Most Inspirational Moment
The Bear watching was great, we saw lots.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was an ideal leader for this type of holiday.
Reviews
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Reviews
Lots of bears
I enjoyed the walks although quite a proportion of the walking was on dirt tracks ( Romania doesn’t appear to have much in the way of public rights of way over farm land)
Breathtaking
Having been on several Exodus trips before I was unsure of what to expect as I not done any trips as remote as this. Not removed from civilisation but bit on the verge of wilderness.
The walks produced breathtaking scenery of the mountains and forests, all conducted at a leisurely pace mainly over unmade paths, meadows or very easy woodland walks, which posed no problems for any of the group.
Although not able to see every animal that inhabits the forest there presence was evident. The added option to under the guidance of a local ranger, see the brown bears in the wild is something that should not be missed. This was defiantly a highlight of the trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The stunning scenery was only beaten by seeing the Brown Bears in their natural environment which was by far the highlight of the trip, this was even more so augmented by visiting the bear sanctuary which was heartbreaking to see and hear how thes poor animals had been persecuted for the amusement of humans.
Thoughts on Group Leader
In Thomas we could have not had a better guide for our holiday. He was both funny and increadably knowledgeable about the environment and the history of his country. On any of these groups holidays the guide plays a pivotal role and Thomas really help make the week special and an unforgettable holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Located within the mountains the weather can be changeable host to hour so would suggest a good light weight rain coat/clothing, again good walking boots are definitely an advantage. Walking poles are an advantage on some of the walks, but I do have a slightly weak knee. I took £100 in the local currency and spent a little over, being able to pay the hotel for the visit to the Bear hides and the honesty bar in Euros helps with this.
Carpathian walking and bears!
We were extremely lucky with the weather (Aug), however, this did result in some of the hiking being rather more strenuous than anticipated as it was really warm most days – take lots of water!
The trip was brilliant, highlights every day, but the bears (in the wild and at the sanctuary) definitely made the trip!!!
Our guide, Thomas, couldn’t have been more interesting (and funny) and extremely knowledgeable about the fauna, flora and history – simply the best!
Villa Hermani was a hit too; friendly & helpful, good food and very reasonably priced drinks.
Highly recommended trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
The bears without a doubt! Lovely to see in the wild, however, visiting the sanctuary in bright daylight produced the best photos.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide, Thomas, couldn't have been more interesting (and funny) and extremely knowledgeable about the fauna, flora and history - simply the best!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take plenty of water on your hikes, especially if warm weather. Villa Hermani - don't bother with their wi-fi; extremely slow (used 4G instead).
Good varied trip with great guide.
This was an interesting and varied holiday with excellent trips, varied walks and an excellent guide.
Some of the days were long and involved a fair amount of time in a transit or small bus which was not always comfortable especially when it was hot. However , it wasn’t overly arduous and added to the overall interest of the week.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery on the first two days of walking. Watching the bears feed from a hide was also fascinating.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was really excellent. He was knowledgeable about the area and it’s history and had a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long days of varied activities. Take some biscuits/ energy bars ! While the walks were not overly demanding you should be used to walking with sturdy shoes. The transfer to the hotel takes several hours from Bucharest which means a late arrival , especially if the flight is delayed ( we arrived at 6a.m ) .
Picturesque places, lush landscape and beautiful bears.
A great way to spend the week, walking in the countryside, seeing many sites with fantastic architecture and cute bears doing their thing in the wild.
Most Inspirational Moment
Watching the bears in the wild from our bear hide and seeing how they play, eat and look out for each other. Also the visit to sanctuary was interesting, but sad to hear how those bears had been treat in their earlier years before being rescued from their previous owners. I also enjoyed the long walk along the canyon and the visit to Dracula's castle.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and always had an answer for every question asked. He also made sure every one's needs were catered for. He also knows the area very well. His assistant Sebi was also helpful and friendly and knows the area well too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you have a good pair of walking boots, plenty of water and waterproof gear.
Transylvanian experience and hospitality at its finest
I booked this trip primarily to see the bears and enjoy some leisurely walks through the meadows and forests. It exceeded my expectations, mainly due to our guide Thomas, the lovely hosts Herman and Katerina at Villa Hermani and the variety of local experiences from the ride in a horse cart, tea at a hilltop monastery, dinner at a restaurant specialising in game meats, harvesting mushrooms after the rain, and schnapps and cake at a fortified church with an intriguing priest! Transylvania is a beautiful part of the world, still in a time when we were closer to nature where animals are respected and in proximity, shepherds tend the flocks, and the landscape provides a bounty of wildflowers, fruit, hay and mushrooms.
Most Inspirational Moment
The visit to the Libearty sanctuary, learning of the history and great work they do to return these wild creatures to a semblance of a wild existence they deserve. The story of Maya was very sobering and I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one to shed a tear. Seeing these bears' behaviour compared to the real wild bears from the hide was quite a contrast. I was also pleased to see they had some wolves at the sanctuary - dogs did bark for a short while in the late evening around Magura but the second night I heard distant howling and I want to believe that was some of the wild wolves! Also the bear hide is a must, we spent a good couple of hours viewing well over a dozen bears plus four cubs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was a gentleman guide. Literally. Modest, engaging, and genuine. Wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of Transylvania, interested in the experiences and thoughts of the folks in the tour group and always willing to assist. An excellent leader in which you are in no better hands.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Because of the mountainous nature of the region it is hard to gauge the weather more than a couple of hours out and rain can start and stop fairly quickly on a cloudy day. I note from a previous review that they thought the horse cart ride should have been cancelled because it was a rainy day, but in our case it was raining up to when we got to the carts and then it stopped raining. When we finished the ride, the rain started again! The cart ride was a highlight for me and I would have enjoyed it even if it continued raining. I would also say bring more than two pairs of shoes as it does take a couple of days to dry a pair after a rainy day. And yes bring cash to cover the extras (bear hide was 210 lei and wifi access about 25 lei).
What does this mean?
This was a very well thought out holiday with an excellent mixture of walks and visits designed to give us an insight into the local way of life that fell exactly into the leisurely/moderate grading.
Most Inspirational Moment
Can't think of anything in particular
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent - very easy going manner with a wealth of historical knowledge
Amazing bears
Overall a good holiday. The best things for me were seeing the bears in the wild and the local walks around Magura. The high alpine scenery, the flower filled meadows, the limestone gorges, were beautiful.
The guest house is pleasant and food good. Breakfasts are help yourself, semi-continental with a egg option, using this good selection to make packed lunch. Generally I thought the evening meal food was very good, the staff seem to work tirelessly preparing them and must be commended. Though on one or two days, whilst portions were perfect for my small/normal appetite, I think a large man may have been left a bit hungry. Honesty bar for beers and wine works well.
Negatives – we had mixed weather and the leaders Thomas and Katrina rejigged the week’s schedule. The rain entirely spoilt the horse and cart ride/walk to the monastery day. Out of exodus’s control yes, but not quite sure why the leaders insisted upon us starting this activity if they knew how rainy it was in the valley below the guesthouse. Perhaps a bit more leeway to add in a visit to an indoor place or town would be sensible here?
Secondly, Exodus should reconsider the addition of the cable car and high alpine walk. This involved a near two hour transfer there and back (4 hours in total driving), and a less inspiring walk at the top (think Dartmooresque scenery) than those around Magura itself. The restaurant on this day was good but game orientated. I would entirely leave this option out and add in another walk around Magura.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the bears in the wild was brilliant. I would have been happy to see one or two, but we saw 10-15 in a three hour period including mother and cubs. Secondly visiting the fortified church, having local schapps and cake with a very different type of priest. The beautiful scenery around Magura for walking. Observing some of ongoing traditional farming practices.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas, and Katrina (who owns the guest house), were very knowledgeable leaders about the local history and environment. Katrina would accompany us on some of the excursions e.g. bird watching (where we saw a pelican!)
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is certainly not a walking holiday for anyone who does a reasonable level of walking - I found this frustrating. However, if you are not a walker, the nature of some of the shorter (10km walks) makes them a little more challenging than normal. There is also a considerable amount of time spent on mini-buses transferring between activities due to the location of Magura in the mountains, which I didn't appreciate on booking. Magura is a peaceful location, there is no other source of evening amusement apart from the guesthouse and a local "bar" (read cabin on stilts).
Carpathian Mountains a revelation
This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I was not expecting the Carpathian mountains to be so beautiful or there to be such an abundance of wild flowers. The accommodation was very good quality and the hosts Katarina and Herman, very welcoming and helpful. It was particularly good that several of the walks started directly from the Villa Hermanii and we enjoyed being accompanied by the resident dogs.
The visit to Castle Bran and Brasov were also very good and well organised as was the evening spent at the bear hide where we were fortunate to see several bears.
Most Inspirational Moment
Probably the longest days walk through the forest and a lovely gorge where we saw wild chamoix.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was a great leader, very knowledgeable about the complex Romanian history ( especially military strategy) and the local flora and fauna. His English is excellent and he was very helpful as well as entertaining,
Advice for Potential Travellers
You might want to take a travel kettle if you want a coffee in the evening as it was only available at breakfast. Flasks of hot water are left out for you to make tea etc which was great but the water was not really hot enough by 5ish. There is an honesty bar, the beer is really cheap and all the Romanian wines were worth trying.
Great walking holiday
Really enjoyed this trip. Many activities, so many that I had to have a day off. Saw bears. Lots.
Most Inspirational Moment
Bears. Bran Castle. Walking around mountain top in the fog.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was great. Gave a really interesting talk about Romania. Could maybe slightly improve navigation skills.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a compass.