Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving in Syracuse, Ortygia Island, simply stunning

Thoughts on Group Leader

From day 1 of meeting Davide, it was clearly apparent that he is so very passionate about his role as leader and his total professionalism shone through. He took great care for the safety and well being of all the guests from start to finish with clear advice, instructions and guidance for cycling in this area. His knowledge and expertise not only for the area but the ancient history and cultures and many other facts is impressive and together with his stories and idioms- all made for the most interesting holiday. His love of cooking and food was an added bonus as the activities he arranged for us included a fun pasta and bread making session, and we visited many interesting restaurants for some fantastic food. There is no doubt about the amount of time, effort and research Davide has put into making sure all the guests have the best holiday possible This was my very first Exodus adventure and I felt extremely happy with the whole experience, I had the best holiday and smiled all the way home. Resulting from this experience I am now about to book my next adventure - with Exodus- as I feel confident of the standards to expect although Davide has set the bar very high, he is a total superstar and deserves recognition for all of his hard work … well done Davide !

Advice for Potential Travellers

Amazing countryside, stunning Baroque architecture, fabulous food, what’s not to like …

Suggestions

Sicily will stay in my heart forever …

Most Inspirational Moment

Chatting with the other group members who had all been on many other Exodus cycling holidays and hearing about their great adventures ….

Thoughts on Group Leader

From day 1 of meeting Davide, it was clearly apparent that he is so very passionate about his role as leader and his total professionalism shone through. He took great care for the safety and well being of all the guests from start to finish with clear advice, instructions and guidance for cycling in this area. His knowledge and expertise not only for the area but the ancient history and cultures and many other facts is impressive and together with his stories and idioms- all made for the most interesting holiday. His love of cooking and food was an added bonus as the activities he arranged for us included a fun pasta and bread making session, and we visited many interesting restaurants for some fantastic food. There is no doubt about the amount of time, effort and research Davide has put into making sure all the guests have the best holiday possible This was my very first Exodus adventure and I felt extremely happy with the whole experience, I had the best holiday and smiled all the way home. Resulting from this experience I am now about to book my next adventure - with Exodus- as I feel confident of the standards to expect although Davide has set the bar very high, he is a total superstar and deserves recognition for all of his hard work … well done Davide !

Advice for Potential Travellers

Amazing countryside, stunning Baroque architecture, fabulous food, what’s not to like …

Suggestions

Sicily will stay in my heart forever …

Most Inspirational Moment

An evening with the Navajo, learning their history and experiencing their culture

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great, she is one of the best guides I have had, and worked very hard to ensure that everyone had a great experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a great holiday, America isn't cheap but the views and experience is worth it.

Suggestions

There are some long drives to get to the locations, but it is worth the effort.

Most Inspirational Moment

Memorable moments rather than inspiring was eating fresh mulberries at our lunchtime stop, who could forget our very cheery host. Watching fireflies was brilliant. The Temples etc at Paestum was amazing

Thoughts on Group Leader

Paolo, what a great leader, lots of interesting information pitched at the right time with the right amount of detail, really helped to make the holiday full and terrific. The bike support was excellent .

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the 680 steps up to and then back down from Buffavento Castle and being rewarded by the fantastic views, seeing only 4 other people on that climb, in fact maybe the whole day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gizer was patient, helpful and knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. He provided us with a detailed history of Northern Cyprus with lots of other information and arranged some very tasty meze meals. He found a Chameleon and a Blunt-nosed Viper for us too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need to be fit. Wear walking boots and long trousers for walks through the scrub. Take an extra water bottle as the hotel provides a glass bottle of water with the packed lunch which added to the weight.

Suggestions

The optional excursion to Famagusta is definitely worth it and the last day at Nicosia was also very interesting. Toilets there are still 5 Lira!

Most Inspirational Moment

Final day of biking with several moderate hill climbs and ocean views

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armando was always always organized, prepared, joyful and funny, and knowledgeable about restaurants and local culture. His support guides were equally happy and helpful throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking into the cathedral at Monreale and seeing the stunning mosaics was a standout moment. The Roman villa near Piazza Armerina is pretty special too. Selinunte: standing alone among wild flowers and grasses looking up at the honey-coloured stones of a Greek temple glowing against an intensely blue sky.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tiziano was brilliant! He is an experienced tour leader, yet his enthusiasm for Sicily, its food and culture is undimmed. He was great company and made sure everything worked well. He coped well with a couple of birthdays and one member of our group who became ill. He also included some additional stops at places of interest, which broke up longer journeys and added to the itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is an excellent trip. Take comfortable, light walking shoes. May is a good time to visit; not too hot and the flowers are in bloom, although be prepared for some variable weather. Sicily’s towns are often built on hills and there are many steps to negotiate – if you have a problem with these this may not be the tour for you, although they are a good opportunity to work off some of the calories gained from the lovely Sicilian food! We had plenty of opportunity to try a wide range of dishes. Be aware that portions are large and two courses are usually sufficient (antipasti and primi, or primi and secondi). The archaeological museum in Siracusa is a long walk away, confusingly laid out and quite boring. Worth missing. Some of the smaller museums (e.g., on Mozia) were better.

Suggestions

As there aren’t many places to eat in Piazza Armerina it would be a good idea to organise a group meal for the second night – on our trip everyone booked the same restaurant (La Locanda) separately which caused a certain amount of chaos as the table had to be expanded several times, although they coped admirably and the food was excellent! More time on Mozia would be good, allowing people time to explore the whole island and have time for lunch.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele

Suggestions

Michele was amazing! He worked very hard to give us the best experience, rearranging the itinerary according to the weather and train schedules. Provided us with many options to suit our individual needs. Really cared about us having a great vacation! Couldn’t have asked for better.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our first view of the Sassi in Matera

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marion was an excellent leader who ensured all members of our group had the best time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Unless you have an early departure you will not have time to do the activities described on Day 1. Check what type of adapter is needed for Italy.

Suggestions

A reminder just before the final balance was due would have been useful - either to all party members or just the party leader. Information as to the type of adapter required - 3 round pins.

Most Inspirational Moment

The fabulous wild flowers, swimming in the Kravica Waterfalls, getting in amongst the alleys of all the old towns; but the trip to Lukomir up in the hills was amazing. Many miles on very bumpy dirt track ending at the village with spectacular views of the gorge and a great lunch was breath-taking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lorenc. Sorry, I don't know his surname. his is the most polite, caring leader you could wish for. We were also accompanied by Dina who is a guide already, but not for this trip - she was learning about it. Her knowledge of the history was great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are very interested in the history of this conflict I suggest you read up on it first. A couple of the guides were OK, but did not give as much information as they could have. A good overview was achieved.

Suggestions

Some of the guides of the cities could have given more detail and taken us to more places.