Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention...Early morning strolls by the beach front in Havana. Early morning light lit up the deserted streets and add a glow to the fabulous Spanish colonial beach front buildings. When it rained like cats and dogs in Trinidad. I was given some mangoes by a local which we all enjoyed at the spot - It was messy!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Toni and Andreas worked very hard to make our holiday enjoyable. Andreas (Ex-Cuba navy) was probably the best driver I ever had on any of my trips.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go as soon as you can as Cuba is becoming increasingly commercial and changing fast. Classic cars are on the way out as are being replaced by fresh French and Korean imports.  

Most Inspirational Moment

1. Camping out under the stars in the desert and being woken by the gentle breeze, only to gaze up and see the milky way right above us int he night sky.2. Seeing Petra  lit only with candlelight and a lone Jordanian musician  the only thing breaking the silence. 3. The overwhelming kindness of the Jordanian people

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was called Salah, and he really made our trip. He tirelessly gave us opportunities for new experiences, and showed us kindness and thoughtfullness throughout our trip. Even towards the end he went out of his way to ensure we had a great time. We really couldnt have asked for anything more from him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Take a sunhat2. Have a couple of days in Amman at the end 3. Definitely have a turkish bath

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to narrow down to just one moment - the walk down the Siq to Petra was amazing; I had no idea of the sheer size of the site. The desert views were probably my most inspirational memories - every view was dramatic and beautiful, the way the same view could change with varying light was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was fantastic. He was welcoming, friendly - made such efforts to ensure everyone was comfortable and was great at organising any help for our individual onward journeys if required. He had a sense of humor and was fun to be around. He had excellent knowledge of the history and facts about everywhere we visited, and was very enthusiastic to show us around.

Most Inspirational Moment

My over riding memory was when we striked camp on the last morning in Wadi Rum Our two man support team had once again balanced all the mattresses, luggage, food, water, mint tea kettle (vital) on the trusty vehicle in a matter of minutes and we walked out with a camel train and a feral dog for company. Friendships had been forged quickly coupled with exercise, good food and the freedom to be a grub! It was the complete contrast to life back home and a heady liberating feeling

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Salah was superb. He kept a close eye on everyone and the days unfolded with a relaxed unrushed feel. Salah offered daily options regarding start times and optional activities and arranged the most delicious group meals in Petra and Amman. He shared such pride in both his family, culture and country which has left me wanting to understand more about The Middle East

Advice for Potential Travellers

You can never have too many baby wipes! High factor sun screen and well worn in pair of walking boots. The evening camp fire chats always included comparisons of blisters and with 6 Drs in our group there were many opinions regarding treatment!! The trip includes excellent food and access to free bottled water whilst in the desert. There are always plenty of opportunities to fill up water carriers.

Most Inspirational Moment

sf

Thoughts on Group Leader

asf

Advice for Potential Travellers

asf

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking though the Siq in Petra and suddenly the Treasury coming into view out of nowhere has to be top of the list along with making it to the top of the steps to see the Monastery. Reading the Jordan Post whilst floating in the Dead Sea, although standing up with the Jordan Post in the Dead Sea less successful! The camel ride, even if the getting up and down is the terrifying!

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had a very knowledgably leader, always making the extra effort to look after the group.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As well as being a very welcoming host at the hotel, Pilar was a wonderful, experinced leader with extensive knowedge of the local area and a great sense of fun.  She coped spledidly with everything we threw at her, including having to organise a helicopter mountain rescue!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Flower lovers should go at the end of May, as we did, for an abundance of colourful wildflowers. 

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was the chance to visit Herculaneum on the free day, as it was somewhere i,ve been meaning to visit for a few years now. The walk around the crater of Vesuvius was also rather special. The moment that I will also remember for ever is  proposing to my partner and her saying yes. Need to think of a great Exodus venue for the next stage.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was an absolute gem. Great sense of humour and nothing was too much for her. To be honest most Exodus leaders are really good but Christine is one of the best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book now. The walking is both scenic,varied and not too difficult even for non walkers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the leopard in the tree. We had seen all the other animals that we had wished for, but still needed to see the leopard. And suddenly it was just there in the tree. Almost missed it when driving past.But it was amazing to see so many different animals. Elephant, zebra, giraffe, oryx, blackfaced impala, hartebeest, kudu, leopard and rhino. But also the cute mongoose and rock dassie, all the amazing birds and even a caracal and honey badger. What more can you ask for. Another highlight for me was a trip to the Mondesa township in Swakopmund (not included). 3 of us went there with Hafeni Cultural Tours. Our guide was a 23 year old who had lived in the township all his life. He was just so open about their life and history. Highly recommend it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was brilliant and so was Jonas and Tuhafeni. Sam was really knowledgeable and told us about his own family and background as well.It would have been good if he had sometimes been in the back of the truck with us instead of driving. I am sure he could have entertained us with more stories on the long drives.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a waterproof jacket! We had about 86mm in one day and climbed Dune 45 when it was raining. Wet.Don't pack you swimming custome at the bottom of your case. Quite a few of the camps had swimming pools, so it's good to have your swimming gear and towel ready when you arrive.There is quite a few stops where you are able to buy water. But just listen to the guide, they will tell you when you need to buy an extra bottle or when you can just use the water at the camp. And bring extra water when you go climbing. Some people don't need a lot of water, but others do.Always have the camera ready. Don't back it too far away, so many photo opportunities.You can charge your batteries at most camps, so that won't be a problem. The adapter is a bit different. I wasn't able to get it from home, but you can just buy it at the supermarket in Windhoek and lots of places. Bring a sleeping bag acording to what Exodus recommend. Mine wasn't thick enough so I had a couple of really cold nights.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Walk of the Gods was a definite highlight, we had excellent weather and the scenery along the way was beautiful. The Roman sites of Heculaneum and Pompeii were both fascinating and humbling, and with Vesuvius looming in the background all the while it makes the disasters in these towns seem very real. It was all brought to life for us by our excellent guide Fabrizzio. For a taste of how the other half live, you can't beat Capri, truly fabulous and the chair lift ride to the top of Mt Solaro was one of the most peaceful and relaxing parts of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Far more energetic than most of the guests, and at times I think he forgot that we were all on holiday! But cannot fault his enthusiasm or helpfulness, and he stayed with us all week and organised us all well. The only disappointment was that in his suggesting to switch the itinerary around (to give us better weather for the walk), we ended up in Naples on the one day of the week (Tuesday for future reference!) the Archeological museum was closed which was disappointing. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

It really was much cooler in the mountains (where the hotel is) than on the coast, so pack something warm for the evenings if you are going early (or late) in the season. Shopping time is limited, so grab those souvenirs when you can. Some of the rooms in the main hotel building can be a little noisy so take earplugs. The roads are interesting - lots of switchbacks and sharp bends, and very close to the edge, so if you suffer from motion sickness or vertigo, make sure you take some travel sickness tablets with you. Mostly though, it was good fun!