Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

This is very difficult to say as each of the walks had its own breathtaking moment - - whether it was a view as we walked into one of the towns or the silence of the forests. We also all took a boat trip on our free day and the views from the boat were amazing - sailing into Portovenere was stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michela as I have said was excellent. There was so much thought that went into everything she organised. If someone did not want to do all the walking or wanted a day off she was so helpful and detailed in regard to other options. She was incredibly knowledgeable and interesting - not only with exploring the area but with restaurant recommendations. The food was fabulous. Nothing was too much trouble and there was genuine concern that we should all have a wonderful holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the walks are challenging as they are steep at times with many steps .... definitely worth it for the views , and you don’t have to be super fit but a reasonable ability to walk up and down hills is definitely advisable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Tracking through the impenetrable forest and spending an hour in the company of a gorilla family. We won’t forget it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Halong Bay has got to be up there as an all time highlight, the kayaking was brilliant too! Along with the guest-house in the Mekong delta and the cycling tours through the countryside Hanoi on a Saturday night for tired, jet-lagged brits who had only been in the country a few hours was a bit overwhelming but Saigon was a dream!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Unfortunately this is where the trip fell short of 5 stars. Having travelled with exodus before and only experienced amazing, intelligent, organised and inspiring guides full of knowledge and humour, perhaps I was a little spoilt. Linh was both disorganised and overly-regimented in his planning. He constantly failed to tell us vital information regarding the days structure ahead which meant that an already packed trip was full of confusion. He was indecisive but at the same time failed to take on suggestions from the group about what they wanted to do. We were given very little freedom or flexibility with regards for activities and he had a very odd idea of time eg City tour in Hoi An was supposed to take 1 hour, ended up taking 3 hours then straight to dinner then another tour after dinner = very tired tourists. He also showed no interest in conversing with any of the group and preferred to lecture us in the coach (very interesting if a little egotistical at times) yet was not open to any two-sided discussion over dinner. In my experience, exodus guides have been quite the opposite and this is just a one off (for anyone reading who has now been put off!). I was also under the impression that Linh did not often take the 'trails' group and usually did the cycling tour - perhaps that is his real forte!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes lots! When going to the home-stays with the village tribes, pack lots of clothes and socks (you will need them) and also all the young girls in the villages were desperate to have their nails painted! So bring a pot, it won't take up much space and will really brighten their day! (Wish I had had this advice before going) There won't be many opportunities for buying souvenirs etc so make sure you take time in Hoi An to do that. If you're at all travel sick then stock up on pills - the coach journeys have wonderful scenery but that comes at a cost! You don't need to bring many clothes either, laundry services are cheap and quick and so are the clothes if you need an extra t-shirt or something. The food has a reputation for being dirt cheap, however the places we were taken to were cheap compared to British standards but don't go expecting dinner to cost £5 If you go in August it is constantly hot and sticky, lots of sun cream, lots of DEET, expect to be a sweaty mess most of the time!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many.... from waking up to the sound of howler monkeys outside your room, being surrounded by hummingbirds and having them land on your outstretched hand at Selvatura Park, conquering your fear of heights on the hanging bridges and zip wires above the forest canopy at Monteverde, seeing a sloth being rescued from overheard cables by the local fire service, hearing the sounds of the cloud forest at night as fireflies flit around around you, seeing a humpback whale for the first time, watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean at Carillo Beach.... the list goes on!

Thoughts on Group Leader

From the moment we arrived at San Jose Airport, our group leader, Eduardo, made us feel incredibly welcome in his country. Knowedgeable and passionate about the history, culture and nature of Costa Rica, Eduardo soon shared his love of his country with us all. Within minutes of meeting us, Eduardo had memorised all our names and, refering to us "family", he ensured we got the best possible experience we could - asking us to write down our wishlist of things we wanted to do and see whilst we were in his beautiful country. Eduardo was an exceptional group leader: great with the children in the group, imparting his extensive knowledge with enthusiasm, sharing his photos with us on the WhatsApp group he created for us, treating us to chocolate and ice-cream on a daily basis and instilling in all of us a sense of the "Pura Vida"! We must not forget our driver, Cesar, either. He made sure we were safe on the roads and waited patiently for us after every excursion, always greeting us with courtesy and a smile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We decided to book a 3 night beach extension - staying on at Nammbu hotel at the end of the trip - which Exodus organised, along with a private transfer back to San Jose airport. We were definitely ready for some rest and relaxation after a packed schedule, so this was really worth doing, plus it gave us a chance to do some additional activies - such as scuba diving (at Samara) and turtle watching at the nearby Camaronal Wildlife Refuge.

Most Inspirational Moment

The fish lunch in the museum, food was delicious, the museum was really interesting and in a picturesque location.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrius was an amazing ( and very witty) group leader, his flexibility in adapting the trip programme to the interests of the group was a huge plus. His knowledge of the area is vast and the insight he provided in to history of The Baltic States complemented the cycling - he was the icing on the cake! Thank you.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Meekong Valley was beautiful , a chance to unwind, relax with the group. Very peaceful, great food, staff were friendly. Would have liked a couple of nights there. Vegetarian restaurant in Hoi Chin Ming City- fantastic

Thoughts on Group Leader

Doan made our holiday very special. Looked after all of our group, a joy with the kids, very knowledgeable about the places. Pre-empted our requests and coped with our demands. Took us to wonderful places to eat. We wanted to take her home with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Arrive a day earlier to get over the jet lag and do some of your own exploring of Hanoi. Take tea bags and cups on the train overnight and sheet sleeping bags. Take lots of sun cream as easy to get burnt when snorkelling or swimming in Whale Island. If you get burnt use aftersun NOT oil or cream. Watch out for the Urchins. Take rain macs as when it rains it pours.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several - daily - which largely revolved about the scenery - 'wow' moments, which will not be forgotten

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gunner was affable, stoic & professional throughout; quietly unassuming, he was the calm amidst 'our storm' - whilst we were somewhat excited by the chaos he was efficient in his acquisition of alternative accommodation - at speed

Advice for Potential Travellers

Notwithstanding the weather, this is not a moderate trip - the walks are substantive in length, & whilst the pace was not over demanding, there were several high, steep, narrow &/or exposed parts to almost every day which a more moderate walker may not anticipate

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to identify a single "inspirational" moment as it was not really that kind of trip. It is probably more appropriate to point to the local people as an inspiration as they have emerged from an oppressive communist governed administration at the end of the 1980s and have spent the last thirty years working hard to evolve into a more democratic country, integrating into the EU.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tudor was without doubt one of the best guides we have had the pleasure of meeting on any of our Exodus trips. He was unfailingly charming, helpful, extremely hardworking, very informative and knowledgeable, and became a firm friend of our group. He was not only a great ambassador for Romania but also a very nice and gentle person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get your currency (Romanian Lei) from one of the ATMs at the airport on arrival in Bucharest and choose the option not to take the conversion rate offered by the machine. By leaving your own UK bank to apply their conversion rate you will get a far better rate of exchange. As a couple, we found that £200 (1000 lei) cash was enough to cover our needs for the whole trip as the majority of meals are included in the cost of the trip, but we used credit cards on a couple of occasions (in Sighisoura and Bucharest) for dinners. Tips for the guides went on top of this £200 so we drew a little more out at the end of the holiday from the ATMs in Bucharest. A crossbar bag is handy for carrying a camera so photos can be taken whilst cycling, but panniers are provided for carrying other essentials so a rucksack is not really necessary. The support vehicle is never far away so access to day bags is easy. Bring your own water bottle for filling up and carrying in the bottle cage on the bike. You need to be relatively fit for some of the climbs but there is nothing overly difficult if you already enjoy cycling.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the climbs and seeing the views. Lake Ochrid is a fab stopover and well worth a visit in itself. We arrived with enough time for a tour and chance to see the town.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Junid was our leader-what a lovely man. Nothing was too much trouble and he was calm but efficient. The food and drinks were all covered with a tab which we paid at the end of the holiday which saved so much time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit enough to do the mountains. If taking your own bike you will need a hybrid one as there are some potholes. However the bikes we all hired were fine. Take your swimming costume for the lakes. Take some cash so you can pay your bill at the end of the week -they accept euros or pounds.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the climbs and seeing the views. Lake Ochrid is a fab stopover and well worth a visit in itself. We arrived with enough time for a tour and chance to see the town.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Junid was our leader-what a lovely man. Nothing was too much trouble and he was calm but efficient. The food and drinks were all covered with a tab which we paid at the end of the holiday which saved so much time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit enough to do the mountains. If taking your own bike you will need a hybrid one as there are some potholes. However the bikes we all hired were fine. Take your swimming costume for the lakes. Take some cash so you can pay your bill at the end of the week -they accept euros or pounds.