Itinerary was jam-packed with great sights and activities that gave us a taste of both ancient and modern China, while still leaving some free time to explore on our own; excellent value. All the hotels were very good (luxurious for Exodus), with the Tianfu Sunshine in Chengdu being stand-out for room facilities and decor, the Bell Tower in Xi’an for location and generous room size, and the Dong Fang in Beijing for the most extensive and best quality breakfast buffet (and period charm in the historic coffee shop, courtyard, and public areas); Golden Tulip in Shanghai was also very glamorous and well-located for the Bund. Transport (bullet trains x 2, internal flight, private minibuses, and public buses) was all excellent – punctual, efficient and clean, and our trip leader, Sunny, got us to all the attractions before the busiest crowds, and marshalled us well on public transport. (There were only seven of us on my departure – five solos and one couple – which was a good number; I can imagine a full cohort of 16 would be much more challenging to manage in the busiest locations.) Food was amazingly cheap and generally good (you can eat well for a fiver, and feast for under £10; large beers cost around £1), although some of us might have liked an option once or twice to have a more upmarket and relaxed dining experience. This trip takes in all the main tourist attractions (Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, a section of the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, panda breeding centre), and they were all well worth seeing, but what I enjoyed most was having some time to explore the lesser known cities, Xi’an, and Chengdu. Xi’an was my favourite, for its historic centre, and lively night-time vibe. I would have liked some more time in Shanghai (not least because I was on a quest for family history); a day and a half on the official trip itinerary is not enough for such a vibrant city, specially as we lost half a day (the group trip to Yuyuan Garden) due to heavy rain the day we arrived. Luckily, some of us had late flights on departure day, effectively giving us another post-trip day in which we were able to visit the Yu Garden independently, but it would be good if this extra day could be factored into future trip itineraries. (Personally, I’d trade Beijing for more time in Chengdu and Shanghai. I’m planning to return to Shanghai independently.) As a solo traveller, this was my first long-haul trip, and it was brilliant. Just go!

Ming Ho Essential China

I’m writing this two months after coming back. I’ve just finished my photobook of the trip and completing this made me realise how much fantastic stuff we saw. And how it’s like two trips in one. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are based on mountains, open spaces and some walks. Uzbekistan is cultural, four interesting cities and fantastic Islamic architecture. It’s great to have experienced both and enjoyed three new countries in one adventure.

Nigel Turner The Silk Road

The trip started out as a bit of a disaster as Royal Jordanian airways had to divert to Cairo, due to the current situation between Israel and Iran. That couldn’t be helped . Upon arrival in Amman 12 later, we were met by an Exodus rep.
Because time had been lost there was a lot of catching up to be done.
Out tour guide Mikhled had made some very sensible decisions , and although it had been a very long 36hours, from leaving home, we went straight to some of the most wonderful sights as soon as we got to the hotel.
So in fact, we didn’t miss out on anything because of the diversion.
The hotels were clean, friendly and catered for all our needs. They were centrally located too.
The distance between some locations was a lot, but the coaches were air conditioned and lots of stops on the journeys.
There was only 8people on the trip, and it was great, as everyone got along really well.
Evening meals were not included, however Mikhled, gave us lots of options . being a vegetarian was a bit hit and miss at times, but the starters made up for the main meal. Mikhled took us to some family homes for dinner, and that was very special.
Petra , the main attraction was very quiet due to the “Middle East” situation, which made it all the more enjoyable . It was very hot, so not being busy was ideal. Lots of free time on both days there . Mikhled never rushed us.
The Dead Sea wa amazing, if not a little weird. It certainly needed to be done. A half day of relaxing at The Red Sea was welcomed.
The holiday Inn was amazing, I had the luxury of a “Sea View” room, which was amazing .
Bethany beyond The Jordan was very special to me, however slightly marred by the Military , carrying firearms in such a holy place.
Understandably, as Israel was a stones throw away, but it did ruin it for me.

Berna Owers A Week in Jordan

This camping trek was challenging with many beautiful vistas. The mornings were busy so that we could start moving by 7:45 or 8:00. We had many 1000 meter accent days with similar descents. Our weather was hot most days which added to the challenge. We sometimes used lifts to get up or down, especially in the Chamonix valley. Our guide, Egle was very calm with a lovely smile to help us along. Albert, our camp organizer kept us well fed and was always ready to offer any help we needed. We had an excellent group of mostly very experienced hikers. The two nights without showers meant we had to wash as best we could. Overall an excellent experience.

David Parkes Tour du Mont Blanc Camping Trek

This was a tough but thoroughly enjoyable trip in a very beautiful part of the world. The challenging grade is about right; be prepared for a lot of rocky steep ascent and descent including a fair amount of scrambling and using fixed cables/chains. Some parts (particularly the ascent to La Om on Day 4 and the ridge along the top) are pretty exposed. There is a good mix of tougher and somewhat easier days to break things up with some nice forest and meadow sections. The reward is some amazing scenery in a relatively unspoilt part of the world. The whole trip was very well organised and accommodation at Villa Hermani was very clean and comfortable, with friendly hosts and great food. The mountain huts were a good experience but be prepared for very basic toilet and sanitary facilities.

James Baxter Summits of the Transylvanian Alps

An unforgettable trip from the quiet, laid back Cilento to the vibrant Amalfi Coast

Kerry Reardon Cycle Cilento & the Amalfi Coast