Reviews

Magnifique!

Exodus,Chalet Chocolat,Ben,Zohi,Shaun,Mark and Kate-thank you so much for a truly magical experience in the French,Swiss and Italian Alps. The list of superlatives to describe this experience is long but magnificent,extraordinary,stupendous,colossal,transformational and gourmet all spring to mind.
The day begins with fresh croissants,pain au chocolat,strong coffee,cereal,yoghurt and fruits to fortify for a day of exertion as we wandered and took in the various delights of the Chamonix Valley in the very capable hands of guide Shaun. The steep,snow-tipped peaks,hanging glaciers,lakes,forest,ancient village houses,cows with bells,flowers,mountain cafes and wildlife are a very bewitching and intoxicating combination,we all felt like we were in a scene from The Sound of Music or Heidi.Our baguette,cheese and ham packed lunch was eaten in a scenic location with jaw-dropping views,our legs were tired and sore by the time we’d descended back to the chalet for a freshly-baked cake (thanks Zohi!) then into the jacuzzi for a well-deserved soak before a beer or wine and some gourmet dinner and dessert treats prepared lovingly by Ben and Zohi.Each day was different and stimulating,the local town of Chamonix was very attractive with its fine restaurants,quality shops and museums and inspiring alpine back-drop. We’ve all left a piece of our hearts in Chamonix and many of us will surely return there for another active alpine holiday. Merci bien Chamonix- à bientôt!

INCREDIBLE HIKING EXPERIENCE

The trip was fantastic! I felt very welcomed and at home from the moment we stepped in the chalet and were greeted by Zohi and Ben. An absolutely beautiful property with a very cosy and communal feel, a great way to bond with your new travel friends. The meals made with love by Zohi and Ben were phenomenal! A great variety for breakfast and lunch paired with 3 courses for dinner – each night was completely unique, delicious and fun. I had some dietary requirements and never felt like this was difficult for Zohi – she made me feel included and provided just as high level and delicious alternatives. Zohi and Ben were so warm and welcoming and became instant friends with the group! They set the tone of the chalet and helped the team bond and enjoy their time at “home”. The meals they provided were so varied, colourful, amazing – and themed to the days events which was a really special touch. It wouldn’t have been the same without seeing them each day and sharing our days experiences.
A beautiful highlight of Mont Blanc with completely different trips and scenery each day, which was very special. Great pacing, good times of day to start and end hikes. It was so magical to see so many different parts of the valley/alps and It was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.
Our hiking guide Shaun was incredibly passionate and knowledgeable – he was very professional and always ensured our comfort and safety as well as challenging us and teaching us about the area.
Shaun was a fountain of knowledge about the area and hiking. He was always professional and on-time. His organisation and time-lines were always spot on as well as his “walkie talkies” (what we affectionately nicknamed his updates for the next days hikes) which were very accurate and prepared us for the next day.
I would recommend this trip over and over and over, and can’t wait to travel with Exodus again. Ensure you read the trip notes as they are very accurate and prepare you well for the trip.

Majestic Mont Blanc

Where do I begin – this trip is absolutely stellar. Chalet Chocolat is in a great location, and the Spa with mountain and glacier views always tops off an amazing day hiking. Shaun, our expert for the area was extremely knowledgeable about the geography and could easily amend walks to suit our groups needs. Zohi and Ben were amazing Chalet Hosts, cooked the most amazing food to make sure we earned each day of walking.

Highlights of Mont Blanc Highlights

The activity level is Grade 3 but the experience level is off the scale; a complete holiday experience. Hiking in the most amazing scenery then returning to an authentic French chalet is the perfect option in this area. Our Chalet hosts, Ben & Zohi, were the ‘icing on the cake’, ensuring a stressfree holiday. Zohi’s cakes were something to look forward to at the end of each day’s hiking and the three course evening meals, matched with local wines, were the perfect end to each day. The only way this week could’ve been better was if a week was 14 days.

Safarai in Kenya,and Tanzania followed by 3 days in Zanzibar

This was one of the most fantastic holidays of my life. Crew on the truck were excellent and Clara the tour guide was a brilliant leader. The other guests were great and we all got on and they supported me as the oldest in the group.
Unfortunately Zanzibar was not as good. After a hectic time on safari with early mornings and sometimes long drives it would have been better to go to the beach bungalows first to recover before going to Stone town which was so busy with it’s narrow streets and always in danger of being run over by car or scooters.
I would rather have had a day in Nairobi to recover from the overnight flight rather than getting off the plane at 4.30 am and being driven to Kembu Farm campsite. One day less in Zanzibar would have been good especially as it rained hard on the last day and we were just hanging around until 4.30 pm drive to the airport.

Kilimanjaro, Lemosho route

This was my third trip with exodus and it did not disappoint.
I had a great time and met some fantastic fellow travellers.
The trek was fairly easy walking with a few points that required scrambling over rocks mainly Barranco wall, one of my favourite days on the trek.

Great trip

Great trip, and worth a visit to experience Bhutan and the festivals

Eagle Festival

Advice given by Exodus regarding the transfer in Beijing was inadequate. Much more detail is needed. Many lost souls were wandering the airport for some time. Perhaps a step-by-step description ? Chinese airport personnel were generaly rude, and less than helpful.

The whole trip was generally fine.

Exodus were advisied that one of us was gluten-free, but this information was not given to the tour guide beforehand, which Exodus stated it had been. Probably did not make a huge difference in the end as Gluten free food is largely unknown in Mongolia (not entirely unexpected).

An outstanding holiday

This holiday is a great mix of mountains walks, wildlife encounters ( Bear hide and Sanctuary, Bird lakes ) , historic towns (Brasov) and visits ( Bran Castle, Byzantine monastery, churches and cathedral )

WONDERFUL OVERVIEW OF JORDAN

The Hidden Treasures of Jordan was a wonderful overview to this spectacular region. The tour covered all the major sights with a great two days spent in Petra. Yes – good walking shoes are required and be prepared for long distances as Petra is pretty much one way in, one way out. First day was around 20km round trip over rough terrain and a multitude of steps. The surprise was the ruins of Jerash and it would have been great for more time here. Loved the Dead Sea but found the Red Sea area a bit over rated. The night spent in Wadi Rum although not isolated was very enjoyable. The majority of hotels were acceptable but sometimes a bit too far out of the town to do anything else. I would recommend this tour it was just long enough to cover all of the highlights Jordan has to offer. Be aware that if you like a beer at the end of a long hot day then you will be struggling for most of this journey.