Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Ranthambore

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting people from different parts of the world of all ages! The 3 others I traveled with and myself were the youngest in our tour group and the only ones from Canada! It was very inspiring to see individuals in their 60s conquer these hikes with minimal problem! As well, it was a lot of fun to get to know the others in our tour group from other parts of the world that share the same passion for hiking and mountains!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Jaime was awesome! His outgoing personality and love for the mountains made the trip extremely exciting and memorable! I had complete confidence in his abilities and knowledge of the mountains. Jaime took great care of us throughout the week long tour by offering us support on our hikes, ensuring all our transfers were organized, sharing knowledge and advice on how to maximize our Spain trip, etc. All guides should take after Jaime's compassionate and personable ways... we loved our week adventure with him! :)

Most Inspirational Moment

Finally seeing a leopard!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.... intuitive to everyone’s needs, can resolve any problem that arises, works tirelessly to make sure everyone’s happy, all with patience and a great sense of humour. Nothing is too much trouble. The support team were also excellent, going about their jobs efficiently & discretely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack very little.... there are several laundry opportunities, I needed needed half of what I took. Train hard for the hills. Drink lots. Don’t expect to lose any weight.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra was always going to be the highlight for obvious reasons and it is everything I thought it would be and more but I was surprised at how big a site Jerash was and how little I knew about it. It was really surprising and fascinating. The mosaics in the churches dotted throughout Jordan are just breathtakingly beautiful. Wadi Rum was always going to be special too and the stars at night are amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ibrahim was a true gentleman. He was funny, passionate about his country, caring and patient. He was always concerned that everyone was ok and enjoying the experience. He tried to ensure everyone's needs were catered for in quite a diverse group. He was always available to listen and help and ensured that any problems were resolved quickly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

To be honest the trip notes cover it and other travellers comments too help ensure you are prepared. I wouldn't be put off by others experiences of optional trips - I decided I was only here once (I would go back but too many other countries I need to visit) so did the camel ride at sunset at Wadi Rum and also the Petra at night and thoroughly enjoyed both. Basically you get out of them what you put into them - enjoy it! Also did the hike up the monastery at Petra and the hike behind the tombs to look down on the Treasury from above - both were worth it and a good workout!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing alone in the tomb of Rameses V and VI (kv9) surrounded by huge walls and pillars covered with pristine hieroglyphics of such vibrant colors it took your breath away. It is well worth the extra EP 100 to go inside.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I cannot praise Tefa highly enough. His organization, empathy, knowledge of Egyptology and attention to every detail of our experience was exceptional. Extra unscheduled mini trips were arranged in free time for anyone who mentioned something they would like to do. Health issues were dealt with including pushing a wheelchair round a temple! Tefa really made sure we all had a wonderful experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When I read the trip notes I was concerned about how the extra trips fitted in with the basic plan. My concerns were unfounded. It is all very well arranged. I would say.... do as much as possible.

Most Inspirational Moment

Wow, seeing the gorilla family in the wild was the best experience I have ever had, just breath taking! It was very hard work getting to them (and we were lucky it took just over 1 hour) so hit the gym before you go, make sure you take those gardening gloves and hire a porter. Don't bother taking walking poles (take up room in your luggage) and they will give you a big stick on site that does just as well (and you don't have to worry about loosing since you have to leave your poles when getting near the gorillas).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide David was fabulous, kept us entertained throughout and nothing was too much trouble. Love him!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Gorilla mist Camp is a bit cold and damp (you are in a rainforest at high elevation after all) so I wish I took another warmer jumper for the evenings (but they do put lovely hot water bottles in your bed). One point I would make - I didn't book the extra Gorilla permits due to money restrictions - the way it is worded on the site is to book them as you are not guaranteed to see the gorillas on one treck, however when you go for your treck they explain that if your group does not spot the gorillas then you can go back on the same permit the next day. (this did not happen to us so no idea if they do keep this promise given the restricted permit numbers).

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra and Wadi Rum

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding group leader. Ibrahim had that prefect combination of being highly organised but appearing laid back and relaxed. I recommend him to any group. He dealt with any issues that arose from group members well so they never became 'issues'. He was a so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Jordan but never 'over- informed'. We didn't have to listen to lengthy lectures standing looking at endless Roman and other remains - instead he gave us the outlines and left us to explore or ask questions as we wanted. And above he was fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Heed well the advice given in the comprehensive notes

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to list.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guide makes the difference between a good trip and an amazing trip. Our guide, Nut, was excellent. He was calm, efficient and is vastly experienced so easily managed the large group (18) and so we were all relaxed and could enjoy the trip. Simple things were done very well. We visited lots of different artisans along the way but were never pressured into buying things. They guide handled tipping, meals etc

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some tips not in the trip notes: 1. It is hot and very sunny. Over xmas, there were no cloudy days and no rain. 2. Take lots of high factor sun cream. We used more than expected as you are out in the sun most of the day. You can only buy it in the big towns, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Saigon. 3. Wear white or light coloured tops when cycling. Dark colours absorb the heat making it even hotter! 4. You move most evenings, so can only visit the laundry in the big towns where you stay for more than one night, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Saigon. 5. Take a water bottle that fits in a standard bike water bottle holder. 6. We took our own clip in pedals (MTB prob best as in and out of them in the towns), which worked well. The bus is always close by so you can change shoes if you need to walk round a temple 7. To go into most of the temples you need to wear trousers or shorts/skirts that cover the knee. Applies to men and women. You can leave them on the bus, so dont need to wear them when cycling. 8. Take some electrolite tablets for your water, as you are out on the bike in the heat sweating alot!

Most Inspirational Moment

I would have to say that the most inspiring thing about this trip was “Bun” a truly amazing young man.

Thoughts on Group Leader

“Bun” was caring,funny,enthusiastic,helpful,knowledgable,friendly and very passionate about his wonderful country... He is a credit to Exodus

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and immerse yourself in this wonderful country, yes it’s poor but the people are delightful and the countryside is stunning.... This trip gives you a snippet of so many different parts of Cambodia. We could easily have spent a week in every town.

Most Inspirational Moment

Inspirational is a difficult word to asses for this trip, so let me try some others for you: Horrifying - the sheer inhumanity of what went on in the torture prison and the killing field (I just had to go and find a quiet corner with my own thoughts - our tour leader, Bun, whose parents had been Khmer Rouge child soldiers, came to my rescue as he was the only person to know so intimately what went on here; Humbling - meeting two survivors of the torture camp (I was left dumbstruck); Magnificent - seeing over a million bats suddenly start to stream out of their roost cave and head out to eat enough paddy field pest to save 20,000 tonnes of rice per year (nature at its most beautiful, so shortly after the horrors above); Majestic - the whole temple complex of the Angkor area (some are beautifully carved, some are vast, others are simply serene in their simplicity and tranquility, Ta Prohm not being among the tranquil ones since the Tomb Raider film. Crazy - the traffic in every town and city but this was contrasted by the ability of everyone to get through crowded junctions with in calm chaos. Walking out into the road, in the assured belief that you would not get run over, is a habit that one will have to rapidly get out of back in the UK! Tranquility - so many places were blissfully quiet, even at the fabulous hotel near Sihanoukville, where one had just gone through a vast building site, was so gloriously located on the beach near a fabulous choice of bars and restaurants. This was the first trip over the New Year when I have been able to get to sleep early due to the quiet in our Siem Reap hotel.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bun was a star so let me tell you why: he always gave us fabulously accurate and informative briefings about the following day (when we needed to be anywhere; what we would be doing; what we should be wearing; what we should bring with us) as well as updates throughout the day; he was always able to find suitable restaurants for group dinners and coped well with the assorted dietary requirements of some guests. Finding a restaurant for 17 people at short notice is very difficult in any location at any time of year, let alone over the New Year period. Some evenings, when no group dinner was needed, we would find him joining us for dinner and fabulous conversations always resulted; his charm was endless, even when some guests were less than polite or helpful; we always knew where he was as we could always hear his delightful giggle; when one of the guests developed medical complications from sand fly bites, he was fabulous about ensuring that she got the appropriate medical treatment in the right facility and kept the rest of us informed of her progress; when another was taken ill during a bus trip, he dealt with it so discretely that most people had no idea that there had been any problem; his knowledge of his country is amazing; with his parents having been child-soldiers for the Khmer Rouge we knew that he had a very close connection with that dark phase of his country's recent history - he was amazingly frank about some aspects of his parents' lives and of his own extraordinary upbringing; he is a great testament as to what someone can achieve in their own life through sheer determination and hard work, making us feel very humble at having had the privilege of meeting him (woe betide any snivelling brat who whinges about not having the latest gadget, just because they "want" it!) with my husband having broken five vertebrae and twice having had his pelvis crushed, he is a self-confessed "princess and the pea" when it comes to bed mattresses. Bun phoned ahead to ensure that our last hotel had extra facilities in the room when we arrived, helping to ensure some 3 good nights' sleep.

Advice for Potential Travellers

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