Most Inspirational Moment
See the above link.
Thoughts on Group Leader
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Advice for Potential Travellers
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Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
On the roof of Africa
Review of my Exodus trip to Kilimanjaro in The Herald: https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/16237809.travel-trek-to-the-summit-of-mount-kilimanjaro/
A long and varied road
This amazing trip was like several holidays rolled into one. From the surreal weirdness of Ashghabat and Darvaza, through ancient archaeological sites to the stunning monuments in Bukhara and Samarkand, through the desert to the Afghan border then up into beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers and nomad camps, before descending back down to the modern post-Soviet cities… every day there was something new and wonderful to see.
Most Inspirational Moment
So many! Ashghabat set us up with three weeks' worth of jokes; we all fell instantly in love with Bukhara; the necropolis in Samarkand was an unexpected delight; the drive into the Fann Mountains was a welcome return to awesome scenery, and the whole of Kyrgyzstan was jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially the ever-changing colours of Son Kul lake and the brilliant stars on a clear night.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our fantastic tour leader Ale(jandro) was a major reason for the success of the trip - always on hand to organise things or deal with any issues, endlessly cheerful and calm, and full of entertaining stories about his previous trips. The local guides sometimes varied in quality, but the best ones were truly stellar - Bek in Uzbekistan and Valentina in Kyrgyzstan in particular were excellent.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The Tajik visa is valid for about 45 days, so allow a few days' leeway at the start rather than trying to calculate your exact entry date (a few people got this wrong and had to get new visas over dodgy Turkmen internet). The Turkmen LOI can arrive very late, not the "month in advance" suggested in the trip notes, but nobody got rejected. Take plenty of rehydration salts even if you have bowels of steel - nearly everyone had some troubles, and the salts are also good if you're sweating buckets (which will definitely happen at 46 degrees!). Learn some Russian if you can, it's spoken almost everywhere, and will help you understand the bill at restaurants. The transfer window at Istanbul Airport on the way home is very tight - do whatever it takes to speed things up, whether going through the VIP security check or hitching a ride with a motorised wheelchair (have some $$ ready to tip the driver), as you may have over a mile to run to make it before boarding closes - we all made it, but only just.
Good
This was our first trip with Exodus and was excellent in some ways and a little disappointing in others.
The hotel was excellent, clean if small rooms, superb staff and food of the highest quality. Arrangements at the beginning and end of the trip were smooth with no transfer problems.
The disappointment of the trip was the walking which for three days lacked any inspiration as we trudged through rolling hills or woods with very little views. The Cares Gorge walk was excellent as was our final day where we actually walked in the high mountains. More of this was needed. We cannot understand why we were not actually in these high mountains more.
Most Inspirational Moment
The Cares Gorge walk which was not only long but also spectacular. The food every night was of the highest quality but the salmon dish stood out.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader was very pleasant with good knowledge of the local area. He catered for the diverse walking abilities of the group very well and I always felt safe with him. His English whilst adequate was not fluent and so frequently he misunderstood us or took rather too long to give us information as he searched for the correct word. We thought it rather poor that he did not eat with us on the first night when information could have been imparted.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Choose your walking grade carefully. We spent 7hrs walking 7miles one day which was ridiculous!
Excellent walking trip
This was one of my favourite holidays so far. The guides, Martin and Albert were knowledgable, supportive and enthusiastic. The hotel was hosted by the best staff and owners. The hikes led us into the most amazing scenery you can see in Europe. They were suitable for the level 3 and 5. It would be a good idea to put some training in for both. The days were long but therefore fulfilling. The breakfast and dinner were plentiful provided by the hotel. There was a good bar for evening socialising before an early bed for the next days activities. If you go on this trip you will not be disappointed.
Most Inspirational Moment
The stunning views of the Dolomite region The other group members The enthusiastic and knowledgable guides The kind and pleasant hotel staff
Thoughts on Group Leader
excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Train for both levels - see the training and fitness guides provided by Exodus
Wowed by the beauty
Great trip for wildlife and desert scenery. I was wowed by the beauty of the Namib desert colours and by the wide variety of animal life we saw both in the desert and Etosha further north.
Most Inspirational Moment
The sunrise in the Namib desert seen from the top of Dune 45.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide was friendly and enthusiastic and most importantly very knowledgable about the animals and country and a great animal spotter as we drove along!
Advice for Potential Travellers
July is a good time to go despite the freezing cold nights as the animals come to drink at the waterholes. Do buy souvenirs directly from the Himba and Herrera people when you get the chance as they have the best range of the things they make. You won't be able to get them in regular shops. Useful to have earplugs (for snorers) really warm jackets, and something to protect your face from dust during game drives in open sided vehicles.
Walking trip feedback
Stunning limestone scenery and whilst we got close to the highest mountains we were a little dissappionted we could not get closer and maybe stay a night in one of the Refugios as part of a linear route. Not sure our trip merited a ‘challenging’ rating.
The hotel staff were helpful and the food was superb throughout. Could do with fans in the rooms and/or flyscreens on then windows to keep out the nasty biting bugs.
Most Inspirational Moment
The walk over Pene de Main to Bulnes with views to El Narranco and Torre Cerredo and the wonderful walk down Canal del Texu. A good day out. The wlak of the Carres Gorge on day 1 was also a highlight.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
We did the trip in July but maybe the weather would be less mixed in September of early October. The downside is you would see less flora than in June or July.
Namibia without camping
Brilliant scenery.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting a bit too close to an elephant !
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both the leader and his assistant were very good.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Pack in anticipation of your luggage being delayed. Ours was. 2. If it is delayed, retrieve the delivery note. 3. Read The Sheltering Desert by Henno Martin.
Amazing hikes with rewarding views
As a solo female traveler I felt totally safe and reassured from the moment I met the exodus leader at the airport. All information about activities and transport was clear. The free local buses and trains throughout the week were really convenient. Everyday’s hike was different, either a challenging peak that brought real accomplishment or a balcony path that contoured along the valley. The 3 course diner every night was absolutely fabulous and tailored individually to people’s dietary needs. I would totally recommend the Mont Blanc Highlights to anyone who loves a good days walking followed by fabulous cake and good company from like minded individuals no matter your age.
Most Inspirational Moment
Paragliding on the free day was incredibly inspirational, a must do activity to really appreciate the Chamonix valley from above and to look down on the previous days walks.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Adalene was funny, sociable and knowledgeable about the local geology and formation of the mountains.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Definitely go paragliding!!!
Moonstone Trek
I chose to do the Moonstone Trek – a remote and quiet Inca trail reaching the dizzying heights of just under 4700 m. I was the only person doing the trek and had my own guide, chef and 2 horsemen. I thoroughly enjoyed the trek, beautiful scenery, remote small communities and Inca sites en route. My guide was very knowledgable and i learnt about about the history of the area en route. I was looked after extremely well: fantastic food and hot tea and water in the morning. I highly recommend this trek and Exodus, it is a once in a lifetime experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
Climbing Accoccasa and reaching the top to experience the view - it was breathtaking (aside from the effects of altitude i mean!) and i felt a real sense of achievement. Having a few minutes at the top gave me time to reflect and offered me a refreshed perspective. Sorry a bit deep!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Smithy was very amenable and knowledgable. He was on hand to sort out every little issue and make sure we were aware of the options for activities (outside the trek) and then organise it for us. Having someone local made a real difference to our experience as we were able to eat at amazing restaurants and experience the best of what Peru can offer.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It says in the trip notes that poles are optional - my view is that they should be deemed essential. I do not normally use poles when hiking in the UK but i took them with me and i am so glad i did. There can be difficult terrain to navigate and i experienced snow on the 3rd day which made the trail very slippery. They really helped going up hill when you are struggling to breath and your legs are like lead weights! The temperature ranges from zero to mid 20's. So bring lots of layers. Yes you need a sunhat & sunblock AND a winter coat and thermals!
Madagascar
“Madagascan Discoverer” was a truly wonderful, very enjoyable, multi-faceted trip with a really excellent guide, Rija. I am writing this review to inform future customers about 1 less-than-good aspect because it might be a safety issue for some people booking this holiday. In addition, Exodus has failed to respond to the comments I made in my on-line post-holiday evaluation about this, so I do not know if Exodus has read the evaluation and is going to do anything to improve the situation. My criticism relates to the harnesses provided for the walk in the Grands Tsingy. Mine was too big for me, even when the smallest harness the company had was adjusted to the smallest possible size. This same problem also affected another person in the group. Both of us are slimmer than most other British adults. Fortunately, neither of us fell and came to any harm. If we had fallen and had had to rely on the harnesses to keep us safe, there would have been the potential for an accident or injury. If you are slim or if you have children who are intending to do the Via Ferrata in the Grands Tsingy, please consider bringing your or their own harness(es) that fits you/them. A harness that does not fit the wearer is of little use. I climb regularly and know how important this piece of equipment is and how a proper fit is necessary for safety. This deficiency on the part of Exodus is made worse because I had actually queried with Exodus BEFORE the trip whether I should bring my own harness to Madagascar. The reply that the Exodus rep gave me was that we would not be doing Via Ferrata and there was no need for the harness. This reveals that the Exodus representative does not know her product: we definitely did a Via Ferrata and we used climbing equipment. Other than this failing, and one or two things which were beyond the control of Exodus, the holiday was very good, hugely interesting and varied and I had a great time. I fully recommend this holiday and in particular, commend Rija for her excellent guiding.
Most Inspirational Moment
See above.