Reviews

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

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14244 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed October 2011

TRAILS OF VIETNAM

Well organised. Our guide was fantastic through out. The trip never flagged even though we had some long bus trips. The diversity of scenery and weather made every day interesting. Would go back.

Most Inspirational Moment

Halong Bay was a place apart. Would happily have spent another day or so there. Loved the faded granduer oh Hoi An and ofcourse it is a shoppers paradise. Also thought Hanoi and HCM City were buzzing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Best guide I have had in 30 odd years of travelling. Never met a guy so hell bent on making sure every one was happy. As I am over 60, the trek up the mountain(hill to younger mortals)was hard and exacerbated by the heat and humidity but I did it and that night as I happily lay on my mattress in the long house, Phong came over and gave me a resuscitating back massage! How is that for looking after your brood ?

Advice for Potential Travellers

Drink more water than you think has satisfied you and don't overpack your suit case when you leave London other wise you will be ditching stuff to accomodate what you cannot resist buying in Vietnam.

Reviewed October 2011

HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTSWANA

This was a superb holiday in every sense of the word. Stunning scenery, amazing wildlife, some great campsite locations and the usual well-organised and friendly local team catering to our every need. If you are thinking of doing this holiday then stop thinking and start doing.

Most Inspirational Moment

Impossible to pick just one. A few specific moments stand outWalking with lions on the activity day in ZambiaStanding in front of the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe sideElephants at sunset on the Chobe river cruiseSeeing a leopard on a fresh killWild camping in Moremi (with hippos in the pool behind the tents!) and in the salt pans (truly the most surreal camping location I have ever been to)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam is an excellent Group Leader. Nothing was too much trouble and he also took the time to take a group of us over into Zimbabwe on his day off, which I highly recommend doing at low water time as you see the falls much better than from the Zambia side. He is also an excellent cook, even complying with our requests for weird food like eggy bread.!Jame was our wildlife guide and driver and made a huge difference to the experience on this holiday with the quality and quantity of wildlife spotting. Even on the day when he'd driven all day with no break due to a problem with one of the vehicles he still insisted on taking us for a sunset drive so we didn't miss the hippo pools.Bruce and James made up the team and both worked tirelessly and cheerfully in the background to ensure that we got the full relaxing experience of "full service camping" which is after all why many people pick this trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Stick with the Exodus kit list and you can't go far wrong. We were there during the hot dry season but even so I was glad of a three sesaon sleeping bag on the salt pans. The zip-off style of trousers and the lightweight safari shirts are great and you have chances to rinse out clothes on most days so don't overpack! Take plenty of wet wipes and insect repellant. You do get the chance to shower most days and in some places (Audi camp for example) the facilities are excellent. I took walking boots and wished I hadn't as they weren't really necessary, trainers would have been fine. Sandals are a must. You may get the chance to swim while in the Delta so at the very least take shorts and a t-shirt that you can swim in when you pack your "smaller bag" for the Delta.You get the chance to buy souvenirs on the last day at a shop which is literally right outside the airport so no need to do it early and lug stuff around with you unless you see something really unusual. Take plenty of US Dollars for Zambia. No-one uses any other currency and if you have enough to pay for your trips in cash then you don't get the 5% credit card surcharge. ATMs out on the road in Botswana are a bit hit and miss so do take advantage of the ones in Maun before you leave! If you have a DSLR take a decent zoom lens if you can. Mine was 55-250 and I think 300 would have been better though I was quite pleased with some of the photos. Charging is no problem as the vehicle has an inverter and an adaptor box with half a dozen outlets. If you still have the two pin mains lead with the narrow plug shape that comes with most cameras these days then take it as it will fit directly into the adaptor box. Otherwise you need a round pin South African adaptor.Travelling in the vehicle in the early morning is cold - make sure you have a fleece top and long trousers. Some of the travelling from place to place was hot and dusty so buy sweets and drinks before you set out. Jelly babies don't survive several days of 40 degree heat though!

Reviewed October 2011

HIGHLIGHTS OF MOROCCO

A holiday with everything, sun,sea,Sahara, markets, bartering & Shopping!

Most Inspirational Moment

How our great group pulled together in Auberge Sahara when everyone was falling ill. Everyone Selena acting as mum, Husein our guide sorting out the hospital, the Auberge Sahara staff accommodating us every way possible. The group members who gave up a morning visit for others & helped their fellow travellers in everyday possible. It was the spirit of this group.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hussein organised so well but we took advantage plenty of times. I think he just gave in especially at the Berber clinic. It was meant to take 15 mins but took 45 & gave some us some of his mint tea! Taking our crew in to a shop you could double the time needed. When a lot of us fell sick he did everything he could. Always in great humour. We were sad not for him not to see us off at the airport!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Carry diarolyte & baby wipes plus a spare camera. Travel light if you love shopping. Be prepared for a truly exhausting trip because you will see so much & experience wonderful things like a lunch we had in Fez which resembled a private home but was a restaurant from Ali Baba, truly magic.

Reviewed October 2011

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Good balance between visits, free time, etc. Well organsided – liked the short stops on route like the brickmaking etc. Hotels and transport were higher standrd than expected.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficlut to pick - there were sevaral between sceenry/geography, food, people.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Reviewed October 2011

INCA TRAIL, TITICACA & NAZCA

We did the inca trail, titicaca and nazca trip but with the moonstone trek instead of the inca trail. It was an amazing trip and i can't recommend the moonstone trek highly enough if you are a walker/camper. The whole trip was jam packed and if anything i would have liked to slow down a bit – but that's not possible when you've only got 16 days to see a country as amazing as Peru.

Most Inspirational Moment

Best bit of the trip without doubt was the moonstone trek, and the night on the high plateau after the highest pass on the trip. That campsite was very special... but then so was the following night on the inca terracing over the sacred valley...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan our group leader for the whole trip was fantastic, absolutely great guy, full of energy and enthusiasm and just so easy to spend time with.Jesus our trek leader was also a really great guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Peru doesn't seem to have weather as we know it - it has so many microclimates you can be boiling hot and freezing in the same hour nevermind day so particularly if you do the moonstone trek you'll need to pack for everything from shorts/tshirts/sandals to snow!

Reviewed October 2011

BHUTAN: LAND OF THE THUNDER DRAGON

A brilliant trip combining landscapes and culture. The trek wasn’t easy at altitude but worth it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting down outside the Dzong in Thimpu at the festival surrounded by curious children. Walking up to 4200m and tying prayer flags to the top. A profound moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Very knowledgeable. His second in command wasn't as good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit enough. Some people on our trip really struggled, especially the older members. It's not a hard trek but you need to have a good level of fitness. The camp staff are great and the tents are of a good standard. The best food of the holiday was actually on the camping nights!Don't bother with the Chitwan extension. A long way for not much wildlife. Quite touristy in places.

Reviewed October 2011

CHIANTI: WALKING & WINE

As on a previous Exodus holiday,the very disparate group ‘bonded’ well and quickly and we had a lot of fun .

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the beautiful, peaceful countryside to Greve on a bright sunny autumn day , with the vine leaves just turning and the wonderful light . Just as I imagined Tuscany to be .The 'local' market was something of a disapointment but watching the post -market clear- up (which revealed a very pretty square) was revelatory (you had to be there!). Apparently the wine- tasting in Greve was quite an experience (we stuck to a very long lunch......).San Gimignano was also truly lovely .Local guide gave us a good sense of its history and importance . Also had three great meals there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He had apparently not done this trip before . Our visits to Siena and Volterra would have been much enhanced by having a local/experienced guide. We had one in San Gimignano on our first day, as he was indisposed, and it really made a difference. Any group really interested in the history/culture (as well as the wine/walking) might be advised to club together to engage a local guide in these circumstances .

Advice for Potential Travellers

If travelling in mid- Oct be prepared for the mornings and evenings to be quite cold . The wind at (hill- top) Volterra was also cutting . I had taken a fleece but I could have done with more long trousers. No problem with mosquitos or other insects, to my relief.

Reviewed October 2011

CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

This trip was fantastic! Really good route with a mixture of on and off road cycling. Beautiful area of countryside with a good amount of attractive towns and villages. Superb guides with excellent command of English, good local knowledge and great entertainment.

Most Inspirational Moment

This trip has a good mixture of fairly level cycling with a number of significant ups and downs. The two long uphills mentioned in the trip notes were fairly hard going, but the rewards came on the way down - A couple of fantastic long descents with superb views over the surrounding countryside.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Nacho (cycling guide) and Jaime (driving the minibus) were excellent. Both had a great grasp of English (Jaime lived in Scotland for many years). Both were good cyclists and looked after the group very well - giving plenty of leeway for the faster/fitter riders and keeping an eye open for the more laid back cyclists in the group. Not an easy job with a group of 15 of various ages! The organisation was fantastic and the care of the cycling equipment with appropriate help when needed was superb. They were also good company both on the ride and in the evenings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a superb trip, but you do need to have a certain degree of cycling fitness! Having been on a couple of other trips, I would say Moderate/Challenging is about right... there are several fairly hard going uphill bits to the trip, but that only makes the downhills even more worthwhile. We had a very mixed group aged mid-thirties to late-sixties, but all coped very well albeit at slightly different paces! However, it isn't a gentle ride in the country!

Reviewed October 2011

MT TOUBKAL LONG WEEKEND

Well organised and very well looked after. A local and interesting guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top is the most exhilerating experience after the long climb up. Rapid group integration. Experiencing the local culture.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very interesting and knowledgeable who looked after us throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't have any preconceived ideas, keep an open mind and enjoy the experience.

Reviewed October 2011

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

A very enjoyable week with a small group of very agreeable people. When we experienced the coldest ever recorded October day at the beginning of the week and I collapsed exhausted on my bed in the evening after battling up the hill to Castello Rosso against galeforce winds I wondered if I had made the right decision but things could only get better – and they did.

Most Inspirational Moment

I had no inspirational moment but enjoyed it all. Certainly seeing the Roman columns is pretty awesome (if that word is not too overused) and the view from the top of the sacrificial table (or whatever it was) on Mount Kliosi at the Acropolis of Styra is breathtaking. I also loved the walk down the Demosaris Gorge - where Thanos chose a beautiful place to stop for lunch. I imagine it would be a wonderful place to bathe in the summer - but a bit cold in October.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanos certainly proved to be a good organiser - arranging hotel rooms at short notice on the mainland when we missed the ferry the first evening, finding alternative transport when there were strikes and finding an alternative taverna at short notice for our evening meal on the day of solidarity when everything was shut. Everything worked out perfectly. He was great company and kept us entertained with lots of local knowledge and interesting stories - even if some of them proved not to be true! He is certainly very proud to be from Evia - and he has alot to be proud of.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walks are mainly downhill - so be warned if you have weak knees! The longest walks were in the range of 12-15 km - so quite moderate, but some of them are on quite rough ground so poles could be a good idea. And the taxi drives up and down the mountains are not for the weak-hearted - there are not many good roads on the island.Try the Septem beer at the first opportunity - you may not get another!

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