Most Inspirational Moment
The bear hide - seeing the wild bears interacting with each other.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader Sebi was excellent. He was knowledgeable and caring.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Wonderful experience in Translyvanian Mountains
This trip had beautiful walks in the Carpathian mountains. Seeing the bears while in the hide was a highlight though. The visit to the bear sanctuary for rescued bears was also very moving. The hikes did require a high degree of fitness. Note that when we booked this trip was a level 2, but the same trip has been reclassified as a level 3, which in our experience is merited. The last day is the most challenging but the last part to the very peak is optional and was only done by a small part of our group. Our guide Sebi was excellent and paced the walk for the group’s abilities. He was also very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and customs.
Brilliant
This was a superb birthday treat. The accommodation just lacked air conditioning, as it was so hot
Food good with excellent hosts. Scenery beautiful, with all that was promised.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the bears from the hide. Caterina was able to share her expert knowledge, and the bears did not disappoint
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sebi was an excellent leader . He shared so much information about the area and the history. He made assessments about the group and made sure that we were all comfortable with the pace, use of shade and rest . He spoke with all of us, so everyone felt included.l
Advice for Potential Travellers
Look at the weather forecast, it was much hotter than expected. Be aware of tics, I picked one up and hadn’t had the jabs.
Absolutely wonderful!
I had a wonderful trip to Romania with Exodus. I would highly recommend this trip, it was great fun and very insightful. Overall an absolutely fantastic adventure.
Most Inspirational Moment
The visit to the bear sanctuary was very interesting and humbling.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was fantastic. He was clearly very passionate about his country, and was extremely well-organised. Nothing was too much trouble for him, and he was clearly very well-prepared.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you suffer from hayfever take some antihistamines with you. The pollen count can get very high in the meadows in summer.
Romania
Very lovely holiday, everything went smoothly, the hotel was very comfy, the food good and the hosts were very helpful. The walks were quite challenging, for the grade and as the weather was hot, but our guide was great at finding shady spots for us! The group got on well together.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting to the top of a clamber up the rocks and seeing the views! Waking up in the morning to the sound of the cow bell!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Couldn't have been better...knows the area really well, was very friendly and kept an eye out for everyone. Organised everything very well and was always there to help, answer any queries etc. He was key to making the holiday so enjoyable
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't be fooled by the grading, all the walks are hilly as the area is itself very hilly
Carpathian Walking & Bears
A fantastic trip! A variety of walks, with a hand-full of slower activities to balance out the week nicely. The Carpathian Mountains are absolutely beautiful.
Most Inspirational Moment
The bear hide! We saw about 9 bears in total including cubs - an amazing experience to see bears in the wild.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sebi was superb - a brilliant wealth of knowledge, made sure everyone in the group was included, and had a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As someone else has mentioned - take earplugs! You will hear the dogs barking throughout the night.
Perfect walking and wildlife holiday
We would thoroughly recommend our week in Romania. The walks were really thought out; our leader was excellent and the hosts at the guesthouse really interesting and thoughtful.
Most Inspirational Moment
The evening in the bear hide was so memorable. Saw lots of bears and cubs - an amazing experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Really excellent. Very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Great flowers in May/June, the meadows were incredible.
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!)
Stunning scenery and bears
I had no idea how beautiful Romania is the location of Magura was so green in May, the rolling hills and snow capped mountains was perfect. Lovely hotel, friendly staff and plenty of home cooked food all locally sourced.
Most Inspirational Moment
Bears!! And seeing their footprints when out walking, along with all the other wildlife you see and hear (cuckoos).
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was fab!! So friendly, a wealth of knowledge, inclusive of the whole group, a brilliant guide.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take walking poles, as in parts it’s steep and undulating. A lunchbox is a good idea to take, just so it’s not squashed in your rucksack or in the paper bag that’s provided when you make them at breakfast. Take ear plugs as you will hear the dogs barking at night!
"Walking and bears"
Well organised trip, faultless hosts at Villa Hermani and an excellent leader in Sebi. The scenery was amazing and the walks were all excellent and well paced for our group. The bear watching in the hide was outstanding.
Most Inspirational Moment
Bear watching in the hide along with our host Katharina's knowledge and dedication of the brown bears and their protection.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sebi was excellent. He assessed our group's walking ability on the first day and adjusted the pace accordingly on subsequent days. He was friendly and very approachable and would answer any questions we had about the routes, landscape, wildlife and Romania. He became part of the group rather than just the leader. His English and knlowledge of his own area and country was excellent.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The walks are very much as described and I would definitely recommend walking poles, mainly for the descents down some rocky paths.
Just 'Bears!'
This was a really interesting trip in rural Romania; we were blessed with amazing weather, so the views and scenery were quite beautiful. The trip was a good mix of sight seeing, exploring and walking. The walking wasn’t difficult and very leisurely, plenty of time to soak in the surroundings. Personally, I would have enjoyed more walking , but visiting Bran Castle and Brasov was interesting. The visit to the bear hide was undoubtedly the highlight, we watched 9 females and 5 cubs for over an hour, a very special moment. The guest house was comfortable and the food was delicious, home cooked and plentiful. There were no options, vegetarians and vegans may struggle.
Most Inspirational Moment
Has to be the bears, watching bears in the wild was an absolute privilege, Katerina who ran the guest house, is a passionate bear supporter, it was so interesting and informative listening to her.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sebi was a great leader, he ensured our week was the best it could be. The walking pace and experience of our group was quite diverse, he managed the differing paces and needs with ease.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just to be aware, the guest house is in a rural community, hot water is not a given; showers were often on the chilly side. We extended our stay and enjoyed a few days in Bucharest, would recommend the city, lots to see, easy and safe to get around, and reasonably priced.