Reviews

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

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14440 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed June 2013

EVEREST BASE CAMP

A fabulous trek from day 1.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several. It sounds daft given the surroundings but seeing a huge vulture circling as we neared the Everest View Hotel, followed shortly after by a fabulous view of Everest and Ama Dablam left me beaming.The return to the group of a team member who had been hospitalised after fainting was good for the group moral and lastly, the scenery during the 2 days descent from Gorak Shep.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gele was brilliant. He was always concerned with the health/safety of the group. On one occasion I was walking next to him when we rounded a corner and saw another trekker sitting on the trail in front of us (tying his shoe lace!) Gele’s worried face as he charged forward sticks in my mind. He was unflapable. We were stuck in Lukla for one night due to poor weather and whilst we were all tearing our hair out and discussing hugely expensive helicopter flights, he was relaxed, knew what was best and we flew out free of charge the following day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is cold! Nights were bitter and as others have stated, you need to have some form of hot water bottle. I hired a duvet jacket from Exodus and wore it most evenings but the daytime temperatures were not too bad…I only wore it for a couple of hours on basecamp day.

Reviewed June 2013

WALKING IN TUSCANY

Thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. The wild flowers were unbelievable. The guide, Sara Bull, was exceptional, very friendly and professional.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Monte Prado.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We could not ask for a better leader. Sara inspired and encouraged us with our walking and was very knowlegeable about the area. Nothing was too much trouble for her, she made an enjoyable holiday exceptional.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go in spring time (last this year) for the wild flowers.

Reviewed June 2013

UZBEKISTAN UNCOVERED

Uzbekistan is a real undiscovered gem, if you book this tour your friends, family and work colleagues will look at you as though you have gone mad…"your going where?"…but the last laugh will be on them. The people are truly open and welcoming, the historic sites are mind blowing. This is a great introduction to the famous silk route.

Most Inspirational Moment

It sounds trite but there were so many! The view of Khiva from our hotel, with the sun glinting off the ceramic tiles covering dozens of minarets and domes. Eating Plov (the national dish) in a locals house - delicious and then washing it down with Uzbek cognac (very nice). Having a group of older Uzbek ladies ask for our photos to be taken with them so they could show their grandchildren in the village they all came from. Standing next to Ulebeg's observatory in Samakand and staring in bewilderment at the sheer beauty of Tamerlane's mausoleum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Dilshod was fantastic. His enthusiasm for his country was infectious. Nothing was too much trouble. He shared his experiences of being an ex soviet citizen, as well as stories of his own family which all helped to get a better understanding of the Uzbek culture and history.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a sleeping bag liner (silk if you can stretch to it) for the Yurt stay, as although bedding was clean it did get very warm in the yurt and so this allows you to regulate the temperature. We all brought warm fleece, hat and gloves for the yurt stay in May as per trip notes, but it was warm at night and we didn't need them.Bring some toilet paper from home for toilet stops, as the local stuff is more akin to tracing paper.The Uzbek currency is the Som, but the largest note is 1000 and with the exchange rate you will find you have to carry around a brick size wad of notes just to cover expenses for a day. As you can't get this amount in your purse or wallet take a sealable sandwich bag to keep it in, in your bag. You cannot get rid of any unwanted Som in the airport at the end of the holiday, as they only take euros and dollars in the airport shop.The sun is fierce in Uzbekistan, so take high SPF suncream because you will burn in minutes, I have come back with a nice light tan and I was diligently using SPF 50! The Uzbeks drink tea so if you are a coffee drinker I advise you to bring either coffee sachets or coffee in a bag for breakfast, as the only thing they had was unpalatable Nescafe coffee powder in tins. Bring swimwear and a quick dry towel, the opportunity to have a bathe at the lake by the Yurt camp after the hot and dusty (but enjoyable) camel trekking was bliss!

Reviewed June 2013

CARPATHIAN CULTURE AND WILDLIFE

Transylvania was a really beautiful part of the world, it felt as if we had stepped back in time. To a Europe of 40 years ago.

Most Inspirational Moment

The stunning views from my balcony at Villa Hermioni every morning, and the visit to Libearty the bear sanctuary. There was a party of children visiting behind us, who listened with such interest that you hope that in the future there would be no need to rescue bears from captivity.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 3 guides, the leader Greg was very entertaining with lots of tall tales. Traion the local leader gave a good insight into local life and made the visit to Brasov very interesting. Katharina took us to Libearty and her passion for the place was infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is steep walking, walking poles are useful, also ignore the weather forecast, and prepare for anything, we regularly had 4 seasons in one day.Change a small amount of money at the airport, it is a few days before you can get money.Food was excellent, you definitely won't go hungry.

Reviewed June 2013

THE INCA TRAIL

An absolutely amazing experience. I was expecting it to be really good but it far exceeded my expectations.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the Sun Gate at Macchu Picchu on a glorious sunny afternoon and getting my first glimpse of the ruins.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Bobby and his assistant Frank were excellent group leaders. They looked after everyone perfectly from start to finish. They were both a credit to themselves and Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The facilities at the campsites on the Inca Trail were far more limited and basic than I expected. Thank goodness we had our own portable toilet.It can be very wet even in the middle of the dry season. Make sure you come prepared for this. On a couple of nights it was colder than I anticipated. If you are bringing your own sleeping bag make sure it is a 3/4 season one.Change more than the recommended $50 in to Peruvian Sol as you will definitely need it.

Reviewed June 2013

A WEEK IN JORDAN

Jordan is magical. From ancient sites to beaches to deserts to the wonder of Petra there is something for everyone. The people are charming and the food is delicious.

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely Petra. As you approach the Treasury building after a 1.2 km walk through the Siq it takes your breath away. The whole of the Petra site has so much to offer with an amphi theatre, tombs, monasteries and the High Place with just a minimum number of market stalls and places you can eat without being swamped.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader, Ala, was excellent. A degree in archaeology certainly helped. He was very knowledgeable without being overbearing. He also knew the best restaurants to eat of an evening and also introduced us to bakeries for snacks and lunch. The driver and him were at our disposal even when it was not part of the official tour e.g. the last night in Amman when the tour had finished, they still came to pick us up in the coach to drive us to the restaurant we asked to go back to from our first night in Amman.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although it sounds like you need a level of fitness there are always options available if you're not up to it e.g. at Petra you could hire a donkey to take you up to the high places.

Reviewed June 2013

A WEEK IN JORDAN

An awe inspiring trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

My long awaited trip to Petra was all, and more than I had wished for. This was followed very closely bythe trip to Wadi Rum. Racing through the desert in jeeps, sitting on the rocks and watching the sun go downwas amazing but best of all was sleeping under the stars. I have never seen skies like it, truly jaw dropping.

Thoughts on Group Leader

There are not enough words to describe Khaled - he was absolutely incredible. Extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his Country. He was always ready to answer whatever questions were asked and nothing was too much trouble. He had a terrific sense of humour and looked after us all so well. When I suffered from heatstroke on the first day and was rather unwell he was sympathetic, understanding and went out of his way to make sure I was looked after - even carrying me back to the bus when I was extremely unsteady on my feet!!! I don't think we could have had a better guide. I would not hesitate to take another trip if he was the guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes, go with an open mind and have fun!!

Reviewed June 2013

YOSEMITE AND THE CANYONLANDS

I had a really fantastic adventure thanks to all of the people sharing the holiday with me, and to our tour guides Colin Galgon and Charlie Taussig. Colin and Charlie went out of their way to make this a very memorable trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

I think the most inspirational moment for me was when I completed the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon.Also, a close second was when I reached the top of Angel's Landing in Zion.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charlie and Colin were just the GREATEST! They were always coming up with little treats, and ideas for different things for us to do!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepaired to outdo yourself. It's surprising what you can do, when "encouraged"

Reviewed June 2013

Great trip!

My wife and I really enjoyed this trip. It’s fairly active, with some excellent walks and day trips. The hotel is a plus point – comfortable, friendly and with super food (and plenty of it!).

Most Inspirational Moment

Stunning views on the walks to Amalfi and Positano.The friendliness of the local people, and enthusaism of the staff at the hotel. The cookery demonstrations were a hoot!Pompeii and Herculaneum

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was an excellent group leader. Well-organised, well-informed and very warm.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If travelling in the 'shoulder' periods be prepared for a range of weathers. In late May we encountered rain and cold on some days.Use the 'free' day to visit Herculaneum and Ravello (hotel will organise this)Go to Tony's bar a short walk away - the welcome and personal attention will astound you!

Reviewed June 2013

WALKING IN TUSCANY

An easy-paced week, well within the grasp of anyone who enjoys relaxed walks rather than a route march. The paths are mostly good and 500m of ascent per day was fairly typical. I would say the B grading is about right.

Most Inspirational Moment

On the final day, with thunder and black clouds threatening all around, the whole group made it to the top of the top of Monte Prado, crossing some patches of snow along the way. This included Elvis the dog who had been very off colour all morning but then sprung to life as soon as he was fed sausages! The rain held off and we got down in the dry.All week, we were treated to stunning views and wonderful displays of wild flowers. It was definitely a good time of year to go and the temperature was ideal for hiking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara was an excellent guide, attentive to everyone's differing needs within the group. She allowed us all to go at our own pace and ensured plenty of stops to allow everyone to catch up. She also had an endless supply of biscuits!She was ably assisted by Elvis and Dora, Braccicorte's two really gorgeous dogs, who led the way and ran about 4 times as far as everyone else.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you don't fancy flying from Gatwick, it's easy to arrange your own flight from other UK airports and the train service from Pisa to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is excellent. Some of them also stop at Villetta, which is closer to Braccicorte, though not really suitable to walk with luggage. Either way, you just need to call Piero the local taxi man and he'll collect you from the station.

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