Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a number of substantial hill climbs that were very tough at times. The inspirational moments were when I would look around rather than focussing on the road and I was greeted by the amazing Croatian coast line.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader Kristo was excellent. I'd like to nominate him for a leader of the year. Krsto was very relaxed, he would tell us when and where we needed to be, where we were riding for the day so we all understood. My only feedback would be to come down on people a bit harder when they were late. Krsto seemed well known everywhere we went and so we were always looked after. The effort Krsto put into the trip really made the trip for us

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip is rated moderate, however there are some tough days with challenging hill climbs, do not go on this tour if you are not a regular rider. I loved it because I love riding and I loved the hills as they were a challenge for me and I knew I had earnt my drink at the end of the day. That said there are options to take the bus if you don't think you have the fitness so that is a good option available to all riders. The days are quite long, riding by 9, back at the hotel by 6 or a bit before out to dinner by 730/8 pm. The dinners are a wonderful opportunity to taste the local food, most places had fresh fish in everyday which was wonderful. Dinners did go for a long time and we'd usually leave by 1030/11 pm. There isn't that much time to do your own thing, it really is a group environment, but that did make the trip enjoyable as you got to meet new people and get to know them. If you are after an active tour and want to see the sights of the Croatian coast then this is an excellent tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing some challenging climbs, and once at the top enjoying some terrific views of the Dalmatian coast with newly found friends.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely terrific. Nice guy, a good leader on the road, and a good leader in the evenings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If your not 100% sure whether this type of holiday is your thing, take the plunge as most likely you'll be left wondering why you didn't go before now.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many good features of this holiday that it is impossible to pick out one moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oustanding: calm, boyish charm makes him an excellent leader.  Also picked out some very good restaurants to take us to at lunchtime and in the evenings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get yourself on this trip if you can as there will be few better trips.  If you are a particularly fit cyclist have a week at a gentler pace because the scenery is spectacular and the weather is almost certain to be good.  If you are put off by the "Moderate" label try and get some practice in so you can feel comfortable booking yourself on to this trip.  The longest distance was about 55 km so it is not so far.  The hills are long rather than steep but you can always ride in the minibus and skip the long hills if they are too much for you.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved all the different bits.  The island of Hvar was very pretty as was Miljet.  Loved the 2 longer days on the bike which are the first 2 days.  Great to see Dubrovnik after all the restoration too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very calm, capable and great company.  Kept the group together despite differing ability levels. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try some off roading before you go so you are confident on different surfaces.

Most Inspirational Moment

The cycling

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Highly organised- so no waiting around . Very safety conscious.  Extreemely caring

Most Inspirational Moment

        There is just so much on this vacation to inspire one,there is just too much to list but cycling along tracks & quiet roads in open country side through olive groves is a truly lovely experience.Cycling from Dingac along the coast was just so scenic.It was a nice touch being taken to small villages off the beaten track to enjoy meals prepared by the local people who are just so pleasant.The other 5 people I met up with on this holiday were a lovely crowd which put the iceing on the cake.

Thoughts on Group Leader

         Bojan our tour leader was not only just a wonderful guide he was a friend.He looked after everybody every step of the way & was concerned for everybodies welfare.He has great communication skills  & was just so nice to have around,he recommended places to eat & really enjoyed socialising with all us holiday clients.

Advice for Potential Travellers

        The only advice I would say to anybody going on this type of vacation is that although you don,t need to be an olympian athlete,you do need a good level of fitness to benefit & fully enjoy this holiday.I found in April the temperature can range from chilly to quite warm & there is more of a risk of rain off season. I was fortunate that it never rained at any time when I was cycling.

Most Inspirational Moment

The island of Mljet trip is not to be missed. That was a superb day out! Also the cycle on the last day we biked through some incredible scenery..     

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic Leader. Ana was fun, informative and extremely well organised. She knows the bike routes and ferry times and made sure we managed our time properly! Also there were no hassles with the bikes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get your fitness levels up and practice biking on hilly routes. You will really enjoy the trip much more!Also be aware that you will be spending a lot of time in a group situation with strangers. If that is not to your liking, this may not be the right kind of trip for you. We we fortunate as we had a great group of people and a superb leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

The sweeping roads by the sea

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't assume "moderate" doesn't involve some tough sections!

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip to Mljet.  A very pretty place so take advantage of this day trip - not to be missed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ana was a great tour leader.  Very knowledgeable and professional.  She was supportive of all reglardless of their fitness level and those with quirky fears (I am a complete scardey cat when it comes to cycling down very steep hills).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get some cycling training in as it's tougher than it's advertised as being.  Perhaps attend some spinning classes.  I really enjoyed it but others struggled. Also the beaches are mostly pebbles and stones, so bring appropriate footwear for walking into the water.

Most Inspirational Moment

The best cycling day was definatly the last - the downhill coastal path was breathtaking, and we stopped for photos so many times that we missed lunch! However, my personal highlight was when we were joined by a pod of dolphins in the water on the ferry crossing from Hvar to the mainland - absolutely brilliant watching them jump playfully in the water around the boat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bojan is new to Exodus and did a great job organising and motivating such a diverse group of people. He was great fun, very sociable and was up to the challenges of games of tennis and ping-pong laid down by various members of the group (and he always won, I warn you now). He's also pretty good at eating ice-cream too, and you can be assured he'll point out the best places in town.  His sense of humour was fantastic, and he seemed to really understand how to get the best out of each cyclist, offering the right amount of support to help us all achieve our full cycling potential.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Looking back on the trip, overall I would say that it was fantastic, and I have come home with a great desire to visit the Dalmatian Coast again. The beaches and islands are absolutely beautiful, and cycling gives you the opportunity to explore the less well travelled paths (such as the coastal path on the last day). However, I would say that a few of us found that we were slightly unprepared for the level of fitness required for some of the more "undulating" routes! The first day includes a 10km uphill stretch, and if that doesn't mean that much to you (as it didn't to me before I went) then it means peddling uphill continuously for a very long time!! I certainly wasn't fit enough for it, and walked part of the way (and I wonder whether this climb ought to be removed from the trip) The second day also has a pretty long uphill stretch, which was very tough going in the heat, with a head wind - I guess I would advise you to carefully consider the time of year that you go, do some training beforehand to get the most enjoyment out of your holiday and, for the novices amoungst you, I would advise learning a little bit about how to work with your gears and how to maximise your efficeincy when cycling on very "undulating" terrain. But when cycling along the coast, every "up" must have its "down" and the downhill stretches were absolutely amazing. As for other practical details: wear layers on the jounrney out to Croatia - it was about 8 degrees when I left my home in the morning, and about 28 degrees as we wandered round Split in the evening, so you want to make sure you're dressed for both! ATMs were widely available and we ended up spending about 50 kuna on lunch, and 100 kuna on dinner (minus drinks). (Ice cream was only 8 kuna!!). Other advice - wear lots of sun-screen and you don't need a water-back-pack (all the bikes have a water bottle holder). Consider isotonic sports drinks if going in the summer, as we ended up drinking huge amounts of water and yes - people did wear padded cycling shorts! Charging cameras and phones was not a problem, so go wild with your photos (and don't forget to look out for the dolphins on the crossing!)