Most Inspirational Moment
The reward of fabulous views after a hard traverse uphill to Creu de l’Eixol.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very good. Flexible in choosing appropriate routes for the group members.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Snowshoeing in the sun
The amazing weather meant that snow was fast disappearing, but our leader, Miguel, still found some excellent routes. There were some enjoyable snowshoeing challenges, and outstanding views of distant peaks.
Miguel also shared his passion for Catalonia and its history,food and wine.
Fantastic two weeks. I could have stayed longer!
This was my fifth trip to Dobbiaco, the first as an absolute beginner. The trip was as enjoyable as my first.
The first week was grade 3/4. The second was grade 2/3. A hard first week with long days. The second week was more relaxed with more time for a hot chocolate and a sauna on returning to the hotel.
Most Inspirational Moment
Skiing down the Kreuzburg Pass. A really interesting 5k snowplough.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz and Ingrid were both excellent as usual. A great combination of providing instruction at an appropriate level and good encouragement. They looked after the health and safety of the groups while at the same time encouraging the participants to stretch themselves. They are both relaxed and sociable: They are good to be around.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go for it! Dobbiaco is the ideal location for beginners with the Arena complex the ideal location to begin skiing safely. More advanced skiers can stretch themselves to their full ability in a variety of different locations. If you can manage go for two weeks. You will want to stay for longer as you become immersed in the culture of the area. Make sure you go for a hot chocolate in the cafe across the road from the hotel. My favourites were the white and the chilli versions.
Mt Toubkal Winter Climb
Really great trip. All the other people in the group were lovely. Scenery and food fantasic. Mountain accomodation basic but more than adequate. Toilets could be better though.
Most Inspirational Moment
Both main mountain days
Thoughts on Group Leader
Well organised and concerned for our safety.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Get some ice axe and crampon training and practice before the trip.
Mt Toubkal Winter Climb
Really great trip. All the other people in the group were lovely. Scenery and food fantasic. Mountain accomodation basic but more than adequate. Toilets could be better though.
Most Inspirational Moment
Both main mountain days
Thoughts on Group Leader
Well organised and concerned for our safety.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Get some ice axe and crampon training and practice before the trip.
Mt Toubkal Winter Climb
Really great trip. All the other people in the group were lovely. Scenery and food fantasic. Mountain accomodation basic but more than adequate. Toilets could be better though.
Most Inspirational Moment
Both main mountain days
Thoughts on Group Leader
Well organised and concerned for our safety.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Get some ice axe and crampon training and practice before the trip.
Not as expected
Having previously been on trips snowshoeing in winter in Finland and trekking in the French Pyrenees during the summer months, I had an expectation of a snow filled adventure on this holiday. Unfortunately we were unlucky to have no snow! On another trip, blue sky and sunshine would have been great but it was not what we were expecting.
To be fair, Miguel our guide did take the group snowshoeing on some ski resort pistes during the week and on the final day, after a bit of a drive, led us on a memorable trek through pine forests up to spectacular mountain views.
The Hotel Victor was nice, clean , comfortable with very friendly staff. The breakfasts were very good and there was a good choice of three courses for dinner in the evening.
Most Inspirational Moment
The best part of the trip was on the final day when we trekked through pine forests to a mountain refuge and the onwards up to a view point to see magnificent views on the distant peaks. The trip to the village of Sort to visit the jail where Allied Pilots etc escaped over the Pyrenees from France during WW2 was a moment for reflection.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Miguel is a very enthusiastic, knowledgeable guide. He was very organised and we always felt that we were safe and in good hands. He is very passionate about the Catalan people and his evening talks about the history of the region, way of life and flora and fauna were very interesting. He has a great sense of humour and the evening routine of translating the menu for the next days dinner from Catalan to English was always a good laugh. There is no doubt that his humour made up for the lack of snow.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do check a reliable site for the weather forecast for your trip and take the appropriate gear. Miguel will asses the fitness of the group on the first day and he will adapt the following hikes accordingly. Be honest with him if you find the first day hard. Our group of 8 were all experienced hikers and our treks were in the challenging range.
Snowshoeing versus global warming, perhaps?!
To state the obvious, snow is very much necessary on a trip such as this. So when the quantity is rather lacking and the quality is rather poor, the trip has the potential to disappoint. The departure date unfortunately coincided with a period of un-seasonably warm weather, such that the snow that had been present only a week or two before (see other reviews) had retreated well up the mountains. Although the group leader tried his best to find routes to make good use of our snowshoes, there was no way to produce the walks that I had anticipated.
For me, the setting at the edge of the Pyrenees, the nice family run hotel, an enthusiastic and entertaining group leader, the cheese and wine tasting, and a very agreeable group of eight of us couldn’t compensate for that lack of snow. There was probably some great walking that could be done under the circumstances, but understandably the group leader was keen to find opportunities for us to use our snowshoes, even where that involved the edges of ski runs and rather thin and icy snow.
From previous reviews, it’s clear that this trip usually delivers the expected experience. But my week in the Catalan Pyrenees was not usual – a week of full-on sunshine (great) that meant daytime temperatures in Dialp of up to 16C (not so great). And that was a pity.
My rating of the trip is therefore primarily based on the snow conditions.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the snowy peaks throughout the week would be the highlight. If pushed, then I’d say reaching the summit of the Espot mountains on day 4 was the most inspirational, with the views that were presented all around.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Miguel is friendly, keen for all in the group to have a good experience and works hard, and that included accompanying us for much of our free day. He looks to adapt the activities to the weather / snow conditions and to the abilities of the group. He was perhaps a little too keen to push us, recognising that we were a reasonably fit group. That pushing did have its rewards, but it would have been good to be more involved in the decision making. Miguel is very passionate about Catalonia and imparts information on a variety of topics in the evenings (a little too detailed for me, at times!).
Advice for Potential Travellers
Glorious quantities of snow are not guaranteed. Pack those layers – although in my case plenty of the winter clothing wasn’t required. You might wish to consider bringing more than the recommended 1 litre water bottle, given the time you'll be out and active - have both a flask and a bottle, perhaps. Take note of the activities detailed in the Trip Notes rather more than the general grading of a 3 (Moderate) activity level. There can be a significant amount of walking in snow and of elevation gain while doing so.
XC Skiing Norway
Really great trip thanks. Lovely location, excellent guides who were terrific hosts as well. I feel transformed physically and mentally after this fantastic break.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Ilsa's proud face as I skied down my first big slope
Thoughts on Group Leader
Amazing and inspiring
Advice for Potential Travellers
Come ready to be tired and happy at the end of each day
Trip from Johannesburg to Cape town
This was a very memorable trip which took in so much of South Africa’s wild life, past histories and south Africa as it is now. Our guides were excellent in their information about South Africa, the animals and the cultural and political shaping of South Africa. We traveled very long distances and experienced several game drives where we saw most of the larger animals including several close sightings of lions. Visits to Lesotho and Swaziland were a pleasant contrast to the seemingly more affluent and efficient South Africa. Rouke’s Drift visit brought the film Zulu to life, The landscape changed from fertile farm estates to scrub land and desert, everywhere though needed rain, they hadn’t had good rains for several years. We traveled by minibus and a larger more comfortable safari bus and the air-con didn’t work, so it was hot & tiring , however all the accommodation was different but comfortable and adequately equipped. Food was mainly very good.
Most Inspirational Moment
A horse ride in Lesotho through the villages. Seeing the penguins and a visit to Robben island to see and learn about Nelson Mandela's incarceration there.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader & driver for the 1st week tried hard to give us an enjoyable experience, however having not lead a trip to where we were travelling before, she and her driver were replaced in the 2nd week by excellent group leaders with fantastic knowledge of all aspects of the trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for very long drives, the roads are good but it is important to remember that this is Africa and things do not always go to plan! Take plenty of sun screen etc. enjoy all the experiences.
Discover Sri Lanka review
This is an enjoyable trip with a good variety of activities. If you have been to India before you will find Sri Lanka surprisingly different. If this is your first trip to the sub-continent it is an excellent introduction. We didn’t climb Adam’s Peak, but the other activities on the trip were all good, including the traditional Sri Lankan games that we had been apprehensive about, but which were great fun. The accommodation was generally good apart from the Giritale Hotel which is undergoing building work and our initial room was unfinished. At Nuwara Eliya the group didn’t stay at the Hill Club, but at the Mirage King’s Cottage, which was very pleasant and a little way out of town with lovely fresh air and gardens. The food on the trip was fine, we particularly liked the midday meal on the cycle ride day. Exodus arranged for the group to refill our water bottles from a large container on the minibus, which worked well and helped minimise plastic waste.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were a lot of good moments on the trip. The ones that particularly stand out are: climbing Lion Rock, white water rafting and the Temple of the Tooth ceremony. Also, we enjoyed the cave temples at Dambulla and the optional boat ride through mangrove swamps.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nalaka was a lovely chap who got everyone smiling. Douglas, our driver, and Amal, the Driver’s Assistant, were both excellent too. Nalaka was very caring and dealt with any issues promptly and effectively. He made us aware of the need to be courteous to hotel staff and the beach ladies at the Insight Resort; many of the staff are boys from local farms who are doing their best to be helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Insect repellent isn’t listed under Essential Equipment in the Trip Notes, but you need to take some. Binoculars aren’t listed either, and these are very useful for the wildlife trips. Horton Plains: the walk is harder than it sounds, it’s partly on uneven ground and involves some ascents and descents. We were fine, but a couple of people in our group really struggled and ended up missing lunch and nearly missing the train too. Whale watching: we paid a bit extra to have a private boat just for the group and this was well worth it. The boat pitches and rolls quite a lot out once out at sea and we recommend you take sea sickness pills. The cycle ride was good fun, easy going on level ground, but do take time at the start to find a bicycle that suits you both in the height and length of frame – some are more adjustable than others. Lastly, we found some of the hotel bathroom and shower floors were very slippery – take care!