Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Visit to see the Othmani Qur'an in Tashkent was a great privilege. This Qur'an written in about 646 CE was awe inspiring. Ragistan Square in Samarquand is incredible. The jaw-dropping moment came when we entered the the mosque in the Tilla-Kari Madressa. I could not take my eyes away from the amazing decorations of the ceiling. The ceiling is flat (so they say) but the the master craftsmen have done such an amazing work that it actually appears to be dome shaped. My highlight of the the whole trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Dilshod was very informative, caring and sensitive to the needs of a diverse group. He is a brilliant guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Please go as soon as you can. strongly recommend this trip and holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

We elected to climb Adam’s Peak. This was a highlight for me. It was physically challenging, with beautiful views from the top, but to see all of the pilgrims making their way up and down, many of them quite elderly and infirm, was so inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was the perfect guide. He was friendly, knowledgeable, informative, patient, helpful, funny and entertaining, He really added enormously to our trip and we were very grateful for his services.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travellers need to know that even more expensive items need to be paid for in rupees. I had expected to be able to pay for these items (eg rafting and whale watching) by credit card but this was not the case. Had we known this in advance we would have changed a lot more money at the airport.

Most Inspirational Moment

I absolutely loved the Orangutan visit and the river in Borneo. We visited so many places though so it's really hard to pin down inspirational moments - I had so many in every place we visited.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The exodus leaders were brilliant. Highly organised, sociable and kept us all engaged throughout. Their knowledge was tremendous and they really did go out of their way to ensure the group were well catered for. We also had a few additional people lead tours for us - the river boat, night walks and the food tour in KL. I found them all to be professional and fantastically enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're considering a solo holiday, especially if you haven't done this before - just go for it! It's the best thing I've done! This trip is IDEAL for all age groups - the variety of nature, city and country life, lively night life and quiet group meals, jungle walks, river cruises and beaches, is just the start. Malaysia is truly stunning!

Most Inspirational Moment

The dramatic caldera walk on Santorini has to be a highlight. As you passed by the whitewashed houses and looked down the steep slopes to the bay below you could only try and imagine the huge volcanic explosion that created the current landscape and the fate of the people that lived there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanos our group leader couldn't do enough to make our holiday enjoyable. It was so relaxing just to leave all the arrangements in his very capable hands. He was so knowledgeable about everything we encountered including the plants, history, archaeology and geology of the islands. He chose some lovely restaurants to eat in the evening and worked out everyone's individual bill! We had the added bonus of his wife and young son along who were very interesting to talk to.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Relax and enjoy! We went for a quick swim in the sea in Paros which was very invigorating at this time of the year but did need water shoes to get passed the first strip of pebbles. I only needed my walking poles once for part of the descent in Santorini, otherwise fairly easy walking. Do try the freshly caught cuttlefish!

Most Inspirational Moment

Sunrise over Everest from Kallapatar. Beautiful!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very well organised, very knowledgeable, couldn't do enough for his clients and had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Listen to the guides and take their advice. Ozzy's advice was simple but absolutely accurate: 1. Walk slow 2. Pack light 3. Sip water constantly 4. Don't lose your apetite Don't burden yourself with anything you don't need. 1 set of clothes will easily last several days!!

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the whole trip but an added bonus was an unexpected stop off at the Acropolis on our way back to Athens airport! My friend and I had been regretting not flying out a day or two earlier to explore Athens so this just made our week. Other highlights included a bouzouki concert in Naxos and gatecrashing a Greek wedding on our last night!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanos was a real character, had loads of knowledge about the islands to share with us, and made our trip run very smoothly. His help in navigating the ferry journeys was invaluable! He chose some great, inexpensive restaurants and tavernas for our evening meals and made sure there were no arguments over the bill!

Most Inspirational Moment

The Great Wall of China is immense and the views of it passing over the mountains for miles on end are breathtaking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jerry Wu is one of the best leaders you could wish for. Very knowledgeable about the history and culture of the locations we visited. He would often break into long but entertaining, funny and enlightening monologues telling us of his personal experiences in China. Our welfare and enjoyment was always his number one concern and so we always felt we were in very safe, organised and capable hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

One thing I wish I'd researched before leaving is access that access to certain web services are banned in China so you may need to find an alternative or a work around so you can use translation or messaging apps while on the trip. I don't believe O2 has a 4G contract with the local telecom services in China so if you have a travel bolt package with them your data speeds will be slow. Wifi is available at the hotel and homestays but they can also be quite slow. The taxi drivers don't speak a word of English. Make sure you have the name, address and tel no. of the hotel you are staying at written in Chinese characters to show the driver in order to prevent a potential faff at the airport. Also, use the officially licensed taxis, they are very cheap and wont charge over the odds compared to drivers standing at the airport arrivals (This generally holds true for many places around the world). I wore running trainers for the hike and was glad I did - they are more flexible, have good grip for fairly flat surfaces and light, I felt they suited the terrain better especially in the dry season. The homestays usually had boiled eggs as part of the breakfast but they do not provide salt so bringing some along might be an idea. Chop sticks are your only option for some of the meals. Be prepared for squat toilets and make sure you have some warm clothing and waterproofs, mountainous areas can see drastic weather changes - on our trip the temperature dropped at least 10 C degrees literally overnight and went up again the day after. Plenty bottled water is provided by the driver or available at the homestays and you can pay for them (cheap) at the end of your stay (honour system). Beers in most places cost around £1 for a 660ml bottle, the hotels in Beijing may charge 3 x that much. The local "fire water" is an acquired taste but guaranteed to liven up an evening.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking into an active volcano at dusk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group letter was exceptional. Nothing was to much trouble. He looked after the safety and welfare of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hills are challenging for casual cyclist in the heat of the day.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's tempting to say getting to the top, and that was a wonderful moment after the effort we had put in. But equally, bonding as a team so that we all got to the top together meant a great deal to me. Getting through the tough descent back to Imlil was, on reflection, an achievement that I was proud of, too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Youssef was knowledgeable and informative from the start. By the time we'd reached the mountains and completed the winter training, we trusted him so that when he said that we couldn't summit because the weather was likely to get worse, we knew he was right (and he was subsequently proved right). We learnt a lot about the country, the culture and beliefs, and the way the trekking business worked from him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have the right kit. For the winter climb, your boots must be able to take proper crampons and be worn in. Mine were, but I still developed blister as the crampon straps tightened the boots slightly differently. Take plenty of plasters! I wish I'd done a little more aerobic/gym training instead of concentrating on hill walking. I've done Everest Base Camp and Kilimanjaro but this is different again - the ascent comes in short, intense bursts so that extra fitness is worth having so that you can enjoy the trek. In cold conditions, the drinking tube of a bladder system can freeze, as can the bite valve. Blow the water back out of the tube after you've drunk and tuck the bite valve under your armpit or into your jacket. Or take a smaller water bottle and keep it inside your coat. Horde your small change. In the mountain villages and refuge, there is next to no chance of breaking a 100dh note for single bottles of water or snacks. Similarly in Marrakech, I found the shop owners (even the supermarket next to the hotel) extremely reluctant to take larger denomination notes for small purchases. Jemaa el Fna is a fantastic place but is best visited after dark, when the square fills up and the food stalls are out. It's busy, noisy, chaotic and fun and not as intimidating as you may first think. Local families got here. But be sensible with your valuables and watch out for kids who crowd around you trying to sell you little glow sticks - it's a distraction while they go for your pockets. It happened to me and I felt two hands unzipping my jacket pockets. I just managed to stop them taking my camera and phone. Don't let this put you off. Just keep everything in inside pockets and be a little wary.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wildlife was the highlight for me. The most memorable being the night drive when we found a lioness at the waterhole nearby, she got up and walked down the road in front of our truck - roaring on the way. We must of followed her for almost an hour. She then met up with a male and disappeared into the scrub. On our return to camp that night, she was waiting at the roadside with her mate. My husband and I went to the camp waterhole when we got back and found the male there. Just the two of us stood in the dark at almost midnight watching this magnificent creature!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronney was extremely hard working as he also did all the driving on the trip as well as guiding and organising. He was warm friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Along with Jonas the cook the leaders made a good team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take any cash in South African rand, one Namibian dollar equalled one rand when I was there. Namibian dollars are only available in Namibia and not exchangeable outside the country. Also, whilst you are there take advantage of all opportunities - you may never go back to Namibia! My husband and I, went on the Dolphin cruise (a bit cheesy but fun) with sea lions and pelicans climbing on the boat as well as dolphins surfing in the wake. The flight, a very interesting perspective of the landscape. A full day and a night game drive and in Etosha, very enjoyable, the night drive was particularly interesting (my highlight of the trip). A game drive in Waterbury plateau which had rare species such as Roan and Sable antelope and rhino. Finally, on the last day in Windhoek as our flight was not till the evening - we went to Okapuka Ranch - which was a delightful way to end the tour. The restaurant/ bar is beautifully designed with the seats viewing the grounds with animals grazing.