Most Inspirational Moment
Safari
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thoroughly recommend Petro!
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Cape Town and the Garden Route - Premium Adventure
Well organised and interesting trip. Basically delivered on what was sold. The local guide Petro, really made the trip with her orginasation and knowledge.
Mount Blanc Highlights supported hiking
Overall a good trip, we stayed at Chalet Chalupa a short free bus ride from busy Chaminoux. Our Chalet hosts Adrian and Helena were exceptional and made us all feel at home. They cooked all meals, provided transport and kept the place clean. They went above and beyon to get me ice for my beverages, had home baked “End of hike treats” and created a family atmosphere among strangers. My favorite dessert was the cheesecake! This Chalet has a hot tub too! Our guide Jen was awesome as well, she took us on a bus ride to understand the system, let us know the bus would be crowded, pointed out good places to shop for deals and best food places. She also explained the cable car pricing for our free day. Every night she had a brief of the next day hike and what to expect.
Most Inspirational Moment
The kindness of all the people on the trip, Adrian, Helena and Jen. You see I fell at the end of our fist day, after the hike on a dirt road to town. I broke my leg in 2 places and was helicoptered to the ER. It was free by the way. Jen kept calm and called for the evacuation, she elevated my foot and kept me comfortable. She watched for signs of shock and covered me with a blanket. I had little pain and never went into shock. Jen stayed with my husband on the way to the ER and still completed her duties to the rest of the guest once she washed the helicopter roto dirt out of everyplace you can have dirt! I spent one night in the Chalet wating for a hospital bed, Adrian got a plastic chair and bag for my cast so I could shower with the aid of my husband. The room had a walk in shower ADA accessible! They provided ice pack for my elevated leg as I napped in bed and fed me lunch. They were caring and creative in accomodating me that night. I can't say enough about the support from Exodus travel in our time of need. My husband was able to complete 3 of the 5 hikes and everyone was gracious in keeping him engaged as I had surgery in France. It went well and by the way was exceptional, they have world class orthopedic trauma surgeons on staff. After all it is an area of extreme sports. Buy that trip insurance it is well worth it!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jen is amazaing, she is caring, warm and paces hikes well. Our first day it was hot so she took us on a route that had shade a good bit of the up. She routed us past an ice creme place so we could stop and have a reward. Plenty of time for photo's. She made sure we all took a photo of a sign with her cell number and set up a chat if we wished to participate . She is a gem.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Buy trip insurance. Don't pack too much. Be open to different cultures and foods. Shop early for the best selection and rooms. Rooms were allocated by who signed up first, so ours was reasonable. Get in shape before you go, hike some elevation gain and hydrate well at least a week before and then on the trail. I'm a well traveled, experienced hike leader with WFA training and still I fell on a dirt road. I had hiking poles and was in great shape, accidents happen. Exodus treated us well and their staff supported us in every way. Go and enjoy the Mountains, pack rain gear, you never know.
Valerie - An exceptional leader in Ladakh
An excellent trip led by an excellent and extremely knowledgeable leader. In country guides and staff were all excellent. Some good challenging trekking at altitude making this a great trip if you wish to extend your achievements at altitude.
Most Inspirational Moment
Summiting Dzo Jungo with Valerie Parkinson and the guide and horsemen who accompanied the group
Thoughts on Group Leader
Outstanding - no words are powerful enough to compliment her leadership, knowledge and compassion. I would highly recommend this trip led by this truly exceptional mountaineering leader.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take the right kit - as itemised on the kit list. Prepare well, in terms of fitness and strength work and take the advice given by the Leader and guide
Brilliant guide, amazing scenery
I’d hiked in the Chamonix area before, so I knew it would be stunning, but the variety of incredible scenery as we went round to the Swiss and Italian sides exceeded my expectations. The weather was extreme – 35 degrees for the first few days, then rain and finally sleet, snow and full-on winter conditions – don’t ignore the trip notes advice on clothing! Our guide, Mike Napier, was exceptional, managing the group with expertise and humour throughout.
Most Inspirational Moment
Completing the circuit, which I'd first started (but failed to finish) 40 years ago.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike was probably the best leader I've had on any trek. Always good company with plenty of jokes, he took full control when it got tricky in the snow and ice and got us all down safely.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just do it!
Only in Madagascar, a real adventure!
I’ve wanted to visit Madagascar for some time, mainly to see the lemurs and to visit the giant baobab trees, but there is so much more to Madagascar, it has to be one of the most amazing and unique places I have ever travelled to! Everyday there was something new and exciting to experience. This is a fast-paced trip and you are always on the move, with quite a lot of long drives on poor roads, but I have to say it’s totally worth it, you just have to embrace it as part of the adventure. Even during the long drives the landscape is constantly changing, we travelled through cool rainforests, paddy fields, sandy beaches, canyons, deserts, spiny forests, rivers, and some really the fascinating towns and villages.
Most Inspirational Moment
We had great wildlife spotting - lots of opportunities to see lemurs in the wild and hearing the call of the Indri in the morning in Andasibe is just magical. So many highlights! The night walk in Kirindy was my favourite of the night safaris, and getting to the top of the Tsingy, was an unexpected yet terrifying highlight! The most unique though has to be the ‘ferry’ crossings on the Tsiribihina River – only in Madagascar!
Thoughts on Group Leader
The whole trip ran smoothly thanks to Claudia, our fabulous guide, who spent most of the trip checking ahead to make sure that everything was organised for us. She always kept us informed of all aspects of our itinerary and managed everything so that we didn’t waste time, particularly when ordering meals, wearing the right clothes for each activity, finding us good shopping spots (and bush toilet stops). She is also very knowledgeable about the country’s history, wildlife, food and we all enjoyed her talks on the Malagasy culture - which is also quite unique! Also all the local guides were fantastic and very engaging, they gave great detail and interesting explanations especially of the endemic wildlife, only to be found here. We had some amazing trackers seeking out lemurs, chameleons, mongoose and the tiniest of geckos and frogs. I was travelling with my sister and we both felt we had a great group too, lots of fun, like-minded people, who really added to enjoyment of the trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read the trip notes thoroughly as they are full of really useful tips and information! My own top tips – definitely do laundry on two-night stopovers – everything gets very dusty! A travel pillow is doubly useful for both bus and flights! Make sure you take a head-torch for the night and cave walks. Stock up on snacks for long drives and I also recommend trying the local beers and infused rums! If you want five-star accommodation and amazing cuisine, this is not the trip for you. You’ll get a comfy bed and (generally) hot water, sometimes limited wi-fi and electricity, a limited (but cheap) menu of well-cooked meals of zebu/chicken/fish and rice.
Amazing trip
What an amazing trip. Starting with the chalet and our amazing hosts – the accommodation was beautiful and comfortable, and nothing was too much trouble for Helena and Adrian. Every meal was special, healthy and delicious. For me and the other vegan on the trip, they went to a huge amount of effort, and even provided vegan cheeses for breakfast and prepared vegan cakes and other treats for the end of each hiking day. One of my souvenirs from the trip is one of Helena’s vegan cake recipes. So if you are vegan and wondering about this trip: it is definitely vegan friendly! Our three course dinners were always delicious and inventive. It was such a pleasure to cap off an extraordinary day on the alps with their hospitality and delicious food. And speaking of the hikes: the pictures in the hike preview are extraordinary, but are not misleading. The views on the hikes were really stunning. Our mountain guide, Hris, was fantastic. He was personable, knowledgeable, and did a great job leading a group of mixed abilities and interests.
Wonderful walking in the spectacular Dolomites!
We thoroughly enjoyed this trip! Beautiful scenery, great variety of walks, lovely hotel, great, knowledgeable leader and a lovely group to share the experience with!
Most Inspirational Moment
We loved the early morning sunrise walk to the Tres Cimes de Lavaredo - walking in the moonlight was magical. We had the place to ourselves and could watch as the sunlight transformed the landscape - thank you Jeff for suggesting and organising this! It also meant that as most people were making their way up, we were on our way down! We also really enjoyed the climb up Mount Piana and wondering around the remains of the WW1 trenches - spectacular!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jeff was a wonderful leader. Helpful, enthusiastic, kind, organised and willing to share his knowledge. He was always willing to go that extra mile!
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you have a reasonable level of fitness - go on this tour! Take some walking poles - I found them a great help. Take lots of layers as the weather is always changing!
A wonderful first time in Europe
My stay at Chalet Chalupa was absolutely wonderful. The rooms were spacious, well-lit, and comfortable. The common areas were always clean and ready to use, and they even provided fresh fruit and tea every day. Helena and Adrien were simply the best hosts. They were attentive, always with a smile on their faces, and they surprised me with delicious special meals tailored to my dietary needs – they even had a different type of bread for me due to my health issues. It was the first time my diet didn’t pose a problem, and I could truly savor the delicious food. Adrien was friendly and provided us with a lot of information for our free day, enjoying helping us with the map and offering extra insights during our car ride. He genuinely has a wealth of knowledge about the area and enjoys sharing it. Helena, on the other hand, is a naturally pleasant person. She is sweet, cheerful, detail-oriented, and very intelligent. Our conversations were truly inspiring, and her cakes were simply delightful. In general the food overall was a pleasant surprise. Eugenia, our guide, is a strong, knowledgeable woman who expertly handled our large group.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were plenty of enjoyable moments. The views of Mont Blanc were breathtaking. Being able to finish the route alongside the group, despite our vastly different ages, was quite heartwarming. The conversations with Helena gave me the strength to keep up with the hikes and to believe in my abilities.
Thoughts on Group Leader
She's a sharp woman, with plenty of physical prowess, and she's got the knack for keeping the group united.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Enjoy the hikes fearlessly, pack some warm clothes in your suitcase (the weather can be quite unpredictable), and make sure to spend some time with the hosts to learn about them and their amazing bike journey.
Fabulous trip to Mongolia!
This was a great trip to Mongolia, somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time and it didn’t disappoint. The trip encompassed both the steppes and the Gobi, photos of which don’t seem to do the country justice! The Ger camps were great fun, and visiting the nomad families gave a fascinating insight and understanding into a completely different way of life.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting the sand dunes on the Gobi desert. Not an easy climb, but once at the top of the dunes as the sun begins to set, you get a sense of the scale and peacefulness of the Gobi, and a landscape which is like nowhere else I've ever been.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent - Mars was a fabulous ambassador for his country and took good care of us!
Advice for Potential Travellers
There are some very long drives on this trip, and whilst they give you a chance to look at the changing landscapes, they are mostly off road and very bumpy- so I'd advise some travel sickness tablets if you suffer from this! The Ger camps were great and really made the trip - just be aware that electricity supply can be a little erratic in some of the more remote camps, so power banks are useful. And definitely take a torch!! Outside of Ulaanbaatar, there is very little in the way of WiFi or phone signal, and there are no tvs or computers at the camps. Personally I loved this and it meant I simply focused on the trip - but its something to be aware of if you like to keep in touch with what's happening back home! There is some downtime during the trip at the camps, so it's a good idea to take a book (and in our case we all became avid card players in the evenings!)
Amalfi 26Aug23
This was our 20th Exodus trip and one of the best run. We would place Veriano with Gum in Nepal, Martin Gray in Antarctica and Sarah in Tuscany as the best leaders.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting to the top of Vesuvius.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Veriano was an excellent leader. He juggled the itinerary to suit the weather forecast. He managed to find us shelter when it rained. He accommodated all our requests. He did it all with humour and patience. He had an excellent knowledge of the area and was keen for us to love it as he does. He is a very nice young man.