Reviews

Central Asia Discovery Trip

A varied trip through three Stans. Uzbekistan very Western with modern cities, and has put a loot of effort into monument preservation; Kazakstan, harder to define, its a really big Steppe. Kyrgistan is just beautiful and largely untrodden by tourist hordes.

Really interesting

I really enjoyed this trip, which included some fantastic treks in some of the remoter parts of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Some of the accommodation was indeed basic (as flagged up in the brochure) but the welcome from local folk was fantastic. Some of the food was less varied that I am used to, but it was beautifully prepared – tomatoes, stuffed peppers, locally-made cheeses, very tasty home-made bread, with some more elaborate meals also provided. The walks – about 8 to 10 miles a day – were mainly along good trails, and taken at a reasonable pace. The countryside was very lush and pastoral, far less arid than the mountains of the southern Balkans. Helpful guides, and a very friendly bunch of fellow travellers. This tour gave us a real taste of a rural way of life that has died out elsewhere in Europe.

Cycling Siena and Chianti

Great cycle routes, well planned stops, good climbs and descents.

Holiday

Excellent time and history

Alaska's liquid sun

The sky was bright blue, the mountains and glacier were perfectly reflected in the still lake before us, it was a spectacular day just like on the Alaska documentaries on the television. Finally we were having better weather and could see the Alaska we’d come to see, what a pity there were only 2 spectacular days in 2 weeks, no wonder the film crews take months to film the documentaries or were we just unlucky ? The second spectacular day fell on the best day ever the float plane and bear viewing trip, even the sun tan lotion put in an appearance, bears fished, salmon jumped and cameras clicked. The wet days were forgotten as we flew back low over an ice cap and glacier and the end of our trip.

Good overall

The main concern was the variability of the accommodation. From a dreadful first hotel in Casablanca – noisy and impersonal – a splendid one in Essaouira and a pleasant but out of the way one in Fez and several rather mediocre places. We were fortunate to have the friendly and informative guide Mohammad and a great driver, who never left us feeling concerned on some challenging roads, Ibrahim – thanks to them both. The route was wrong – driving past Marrakech to spend days at Essaroia and then driving back to Marrakech! Too many local guides were evidently on commission – the one in Fez took us to 4 factory/shops and a pricey restaurant – mind you we skipped off and ate for 20% the cost nearby! Todra gorge was a disappointment with a rather isolated hotel; apart from meeting a delightful family high on the hill above the town and a great meal with another family. The best of the trip was Essarooria, eating with families and the splendid introduction to culture provided through Mohammad – Bert’s museum in Marrakech, the Sand Pigeons band’, colorful markets and friendly people and great cheap eats cafes where the 4 of us always filled up for less that £10!
The worst, the night in the grubby Sahara camp – a real low light! Poor quality touristy nonsense – a Berber camp!!

Most Inspirational Moment

The friendly colourful people - well worth a visit - felt very safe at all times.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Splendid and a great driver and very good vehicle. Excellent to ensure we had bottled water in the mini bus each day!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ask - our guide was always open to our requests and suggestions -it's your holiday.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Nigel for his feedback. We are pleased he enjoyed his time in Morocco overall, but we are sorry he was disappointed with certain aspects of the trip. We regret that he did not enjoy Todra Gorge, as the feedback we receive about this is usually very positive. We appreciate Nigel’s feedback regarding the route, however because our departure airport is Marrakech, the route takes us back there after spending time in Essaouira; it also allows for clients who are flying on elsewhere. We are sorry that Nigel was unhappy with the hotel in Casablanca and the Bedouin camp in the Sahara. We have revised the itinerary for 2019 and neither this hotel nor the camp will be used.

Frances Spowart – Product Manager for Morocco

Inca Trail

Cusco is a good starting point as the capital city of the Inca empire there is lots to see. Good restaurants and a vibrant atmosphere add to the sense of anticipation ready for the trek. The four day trek was for me the highlight despite 24 hours of altitude sickness prior to setting off and a visit from the doctor. The Trail was for me challenging despite my level of fitness As i had not truely realised how the altitude would take my breath away. The struggle was more than worth it for the views and the cloud forest was fascinating. Throughout the trail we were well looked after well informed. My fellow travellers added to the sense of achievement and although busy Machu Picchu did not disappoint. All our guides and short team were excellent

Superb South Africa.

We had a great time on this very varied tour. It began badly as the plane from London was late & we missed the connection. So, B.A. put us up in a hotel in the centre of the city & paid for all the meals.
After this everything went smoothly.
The whole tour was a success from our point of view.

Favourite Exodus Trip

Probably the best Exodus walking trip I have been on; incredibly well organised and paced, and a wonderful contrast between the very different delights of Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains.

Excellent intro to Costa Rica - outstanding guide Edward

Wow, just back from our 2 week adventure. I don’t usually do reviews but this one is definitely worth a few lines!

Firstly, our guide Edward absolutely made the trip for us. Enthusiastic, unfappable, great with kids. Very knowledgeable about all aspects of the country, particularly wildlife and specifically birds (Edward is a trained and expert ornithologist and took keener members on a couple of early morning twitching trips). Edward gauged the needs of our diverse group really well, and made just the right number of decisions for us to keep it relaxing without being constraining. A special word for how he dealt with a favourite cuddly toy being left in a hotel (when we noticed about 200 miles away). Edward’s connections, organisation and determination led to a reunion the next day!

Costa Rica, generally, delivers exactly what it says on the tin. Amazing wildlife and landscapes.

The big highlights for us were the additional paid-for trips. White water rafting was exhilarating, with just enough thrills to feel edgy for our 9 and 11 year olds, whilst feeling completely safe and in control. Zip wire near Arenal volcano was similarly exciting. As someone with an intense dislike of heights (I feel wobbly in thick socks – and seriously, struggle to stand on a step ladder) I’d encourage anyone like me to go for it. The start and interim platforms are deep in the trees, so don’t feel at all exposed or high. And the “zippy” bits are, yes, high above the valley, but high enough for the drop to be abstract and so fast there’s no time to look down! The only slightly tricky bit for me was the walk (down a spiral staircase – think of a fire escape) at the end.

Tips:
– Everyone accepts dollars, and debit cards work everywhere too (including all the restaurants).

– It’s wet in August! (as everyone kept reminding us – it’s a rainforest…). Doesn’t interfere with the enjoyment at all but anything that gets wet, will stay wet and then smelly. If we went again we’d take 7 days worth of clothes and get them washed (i.e. and also dried) at a couple of hotels. This was fast and efficient when we tried it.

– We travelled 1000 miles on fairly slow roads (so, a bit more than 20 hours in total) over the 2 weeks. For younger kids, bring activities for the coach.

Feedback for Exodus (other than the obvious “it was all great and Edward is amazing”)
Cahuita didn’t really do much for us and also featured the weakest of the set of hotels. Nothing specifically bad about it (so don’t worry, prospective bookers!) but maybe drop that (and the 2 long-ish transfers) for more time around Arenal?
The last 36 hours felt a bit flat/wasted. Maybe have an early start, drive straight from Dominical to the airport on the last day, and have an extra night in Dominical?

Overall, and excellent trip, well worth the money, and we’ll be back for more in the future!