Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Just being in the Masai Mara is inspiration in itself. There were too many moments to account for but three stand out: spending 6 or more hours with a pride of lions, watching them interact with each other and their lion cub was truly special, seeing a python swallowing a male impala out in the open field was a first for many, but the moment of the week was in our final hour – seeing thousands upon thousands of Wildebeest & Zebra crossing the Mara River eagerly awaited by the crocodiles. I had always wanted to witness a crossing but nothing prepared me for how emotional I would get. One of nature's wondrous spectacles we were all extremely lucky to see. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

There is no one word to describe Paul. His passion for the Mara is contagious and his drive to get us to the right place at the right time made for some incredible shots.  For a beginner photographer like myself, there is a lot to learn from him but he will only say something once, it is for you to retain! He is a true entertainer and storyteller and you will never get bored in his presence. Be warned, his photography skills may leave you on the jealous side!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a sense of humour and a thick skin! Make sure you have all the essentials with you: a hat, a light scarf or sarong can come in handy for protection against dust, sunscreen etc. Know your equipment well before you go, I only had a small lens 55-250mm, may have been worth hiring a lens for my first trip.  Ensure you have a wide-angle lens and your polariser with you.  Ensure you bring a second camera body to be on the safe side, lots of memory and extra batteries, as you will need it. Try not to drop your camera outside the vehicle, however much amusement it provides the lions…. Sweets and a few good jokes if you know some, never go amiss during the long days.. But most importantly, learn to put your camera down from time to time and take it all in. You will never forget it. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Just to have completed it switzerland had the worse summer for twenty years we got snowed off one mountain but in the end we all started and all finished .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Like all tour leaders he did an excellent job it cannot be easy to marshal and look after 15 people on a mountain and be able to engage a wide range of people and try to keep everyone happy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take good water proofs and an umbrella it is a lot easier to have to hand if you need a wee in the middle of the night.

Most Inspirational Moment

Best sights for me were at Lac Blanc, where I would recommend you hike to the far side of the lake for photos, plus on the descent from the Brevent, especially the sights back into Chamonix on the short balcony walk before reaching the midpoint refuge. Oh, and the Billberry tart.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oliver knows how to run the group well. Very knowledgable and experienced guy, a sheer pleasure to be with. The first two hours on Day 1 seem a little slow, but then you realise that while he is hiking, he is also checking out the group, judging the pace and expertly finding a speed suitable for all. By Day 5, when your legs no longer work, you will realise that a) He is still in front of you and b) He will be doing all this again next week while you recover ! Have to also mention that if Elaine serves the ginger/honey cake for packed lunch, steal/bribe/beg for as much as you can get.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The meeting point for this trip is at Geneva Airport at about 10:30 am on Saturday morning. The Exodus group flight for this trip is the BA flight out of London City airport. This in my mind is quite hard to get to from most places in the UK for say, a 7 am check in.  It is also an expensive flight, plus if you want to drive to the airport, the car parking charges are huge.I flew out on the Friday night instead, Easyjet flight from Gatwick and stayed in the Holiday Inn near the airport. Flight was £105 return, hotel booked on Expedia was about £65 and the next morning my travel consisted of a five minute courtesy bus trip to the airport.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Far too many! The Elephant orphanage, White water rafting, yala

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was fab!

Most Inspirational Moment

I love Africa and its wildlife.  I've travelled there quite a bit and seen some amazing things.  However, seeing herds of wildebeest battle across the Mara river is something I will never forget.  First, you wonder, will they make it across?  How will they get out?  Then the crocodiles start moving - and the tension increases even further.  In the wildlife programmes they tend to show crocodiles winning out every time - in real life, they are known to miss - will they succeed this time?  The great thing with this trip, whilst you know you will never forget what you see, you end up with some incredible photos to record it all.  You get to spend the time out on the plains that means you have the best chance of seeing, and photographing, Africa's animals at their most interesting - a black rhino taking a morning stroll, a leopard checking a scent, a lion cub battling to climb a tree stump, a cobra eating a Thomson's gazelle - and much more. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

This trip is made by Paul.  His passion for Africa and its wildlife and photography is obvious to all and he is determined to make sure that everyone has a trip they will never forget and that they get to go home with the best photographs they could take.  His knowledge of both animal behaviour and photography makes him a brilliant leader for this trip. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want a trip where you spend as much of your time as possible on the plains of Africa looking to see in real life some of the action you have seen on the wildlife documentaries then I would definitely recommend this holiday.  It's important to remember that wildlife is unpredictable and that therefore it's necessary to be patient - there are times when you may begin to think that every animal in the Mara has gone into hiding.  Overall, you will come away with some amazing memories.  Pack a sense of humour and remember "hakuna matata" and you will have a fabulous time. 

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing the sunrise at jinshanling part of the wall-what a profound experience and calmness

Thoughts on Group Leader

the best one

Advice for Potential Travellers

just enjoy the experience

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved all the walks, unfortunately due to the weather we were only able to do one peak.The Cares Gorge is lovely and it was great dangling my feet in the icy cold, refreshing water in the river in Cain before having lunch and a beer. Seeing a Golden Eagle flying over the valley in Inguanzo.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jim and Pilar the hotel owners were friendly and helpful. They provide the transportation from and to the airport and also do the drop offs and pick-ups for the daily walks. We were never left waiting very long.Victor our mountain guide was great, a local young man, highly qualified and considerate of everyone. He ensured everyone was safe and told us how much water would be required each day. He had a great sense of humour and always had a story to tell.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that changes in weather will alter the programme of walksMake sure you drink enough water and take heed of Victor's advice regarding filling up at different springs.Take time to walk into the village and visit the Cabreles Cheese Museum.We haven't ever used poles but the majority of walkers had poles so you might want to try them before you go.

Most Inspirational Moment

The game drives in all parks were exceptional, particularly a personal game drive in the Serengeti (whilst the remainder of the party were ballooning) spotting a hyena and jackal tug-of-war with an unfortunate young buffalo, just killed by the hyena, just 20m from the truck. The bird life was amazing, a personal bird guide is required to identify them all, although Often, the driver, made a good attempt. I made good use of the local motorbike gatherings, hopping on the back for a lightening photographic tour of some of the towns in exchange for the cost of a gallon of fuel.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Emius was friendly, helpful, very informative and a good conversationalist, offering the right advice at the appropriate time. He was ably joined by Often who had a good knowledge of the bird life and Leo, a master cook, both of whom were resourceful, friendly and informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Unlike Namibia, where I have also travelled with Exodus, the non-metalled roads can be extremely rough. There are a few long days travelling (10-12 hours) on these very rough roads where the priority was to get to the destination rather than sample the route. I would have liked more scenery to explore on foot during the long travelling days.The Zanzibar dolphin excursion is one to be avoided. What is not explained on arrival at the hotel is that the sea is invarably rough (a 4 or 5 ft swell on the day) the dolphins elusive and swimming with them impossible in those conditions, had we seen any. More importantly, there were no lifejackets in the small wooden boat which went at least a mile offshore. This was a waste of a 6 hour trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

1 Seeing a chamois crossing the path not 20 ft away2 Getting to the top of one of the highest peaks at almost 10000 ft on the free day (mainly by amazing cable car)3 Managing to complete a section to the time specified on the signpost4 As ever on an Exodus tripp meeting like minded people and having a great time getting to know them

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eric was a very good leader - lots of knowledge about the area including the rocks, flowers etc.  The routes were chosen to make the most of poor weather forecasts although it turned out the forecasts were unduly pessimistic. He has a good sense of humour and the knack of creating a happy atmosphere in the group

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to take a swimsuit to take advantage of the hotel spa area.  On the free day a good choice is to take the cable cars to the top of Sass Podoi from where the view is incredible and the mountain hut does the usual excellent lunch.  I did find the altitude affected me, I had not been this high before and the walking made me more breathless than normal.  People more accustomed to heights did not experience this.

Most Inspirational Moment

My top 4:- Getting up before dawn to climb the dunes in the Sahara to watch the sunrise. Despite there being too much cloud cover to see anything really spectacular, the feeling of being up high on the dunes, away from civilisation and the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, overlooking a reddish/orange version of a lunar landscape was so peaceful.Sleeping out under the stars in a bedouin camp in the Sahara. I loved the sound and feeling of the light rain and sand being blown against my sheet I had cocooned myself in, and waking up at dawn surrounded by so much open space.Seeing the most amazing starry sky in the Atlas mountains. I have never seen anything like it - truly beautiful and very calming!Gaining a better understanding of Berber culture and life - humbling experience. Tasted some great thyme and mint teas!  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was very good at including everyone and really wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time.  He bought local treats and snacks for us to sample during some of our long minibus trips. He was knowledgeable and had a good balance of seriousness and fun and was very kind and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's been said before but....Make sure you have wet wipes and toilet paper...Keep small change for the toiletsRemember to pack a torchTake swimwearIf you go on holiday hoping to read lots, this may not be the holiday for you!If travelling in the summer months when it is hot, make sure you have some lightweight sleeved tops to cover up - both to protect yourself from the sun and to be culturally sensitive - it is a Muslim country after all. Drink, drink, drink (bottled water) and then drink some more! And don't forget to brush your teeth with bottled water - it's not worth the upset stomache if you don't!