Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose just one. I enjoyed the cycling through villages, the white water rafting and the hike on Horton Plains, especially as being in my mid 70s I had worried I might not be able to keep up with the younger members. However, the icing on the cake was seeing the turtle on the beach laying her eggs on the beach by our hotel.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was the best leader you could wish to have. He gave us lots of background information on everywhere we were going and the history of Sri Lanka. He had a wonderful sense of humour and full of good advice on recommendations on where to eat.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try everything on offer, you may well surprise yourself.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too hard to mention one. My highlights were: The pyramids, Valley of the kings, Driving through the Sahara desert on the Abu Simbel tour and cruising the Nile. Each temple was amazing in its own right, they all had something unique.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. He was incredibly knowledgeable, funny and looked after us well. Sayed was best guide you could want.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have lots of space on camera or phone as you will want to take lots of pictures. Be prepared for lots of steps and to be exhausted. Take rehydrate in your water as it gets hot. When you get there try and get some small (10 or 20) Egyptian pounds as you will need these to tip when going to the loo. Everything else can be paid for in Dollars. Don't drink their water, always use bottled water which is plentily available and provided on the coach. Say yes to all the additional trip that you can manage as each one is unique and is wonderful. The boat trip to the Nubian village is amazing, so relaxing and interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Aitana Peak trip on the final day because the scenery was just glorious.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic. Jose was relaxed and friendly and great at accommodating different abilities and speeds within the group. He's full or passion and knowledge for the area. He's a great guide!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes and difficulty rating before booking (the trip was rated 4 out of 7 - Moderate / Challenging at the time we did it). For us this wasn't a tough hiking trip, but it was slightly more challenging that some of our fellow travellers expected. One frequent Exodus hiker said it was tougher than some other similarly rated trips he'd been on. Jose was great at making sure everybody had a great trip though and this didn't affect anybody's enjoyment, we stuck to a pace that suited everybody and Jose made sure we were all comfortable. Bring lots of layers as we experienced lots of different weather in February. Be prepared for beautiful scenery and great food!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a bell

Most Inspirational Moment

I'd struggle to pick just one! It was all inspiring

Thoughts on Group Leader

LAM was amazing. His enthusiasm, his knowledge and his encouragement were so helpful. He and his team are the best!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need to be confident on roads with traffic. Don't worry what's going on behind you. Just keep your eyes forward and keep moving!

Most Inspirational Moment

Spending time with locals on the two farm visits. The Sri Lankan games were great fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was excellent. He was relaxed but organised. He gave us a lot of information about the country and it’s history. Great sense of humour. An exceptional guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the wide variety of activities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Taj Mahal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabulous could not have been better

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expects lots of early morning starts aand a lot of travelling which is all well worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the timeless beauty of the tea plantations and mountains with the sound track of the Bulbul birds. The delicious 3 course curry picnics eaten on mountain peaks with views across the valleys. Sitting in the shade eating freshly made banana fritters as the houseboat drifted down the backwaters, watching the kites, kingfishers and bee catchers swooping and diving over the water. Stopping for a warm welcome and a refreshing 2p cup of tea in a tiniest tea shop in a mountain village.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Santosh Kumar was the perfect leader, his local knowledge, his wisdom and his gentle sense of humour kept the group happy and engaged throughout our adventure. He not only guided us through the tour but also helped us to understand local customs and etiquette so that we could be respectful and be welcomed as visitors to the community rather than just tourists. He knows everyone! so wherever we went we were made welcome. Santosh managed our group so well with his calm 'can do' attitude. Even long journeys were made part of the adventure, with the amazing views of life from the bus and the extra special ‘Santosh surprises’ along the way, which could be a local artisan at work, a flower market, a roadside cafe with an incredible view or even a hillside cattle market. On a trip like this there will always be glitches, but Santosh always had a brilliant ‘Plan B’ and sometimes plan C! which always worked out perfectly. Travelling in the minibus was an adventure in itself and we had total trust in Jogi, our excellent driver, on the busy and at times chaotic Indian roads!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you like walking and nature and seeing the sunsets and sunrises in the mountains and sleeping under the stars, then you will enjoy this wonderful adventure. Pack thin layers as it was really hot walking in the mountains, but could be quite chilly in the evenings and early mornings at the camp site (we all wore woolly hats and gloves in the evenings around the fire). Long sleeves and long trousers are preferable on the mountains as we were often walking through prickly things and of course there was the risk of insects and leaches (we had no trouble with either as it was quite dry). In towns and temples it felt more comfortable to follow local etiquette and have shoulders and legs covered. Scarves/sarongs were useful as quick cover ups for respect or for sun/insect protection.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting there Taj Mahal at sunrise

Thoughts on Group Leader

Manoj was exceptional in his organisational skills, knowledge, enthusiasm and sense of humour .

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the fast pace and culture shock

Most Inspirational Moment

Jordan: National park hike including lunch cooked by Bedouins on open fire in the mountains. Wadi Rum, no surprise it has been the set for so many films. Petra, hiking the longer trail is a great idea, much nicer than the usual entrance route. Egypt: St Catherine's Monastry and Mount Sinai night walk Snorkelling at the Blue Hole (hike and additional snorkelling cancelled due to poor weather). The Red Sea Hotel was great for relaxing, swimming etc after the Sinai walk. I never tire of seeing the Pyramids, they're awesome.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jordan: Amer was so informative and had a great sense of humour. I learned so much about his beautiful country, and culture. Egypt: Amed was knowledgeable and funny. Both ensured they were available and contactable as and when we needed them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

These countries are safe for travellers. Please do not cancel your trip. You will experience a range of activities provided by experienced and seasoned guides. The differences and similarities in both cultures are fascinating and thought provoking and the landscapes are beautiful.