Thoughts on Group Leader
Randall has just won a prestigious prize as the best Costa Rican guide. How lucky were we!
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Pura Vida Costa Rica - Premium Adventure
The baby turtles we saw making their way to the sea. The variety of the landscape and animals. Our excellent guide, Randall, made our trip so interesting .
Indias North & South - Premium adventure
Our guide Mayank made the trip outstanding and our drivers and local guides were excellent as well.
Most Inspirational Moment
The tour by the local guide in Delhi who was a former street kid, street food tour, seeing elephants in the tiger reserve, the home visits, learning about India from our guide
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was just fantastic, really could not be improved upon- he’s a gem
Indias North & South - Premium adventure
Trip was excellent, leader was outstanding. Pre-trip organisation etc was smooth with responsive staff on phone and email.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking tour of Old Delhi, cooking classes
Thoughts on Group Leader
Outstanding. Happy to answer every question, from location-specific, to culture, politics, religion, history, and about himself and his family. Couldn't do enough for us to organise extras and support with onward travel etc
Amazing Adventure down the Garden Route full of Variety!
This itinerary offers something for everyone! From Safaris to National Parks to Whale Watching, City tours and Wine Tasting, every day offers a new adventure and something exciting to look forward to. The pace doesn’t feel to rushed with no long drives and even the slightly longer ones broken up with coffee stops and viewpoints. The East Head Viewpont in Kynesa being a particular highlight of mine! You meet some lovely locals including the charming owners full of stories at St Martin’s guesthouse and whale watching off the shore line in Hermanus was truly one of the most amazing sites seeing so many whales congregated in the same place breaching and teaching their young to strengthen their fins before heading across to Antarctica to feed. I choose to travel in South Africa’s Spring time because I really wanted to see the Whales migrating in Hermanus, little did I realise but it’s also an excellent time to visit because all the flowers are in bloom so the drives were really stunning, our guide even mentioned that he hadn’t seen the landscapes so green. If you’re looking for a leisurely paced trip with a passion for wildlife, landscapes, food and wine then this ones a winner!
Most Inspirational Moment
For me the most inspirational moment was watching the whales in Hermanus, I did a coastal path walk and a whale watching trip and both were equally amazing. The backdrop of Hermanus and the dramatic rugged coastline was such a lovely setting, there was even a local band playing instruments in the square so the whole town had a exciting buzz and energy to it. The whales get so close to the shore and captivated everyone every time one popped up to breath.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was Tallis and he was excellent! He was so full of knowledge and has been leading tours for over 20 years so had a great understanding and knowledge of the local wildlife and culture in South Africa. I had an issue with my bag and Tallis was super proactive in taking me to a local mall to make sure I had some essentials to last me a few days. He was also relentless with contacting the airport staff and airline to ensure I was reuinted with my bag before to long, it was comforting to be that far away from home and have someone who truly cared and went out of his way to make sure I was informed and comfortable. Tallis mentioned at the end that he really enjoys when guests ask him questions so don't be shy and ask as he pretty much has all the answers!
Advice for Potential Travellers
If travelling between August - November make sure you check the weather forecast when your packing! For the first half of the trip we were in coats and winter hats and by the second half shorts, sandles and summer clothes wearing sun cream. We experienced all climates throughout the trip so pack for all weathers. I would also suggest a pair of binoculars because there are so many wildlife spotting opportunities!
Outstanding week's walking with a great guide and a relaxed environment
This is a great week’s walking in a little-known (and underrated) part of Spain. The Aitana range is a compact set of mountains so you get to tick off almost all of it, and there are great views from the top of all the peaks, out to the coast and across to the surrounding peaks. Most of the walks are reasonably demanding, but also rewarding.
Being based in one location, with very short transfers (or none) for each walk makes for a very relaxing week aside from the walking. It’s also a fairly short transfer to/from Alicante Airport.
The vast majority of meals are included which makes it much better value than some other (apparently similarly priced) holidays.
Jose the guide is exceptional: hard-working, helpful, supportive and deeply knowledgeable about the area.
Most Inspirational Moment
Personally I really enjoyed the Pico de Serrella day, as it had a very nice mix of different types of terrain, with lots of variation. The Aitana peak (the highest in the range) was also a great day. Although it's the highest point in the range, the approach to it was mainly fairly gradual and pleasant. The scramble up to the Pas de la Rabosa (including the squeeze through "Fat Man's Agony") was also good fun!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jose was outstanding in every way. He knows the area like the back of his hand so there's no-one better as a source of information. But on top of that he was friendly, good-humoured and supportive, and we always knew we were in safe hands. And the sandwiches he made for the lunches were amazing!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Prepare properly for some solid days' walking with some tricky ascents/descents and lots of uneven ground. The raw stats on the itinerary may not look too intimidating, but the terrain makes it harder work than those would suggest. So if you want to enjoy it, make sure you've done some preparation! Be equipped with lots of layers to accommodate varying weather during the day. During our trip the weather was very good and there was no rain, but the wind can be a significant factor and going from a sunny, sheltered spot to a shady, windy part makes it seem like an entirely different climate. Also, make sure you take enough water bottles for your needs (or a bladder). In my opinion the "large water bottle" suggested in the trip notes is probably not enough (unless it's very large!). I had one 500ml and one 1L which seemed about right for me most days, although we went at a cool time of year, so I'd have used more in the summer.
Amazing and crazy in equal measures
If you want to experience Rajasthan’s famous sights and more peaceful rural life on two wheels this is a great trip.
The distance covered is vast, so expect long days with lengthy transfers on crazy uneven roads
If you are a confident cyclist the cycling is not too hard, however, you do need to concentrate as anything from a tuk tuk to a cow can suddenly appear in your path! Plus a tarmac surface can suddenly become rubble!
Cultural highlights include hill forts, palaces and not forgetting the beautifu lTaj Mahal.
Delhi and Jaipur are noisy and can feel overwhelming with the constant blarring of horns. The colours, sights and sounds will be with us for a very long time
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting the Taj Mahal Seeing rural life close up
Advice for Potential Travellers
We timed our visit to coincide with Diwali. Sadly spending it in Jaipur wasn't the experience we had hoped for as its a bit like London on NYE Unless the itinerary is changed so Diwali is spent in a smaller town I'd avoid going then. Pack layers as the mornings can be chilly on the bike.
Fantastic Adventure
Thank you to our leader, Chandra, guides Prasan, Sagar and Mingma and helpful group of porters for an amazing trek. Our group was also amazing, great company and full of interesting travel stories!
Most Inspirational Moment
No one moment stands out as overall the whole trek was fantastic, apart from perhaps the gruelling pass day, but that came with a great sense of achievement. I had never been to Nepal before and the scenery surpassed my expectations. Everyday the scenery changed and was stunning, from deep gorges, sunrises over the mountains to high plateaus and remote villages. The trek really does take you off the beaten track. The teahouses are therefore quite spartan, however the remoteness and spectacular walking more than makes up for some cold showers. Often a bucket of hot water to wash in was a much safer option! I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food on offer and it was amazing how the teahouses produced 16 hot meals all at once on very limited cooking facilities.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fabulous, always smiling and helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you are suitably fit so that you can really enjoy the walking without too much effort. Especially lower down we frequently walked for 2-3 hours without an official break. However the pace is relaxed and there are so many photo opportunities that you don't really notice the distance. As one of our group advised, cut up a snickers bar into bite sized pieces so you can actually eat it at the top of the pass. Hydration tablets meant my water bottle was still drinkable at the top, even if more like a slush puppy! If just water most bottles had frozen over by the top of the pass. It is worth bringing quite a lot of snacks with you. Everyone says it, but really pack light. The down jacket I hired was really good quantity and kept me cosy in the teahouses at night and over the pass. If you suffer from poor circulation like me, I recommend hand warners inside "down" mitts with liner gloves. It was amazing to have warm hands all the way over the pass! I bought "down" mitts cheaply in Thamel before the trek.
Nile Cruise & Aswan - Premium Adventure
We had a fabulous holiday with a great informative guide who organised everything very efficiently and the group all gelled together.
Most Inspirational Moment
The AbelSimbel trip plus fallucca sail.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The trip was excellent. Our guide Sayeed changed the day of the Abel Simbel trip which worked much better. He was just excellent.
Nile Cruise & Aswan - Premium Adventure
Very well organised, the description of the trip beforehand was very good, the guide was excellent, and support from ground agents was really good.
Most Inspirational Moment
The Nile cruise, valley of the kings and Abu Simbel. To be fair the all the sites were marvellous and we enjoyed most days.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Probably the best guide we have had on any holiday! Friendly, helpful, caring, do I need to go on.
Mexico: Mayans, Aztecs & Conquistadores Day of the Dead Festival
As usual the trip was fantastic
Most Inspirational Moment
The Day of the Dead festival I Oaxaca. The hotels were just amazing and the colonial architecture was beautiful along with the cathedrals. Everything was so peaceful. The coffee and food was fantastic.