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The important thing to bear in mind with this trek is that, with the exception of the summit day, the walking is pretty dull. I’ve trekked extensively in Nepal, Europe and the UK and the scenery on Kili is less interesting and less varied than pretty much anywhere else I’ve been. If you took away the summit, no one would be that interested in walking there. Yes, the scenery does change from day to day – you start off in forest, then that becomes scrubland as you get higher – but there isn’t the interest of variety which is present in other places. Therefore, I look at this trek as a challenge, rather than something to do for the sake of enjoyment.
The summit day is very, very, very tough – six hours of steep climbing on gravel/scree, with an ascent of around 1200m, not much in the way of oxygen and in the dark, with the temperature comfortably below freezing. It’s not so much about personal fitness as how well you cope with the altitude and how mentally tough you are. If you follow the advice from the guides, it’ll certainly help though.
The contribution of the guides to the success of our group cannot be underestimated – they were fantastic, particularly on the summit day.
Sunrise from the top
Only do this if you want a challenge where the satisfaction comes after the event. Judging by the comments of my group, this isn't one you'll enjoy while you're doing it. If you aren't used to sleeping in tents, I'd suggest you practice before this trip - you need to be as refreshed as possible, and that means lots of sleep.
This was my first cycling holiday and Exodus made it a fantastic experience, very well organised and what a fantastic island, the people are so friendly , the scenery out of this world and the roads although busy in some towns actually felt very safe as the other drivers are very courteous to a group of cyclists.
Great choice of food and the accommodation was far better than I expected.
We had a small group of 10 and we soon became a great team, I think the highlight for most people was the 2000 metre climb, hard work but very rewarding.
Suresh, what a gentleman, he will go out of his way to make sure everyone is having a good time and he on call 24/7 making sure everything is in place, he even insisted I used his personal mobile phone during the two weeks after mine stopped working on the 3rd day. Fantastic Leader and very good company.
Make sure you train before hand as it is quite challenging on some days or will spend some time in the back up bus. This is the best way to see the real Sri Lanka.
This is a great way to experience a lot of Vietnam in very short period of time. Using the bikes allows you to get to parts that you simply wouldn’t get to on a more conventional coach-based tour; small lanes and roads that are just about wide enough to get a bike through. The trip shows aspects of recent and ancient Vietnamese history in equal measure and, if you ask the right questions, you can get a feel for life is like in Vietnam in the here and now.
Climbing the pass in the middle of the second week was certainly an achievement for everyone on the trip, even the hardened cyclists.
The leader on our trip, Long Le, was fantastic and probably the best leader of the four Exodus trips I've done. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble and he was equally attentive to all in the group. His walking tours around the food markets were excellent and allowed us all an opportunity to try food we'd never get back in the UK - duck brain and tongue anyone? He was incredibly organised and efficient in checking us in and out of the hotels and getting us moving in the morning.
This is a pretty full on trip with early starts almost every day. Breakfast was usually at 6am with cycling or coach journeys starting an hour later. A few of the days include quite long bus journeys, either getting to the start of the cycling or at the end to get to the hotel, so take an iPod or a book to read. There were a couple of opportunities to get laundry done so don't over pack; it's very cheap - about $1USD per kilo of washing. Just embrace everything that there is to see and do and you won't go wrong on this trip.
This was a great trip and wonderful introduction to a largely unspoilt area of Italy. The walks were easy and through some great agricultural and ancient landscapes. The food was lovely and very plentiful and unlike the cuisine of other areas I have visited. The hotels were very characterful especially the Hotel in Matera with stunning views of the old city.
The unscheduled bonuses. The celebration of the feast of St Cosmas and Damian in Alberobello on the first night. The town was lit up with thousands of lights, there was music from the bandstand and fireworks later. The show of traditional Puglian music and dancing at the Masseria was also wonderful. The food and the wine too!
Angelo was great. Friendly, passionate about his country and always making that extra effort to ensure we had the best time!
Don't go if you are watching your weight!
This was the most amazing trip I have ever been on – just wonderful from every aspect! Our tour leader was fantastic – the best I have ever come across in terms of wealth of knowledge, personality and enthusiasm in helping us to get to know his country from every aspect; the food (which we were largely able to choose ourselves at restaurants each night) was fabulous and catered for every diet, value for money was outstanding as airport transfers and entry to all sites we visited was included in the trip fee, and the content was incredibly comprehensive – we covered so much ground and saw so many wonderful things in a week that we all said we felt as if we’d been in Jordan for 3-4 weeks! I cannot recommend this trip highly enough if you are interested in history, archaeology and lots of fabulous ruins!
Seeing Petra was one of the highlights of my life! I had wanted to go there since I was 11 years old in junior school and saw a movie on the discovery of Petra in a history class. Exodus is one of the few companies I found to offer two full days in Petra - and both days were full on and only for the fit and active. I had no idea that the Petra Archaeological Park was so extensive as most people are really only familiar with the much-photographed Siq and the Treasury - but there is so much more! We walked and hiked and climbed all over the park for 2 days for about 8 hours a day and saw an enormous amount, mostly with a running commentary from the eloquent Danny. It was an experience etched in my mind forever.
Our guide, Danny Haddad, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history and archaeology of Jordan, and patiently answered all our questions about the social, political, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of life in Jordan. He spent about 14 hours of each day with us, and was a great PR person for Jordan, being highly proactive in engaging us in conversation about Jordan and inviting discussion on issues of interest while on the bus travelling between stops. I have not yet come across someone more passionate about his country and more willing to help immerse a group of travellers into his culture than Danny. He was a fabulous guide and is an amazing asset to Exodus. We were extremely fortunately to have him guide our group. The trip to Jordan, and especially Petra with Danny revealing its history and archaeological wonders to us, is one of the highlights of my life.
Make sure you are fit and be prepared for high temperatures in summer - even in September when I went it was over 35 degrees centigrade in Petra. Wear hiking boots and socks when visiting the Petra Archaeological Park as there is a lot of climbing of steps which are covered in fine dust and are quite slippery on the descent. Even the flat parts are also covered in a lot of gravel which can be quite sharp. I wore hiking sandals the first day and constantly had to empty my sandals of stone and huge quantities of sand! The second day in boots with ankle support which didn't allow sand and stones to ingress was much more comfortable. A hat is essential, as are spare camera batteries if yours doesn't have a rechargeable battery. Even a spare rechargeable battery would be a bonus as you will takes masses of photos! A warning - don't change Dinars back into whatever currently at the airport on departure as the exchange rate is horrendous and I was really stung there. Rather work on about JD 200 for the week and carry some of your home currency in notes to exchange when you run out. It was easy to exchange GBP, USD or CAD via our guide.
This trip has a packed itinerary and takes in several of China’s most well-known sites. If you enjoy sightseeing and have an interest in Chinese history, culture and scenery then I would certainly recommend it. You should be prepared for some days where there is a lot of travel and also for some early starts, but they are included for a good reason (e.g. to see the pandas early while they are still awake, get to the Great Wall before large crowds of other visitors turn up etc.). With China having so much to offer you can’t possibly see everything in the time available, but I felt that the organisers had made excellent use of the time and it’s hard to imagine that we could have done a lot more than we did. As well as the main itinerary there are also a number of excellent optional shows and activities for those who want to experience even more!
It's hard to pick out one specific item that was the best, but for me the highlights included seeing the Great Wall at first hand, the Summer Palace in Beijing, Xian walls and Great Mosque, seeing the giant pandas so close, and cycling/boating while surrounded by the stunning scenery around Yangshuo. Also, if you get the chance, see the Shanghai acrobat show- it's awesome!
Our group leader, Kris (Chris?) was excellent. As well as being well-organised, ensuring we were all ready when we needed to be and dealing with any problems or complications that we encountered, she was also full of interesting information about the various places we visited. She also made sure that at mealtimes my girlfriend, who was the only vegetarian among us, always had something she could eat. She certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the trip.
Make sure you bring some imodium because there is a good chance of getting an upset stomach at some point. Chinese trains have hot water dispensers, so it's also worth bringing a plastic cup/beaker for tea/coffee. I'd read up a bit on China and Chinese history before the trip, and I found it enhanced my enjoyment because I had a better understanding of what we saw.
A tour of the island – Vinales, Bay of Pigs, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and La Habana.
Typical Exodus arrangement touches really bring the real Cuba alive.
An educated and welcoming population despite their relative material poverty. Unique political and economic system in action. Music, dancing and those cocktails everywhere - just cannot resist joining in. Some amazing colonial architecture in La Habana. Trinidad a delight of colours and history. A ride in a classic car.
Jorge was very helpful and a great ambassador. Really helped group get under the skin of island life and what it was like for the population. Fun Cuban sense of humour and went out of his way to support us.
Maybe get Salsa lessons in before leaving - trip lesson is too short and late in schedule. If you master basics early, chances to join in are everywhere during the trip. Quad measure Mohito's slip down too easily. Food in private restaurants surprisingly good - had anticipated it being very bland and basic. Don't expect mobile data or wifi. Usual tropical climate precautions - sun cream, hat, lots of water and insect repellent evenings.
Just returned from this trip (land-only option) and have to say it exceeded my already-high expectations. Itinerary was action-packed without being exhausting, with a decent amount of free time including in the evenings and on rest days. I was pleasantly surprised how early we reached our overnight hotels on most days, enabling plenty of siesta time in between cycling and sightseeing. The route was also great, taking in the vast majority of Cuba’s surprisingly diverse landscapes and cultures whilst also providing a good variety of accommodation, from private casas particulares, jungle lodges and provincial hotels to the occasional luxurious, American-style resort. The cycling itself was enjoyable and never too tough – perfectly within the reach of the averagely-fit rider, especially given the pretty capable hire bikes provided, although the heat/humidity obviously adds an extra element of challenge at times. Roads were generally quiet but I was also pleasantly surprised by the courtesy shown by vast majority of drivers – if only British drivers were this considerate! There are a fair amount of coach transfers to contend with in between cycling legs, too, but these passed quickly in our comfortable vehicle and enabled us to miss out the less interesting bits of a road whilst also taking in additional sights. In particular, our tour leader Freddy was absolutely superb – by far the best guide I’ve ever experienced. Highly-organised but also very funny and unafraid to give us ‘warts and all’ insights into the realities of Cuban life. Our two other support drivers were also great and it was good to know they were on-hand constantly. Overall, I’d thoroughly recommend this trip as a great way to experience a fascinating and superbly atmospheric country whilst also working off some of those endless rum cocktails with a bit of exercise.
Too many to mention but I loved the harder cycling days through the Sierra Maestre mountains, coupled with the legendary salsa clubs of Santiago and Trinidad. Also loved the frequent swimming opportunities in natural rock pools and almost comically-perfect tropical beaches.
Hard to fault - Freddy was brilliant. My only regret is that I can't pack him in my rucksack for my next adventure as I fear future guides now have a really hard act to follow.
It's worth doing a little training beforehand - none of the rides are super-hard but the heat adds an extra element so I'm not sure this is the ideal trip for a complete cycling novice. That said, we had people ranging from early-thirties to early-seventies, with varying degrees of cycling fitness, and the vast majority coped perfectly well with all the rides. Hungrier riders might want to pack their own energy snacks - the support team kept us well topped-up at snack stops with fruit and water, alongside the occasional local treat, but packing a few of my own energy bars would have been sensible too. Also as noted elsewhere, I would take plenty of hard currency with you - Cuba is not as cheap as some might expect and the availability of ATMs is still pretty limited outside larger towns so worth planning ahead.
So as a complete novice to cycling I discovered it is a wonderful way to see a country, but damned hard work in this hilly part of the world!
Great group of people to share the holiday experience with. Helpful supportive guides, but make sure you prepare for this trip with hill training.
The end! Knowing I had finished, achieved and arrived at beautiful Florence
Alex was very knowledgeable about the region having guided this trip before. Together with Tug, I found them to be encouraging and supportive. I particularly liked the distraction techniques Tug used to help with the hill climbs
Train, train, train! I was totally unprepared in terms of how much cycling I had done pre trip. In particular I had not done enough hill training and there are lots of hill climbs. In Tuscany, all the villages and towns we visited sit atop a hill. This means you spend a short time cycling down and then most of the day cycling uphill. September was a great time of year to go as it was warm, but not too hot. I can only imagine how hard this trip would be in the heat of summer.
Awesome weekend to blow away the cobwebs.
Reaching the summit, despite the weather. (we had all 4 season in 3 days, sunshine, snow, wind & torrential rain)
Overall good leader. Great level of English, kept us well informed of where to be and when. The second guide spoke no English, so couldn't really communicate with him at all.
It's not overly challenging from a technical aspect. Expect some scrambling on summit day to negotiate some large rocks, which can be rather slippery when wet. Take some good water proof gloves, several of us experienced very cold hands due to the inclement weather. It was the last of the summer trips, so weather wasn't the best on summit day, so ensure you do have good, warm and water proof clothing. Make sure to put all your belongings into dry bags inside your kit bag - they aren't water proof, and with the torrential rain we had on summit day, some peoples gear got a little wet. There's an abundance of places to purchase water and other refreshments, so no need to carry copious amounts with you at all times. One thing to bear in mind is change is in short supply, so it might be worth trying to obtain some smaller notes to aid shop keepers.