Reviews

What a week!

This was my first Exodus Trip, Joining my sister who has been on numerous Exodus trips before – I knew this was going to be a worthwhile trip. It was my first time to Finland and I was on the hunt for the Northern Lights. Having been to Iceland a few years back and not seeing them there I was determined to find the Lights…. And i did….twice!!

Basecamp is warm and cosy and in the perfect location. With a frozen lake and the woods to wander around you are not short of things to do. The staff are all really friendly and more than accommodating. They all have a brilliant but wicked sense of humour and definitely kept us laughing throughout the week.

I enjoyed every single activity that was planned and during our own time we got to explore, practice cross country skiing, sit in the hot tub and play in the snow!

You too can see a toucan, and sloths and monkeys from your bike

This is a fantastic trip. In fact, its so fantastic that this was the second time I have been on it. I have also been on the Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama trip (again organized by the Costa Rican team). My experiences have been uniformly excellent. The trips have been well organized with knowledgeable and super helpful leaders, mechanics and drivers. The bikes have always been well-maintained. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with varied scenery and the Coast-to-Coast ride is carefully planned to allow you to experience the highlights. You will see spectacular birds and animals, hike in the rainforest, visit the lowlands and the mountains, check out Pacific and Caribbean beaches and of course, you will have fabulous cycling.

An interesting tour of this region

This is an interesting tour overall. The three main places visited – Matera, Alberobello and Lecce – are all so historical and individually fascinating to explore, yet completely different. The accommodation is similarly characterful and varied; potentially having a cave room in Matera, next a trullo in Alberobello, then a converted monastery in Ostuni (my room, in the roof, had the original guttering inside the room!) and finally an old palazzo in Lecce. There is a lot of free time outside of the designated free day, which might not suit some people, particularly solo travellers who don’t bond as well with others in their group (our group of twelve had six solo travellers and those who wanted to could always find someone to explore with, as everyone was pretty sociable). Although this trip is graded as leisurely, there is a lot of walking around the various places visited, sometimes involving quite steep climbs on steps/cobbles/slopes, especially in Matera.

A great week's walking and culture

This trip was fantastic for me because of the combination of the walks and the culture. The walks were quite varied and the castles and monasteries added to the variety. It was a little warmer than I expected (mid 20s) but I know three weeks earlier there was snow so I think late March/early April is a great time to do this tour, it also being an ideal time for the wild flowers. The hotel is very nice and a well located base for the week’s activities. Our tour leader Gizer was excellent in terms of both his organisation of the trip and his knowledge on the history and the flora and fauna. He joined us for three evening meals, the other evenings were on our own but all Gizer’s suggested restaurants were very good. The optional trips to Famagusta and Nicosia (not currently on the itinerary but it seems usually an option on the final day) were both well worth doing. Our group got on with each other really well which added to a great trip.

Fantastic!

Just completed a fantastic two-weeks traveling around the wonderful country of Costa Rica. This was primarily a wildlife viewing holiday, and it certainly didn’t disappoint – sloths, caiman, crocodiles, monkeys, lizards, iguanas and of course birds. Many different types of heron and flycatchers, plus tanagers, honey creepers, toucans, mot mots, macaws, humming birds – the list is long! We even saw and photographed the elusive but absolutely Resplendent Quetzal! Overall, yet another fantastic Exodus trip!

Disappointing

I really looked forward to this trip but unfortunately the trip was spoilt by poor planning and one really horrible hotel. We travelled in March and unfortunately the weather was very cold when we arrived. No effort had been made to prepare the first hotel on Naxos and it was bitterly cold, many of the aircon units didn’t heat up and we had to sit in coats to eat breakfast. If you’re walking, you need somewhere warm and comfortable to relax afterwards. It’s a shame as it’s a nice hotel

Being March, a lot on the islands was closed as the season doesn’t start until Easter and it would have been good to know that from the trip notes as tavernas on the walking routes weren’t open and toilets not available. In some instances it was difficult to find somewhere to eat at night. Full of praise for our Guide, Cecile who did her best to resolve problems with great kindness and humour. She’s a gem

The islands are very lovely at this time of year, full of spring flowers and without the crowds. The walks are lovely and very varied, taking in little villages and mountain scenery. The terrain can be rocky but the pace allows for that, so this would be a wonderful holiday if Exodus didn’t insist on using cheap, poor quality hotels. The Hotel Pandrossos on Paros sadly left a particularly sour note. The beds and pillows were filthy and the sheets full of cigarette burns. Heating didn’t work, no hot water, everything was broken and the whole place could do with a good clean. I don’t know what’s happened to Exodus as I’ve always rated them highly, but my experience post-Covid is of obnoxious staff and couldn’t care less responses. Very sad

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the walks, particularly on Naxos, walking the ancient tracks between villages. The scenery was stunning

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cecile was lovely, very funny, very knowledgeable and managed the shortcomings of this trip really well. She knows the islands inside out and is well received wherever we went. On one walk, the owner of a closed taverna opened up to offer us a coffee and toilet because of her friendship with Cecile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I’d avoid this trip until Exodus sort out the hotels. Exodus trips aren’t cheap and no one needs their holiday spoilt by cheap, filthy hotels

Reply from Exodus

We’re genuinely grateful to Ally for taking the time to review the experience she had on this trip in March of last year, though it’s a matter of huge regret that she did not have as positive an experience as she had hoped. We corresponded with Ally following her trip and explained that, unfortunately, temperatures during the first few days of her trip were much lower than is usual or anticipated for March in Greece, and we could only apologise that her hotel had not taken measures to ensure adequate heating.

Regarding the Pandrossos Hotel, we would mention that this property has renovated its bedrooms and bathrooms since Ally’s group stayed there last year, and the hotel receives regular cleaning. From the feedback we have received from our clients who have done Walking on the Greek Islands so far in 2023, we are pleased to say that all rated the accommodation on this trip as being ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’. However, we sincerely regret that Ally’s experience last year was not so positive.

We’re glad to hear, however, that Ally found the walks and scenery to be a real highlight of her trip; as she alludes to, we run departures of Walking on the Greek Islands in March as it allows our clients to experience a different side of the islands, without the crowds.

We are extremely confident that Ally’s experience of this trip does not reflect what our clients can expect should they book in 2023 and beyond, though we remain regretful for her disappointment. We were also saddened to note that Ally’s impression of Exodus was not a positive one; we would mention that having spoken to Ally, our team resolved her dissatisfaction following this trip.

Vivien Urban, Exodus Product Manager

Brilliant trip!

A fantastic week, in excellent company, with a wonderful guide. José’s commitment to our enjoyment and safety ensured that every member of the group benefited from his care and attention to detail. We were fortunate with the weather – cold, but sunny and clear, providing some of our best ever mountain days. José arranged our itinerary to ensure that we had the best possible conditions. The mountains of Sierra D’Aitana are imposing and beautiful, offering stunning views across the entire coastal region. Throughout our stay, we enjoyed excellent traditional Spanish meals at our hotel, as well as the best ever packed lunches! Thank you, Exodus, and thank you José.

The Real Walk of the Gods

A very full week of walking and yes, lovely food and wine at the hotel. Amalfi, Positano, Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii, walks in the hills and a touch of coffee culture are the highlights of this trip.

Hidden Treasures of Jordan

Not much to add to the previous reviews, as they are comprehensive on what to expect. Visit Jordan – you won’t be disappointed by the many ancient sights and lovely people.

An excellent tonic after two years isolation

Interesting and varied wildlife opportunities every day at a very leisurely pace. Some long journey times but with adequate breaks that made it manageable. A great driver (Carlos) and an excellent guide (Jorge) made for a great journey.