Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery and the friendly people. Bali and Java are incredibly beautiful and blessed with some fine scenery. The opportunity to go snorkeling for the first time was mind blowing with a huge variety of tropical fish to see. Each day we passed a number of villages and whilst perhaps it was unusual to see cyclists, the people, particularly the youngsters, were very friendly so always remember to wave back!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira was an excellent guide, always willing to share his knowledge about Indonesia and always on the ball with his briefings about the day's cycling. He also has a great sense of humour and kept us motivated throughout the trip. He's also got aspirations as a singer - as you'll find out on the night when you camp! The size of our group also warranted a second person to help with the cycling and in this respect Wayan was also fantastic. Always cheerful and definitely kept us all motivated, even on the days when the cycling was fairly tough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't underestimate the cycling even if the trip is graded moderate. A couple of days require some significant gain in altitude so do some training beforehand. There's always a support vehicle if you don't feel up to it of course but the challenge of getting to the top is always rewarding. You'll also need to cope with the temperatures but as long as you keep your fluids up you'll be fine. Whilst a bloke I'd over-packed when it came to evening clothes so I wouldn't worry too much about having lots of different outfits to wear as you mainly eat in the hotel or a nearby restaurant. Whilst cycling you'll definitely get very sweaty but just accept it as everyone else is the same! There are one or two opportunities for laundry during the trip but you'll likely need to do it by hand half-way through as you won't spend sufficient time to get it laundered before leaving the hotel the next day. There's more opportunities though nearer the end of the trip if you get desperate for clean clothes! As regards money the trip notes are slightly out of kilt. The $100 mentioned covers both a kitty for misc. expenses plus the tips for the support crew including the second cycling guide. The tip for the leader of course is your discretion but as our one was excellent we each gave 1m rupiahs (approx £55).

Most Inspirational Moment

Hike up vernal falls waterfall in Yosemite with assistance from guide

Thoughts on Group Leader

See earlier - informative, helpful, attentive and dynamic. Competent response to unexpected events - flexible and responsive to group

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book alternative hotel to OYO at close of trip in Law Vegas. Because this was terminus of trip we thought hotel had been vetted - found it shabby and somewhat dirty.

Most Inspirational Moment

Amazing whale watching trip with 3 different dolphin species plus sperm whales spotted. Absolute highlight was following a hump-backed whale on it's journey for about 15 minutes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge was a knowledgeable, relaxed and very friendly guide. This was his first outing with Exodus and he managed the needs, expectations and capabilities of a group with age range from 20-70+ very well. He was willing and able to adapt the itinerary to suit the group's preferences.

Advice for Potential Travellers

May weather varied by the hour and with altitude - be prepared for anything and everything each day. Consider arriving a few days early and /or staying on longer as the 6 days of the trip pass very quickly. We went to the main island of Sao Jorge as well and would recommend it.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of it was inspiring. Petra was a highlight but I was just as excited by the religious history and loved the snorkelling at Aqaba.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sami organised us all well and was informative on culture and history. However we did tend to get ‘dumped’ at our hotels and told dinner was at 8 but not given any info on what we could do in the meantime, which was sometimes half a day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are a woman take long sleeved tops. I had not been to an Middle Eastern country before and the absence of women out of the main tourist areas really hit me.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was overwhelmed (to the point of tears) by the frescoes within the churches of the Patriarchate of Peć. The bazaar in Peja was a distinct disappointment, but the Patriarchate was a must-see for me. That it is the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church - but situated in Kosovo and protected by the local police force - speaks volumes for regional history. Other than scenery and culture, I was keen to see wildflowers: and was not disappointed. The alpine meadows in Durmitor were awash with Muscari, orchids and gentians (amongst others) while the high passes were ablaze with crocuses wherever the snow had receded. Breath-taking. As was the constant waft of jasmine at low altitudes - particularly in and around Kotor.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dhimo set a good pace - and made life extremely easy for the group, tallying food and drink expenses in his little green book for periodic payment (in whichever currency group members happened to have in greatest quantity). His penchant for classic British comedy (Fawlty Towers) also made for a gently humorous atmosphere throughout

Advice for Potential Travellers

The history of the Western Balkans is extremely complicated. Whilst many of the overnight stops aren't featured in the relevant lonely planet guide, it does include a reasonable overview of this history. You will need to be a confident cyclist. The route is on public roads and close passes were constant in all four countries (although there was no obvious malice on the part of drivers, they just weren't used to giving cyclists any room). Other than in the run-in to Kotor, traffic levels were moderate - but expect this to change over the next few years as visitor numbers increase. Travelling as a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) was fine - cheese features at every meal, and roasted veg are readily available (as are pasta and pizza options). Travelling as a vegan would be a challenge. The museums in Tirana are excellent, with unflinching presentations of the challenges presented by Albania's recent communist and post-communist history. Learning about the growth of the police state and widespread betrayals / persecution was eye-opening (and humbling). Take out a few Lek from an ATM in the city and see some of the sights on your first afternoon - mulliri coffee shops do a decent latte and pistachio bun if you need refreshment (a wide range of savoury options is available in the Tirana Castle area). The Adrion bookstore in Skanderbeg Square is well worth a look.

Most Inspirational Moment

Viewing the 3 peaks from a fairly close distance.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Friendly and responsive to the needs of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In May there was still snow at the top across land which had some old WW1 trenches. Need to proceed very carefully.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wonderful scenery on the descent into Nazare

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando was our tour leader, with Ruben ably assisting and driving the support vehicle. They were both superb, among the best leaders I've encountered on many trips. Both were friendly and enthusiastic, with a wealth of knowledge on all things Portugal. Everything ran very efficiently and the choices they made for stops for coffee/lunch, plus evening meal recommendations were all spot-on.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding up a 10 km hill to get to the gelato at the top with the whole group!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was an awesome leader and was very knowledgable about the area. He also had many great suggestions for food.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Listen to your guides when they are talking about the surroundings as well as when they give restaurant suggestions.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the storks nesting along the cliffs perched on pinnacles of rock in what seemed to be precarious positions; raising their young.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Francisco and Ines were very professional, very caring about the group getting the most from their holiday and sharing their knowledge of the local area and the wildlife. Their choices of restaurants when we wanted to have group dinners were excellent. The number of photographs they have shared with the group both during the trip and since we returned has been fantastic and it has been great to see the close ups that they were able to take with their ultra professional kit!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be reasonably active in terms of walking; there are some considerable distances walking on sand. Wear a hat as the cliff tops are quite exposed, so best to use plenty of sunscreen.

Most Inspirational Moment

Having not visited Croatia before I didn’t realise that there were so many islands and the ones we visited were beautiful. The coastal rides were fabulous and dramatic especially on the last day riding through vineyards, olive oil groves and quiet villages. The small historic settlement of Ston was very interesting short stop on the way to Dubrovnik. For me Dubrovnik was an incredible place, Hotel a short bus ride into the city but if you wanted to sit by the beach and relax the hotel was only a few hundred metres from the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mate was a super guy. Very efficient, observant, organised, nothing too much trouble and made the trip a relaxed one. Pacing was good and you could go ahead if the roads allow. Each day was well organised especially when we had ferries to catch, water and snacks provided on some days, when and where to break and meet up with Tommy the driver of the bus and trailer. Mate very knowledgeable of his country and a great ambassador for Exodus and Croatia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are undulations along the route but the ups give great downs!! But Tommy with the bus was always there if you need him. The optional trip to Mljet is worth it.