Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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14246 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Suzanne Dalton

Reviewed May 2023

Amazing week in Portugal!

What a stunning coastline to walk, combined with amazing food, wine tasting and brilliant company. The hotels were great too, way above my expectations. What more could you ask for! Our guides Francisco and Ines were fantastic, so knowledgeable and making sure we were safe on our walks. Would definitely recommend this holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose from! Sitting on a near deserted beach during a walk eating my packed lunch. Spotting Storks in their nests with their baby Storks. Seeing a couple of Peregrine Falcons.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Honestly, Francisco and Ines were the nicest, most caring guides I’ve travelled with. I was a bit wobbly on a couple of parts of the walks and they were always there to help me. They were also taking photos along the way and sharing them with us at the end of the day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The coastline is beautiful to walk along. Be prepared to walk in some sand which can be a bit more difficult. There were a few parts of the walk which were a bit rocky, but help was always at hand!

Karin Thomas

Reviewed May 2023

The Most Fabulous Trip!

This trip went beyond my expectations. I mean I was hoping for a lovely week given that we were walking along the wonderful Portuguse coastline but it delivered beyond my expectations. Seeing the incredible coastline, the huge pristine beaches and the STORKS nesting on the rocks knocked my socks off. And each day was different – different terrain, different flora and fauna – it was a feast for the senses. But what made the trip so very special for me were our two guides – Francisco Simoes and Ines Monteiro – they were incredible! I can’t praise them enough for their care, friendliness, patience and knowledge. They’re a massive asset to the trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the storks nesting on the clifftops was a showstopper for me. Just breathtaking! After this the vast and stunning Praia do Brejo Largo.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two guides - Francisco Simoes and Ines Monteiro - two very special and very personable people. They were easily the best guides I've had on an Exodus trip. Nothing was too much trouble, no question too much, however often it was asked. They were so personable and yet still professional making everything happen seamlessly in the background. They have a passion for showcasing their country and this trip, and it shone through. On the first evening they provided a Powerpoint presentation of the itinerary (I've never had this before on a trip and it was brilliant) and then a glass of bubbles afterwards to break the ice and allow people in the group to get to know each other a bit. Another really nice touch.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for walking through sand - sounds obvious but for some in the group it was quite hard work. Be aware that they're are two guides so you need to budget for two tips at the end of the week. Also there's a group kitty - we paid 45 Euros each, to take into account a wine and medronho tasting trip, tips for restaurants and some drinks whilst out walking.

Maggie Holmes

Reviewed May 2023

A fantastic adventure!

This was my first Exodus trip in many years – and what a trip. So much more than I expected – walking, swimming, history, culture, food, wine and super company. We packed a great deal into seven days – some high intensity days of climbing/walking up and down the mountains – but also rest days at the beach with pristine clear water and visiting historical monuments of which there are many. Sardinia has a rich history and a proud culture – I came away with a deeper understanding of the people and the country – and a greater appreciation of Sardinian landscape, beaches, wine and food. This trip is such good value – almost everything is included such as flights, accommodation, most meals including packed lunches for our walking days. We had two excellent meals out in Dorgali where our family run hotel was based; these were self funded but great value – mountains of food! The hotel was run by three sisters who worked their socks off to give us a good time. It’s an authentic three star family run affair – I loved that so many local families came to dinner with their children and filled the restaurant with chatter and laughter.

Most Inspirational Moment

I stood at the top of the mountain after a long climb of around 2,000 feet and looked across the amazing landscape of valleys, gorges, rivers - green and vibrant. I never thought I would make it to the top - but I did and it was a deeply rewarding experience which will stay with me for a very long time. It has given me the confidence to book more trips - with Exodus of course!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was an inspirational and motivation group leader. He made each and everyone of us feel welcome and included. He was keen to understand what we as individuals wanted from the trip and built the itinerary around that and the weather - which can be variable in Sardinia. He shared his extensive knowledge of the island and the culture so we got a real insight into the place and its people. He had clearly built a good relationship with local people over the years and was keen that we, as travellers, appreciated their environment. Most of all he gave me the confidence to tackle challenging walks and it was a rewarding experience. Go Michele!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Three pieces of advice: Ensure you are fit enough to undertake some challenging walks. The trip is rated 3 moderate but it felt more like a 4 at times particularly on some tricky screen and mountain paths. The coming down is as difficult as the ascent so you need to train in advance - as advised by the website. Take the proper equipment with you including walking poles - you might think you can manage without but they make a huge difference on difficult paths.Bring wet weather gear - the weather can change dramatically and suddenly. Finally go with the flow - this is an authentic experience in a family run hotel - just enjoy it and be grateful the island isn't full of Premier Inns and other chain hotels

Mr Raymond Krystofiak

Reviewed May 2023

Fantastic week away

We both had a wonderful week in May 2023, Walking Portugal’s Coast and Beaches, guided by Francisco and Ines. It was theses guides that made a good walk into a fantastic walk. They are a great team, passionate about the history, nature and conservation of the area. They complemented each other like 2 pieces of a jigsaw. We were briefed each preceding evening on the appropriate clothing, type of terrain, difficulty and interesting features to expect. At the end of every day, they encouraged feedback to gauge if we were happy with the speed and terrain. The lunch packs were made up by local bakeries and were appropriate to everyone’s needs. Their choice of hotels and restaurant recommendations were excellent. The coast line is both scenic and dramatic, with every bay and cliff top being pristine and litter free. We visited a vineyard and a Medronho distillery with tasting and snacks provided. We also visited a reconstructed castle in Aljezur, an abandoned village, Aldeia Da Pedralva, which has been restored to its former glory and a huge wall mural dedicated to Amalia Rodrigues a famous female Portuguese melancholic singer. All these visits were very informative. On the first day Francisco and Ines had asked us to share our particular interests and unusually I said “Rocks”. To my surprise and delight both Francisco and Ines made a point of showing me some unusual geological features everyday. They were both careful and courteous and drivers. Had we opted for a self-guided tour we would not have seen, enjoyed nor learnt so much about the region and its excellent well priced eateries. With their local, inside knowledge they were able to tailor the walks, activities and suggestions to take account of the most up-to-date information. All in all, an excellent week of walking rendered outstanding because of the ethos of these 2 guides.

Jeanette Woodhead

Reviewed May 2023

Great Experience

A wonderful experience walking and sightseeing in the Garfognana area, Tuscany. Staying at a picturesque, comfortable family run Agricultural Farmhouse. Very friendly, hardworking staff providing us with homemade food and wine. A friendly group of 12 and a very experienced and personable walk leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the top of the mountains with spectacular views. Walking through Tuscany villages and experiencing village life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Elvis was a joy to walk with having knowledge of all the vast area. Leading us up and down safe routes making sure the group stayed together and watching out for creditars. His assistant Sara is a very hard working, personable lady with a vast amount of knowledge having had years of experience in organising adventure trips. Sara is attentive, gives useful advice where required and quickly assesses individuals in her group so you felt reassured at all times during the walks. Her enjoyment at showing us the area, adapting to any changes needed due to weather conditions and ensuring we have everything to make our visit comfortable made our trip such a great experience. I will be using Exodus again for my next adventure.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was my first group trip through Exodus. The customer service received has been excellent. The Accommodation and Itinerary spot on. Some walks were challenging but as a mixed group of 12 with different levels of walking experience our guide Sara was able to ensure we all enjoyed the walks and achieved our goal.

Katie Avon

Reviewed May 2023

MMI: Cycle Morocco’s Great South

I was quite nervous about the trip as travelling on my own for the first time & unsure about my level of cycling fitness. I’m a fit 51 year old but more of an ‘about town’ cyclist with a few extra laps of Richmond Park & its hills put in the the month before departure. But with a determined attitude I managed all of the challenging ascents.

Most Inspirational Moment

The 20k descents were thrilling & made the uphill worthwhile. Plus getting to see a properly off the beaten track side of Morocco. Amazing views every day. Wonderful out of the way locations & a great friendly bunch of people from all over the world in our group.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fayssal our guide brilliant: had represented Morocco in off ride cycling so technically expert & very safety conscious, my cycling technique has improved no end. He & the drivers excellent bike mechanics too - swift tyre changes in case of punctures. Nothing too much trouble for them all & very friendly & insightful re local culture, terrain, history etc. They worked incredibly hard throughout the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The cycling is a challenge, especially the long ascents - be fitness prepared. But the sense of achievement from completing immense. There is always the minibus option if it gets too much. There were actually more e-cyclists on our trip - a lovely bunch of Canadian 60+ year olds - but it didn’t impact on the 4 of us cycling under our own steam. Everyone kept an eye out for each other.

Juan Moly

Reviewed May 2023

It’s great - when the sun shine

Iceland is a clean, safe, ( subject to volcanic action), and beautiful place to visit, but in between the places of interest there is a lot of lava. Green, black or white, it becomes tedious, and particularly when visibility is limited. The journeys between the sites can be rather dull, long and boring. If and when the sunshines, everything looks brighter including the numerous waterfalls and beautiful beaches, but Iceland this May was fairly wet and cloudy. The accommodation we experienced was absolutely fine. Food is expensive but by the end of the tour we got used to the cost and even splashed out on a beer each. Prior to that, we shared a glass! The fish at The Grillhuise in Reykjavik was excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

The glacier lagoon and diamond beach. Seeing icebergs and hearing them crack was a first for me. The sun was shining on this occasion, so added to the beautiful spectacle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sadly, our group leader was not as good as others we’ve experienced. He was rather repetitive, especially about being a vegan, and spoke too much. Moments without his voice were rather nice. He was inclined to “bloody » too much and by the end of the tour, the group all expressed the same sentiments. He was, though, very helpful and quite informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

ICELAND - the clue is in the name. It’s cold …. and windy, so windchill makes it colder still. Do take your thermals, even in May. It’s a big island so if you circumnavigate, like us, be prepared for some long, tedious journeys. Having said that, Icelandic roads are very good. If you use Flybus for airport transfer, you must wait OUTSIDE your hotel ( no matter how cold it is) or the bus won’t stop - as happened to us. The taxi fare to airport was 20,000 Kr ( £115).

Dagmar Bailey

Reviewed May 2023

Stunning

The tour was absolutely amazing. Marrakesh was intriguing and beautiful, the mountain views during the drive to Ait Benhaddou were breath-taking, the Sahara and the camel ride were amazing and the Tighza location extremely picturesque. The whole trip was fabulous!

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything

Thoughts on Group Leader

Said was great; he was very polite, knowledgeable and helpful. He did a great job keeping an eye on us and I felt safe with him the whole time. It felt he knew before we knew it when we needed a break from driving, a toilet stop or some refreshments. Thank you, he made it an amazing trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is an amazing tour.

Alistair Miller

Reviewed May 2023

Cycling in Albania April 2023

Being honest, I knew very little about Albania, I only selected the trip to spend a week cycling after finishing work and entering a “between jobs” phase and this trip seemed very good value for money. However, this trip exceeded my expectations on every aspect. I have come away with information about the Albanian people and some of their countries difficult history, respect for the Albanian hills, magical memories of the stunning scenery, a happy stomach after a week of Albanian food and drink (including the local Raki spirit!) and stronger legs 🙂 This was my second Exodus trip and I’m not sure if I have simply been lucky but the group dynamics on both trips have been wonderful with everyone getting along just great. I definitely recommend this trip to others.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were quite lucky with the weather. It was very good most days made the most of the stunning scenery. Snow capped mountains, gorges, rivers, towns and cities always look better in the sun and Albaina was no exception. A visual treat for the eyes. Food and accommodation was brilliant. Some accommodation a bit basic but I didn't mind that at all. I liked that fact that we cycled from the hotel door to the next hotel door on all but one day. Seeing the Unesco world heritage site of Gjirokaster was a particular highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Erlis and Tanni were both brilliant. Everything was explained and no queries went unanswered with a full and comprehensive response. Erlis' breadth of knowledge of Albania was impressive. I could cycle up beside him and ask a question and we'd discuss for a few minutes - fantastic. His arrangement of the hotels, food and coffee stops was spot on. I felt really spoilt for the week. All I had to do was get on and cycle and I really did feel safe throughout out the whole trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go ahead and book it. If you like cycling and seeing places you will not be disappointed. I got hold of a local SIM card at Tirana airport for about £15 (lasted for three weeks) which worked well for staying in touch and backing up photos to the cloud. Be prepared for hills - both up and down. The ascents on day 6 were pretty tough going but had been well advertised in advance. Some of the Albanian roads were a bit rough. Lots of very large Albanian shepherd/guard /stray dogs throughout but no untoward encounters.

Peter Williams

Reviewed May 2023

Exactly that

Better than walking in the Dolomites. Great variety and three climates in one mid-May week including snow. Hotel Torrecerredo is an ideal walkers hotel, clean, easy going, relaxed and good varied menu.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting our guide Luis's home and sampling local cider and wine.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Luis the leader was terrific, friendly, patient but confident at all times. Full of knowledge about the plants and local area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the walks graded moderate although straight forward and easy would be rated strenuous in UK.

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