Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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111 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviewed March 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

The hardest thing, both mentally and physically that I have ever done, but definitely the best trip ever! Organisation, food and accommodation (including the tent!) were perfect.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing how hard the porters and guides worked and always with a smile on their faces - totally humbling. Getting to Uhuru Peak with the sun blazing down and looking around to see that our whole group had made it .. and seeing how genuinely pleased our 5 guides were that we had.A close second was getting to the top of Baranca Wall - I suffer with vertigo, but got to the top with the fantastic support of Val, David and Carrie and of course our wonderful guides.The tipping ceremony - seeing how humble the porters were when they received the spare equipment which had been donated. I noticed the porter who had my woolly hat didn't take it off even in the blistering heat - I felt humbled that we had so much and they had so little

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Makeke - Not having been on a trekking holiday before, he filled me with confidence and made me feel safe. He watched over our group like a mother hen - he didn't miss anything. He made sure that everything ran like clockwork, tents set up, good hydrating and nutritious food promptly on the table, briefings on time, hot water by your tent door etc etc. He had a great sense of humour and a natural intuition for picking up when someone wasn't well, tired or struggling mentally - in a nutshell, he exceeded all my expectations - he was brilliant :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sun hat and factor 50 cream (especially on your hands and neck) is an absolute must in February - sun is so strong. Lots and lots of baby wipes girls - keep in your rucksack as well as your toilet bag - very dusty on parts of the trek.Drink, drink, drink ... from the moment you get up (try and drink 1 - 1 1/2 litres before you set off in the morning) to the moment you go to bed to keep away altitude sickness. Don't worry about constantly needing the loo - it's not a problem!

Reviewed March 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

A fantastic trip, very well organised and well catered for. Guides and porters were brilliant and made sure we were all looked after

Most Inspirational Moment

All of our group getting to the top of the mountain. Also how fast the porters (carrying heavy loads and often wearing trainers) raced ahead of everyone and had camp set up before we arrived

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant - he (Florence) made everyone very comfortable, ensured we all ate enough, gave us medication/ advice when we suffered from altitude sickness and kept everyone motivated. He gave us all the information we needed for each day and, along with his team, Florence made this a very memorable trip. We wouldn't have made it without him!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Research the route you want to do - we did the Lemosho route which is one of the longest and most scenic. I'd definitely recommend thsi route - it also gives you the best chance to acclimatise and reach the summit. Oh, and take Diamox with you! We didn't take any with us but thankfully our guide had lots!

Reviewed March 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

This was a quite spectacularly well-conducted experience from beginning to end; I couldn’t be more delighted in our choice to go with Exodus and enjoy the exemplary service from their partners, the African Walking Company.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspiring moment of the trip was undoubtedly the incredible teamwork ethic and camaraderie running through the entire contingent of porters and assistants that made the trip up the mountain with us. while I wouldn't say that reaching the top of Kilimanjaro pushed me to my *absolute* limits (as I have a high level of fitness) I do believe that the process was rendered that much easier by the real 'togetherness' that our group enjoyed. The professionalism of the crew travelling with you could not be surpassed and I can imagine that for the naive, a trek like this could quite easily take on a more sinister veneer if not given the level of support that the AWC gave us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader led by example from beginning to end; you could tell he was monitoring everyone's progress like a hawk despite displaying an unbelievable calmness on the outside which, in turn, kept everyone at ease. His nightly chats with the group were both entertaining, informative and full of hope and optimism which went a long way towards helping get us out of bed in the mornings!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not an easy trip, do not get it twisted; I take huge heart in our decision to travel the Lemosho route (thus giving the longest time to acclimatise) sadly vindicated by the occasional sight of casualties carried down the mountain on the last couple of days. Having carefully taken our time from beginning to end, reaching the top was overwhelming; it was my first serious mountain-climbing achievement, and has already given me the enthusiasm to save up and do it all over again in another continent when time and money permit! I would also advise going ahead with all kit recommendations and not attempting to travel light in any respect; you won't need to carry most of this stuff anyway, and given conditions can be quite bleak towards the latter stages of the trek I wouldn't have wanted to be caught short without any essentials. Having brought the kitchen sink with us, this wasn't the issue but it was for some.

Reviewed March 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

What a fantastic experience! I felt like a complete wuss when I arrived and discovered we had 34 porters, 5 guides and a cook for only 10 of us. However I then felt alot better when the guides told us that they had also taken Ashley Cole’s wife and her friends (otherwise known as the Comic Relief climbing team) up the mountain and that they had a porter / guide team of 110. Even our team of 40 resulted in luxury camping at its best.

Most Inspirational Moment

Summitting at Uhuru Point at 1pm having set off late from camp and hence having the whole summit to ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guides were fantastic, Mathew was more than just a guide, camp manager for the team of 40 support staff plus the 10 clients, how they didn't leave anything behind I will never know. Our assistant guides were also fabulous and looked after us extremely well, our morning routine of tea in bed followed by washing water was certainly a treat. I have to add a particular thanks to Amos our favourite assistant guide who could talk more than me, an achievement, and talked so much whilst climbing that you didnt even realise you had been climbing for 6 hours at a time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its a challenge, but you can do and you will love it!

Reviewed March 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

Amazing! Only just got back but already missing mountain life. Would 100% reccomend to anyone who is thinking of climbing Kilimanjaro. Prepare for it to be tough but it certainly is doable if you really want to make it.

Most Inspirational Moment

It has to be getting to Stella Point. While getting to Uhuru was amazing, the effort it took to get to Stella Point was unbelievable. I kept saying I wanted to give up and turn back but everytime the guides would pick me up and keep me going. The guides, porters and the team are definately the most inspirational people I've ever met. They work so hard and there is no way I would have got to the top without them. The feeling of achievement afterwards is brilliant! Also, the first two days walking in the forest are beautiful. If anyone is struggling to choose which route to do I would reccomend Lemosho because of this.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cannot rate The African Walking Company highly enough. Matthew, our group leader, was fantastic, as were all the assistant guides/porters.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book your own flights! Wish I was able to have longer in Arusha but unfortunately Exodus had booked our flights so that we left pretty early the following day and spent the whole time (8 hours!) in Nairobi airport. Wear suncream and bring aftersun. Was expecting it to be cold all the time and had no idea how hot it was going be until my face looked like a lobster.Girls- bring your UGG boots for the evening. Godsend! While you don't have to be superfit, I do think training before helped. Especially the first few days when the hills were pretty steep. Using poles was a good idea too.Take lots of photos (even at the top when your hands are freezing and you don't feel like it). Such an amazing experience, you'll be looking over them repeatedly once you get back!Bring old sleeping bags, mats, clothes, boots etc for the porters. They do such an incredable job and you'll want to give back as much as you can.

Reviewed February 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

One of the most magical trips anyone can ever take.Truely awe inspiring scenery takes your breath away…or was that the altitude?

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking over my shoulder on the final climb, seeing the horizon change from deepest, darkest blue to sunrise and at that precise moment, knowing for sure that we would all get to the top.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was called Makeke. He was brilliant. He organised well, gave very precise briefings each day and continually gave interesting information about the mountain.He was ably supported by Assistant Guides, James, Olauf, Godfrey and Vernance. They were all so supportive and could not do enough to help everyone on our trip. All were prepared to chat and share their experiences on and off the mountain, which made the whole experience extra special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't waste another second, book it now, then practice every day on a step machine until your thighs ache. It is physically hard work, but worth every ounce of effort. I was probably the slowest person in our group, but it is like being a fun runner in a marathon. The object is to finish, there are no extra points for speed.

Reviewed February 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

A super trip, very well organised and ran very smoothly. The local staff employed were excellent and were a pleasure to be around.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro was simply breathtaking. The views and the sunrise were nothing short of mind blowing. Taking the slightly longer lemosho route was a good idea for acclimatisation purposes. The trek from bottom to top was great if not a little damp due to the weather.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The head guide was a really helpful and knowledgable guy called Makeke. He kept us informed the whole time and answered any questions if he could. His assistant guides were also extremely good. Everybody was ultra cheerful the whole time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its very easy to just trudge along staring at the heels of the person in front, try to look up, there are some fantastic views, birds, animals etc to see.

Reviewed February 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

Definitely the hardest thing I’ve done in my life but certainly not the least enjoyable! Had a good time climbing on the Lemosho route and would definitely recommend it if you’ve got the time. Great guides as well- read a review before climbing saying to trust the guides as they know far more than you do- definitely true!

Reviewed February 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

Kili climbing… was certainly one of a kind life experience. The perfect conditions to challenge yourself and find your inner peace and strenght. It is hard to describe really, you have to live it to understand it!

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved most of the days, especially being so close to nature. If I had to chose a moment, obviously the summit day (actually night) is pretty mindblowing. After walking up for 5 hours in the dark, when our guide told me 'don't lose your confidence sister' and kindly carried my backpack, 2 hours before reaching Uhuru peak, I suddendly felt an adrenaline kick, and wings growing in my feet...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was extremely responsible, he knew so much about the mountain, and was great in managing the team and bringing everybody together. The 2 other guides were amazing as well, both wise and professional and yet super friendly and cheerful. We had so much fun. I must also add that our guides' mountain gear was much better than those of many other trekking companies we found on the way, showing they take good care of their staff.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lemosho route is definetely the best to reach the peak as you spend several extra days on the mountain just to acclimatise in preparation for the summit ascent. It is also really enjoyable since you leave from a beautiful pine forest, and arrive through a lovely tropical forest, so you get a lot of variety.Trust your guides! Drink loads, walk slowly, it is not a competition! Bring a camel bag, as it is the only way to drink enough as you walk to meet the 4-5L water requirement/day.Also, I was happy I had hired a matress through Exodus as they were much thicker than those you get in mountain shops, they also isolate better from the cold. Honestly, I slept like a baby every night.For the summit ascent: bring loads of snacks, better liquid (energy gels for instance) as the cereal bars and chocolate will freeze. An ipod is also great as the summit ascent can get a bit monotonous when you are walking for hours in the dark and personally music kept me going..Keep all electrical equipment next to you body every night (in your sleeping bag) and during the final ascent so the batteries don't freeze. There is signal on the top so you can send text to family and friends to tell them you have reached the top!

Reviewed January 2011