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This was an excellent trip: tour group leader and support team were superb, hotels generally of a high standard, local restaurants serving really tasty food. The cycle routes for the first two days were rather dull and dusty but after that they just got better and better. Quite a lot of transfer time between cycles but because the temperature and humidity were so high, we were all appreciative of the cooling off time in the air conditioned coach. I think maybe at these temperatures (38C)the cycle rating should be a little more towards the difficult end of the spectrum. That said the back up team provided everything we needed – regular pit stops, plenty of rehydration, snacks (the fresh mango was to die for!) and even chilled wet wipes to the back of neck!
Highly recommended.
Hai Van Pass Off the beaten track villages Cycling in the late afternoon through huge cemetery - so atmospheric. Halong Bay overnight boat - great food, fun kayaking and dancing into the night.
Calm, well organised, great sense of humour. Excellent steers to local restaurants. Chi could not be faulted.
Expect the heat, pace yourself and enjoy!
A fantastic trip through Jordan visiting sites of interest throughout the whole country, almost from top to bottom.
Walking through the Siq in Petra to see the famous site of The Treasury for the first time. I had to run back and do it all over again! Again in Petra, the walks climbing up to the Monastry and to the High Place of Sacrifice. Just fantastic. Snorkelling in the Red Sea - I've never seen so many fish!
Our group leader, Ala Abu Amara, was everything you could wish to have in a guide. Informative, knowledgeable, but also and almost more importantly, great fun. An absolute splendid chap who I hope to keep in contact with.
Just go. A wonderful country, with very friendly people. An oasis of calm in a region beset by turmoil.
A really brilliant holiday which combines leisurely walking with very interesting sight seeing. The scenery is awesome particularly with the backdrop of some beautiful Italian villages and towns. Add the Italian cuisine and it would be hard to beat this trip.
Matera - what a stunning gem of an old town, Reeks of history around every corner. It will be City of culture in 2019 - I would recommend going before the rest of Europe discover it !
Marinella is a first class guide - nothing is too much trouble for her and her knowledge of area & sites is very detailed.
Food is so good that you will probably not lose any weight on this holiday !
This trip, for me, was all about the wildlife and did not disappoint. Although I met people who went on countless game drives and never saw a tiger. I was fortunate (we became known as the lucky jeep) and had 16 sightings of these beautiful creatures; ranging from a dot in the distance to watching them at close quarters. As mentioned in other reviews the wild life is not as profuse and varied as in Africa however the excitement on seeing a tiger is overwhelming. We also saw spotted, barking and swamp deer, Samba, wild boar, jackal, wild dog, gaur (Indian bison), mongoose, rat snake, macaques, langur, peacock and huge variety of birds.
The parks use local people as guides who speak varying amounts of English – you are allocated as you arrive at the gate – consequently, the quality varies considerably. A keen driver and guide made all the difference. We had some that sat quietly and barely said a word and others that were constantly searching for wildlife and communicating.
The hotels we stayed at were all clean, comfortable, had air-conditioning and ensuite bathrooms. Two had swimming pools and all the staff were warm friendly and helpful. The food was nice if a little the same.
The overnight train journey to Agra was an experience and quite fun. We bought a lock and chain to secure our bags below the bottom bunk so we could sleep without having to keep an eye out. I had a top bunk and slept really well.
I felt that the amount of city time v wildlife was correct. We spent one day in Agra seeing the Taj and Red Fort. Our train had been delayed and I felt that therefore it was all a bit rushed and crammed into the heat of the day. I would have liked to have had a break (lunch cold drink) between the two. The Taj was beautiful although I was a tad disappointed it had scaffolding on it! The Red Fort, I am glad I have seen – the smell on approaching the main gate will not be forgotten.
The wildlife without doubt!. Although seeing a female leopard flirting outrageously with her male: purring loudly, playing chase, running up and down a tree, rubbing herself against the branches and rolling around on the ground before mating was truly amazing … I went on this trip to see Tigers and consequently they must be my moment. Perhaps my first sighting in Pench of a tiger in the wild, Baghin nala, crossing the road with her four cubs in tow. Or maybe the large male in Bandhavgarh who walked out of the trees and had a drink at the water hole (followed by his sister) and then turned around and reverse parked himself in the cool water only 5m away.
Hamel looked after the safety and organisation of the group and had an extensive knowledge of Indian history.
In March the weather was hot generally hot and dry and the park was very dusty when returning from game drives in the afternoon/evening a scarf or snood helped keep the dust out. Clothes wash and dry very quickly in the heat so you do not need to pack a great deal; thin long trousers and tea-shirts, swim suit, sandals, hat and lightweight fleece for the early morning starts in some areas. I read 5 books as, at midday apart from maybe swimming or snoozing, there is little to do in the parks. Take a bird book and binoculars with you. I had hoped to buy a book there but didn’t have an opportunity till right at the end of the trip. Take an Indian adaptor plug - 3 round pins. We spent less money than we thought (even with an extra game drive). We are not drinkers, my husband had the odd beer at supper. We changed £600 into rupee at the airport and still had £150 to change back at the end. We did as recommended by Exodus had about £150 worth of 500 rupee notes and the rest of 100 - with a couple of the 100 rupee notes broken down to even smaller amounts.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip & can recommend it.
This trip is not only a great introduction to Korea but a good way to visit Asia if you haven’t been to the Far East before as compared to other countries in this region, it is clean, safe, and developed.
However, to get the most out of it you have to be prepared to explore during your free time. This trip puts you in the position, by giving you the opportunity to see some wonderful things that are not on the itinerary. For example the Seoul Tower with the wonderful Season’s table all you can eat Korean restaurant, or the Sun Cruise Resort and surrounding area in Gyeongpo, a 20 minute taxi ride from your hotel.
Taxis are cheap and a good way to get round.
Budget wise I would suggest you allow about £20 per day on food. The food here is lovely but expensive.
Credit cards are widely accepted but I would take US Dollars or Euros to change into the local currency, the Won. I found it hard to change the Pound, with the only place being a handful of banks in the major cities. When you arrive in Seoul I suggest you change your money you need for the trip then, as changing it in other areas other than Busan and Jeju was difficult. Even though ATMs are widely available for debit cards, you have to look for a global one which we found difficult finding and it was hit and miss whether the card would be accepted.
You must have patience as service can be slow and language can be a barrier.
My main criticism is we didn’t have enough time in Busan; it was almost a fleeting visit, which doesn’t do the place justice. I would like to have more time there at the expense of the temple stay, which in my opinion added little value to the trip.
There was also too much emphasis on Buddhism. My biggest surprise coming here was the number of churches I saw, and finding out that they aren’t devoutly religious or follow one particular faith, just a mix of multi-faith and non-religious groups. For example, there are more Christians and other religions than Buddhists – for instance 29 % are Christian and only 24 % are Buddhist. With this in mind, I would like to reduce the number of temples that are visited by exploring the other faiths and learning more of the contemporary recent history that makes up this dynamic nation.
Highlights; (1) the big Yakcheonsa Buddhist temple in Jeju, which we allowed to freely photograph; (2) DMZ; (3) The museum in Busan, which explained in concise terms the history of this nation.
Low points; (1) Temple stay, which was a complete waste of time and added nothing to my understanding of Korea. This should be made an optional extra or cut out completely, with time better spent in Busan. (2) Not enough time in Busan and war memorial. (3) Too many markets and temples visited – only one or two would do.
Overall I can recommend this trip to anyone who wants a taste of Korea but to get the most out of it, you must have a sense of adventure and explore the surrounding area in your free time. 4/5.
Going to the War Memorial and museum in Busan which puts into context the sacrifices made by the Korean people, This not only provided an excellent concise summary of contemporary Korean history but also to the complete history of this fascinating nation.
Our tour guide was good, very professional, and always on hand to help. In particular, she made a number of excellent decisions on changing the itinerary because of the weather and on when and where we went to each place. Exodus would do well to listen to her when it comes to refining the itinerary for future tours.
See my comments about making the most of your free time in my Summary. To reiterate to get the most out of this trip you have to be prepared to explore during your free time. This trip puts you in the position, by giving you the opportunity to see some wonderful things that are not on the itinerary. Like I said, I can recommend this trip to anyone who wants a taste of Korea but to get the most out of it, you really must have a sense of adventure and be prepared to explore the surrounding area in your free time. 4/5.
An excellent holiday. Good walking and great locations visited on the Ligurian coast. Ample time allowed to explore the various villages visited. Good food – especially at the “Gourmet Evenings”.
Visiting Portofino. The views on the walk into the village were wonderful and the village itself lived up to its reputation.
Very good - he interacted well with the group and kept us informed of the plans for the following day.
Budget for a couple of expensive meals - the gourmet evenings. Lunches at the villages are good value if you buy slices of pizza, focaccia etc from take away shops.
Every day provided a different and enjoyable experience. We enjoyed the variety and range of activities involved. Some of the hotels, although clean, had facilities that didn’t work. Although the restaurants we were taken to were good and we enjoyed the cuisine, we would have preferred to be able to opt out of having all meals with the group everyday.
Our party enjoyed different aspects of the trip - snorkelling in the Red Sea and the drive through the desert at Wadi Rum.
Our group leader was friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable about local and wider issues. Not knowing when we were going to stop for lunch did create some difficulties.
Jordan is a country worth visiting.
A fun ride but the bikes were not what I was led to believe we would be riding, much heavier and much less comfortable than I’m used to. I was expecting a hybrid mountain bike with disc brakes and instead got an upright cruiser with panniers that unbalance the bike if you use them…… I specifically queried the type of bike through my travel agent before I booked this trip because of previous reviews which mentioned how heavy the bikes were and Exodus assured us they were a different type of bike.
Even though I used my own saddle, the upright position on the bike is not what I’m used to, and caused a great deal of discomfort for me throughout the ride. Our tour leader Michele did try to secure an alternate bike for me, an option I could have booked in advance if I’d been told about it, but unfortunately there were none available at such short notice. This significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the trip.
Swimming in Lake Garda in 8 degree temperatures! Very cold but oh so worth it. Closely followed by the very exhilirating and steep descent into Garda riding on the pave. That's a first for me, loved it!
Michele was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the whole region, and happily shared his knowledge with us. He divided his time equally across everyone in the group, so no one felt left out. He was super friendly and caring, exactly what I would have expected in a tour guide. He also ensured everyone stayed safe throughout the trip, a very important factor in a trip like this one.
If you come in spring be prepared for cold weather, even though we had no rain, it was usually cold in the mornings and there was a cold wind most days. If you're a regular road or mountain biker be prepared for an uncomfortable upright ride, or try to book an alternate bike. Definitely bring your own saddle and pedals, but use spd pedals, there's plenty of clipping in and out negotiating people and other bikes in the towns we pass through
We would like to thank Julia for her review, although we are very sorry that she was disappointed with her hire bike. The bikes this group used were the normal bike model used for this trip and we normally receive positive feedback about the bikes to indicate that clients have found them to be reliable and that they believe them to be the right type of bike for the trip. We realise, however, that Julia had anticipated a different type of bike and we have been in touch with her on an individual basis.
David Sear – Product Manager
This is a fantastic holiday – in some strange way managed to be relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. It was the first time we had taken a group holiday and our reservations about it were completely unfounded. We visited lots of different eco systems – cloud forest/ rain forest/ beach – and saw lots of amazing scenery and wildlife. It’s a real outdoor holiday.
1. On the last but one morning Gio gave us the opportunity to go Quetzal spotting. We met at 5.15 am and WOW was it worth it. I think that they put on a display specially for us ( or maybe the quetzals had heard that Gerado - our driver - had threatened to dress up in his quetzal outfit if the real thing didn't appear!!) 2. Walking down to the waterfall at La Fortuna and swimming in the pool at the bottom A-MAZE-ING. 3. Being with the group - definitely added to the enjoyment 100%
Gio was ace. We haven't done group trips before but can't imagine anyone better. He stuck a perfect balance between friendliness and professionalism. We knew exactly what time to be everywhere, what to wear, what to bring with us etc. He is a brilliant bird spotter - sharing my passion - and found stuff we would never have seen on our own. Also he made sure that I was well catered for food wise as I am vegetarian. He is very knowledgeable about his beautiful country and shared that with us. Word must also be given to our brilliant driver Gerado. He did a great job.
We flew via the states - 5 hour wait in NY on the way - all perfectly smooth but very long day. Take Imodium and Dioralyte with you just in case. You need to be careful with hand washing etc. but don't let it put you off. You won't starve in CR but don't expect haute cuisine. It's fine for vegetarians. Just take US dollars - they give you change in Colones ( local currency) but all transparent and everyone seemed honest. You spend quite a lot of time on the ( comfortable AC ) coach. Just relax and enjoy the scenery or snooze.
A great introduction to Costa Rica & its wonderful wildlife. Its diverse climatic conditions make for a varied and interesting trip.
We particularly enjoyed the boat trip to and inside Tortuguero National Park, there is lots of wildlife to see in its peaceful surroundings. The short visits to the primary school and the local farm also gave a good insight into local people and life styles. The short walks in the Rain & Cloud Forests were also magical.
Our group leader, Gio Madrigal, was top rate. His enthusiasm, local knowledge & wildlife expertise were second to none. We have been on many Exodus trips and Gio is certainly one of the best.
Take plenty of Imodium and hydration salts as almost all of our group suffered with "The Runs" at some stage (but it did not spoil the trip). The Rain Forests are very hot & humid so take plastic / waterproof bags to keep your clothes dry. It's not necessary to take local currency as American Dollars are accepted everywhere. The prices overall are about the same as the UK so don't expect it to be cheap. We took walking poles but found them unnecessary.