Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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14429 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Peter Harris

Reviewed June 2017

Peter Harris

So much to recommend this trip. Very full itinerary with constantly changing landscapes and a wealth of historical interest. A shame that the local tourist industry has been hit hard by political conditions in neighbouring regions but Jordan itself is very safe and nobody should be deterred from visiting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Jerash is very impressive and Wadi Rum is spectacular, although mobs of rowdy, ill-mannered Chinese are to be avoided if at all possible. Petra, however, is sensational. If you are fit enough, attempt the Wadi al Farasa trail up to the High Place of Sacrifice - you will see scenery, tombs, etc. that 99% of visitors miss. We only encountered 6 other people on the way up.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Aladdin was very knowledgeable with excellent communication skills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the heat - 40C in early June at Dead Sea and Red Sea. Have suitable footwear for rocky conditions at Petra. Local restaurants are cheap but tourist locations charge 4/5 times as much for the same thing. Alcohol is very expensive - a large beer can be anywhere from £ 8 - £ 11 or £5 for a small can ! Soft drinks are far cheaper. Exodus recommendation of about £ 350 for a 12 day trip is barely adequate.

Susan Cameron

Reviewed June 2017

sunshine, culture, scenery, food, wine - what more could you want?

I had been wanting to visit Puglia for some time and this trip did not disappoint. Very well balanced between culture, history, nature, exploration and of course, food and wine – it offered everything that I look for in both a trip to Italy and an Exodus trip. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and early May was an ideal time to visit.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Matera for the first time from my hotel terrace Drinking Primitivo wine and eating tarallini with Italian friends overlooking Matera at sunset Picnics in the countryside with fresh local produce - and learning how to make friselli from Giuseppe! Wildflowers, nature and sunlight as we wandered through the countryside Final meal at Terra Madre in Alberobello - extraordinary food and wine

Thoughts on Group Leader

Giuseppe was an exceptionally dedicated and passionate group leader and thinking back, his attention to detail in regards to both group and individual needs and what we did throughout the week made a good trip into an amazing one. I would go on another trip with Giuseppe without hesitation - in fact, would prioritise a trip with him as a group leader just on the basis I know it would be well organised and would offer activities and surprises that I would not get with another group leader. Giuseppe's local knowledge of the area and its history, and his ability to navigate its intricacies and occasional difficulties) also made a huge difference. and his restaurant recommendations were always spot on!

Advice for Potential Travellers

be prepared for the walks to feel longer than they really are due to the heat - the temperatures and lack of shade make a difference. Definitely bring appropriate footwear and a sunhat. Also be prepared for long walks in the country without infrastructure or towns regularly interspersed. Also be aware that meals are not included on this trip, on the whole, aside from breakfast. this wasn't an issue for me but a few people in my group were surprised as meals are often included on other Exodus holidays.

Heather Algar

Reviewed June 2017

June Cuba Ride

The most favourite group of the five Exodus trips I have experienced, but the least favourite of the holidays. This trip certainly isn’t moderate in May/June as the weather conditions are challenging. Over 35 degrees every day and high humidity on the bike is no easy feat! Long transfers and head winds add to the interest.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finishing the day cycling the Sierra Maestra. Beautiful scenery and challenging riding, a real achievement for everyone. Closely followed by swimming in the Caribbean surrounded by tropical fish, a real highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Disinterested and disengaged. Very wordy, some of the long bus transfers felt like a long day on the school bus being fed propaganda Not really proactive or showing any anticipation of his guests needs, more about how much he knew and making sure he let us know! I understand he has been guiding this trip for some time, perhaps he is just bored.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train, train, train! Bring gels and electrolyte tablets with you to keep hydrated, and bring an open mind. Cuba is a third world country, things are not up to a Western standard so take is into account.

Ingrid Crauwels

Reviewed June 2017

Bosnia & Beyond

A very good trip, not only do you learn about the beauty of the country side, but also you learn a lot about the history and the last war in 1992-1996. A lot to see in the cities. It is one of those regions where you want to go back to.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational was our trip from Sarajevo to Lukomir, Bosnia's highest village at 1469m. From the village we went on a walk to the Rakitnica canyon. The mountains and the canyon are breath taking. After the walk, we had lunch in the village, the lunch was prepared by one of the families who still lives there. Another highlight are the Kravica waterfalls and the swim in the lake. Be aware that the water in the lake is ice cold, but still it is nice to have to opportunity to swim under the waterfalls.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Alen, was fantastic. You couldn't wish for a better one. He knew a lot about the history of the country, and what was going on during the war.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When you arrive in Zagreb, even that you are in transit for your flight to Dubrovnik, you are not allowed to take drinks through, not even bottles that you might have bought in the tax free. The security will take it off you. You have to go through security and passport control again. However the flight from Zagreb to Dubrovnik will wait even if you only have ½ hour between 2 flights, or even if you flight arrived with a delay. So, you don't have to worry about it.

Elizabeth Marshall

Reviewed June 2017

Highlights of Albania

A trip of unexpected interest to a country whose landscape, history, heritage sites, food and drink all exceeded expectation.

Most Inspirational Moment

My choices here might be influenced by the rather wet weather we uncharacteristically experienced. Our visits to the old churches at Voskopoja and to the world heritage site of Berat rate highly and the family lunch was an absolute delight! In a more general sense I was fascinated to gain some insight into Albania's recent communist past and to witness how the country is changing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can't speak too highly of our group leader, Kledi. He is exceptionally knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our many questions. He did so articulately and with warmth and gentle humour. He is mild mannered, well organized and inclusive. Our driver, Genti, also deserves comment as an extremely competent and safe driver.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not a physically active holiday but the itinerary is very full with a feeling of always being 'on the go', The hotels overall were of a higher standard than we anticipated and the roads, far from suffering the potholes we had been lead to expect, were new comfortable highways (with a few exceptions!)

Gunnar Joakimsson

Reviewed June 2017

Puglia and Matera cycling

Excellent tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visting Masseria and also cycling along coasts.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marinella did an excellent job - she did the job of two

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had one morning of rain, be prepared for that.

Shona Tudor

Reviewed June 2017

Discover the Baltics

We had 12 days touring through the baltics at the end if May. The hotels, coaches and food were similar standard to the UK. There is usually an English menu. The tour guide was mostly interested in history which was not my interest in so much detail. The three countries are really small so the sights are not as good as other countries but the flip side of that is that it isn’t as busy. The weather was similar to the UK. Take warm clothes for the evenings.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing all the storks and cormorants nesting. I went at the end of May so this would only apply to this time of year. I liked the hill of witches which shows the artistic spirit from the last few years. Also we happened on to a folk dancing festival and they are so much better than our folk dancing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jolita was enthusiastic, especially about the history of the region. She was really scatty in terms of giving us information we NEEDED. I had to ask others when my flight was 30 mins late. She wittered on and on and although she thought she spoke English she didn't bother trying to get the words in the correct order. I understand it is difficult though as all three countries have different languages so she had to speak Russian as well. It made it really hard to get the crucial information when she was going on and on. She kept saying da da da. We went out as a group the first and last night.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Advice would be to take a travel kettle as only one hotel supplied one also decaf coffee wasn't available. The hotels had wi-fi without passwords so I would recommend installing hotspot vpn before you travel so no-one else can access you phone etc. I have damaged my ankles walking so much on cobbles so I would recommend hiking boots with ankle support. There are lots of opportunities to go to mini supermarkets so don't worry if you forget anything. I took binoculars as there are alot of birds esp storks nesting. The leader wasn't interested which was a shame.

Sheilah Whyte

Reviewed June 2017

once in a lifetime

The walk was quite an achievement for me and, as I am close to 70 years old, I’m glad I have experienced it. The travel arrangements by Exodus were good, though I would have preferred to arrive at the start in Samos much earlier than 2.30am! All the hotels were modest and clean and comfortable for our overnight stays.
As a group we ate dinner together which was nice, with our guide often suggesting suitable venues. So all in all a wonderful experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Not sure you'd call it an inspirational moment but ..... when I completed the 29km day walk!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Jose Manuel. He was excellent as a leader ensuring that all of us were ok at all times. He emphasised at the beginning the importance of letting him know if any one of us should have the slightest blister so that appropriate care could be taken. He would explain the route for the day and helped us with ordering food and drinks at all the breaks/stops. He would also suggest suitable restaurants for dinner in the evening.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take more than just 1 pair of walking shoes/boots. Even though I had done several walks in my walking boots, I had very sore toes and a blister after 2 days of walking and had to abandon my boots and then walk in my sneakers for the rest of the camino. A couple of people in our group walked the whole 130km in sandals. The walking trails and paths are well trodden and relatively flat, so this might be an option for some. As a mature person, I found my walking poles invaluable but many others in the group did not find them necessary.

Tammy Grey

Reviewed June 2017

Ms

The customer service before departure was excellent, the organisation from start to finish was excellent, the accommodation was better than expected, the group leader was excellent, the itinerary was excellent. As a solo female traveller I felt completely comfortable with the rest of the group whether they were traveling alone, with friends or with partners. The mix of activities, geographical locations, sights, sounds, terrain and communities left you feeling like you had experienced and encountered Vietnam, its history, its people and its landscape.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me there were many inspirational moments on this trip. these centred around the group members coxing, motivating, encouraging and supporting others to achieve their goals, this was particularly evident when two members became slightly unwell but were determined to continue with the cycling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The Group leader was excellent. His passion for his job was evident in everything he did. He created an environment which allowed everyone to participate according to their own skill, ability and desire. No one was left behind or left feeling like they were moving too fast or too slowly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For a trip like this it is important to accept that other cultures have a very different relationship with their environment, each other, their food and how they view health and safety. If you are someone that embraces difference, loves cycling, and desires authenticity when traveling, then this holiday could be for you.

James Stewart

Reviewed June 2017

Prague to Budapest Cycle

The riding and scenery, including all towns/cities we stopped at were off-the-dial fabulous.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were too many great moments to single one out. While the major cities more than lived up to their reputations, the wonder of the smaller places we had not heard of was a most welcome surprise - especially the absence of tourists there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Extremely caring but not the right leader for our cycle trip. He was unfamiliar with the route and his cycling skills were not great. For example, he would often stop without leaving sufficient space for all others to stop safely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

learn the rules of group riding before the trip and obey same.

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