Reviews

Our trek to Everest Base Camp

In retrospect, the trip was the experience of a life-time, but always enjoyable at the time and we believe there are things Exodus Travels could do to make this tough expedition easier for future trekkers. Obviously the walking was tough, although my wife and I are seasoned trekkers and knew what to expect. Regarding the route itself, we did wonder whether an overnight stay at Pangboche instead of Phakding would make the trek-day to Namche easier? Also, we question whether a ‘B Plan’ would be possible in case of bad weather at the high end of the trail ? We reached Gorak Shep by lunch-time on 1st May and would have gone on to Base Camp, but heavy snow prevented that and in order to ‘summit’ we had to start early the next day to reach Base Camp, return and then walk down to Pheriche, which made for a very long day. We appreciate that it seldom snows in May, but the local people are finding that that pattern is altering as the global climate is changing. There somehow needs to be a ‘spare’ day in case of bad weather.

Accommodation’

This was probably our main area of concern; we knew to expect that these would be ‘spartan’ but this does not excuse the extent of filth in several cases: at Labouche, mould was clearly evident on the bedding, and at Gorak Shep, the one ‘western’ toilet seat was not only cracked and broken, but underneath it was encrusted with human waste. As someone once said, you can see what the bathrooms are like, but not the kitchens!
As for the bathrooms in general, we found at Namche there was no washbasin anywhere except in the corridors, which was the only place where you might brush your teeth, but you obviously could not have a proper (strip!) wash in a corridor in full view of the public! There were 2 showers in that tea-house but one was filthy, obviously not regularly cleaned.
At Lukla, there was an under floor water-leak, so that whenever taps were turned on in our room, the carpet in the room and outside in the corridor became immediately soaked. Showers were not available there and in a few other tea-houses – we had to rely on paying extra for a hot bowl of water.
At Tengboche, we passed by several newly–built-looking hotels before reaching our tea-house which was much the poorer. (We met other trekkers who had stayed in the newer accommodation and spoke favourably. We wondered there as at Namche why Exodus appeared not to have chosen the best option for accommodation.
But there were some good, clean tea-houses; Chhumoa and Khyangjuma were clean and comfortable, as was the newly-built tea-house at Dingboche, which boasted electric blankets. Could this ‘luxury’ not be provided elsewhere, as would make overnight stays much more comfortable – we enjoyed our two nights there. Pheriche was also clean and relatively comfortable; we saw the toilets being cleaned out by staff in the morning…
The most important omission we found was means of (international) communication in the tea-houses in case of emergency. When our daughter became ill and clearly could not continue the trek down from Pheriche, we found it impossible to contact our insurers back in the UK before organising a helicopter. In order to send just one email, we used the tea-house landlord’s phone positioned in one particular part of a window to get just ‘one bar’ of phone reception; a satellite phone in each tea-house would help in situations such as ours.

Possibly the most potentially serious issue we had was on the trail out of Namche, where we encountered a herd of yaks descending towards us across the entire trail. On one side was a vertical bank, and on the other a sheer drop.
The yaks were moving fast and their driver who was at the back was as much use as a chocolate fire-guard.
Our tour-leader said to move to the side by the bank, but then the yaks veered in our direction, threatening to crush us against the rocks. So we were advised to swap to the other side, and the yaks followed us. Whilst they narrowly missed our daughter and me, they knocked my wife over who was scrambling to avoid being swept over the edge.
The yak driver did not respond to our shouts of concern, and more worryingly, our tour leader did not appear overly concerned and just said that it was ‘crazy’. I think there needs to be some extra care and training given to tour leaders to avoid what could have been a fatal accident in our case.

Sicilian Volcanoes 2022

Beautiful islands and luckily we had some good volcanic activity, especially on Etna which made up for not being able to climb to the top of any of the volcanoes Vulcano, Stromboli or Etna, however I do feel the itinerary could be improved.

Great trip with some breathtaking scenery

I can highly recommend this trip. I arrived a day early on the Saturday and relaxed in Trogir which I would definitely endorse. It’s a lovely town and fun to explore and photograph. Plus it provides a more relaxing start to the tour. Every place we stayed on the itinerary was picturesque and each day was interesting and enjoyable. A good mix of history and scenery. The walks were also at a leisurely pace. Great places to eat, good company and comfortable accommodation. There’s a good mix of group activity and some personal time if you prefer some space from the group. We had a small group of 9 who were all like minded travellers and good fun. If you aren’t sure Croatia is for you please give it a go. This is a terrific week away and a beautiful country. I will definitely go back.

Wonderful view of former Soviet states

Our trip leader (Andrius) was perhaps the best part of the trip. He grew up under Soviet rule and went to university just as Lithuania gained independence. His insights and experiences plus knowledge of history and culture were a wonderful gift. He was always looking out for the group while attending to any special needs. Local guides were generally very good. This was our first trip with Exodus.
The trip was well paced with considerable walking. We had good hotels and restaurants. Weather was often cold and windy with some rain as one would expect for mid May in northern Europe. Spring was just arriving in Estonia and a month farther along by the time we got to Lithuania. Lots of flowers and 50 shades of green from the trees to the fields.

Fabulous holiday

From the day I booked, Exodus were totally professional. I was greeted at the airport by the very friendly and helpful guide Tony and so a wonderful week started. I was lucky enough to have a wonder group of 16 people of a similar ability, so each day ran smoothly. On one day, the planned route had to be changed due to a land fall, but an alternative route was found. Exodus ensure their walkers’ safety at all times and Tony made sure that everyone felt included. Vesuvius was breath-taking and the views were out of this world. On our free day, all of us went across to Capri and enjoyed the island at our own pace.
The hotel was friendly, clean and e were lucky enough to get a dip in the pool. The pizza and tiramisu demonstrations were great, as by then we had got to know each other so it all the more enjoyable to watch our friend making the food.

Wonderful week of walking

A fabulous week of walking with lots to offer: fantastic views, opportunities to swim in the sea, a chance to ride on the Soller Tram and the old Palma train, numerous restaurants to try with delicious food, comfortable accommodation and an excellent tour leader. We were also lucky to have perfect sunny May weather.

MsTripsy

This was my first package tour and I’ll admit the Baltics weren’t my first choice – but I’m glad we took the leap! For anyone interested in history, this is a rich tour with lots of highlights. From a stop at a nuclear missile launch site, to an excellent seaside cafe that smokes fish on the premesis – every day was packed with interesting and surprising things that you’d never get to see otherwise. There’s a fair bit of coach travel, unavoidable when you are doing three countries. And it’s cold even in mid-May! Despite this, our spirits were kept high by our guide Andrius, who was utterly charming and patient throughout – ensuring we all got the most out of every moment, and entertaining us with many personal stories of Soviet times.

Excellent Trip

This is a well planned trip through the Baltics which explored Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Wonderful countries with lovely cities, fairy tale castles, grand houses and beautiful coastlines and forests.

The itinerary was excellent and when you throw in a great group of fellow travellers and a truly outstanding tour leader you have everything you need to enjoy the trip.

Amazing experience not great for vegetarians

What an amazing place! Every excursion was amazing. The iconic views and the history. The guide was lovely and very helpful. The accommodation looked very nice and service was great but the hotels need some work done (in the hotel in Aswan i was locked in my bathroom for over 30 minutes before they were able to get me out). Food in all accommodation was limited especially for vegetarians IF anything is provided at all. Even food that is described as vegetarian contained meat and the staff would lie to your face even when you are pointing at the chicken chunks floating in the soup they will insist its just vegetables. Every day was a struggle to get vegetarian food. It always seemed to contain chicken or ham. So i was having the same conversation every day. And it was just me. There were 4 vegetarians in the group and we all had to the same problem. Even on the flight home. Unlike other Exodus trips i have been on we were left to our own devices for the evening meals. I still don’t feel that i experienced Egyptian food. The cruise was everything you’d imagine it to be. The scenery is amazing, the colours so vivid. The entertainment on the boat was a bit hit or miss but again the staff were falling over themselves to help you. Despite the issues with food at meal times i would highly recommend this trip. The guide was very knowledgeable and the scenery and history mind blowing.

Great mix of walking, wine & sightseeing

Three memorable centres – Alberobello (trulli town), Masseria Morrone amongst the olive trees with Pongo the excitable dog, and finally Matera, the town of cave dwellings and churches. Lovely walks, plenty of free time and even a swim in the Adriatic