Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy

Most Inspirational Moment

Learning the history in Matera on the guided tour! Our guide was so knowledgeable and had a personal connection to the city.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gabrielle was amazing! He was very personable, patient, and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout the week.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There was only a place to exchange dollars to euros in Lecce. I recommend exchanging money at the airport when you land or having a card to use ATM.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying in a Trulli House was something so unique and special

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ioana - such an asset to Exodus. Really knowledgeable and personable!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a swim costume for the coastal destinations - the sea is beautiful!

Most Inspirational Moment

Alberobello and staying in the trullo house and walking around Alberobello. But saying that I enjoyed everywhere we went on the trip and all the places we saw - Matera was also fascinating to wander around.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Generally good. Knowledgeable and helpful. Did some good guided tours around places we visited and suggested good places to go in free time. He dealt with a difficult (and quite frankly unpleasant and rude) client in a polite and professional manner - she was not the usual client you would expect on an Exodus trip and seemed to have completely unrealistic expectations of for example accommodation (asking if there would be a swimming pool in historic building in historic city centre!! (embarrassing)). The rest of the group felt sorry for her travelling companion (who was nice). He dealt well with the change of plan when we could not go to the masseria for the pasta making demonstration and lunch, finding a great local alternative restaurant and arranging the drink and buffet dinner at the Lecce hotel which was appreciated. Changed the itinerary for Lecce so guided city tour was in morning instead of afternoon (as it said in trip notes). This is the way it should be as you want to do a city tour before free time to get some ideas of places to go back to so the trip itinerary should be changed to reflect this. Areas for improvement - (1) it would have been helpful to have an overall summary of the trip and events on each day on the first briefing, (2) I would have liked more than 1 hours notice (on the bus) of the option for the free day - opportunity to go to both Monopoli and the caves by minibus and the cost of this. I think we should have also be advised of public transport availability (it seems that public transport is limited so it is likely I would have thought that the minibus was the best option but I felt pressured into the minibus option at this short notice), - I think this is something that should have been mentioned on the overall summary on the first night (3) I was surprised that only 3 group evening meals were offered. When I have done Exodus trips in the past group evening meals were offered on every night except the free day (4) I was surprised he didn't know or inform us that there would be a procession and fireworks on our last night in Matera (as an extension of the 2 July saints day)

Most Inspirational Moment

The guide, Brunella at Maters. Also Anna at the olive Grove.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mainly good but he didn't really bond with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good shoes.

Most Inspirational Moment

Olive oil tasting on a historical family-owned masseria with 2000-year-old olive trees, followed by an amazing lunch at another beautiful masseria. Matera is so unique and beautiful and the hospitality and comfort at the trulli in Alberobello were top notch too! Otranto for a beach day and the architecture in Lecce is incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

In Matera and Lecce we had local guides who made the cities come alive. Our trip leader throughout was able to give us a great introduction to Italian culture and made us feel right at home.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was my first trip to Italy and it was perfect! We went mid-April, my sister and I flew into Milan for a few nights and then down to Bari to meet the group at the airport for Discover the Heel Italy. In spring, before it becomes a summer vacation destination for Italians, Puglia feels off the beaten path and you get the historical sites and beach towns all to yourself! Wear comfortable walking shoes and take waterproofs if rain is in the forecast so you can stay out all day. There is a lot of free time on the trip, so take advantage of the opportunity to wander around and discover on your own. There’s something for every diet, but the bread and cheese is incredible, and the vegetables are super fresh.

Most Inspirational Moment

Can't say there was an "inspirational moment" as such, but every bit was enjoyable and glad I did this trip. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, as you would expect.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't have to do the suggested group meals in the evening and there are other alternatives on the free day (Tuesday) at Alberobello besides the suggested places to visit. Alternatives included visiting towns closer by (like Locorotondo or Martina Franca), going further afield to Monopoli or the caves (as per the tour notes, or just spend the day in Alberobello. The wine tasting (which included a museum and presentation) was good (excellent wine) and a light meal was included with it. Whilst Alberobello is pretty, it is very tourist and I would recommend looking at it first think in the morning or after the shops have shut when it is a lot quieter... especially on the way to the breakfast restaurnt. You see Alberobello at its best, beautiful and tranquil, not bustling with people. Some of the shops have panorama terraces on their roof too, and besides the viewing balcony mentioned in the guide books, there is also a garden that has good views of the Monte Rione district too. None of the hotels have hotels so the only option of swimming is at the beaches of the towns visited briefly (Polignano a Mare and Otranto), but there was a pool at one place guests could use staying in designated trulli houses from company Exodus use. The trulli houses for Exodus guests were scattered at various places all over the town so no one was next to or close to each other, and breakfast was a a central restaurant in town. Regarding Ostuni and the masserias, Exodus had taken on board the feedback on the reviews of former customers on their website and had arranged taxi (at no extra cost to the customer) back to Ostuni for those who didn't want to do (or couldn't manage) the 6 km walk to the town, which is well worth noting. Even if you can manage the 6 km walk, one thing you need to consider (apart from the hthiseat), is that time in Ostuni is limited to just the rest of the day and evening as we moved on the following morning. We left the second masseria about 2.30 (after lunch); the taxi journey is about 10 minutes to Ostuni; the walk was around 2 hrs, so you need to weigh up valuable usage of the time as whilst part of the group did the walk, the others of us who took a taxi spent time in a lovely gelateria and walked around the town walls viewing the countryside... after checking in at the hotel and our rooms too. T There are plenty of local produce food shops everywhere, especially local producers of olive oil in Ostuni, so don't feel you have to buy it at the masseria visited in the Ostuni countryside (although you can, it was very nice) and the prices in those shops in Ostuni weren't any different. Puglian olive oil is very good, and there are a lot of olive groves around the area. The cookery lesson at the masseria near Ostuni wasn't as I had expected; due to Covid we couldn't really do much! The Sassi districts of Matera are stunning and it is very difficult to stop walking around them and taking in the views. The views from the hotel used is spectacular. We felt rushed to get to the cathedral in Otranto when arriving there, as we were late leaving the Osuni that morning (the luggage was late leaving the hotel). Otherwise the whole tour itself wasn't rushed. There were two guided city walks (Matera and Lecce),otherwise the tour leader gave brief orientation walks of the towns on arrival most of the time. In Lecce there are plenty of museums, but I (and a couple of others) visited the Museum Faggiano) which was fascinating and apart from the excavations and exhibits, etc, had a fascinating story behind it of how it came to be, which made it all the more interesting. It's a small museum not far away from the city gate you enter the city by, from the walk from the Eos Hotel to the city centre. Finally, electric plugs and sockets - I took a European plug adaptor, which unfortunately didn't work in a lot of sockets in the hotels and trulli house (and others in the group found the same). Whilst it did work in most bathroom sockets, there were no sockets it fitted at the Hotel Eos. However the hotel Eos were very helpful and lent be a plug I could use to charge my mobile phone (which I used as a camera throughout the holiday). I would suggest bringing a multi-country adaptor, or several adaptors. Their sockets are 3-pin that take the smaller rounder pins; although the two pins will work, the thicker two pins won't work. You don't need to bring a hairdryer with you, everywhere we stayed at had them.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved the views over the city from the terrace in Matera, and listening to the bells of all the churches ringing out on a Sunday afternoon. Walking into the white city of Ostuni was stunning, taking in an Aperol Spritz at an outside cafe by the cathedral whilst watching the world go by, and then seeing the sun go down along the city walls! Walking alongside the azure blue Adriatic sea in Otranto

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andraea was a very enthusiastic and hardworking leader. He sometimes struggled to understand the question he was being asked and so it was not always easy to get a straight answer. The group were not easy for him to deal with, and under the circumstances he did an adequate job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Forget the map, just wander through the narrow streets away from the main centres and explore the real Italy! Enjoy the cafe culture and people watch over an aperitif in a central square! Indulge yourself with the local cuisine. Sample the amazing gelato and granita, such an amazing variety of flavours. Don't do this trip if you are not very fit or mobile, it has a huge amount of walking on cobbles and up and down steps, and the busy schedule means you would not maximise the value of the places visited.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really loved staying in the Trulli and found Matera fascinating as it is on so many levels - a proper rabbit warren!

Thoughts on Group Leader

I really liked Gabriele. Although it was only his second time running this trip he is a very experienced leader and is a very nice, intelligent and interesting man. Everything ran perfectly - pick ups always on time, hotel check ins much quicker and simpler than normal etc.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware this tour is not really suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Matera is built on seven levels so steps absolutely everywhere and paving is uneven and sometimes slippery.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying in Matera and seeing one of the oldest towns in Italy, olive oil tour, discovering Lecce and the rich history of this city.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gabriella was very capable and entertaining and went beyond to help everyone on the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the free day it would be best to go either to the cave or Monopoli but not both. The churches/cathedrals are closed between 12 and 4pm and there is little else to do in the walled city during that time. Or just spend your time at the beach at Monopoli with no expectation of exploring the walled city.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Claudio Riso's workshop in Lecce, what he can achieve with paper mache is just incredible! The incredible mosaic floor in the Otranto cathedral - still can't get over the fact that the public can walk on it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Antonino (Nino) was an excellent group leader. He had just the right approach to the group, providing information but not excessively so, a great sense of humour and a real desire to resolve any issue, no matter how small, to ensure that everyone had an enjoyable holiday. Nino went out of his way at times to arrange suitable dining experiences to suit all tastes and budgets and was extremely accommodating with everyone's requirements for free time and when the heat, steps and distances were too much for some group members to participate in the planned walks. Nino also went out of his way to sort out the chaos at Bari airport on the return journey when our flight was cancelled at short notice, managing to get flights the next day for a lady who was going to run out of medication. It would have been helpful if BA had actually notified someone in Exodus of the cancellation so that he was better informed. As it was I was the only person who received a prior notification, because my booking wasn't included in the group booking for some reason.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be aware that the nature of the landscape particularly in Matera and Ostuni is such that walking involves a great number of steps, so this is not a suitable holiday for anyone with mobility issues. The walking is very gentle but proved challenging because of the extreme heat which I hadn't anticipated in May (it was 30+C each day), so worth going earlier or later in the year, if like me, you are not good walking in the heat.