Most Inspirational Moment
Just viewing the wonderful Tuscan hill and valleys.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Incomparable! Liz was the BEST!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Come and enjoy!!
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Tdc
From sign up to last day this trip was fabulous. Our guide worked tirelessly to insure that our group of 16 was always taken care of on the hike and at the villa. Liz Procter was a completely professional guide who made everyone feel comfortable!! The scenery in Tuscany was gorgeous, and Villa Casalta was a treat to have as a base for the entire week! Hope to use Exodus Travel again and soon!
Mountains of Evia
Two days walking mountains.
Two days walking gorges.
One coastal walk.
One day in Athens.
Most Inspirational Moment
I can’t pick out a best day there were a variety of days, all different, all good. I particularly enjoyed Athens as I had never been there before and it was so different to the other days.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very good. He was there for Breakfast, led us through our walks and took meal orders and served drinks in the Restaurants we visited in the evening. He was always still there when I went to bed. When did he sleep??
Advice for Potential Travellers
If the programme remains the same the first two days are the toughest with two mountain walks. Everybody agreed that these walks would have been better on the last two days when we had acclimatised. Walking boots definitely required and plenty of water, all the islands springs provide drinkable water.
Inca Trail breathlessly
A wonderful trip to my top Bucket List destination.
Most Inspirational Moment
Wandering around Machu Picchu and visiting the floating islands on Lake Titicaca have satisfied two of my lifelong ambitions.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Raul Guerra was an excellent guide for the Inca Trail part of my holiday. He was very enthusiastic, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about everything Peruvian especially about the Inca ruins and civilization.
Advice for Potential Travellers
My strongest recommendation would be to arrive a couple of days before the group holiday starts in order to acclimatise to the high altitude.
Noteable Namibia Trip
Discover Namibia – Lodges, is a well organised and good value tour, taking in the main tourist locations of mid to north Namibia. If you are prepared for some long travel days on dirt/salt roads and go with an open mind about the sights and scenes you will encounter, you will not be disappointed. It is accurately marketed as a low to moderate activity level, even the ascent of Dune 45 at Sossusvlei. Accommodation is in 2-3* lodges, all of a satisfactory standard for 1 or 2 nights, some even memorable. Transport in a specialised safari truck with a push up roof provided the opportunity to view the landscape and game in relative comfort and from a high position. The driver/guide (Ronney) and his assistant (Jonas) were first class, very knowledgeable and took excellent care of our party.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were so many great experiences on this trip that it is difficult to single one out, so here's a few. Watching the sunrise on the crest of Dune 45 followed by the eerie scene of petrified trees at Deadvlei was remarkable. Watching sunsets across a desert landscape and the emergence of the southern hemisphere night sky in the desert at Sesriem were stunningly beautiful. Driving through Etosha N.P., seeing game close up and even coming across an old lion that had been injured in a fight and unlikely to survive was sad to see but a true reflection of what actually happens in nature. Above all, observing a male Cheetah on the prowl close to Namutoni Camp in Etosha N.P. was breathtaking. The Waterburg Plateau was like a lost world in the sky and despite the rain, a memorable place......and so many, many more.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ronney was a first class driver and an excellent guide. While not a specialist in any particular discipline, his general knowledge of his country, its history, geography, geology, large and small animals, plants and ornithology to mention a few was outstanding. He constantly ensured our safety and well-being throughout the trip, kept us posted on the day's events and provided us with invaluable information on do's and dont's. He was very ably supported by his assistant, Jonas, who was also a very capable cook and prepared some excellent lunches and evening meals. They worked as a team and nothing was too much trouble for them. While in Etosha N.P., Ronney provided us with more game drives than we had expected and used his local knowledge and contacts to find us some great photo opportunities. I'm sure other guides and assistants are good but if you book this trip and get Ronney and Jonas, you've hit the jackpot !
Advice for Potential Travellers
You can't easily obtain Namibian Dollars before you arrive in the country (or exchange them outside) but you don't really need them as South African Rand are accepted everywhere at an exchange rate of 1:1 with no commission charged at banks or Bureau de Change. If you buy anything in Rand, change is often given in N$ which you can offload. My advice is to take some Rand to cover your day of arrival and get more when you are in Windhoek. We had the opportunity to do so before we hit the road on the first day at the Western Union office and again at Swakopmund using an ATM. Both gave very favourable rates compared to getting your currency in the UK, as did our Halifax Clarity and Revolut cards for other spending. This trip includes Swakopmund which appears on almost all similar tour itineraries in Namibia, so quite difficult to avoid. It is a former German colonial town but only a few buildings from that era remain. If you are not into high octane activities or do not have the budget for the rather expensive optional extras (most of which we had done elsewhere), do find time to visit the excellent small museum which contains lots of information and artifacts on the history, geography, geology, plants, wildlife, etc., and a particularly good gallery describing the various native peoples that are now collectively Namibians. It's run by volunteers who really help you to enjoy the experience. Next door, there's a great little café with patio seating where you can have coffee and cake while watching the Atlantic breaking on the shoreline. For a good value, quality meal with excellent service go to Kucki's Pub for seafood or game - book a table as it was full on both nights we went. Namibians do not consider a meal without meat a meal at all and it is served everywhere, with good portion sizes, which is good news for carnivores ! Try the Gemsbok (Oryx) - actually you'll find it difficult to avoid in the set dinners at lodges, Springbok and Kudu, all of which have a unique flavour. Vegetarians may find menus more limited and in some places even difficult to get a balanced diet. As experienced travellers both on business and leisure, in our opinion Himba (and perhaps to a lesser extent Herero) women are further examples of female exploitation. Our route took us past a Himba village just outside Outjo where stalls are set up and women in traditional dress sell cheap (plastic) souvenirs . It was only on our arrival and when apparently prompted by their male "minder" that they started their combining their hair, applying ochre and posing for photos (which we avoided by staying in the truck with another couple). Most were just teenage girls and this may be the only way they can make a living but it saddened us to see it. As stated, this is our opinion and you must make your own decision on whether or not it is acceptable in the 21st century.
Distressing experience. Spain never again
I have trekked and been on walking holidays all over the world, some with Exodus. This was my first holiday in Spain and the experience was distressing. I will never holiday in Spain again. This was not due to Exodus nor the walk leader but due to the local people. When I arrived at the hotel (Hotel Los Berchules) the proprietor Alejandro checked us in and also checked that I was vegetarian. When I asked him if their was a lift (my room was up a few flights of stairs and I have slipped discs in my back so lifting a heavy load could cause problems) he said that if I ate meat I would be strong enough to carry my own bag!
During the week I saw many cases of animal cruelty. Emaciated dogs chained up with no food or shelter. All the dogs I saw (and there were many roaming free in the villages and countryside) had been mutilated with their ears cut off.
There was also posters in the village of Los Bechules advertising a village ‘event’. On Sunday 29th April the villagers collected in the square to watch animals being tortured to death. The walk guide told us that the villagers put down a lot of sawdust in the square presumably to soak up all the blood. This distressed me really for the whole week. I have trekked in the High Atlas Mountains and In the High Andes staying with locals peoples and have never come across this level of cruelty.
We walked through several villages but hardly saw anyone. A few bars we went into were busy but the local people were not at all friendly. Whilst walking in the countryside we were shouted at by the local ‘cowboys’ gesticulating to us to move on. (We were on proper paths and walked a proper authorised route).
The Hotel was fine but as a vegetarian I was hoping for better quality meals that the vegetarian equivalent to chicken nuggets. My meals were mostly convenience junk food that I would not have eaten at home.
Most Inspirational Moment
Nothing
Thoughts on Group Leader
I thought George did the best he could to make an uninteresting walking environment as interesting as he could. Also after the hotel proprietor had been so rude to me when I first arrived about being vegetarian George, who overheard him' carried my bag upstairs for me. Thank you George.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you care about animal welfare and are distressed at seeing animal cruelty then don't do this holiday. If you are vegetarian and would like a decent meal at the end of a days walking then don't do this holiday and don't stay in this hotel. If you would like to meet friendly locals on holiday then don't bother with this holiday. If you are used to seeing fantastic scenery on walking holidays then this probably isn't the holiday for you. The holiday seemed like a case of trying to make the best of nothing very much.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Noreen for her feedback, although we sincerely regret that she did not enjoy her time in Spain. We appreciate that witnessing the animal cruelty described would have been very concerning and worrying, however, we would like to reassure that Exodus does not endorse these types of activities, and our groups did not witness the festival being held in the village. We were disappointed to read that Noreen felt that the food provided for her as a vegetarian was poor as it is always our intention that clients with dietary requirements are well catered for and we believe this is usually the case on our trips. We are, however, genuinely sorry that Noreen’s experience was not so positive.
Monica Princic – Product Manager for Spain
Exodus Trip AOP 11-25 April 2018
We enjoyed the entire trip from the moment that we arrived.
The varied scenery, the culture and the history were all fascinating for us.
We enjoyed the great variety of lovely food that we had every day.
Ayaka, Our guide, was superb and she made the whole experience memorable and most enjoyable.
Most Inspirational Moment
We enjoyed the great variety of sights , food and culture. Probably the most memorable feature was the general high level of cleanliness and efficiency of the transport systems.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ayaka is an exceptionally able guide. She is knowledgeable, kind, efficient and she has an admirable command of the English language. The whole trip ran 'like clockwork' because Ayaka had clearly worked very hard behind the scenes purchasing tickets, organising itineraries, arranging additional trips at the request of members of the group, and ensuring that each individual's needs were accommodated. At all times Ayaka was polite and humerous and her infectious laugh and enthusiasm is a great attribute. She managed to impart a lot of information to us at all of the historic sites and she explained so many features about culture and food. We feel that Ayaka has a very bright future in the tourism industry and that she is one of the nicest and best guides that we have ever met. Please convey our thanks and appreciation to Ayaka.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Bring fewer clothes as it is easy to get laundry done 2. Do not bring an umbrella as all the hotels lend them to visitors. 3. Enjoy all of the food because it is all lovely. 4. Relax and explore the cities which feel very safe and clean. 5. Although the railway maps appear daunting, it is very easy to use the metros to explore the cities.
Exodus Trip AOP 11-25 April 2018
We enjoyed the entire trip from the moment that we arrived.
The varied scenery, the culture and the history were all fascinating for us.
We enjoyed the great variety of lovely food that we had every day.
Ayaka, Our guide, was superb and she made the whole experience memorable and most enjoyable.
Most Inspirational Moment
We enjoyed the great variety of sights , food and culture. Probably the most memorable feature was the general high level of cleanliness and efficiency of the transport systems.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ayaka is an exceptionally able guide. She is knowledgeable, kind, efficient and she has an admirable command of the English language. The whole trip ran 'like clockwork' because Ayaka had clearly worked very hard behind the scenes purchasing tickets, organising itineraries, arranging additional trips at the request of members of the group, and ensuring that each individual's needs were accommodated. At all times Ayaka was polite and humerous and her infectious laugh and enthusiasm is a great attribute. She managed to impart a lot of information to us at all of the historic sites and she explained so many features about culture and food. We feel that Ayaka has a very bright future in the tourism industry and that she is one of the nicest and best guides that we have ever met. Please convey our thanks and appreciation to Ayaka.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Bring fewer clothes as it is easy to get laundry done 2. Do not bring an umbrella as all the hotels lend them to visitors. 3. Enjoy all of the food because it is all lovely. 4. Relax and explore the cities which feel very safe and clean. 5. Although the railway maps appear daunting, it is very easy to use the metros to explore the cities.
Exodus Trip AOP 11-25 April 2018
We enjoyed the entire trip from the moment that we arrived.
The varied scenery, the culture and the history were all fascinating for us.
We enjoyed the great variety of lovely food that we had every day.
Ayaka, Our guide, was superb and she made the whole experience memorable and most enjoyable.
Most Inspirational Moment
We enjoyed the great variety of sights , food and culture. Probably the most memorable feature was the general high level of cleanliness and efficiency of the transport systems.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ayaka is an exceptionally able guide. She is knowledgeable, kind, efficient and she has an admirable command of the English language. The whole trip ran 'like clockwork' because Ayaka had clearly worked very hard behind the scenes purchasing tickets, organising itineraries, arranging additional trips at the request of members of the group, and ensuring that each individual's needs were accommodated. At all times Ayaka was polite and humerous and her infectious laugh and enthusiasm is a great attribute. She managed to impart a lot of information to us at all of the historic sites and she explained so many features about culture and food. We feel that Ayaka has a very bright future in the tourism industry and that she is one of the nicest and best guides that we have ever met. Please convey our thanks and appreciation to Ayaka.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Bring fewer clothes as it is easy to get laundry done 2. Do not bring an umbrella as all the hotels lend them to visitors. 3. Enjoy all of the food because it is all lovely. 4. Relax and explore the cities which feel very safe and clean. 5. Although the railway maps appear daunting, it is very easy to use the metros to explore the cities.
Camping in the game parks and see a variety of wildlife
This was an excellent opportunity to see African wildlife and experience camping in the National Parks. We had six nights ‘wild’ camping in the parks and game drives early morning and evening. The other nights were on camp sites with showers, restaurant and a bar (open to 2am so noisy), and 2 nights at Victoria Falls in a comfortable but basic lodge. The wildlife is varied and plentiful and met most of my expectations.
Most Inspirational Moment
Travelling in Mokoros in the Delta was magical although the wildlife was sparse. The activities there were nature walks rather than game drives. The evening cruise down the Chobe River gave us our first real encounter with hippos and other game. Seeing the leopard and lions in Chobe/Moremi close up.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kenny was great at spotting and tracking animals and birds. His knowledge of natural history was extensive. He was a safe driver which is essential given the terrain and the state of some of the tarred roads. He sometimes had difficulty in herding 11 of us to what he wanted and I had to buy a map (Shell tourist map of Botswana is excellent) before he described where we were going. Botswanas are friendly people and the crew were keen to please.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long, uncomfortable journeys in an open vehicle not designed for long distance travel. Seating 12 it will not provide good seats for all if there is a full uptake of places. Wild camping is without any permanent facilities and animals close by so head torch (with back-up), wet wipes and insect repellant are essential! Take a South African plug adaptor for the camp sites and Victoria Falls as they cater for SA visitors. Quite a few extras for the 'optional' activities eg anything at Victoria Falls, Chobe River cruise and flights over the game reserves as well as camp site meals and the usual tips.
Justin's Garden Route
We had an amazing time travelling the Garden Route with Justin as our Guide and Driver. He was very knowledgeable about the local wild life and countryside. The location of the accommodation was great we particularly liked House Martin at De Rust. We enjoyed the wide variety of things that we saw and did. An interesting insight into South Africa, its culture and way of life.
Most Inspirational Moment
Being charged by a Rhino whilst on a safari and zip lining across the gorge at Tsitsikamma, the penguins at Boulder Beach, Robben Island and Table Mountain.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was very knowledgeable, helpful and made the journey a very interesting one. His advice on local food and restaurants was particularly well informed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are thinking of doing the Garden Route, you could not do it a better way.