Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

It has to be the scenery, it was spectacular. The best walk was the walk of the gods, it was absolutley beautiful. It was also a great privilege to be able to stand at the top of vesuvius. Pompei was stunning and I'm amazed at the hard work and attention to detail the experts have put in to this for the rest of the world to admire.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and attentive. He made sure everybody was happy at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are quite a few steps so if you do have problems with knees then walking poles will be a great help. The only other advice I can give is to book this trip as soon as poss as you will enjoy every minute of it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Joining the hotel staff for cookery lessons. You got a real sense of "joining in" with the family run hotel kithen

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have travelled several times with Exodus & never had a bad tour leader. Emily was one of the very best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Carry your waterproof coat every day, even though we only needed them once. Not sure boots were required, stout shoes would have been fine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just seeing the most beautiful scenery from so high up, stunning. Also walking myself fitter and realising what a great way to see an area of a country without hordes of people everywhere. At one point you could almost hear the 'sound of silence. On the 2nd days walk I thought I might need a donkey but managed a glorious walk up Tre Calli to meet with more stunning views. I didn't need the donkey after that!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severius was brilliant. A really fun guy with loads of knowledge, very thoughtful about people's abilities and encouraging. Couldnt have asked for a better guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and do it, everyone helps one another and that adds to the enjoyment of the trip. Just enjoy the wonderful scenery and the people you meet. Don't worry if you are a single traveller, this was the best holiday I've had for a long time and the first travelling alone.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walks and the views (on good weather days!) were fantastic, interesting and varied. The day trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius was great with well informed and interesting guides at both. But then there were the little things like limoncello, great coffee in Italian bars, the really friendly and helpful hotel staff who mixed knock out cocktails in the evenings and having an Italian (no sorry, Sicilian!) guide which made all the difference. He brought Italy to life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severio (our group leader) was fantastic. He is very chilled and has a great sense of humour and created a super relaxed and fun group atmosphere. He’s such a good English speaker that he can produce an American accent too! We had so much fun with him. He is also thoroughly professional. He paced the walks well, explained clearly where we were going and kept a watchful eye on everyone, being quick to lend an extra hand if needed. He managed the programme with a level of flexibility that was much appreciated. And he is very knowledgeable and interesting about Italy. On the walks he always provided interesting information and local history etc about the places we passed or saw. And on his day off he still worked hard to make sure that we had a good day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you go in September don’t assume the weather will be good. We had mixed weather and you definitely need a good waterproof. I don’t usually use walking poles but I was really glad I took them on this holiday. There’s a lot of downhill walking and hard rock/steps so walking poles help cushion the knees. And for the beach take flip flops - the beach is stony and very hot.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day had different highlights, but I enjoyed Pompeii, having waited years to visit, a very windy walk up and down Vesuvius and the walk from Ravello with the lemon groves, national park waterfalls and old papermills.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Severio was fantastic, very knowledgeable and ensured everyone had a good time and the walking was paced accordingly. He had lots of anecdotes, and found flexibility in the itinerary to ensure we had the best experience possible. He was very much part of our group as well as our leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walks are challenging in parts, so on a couple of days at least I would recommend walking boots. Other days walking shoes or good trainers are fine. We had quite a bit of cloud and heavy rain so a decent waterproof jacket is a must. I found a camelbak water system useful, as when hot it's very hot! Take a jumper or two as the evenings can be chilly in September! I carried a DSLR camera, heavy, but worth it for the fab photos I took.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is so hard to name one inspirational moment, there were so many. Maybe the view at the top of Monte Tre Calli or the views on the Walk of the Gods.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Severio was exceptional. He was very knowledgeable and full of encouragement. Nothing was too much trouble, from arranging transport for trips on the free day to making sure all dietary requirements of the group were catered for. He was always happy, full of fun and encouragement.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take walking poles, they really will help. The walks are tough but very doable with the right clothing, footwear and a bit of determination.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many highlights it's hard to pick - the scenery from absolutely everywhere, the crater round Vesuvius, the coastal views, cocktails in Revello, lemonade, limoncella and lemons on steroids!! Too many to pick. But if Suzy suggests something optional - Do it - you won't regret it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Super Suzy. She's a star. Brilliant guide. Passionate and enthusiastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Monte Tre Calli on day 1 in torrential rain and realising that it didn't matter what the weather did, it couldn't spoil the elation I felt on top of a mountain and couldn't take anything away from the wonderful views. It really helped me to feel like I could do anything.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was so thoughtful and sensitive to people's personalities and preferences - she seemed to know exactly what to recommend and exactly what to say. She obviously knew a great deal about the area and her passion for the Amalfi coast really shone through. She also knew the best guides to help us with specialist areas like Pompeii and Vesuvius and could answer any of our questions with a smile so that we never felt that our questions were daft even if they were!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry if you don't know anyone - just go with an open mind and the different people you will meet and make friends with will really open your eyes and help you to enjoy the experience. And don't forget to take a waterproof as, even in August, we had a couple of days with short sharp thunderstorms and I did regret not having something more watertight!

Most Inspirational Moment

Ravello and the gardens of the Villa Cimbrone were probably the highpoint of the trip, and I say that as not really a 'garden person'. Ravello is stunning, and was much quieter and more laid back than other places visited such as Positano and Amalfi. Pompeii was everything I expected, although I am glad we arrived early as it was getting extremely busy by midday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Christine had everything meticulously planned, even transport and guides for 'day off' activities (more important than you might think, as public transport options seem to be very limited in this part of the world). Christine also made a real attempt to engage us with the history and geography of the area - providing us with maps, books etc on a daily basis, as well as useful practical advice on what to expect from each walk.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The August heat made some of the walks seem more strenuous than the grade 2 rating suggested, but we still got an insight into the area and an appreciation of its sights that you just can't get from inside a coach; the colours and views really are dazzling. The village of Bomerano is more an attractive small town, with a reasonable selection of shops and eating places, so you won't go without an ice cream or a beer. Having so many of the walks start directly from the hotel is a real bonus, particularly for those of us not keen on the 'hairpin bends in coaches' experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting so many interesting people who were all there because they loved hiking. It was like one big happy family.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was amazing. She had so much knowledge about everywhere we went and kept us going with amusing facts and anecdotes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I found walking poles useful and lots of water and suncream.