Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The views on the walks were spectactular. The food and hospitality of the hotel were great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was excellent! She was good fun and she really knew the walks and the area well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think that this is a great holiday for walkers of all levels. The walks are all interesting and the pace is gentle enough for anyone. The holiday is suitable for all ages and also for both couples and singles. Some of the walks are quite hard on the knees, probably worth bearing in mind if you have problems. 

Suggestions

The hotel does not have aircon, which I would imagine is not ideal if you get a very hot week. This trip is spent with English people speaking English all the time and the only chance for you to really integrate yourself with the Italians is on the free day. There are shops in the village where you can buy anything you forget / want to take back with you.

Most Inspirational Moment

We took an extended river cruise down river, as our guide had been told of a herd of pygmy elephants quite a long way away. Just when we were begining to think we wouldn't see any, we found them. At first we could only hear them & see the tops of their backs over the grasses. Then one stopped to feed and kindly ate & cleared the way so we could see him clearly. A huge creature stood right in front of us. We were so close it was absolutely amazing. The wild orang-utans were also an amazing sight. We saw a mum & baby near the entrance to Gamatong cave. Then we saw a few more in the trees along Kinabatangan River from a distance. But when we were at Danum Valley we came so close it was unbelievable. The first day there, we were stood watching a mum and baby feeding from a very close distance for quite a long time. And then on the morning trek the day we were leaving we came even closer to a young male. We watched him eating fruit, hanging upside down, spitting out the seeds & watching us. Awesome!!We went on this trip not expecting but hoping to see as much as possible. They are wild animals after all. But in the first 2 weeks it just seemed to get better and better. Our list of sightings: Rafflesia flowering, flying squirrel, scorpions, western tarsier, proboscis monkeys, long & short tailed macaques, red leaf & silver leaf monkeys, monitor lizards, orang-utans (11 wild + the ones at the sanctuaries), crocodiles, pygmy elephants, samber deer, mouse deer, civets, gibbon, pit vipers, red bellied viper, turrantulas, marbled cat, bat exodus (at deer cave), flying lemur, Irrawady dolphins. Plus lots of different insects and beautiful birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zahari was brilliant. He couldn't have done more for any of us. He was a brilliant spotter and showed us lots of things we wouldn't possibly have seen had he not been there. He is passionate about birds/animals, his country & it's people and he could tell us facts about most of the things he showed us. He was happy to be seeing all the amazing things himself and even happier to be sharing these things with us.Thank you Zahari.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our first week was dry but we still encountered leeches. Quite a lot actually!! Leech socks are a must. We bought ours whilst we were there for about £6 and I'm glad we did. When the rain did start I was glad we took ponchos. Great cover for our backpacks and cameras as well as ourselves. There were a few single travellers on our trip, but we all got on great and ate (& drank) together most nights. We were in a group so if you wanted company it was there, or if you decided to be alone sometimes you could be.The long walk through the jungle on day 5 was a 9(ish) km walk. It took us just less than 6 hours. The trip is definately a moderate activity level as it includes quite a bit of walking, mostly on uneven surfaces up and down hills in very hot, humid weather.We did the optional trips, paid camera fees, ate street food and at restaurants, bought souveniers and drank lots of beer all for about £350 each for the 3 weeks.

Suggestions

I'd been looking at this trip for over a year. Even though I really wanted to go, it was the cost that was stopping me. Then I decided to just go for it and I'm glad I did. It was a once in a lifetime, amazing experience. (You may have noticed I've used the word amazing quite a lot in my review!!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Surviving Dead Woman's pass and of course the view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. The sunset and then sunrise on the mountains as seen from the camp at the top of Phuyupatamarca Pass was spectacular. Dining on "Canadian" trout on Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca was a treat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rene is passionate about the history and cultures of Peru and was eager to share his knowledge. He is well organized and handled whatever challenges came up with ease. We would enjoy any trip with him. Wilson was also very helpful on the trek.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take it slow. There is plenty of time and it is the best way to avoid altitude sickness. We are mid 50's and were not too far behind our younger friends. This trip's pace of 5 days is much better than other tours with only 4 days. Use poles - the steps can be brutal.

Suggestions

Take the optional tour of the Inca ruins around Cuzco and also the Ballestas Islands. The Nasca Lines have to be seen from the air if possible. We would use Exodus again but we don't understand their airport transfer and duffel bag policies for tour members from outside of the U.K. Most of our group were not from England (so had to pay for airport transfers and provide their own duffel bags for the trek), but Rene was kind enough to arrange our transfers and lend us stuff sacks.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed something every day.  I suppose the elephants were a highlight.  Both the elephant ride and the elephant orphanage.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was the best.  He organised everything and was always willing to help that extra bit if needed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a mosquito net or an electric mosquito repellent machine as not all hotels provided this.  Take a tie to the Hill Club Hotel if you are a man!  They don't take up much space!

Suggestions

I would recommend Exodus Holidays if you are looking to travel with other like minded people and don't want the hassel of organising it yourself.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling between and visiting the temples at Angkor, followed by cycling through the villages of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nee was absolutely excellent: totally 'on the ball' and always scanning to check everything and everyone was okay.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be ready for the first three cycling days in Thailand - our group pressed through fast and it certainly is hot and steady cycling, though drink and refuelling stops are frequent.  It is a great trip - book it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching two cheetas eating their kill meters away from us as we were led through the bush on foot.  This was an amazing experience.  The trip to the Drakensberg was also very memorable, especially negotiating the metal ladders!  Great stuff!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrew was a first class tour leader and Admire a excellent back up.  As a team, they made our holiday from preparing lovely food to always getting camp ready quickly.  Their driving was faultless.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go in the winter as there are no insects or bugs and the bush is very thin so there is a much better chance of seeing wild life.

Suggestions

The change in itinerary by going to the St Lucia on the coast really added to the trip and gave us yet another new experience.  The guided boat trip and walk through the bush was very enjoyable.  Going to the local bar for a sundowner really rounded off the day as we all sat outside by the water, watching the wild life.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment of the trip was reaching the top of Dead Woman's Pass. After climbing for 1200m reaching the top was fantastic! We were all elated. A definite highlight. Another moment was first seeing Macchu Picchu when we reached the sungate, be warned there are some very steep steps before you reach that point. Luckily, our guide was there to carry our trekking poles as we scrambled up. Lake Titikaca is amazing, staying at the homestay was not something that I was looking forward to but was one of the most amazing parts of the trip, especially dressing up in Peruvian attire!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Juan was brilliant. He organised us and made sure we were in the right place at the right time. He had lots of knowledge to share with us on the Inca Trail and was able to answer any questions that we had. I became ill during my trip and Juan was able to sort out all medical help that I needed which meant I could carry out with the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Use trekking poles on the Inca Trail, there are lots of steps going down and they were very helpful. Make sure you have spare rubber tips though as this is the regulation of using the trail. Ensure you have a good pair of walking boots and socks so that you don't get blisters. Be prepared to tip all local guides as well, we had separate guides in the rainforest, an additional guide up in the Inca Trail and a guide for Lake Titikaca which we have to tip separately to our main guide.

Suggestions

This trip was one the hardest things I have ever done and really takes you away from your creature comforts. But it is amazing and completely worth all the hard work. Met some brilliant people and had some fantastic experiences. Definitely a trip of a lifetime :).

Most Inspirational Moment

There was great camaraderie in the group I was with and we all supported each other during the trickier sections.  Finishing the challenging trek on Tuesday morning was particularly rewarding.  The views from the top were incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oliver was a very supportive group leader with endless knowledge about the area and history of the region.  His jokes were an acquired taste - but we all got used to those! ;o)

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to explore the beauty of the Alps and want some home comforts at the end of the day, I think you'll really enjoy this trip.

Suggestions

Almost forgot to mention Dylan, Oliver and Elaine's fox terrier who accompanies the group on most of the walks.  He's a little rascal and will melt your heart - as he did to mine!

Most Inspirational Moment

So difficult - was it the quad biking on dunes stretching as far as the eye could see for 360 degrees, or spending time watching the pride of lions playing and interacting almost within touching distance of the truck, or watching the sun rise after climbing a huge sand dune or scrambling on all fours up the Waterberg plateau? Each day brought a new experience and a significant challenge bringing its own thrill of achievement.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When the trip notes say the temperature can get down to freezing at night in August, they were not kidding - make sure your sleeping bag can cope in a tent- or bring lots of thermal undies!Water is all drinkable - great.Travel was often very long, often on gravel roads, not for tender behinds! Take a good guide book to read and to make sense of the amazing landscape and wildlifeCan't always promise it but there were no nasty beasties biting us at this time of year.

Suggestions

A wonderful holiday, a hidden gem of Africa. Just 2 million people inhabit the huge land so traffic was not a problem even in the capital.

Most Inspirational Moment

The last day was rainy and misty. We went ahead with the climb to Aguillette des Houches in spite of low visibility. Just as we arrived on the col, the clouds parted and the top of Mt Blanc came into view: what a moment...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit before the trip: this makes it so much easier to enjoy even the harder parts.

Suggestions

You have to JUST DO IT!