Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the mix of terrain & locations. The local flavour brought by our knowledgeable leaders was really what made the trip so special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Francisco was the main leader, with Rafa as his very capable right-hand man. They work so well as a team, and their lifelong friendship really does show throughout. They were both caring & attentive to the needs of our very mixed group at all times. Their local knowledge was fabulous, covering a broad range of subjects: history, botany, wildlife, geology, etc. They clearly have a great love for Portugal, and engendered respect for the environment, local people & businesses throughout. The best guides I’ve encountered.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it! Portugal is beautiful, and the area covered is diverse and interesting. The guides further bring it to life for you. I managed in trail shoes & without sticks, although these were available to borrow.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Most Inspirational Moment

Entire group completing trek - specifically, the long day (19 miles) was tough as heat was rising and hills present at end of the day. Despite some physical challenges, we all persisted and maintained positive outlooks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

EXCEPTIONAL. Aitor's local expertise, deep knowledge as a guide/trekker, and skills facilitating the group were extremely valuable. I would follow him anywhere. He made each group member feel comfortable, was both informative, facilitative, patient when needed, and simply lovely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train. Bring rain clothes. Be prepared to walk in less-than-ideal conditions for multiple days in a row - 15,16,17 miles. For American walkers, expect hotels to be modest in room size, restaurant offerings, and less service-oriented than US customs. All clean and adequate; not a problem, just an observation.

Most Inspirational Moment

Exploring the vastness of Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Amer was excellent, well liked by the group, everywhere we went he knew someone and they greeted him warmly. His English was amazing and he could talk about anything from the top topics to British humour and banter. His talks were interesting, informative and often gave 'food for thought'. On visiting sites he always kep us together at first to show us and talk about the most interesting parts and then give us ample time on our own to explore, take photos or simply relax. He was always very organised, arriving and checking out at hotels was a breeze as he did everything for us. He also had the coach stop at supermarkets before some of the destinations so we could buy drinks and snacks a lot cheaper than the 'tourist prices'. Most of the nights we had our own options for dinner but I followed his advice and I really enjoyed all my meals. Amer always had time for the group, even in his own free time and we had plenty of laughs with him!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind, the history of Jordan may not be the same as we've been led to believe. Water shoes are a must for Aqaba and the Dead Sea, stones and very hot Dead Sea sandbags around the mud bath. Towels are provided freely at both. Any photographers-- wide angle lenses are best, zoom lenses not needed. Plugs- varied in hotels, some 2 pin, some 3 pin- same as UK. I used a multi plug and an extension lead. Give Exodus your passport details before you go to get your free Visa. We were whisked straight past the long queue obtaining and paying for visas. Arrive in Amman a day early if possible. I didn't and regretted it as flights arrive in the early hours of the morning. Others did, they had more time to explore Amman and relax prior to the tour starting. Take enough clothes to last the whole tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

The ocean views. The group's solidarity to overcome obstacles.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dinis Rodrigues : he was friendly and personable. He gave us clear instructions, guided us well, advised us on restaurant choices, and was always concerned about our well-being. Inês Monteiro who was an excellent assistant and had to take over and turned out to be a very good guide too. Finally, I would like to say a word about Filipe Ribeiro who was an efficient support in transporting luggage, preparing picnics and who also occasionally provided transport for cyclists to cross a bridge or climb hills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The difficulty level of this tour is 2 out of 7. This is true for an e-bike. But with a regular bike, the difficulty level is higher due to some hills that you encounter especially from the 2nd day. Nevertheless, I recommend this tour to people who already ride a bike and who want to take a pleasant trip to visit the Atlantic coast of Portugal.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing several sites that I've heard about my entire life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eva is excellent. Superb........

Most Inspirational Moment

The ravine walk and the gorge walk - beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

The whole trip is really good . We added on 2 days at the beginning to visit Athens - that worked very well .

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of Monte Sumbra and Monte Prado and doing some rather challenging scrambling! Exciting!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Exodus have some excellent leaders - but Sara is really at the top of our chart. Expert guide, wonderful care of 2 in our party who unfortunately tripped up, superb tick remover (yes they are here in this part of Tuscany) provider of birthday gifts and skilled driver on challenging mountain roads - I could go on but you'll see from other reviews what an interesting and proficient leader she is.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do get yourself fit. This is a level 3 activity level but some of the walking (climbing really) is quite steep so be prepared with good ankle support and walking poles.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Alessio, gave a personal touch to each experience and made the trip memorable. He regularly went out of his way to make sure everyone in the group was happy.