Reviews

Mallorca’s coast and mountains with wonderful guide

My 4th trip with Exodus, and one that I would highly recommend.

A lovely mix of coastal, inland and mountain walks. Contrasting accommodations: a coastal hotel in Soller and mountain monastery retreat at Lluc. Great local food, lovely group.

Local guides were excellent

We were aware of the Douro wine region but not all the other interesting aspects of the region of Northern Portugal we visited. Our guide Teresa Pires is a charming person with excellent interpersonal skills which which she was able to convey her super local knowledge of visited areas. Throughout she was very professional with lots of communication with the group, clear timetables and access to her via phone at any time she was not there, giving an extra sense of security. Flexibility in order to meet varied requests from group members was really appreciated. She was very keen to introduce Portuguese ways, history and food in a relaxed and positive way.
She responded in an excellent way when things , not of her making, went wrong. For example taking me and my husband to hospital emergency care, and on another occasion ensuring alll the group was well away from vehicles on the motorway when the van was fired to stop with a flat tyre. Overall the safety and care of group members was always a priority. Whilst it was Teresa on the spot, although she did not need to, she didn’t forget to point out that she was supported by the local exodus office team.

Teresa was excellent at introducing us to many new experiences and gave much information on the local communities. particular highlights included the organic farm and wine tasting, cruising on a traditional boat in the delta area ( we should have remembered to take our binoculars with us for the birdlife including flamingoes), rail trip through the heart of the Douro with vineyards stretching up the slopes, baking a local speciality cake, immersing our feet in the salt pans and visiting a sparkling wine making cellar. As a finale the end visit to bustling Porto with all its interesting facets was a great end to the trip. Teresa made sure that all the lovely restaurants we visited were able to give us vegetarian dishes. Local guides were excellent on the whole, only exception was the archeology guide who talked about things other than the archeology!

Teresa was always happy to take the extra step for members of the group-overall a fabulous trip leader who did an excellent and memorable job.

Overall trip was excellent

The overall trip was excellent. This was because of Teresa Pires, our tour guide, who was friendly, very knowledgeable about the local and regional architecture and history and well-organised. Nothing was too much trouble for Teresa and she was calm and patient, even when there were unexpected events, such as one of our party being unwell and needing a visit to the hospital, and a flat tyre on the motorway. Also, even when the lunch or dinner was not included in the itinerary, Teresa provided options and continued to help with arrangements and translation. She has an excellent rapport with all the people at the places we visited and that made us feel very welcome. The group of people on this trip were lovely, like-minded and everyone got along, which was an added bonus. The hotels were all very good, and the facilities in line with the higher expectations of a Premium Adventure.

Always enjoy the group company and trips

Have travelled with Exodus many times and have always enjoyed the group company and trips. Driver/courier was superb. Even a blowout on the motorway did not stress her

An excellent tour

An excellent tour, loved the small group and two of the best guides we have ever had.

Bruce Smith

Faultless guide in Teresa Pires and driver Carlos Santos. Very caring and knowledgeable, the best we have ever had.

Trip very well designed

Guides brilliant. Trip very well designed. Would have preferred more boutique hotels like in Porto rather than faceless international style hotels. I understand that preserving rooms is difficult in boutique hotels, but it was achieved in Porto.

thoughtfully designed itinerary

The itinerary was thoughtfully designed, allowing us to explore a wide range of fascinating destinations throughout the trip.

Activity level was 1, not 3 as advertised.

The hotels were comfortable, with two exceptions:
Hotel SUI Kyoto Kiyomizu in Kyoto – Situated on a busy main road, the hotel suffered from significant noise even during nighttime hours due to poor sound insulation. Breakfast was consistently overcrowded.
Route Inn Kawaguchiko – The room was small and dimly lit, with a window facing a concrete wall just two metres away. The décor was dated; it felt like the last renovation was done in the 1980s, and the breakfast offering was disappointing in both quality and variety.

In contrast, Hotel Monterey Akasaka in Tokyo stood out as the best accommodation – stylish, comfortable, and well located.

Dining independently was a highlight of the trip. We enjoyed excellent meals at various local restaurants, often at very reasonable prices. However, the two complimentary dinners provided in Takayama were surprisingly poor in quality. In hindsight, it would have been preferable to explore dining options on our own that evening as well.

Public transportation was generally a positive experience and added to the trip’s authenticity. That said, the day spent navigating Kyoto’s local buses and trains resulted in more time waiting than sightseeing. Additionally, the transfer from Kawaguchiko to Tokyo consumed most of the day. A chartered bus would have significantly reduced travel time to under two hours, and allowed for a more relaxed and efficient transition.

Excellent trip

Lovely cycling, great scenery, well-guided

Best holiday ever!

Just back from a fabulous trip cycling in Sicily lead by Davide . Davide went above and beyond to make sure that we all had the best possible experience cycling in Sicily, above all ensuring our safety, well being and enjoyment of this wonderful area. Davide was born, grew up and has studied in this gorgeous landscape. Davide can tell you the history, geography and culture of this land which he loves so passionately .