Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Having avoided looking at pictures before going, the evening view from the rim of Bryce Canyon is unbelievable and unforgettable. Views stretch the equivalent of north London to the south coast!  We weren't planning on taking the helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon but the closure of the National Parks (this was the only one we missed) prompted us to take the plunge. Even flying over the canyon it is impossible to take in the scale and to realise the river is a mile below. The change in the vegetation coming from the Sierra Nevada to Mono Lake, with its tufa rocks and wildlife, was almost instantaneous and summed up the trip in terms of the ever changing scenery. The trip around Monument Valley with the Navajo guide was all that was expected from the films.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rebecca was full of enthusiasm and sought to meet everyone's needs. She did a sterling job as driver (safe and comfortable), guide, luggage handler, hotel booker inner, lunch organiser etc., etc. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Very limited time in San Francisco so worth considering travelling a day or two beforehand. The National Park walks are at a fairly high altitude so be aware of this for both for breathing and temperature. 

Most Inspirational Moment

For us both, seeing baby and adult turtles. For myself seeing the amazing butterfly population, particularly the Morphos.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Good and reliable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Add a few days at Pacuare Lodge [www.pacuarelodge.com] at the end of your Exodus trip. Arrive and depart by white water raft. Amazing location, service, staff and food. In National Geographic's top 25 Ecolodge list! Our only mistake was not booking for longer!!Take twice as many USD as you think you will need. Contrary to expectation the the visit and walk to Arenal goes nowhere near the summit or crater. Don't bother visiting Selvatura Park, Monteverde - very overpriced, staff indifferent and some frankly rude. Visit the nearby Monteverde Butterfly Gardens 'El Mariposario' instead [not to be mistaken for the understocked butterfly house which is part of Selvatura Park].For snacks in Monteverde go to the Orchid Cafe - wonderful iced coffees and other delights!

Most Inspirational Moment

The week for me was truly inspirational, writing this review I still cant believe ive done it!   Seeing a Cheetah relaxing under a tree, a troupe of babboons casually walking down the road, a suckling lion cub, seeing 12 hippos rise in the River Mara and seeing it all so closely...  the list for me is endless. I along with 3 others did the hot air balloon ride, this was magical seeing it all from a birds eye view and it was so peaceful.  When the balloon landed (quite smoothly) we was driven to the breakfast site and had a glass of champagne with a full cooked breakfast (which was fab!). 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kenneth was very knowledgeable espicially on birds, I was amazed how he could spot and name them so quickly!  He listened to the group when we wanted photo stops, comfort breaks and always had a smile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My top tips for this holiday would be- Women, wear a sports bra.  The ride can get VERY bumpy espicially into the Mara- Take a waterproof jacket- Pack a torch, in the second camp this will be how you ask for an escort when it gets dark- Suncream, I only packed SPF15 (In Oct) and I got burnt.- Dont bother getting a Visa in advance, you still have to join the same queue and it doesnt make it that much quicker.- Pack some long sleeved tops for the evening.- The cost of the balloon ride in October 2013 was $450- Make sure your tent is securely zipped... one day our tent was raided and my custard creams were eaten!- Memory cards, get the best you can - allow for approx 700+ photos!

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to choose, but seeing the male lions walk past, so close and so unaffected by our presence is up there. Such majestic animals and I was struck by how struck I was by them - it's an image that will stay with me a long time. And also getting such a good sighting of a leopard - it just strolled on past us and under the truck in front as if we were invisible. I know how hard they are to spot and how lucky we were to see this one. Big cats are such beautiful creatures. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent! He was respectful, informative, thoughtful and funny all through. He made sure we had a great holiday and always thought of our needs (lots of "comfort" stops), made sure we had enough water and taught us a lot about all the animals too. Not to mention sharing our jokes and telling us funny stories of his own. Thanks Davis!

Advice for Potential Travellers

All the information you need is provided by Exodus before you go and there really is nothing to worry about. The tented camp is luxurious to say the least (I've stayed in 4* hotels that aren't anywhere near as nice!) but you might want to take ear plugs for the night as being so close to the animals doesn't make it the quietest of places. That said, I slept better on this holiday than I have slept anywhere...including at home! Make sure you take waterproofs as well - I went in October and the short rains are short but pretty heavy!

Most Inspirational Moment

All the places we saw were interesting and it was great to experience new food.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dana was great company and was eager to join in with the group after her day was finished , she helped us with choosing menus and Venus, and suggested places to go.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Sahara and our stay at the Berber camp was super! Sitting around the campfire at night while our hosts and the guests sang songs, all under a clear night sky with thousands of stars was delightful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader was exceptional! His knowledge of the country, the people, and the culture is formidable. With his pleasant demeanour, tolerance for the quirks of the different nationalities comprising our group, and a good sense of humour, he made our visit comfortable, easy and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

How to avoid getting sick: It's really easy to get an upset stomach in Morocco. To avoid this, don’t eat any uncooked vegetables unless you washed them yourself with properly treated water (i.e. bottled water), drink bottled water or manufactured drinks from bottles (i.e. don’t drink tap water, or any drink that might be made with tap water or fruit that doesn’t have the peel removed), and wash your hands with soap as often as possible. I’d also recommend brushing your teeth with bottled water and even cleaning your toothbrush with bottled water. Indeed, almost everyone on the trip got sick at some point (some quite sick actually) likely because they didn’t follow these simple rules. How to avoid getting ripped off: Bargain! Almost everything is negotiable in Morocco. I start my bidding at a maximum of 20-25% of what a merchant is asking, and never pay more than 50%. If I'm bargained up to 50% and the merchant says he/she won't sell, I say "No thanks," and walk away. 99.9% of the time, the merchant will not let you walk away so easily, but will still drive you past 50%. Don't let remorse get the better of you! Absolutely insist that 50% is your final offer. Eventually the merchant will give. Even if she/he pretends to be upset, don't get fooled, they're still getting more than what they would get from a local.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing with my hand in a hole in the crater of mount Vesuvius feeling the hot air!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Albert was a great leader, even though he was ill for the first few days of the trip. He continued with the walks regardless even when I'm sure he would rather have been in bed with a lemsip than guiding us around Amalfi.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware there is a lot of climbing and steps both up and down hill. My calves were certainly made aware of this after the 2000+ steps downhill to Amalfi on day 2! 

Most Inspirational Moment

Of course watching the sunset over the dunes in the sahara after reaching our camp on camle back is an experience I will never forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdullah was great. He was very sweet, knowledgable, helpful and professional. He always took the time to asnswer our questions. He did a very good job explaining what we coudl expect and we alsways punctual and accomodating.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring some medication for nausea and upset stomach. Even though we were careful about the food, a bunch of us got some bad cramps. Also, the drive through the mountains is very windy and made a few people nauseous even though we had an excellent driver.

Most Inspirational Moment

I felt a great warmth from the locals that we kept meeting along the way in the villages that we walked through in the trekking week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilip was amazing and so friendly and gave us so much of his knowledge and kept the group's spirits high on the rainiest days!

Most Inspirational Moment

After hearing Dubious reports about Naples it was a lovely surprise. Probably greatly helped by our guides enthusiasm an knowledge, I left with a smile on my face

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guide Eduardo made the holiday , proud of where he lived and very keen to share it with us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go, you wont regret it