Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The second full day walking through the vineyards, having a cold beer (do try some Italian beer as well as prosecco!) overlooking the hills followed by the fascinating and beautiful winery tour and tasting. The lady who ran it was hugely knowledgeable and warm. Day two is a perfect day. Also Venice on the free day, I still can hardly believe I've been to Venice now, it was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bob was immense. The group was more diverse in terms of ability and expectations than I thought it would be and he dealt with resulting challenges calmly and professionally. His knowledge of the area and history added a huge amount to the walks and the sheer amount of information he provided for the free day was amazing, it made it so much easier and took any potential stress out of the day, I just did what Bob suggested, job done!

Advice for Potential Travellers

As always, read the reviews and the trip notes carefully. Exodus will never be able to win with the ratings, but the clue is in the title, there are hills involved, but only moderately. If you never walk at home you'll find it a little hard, if you scale Munros then the walking will be easy and you'll be there for the scenery, company food and wine. A couple of the restaurants struggled a bit with the concept of vegetarianism for the 3rd course where they would usually have meat which is a shame in an area with such beautiful produce that so much went to waste, and when we had so much lovely food in the other courses that we didn't need 4 anyway! It would almost be worth seeing if your leader can negotiate not to have the 3rd course (or in one case Bob asked for a simple omelette which was lovely.)

Most Inspirational Moment

Finding a Prosecco vending machine on the side of a hill in the middle of nowhere. Italians have their priorities right!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bob knew the area very well and outlined each day in great detail beforehand, so we knew what to expect. We had a free day in Venice at the end of the tour too (as our flights were coming back in the evening rather than the usual morning flight) and he went above and beyond the call of duty, taking us to Venice airport, putting our luggage into storage, then getting us a return bus ticket into Venice, before accompanying us there and showing us to the water taxi.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for vast amounts of food at the hotel! The chef is a lovely old guy in his 80s who seems to see it as his duty to come and pile more food onto your plate at every opportunity. As most meals are 3-4 courses, there's no reason for seconds!

Most Inspirational Moment

The walking planned and led by Bob and the visit to Treviso with a great local guide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As already mentioned above, Bob was everything which a good leader should be. He knew and led the walks well, was always attentive and helpful, even on the free day, and was very much part of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have not travelled with Exodus before make sure you understand what the gradings 'leisurely' and 'moderate' mean. If in doubt speak to someone at Exodus before you book. If you have special dietary needs, take an appropriate Italian language cook book and point out what this means. There is lots of good, meat or gluten free Italian food but many restaurant kitchens don't really grasp the concept.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is very hard to pick a highlight. The Villa Barbaro was outstanding and memorable. The overall quality and variety of the food and drink was terrific. The last night meal at The Swallow, was a corker!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severio was pleasant, with an easy going style but he could have been better. As a native of Italy, it would have been good if he could have told us more about the culture and history of the region. I didn't expect him to be an expert in all areas, but he would sometimes make up answers to questions instead of just saying, 'I don't know, perhaps I can find out'. His knowledge of flora and fauna, for example, was poor, which is not a problem in itself. LWhat I found irritating was,for example, that when we came across the body off large black snake and asked what type it was; rather than admit that he didn't know;he told us that it was a grass snake. A couple of days later we discovered that it was actually a European whip snake! Generally, he was a bit too casual. At lunch stops, we rarely knew how long we had to eat; he would often just say, after a while, that we'd be leaving in five minutes. Severio always got us where we needed to be on time, but didn't volunteer the sort of additional information that would have added a great deal to the holiday. A simple map of some the places where we stayed and visited would have been helpful or a verbal outline of recommended places to see or things to do , would have been useful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being part of a group of 16 people who, from the outset, treated one another as friends.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sevi was an ideal leader for the group. He was always happy and enthusiastic and engaged well with all of us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Heed the advice of Exodus and have walking boots with a good grip and / or sandals with closed toes. We were also glad that we took our walking poles.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views from the hills and visiting Venice.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take the time to go to Venice.You can easily extend the trip and go before or after the holiday or go to Venice on your free day.

Most Inspirational Moment

Several of the walks including the walk from Cison di Valmarino to Castelbrando , very pretty village and impressive views up to Castelbrando , lovely place to stop for refreshments. Castelbrando was stunning , although little information given . Valdobbiadene gorgeous area and the wine tasting at San Gregoria . Guided sightseeing walk around Treviso was very enjoyable . Route around Asolo which is one of the strategic areas from the Great War , stunning views of the Dolomites . Again , disappointed little detail given apart from what information you picked yourself . Asolo tuned out to be a beautiful village and an area well known for producing superior Prosecco . Experienced a new drink here made with Prosecco, Elderflower and mint called a Hugo - delicious.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very disappointed with Group Leader , Severio . He spoke excellent English and was a pleasant enough character . He fulfilled the basic requirement and no more. His heart didn't seem to be in it and was unenthusiastic and lacked passion , his aim was to get to a bar. Compared to previous experiences on Exodus trips the Leader would be more social and share his time between the group and would impart knowledge , interesting facts and details of the places visiting . Leaders in the past have always been aware of the group and their capabilities and listened to their requests. Whilst walking there was one pace, Severio's pace. Walk along the River from Treviso seemed like a "frogmarch" in what was an incredibly hot afternoon , again little information given about the area or flora/fauna. At end of walk , the bar we had been told we were heading for was closed- this was a 3 hour walk . Walk around the Valdobbiadene area , lost his way on occasions and one of the trails was definitely not a marked route and ended in scrambling through a wooded area. Again a very hot day and some members of group experienced heat exhaustion , resulting in needing to take a break until they felt able to carry on . Severio had gone on ahead and remaining group arrived at the refuge a good 30 mins later he hadn't come back down the path to find us . After lunch he set off at such a pace he lost a majority of the group as we didn't know which direction he had taken. We had to phone him. On arrival at Villa Barbaro , he said we had 15 mins to look around which many said wasn't long enough and we needed a little more time. Also thought this was insulting to Villa Barbaro and felt time pressured. Severio needs more guidance and support and needs to appreciate the difference between being a guide for one of the mass market holiday companies and working with Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Incredibly humid in June and July , ensure you have breathable walking gear and carry a camel back for water . Take poles , they are useful and needed at times. Be prepared for mosquitos and take repellent and a plug for your room.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our final walk on mount Cesen which combined walking through woods, across the most glorious meadows and then up the mountain to a stunning view. Our farewell dinner was absolutely scrumptious too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Not a lot to be honest! As I have previously stated, he fulfilled his brief but I felt he was not enthusiastic or very informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're travelling in June/July prepare for hot/muggy weather. Take plenty of t shirts, shorts, dresses for the evening. Some of the walks are through fairly dense undergrowth and you'll need long walking trousers for these.

Most Inspirational Moment

Was it the mushroom tagliatelle at the Hotel Soligo or was is it the porchetta starter at the Osteria Stella in Conegliano? The food throughout the week was a delight. The walks were varied and enjoyed by the group of mixed age and experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were pleased to have an Italian ( Sicilian/Greek) group leader because of his insight into the richness of the nation's culture. Severio has a relaxed and engaging manner that was much appreciated. When faced with incidents he dealt with them sympathetically and expeditiously.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Leave plenty of space in your luggage for Prosecco! The quality, variety and prices make it a must. Conegliano is well worth a visit on the free day - the 4k town trail was real find.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just walking with great views everywhere.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine was an excellent leader. Friendly and humorous.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Couple of steep bits - but all very doable!