Most Inspirational Moment
Views were amazing. Fun banter with the group
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jenn was a good leader and tried her best to accomodate all the people of varying fitness and hiking ability
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Mont Blanc C'est magnifique
Generally it was a fun trekking trip.
Everyone in the group were pleasant and enjoyable to be with. However, there was a large discrepancy in hiking fitness level so daily hikes were rather slow and sometimes shortened as a result.
Food was excellent.
Accommodation was comfortable and spacious. Only negative was location which was far out from town centre Chamonix. Wasn’t feasible to just go to town for an hour or so before dinner.
Public transport in Chamonix over-crowded as the bus/train service was insufficient.
Amazing 10 days
This is a busy trip but gives you the highlights of this beautiful country. We went to the cities and the countryside. We enjoyed some fabulous food and the people were really friendly.
Most Inspirational Moment
This is really difficult as there were lots of inspirational moments. But Halong Bay and Hoi An were 2 of them. The trip to the tunnels and the war museum was thought provoking and made you realise the impact of the war and that it is really still very recent.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Hung was brilliant - very knowledge, organised but flexible. He was great fun and led our group well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is busy trip so be prepared for some busy days and lack of sleep especially at the start of the trip.
Family Adventure
This was an excellent family holiday to a magnificent and inspirational country full of adventure opportunities and wonderful wildlife. Our tour guide, Hector, was excellent and very knowledgeable.
There was a lot of travelling, but the destinations were worth the time spent travelling. It was the wet season, but the rain didn’t cause any real difficulties or stop the planned activities.
Accommodation was good, mainly in lodges, and the food everywhere was better than expected from the guide books.
The wildlife is amazing and generally so close to hand.
Most Inspirational Moment
Probably the turtles laying eggs at night time, although the scenery, the oceans and the wildlife are all inspirational.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour guide, Hector, was excellent, very knowledgeable, good English, gave us options to consider, and dealt with the few problems that arose very well. He made sure that we did as much as we wanted, gave good commentaries and has very good knowledge of the birds, animals and insects. He was very patient with the children. The two drivers we had were also professional and drove safely.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A great family holiday, the children of various ages all got on well together, but the humidity can make drying clothes almost impossible. However the laundry services offered by the hotels were generally cheap and quick.
Amazing Albania!
This trip is a perfect introduction to the beauty and culture of Albania combining the cultural highlights of Tirana and Berat as well as the walking in the Albanian Alps.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the wild flower meadows around Valbone and seeing the wide array of colours as well as bufferflies, wild orchids and reaching the snow level!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ed was brilliant! He was clearly passionate about his country and wanted to impart the history, culture, food and drink and all other aspects of Albanian life on us.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be open-minded. Albania felt incredibly safe, it's people friendly and countryside delightful. Try the local Raki. Each area produces it's own variety but beware it's very strong!
Picturesque places, lush landscape and beautiful bears.
A great way to spend the week, walking in the countryside, seeing many sites with fantastic architecture and cute bears doing their thing in the wild.
Most Inspirational Moment
Watching the bears in the wild from our bear hide and seeing how they play, eat and look out for each other. Also the visit to sanctuary was interesting, but sad to hear how those bears had been treat in their earlier years before being rescued from their previous owners. I also enjoyed the long walk along the canyon and the visit to Dracula's castle.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and always had an answer for every question asked. He also made sure every one's needs were catered for. He also knows the area very well. His assistant Sebi was also helpful and friendly and knows the area well too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you have a good pair of walking boots, plenty of water and waterproof gear.
An amazing adventure!
Wow – we packed so much in – three holidays in one; the Amazon, Inca Trail and Lake Titicaca including incredible wildlife, landscapes, culture and history. The itinerary was full on but we were expertly guided by Smithy who looked after our group so well. The icing on the cake was the group we were with – what a wonderful bunch of people we shared this amazing adventure with!
The kit list is a good guide and a battery for charging your electronics is a must.
Most Inspirational Moment
It is hard to pick one - for me reaching the top of Dead Woman's Pass - it was quite a climb and of course getting to the Sun Gate and our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Another 'moment' would be stopping in a lay-by en route to Puno and being invited to dance with the locals as they celebrated opening up a new roadside market - a breathless encounter at 4335m! So many beautiful sunrises and sunsets in beautiful landscapes.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Smithy, was outstanding and he is one of the reasons our trip was so amazing. He was attentive, knowledgeable, caring and nothing was too much trouble, all with a wonderful sense of humour. He instilled confidence in us all and we all felt reassured that 'Smithy would sort it' when things did not go to plan!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read the trip notes and then be prepared to enjoy the adventure.
Mountains, woodland, meadows
I was surprised how green “Green Spain” is. On landing I thought it looked more like Austria, and this resemblance persisted. It had been rainy before we went and the woodland paths were quite muddy. There are brown cows with cow bells (very docile) and a lot of goats (very friendly).
Our week was hot and humid so on the last day we set off at 8am instead of the normal 9am.
The area is very peaceful, but there are few way-marked trails so it was useful to have a guide.
On the free day we chose to go to the coast. The beach at Poo (yes it is called Poo) is stunning – lovely soft golden sand and restaurants overlooking the beach. We were less impressed with Llanes – it is OK and the icecreams from the van the group are picked up at are superb (and huge! – save room for one) but given how nice the beach at Poo is we would probably spend more time there if it is a nice day.
The hotel has a nice garden to sit out in with stunning views of the mountains (sometimes hidden in mist, sometimes clear against blue sky). The hotel staff are very organised. The bar is a nice place to hang out after walks or before dinner.
The food is very tasty. There is a small appetiser, a soup, a main and a pudding. Our only thought to improve this would be more vegetables with some of the main courses (e.g. the pork is the best ever – it is so tender – but it was served up with just one carrot along with Dauphinoise potatoes). Cutting out the appetisers would save a lot of work serving and washing up for what is a small thing. The beef curry bomb was very popular with the group – highly recommended! The prawn curry was a bit too fancy with a couple of whole prawns and my husband would have preferred a proper big bowl of prawn curry and rice rather than have to mess about dissecting his dinner. The hake with little clams on the last day was excellent. Every meal was very tasty and well cooked.
Most Inspirational Moment
The peaks and views have to be the highlight for me, and being above the clouds is always lovely.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nacho was kind and gentle, and I enjoyed his sense of humour. He was very patient and made sure everyone had a good time. He was a good coach when it came to learning some basic scrambling on the last day, and all the tougher bits were optional.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack insect repellent and Anthisan, or similar. Some of our group got bitten by horseflies because of the humidity. You might want to take an umbrella to use as a sunshade - our guide Nacho used one most days. Nacho recommended "Aquarius" - a rehydration drink I had not heard of before. it is very refreshing.
From the mountains to the sea - a thouroughly enjoyable trip
This was our first time doing any sort of cycling holiday and I chose Exodus based on the reviews of other people and it didn’t disappoint.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery was amazing, from the Mountains and Lakes in the north, down to the canals of Venice. Also it was great to see the camaraderie grow within the group, from total strangers at the beginning of the trip to good friends at the end.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader, Martino, was excellent. He has a huge knowledge of the region and always gave us an extra little tour around any of our destinations. He also offered the chance to do some extra miles with a couple of early morning rides before breakfast. They were certainly worth doing as you saw things that were not on the normal itinerary.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This trip was rated as moderate and I would agree with this. Just be prepared for some days to be both moderately easy and moderately hard in places.
Stunning snow topped Andes
Peru is a wonderful country with its varied landscapes and diverse cultures. Nothing can quite prepare you for the stunning vistas in the Andes and the once in a lifetime experience of the Inca trail, culminating at the Sun Gate and that first view of Machu Picchu. All this led by our outstanding guide Bobby and shared with a lovely group of people. A BIG thank you.
Most Inspirational Moment
Undoubtedly that first view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate after 4 strenuous but amazing days on the Inca trail. It was quite an emotional experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
What a legend Bobby is! THE most fantastic guide, who shared his passion and knowledge of his country and immersed us into its heart and cultures throughout the trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Read the trip notes carefully 2. Get yourself physically fit for the trek which I personally believe is higher than the moderate level 3 graded by Exodus. 3. Altitude will have an affect! 4. There are long drives but the scenery is always extraordinary and do help you acclimatise to the altitude. 5. Days were pleasantly warm but the nights very cold particularly on the trek and in Cusco, so layers are essential.. 6. It is worth taking the optional extra flight over the Nazca lines to fully appreciate the extent of the carvings.
Coastal secrets of Costa Rica
I had booked this trip to celebrate “big birthdays” for both me and my daughter, so my expectations were high and this fantastic holiday exceeded my expectations. Walking in the rainforest and cloudforest and sailing in the mangrove swamps was magical and thanks to the sharp eyes of our guide we saw at very close range howler and capuchin monkeys, two and three fingered sloths, poison dart frogs, blue jean frogs, transparent frogs, crocodiles, caiman, lizards, basilisks, snakes (the yellow eyelash viper was stunningly beautiful seen through our guide’s telescope), green turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, hummingbirds, anteater, racoons, coatis, scarlet macaws, parakeets, heron, egrets and lots more. It was a safari! We experienced the diversity of the ecology and cultures of Costa Rica while avoiding the touristy areas. The eco-lodges varied from good to excellent and all had air conditioning to ensure a good night’s sleep. The food was excellent and special diets were well catered for. We were warmly welcomed wherever we went. There was quite a lot of travelling in our air conditioned minibus but the journey was made more interesting by the guide’s stories about the local area and frequent stops to sample local fruit at the side of the road , eating in family run restaurants where you could watch the birdlife at the same time, or stopping to see archaeological remains such as the stonospheres. If you want to experience the great outdoors in the tropics and fall exhausted but happy into a comfy bed at the end of every day, this is the holiday for you.
Most Inspirational Moment
There was something inspirational every day so it's impossible to name just one. Sailing alongside a family of humpback whales was awe-inspiring. Hearing the calls of howler monkeys in the early hours of the morning. Seeing and hearing scarlet macaws while walking to get breakfast. Watching monkeys watching us. Sitting in the hotel garden in the cloudforest and being dive-bombed by hummingbirds. The exhilarating sail to Drake Bay across the waves where the mangrove swamps meet the pacific. Snorkelling off Cano island and seeing so many colourful fish, turtles and a white-tipped shark.
Thoughts on Group Leader
If Johnny Villalobos had not already won the Exodus guide of the year, I would be nominating him! His knowledge of nature, wildlife, history and his country was exemplary and he imparted his knowledge in an interesting and entertaining way. He clearly loves his job. Johnny was sensitive to the group's needs, was very flexible in accommodating people's requests, and never lost an opportunity to give us an impromptu experience of real Costa Rica. He was highly respectful of wildlife and ecological issues. Johnny went the extra mile for us and regularly put on extra walks or experiences on his own initiative that were not listed in the trip notes. He was also quietly observant of individual's needs : when I was dehydrated and a bit seasick he arrived at my door with a jug of coconut water after finding the fresh coconuts in the lodge garden himself. A thoroughly decent and modest man. Thank you Johnny for a fantastic holiday that was fun and mind-broadening.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A waterproof poncho is probably more comfortable in the (hot) rain than the waterproof breathable jacket I wear in the UK. Dry bags to line your day rucksack and for cameras are useful. Drink LOADS more water than you think you need as its very easy to get dehydrated. Take earplugs if you don't want to be woken by howler monkeys in the early hours of the morning (or just enjoy the experience). Expect to have wildlife in the lodges and remember we're in their habitat not vice-versa. Don't keep food in your room unless you want a close encounter with ants! There's no need to take food supplies for a vegan or wheat free diet as the lodges always have options. Don't buy chocolate souveniers to bring home at the start of the holiday as it will be heat damaged after 2 weeks! The best mozzie protection is to cover up and just spray the exposed bits with Deet 50%; even then, be prepared to get a few bites sometimes. Be wary of traffic in San Hose...it does not stop for pedestrians! Take the opportunity to see the National Museum, the Jade Museum and the market.