Reviews

Amazing trip in a beautiful country

We had a fantastic time in the Finnish Wilderness. Basecamp was great, the staff were all lovely and really helpful. We enjoyed trying out a wide range of activities and then being free most afternoons to do the activities on our own or just relax or have a wander around the forest. Having the marked trails was really handy for independent exploring. The food was varied and we always had plenty to eat. The constant availability of free teas, coffee and juice was nice, as was the lovely log fire in the main lodge for warming us up after a chilly day out. The equipment and clothing provided was excellent, much better than I’d expected.

cycling vietnam

Cycling In Vietnam-12-26th January-Michael Barrett
It was my first view of Asia,Ian and Sandra taught me how to walk across a street with a few hundred motorcycles hurtling towards us,a leap of faith I guess and I’m still standing as the song goes.An assortment of fellow travellers from Australia,America Puert Rico,Canada and the Uk assembled on the first night to express their hopes for the trip to our genial Vietnamese host LD who explained the ground rules and structure of the trip.My attention had been drawn by 2 friends who had completed the trip and my mind on Vietnam as a place was largely a blank canvas , I had been keen to avoid any programmes such as Top gear to prevent any Clarkson like judgements.
Comfortable accommodation and a support crew of vehicles and guides explained how to operate our sturdy mountain bikes.New to this type of tour I was keen not to be left behind and set off with the same vigour as a young Wayne Rooney ,but the first day was reasonably easy , a chance to stretch and ease off the jet lag which didn’t thankfully afflict me.A trip to the Chui Chui tunnels was an early reminder of the war that had blighted this country in the 1950’s and 60’s with French and American bombardment of this strikingly beautiful country.Gliding through small villages we couldn’t help but notice the open hearted nature of the schoolchildren who hurtled hello’s with great excitement as our pelaton crossed their homes,
The tunnels were a timely reminder of the resourcefulness of a guerrilla army faced with a mighty enemy ,but the difficulty with which I crawled down the tunnel after our Vietnamese guide made me thankful this was a holiday and not warfare as my chance of survival would have been below zero.
The first few days were reasonably warm and the carefully arranged stops with the welcome site of our support buses and healthy sustenance from fruit and drinks enabled us to continue our progress from Saigon(Ho Che Minh) towards the eventual target of Hanoi.Evening meals were a chance to relax after a days cycling and mingle with a vast array of personalities all willing to engage .Any special events such as birthdays were accommodated, Whale island being a decent spot and even the loss of an iphone only served to show what a decent gang of people I was travelling with.
As we travelled further north rain became part of our days and my bandana decided it was time to change my hair from blonde(maybe grey?) to purple much to the joy of my fellow cyclists .Even damp days were transformed by sun and lunch among local people that our guides arranged, eating great local food with local people was a personal highlight along with cycling off road among the rice fields and observing the marvellous flexibility and postures of women shaped by years of hard work(sorry, can’t stop thinking like a physiotherapist)
I had trepidations as a single guy travelling but the nature of the group meant all characters were accommodated even people with my off the wall sense of humour.I guess the masochistic nature of cycling the beautiful Hoi van pass (we believe it is? ) in heavy rain and mist created a team ethos and a determination to finish which strips us all of cool and pretension.I even remember keeping pace with our Vietnamese guide a racing cyclist as my legs became more powerful and my clothes soaked in rain.I remember when he put the back burners on and had to stop when water buffaloes blocked our path, thank god for water buffaloes I said or maybe expletive deleted.
On a long trip the guide needs to be able to raise flagging energy levels and the long night train journey from Hue to Hanoi was my first introduction to Kareoke and believe it or not gin and tonic.Thank you LD for your rendition of Delilah which will always remind me of Vietnam, and Katie Bush came from somewhere , and I even gave a fair rendition of the Mountains of Mourne or maybe not, and even some pogues, albeit with teeth Andrew .
Well onto Hailoon bay a lovely tranquil place but the journey to it demonstrated a country in transition from a largely agrarian society to a more industrial society with its attendant effects on the environment.Hanoi appeared to be swathed in smog and I was thankful our trip had taken us through more idyllic unspoilt places.My last memory before the flight back was a taxi ride with a young man who seemed willing to take every available risk ,I decided it was best to shut my eyes and we arrived at departures thank god.
Flashing memories of being hugged by a saleswoman in Hoi ann to try to effect a sale and the sight of disabled victims of agent orange ,could not counteract the positive energy gleaned by this journey of enlightenment through modern day Vietnam on a bicycle.My last day in Hanoi and a walk around the lake was welcomley(is there such a word?) interrupted by parents keen to keen to get their young offspring talking English to me, their politeness and desire to learn truly humbling. I need to read up on this country .
Thanks everyone for making this a memorable trip and I’ve booked my trip to Italy in May, so Ciao for Niao

Mt Toubkal Winter Climb

This trek lived up to its description and ‘tough’ rating. I was looking for experience in Winter Mountain trekking and that’s exactly what I got – learning to rely on the security that the crampons brought was second nature by the end of the trip but there were some nervy moments on some particularly steep and icy inclines at the beginning as we got use to using the crampons and ice axe. A rep had explained to me prior to the trip that one needed to be in good physical shape and ‘have a reasonable head for heights’ and again I would agree that this is a sensible summary of who this might appeal to. The ascent of Toubkal was particularly physically demanding because there were 40-50mph winds which really dragged the temperatures down but the rewards of a sense of achievement and views from the top were worth it – memorable.

Don't Think About It ...Do It !!

Just stunning :0
One of the best holidays I have had and just what I needed to de-stress
Wanting to visit the Maldives and travelling on my own this is a fabulous way of seeing it
As soon as you step out of the airport …there it is ! absolutely stunning turquoise sea !!
You get transferred to the gullet via boat. Stepping on board kick your shoes off and RELAX 🙂
My double room was a decent size as was the bathroom
The rest of the group (5) were lovely and we got on well
All of the staff were lovely and nothing was too much trouble
The food was gorgeous and fresh and also plentiful !! You will not go hungry

Lots of wildlife and great places

Enjoyed the trip very much. All of the destinations in the itinerary were interesting and beautiful. The only downside is the amount of travelling needed to get from place to place. It would be good if one or two journeys could have been made by air instead of road.

Vietnam Cycling

Good overall.

Vietnam Cycling 12th January 2019

The wonderful thing about being on an exodus trip is the feeling of being completely “looked after”. Vietnam is a fascinating, beautiful, busy, crazy place – seeing the country and finding all the best bits is all taken care of and the stress of travelling is completely taken away. We had a fantastic group of people and amazingly all got on really well even though we were different ages and from different parts of the world. The combination of exercising, getting out on the bikes, getting to see this beautiful country, eating amazing food, coming into contact with the local people, made a perfect holiday. The cycling was very well planned so that for the dull bits / heavy traffic we were transported on the comfortable air conditioned bus, leaving the fun / interesting bits for the cycling. The support team were always one step ahead, manning every junction so we couldn’t get lost and setting up the drinks / snacks table at regular intervals (including the best fresh tropical fruit you’ve ever tasted!). We packed in an amazing number of things, including exploring the cities, countryside, snorkelling, kayaking, finding out about the history and culture, and lots of eating and drinking, A truly wonderful trip!

Great trip

Fantastic group holiday. Excellent group leader and supporting team of 3. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the hotels and very good breakfasts. Lunch stops in a variety of town and country settings. Interesting excursions aside from the cycling. Good quality bikes with suspension and disk brakes.

A brilliant trip

Our first visit to Vietnam; what an amazing trip. We had a fantastic tour leader (Phuong Le). It was clear from our introduction that she was determined to take good care of us, make sure that we had a great time, and she was going to
Introduce us to the unique life and culture of Vietnam. The trip broke down to a number of very different elements. We loved it all, and would recommend this trip without hesitation

Highlands of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a very beatiful island with loads of natural and cultural highlights,

The tour is descrfibed as walking and treking. If you read the detailed notes it’s fair to say that, yes there are walks, but nothing that I would describe as treking. The walks are comparatively gentle; the jungle walks a bit like Lakeland walks underfoot – but in forest. The climb up Adam’s Peak certainly got the heart pumping, although with the crowds of pilgrims all around there were plkenty of enforced spots where you rested.

There was a lot of travel time in vehicles. All as described in the trip details –