Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

so many - Abu Simbel and all the sights; and the activity on the streets

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, well organised, knowledgeable and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Stomach disorders are a fact of life for travel in countries like Egypt, no matter how careful you are. Take medication with you. Also, look carefully at airline prices to get to Egypt from UK and then subsequent taxi airport to hotel. British Airways are half the price of Egyptair; local taxi agencies compare favorably with Exodus quoted prices: $18 against $142!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspiring moments it is difficult to choose one, but if we had to, it would have to be completing the 10km ascent of Hai Van Pass and enjoying the incredible views on the way down. We came home and re-watched the Top Gear Vietnam Special for which this experience was a highlight for the presenters too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Son Nguyen was incredible. He was super-organised and everything ran like clockwork. Having said this, we appreciate how much effort had been put in by Son and his team to make the whole trip run smoothly and to make the holiday such a wonderful experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although the trip is rated as Moderate, the heat and humidity at the end of March made it, we would say, slightly more of a challenge. For anyone who lives, like us, in a part of the country with very few hills to practise on, a few spinning classes beforehand might be a good idea.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the homesteads and eating some amazing food cooked simply and served with love

Thoughts on Group Leader

THANH was brilliant, nothing was too much for him, a truly great chap.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Keep your packing simple..lots of one night stays so you are always moving your bag. Most important don't miss out on this trip!

Thoughts on Group Leader

good

Most Inspirational Moment

Cherry blossom at Kamakura

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charles was an adequate tour leader. I do feel that leading a group using public transport in a very busy country is very challenging.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I feel there is a real need to ensure that wifi connection is available to access Google maps. I did not anticipate how much free time there would be; Google maps is really essential. Research and booking of activities before leaving for the trip would ensure best use of free time. There was no option to go to a tea ceremony as advised in the trip notes. There were other activities which perhaps could be shared e.g. team labs.

Most Inspirational Moment

The windy summit on the final day's walk

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jacob was efficient and organised.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Boots with a good ankle support , I think, are essential. A pole helps with the descents which, especially on the 2nd day , were quite long and a bit arduous . They demanded a lot of concentration so watching your feet rather than the view was required. Not many wild flowers to see on this 1st Easter departure date but a good temperature for walking. The wooded sections would provide much needed shade later into the early summer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to rank such diverse and excellent experiences

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent - very enthusiastic and knowledgeable

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is a need to be interested in the Ancient Greece (as the title suggests) but there is also a reasonable about of 'free time' for individual exploration. Really good trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but watching a keel-billed toucan taking berries from a tree in the grounds of Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero National Park was pretty special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our trip was made all the more memorable by our guide, Johnny Villalobos. His knowledge and expertise was exceptional and his love of wildlife and his country shone through. He offered us additional optional activities (including early morning walks) during which we enjoyed some of our most memorable wildlife spotting experiences. He also organised special events (blowing up balloons in the middle of the rainforest for one person's birthday and organising a lovely dinner at a local restaurant for our anniversary). He had a great sense of humour while remaining entirely professional throughout. Overall, Johnny was a great ambassador for Costa Rica and Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for varied weather conditions - from hot and humid to cool and fresh. We were lucky and didn't see too much rain but be prepared for it at any time. Comfortable walking shoes and sandals are fine but no flip-flops! Definitely no need for heavy walking boots which I took and regretted. Costa Rica is relatively expensive for food and drink (think English/American prices) and while we took local currency (colones), US dollars are accepted everywhere as are debit/credit cards. As regards food, be prepared for large (albeit plain) portions! Where food is not included you tend to have plenty of choice in terms of restaurants. As regards included meals, we were surprised to find that we were offered three-course set meals for lunch and dinner in the middle of the rain forest (Esquinas Lodge) and a la carte dining at Savegre Hotel & Spa.

Most Inspirational Moment

This tour coincided with the cherry blossom festival, and it was nice to walk round the lake at night with the trees lit up (in Gyeongju), and also in the morning after breakfast, with classical music being piped though speakers (I reckon that would be the same at any time of year, not just during cherry blossom season). Hainsa Templestay was also a nice experience. But it was all good!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michelle Kim was a great guide. She managed the group well, and took those of us who wanted suggestions to a lot of really good local restaurants, that we probably wouldnt have used by ourselves, and we definitely tried a lot of different types of meals available in Korea (and at a better price than more tourist oriented venues). All information provided was interesting and useful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I found the Naver app very useful for finding my way around Seoul. I spent several extra days in Seoul before and after, there was lots to see, and I wanted to do more hiking. I did a lot of walking around the mountains and city wall trails around Seoul, all well signposted, and well maintained toilets everywhere too. Recommend Ansan, Ingwansan and Naksan trails. In Seoul - National Museum of Korea is definitely worth a visit. Also in Seoul I would recommend the K-medi Center, not so much for the museum, which is mostly in Korean, but for the very cheap footbath and massage experiences. The whole country feels very safe, including Seoul, day and night. My only warning would be that, certainly when I was there (Spring), the air quality in Seoul wasnt great, so if you have any respiratory conditions, you may not want to spend extra time there. Anywhere outside of Seoul was fine for air quality. I heard good things about Jeju Island, so you may want to take a side trip there, as that is not on the itinerary. The temple stay is pretty comfortable and warm (twin rooms not dorms), so dont worry about that, and the getting up early is optional - I did it, and it was a nice experience. Couples are allowed to stay togther. Extra spending money - the trip notes suggestions are a bit on the high side for lunches and dinners, unless you are going to do the tourist set menus rather than the more local options.

Most Inspirational Moment

Funnily enough, the first days walking in atrocious weather ( I thought we were still in England!) where we nearly made it up the first mountain but had to abort not far from the summit - a very sensible decision from Mike - which we all agreed with.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Superb. Mike/Miguel was a very passionate and committed leader. Always eager to help and make our trip as fab as possible. Extremely knowledgeable on Andalusian wildlife, culture, history and geology.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on this trip!