Reviews

the best one so far

Loved everything about this trip, the chalet, the staff, the food and of course the hiking. Chalet holidays bring out the social side of people and the 13 guests made this trip fabulous and so much fun. Zoe and Ben, your food exceeds expectations!

Walking the Prosecco Hills

The group of 15 people were good as we all got on well with one another.
The Hotel Villa Soligo at Via Marconi Soligo, from the outside it looked impressive & from the entrance & reception also. It had 4 floors & my room 302, as well as others was on the top floor. However I paid a supplement of £190 not to share & have own room & expected a larger room than size actually given 3m x 4m with bathroom attached that had brown old fashioned wall tiles. My toilet seat & rim came off on the first night as the fittings were loose. Toilet stayed like that all week despite daily bed & bathroom maid attendants. There were no tea – coffee facilities in the room for late night refreshment. Instead you had to go down to reception & pay Euros 3:5 for tea plus drinks at other cost should you need them.
My air conditioner was faulty & reported twice with receptionist, they visited the room & tried it however it ran for 2-3mins & stopped each time.
Breakfast selection was limited cold meat, cheese, yogurts in pots, bread, croissants & strange very thin bacon slices & egg. There tea bags were compared to uk tea very week, I used 3 per cup & milk was not fresh milk & small selection of fruit in a bowl. It lacked a larger choice for daily walkers who needing to have a substitute start to the day.
Also no restaurant in the hotel, at breakfast or other times sitting outside you were lucky if you didn’t get pigeon droppings on you as these were many on the room window ledges above where the seating area was situated.
Swimming pool maintenance was poor as many insects were floating on the surface, also found scorpion in the water, plus water level on my last 3days was low. Meaning you could stand in the deep end & water was only waist high !!
Limited number of restaurants 2, within walking distance of hotel & no shops other than pharmacy across the road & further on ice cream & cake shop.

Most Inspirational Moment

The winery visit called San Gregorio. The owner has 5 daughters & the oldest girl, was so pleasant & welcoming in her presentation. Always with a smile giving full information on the vines & production process. To tasting the selection of Prosecco from basic to the superior DOCG Brut & table laid out with plenty of food between tastings.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader : name Serena She was uninspiring & seemed distant most of the time & never fully engaging with the group or telling us when on the coach as it past through villages or small towns any of there names. On the coach she very rarely spoke about the scenery or towns & seemed to be always on her mobile phone as she sat on the coach front next to the driver both talking to one another in Italian. Also on the walks there was little conversation between her & the group as she rarely volunteered information about the walk or scenery we were passing through, we had to ask her questions & I felt most of the group didn’t bother as she was distant & lacked engagement.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Each group to try & see if they can get better team leader & improvement from Hotel There is only 1-2, restaurants within walking distance of hotel No actual tourist shops close by Has pharmacy across the road from hotel Taxi service from hotel is limited & expensive as I found out having to return to airport to collect my lost luggage .. BA & baggage in Venice airport despite many phone calls, never answer then ... hence taxi back to airport euros 150 rtn.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Peter for his review, although we are very sorry that he was disappointed with the hotel, and the tour leader’s performance on this departure. We have used the Hotel Villa Soligo for the past three years and, whilst it generally receives positive feedback from our clients, we constantly review the suitability of our accommodation. In fact, from 2020 due to renovation works taking place at the villa, we will be using an alternative 4-star hotel which we are confident will deliver great service and standards. We regret that Peter was disappointed with the leadership on this tour. Serena is a very experienced and knowledgeable tour leader, who has led for Exodus for three years, during which time she has excelled in the role and always received excellent feedback above our global average. However, we will continue to closely monitor the feedback we receive from clients who join her trips to ensure that she is meeting our expectations on every departure she leads. Marta Marinelli – Product Manager

Challenging and wonderful trip

It’s a great trip, if you like to go to remote places where you hardly meet other tourists this is the place to be. The scenery is beautiful and every day was different. The walks are challenging as described in the trip notes. The guides were great and everything was well organised.

The Silk Road

How special it was to be in the heart of Asia; a world we hear so little of but which is so steeped in history and the cross roads for so many different nationalities. The home of such legendary figure as Timur and Ginghis Khan. The trip explores the wealth of mosques, madrassas, mausoleums, minarets in Uzbekistan and after a brief visit to Kazakhstan (during a curfew due to demonstrations after elections) we journeyed to Kyrgyzstan. Although a poor country it is endowed with the most stunning mountain ranges and the world’s second biggest alpine lake.

The elegance of Uzbeki women and the imposing use of space around all the official buildings in the major towns, as well as the spring flowers in the meadows, the bedding roses at Issy Kol and the vastness of the landscape are abiding memories.

The brief stroll In the mountains was another rushed lost opportunity. I question the night in the yurt. It was just uncomfortable camping and again no interaction with the hosts. I did laugh at a few hip replacements, pacemakers, westerners’ long legs sprawled across the floor trying to eat. A full day’s walking in the mountains would have been more rewarding. Also scrambling in to a rather apologetic waterfall was also a waste of time.
The itinerary was far too tight. Long days were spent in the coach and on a train. We would leave early and not arrive in the next hotel until early evening. Most of the hotels were in the suburbs and combined with the lack of time we had no opportunity to interact with a local people. The area has a wealth of talent in embroidery, weaving, silk work, felt work, and other handicrafts which we had no opportunity to explore in a leisurely manner. This was a huge disappointment both for our own shopping and also the lack of opportunity to support the women who do most of this work.

My head is still out there and my reading about the area will continue. I will be back.

Albania

Lots of varied cycling in a mountainous and scenic area. Routes almost always along quiet roads with good surface. Nice to stay along the way in all sorts of places – mountains, towns and lakeside.

It's not all about the bike.

Apart from a bevy of Brits on our trip there were a couple of kiwis intent on causing havoc and taking flight. Unwilling to despatch them down under our tenacious guide, Andrius, set out to distract and subdue them with Baltic diversions of seaside villages, a smoked fish and wild apple juice lunch in a hidden location, elusive beer tents, lavazza coffee car and a rotunda with champagne. Fresh berries and fairytales in the forest. Ice creams, beer and Pink Soup. And a freezing but fun swim. And then he iced the cake with with his humour, baltic jokes and music. Andrius turned out Baltic Bike trip into a delight of unexpected adventures. It didn’t shut those kiwis up but at least they were bearable. Just.

Excellent trip

Beautiful weather and scenery in a part of Europe that gets easily overlooked. Lots of uphill cycling but you do get the long downhills as compensation. The guides Dhimitri and Juli were great – always helpful and Juli (also the driver) scuttling back and forth to ensure everyone was OK and had enough water. Would recommend this trip and the local provider Cycle Albania.

Fantastically enjoyable holiday

If you like sparkling turquoise sea pretty much outside the hotel then this holiday is for you ! I found the walking quite tough as I wasn’t quite fit enough and as other reviewers state it’s more moderate than leisurely especially in June! However, I enjoyed the three walks I did enormously and it was amazing to get up (and down) to the Roman columns the view from which is so memorable and now my screen saver. Solid support and encouragement up and down from Cecile and lovely group members. Plenty to see and do if you want to dip in and out of the walking you can, ie to dip in and out of the sea on comfy sun loungers with inexpensive waiter service from the taverna whilst helping the Greek economy (what’s not to like). One day I went on an astounding snorkelling trip to the renowned Petali Islands : 7 hours for €35 including CAKE !!!

Fantastic trip

We had an excellent holiday around mont blanc. Zoe and Ben were great hosts at chalet chocolat. We are both vegetarian and the food was superb. We loved the freshly baked cake on our return from our hikes. Mark was a great leader and very knowledgeable about the area. Overall 10 out of 10 from us.

Fantastic Week

A really enjoyable, relaxing trip. Accommodation was excellent in all places, our guide Cecile was fantastic, Greek food is wonderful, and the walks were brilliant. Everything was well organized. I hadn’t been to the Greek Islands before, and this tour was the perfect introduction to this beautiful corner of the world. Santorini was overflowing with tourists (there were three cruise ships there when we arrived, and the chaos at the ferry terminal–which is not where the cruise ships go–was truly something to experience) but everyone should visit this stunning and unique island once in their lifetime. The walk on Santorini was incredibly beautiful (although hot–very little shade). Naxos and Paros were more laid back, also stunningly beautiful, and exactly what I dreamed the Greek islands might be like–I took SO many photos! You have some time to explore on your own. The walks are not difficult, and the pace matches the group–steady but no rush. You need sturdy walking shoes for sure, but not boots. If you often walk with a pole, bring it as paths are rocky and uneven in many places. You do spend a fair few hours on ferries but that’s part of getting around between islands, so bring a book and enjoy the experience. I’m sure all groups are different, but ours was a really nice mix of people from the UK, NZ, Australia, and the US, with a median age in the 50-65 range. If you’re even thinking about this trip, don’t hesitate–just book it.