Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
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14209 Reviews
4.7 out of
5
Reviews
Pam Reilly
Reviewed June 2024
Cycling in Albania week of 15th June
^ day cycling trip through Southern Albania.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting the town of Gijorkaster. We didn't take the guided tour but wandered on our own.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader could have done a lot more. He was not always at the head of our cycling group and at one point I came out of a restaurant to find that the whole group had already left including the van. Also there was no maintenance of the bikes no checking of tyres quite unacceptable. The payment for dinners and drinks was very poorly organised. It should have been done after each meal which it was not. Given the temperatures we should have been leaving much earlier each morning he should have made this happen.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would certainly have some local currency in my pocket to pay for meals etc. Also check which hotels you are staying at as they seem to love loud Ibiza style music not what you want when you've just ridden 60km in 35 C
John Tibbles
Reviewed June 2024
Excellent trip
A fascinating and varied tour through 3 interesting Baltic countries.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visit to Curonian spit
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. He was knowledgeable, approachable and created a strong group bond and identity.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are interested in culture, history and architecture, you will enjoy this trip.
Christopher Bassett
Reviewed June 2024
Great trekking with amazing views
Five days of challenging but thoroughly enjoyable walking through the wonderful Alpine surroundings. Mountain View’s at every turn and lovely alpine forests with enchanting bird song. We had a great group, good accommodation very close to Chamonix
Thoughts on Group Leader
Adrian was the perfect guide. He had good local knowledge and was professional, supportive and had a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a great opportunity to see the best trails in the Mont Blanc area. Make sure you do some hill training as some of the ascents are challenging and involve walking uphill - climbing up to 800m in a couple of hours.
Cami Campo
Reviewed June 2024
Charming Hiking Holiday
All the Chalets were amazing, although I only stayed in Chalet Bediere, I saw the others which all had their own unique selling points. The hikes were great with charming views of Chamonix and the mountains. It was a challenge on the warmer days but very rewarding!
Advice for Potential Travellers
My advice for travelers who are interested in seeing what the town has to offer aside from the hiking, is to research Chamonix the week you are travelling and see what else is happening. There is always something going on in high season so don't miss out and extend your stay accordingly. During my stay, the annual French "Fête de la Musique" was happening aswell as the annual film festival. I also extended my stay to see the passing of the Olympic Toch!
Pamela Peers
Reviewed June 2024
Superb trip with excellent walking and lots of bears
Villa Hermani is an excellent base for this trip, which combines interesting walks with opportunities to see bears in their natural habitat. We also visited a bear sanctuary to understand the atrocious conditions under which some bears have been abused by circuses and other ‘tourist/entertainment’ businesses.
Most Inspirational Moment
The bear hide was pretty spectacular!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tomas knows the area very well and went out of his way to share insights into the history and present-day culture of the region.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take walking poles. I was surprised that a level 2 trip included walking poles as essential items, but I now understand why. Some of the descents are very steep and those without poles found them particularly challenging.
Take an eye mask - the curtains in the wonderful Villa Hermani do not block out the morning light, and it gets light early.
We stayed in Bucharest for several nights both before and after the trip - it's a wonderful city and well worth a visit. Public transport is cheap and efficient - for example, the 100 express bus from the airport to the centre of Bucharest runs every 15 minutes, takes less than an hour and costs only 3RON (about 50p!)
Catherine McAleavey
Reviewed June 2024
MEO.240609 - June 2024
My first Exodus trip and it will not be the last. In terms of route, hotels, distances covered, cycle paths etc the trip notes are completely accurate. We were an unexpectedly small group of 6 which gelled quickly and had huge fun, with everyone making a real effort. The whole trip was extremely well organised and well thought out. Wonderful coastal scenery and visits to some really lovely small towns and village. I liked the few hours of down time when we arrived at each new hotel.
Most Inspirational Moment
It's difficult to single out just one moment. Some of the restaurants were definitely highlights. The beaches are stunning but we were were warned that the sea was too rough to allow swimming which was a shame.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Joao Colaco and driver Dinis were a really superb team. They could not have been more helpful - wanting everyone to have the best possible experience of their beautiful country. Joao was a charming, unflappable, well informed, considerate and patient group leader who went out of his way to make sure everyone was having a good experience. Nothing was too much trouble. He was funny and well informed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are in any way concerned about the hills on days 3 and 5, opt for an e bike. I didn't expect to need but was able to switch mid week. A miracle on the hills! Try to add on days in Porto and Lisbon. So worth it.
Jessica Millott
Reviewed June 2024
Amazing Trip!
The itinerary offers a wide experience of Portuguese history and culture as well as an education on the biodiversity and the landscapes of the Algarve. The hikes provided beautiful scenery and views that just kept getting better and better.
Our guides Francisco and Rafael were beyond helpful and happy to share their passion and knowledge everywhere we went. I would certainly recommend this trip to anyone who loves walking and being out in nature as well as eating delicious seafood and drinking local wines.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing a dolphin on the last day by the Cape and the Surf Lesson!
Thoughts on Group Leader
We had two group leaders (Francisco and Rafael) Both were very knowledgeable about all the areas we visited and very helpful with any questions we had. They also made sure to go the extra mile for us when it came to recommending different places to eat, providing towels for some of the hikes where we had to cross streams and ensuring we all experienced everything!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring longer hiking boots if you can or long socks as some of the walks can be quite sandy.
Robyn Turner
Reviewed June 2024
What a wonderful time with lovely people in a beautiful country
I did this trip in early June. Our route took us through a variety of gorgeous landscapes – cliffs overlooking the ocean, small towns with roosters crowing, a medieval town encircled by fortified walls, beach towns painted bright colors, pine forests, sand dunes, and marshes. I believe there’s no better way to appreciate that kind of scenery than by traveling on a bike.
We were a group of 16 guests – Americans, Britons, and Canadians – and three Portuguese guides. I traveled to Portugal alone and had a roommate assigned to me. She was lovely, and, really, all of us hit it off. I think this kind of trip attracts like-minded people, and the tour leader, Ruben, told us at our initial briefing in Porto that many of us would become friends. He was right.
The first night, Ruben led us on a walking tour to a port tasting. Afterwards, the group split in half and went to two different restaurants Ruben had recommended. After that, most of us had our dinners together till the end of the bike tour. The food was always great, thanks to Ruben’s recommendations. He always sent us to places with excellent hospitality.
All three of our guides were highly professional – well-prepared, helpful, supportive, friendly, accommodating, flexible, and organized. They kept us informed, entertained, hydrated, and roughly on-time. Every briefing was clear and succinct. We understood where we’d be riding the next day, what time we’d leave, and roughly what time we’d arrive at the next hotel. Ruben was a font of information about Portuguese history, culture, flora and fauna. He held forth on topics ranging from Portuguese royalty to the efforts of environmental activists following the devastating forest fires of 2017. Margarida was a strong cyclist and reliable sweeper, and clearly cared deeply that everyone had what they needed and enjoyed themselves. José drove the van with the bike trailer and reliably had our bags waiting for us in the lobby each time we arrived at a new destination. Every time we saw him he was smiling. They prepared healthy and delicious picnic lunches for us on a couple of occasions, and it was obvious they’d put a lot of thought into them.
Anytime there was a problem, such as a mechanical issue, our guides were equipped to handle it. One day, during a coffee break in Nazaré – we had a coffee break most mornings, which I loved – I watched Ruben fix the electrical connection on another guest’s e-bike after they had taken a small spill. I have a bad knee, so I requested an e-bike from the start. A few others decided along the way to switch to one. When we started in Porto, there were four e-bikes out of 16. By the time we got to Óbidos, I think there were 10 e-bikes. Portugal A2Z, which is contracted by Exodus to run this tour, has its headquarters along the tour route, so I guess that made it easy enough for our guides to switch out the bikes overnight on request.
Overall, this tour was everything I expected after reading the itinerary, trip notes, and reviews on the Exodus website. I found the price reasonable, the guides excellent, the scenery stunning, and the hotels clean and comfortable. I will always remember how much fun I had on this trip and the great people I met. I definitely plan to book with Exodus in the future.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Top notch - knowledgeable, friendly, organized, versatile.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Exodus gives this trip an activity rating of 2 on its website. That was probably accurate for me, and I thought the pace was good with an e-bike. But I do think I would rate the activity level a bit higher than that for anyone using a standard bike, based on comments I heard from some of the other riders. Everyone on this trip was in pretty good shape, but the Porto-to-Óbidos bike route can be quite hilly at times, and we rode as much as 40 miles some days. Whether you choose an electric or standard bike, definitely get some long rides in before you do this trip. Some of my fellow riders complained of saddle soreness, but I was fine.
Deborah Thomp
Reviewed June 2024
Yellowstone
What a fantastic trip! It exceeded my expectations, beautiful dramatic landscapes and abundant wildlife.
Most Inspirational Moment
Grizzly bears with cubs, herds of bison, Grand Prismatic spring, beautiful scenery….. too many to mention!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike was a fantastic leader. He is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Nothing was too much trouble.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for all weathers, don’t forget mosquito repellent .
Graeme Allan
Reviewed June 2024
Excellent holiday
A really well balanced week of walking with some challenging and tricky walks but always rewarded with stunning views. Our guide ensured we enjoyed the best weather for our walks by being flexible with the schedule. First class hosts and guide which made the holiday such a memorable experience, together with great accommodation and a lovely group of people to share the holiday with.
Most Inspirational Moment
To climb above the clouds and experience the spectacular views
Thoughts on Group Leader
Adrian was outstanding. Knowledgeable, humerous, attentive, adaptable and aware of the various abilities of the group. Together either chalet hosts, Thomas and Sol who provided wonderful food and hospitality.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The walks were challenging and tricky in places and reasonable level of fitness required.
