Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspiring moments along the way, but reaching the high point on the last day and looking out over the Mont Blanc massif was very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide (Adrian) was wonderful. He kept us all safe, well-informed and entertained, and created a great spirit of camaderie in our group. Our camp leader/cook (Kieron) was also excellent. The food was delicious and plentiful, and he made sure that tea, coffee, beer and tents were always waiting for us at the end of the day. We couldn’t have had a better team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit before your trip because you will enjoy it more. Don’t be put off by the camping! I think this aspect of the trip helped our group to bond and made the whole experience more enjoyable.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are too many to choose from! If I had to focus on one, it would be encountering a leopard lounging on the branch of a dead tree as the sun descended behind the horizon. She provided some of the most photogenic of the trip wildlife photography of the trip, yet seemed so casually oblivious to our presence.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kenny was a wonderful leader, as was the entirety of the support staff. Kenny was full of knowledge about the local wildlife and culture, and passionate about sharing this with the group. He was always quick to laughter and helpful and considerate whenever anyone needed his support. A big shout out to John too, our camps resident cook. His food was always delicious and catered for all our dietary requirements.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to pack sufficient layers for night time - especially in the winter. Temperatures can get very cold at night - a sharp contrast to the high temperatures during the day when the sun is out. Also, make sure to pack a buff, scarf or face mask for the bus drives. Roads are very dusty, and you will appreciate the scarf as something to breathe through on these parts of the journey.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Didorali was an amazing tour guide. Solicitous, intelligent and speaks excellent English

Most Inspirational Moment

One of the highlights for me was walking the El Caminito del Rey, which offered stunning views and a real sense of achievement on this hiking tour. The accommodation was very relaxing, with dinner outside every night. We enjoyed the stunning sunsets while listening to music.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was outstanding, with deep knowledge of local town history and wildlife. Michael organization made the trip smooth and enjoyable, adding a fun and educational dimensions to each day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Embrace the opportunity to relax in the breathtaking Spanish countryside, soaking in the stunning views. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a holiday wanting to take a break away from technology and opportunity to meet some amazing fellow travelers.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many… Lukomir was a great day. Walk around the lake and the fantastic village food provided by the family. Be warned. There is lots to eat…have a small breakfast! Sarajevo is a mini Istanbul.. great atmosphere in the old town but the tunnel museum shows exactly what they went through in the war. Watching the divers jump from the bridge at Mostar. Wine tasting was fun as was the trip to the Ostrog monastery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Evelin was a five star guide. Enthusiastic, energetic, inspiring…. he bonded well with the group and took care of everyone. He did more than was expected…accompanied us on extra trips eg up the cable car in Sarajevo to see the bob sled run from the 1984 Olympics. He worked so hard and was always cheerful . Samir was a very careful driver and the various city guides were knowledgeable. Evelin was great when we encountered a 2 hour road closure…we all ate wonderful goulash in a roadside cafe and had a really fun few hours. The restaurants he chose were first class.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go now as this region is still not too touristy apart from Mostar. Take walking boots if you have them for the Black lake walk and the Tara gorge viewpoint. The walking is not hard but the gravel can be slippy . Take sterling to change in Sarajevo . Very hard to use a card anywhere except Dubrovnik. Euros are accepted here and there but we ended up changing euros for Bosnian marks. Good to go in June as the scenic roads are open. The drive from Zabljak across the mountains is stunning.

Most Inspirational Moment

Some awesome wildlife moments - Wild Dogs with pups, Hippos whilst poling, Lions mating only a metre from the truck, Lions on a Buffalo kill with another Buffalo trying to resurrect its unfortunate companion, Pel’s Fishing-Owl in the campsite plus a Leopard at sunset in a tree. Just to name a few… Also the scale of the place is mind-blowing, particularly wild camping at the Salt Pans where we watched moonset then sunrise in quick succession. Botswana also appears very friendly, relaxed and safe. Great people and great country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kenny and his team were incredible throughout. Very organised crew, making and breaking camp very efficiently and cooking the most wonderful meals (fresh bread rolls plus breakfast porridge was very welcome). You are well looked after on the trip, so don’t worry if you’re not the most seasoned camper.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our visit was late June and it was pretty cold on the truck, especially during early morning game drives and the travel days. Bring warm clothes/scarf/snood (very dusty also). Blankets are provided. The Okavango Delta helicopter ride was awesome - much longer (45 mins), cheaper and much more wildlife than at Vic Falls. Would highly recommend this followed by the short flight option at the falls, if your budget allows. I took a trail camera with me, based on another review on here. This was a great extra as was able to get footage of Hyenas, Honey Badger, Jackal, Springhare and several deer all visiting us during the night. Added an extra dimension to the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Final day when guides added an extra peak, views amazing (Brda and Debela Pac)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent- both guides did their best and shared that they have informed exodus about the lower mileage

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are active and looking for a walking holiday, don't book this trip. Very disappointed

Most Inspirational Moment

Can I say the entire trip? No? Well then I'll say Korcula and Mljet national park as there were no crowds on the trail up to the incredible view.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vajna is her own incredible brand! She cared for us like her little ducklings 🐥 we were prepared for every step, catamaran que, restaurant selection and walk/hike.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book the trip...yesterday

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments and picking one out is difficult. I’d say climbing to the top of Brévent on the final day and seeing the extent of the Mt. Blanc range we’d walked around ranks very high.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrian, our group leader, was excellent. He was knowledgeable, providing informative briefings each evening about the next day’s walking. He was great fun and seemed to have an unlimited store of energy and enthusiasm (even when faced with yet another damp start to the day). He looked out for everyone and was supportive to anyone struggling on a particular day. Kieron, our camp leader, was equally good. He cooked great food, and plenty of it. He was always cheerful and is very knowledgeable about the region and highly experienced. Tents were always set up and waiting for us, whatever the weather. The bar was always well stocked. He went out of his way to ensure any individual catering requests were met.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trek involves some long days and big ascents and descents so ensure you’re in good shape for up to 8 hours walking with lots of up and down. If you’re unsure about the camping, go for it - it’s good fun. As a camping group we became a very close team, benefiting from the collaboration in camp. Bring good waterproofs and bring a power bank for your electronics.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pick, but either the stunning river valley along the Afgan border, the extraordinary scenery in the very remote area between Lake Zorkul/Djartygubez and re-joining the Pamir Highway.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tour leader was well organised and very helpful. Ideally he'd have known more about plants and birds etc, but as he stepped in at the last minute, due to the planned leader (who was more of a mountain guide) having a family emergency, he did extremely well. The drivers are exceptional. They minimised the bumps and made me feel safe on roads that would normally have me shutting my eyes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want an adventure through staggering scenery and an incredibly welcoming country and don't mind roughing it, go on this trip. However, the roads are very bumpy (I am pretty sure all the Toyota Prados we had needed a full service after the punishment we gave them), the drives can be long, you will be sharing rooms with potentially several other people (max 5 in our case) and washing facilities can be basic. Make the most of the hot springs. No matter how delicious it looks (it is), do make sure you avoid all uncooked fruit and veg unless you have washed it yourself in bottled water, even in the nice hotel in Dushambe. Ask if you can pre-book a single room in Qalai Khumb after the Bartang. For some reason it was not included in the single supplement. Similarly the Pamir Hotel in Murgob isn't necessarily included in the single supplement (due to only a few en suite rooms. That said the shared showers at the end of the corridor was more likely to have warm water.) Altitude increase is pretty gradual and they have back up plans if you do get altitude sickness. Nobody in our group seemed to have anything worse than a mild headache. NB a side effect of Diamox is diahorrea, so think carefully before taking it. I was given ciprofloxin by the Tajik doctors . Amoxycillin did nothing for my traveller's tummy. The tour organisers were amazing at getting me medical support.