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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Reviews

Reviewed July 2012

HIGHLIGHTS OF GEORGIA & ARMENIA

For both countries we had superb guides, wonderful scenery, great church locations and full bellies (the included food is tasty and in abundence even for veggies). The hotels were also all of a good standard and often better than expected. We did find ourselves a bit churched out though and some of the drives didn’t warrant the reward.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our particular highlights of the trip were; Armenia Stunning scenery and church locationsGeghard Monastery and its Armenian rock sculptures inside Sanahin with its monastery and the museum of the Mikoyan brothersGeorgiaGori's Stalin museumUplistsikhes enormous cave city Alpine regions and Mount Kazbek scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Mere (Armenia) and Elisa (Georgia) were superb ambassadors for their countries. Different styles but both equally knowledgable and looked after us well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go knowing that you will visit easily 20 plus churches on this trip. It did drain us toward the end.Instead of the synagogue in Yerevan, visit the Museum of Sergio Parajanov, a film maker and artist born in Georgia and living his last years in Armenia. Its full of his art and collages and gives a different insight into the two countries. We travelled in June 2012 and Georgia is under a lot of construction and renovation. Hopefully this will be more complete come 2013. It didn't adversely affect our trip, but you should know.Most of the time you arrive at your destination around midday and it can get hot. This is particularly relevant to the walk to Gergeti Holy Trinity church. I would recommend that the group take the jeeps up and down. Then ask if you can do the 4km (return) walk to a waterfall. Do not go to the Russian border it is a waste of time, there is nothing to see.

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Reviewed July 2012

TOUR DU MONT BLANC

My first group trekking trip and it won’t be my last; infact I am already planning more adventures with Exodus! I chose this particular trip as a taster or starter to see how I coped with challenging walking. The whole trip worked out really well from flights to the walk and accomodation.

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting the 12 others in my group who were all fantastic people! Everyone had a good chat during the trip and we all got on well with each other (I hope we can all stay in contact!). The scenery around Mont Blanc was breath taking of course and I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere back at base in Chamonix.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A real inspiration to me to see how he organised the group and kept in control. The bag packing briefing was really well done and I learnt a lot about what I didn't need on the trip. Graham was a very responsible leader heading off quickly at one stage whilst the group took lunch to make sure that a refuge was open then came back again to give us the all clear!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take note of how little you need on the walk! Less is more but don't forget the important clothes such as waterproof trousers!

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Reviewed July 2012

WALKING ON THE GREEK ISLANDS

For me this trip was too laid back and the "walking" short and not challenging. On the positive side the food was very good and the weather brilliant!

Most Inspirational Moment

Santorini was the highlight

Thoughts on Group Leader

Poor- she hadn't walked the trails and got lost on Naxos. Her communication skills were not good and too much was left to our memory on matters such as timing etc., Furthermore we didn't see her at all until breakfast on Day 2. We were just deposited at the hotel in Athens - there wasn't even a notice at the hotel and we had to ask check in staff at the hotel for information!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not like most Exodus walking holidays- the walking is no more than a stroll.

Reply from Exodus

Feedback about this trip has been very positive since we changed the grading from Leisurely/Moderate to Leisurely and we updated the trip notes accordingly. This was the first Exodus tour that Cecile led; she has subsequently led many more trips and her feedback has been very good, as can be seen in more recent reviews.

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Reviewed July 2012

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

Stunning scenery, a distinct Tyrolean ambience – picture wildflower meadows a la "sound of music", pretty churches, craggy tops.  Hotel : comfortable and quirky, fantastic cuisine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming in the icy lake on the first day(definitely focussed the mind), the starkness of the Memorial Cross on the mountain top,  "Daniel" our lederhosen-clad, accordion-playing, yodelling-mentor; the fabulous flora/fauna and Apenol Spritz!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Karl was a really well-informed and accomplished guide; he was conscious of the differences in abilty within the group on different days and gave us alternatives when possible;  he (and his lovely wife) were great fun to socialise with too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's very tempting to book an Exodus trip because it "appeals and fits with holiday dates"; it really is important that everyone realistically takes account of the grade of the holidays -v- their abilities to ensure complete enjoyment for all; we heard one lady who'd arrived for the "C" grade week say she wanted some easy walking - not easy for a guide to accommodate all-comers!  Pack for ALL weathers, we had blazing sun early on which gave us a false sense of security.......coming slowly down a mountain in driving snow reminded us that we must take NOTHING for granted in the mountains! 

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Reviewed July 2012

CLASSIC DOLOMITES

Really enjoyable week in the Dolomites.  Nice hotel (ok rooms, lovely pool and spa, superb food and wine), great company and walking (C-grade week) that ranged from above average to outstanding.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights:-The final day walk around the Tre Cime Di Lavaredo - probably the nicest walk I've ever done!  Fantastic scenery in the background, 3 or 4 different valleys so scenery constantly changing, close ups of marmots, a small peak, stop at a mountain hut, rock tunnels, mini-lakes, everything.  Climbs of Monte Piano and Durrenstein were also pretty special.The food at the hotel ranged from good to exceptional.  The home made ravioli filled with soft cheeses, and the goats cheese strudel with strawberry sauce were phenomenal (and I'm not normally a huge cheese fan). Hotel pool / spa area was great for unwinding after a long day in the hills.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Karl was a very good group leader.  Obviously experienced in the mountains, got on well with everyone in the group, and had a very dry sense of humour.  Managed to tailor each day of walking to accommodate all the different levels of ability in our group very well, while ensuring everyone's safety.  Built good relationships with the hotel / mountain huts we visited.  Tweaked the itinerary slightly (we did the same walks as in the trip notes but in a different order) which I thought worked well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

'Official' flights were at awkward times, especially for anyone not based around London.  Would recommend investigating flights of your own, and then making your own way to the hotel.  I flew from Edinburgh direct to Verona, then took a bus to the middle of the Verona, and then the train north to Villabassa - hotel was only 100 yards from the station.  It's not that difficult to do (www.trenitalia.com gives all the train times) and saved me the hassle of changing plane / staying overnight in Gatwick on the way home (plus the environmental impact of taking another flight).   

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Reviewed June 2012

HIGHLIGHTS OF GEORGIA & ARMENIA

This trip provides an easy, comfortable and informative way of seeing the beautiful countryside and experiencing something of the people, culture and very good food. 

Most Inspirational Moment

The several times we drove up the very high mountains into the superb alpine meadows, which were alive with flowers and singing birds.  The countryside was at its best in early June.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The Armenian guide Mere was a class act.  Very knowledgeable with a very professional and entertaining way of putting things across and very attentive.  The driver  Edward was also excellent and I never felt ill at ease with his driving.The Georgian guide Elisa was good but appeared a little tired and world-weary at first, but brightened up.  The driver was a friendly chap, but he worried me as he often answered his mobile phone while driving and even made some calls.  On Georgian roads this is a bit scary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to drink a lot of water, as it can be very hot.  Bring rehydration salts.

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Reviewed June 2012

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

I had a great trip.  The variety of habitats in a relatively country means you see and experience a lot without too much time on a bus. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Two in particular.  The canopy walk in Monte Verde was wonderful - a great chance to get above the forest and have a bird's eye view.  The second standout is Esquinas - the night hike was a great experience.  The sheer variety of sounds in the frog chorus is amazing.  There were others too - the beach in Manual Antonio and Tortugero etc.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gio's knowledge of the flora and fauna of Costa Rica is amazing.  It was obvious that he enjoys showing off his beautiful country.  Also a very nice guy who made sure we has a great time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I went in May/June - off season and the rainy season.  It rained most days but not all day and didn't prevent us from doing anything.  The compensation was visiting all these wonderful places and having many almost to ourselves.  In particular it was lovely in Tortugeuro - we had the run of the place!  Don't be afraid of the rain.

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Reviewed June 2012

RODOPI MOUNTAINS

Phew what a hot week of walking. The temperature certainly made the walking a lot more difficult than anticipated but we still thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Rodopis. Our group was fantastic and we really seemed to get on well and have lots of fun.

Most Inspirational Moment

Wlaking through clouds of butterflies. Coming out of the trees to see huge meadows full of hundreds of different flowers including many orchids. Finding a ladybird spider (very rare). Walking out on the platform on Mt. Elijah.....and many, many more.As well as experiencing Bulgaria food and drink and joining in the traditional dancing on the last night.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neli is a beautiful, knowledgeable leader and is so kind and helpful when the going gets tough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We walked on average 15km a day which is not that far at UK temperatures. When the temperatures get into the mid 30c the time given need to be longer - we needed to add an extra hour on the times stated.

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Reviewed June 2012

RODOPI MOUNTAINS

This trip was exactly what I expected and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The walks were varied in terrain and landscape and the company excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

The moment at the top of Sveti Iliya when you could look out across the mountains and pick out the previous days' walking. It was amazing to be able to look out and see what we'd accomplished and fit it all together.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neli was a brilliant leader from start to finish. She never let anybody fall too far behind and she always had an interesting flower or bird to point out to us. Her passion for the mountains was infectious - I think we all left those mountains a little bit in love with them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walking was generally fairly easy going but it was made much more difficult due to the heat we were walking in. I would definitely advise people to take some larger (more than 500ml) water bottles so that they can carry enough water for hot weather - not all the walks had plentiful water sources.

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Reviewed June 2012

THE INCA TRAIL

Everything that you would expect and more! Our guide was a brilliant ambassador for Peru, the pace of the trip was perfect and the scenary stunning. We were extremely well looked after by the support staff with great meals, and our needs well attended to.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit at Dead Womans PassReaching the Sun Gate and gaining our first views of Machu PicchuThe views from the campsite at dusk in the Cloud Forest

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan was the best guide I have had on any Exodus tour to date, and I have been on about 5 now. He had a great sense of humour, was very knowledgeable about the area, flora and fauna, gave us extremely valuable advice about acclimatisation and kept a very steady pace allowing us to arrive in Machu Picchu at a time of day that allowed us to see it without the tourist swarm.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of warm clothing for the night time and a hot water bottle. Ground was very hard, cold and damp in most of the camp grounds. The two days planned for acclimatisation in Cusco are certainly needed. Our arrival was delayed by 24hrs which meant we lost a day. Fortunately no members of the group were sick but we did feel the effects. Juan was able to give us plenty of good advice about how to combat the symptoms.

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