Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky enough to see a wild pigmy elephant, crossing the river right in front of our boat. Lucky for us, we were alone on the river. Sunrise at the Wildlife Discovery Centre in Sepilok had us up close with a somewhat angry wild orang-utan, which was definitely an experience! At the Sun Bear Sanctuary we met Poppa Bear (Wong) who, if you've seen the ITV Borneo show with Judi Dench, you will know instantly. He, like every other Bornean, was extremely friendly, and happy to chat at length about about the gorgeous Sun Bears. Visiting Labuk Bay and the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary was a special place, my favourite being the Silver Leaf Monkeys and one baby. And snorkelling off of Manukan Island was top notch, and accommodation there was lush! Could have used a few more days. Be sure to order a kopi tarik at the take away cafe toward the pool. They open at 7.30 am.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Manuel, our tour leader, was amazing. We were such a lucky group and could have not asked for a better leader to gel our Exodus Team! He was knowledgable, compassionate, and a pleasure to be around. I'm looking forward to another Manuel Exodus tour in the future, as he really bonded with every member of our tour and we were all sad to say our goodbyes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Luggage - You have to carry your own nearly everywhere, so pack as light as possible, in a soft pack. Leech socks - I was very worried about finding these here before we left, but we found some in the Centre Pointe Mall on the ground level. They were also available to rent at the Bilit Adventure Lodge along with wellington boots! Sleep - Our entire group had problems sleeping on various parts of our tour. No way to combat it, but be ready. Bug spray - Take it with you an top up regularly, especially in the rainforest areas. Plasters - Take these too as you may have blisters. Roti cannai - Try this in the Centre Point basement Islamic Center restaurant. It doesn't look like much, but we were there every day were were in KK. You'll see red plastic chairs and know you're in the right place. 1x roti cannai costs 1.50RM, so like 30p, and it's the best we found on the whole tour. Noodles and rice dishes were great too. Laundry - Forget about it. Know by the end you're going to stink. So will all your travel companions. Use laundry services where they're available; we found the Sabah Tea Longhouse laundry to be a reprieve from the stink! The last hotels on the trip will happily take any clothes you don't want to take home with you and distribute to those in need. A good idea (stolen from travel mates) is to buy clothes at the charity shop and leave them with you. Best thing to wear would be lightweight long sleeved shirts! If you put any effort into this tour, you'll be handsomely rewarded - early morning treks provided us with a personal encounter with a pigmy elephant as well as an orang-utan. It was special!

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all very pleasant. The scramble to the summit of Piz Boe was fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martin and Albert were great. Professional, good humoured and patient. Also interesting fellows to talk to, which is what I have come to expect from Exodus over the years. Made us feel instantly welcome and at home.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Eat, drink and be merry!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention - every view that made us say “wow”. Realising the true scale of Mt Blanc and the way the mountains make us contemplate our own insignificance!

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were in very safe hands. Emma had a wealth of expertise and knowledge but on top of that she had a genuine interest in the people in the group and she made sure that the week was both challenging and fun. Very supportive and encouraging, she managed the group really well, keeping us together and really helping the group to bond and so get greater enjoyment from each day. A great leader!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be fit enough to be able to cope with some long and pretty steep ascents in order to really enjoy this trip to the full. I would say that poles are a must. I had never used them before but borrowed some from Chalet Chocolat and found them really useful on the descents.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a large number of elephants at the watering hole at our lodge in Etosha. Having just finished dinner and thinking 'we'll just see if there are any animals at the watering hole' only to find around 25 elephants of various sizes and ages all drinking water alongside some zebra, springbok and oryx was truly magical. Also, seeing a pride of 12 lions on a game drive. Although not too close to our truck, it was still fascinating to watch them interact with each other.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronney was an absolute superstar! Nothing, literally nothing, was too much trouble. He had a fantastic sense of humour and laugh, and went out of his was to ensure each and every person on the trip enjoyed themselves. I never saw Ronney without anything but a smile on his face; he really is a man who loves his job. With a group of 12 with a range of dietary requirements, Ronney made sure that everyone was catered for and happy. Ruben, his assistant was also fantastic, creating amazing and huge lunch selections at the side of the road or BBQs of an evening. They are a great team and anyone getting the Ronney and Ruben combo on a trip will have struck it lucky!

Advice for Potential Travellers

During the end of July and beginning of August the evenings and mornings get quite chilly - I underestimated how cold it could get - so bring lots of layers to cope with this. Swimming pools are not heated so unless very brave do not count on swimming. Money- Bring SA Rand as this is pegged 1:1 with Namibian Dollars and is easier to change back to Pounds Sterling if needed. Be aware of the cost of the flight over the dunes - many companies quote for this trip but often they outsource your business to another company and then the price goes up. Ensure you decide on optional excursions early so that you get to go on the ones you want. On this note - the quadbiking was excellent! The drives are long and sometimes on unmade roads. The truck does get very bouncy! Similarly on the game drive in the Waterberg Plateau. Female travellers may wish to pack a sports bra for comfort! It also gets quite dusty - a Buff or similar is useful to help keep the dust out of your lungs. When purchasing things from markets etc, listen to the starting price and then begin your offer very low, they trader will eventually meet you at a price that they judge fair, often 25% or the starting price. Don't be afraid to haggle hard.

Most Inspirational Moment

Views from Aiguille Du Midi over the clouds towards Mont Blanc. The day in Italy provided a contrast of views and a very pleasant walk with gelato at the end!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adelin was an excellent leader, considerate to all in the mixed ability group, and knowledgeable about the area, flora and fauna..

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for all weathers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Viewing Mont Blanc from the Aiguille du Midi when the clouds started to lift. Summiting the Aiguillette des Houches and being able to see the amazing, dramatic and panoramic views of the Alpes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Ads did a first class job looking after us. She was calm and supportive when she needed to be and at other times was fun to be with. Her experience and love of what she does shines through, and we felt very safe in her hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Like others have said before, make sure that you are have a reasonable level of fitness as the gradients of the walks can be challenging. Buying a Mont Blanc Multi-pass when going up the Aiguille du midi means that you can take full advantage of all the cable cars, lifts and trains, they are all easily accessible from the centre of Chamonix.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the mountain ridge to have a panoramic 360 degree view of the Alps. Absolutely breathtaking. Reaching the peak of the mountains - always a sense of achievement.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lotte - Inspirational. Made all of our walks thoroughly enjoyable, kept us informed with information as we walked, and shares amazing and inspiring stories, whilst getting to know us. Could not have asked for a better leader, especially one with such a great sense of humour! Zohi and Ben - Excellent chalet hosts. Made us all feel welcome, and were always there to help. Zohi's cooking is world class, and any restaurant in the world would be lucky to have her! You both really looked after us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your walking poles - it makes life so much easier!

Most Inspirational Moment

One of the children singing ‘all star’ on the bus. It livened up one of the lengthy bus trips. Halong Bay was picturesque. The weather was excellent which resulted in good swimming and kayaking not to mention the photographs from the glorious sunset. Whale Island was beautiful though the weather was windy owing to a nearby typhoon which brought in a lots of debris to the island. Walks around the island are well signed and worth exploring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ngoc personality and sense of humour drove the trip. He was flexible and understanding and handled all group members diplomatically. He also explained clearly Vietnam’s geopolitical and environmental challenges, the religious and cultural diversity, and the population pressures particularly on housing and incomes. He got the balance right and occasionally fooled parents / children on elements of the trip - in particular the homestay!!

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to decide as it was a fabulous trip with lots of experiences - Seeing the leopard in Chobe NP, watching hundreds of elephants get together in the water hole in Hwange NP, coming up close to Rhinos in Matobo NP or the fabulous camping trip in Okavango Delta or seeing Victoria Falls for the first time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rowan our guide and Sifiso our driver certainly lived up to the good reviews others have previously placed. Nothing was too much trouble, Both shared there experiences and information Sifiso was a great driver - so we felt safe all the time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember your torches and head torch for the camping plus if there is powercuts - which occurred in Zimbabwe. Remember to take a travel plug adaptor for Botswana/South Africa you will need it to charge up anything. Also take an additional battery pack for charging your phones ( if used as a camera) whilst camping. It does get cold on the morning game drives - take layers - hats, gloves, windproofs etc you will need them! Also the evenings can get cold. We took lots of photos - but also you need to take time to experience the wildlife not through a lens. If you are thinking of doing this trip - just do it - you will not regret it. It is fabulous.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was very impressed with Tibilisi. Clean city with lots of open spaces and a mix of modern and old architecture. Especially like the cafe culture. The food throughout trip was excellent and very reasonably priced. Really impressive scenery in the Causcasus mountains

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armenia is developing it's tourism industry and I suspect that is why our tour leader wasn't a tour guide by profession. Taguhi was by profession an English lecturer at the University in Yerevan and you could tell. She had done lots of research and sometimes delivered her commentary like a lecture with far too much detail. Having said that, she was competent and kept on schedule, organising meals as we went along. It was actually nice to have a leader who wasn't a trained guide, just a local who is passionate about her country, it's history and culture. Taguhi is intelligent and she will quickly learn how to refine her skills as a guide. I had no problems. Just a little less detailed information please. In Georgia, our guide was Ia Mikiashvili. . Ia was in her early twenties and not long out of University where she studied tourism . Ia said she was little nervous at first as this was her first English group but she proved to be an excellent tour leader in every sense. She is a very friendly person with good English and she got on well with everyone. Ia has a good knowledge of the itinerary and can advise on places to visits, restaurants etc. She made herself contactable at all times and she has good organisation and problem solving skills . I think she will do very well in the tourist industry. Very well done Ia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are interested in Georgian and Armenian churches and monasteries you will love this trip but be prepared for some long days travelling. Make sure you check in on line. Either print your boarding pass or download to your phone