Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Moments that I will remember for a long time include the wonderful old american automobiles, the fantastic dilapidated towns of Havana, Trinidad and Santiago but there were other towns as well. The music venues in these 3 towns are a must - make the effort, at least once (you will be exhausted) as generally after 10pm is best and the alarm went off at 0640 everyday! Watching my wife trying to dance with some locals was truly the laugh of the tour!! Above all, we felt as though we really got to know the country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Jamie was a lovely guy but he could have been 'tighter' on departure times (leave at 0830 probably meant 0850 ) and making sure everyone understood what was going to happen next (very difficult with these sorts of groups but on my Indian trips those guys managed it!) Always smiling and his knowledge of Cuba's history was all encompassing and engrossing. Our 2 bus drivers and mechanic didn't really speak English but they were fun to have around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You must do some cycling training and get a few miles in the legs. Like all these Exodus cycling trips there is a range of cycling ability. I took my wife for the first time and she enjoyed it immensely but she did get the training in before hand building up to 40 miles in a session. We are 66. There were some hills but all more or less manageable and you can always hop on the bus for a rest!

Most Inspirational Moment

Full day huskie sledding through the snow clad scenery, reminded me of Narnia. Starting the day with excited Huskies to the silence when sledding was serene.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was a great leader, engaged the whole group with learning new skills from snowshoeing, cross country skiing to quinzee building. Nothing was too much trouble for him or the other staff within the complex.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need much money as you can pay for extras and optional activities at the end of the week on credit/ debit card. You also only need little clothing, base layers and change of clothing for the evening. I found that even 11kg of luggage was too much and most clothes were taken home unworn. Once the taster activities had been done you are free to use the equipment as you like during your stay.

Most Inspirational Moment

Husky ride through the winter wonderland Rolling in the snow after a sauna and then into the hot tub

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was fantastic, very patient with a sense of humour ( he needed it)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling on the rugged roads through the small villages in Nicaragua to be greeted with the smiling faces and "holas" of the children in the communities. Reaching the summit of some challenging hill climbs in Costa is a close second!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic! As knowledgeable, experienced cyclists - they were a great source of support and became our biggest cheerleaders! Their friendly manner, quick smiles and sense of humor added to the great fun that our group shared for 10 days.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect heat and humidity so come prepared with light, breathable clothing; lots of sun protection and consider bringing along your favourite electrolyte solutions to add to your drinking water. And sufficient battery power and lots of memory to store all of your photos!

Most Inspirational Moment

Dog-sledding was an amazing experience, like floating on top of a Christmas cake, the scenery is like Narnia untouched & spectacular with only the tracks from the sledges before you & the people on your group. The dogs howl & bark & pull until the off then they are silent through the beautiful white forest! Dinner outside making pancakes on a fire also a highlight on our last night. Ice climbing at the base itself - challenging but fantastic to learn a new skill. Snow-shoeing with a few of the group on the Little Bear Trail through forests, passing roaring rivers & sliding down embankments on our bums! Building a quinzee on a lake as a group - scary for the claustrophobic but a fantastic experience. All rewarded with a soak in the hot tub or a relax & chat in the sauna! There were so many inspirational moments, but also down-time where you could pick up a pair of snow shoes or cross-country skis, or sledges & head out on your own. The staff asked that you write down where you were going, times etc & a mobile number so we always felt safe & looked after, perfect as there were many solo travellers within the group. The chefs prepare the meals & then announce what they have made & it was always wonderful! I am a vegetarian and was happier than when at home in England! Lots of hearty stews with fresh vegetables & divine puddings such as almond & berry tart, scandanavian pancakes, cakes, crumbles - yum yum!! There is one meal choice plus lovely salad to choose from, but if you don't like fish, I would tell them you are vegetarian, as some of the soups had whole (but small) fish in them which put some people off. Vegetarians have first dabs at the vege food so the staff say to check they have had enough before the meat-eaters eat the vege dishes which I thought was lovely!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martti was with us for most of the time but also Jukka & Juuri. All were fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and really enthusiastic to ensure we enjoyed ourselves, but they also took our safety very seriously. Martti & one of the lovely chefs showed us to the coach at the end of the trip & hugged each one of us good bye - I really did not want to leave as they are all so wonderful & the place stunning!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You really only need to bring your own thermal underwear and probably woollen socks, as everything for the days is provided. In the evenings it is very casual so jogging bottoms & jumpers are perfect - I lived in leg gins & hoodies at night. They advise the women to wear no make up as if it is water-based it can freeze, so once I got my head around it is was so lovely to not wear it for the rest of the trip even in the evenings! Expect to spend a fair bit of extra money as lunches are 11 Euros each & there is no where else to eat (but they are worth usually creamy fish or veg soups...ask if they will make the Beetroot & Blue Cheese Soup one day - it is soooo good!) There are many optional activities and they are a little pricey (290 Euros each for an extra full-day of dog-sledding), but you don't have to do them. Squash, water, tea & coffee always available to help yourself in the main building (not in rooms) but other soft drinks & alcohol is extra. Not a massive choice but we found most people were chilled out with the drinks available or had the occasional beer so it worked perfectly. I made a bottle of wine (21 Euros) last a week which was fine.

Most Inspirational Moment

The contrast between the places we visited will long stay in the mind, particularly Hanoi, Hoi An and the Mekong. For me, the enticing food options were a personal highlight, only surpassed by the unfailingly delightful people who look positively to the future in striving to consign a troubled and traumatic couple of decades to the past.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Phat was an ever smiling ambassador for his country, always willing to share his knowledge and give advice. Calm and resourceful, he was certainly someone we could rely on.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The region certainly has plenty to offer the traveller, in terms of culture, history, variety of landscape and meeting the people ... but for me, Vietnam scores very, very highly on all these points. I'd therefore not hesitate to recommend visiting the country, particularly on such an itinerary which covers so much ground in just two weeks ...

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the rock hewn churches in the north and Lalibella. We were lucky to be there at Christmas and could watch all the pilgrims.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leade (Gabre) was very good. He had a lot of passion and his country and its potential and was also able to answer any questions we had. Our group was quite mixed in terms of interest and physical capabilities and Gabre ensured everyone was included and could participate at their level.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to cover up in churches, fasting days and travel days in the bus.

Most Inspirational Moment

During our visit (January) Pongal (Harvest) was celebrated in Madurai. Our guide, with a couple of other guides organised a visit to a local village to take park in their celebrations. We were treated as honoured guests, presented with garlands and some of our party even appeared in the local paper. Although few spoke English, they were very hospitable and welcoming. The cows were celebrated and painted and there was special food prepared. We were given front seats to enjoy dancing, stilt walkers and gymnastics. A great insight into village life and a privilege to be able to take part. Other highlights: The Sri Meenakshi temple in Maderai and the houseboat on the Keralan backwaters.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charles was a great group leader. He was very attentive to the needs of every individual in the group and was constantly concerned for our comfort and made sure we got as much as possible from the trip. He was concerned that we should also see his India (local life, food etc) and was great at organising the group so that no time was wasted. A great guy who added to the experience with his knowledge, enthusiasm and humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was very easy to add an extra week on at the end to enjoy the beach. Others added a couple of days into the middle of their flight over stopping in Sri Lanka or Dubai. Although much is made of dressing conservatively, I only took tee shirts with sleeves, vest tops did seem to be worn by westerners in Kovalan by the beach. We never had to buy water as it was provided in every hotel we stayed in. Although round pin power points were the norm, in many of our hotels, there was one socket that took either a square pin or European plug. Our universal adaptor was broken, but this turned out not to be a problem. We needed less money than was suggested in the trip notes. The alcoholic drinks were the most expensive part, although still cheaper than England. Maderai and Kovalan were the best places to buy local gifts and clothes to take home.

Most Inspirational Moment

The people are absolutely wonderful. I sustained an injury (unrelated to the cycling portion) that forced me to focus on photography and on using my fledgling Spanish skills. I met lots of people who wanted to know what had happened. The splint on my arm and hand was a magnet for attracting "la gente". It almost made up for my loss in not being able to cycle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was very charming, knowledgeable, and competent. He was able to inform and motivate individuals in a timely fashion while respecting personal idiosyncrasies and quirks. He managed all of the trip details efficiently and effectively.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to spend several days before or after in Havana, which is an incredible city! Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" is a great read once you've seen some of the places he refers to in the novel. A Garmin GPS computer works really well if you want a precise record of the excursion route.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finding some historical monuments which passed through milleniums

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very Broadminded and communicative person.