Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The Carres gorge is a fantastic walk and we did it on the last day as this was forecast to be cooler and less crowded as many of the Spanish visitors were on their way home. The two scrambling summits we did were also highlights.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Alvero was brilliant, he was full of enthusiasm, organised the programme to suit the walks to the weather conditions and even carried 8 litres of water for group use on very hot days.Jim the hotel owner and cheif cook was also extremely helpful and very interesting to talk to.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We spent a couple of days in Bilbao before the trip and one after to enable us to go Easy jet from Manchester. Exodus booked us the flights so we had a package.It is a fantastic compact city and the Guggenheim is an amazing piece of architecture.The town is well worth a visit. Shortage of plugs for charging devices so if you have a two way charger take it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Yangshou

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gina was the BEST. Always happy, always efficient, always amusing. If you go on this trip, make sure Gina takes you

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get Gina as leader

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing out of Ohrid to the plateau overlooking the Lake and seeing the tiny villages bellow. Also for me it was making it up the steep sections on days 2 & 3 without getting off.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was very fit, he often had to drop back to help someone with a problem, then ride up to the front again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, you need to get fit riding up 10% hills (1 in 10) and be able to ride up long hills before you take the trip or you may not enjoy the tough sections so much. Some of the shorter gradients reached 14-16% (indicated on my Garmin). You do get some good down hill bits to recuperate, and there are stops for people to catch up. Age is not the problem it's the fitness that counts. Ride at a speed your comfortable with, don't try to keep up.

Most Inspirational Moment

The last 48 hours of wildlife viewing was the best I have ever experienced. It was almost like a wildlife documentary (sadly David Attenborough was unavailable) as we met a cheetah and her cub at dusk, again in the early morning and then witnessed the cheetah make a kill. Later that afternoon (via wild dogs) we met the cheetah again but tragically there was no sign of the cub. Her calls would make even the strongest man blub, but then 2 lionesses stalked and chased the cheetah and we believe she escaped. Surely that was the big finale to the trip? Errr no.... 2 male lions vs a herd of buffalo the following morning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was excellent. He knew his country, the wildlife and how to run a brilliant trip allowing the customers to enjoy themselves. He coped with unexpected luggage issues and our constant demand for bigger and better sightings. Vasco the Botswana guide was brilliant getting us closer to the wildlife than we would have hoped for, without worrying the wildlife. He knew where to position the van to get excellent shots. Timon and Dodga (the assistants) were both hard-working, friendly and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As with all Exodus trips study and follow the trip notes carefully. It was cold on some nights (I took a down sleeping bag) and very cold for quite a few hours on the truck, so you do need lots of warm clothing until it heats up. The dinner cruise at Victoria Falls was a highlight for many of us as the service, food, drinks and views were all excellent - a touch of luxury. Take advantage of some of the extra activities. The advice on tipping in the trip notes was contradicted by Sam and this needs clarification, but allow more than is suggested for local staff as well as the crew.

Most Inspirational Moment

Roberto took us to a remote school in Panama, where he told us that because the children did not watch TV they were completely innocent, and very rarely saw people from other countries. For me, this was one of the highlights, especially seeing how Roberto talked to the children, and how he got all of us to introduce ourselves to the children in Spanish!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is a top leader in every way. He is very passionate about his country (Costa Rica) and gave us all sorts of information about each of the countries as we travelled through. He was always concerned for our safety when cycling and gave us clear instructions at the beginning of each ride so that we stayed safe

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would travel a day early to get over the jet lag when you arrive. Make sure you have high factor sun cream, especially for your arms (The cycle leaders put sleeves on their arms for the long rides)

Most Inspirational Moment

Every moment was brilliant. Cycling, swimming, dancing and drinking with lovely new friends were fantastic moments. Woke up in the early morning before the sunrise and went to the sea where's no one else but me. Floating on the sea and seeing the beautiful sunrise was one of the inspirational moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader Freddy is perfect leader we can count on in this trip. His accurate knowledge of history, technical advice for riding, smart joking boosted our travel. Also his prompt action with warm consideration was really helpful when I had a trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No worries about cycling. The support vehicle follows us every time, you don't have to have any equipments during cycling. A bandanna is useful to clean your face, to cover your mouth with it. You sometimes get a terrible vehicle emission when riding behind the cars.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to choose just one. It's impossible to master all of Romania's complex history in just a week, but at the end of the trip I felt as though I had really seen the country. In addition to beautiful scenery, we experienced life in the villages, visited a flour mill and a family-run wool factory, met Saxon priests, and even squeezed in some sightseeing in a couple of cities.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Raluca is an outstanding guide. She is competent, attentive, organized, personable, and passionate and knowledgeable about her country. From the guesthouse stays to the daily history lessons, she did everything to ensure that we experienced the real Romania. The fact that she clearly has strong personal relationships with everyone we encountered testifies to her commitment to her job.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking into the active volcano at night. I was a bit cynical at first about the school visit but it is the real thing , Roberto truly loved those children and made a meaningful interface between us and the children so that they and us gained without patronising the children.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto and Steve who took over on last days were both great and went beyond anything expected.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do some hill training before you arrive as there are some steep climbs.I had only prepared on the flat . No sure I ever will hear the word "undulation " again without wincing

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, the overnight trip into the desert was the highlight. The weather was perfect, our ride on camels was unforgettable and the night we spent sleeping under the stars at the Bedouin camp will remain with me forever. Our accommodations were unbelievably nice, the food the nomads prepared was delicious and their drumming, inspiring us to dance, was delightful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Samir, was awesome. He had a delightful personality, was patient in answering questions, well informed, told us just the right amount of information. He managed to get us in several places for a meal or tea that would not have happened with a larger group or another leader. He genuinely seemed to like our group and commented that he found us especially great since we didn't "winge" like other groups do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure to take several credit cards for getting cash from ATMs. We had difficulty with some cards and some cash machines. Trip will require more cash than the trip notes suggest.

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming at Eleanor Lake park was a personal favourite - lake swimming in a beautiful setting providing an oasis of calm in a busy schedule. My daughter was thrilled with the animal life - a bear walking through the campsite, and a raccoon raid on our snack table. Oh, and Lake Louise is beautiful!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Laurent was amazing, working from early until late with cooking, driving, and organising the activities - all with good humour!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The Rockies are colder than you might expect. While it was 32 °C in the day in Vancouver, it was only 5 °C at night while camping. Take an inflatable mat for sleeping, as the ones provided are thin, and may deflate. Check age limits for activities before you go. If you are from the UK, allow a couple of days in Vancouver before joining the tour to explore this lovely city, and get over jetlag. Calgary is less touristy, but probably worth a night to sort luggage and enjoy some luxury after camping.