Most Inspirational Moment
It's hard to pick just one moment - scenery was breath-taking and the whole experience has inspired us to start planning our next trip.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Chalet Chocolat
Lovely chalet about 20 mins walk from centre of Chamonix with easy access to buses & trains. Our hosts, Zohi & Ben were lovely and looked after us really well with a freshly baked cake waiting for our return each afternoon and some really tasty dinner menus. Essentially, nothing was too much trouble which goes for our walk leader; Jenny who inspired us all with her enthusiasm, knowledge and fitness. Fantastic holiday throughout which was over way too soon. Roll on next Exodus trip!
Perutastic
A great and very enjoyable trip with a very good guide / tour leader (Daniel). Such varied culture, food and scenery too. I felt like I learned and saw a lot. My one recommendation would be to make sure you read the trip notes carefully before you go / book. You cover a lot of ground (long distances) at times in order to and pack everything in. So there are some long travel days and plenty of early starts.
Most Inspirational Moment
The home stay with local family on an island in Lake Titicaca will stay with me for. A long time to come. Loved it.
Thoughts on Group Leader
A very good and very very knowledgable tour leader. Looked after us all very very well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long travel days, in order to cover so much ground and fit everything in - and plenty of early starts.
WONDERFUL TRIP!
A big thank you to Paul, Zohi & Ben from Chalet Chocolate and my fellow hikers who made this trip such a memorable holiday & a fun experience for us. Five days of good walking/ amazing views/ delicious food/ fun chat and a cosy chalet to return to every afternoon where Zohi’s freshly baked cake and tea would be waiting.
Ben & Zohi were wonderful hosts, nothing was too much trouble and the 3 course evening meals were a stand-out. There was plenty of time after a great days walking to rest, soak in the outdoor hot tub with a view up to Mt Blanc, eat more cake while you reviewed the days photos or nip to the local pub with your new friends!
Most Inspirational Moment
Too hard to pick just one. Every day we were rewarded with the most stunning views of Mt Blanc and the surrounding glaciers. I doubt I will ever have a hot chocolate as good as the one at Walter Benotti refuge on the Italian day. Lunch on our final day at the top of Col des Posettes looking at the cloud cover move through the valley was pretty spectacular.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Paul our guide was very knowledgable & approachable. He managed the various fitness levels and personalities of the group such that everyone felt included, each experienced their own personal satisfaction on the days hike whilst walking as a team.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Have a reasonable base fitness so you can manage the 2-3 hrs of climbing on most days. Do some hill walking or stair climbing. I had never used walking poles before and am now a convert. Save your knees and pack them.
?
The town of Moneglia was perfect. Picturesque and away from the crowds, with the same charm and beauty of the other cities.
The Piccolo Hotel facility was great and the staff was wonderful. Helpful and friendly people.
Our leader Paul was also very good. He was knowledgeable, kind, funny and truly interested in making sure that everyone on the trip had a great time.
The hikes were beautiful and a nice combination of challenging and relaxing. The train to and from each hike added to the interest of the hiking.
It was a great trip and great experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
The views were inspiring.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Paul was a great leader. He worked hard to insure that all members of the group felt good about the experience and he recognized that everyone has different skills and capabilities. Paul was engaging and interested in getting to know group members and was willing to go the extra mile to be sure that everyone was taken care of.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Parts of the hike were challenging so be prepared for uphills, stairs and narrow trails.
?
The town of Moneglia was perfect. Picturesque and away from the crowds, with the same charm and beauty of the other cities.
The Piccolo Hotel facility was great and the staff was wonderful. Helpful and friendly people.
Our leader Paul was also very good. He was knowledgeable, kind, funny and truly interested in making sure that everyone on the trip had a great time.
The hikes were beautiful and a nice combination of challenging and relaxing. The train to and from each hike added to the interest of the hiking.
It was a great trip and great experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
The views were inspiring.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Paul was a great leader. He worked hard to insure that all members of the group felt good about the experience and he recognized that everyone has different skills and capabilities. Paul was engaging and interested in getting to know group members and was willing to go the extra mile to be sure that everyone was taken care of.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Parts of the hike were challenging so be prepared for uphills, stairs and narrow trails.
Great trip!
Very good in spite of unseasonable weather for September. High winds cancelled ferries for several days. As a consequence we stayed only one night on Paros and missed Santorini entirely. But we got to know Naxos very well, and it is an island with plenty to do. it might have been frustrating, but leader Cecile Deltreil made superhuman efforts to keep us well occupied. Although we saw her frequently glued to her cell phone, she never seemed stressed out and explained changing arrangements in a way that kept us calm and happy. She was also an excellent guide on walks and in the towns we visited. If Cecile is typical of Exodus quality of service, it is an excellent company.
In general accommodation was good and food excellent. Cecile has friendly relations with lots of good restaurants.
I would certainly recommend this trip, and will be investigating other Exodus trips in future.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was all good. I especially enjoyed exploring the small viliages, and the museum in Naxos was a surprise - really good.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I praise Cecile Deltreil to the skies. She deserves a bonus for this trip and a raise!
Advice for Potential Travellers
A word of caution about "leisurely," a word subject to interpretation. The walks were not long, and there were stops for points of interest. But Greek islands are up and down, and in some cases footing was rocky. So the walking was easy for hikers of any level, but more challenging if you have any walking difficulties. ( I had broken my leg 4 months prior, and found the walks a bit hard. Again leader Cecile was wonderful in figuring alternative activities for me as needed.)
Hope you like churches and monasteries but skip the extension!
Fortunately, the multitude of ancient churches and monasteries were sited in spectacular scenery so even if they began to merge in your memory, it was worth it for the view! Armenia and Georgia are poor developing countries still coming to terms with their history and feeling like they are still not settled because of their neighbours. Both guides were excellent for their ability to give knowledgeable information about the countries and in their attention to detail and caring approach to the group. Lovely people!
I was very disappointed in the extension to Azerbaijan which was relatively expensive and, despite being billed as a 4 day extension, was really 2 days- day 1 was day 14 of the main trip with an overnight sleeper from Tbilisi which was uncomfortable, noisy and rattly stopping any chance of an adequate sleep. The land crossing took 2-3 hours in 2 parts in the middle of the night- a flight would have been better so that we could have arrived on ‘day 1’, had a nights sleep in a hotel and arisen refreshed for an intensive 2 day tour. Day 4 began at 1am when we had to leave for flights back to the UK. The hotel was very basic, only just adequate, and the guide was mediocre being more interested in decrying Armenia and Russia than in talking about Baku and the country. I would advise against taking this extension in its present form.
Most Inspirational Moment
Spectacular scenery and views of the snow capped Causcasus mountains at Gergeti Monastery after a hard slog up 480 metres to the site.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Georgia and Armenia guides were both great. Azerbaijan guide was not.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't bother with the Azerbaijan extension in its current form- see above.
The High Inca Trail - 7 day hike
Overall the trip was fantastic and surpassed our expectations. During the acclimatization, we explored Cusco and found it a wonderful and vibrant place, full of culture and life. The hike was amazing! Each day presented breathtaking scenery, from glacial mountains and lakes and fertile forest valleys. The food was way above what we expected. As a group we sat down to 3 courses each mealtime. With vegetarian and gluten options being prepared by the chefs at each meal. There was never any complaints about the food. We could not have asked for a better group to travel with, they certainly helped make the trip as good as it was.
Most Inspirational Moment
There are many highlights for us during the trip. Including; the dominating views of Salcantay. The climb up to and the views from Chiriasqua Pass. Likewise with Dead Women's Pass, the views at the top were breathtaking and worth the effort. After passing over Runcuray Pass the walk through the Cloud Forrest was invigorating and magical, as was the final campsite at Phuyupatamarca. But the most inspiration moment was arriving at the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu. The culmination of completing the hike & the views down onto Machu Picchu was an emotional moment.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader for the trip was Julio Llancay, who we became more of a friend than a guide during the trip. His knowledge of the Inca history and sites was fantastic. He had an excellent handle of the English language and a great sense of humour. We would rate Julio as the best guide we have had on all our trips. I also have to mention our assistant guide during the walk, Jhonny, who helped make the trip memorable. He has such a lovely demeanour about him, so happy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
My advice would be to ensure that you are prepared. Exodus grades this trip as Challenging, do not take this lightly. Combined with the effects of altitude and rate of ascent over the first couple of days. The trip notes are accurate but should read and considered.
Mount Toubkal 2018
The trip was well organised and everything went to plan. The travel and trek information and description was informative and correct. There were no unpleasant surprises.
I would personally rate the trek a 6 in difficulty due to the 8 hour trek on the first day and the 13 hour trek on summit day as well as the snow we encountered 700metres from the summit.
I would also like to say just how good our tour guide Larchen was. He was very friendly and extremely helpful and professional in every way. This really helped the actual trek run smoothly and made it so enjoyable
Most Inspirational Moment
Reaching the summit, a magical moment.
Thoughts on Group Leader
As stated above, Very very good.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Yes. Be prepared for very changeable weather, hot weather at the foot of the mountain, heavy rain and cold and snow on route to the summit during September. The Refuge will be very very basic, with no heating and limited power for lighting
Kilimanjaro Rongai Route 21/09
Second time of climbing Kilimanjaro and it didn’t disappoint. Glorious starscapes at night, changing scenery from jungle to lunar landscapes and then the snow encrusted peak.
This is a challenging hike on summit day but within most people’s abilities if you are reasonably fit.
Due to airline problems my luggage didn’t arrive, but luckily I had ultra essentials and warm kit in my daysack. Day before the summit a porter brought my luggage up to the camp so had an incredible surprise.
You may think you will lose weight on this trek, but the food is incredible and plentiful – but you will still eat lots of snacks on your trek too. You will use the energy
Most Inspirational Moment
Summit day reaching Uhuru Peak and seeing the joy in all the other members of the group. People found a new energy when reaching that small wooden sign
Thoughts on Group Leader
Makeke was great, naturally funny, always there with a joke or inspirational word when people were flagging and able to sort problems while reassuring everyone. He dealt with my missing luggage taking all the pressure off and also arranging extra waterbottles for some group members who only had camelbaks which might freeze.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack enough kit for summit day and extras in your daysack in case of airline problems and wear your boots to the airport. Take lots of snacks like cereal bars to eat on the trek, sharing a snack with your trekmates is a mainstay of the trip and handing one to someone looking tired can give them a boost. Wear layers over one or two bulky items, you can always remove a layer or add one. Most importantly put in a few mountain hikes before you go as you will enjoy it more with legs that aren't aching and shortness of breath. It is really about going slow and sustained pace.