails seemed to have not only a plan B but a plan C and D for every possible scenario. The vehicles were the best and when the inevitable setbacks that will happen in this rugged environment occurred, they had our back every time. I was very impressed with how quickly they reacted and problem solved. I felt confident knowing I had a team working in the background that could solve any issue at the snap of a finger regardless of the distance, environment and terrain. I felt like nothing could stop us. Very well done Tracks and Trails.
PJ. What can I say? The man is as legendary as Tarzan. His positive attitude combined with his no nonsense polite but stern business approach had all of us paying attention to the details that kept us safe. He was the pack leader. I have a great deal of respect for this man. PJ’s tracking skills were a marvel to behold; When he was tracking the desert lions I felt as if I was in a movie. He found us every animal we dreamed of seeing, then got us a better angle. Pj’s knowledge base is ridiculously extensive, I’d gamble he knows more about Africa than the Encyclopedia Británica; history, botany, geology, astronomy, flora and fauna, tribal ancestry.. the only thing he didn’t talk about was religion and politics. The only question he couldn’t answer was, “PJ, is their anything you don’t know?”. PJ catered to the group and the individual, birds for the birders, terra formations and geological history for the rock hounds, biology for the plant lovers, history for the scholars and everything you could want to know about mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. He even ran around overturning rocks to find us a scorpion when an interest was expressed. PJ is a gem, his leadership and people skills are enviable. When I come back to Africa I will find out what tour he is guiding and do that. I cannot say enough about his skills.
Lastly, I’d like to thank Exodus. You’ve done an amazing job of pairing us with the very best local guides, support staff and logistics professionals. I’ve never travelled with Exodus before, I’ll never tour with anyone but Exodus from now on. Very well done. Superb.
Thank you once again to everyone involved, I’m looking forward to my next adventure.
Sincerely,
Lance Berryman.
Black Rhinos.
The best... see my other comments
In common with other reviewers’ comments, it should be noted that the landscape between Lukla and Dingboche is like an alpine paradise, unexpectedly beautiful valleys and rivers, criss-crossed with suspension bridges and dotted with Buddha stupas. While mostly undulating, the trail is especially difficult on days where the ascent can be two hours straight up. But the leaders are cogniscent of this and allow many water stops in between scheduled breaks. Our leader, Bikash Tamang (TNT191102), was an especially experienced and supportive leader and provided confidence to those who needed it as well as providing cultural and geographical narrative from start to finish.
The only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the sanitary condition of many of the lodges high up in the Khumbu region and the abysmally cold bedrooms which are not insulated or well built. Do not underestimate how cold it gets at night.
A visit to a hospital in Phakding
See comments above; Bikash Tamang (TNT191102), was an especially experienced and supportive leader and provided confidence to those who needed it as well as providing cultural and geographical narrative from start to finish.
Consider grouping together and buying a helicopter flight from Ramechaap to Kathmandu on the return leg, to avoid a 6 hour horror bus journey and instead enjoy an incredible 25 minute flight over the hilltops. Amazing. Do not pay more than USD 1600 (5 people)
Booked this trek at the last minute and was not disappointed, the time of the year meant that the weather was ideal and made the days trekking that much more enjoyable.
The first day was the minibus drive from Amman down into he Wadi Rum area which ended with a short trek to the night camp in the Bedouin village tents. The evening meal was a traditionally cooked meal that that had been covered and buried in the hot sand on top of hot charcoal. a good nights sleep ensure we were ready for a good full day trek on the next day.
The remaining days covered a lot of ground and sand and the group was a good mixture of different nationalities
(2 Irish, 3 Scottish, 2 Netherlanders, 1 French, 5 English ) we all soon gelled soon enjoyed each others company this made good getting the background about what and where we had been and done.
Whilst the trekking was not overly difficult, a fair level of fitness is required not only for the distance to be covered, but to take into account the hot weather and the trekking up to 8 hours on the longest day mainly over sand.
Each day brought something special and inspirational from the trek across the desert and traverse of Sig el Barrah canyon, climbing up to the Burdah Arch which is quite spectacular but does require a head for heights. Ascending up some of the great red sand dunes for which Wadi Rum is quite famous for. The day spent seeing the amazing area and buildings of Petra and Little Petra. Being able to sleep under the open sky and to see the night sky as it should be seen and not spoiled by the the light pollution we suffer from in the built up areas of the UK
Our guide Abdullah (wanted to be known as Ab) was truly amazing and so knowledgeable certainly made the trekking a true history lesson. His passion, history and his manner in which he put it across ensured he had all of our attention when he spoke. He has a great sense of humour which was greatly appreciated by all and brought many a laugh. He had a great re- pore with everyone in the group and he ensured all understood what the days trek included and assisted those to achieve the most of the days events. The rest of the local team obviously also enjoyed working with Ab the camping and meals where always a pleasure
Although not the hottest time of the year in Jordan the importance of keeping hydrated cannot be understated and a minimum 2 water bottles should be carried there is always ample opportunity to topping up your bottles with clean drinkable water. A day sack is all you will be required to carry each day for what you choose to carry. You will meet up with you main baggage at the end of each day. Also a good 4 season sleeping bag as it does get cold!! in the desert in the evening/night
An excellent introduction to a welcoming and fascinating country. There are varied landscapes and fantastic historical sites.
So many, Hadrian’s Arch at Jerash, St George’s Church in Madaba (don’t miss the chapel at the rear with the painting of the Madonna and Child with the ‘helping hand’), the Treasury, tombs and Monastery of Petra. I did love Wadi Rum however, it’s a special place.
Our group leader was Muayad Mesmar. He has great pride in his country and the very few times he didn’t have an answer to our endless questions he quickly found out. He did everything to make our stay enjoyable and ensure that we experienced everyday Jordan as well as the sights.
You’ll need mosquito repellent at Aqaba and the Dead Sea, not too bad elsewhere. We didn’t find the walks at Petra to the Monastery and High Place of sacrifice difficult; but you do need to carry plenty water 1.5 – 2 litres, buy it before you go in.
Another outstanding trip from Exodus. It is very cleverly consrtucted, gradually building to the climax in the Drakensberg mountains.
There were huge contrasts in scenery, passing through industrial and agricultural areas, the expanses of fairly dry national parks to the much greener hills and mountains of Eswatini, the lakes and Indian Ocean at St Lucia and the stunning mountains of the Drakensberg.
The wildlife watching was good, not as easy as places such as the Massai Mara in Kenya, but we did see the big 5 and a lot more besides; on all of the walks there was also the opportunity to see wildlife. If birding is your thing, this is a great trip especially at this time of year as the migrations are just starting. I particularly enjoyed the visit to Isandwala and Rorkes Drift, the scene of major battles during the Zulu Wars together with walking the Fugitive’s trail between the two.
Weather is never predictable and we went from close to 40C one day in the game reservers to weather and scenery that could have been Scotland the next – but it did give us a chance to make use of the open fires in our accommodation in the hills of Eswatini! (Later in the trip we also experienced the most spectacular thunderstorms I have ever seen – very impressive)
The Last four nights were spent in the Drakensberg, two at Thendele and 2 at Witsieshoek. The scenery was stunning and the walk up from Thendele to Witsieshoek showed a different aspect of it – more reminiscent of the Yorkshire Dales. The views from the top are wonderful but unfortunately, as is the way with mountains the weather, it closed in for the last day and the inside of a cloud looks pretty much the same wherever you are!
We were a group of 12, thrown together at the start of the trip, who rubbed along pretty well and had some great times together, so a big thankyou to all concerned.
On a trip as varied as this there are numerous experience that are memorable. The time spent at Letaba Ranch, especially the early morning walk through the bush and the chance for some 'down time' watching the river is one. Although not part of the programme, experiencing the ferocity of a series of dramatic thunderstorms was quite something! However the stunning scenry of the Drakensberg mountains (they are so much more than the Amphitheatre) was the highlight for me.
Santjie was an excellent leader. Constantly cheerful, organised, knowledgable, thoughtful, a good sense of humour and with that special ability to get on with everybody. She worked incredibly hard to make sure that we had the best time possible. On the days when she cooked for the group she produced meals that were remarkably good on some very basic fsacilities. Perhaps the bast way of summarising how good she was is to say that if I would certainly be delighted to do another trip with her as leader.
This is a brilliant trip but you need to be prepared for a lot of early starts (often up by 5a.m.) and some long days - especially on the major driving days. Bring your sense of humour with you - especially if you are going to be there on the day England losese to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup!!
We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly people and we all got on well. Our trip started a day later than usual because of Diwali so we didn’t get the chance to do an optional game drive (we’d have done a 16th drive just to maximise any tiger sightings) as Bandhavgarh park is closed on Wednesday afternoon so our 15th drive was on the Thursday morning before leaving for the train. And, again because of the day’s delay, we went to the Taj at sunrise rather than at sunset and were treated to a beautiful blue sky and lovely light. We saw tigers on our very first game drive, a mother and her cubs were resting on rocks at a bit of a distance but easily spottable once we got our “eye” in. We saw a glimpse of a stripey back on drive 2 but then nothing tiger-wise until drive 8 when a magnificent male briefly stepped out in front of our jeep before melting back into the bush. We saw a leopard in the far distance on drive 14 and then on drive 15 at the very last minute we had a tiger dash past all the waiting jeeps into the bush. The other jeep with our fellow travellers had a wonderful tiger sighting in Bandhavgarh (the jeeps did different zones) and, I must admit, it’s hard not to be envious when others have an experience that you don’t. We were happy for them but…..
Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.
Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.
Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.
We had such a good holiday, it was wonderful seeing tigers in their natural environment and visiting the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal at the end of the holidays was a special experience. There were only 6 of us in our group and our fellow travellers were lovely friendly people and we all got on well. Our trip started a day later than usual because of Diwali so we didn’t get the chance to do an optional game drive (we’d have done a 16th drive just to maximise any tiger sightings) as Bandhavgarh park is closed on Wednesday afternoon so our 15th drive was on the Thursday morning before leaving for the train. And, again because of the day’s delay, we went to the Taj at sunrise rather than at sunset and were treated to a beautiful blue sky and lovely light. We saw tigers on our very first game drive, a mother and her cubs were resting on rocks at a bit of a distance but easily spottable once we got our “eye” in. We saw a glimpse of a stripey back on drive 2 but then nothing tiger-wise until drive 8 when a magnificent male briefly stepped out in front of our jeep before melting back into the bush. We saw a leopard in the far distance on drive 14 and then on drive 15 at the very last minute we had a tiger dash past all the waiting jeeps into the bush. The other jeep with our fellow travellers had a wonderful tiger sighting in Bandhavgarh (the jeeps did different zones) and, I must admit, it’s hard not to be envious when others have an experience that you don’t. We were happy for them but…..
Seeing tigers, especially when the sightings were so hard-won. A pair of wild dogs following our jeep was also special and sitting underneath an Indian Roller preening herself in the sunshine and flashing her beautiful iridescent feathers made for an excellent photo-op.
Himanshu (Bagde) was just the best group leader. He was professional, charming and cheerful at all times and worked tirelessly to ensure our holiday went without a hitch. What he doesn't know about tigers and photographing them isn't worth knowing. He took us to the local village so that we could see the Diwali celebrations and we also visited the market in full swing which was an interesting experience. He looked after us and made sure we had the best experiences possible on our holiday.
Although this is classed as a "leisurely" holiday as you don't actually walk anywhere, it is full-on as every drive day starts before dawn and the jeep rides in the parks are extremely bumpy (not a trip for anyone with a bad back!). It was also cold early in the morning (November) so warm jackets were needed until the sun came up. There is downtime between morning and afternoon drives which we used to rest rather than have lunch as you get plenty of eat for bush breakfast. Lunch is Indian buffet-style at the lodges but there is the chance to go a la carte and order omelettes/fried eggs if preferred. Tipping is an art-form in India so a group kitty managed by the group leader is definitely the way to go, it made life so much easier. We changed money up at Nagpur airport after landing, you get fleeced on the exchange rate but there really isn't an opportunity to change up sterling after the airport as you don't hit a city until the very end of the holiday and, obviously, the rural villages don't have ATMs. Shops air-side at Delhi airport on the way home take rupees (contrary to what we had read) but as rupees are a restricted currency you need to change them up pre-security if you'd don't want to spend them. Prices air-side are typical of airports world-wide, not Indian prices. You need to carry your passport on all game drives as they are taken and checked against the register of who's in which jeep. Do not take a bag/handbag to the Taj Mahal as you have to put it through a security scanner and then leave it to go through the separate frisk queue which can take some time and you can't see where your bag has got to. Put your camera round your neck and your valuables securely in your pocket and you'll be able to bypass the scanner queue. You can take a bag to the Red Fort as it's checked manually rather than through scanners. The local people in small towns (and on game drives) will ask to be photographed with you. Most people were upfront and friendly about this so it really isn't a problem, just smile and go along with the experience. Some people were a little more sneaky, filming "surreptitiously" but as you'll never see their photos/videos ever again it doesn't matter. The train to Agra is an experience but one that shouldn't put anyone off this holiday. We were in 2nd-class sleeper berths, the bedding and (western-style) toilet were clean although the beds were rather hard. Some of the group slept, some didn't. We were grouped together so, apart from people passing by doing a double-take on seeing us, we weren't disturbed once the curtains around the bunks were closed. Luggage is stowed under the bottom bunk and a packed dinner was provided by the lodge to eat on the train as you really do not want to purchase food from the vendors at the station. After the peace of the countryside the train is full-on India so is a good addition to the holiday. All the hotels used were all of a good standard, no-one got ill on our trip, just a few rumblings due to innards getting used to curries at every meal. We were told when water was filtered and drinkable (the water at Bandhavgarh smells strongly of iron so bottled water is provided). Wine was expensive, soft drinks and beer were cheaper options.
I’ve done several trips with Exodus and none of them have disappointed! The Zagori region was not an area I had heard of before, but the holiday really lived up to its billing. The mix of locations and accommodation was great, from hotels in the bigger towns to guest houses in the villages and the overnight stay in the mountain refuge. The hikes were really good, with some spectacular views especially of the Vikos Gorge and around the Dragon Lake. The guide, Stavros, was very friendly and knowledgeable and worked hard to make sure we saw everything despite having to change things around a bit after an overnight thunderstorm. A really good holiday in a lovely (quiet) part of Greece. Thoroughly recommended!
There were many inspirational moments: - Looking down into the Vikos Gorge from the various viewpoints - The views from the mountain refuge and Dragon Lake - Sunset from the mountain refuge and from the viewpoint on the Meteora area - The Meteora monasteries - A lovely taverna lunch under the shade of a tree in the village square - A cool beer after a long hike!
Stavros was great! Very friendly and very knowledgeable and very keen to make sure we enjoyed all that this region of Greece had to offer. A real ambassador for both Exodus and Greek tourism! Thanks Stavros. :-)
You need to be a reasonably committed walker to enjoy the hikes. You will spend quite a bit of time on your feet and there's quite a bit of uphill - as the trip notes state. You don't need to be super-fit , but if you're only used to walking on gently undulating terrain you'll need to do some training! For example, the trip up to the mountain refuge is about 3.5 hrs of steady uphill. It's not terribly steep, but consistently uphill at a nice steady pace so you need to be prepared for that.