Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I was most pleased by my cycling performance. I am 70 and due to have my hip replaced in September. So I was very chuffed by the strong performance I put in on all of the hills. Didn't get off and push on any of them!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Leadership of our group was equally shared by two men: Michele Zucca and Michele Queresimin. I have nominated both of them for the Leader of the Year Award because they were superb and equally deserving of that award. They worked their socks off to make sure that our holiday was successful, from start to finish. Very sociable and humorous. Made sure that we stuck to our well-planned and interesting itinerary. Kept us safe and sound, by giving timely warnings of "dangerous, busy roads ahead" , coming steep descents etc. Very much alive to our possible needs and requirements. Always offering choices and possibilities. To think of what it would have been like to do this holiday without them (self guided?) is too horrible to consider.

Most Inspirational Moment

Taking the scramble to the summit of Mancondiu on the last day, and the Cares Gorge in fantastic weather (OK we were lucky there!).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alvaro is a true star. A local, with a fantastic knowledge of the Picos mountains, and a true dedication to protecting and preserving an area he truly loves. The only guide I've met with the ability to treat each of 16 people as an individual rather than just another visitor, Combine that with a great sense of humour and what more can you wish for?

Advice for Potential Travellers

Watch the weather. It can be very variable and changes rapidly.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding through the gates of Siena. A city full of incredible history.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Radu and Liz were great. We enjoyed their humor, hints and tips and care they put into making it a great trip. Very good friendly competition on who could make the best picnic lunch. I'm sure the jury is still out.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely make this on your "to do" list! It is well worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through starlight and reaching Stella Point as the sun was rising is something I will never forget. A quick pitstop of a cup of tea and Dairy Milk made the final push to Uhuru Peak that much easier and dare I say, enjoyable! Climbing the Barracho Wall and the kissing wall was also fantastic, daunting in parts and a different challenge but another amazing part of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Head Guide, Makeke, from the African Walking Company was fantastic. Makeke and his team made everything run smoothly, nothing was too much trouble. They played a massive part of making our trip genuinely amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely hire an Exodus sleeping matt, very padded and comfy. Take some shoes to wear in the evening, that are easy to put on at night when you need to do a night time loo run. A metal water bottle can double up as a fab hot water bottle at night.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the climb up Hai Van Pass (in 39 degrees heat and high humidity!), super descent, a cycle around the stunning bay to a fabulous restaurant on stilts, followed by a cycle to the hotel door. I also enjoyed the food markets, the encouragement from children waving to us on the route, and the occasional close encounter with water buffalo!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chi was a very capable and informative leader. He helped create a good atmosphere despite our exceptionally small group (due to some cancellations). He took us to some great places to eat that we never would have found as independent travellers. The Vietnamese language is not easy to pick up and the culture is so different - a local guide really makes the difference for this trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need USD - Dong is fine and there are lots of ATMs. Pack double the SD cards, sun tan lotion/after sun that you think you need. If you are fair skinned June is a challenging time to travel - our local guide told us that Jan-March is cooler which isn't particularly clear from the trip notes. I took anti-UV arm sleeves which were brilliant (local guides also wore similar to protect their skin) and on occasion wore my three quarter length cycle shorts. Also don't forget insect repellent, particularly for dusk on the first night in Saigon. The hotels were a much better standard than previous Exodus cycling trips. All rooms had kettles and tea bags.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hikes in Paklenica National Park and on the island of Brac - the scenery was stunning. I also loved Dubrovnik.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zeljko was absolutely brilliant in every way: friendly, charming and fun, great company, a very experienced leader and hiker and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the country, as well as the local flora and fauna. He made everything so interesting and enjoyable for us. Everything went 100% smoothly thanks to his perfect organisation. I fell in love with Croatia thanks to Zeljko and look forward to visiting the country again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do go on this tour, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! The hiking was not difficult, it was interesting and varied, and the visits to Dubrovnik and Split were perfectly timed. There was a bit of travelling during the week but it meant we saw a large area of the coast, two major towns and the glorious National Park.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing all the walks, so being able to appreciate the stunning views. On a personal level, our fantastic leader Željko encouraged me to get over my fear of heights

Thoughts on Group Leader

Željko. An amazing leader, and a very knowledgeable and interesting man. He personally ensured every member of the group was looked after, especially those who had some difficulties.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Croatia is a beautiful country, and this trip gives a great opportunity to see some of the Dalmatian coastline. The walking involves quite a lot of fairly steep ascents and descents, but the views are well worth it. Dubrovnik is not to be missed...the old town is beautiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views from Golica, on the Austrian border, and Brda, just below mount Triglav, and the day trip to Ljubljana via bus on the way out and train on the way back.

Thoughts on Group Leader

David and Ales were very experienced leaders and both had a relaxed approach with an ideal (dry) sense of humour. Excellent leaders.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking poles can be useful on the steeper climbs and descents.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being struck by the fact that we were treading in the footsteps of pilgrims through the ages. That these were ancient routes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose Manuel was determined that we would ALL finish the trek and enter Santiago together and enjoy the whole experience because it WAS meant to be a holiday. He was very conscientious, friendly and diplomatically dealt with our various problems such as blisters, pace and stamina. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the region. Organised our snack, lunch and evening breaks. Kept checking that we were coping with the distances walked.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure that you spent time getting used to regular long walks before you go. You will spent a lot of time on your feet in between breaks and the pace is reasonably fast. Take a couple of pairs of light walking boots ,walking shoes or good trainers to change into so that you don't wear the same footwear everyday. Tackle any discomfort STRAIGHT AWAY. One of our group lost a small toenail by the 2nd day and had 12 blisters by the 3rd! Changing socks at lunch-time was also a good idea.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk to San Gimignano was one of our longest walks. It was very hot that day and it seemed to be a long way in the distance with more ups and downs. But it was a real sense of achievement to arrive at this famous medieval town and enter through the gateway as the pilgrims would have done. Much better than simply being driven there. After a few hours of free time we enjoyed a delicious wine tasting with a platter of pecorino cheeses, bruschetta, bread and olive oil. Liz organised a picnic on the first day of walking which was a real treat

Thoughts on Group Leader

Liz was excellent. She was extremely well-organised, had fantastic local knowledge and went over backwards to support members of our group even on her time off! A real inspiration.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am pretty fit and enjoyed the walking but would recommend a few practice walks before hand to cope with the up and downhill terrain. I was pleased that I had taken my walking boots as I was grateful for the ankle support on the downhill sections which were very rocky in places. The dinners in the Farmhouse were lovely but be prepared for 4 course meals!