Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
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Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!
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73 Reviews
4.7 out of
5
Reviews
Maggie Burghuber
Reviewed September 2017
Chianti walking and wine
The setting in the converted farmhouse is absolutely idyllic – but remember that September is the beginning of autumn and the altitude is high, so you really need to pack something warm for the evenings. The staff are really friendly and very helpful and the accommodation is clean.
I did find the twin beds narrow and the shower a little cramped : but then you get used to it.
The meals at Castella were excellent, especially the antipastas, and the buffet on the first night was to die for – but overall I was disappointed at the vast amount of meat and the lack of fresh salads/vegetables. We found the same trend even when eating out ….. meat, meat , meat.
Perhaps the wine compensated for it? I’m sure I got my 5 -a-day from the wine alone!! it flowed! Oh, and don’t forget the gelatos!
I must say we had a fantastic guide- nothing was too much for him. We’d slog away at the “undulations” (the in-word on our tour)and spent 2-3 hours relaxing in the town, while he’d WALK back again to pick up the minibus.
And the wine-tastings were brilliant: we’ve all learnt about chianti classico. Fantastic cheeses and delicious olive oils were provided. No tasting was the same! Honestly, we all got on so well. Thanks Mark for making our tour so enjoyable and such fun.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery was so beautiful. Vineyards and olive groves lining the hillsides. Tall, slender Cyprus trees pointing their way up to the sky - hilltop villages, many of them walled.
While walking the vistas would open up, one after the other and I never grew tired of taking them all in
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mark was fantastic. He had so much energy : was up early, kept the timings so that the full itinerary was completed and more; his sense of humour was encouraging. We all know the Italian for "undulating" now - some of them were "cheeky undulations" - or a "little bit of an undulation". What I really found good was the way Mark would drop back and walk with the slower people to encourage them on.
After we had walked 9 or 12 km he'd leave us at a town, so we could get a bite to eat, while he'd walk back to fetch the minibus up. Or he's run on ahead to bring the bus down to a meeting point. Incredible- he must be so fit. And whilst out on the walks he carried extra supplies of snacks for the group, so we could up the sugar intake and find our energy for the next etappe.
I couldn't believe the extra mile he went to deliver pizzas on his day off. We were sitting in the town and saw him bent on a mission - staggering out with a pile of pizzas for those who chose not to leave the villa
His planning was meticulous and he was so knowledgeable about the area.
I would say he helped to make the tour so enjoyable
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack rainwear -
Pack a torch
Take something warm to wear in the evenings
Julian Gale
Reviewed July 2017
Julian Gale
Great combination of walking, sightseeing and sampling the local food and wine.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the Tuscan countryside, and in particular the walk to San Gimignano, which ensured some beautiful views. The days in Siena and Florence.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz was an excellent leader. Definitely one who goes above and beyond the call of duty. Very hard working and keen to make sure everyone has an enjoyable holiday. Good at communicating the options and making any necessary arrangements (such as restaurant bookings etc). She even fitted in a quick photo stop at the leaning tower of Piza on our way back to the airport.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Worth making sure you also pack a long pair of walking trousers as one of the walks is through long grass areas where ticks might be lurking!
Colin Read
Reviewed June 2017
Chianti walking and wine
Another excellent Exodus trip. Some good walking through Tuscany combined with other activities such as a guided tour of Siena, visit to Florence, visited to wineries and much more. Accommodation in Villa Casalta was good on the above scale.
Most Inspirational Moment
Difficult to pick out one, but probably the excellent locally guided visit to Siena.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz was everything one might wish from a really good group leader: friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. She was also an excellent driver of our Exodus minibus; felt much safer that on some previous trips with Italian drivers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try to avoid flying with British Airways; we only narrowly escaped the 27th May IT debacle and were grateful to return the Gatwick only 4 hours late. BA short-haul is just another budget airline and not a particularly good one at that.
Gail Oleszkowicz
Reviewed May 2017
Chianti Walking and Wine
A great mix of walking, wine tasting and touring Tuscany towns. Scenery just as advertised.
Most Inspirational Moment
I liked San Gimignano the best of all the towns we visited.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz Proctor was an exceptional leader: she really went out of her way to do everything possible to help everyone who needed it. Safety was a top priority and she was genuinely concerned for everyone's wellbeing.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I am not used to walking on rough paths and was unable to train properly ahead of time. I managed but struggled. If you have health issues, do the training beforehand as suggested on the website to get in proper shape.
Louise Hill
Reviewed October 2016
Autumnal delight
A fantastic week of walking in golden hued countryside, sampling local wines and enjoying local food. The group was great, the guide (Mark) top notch, the hotel and staff lovely, the organisation seamless – who could ask for more.
Most Inspirational Moment
Sitting with the whole group outside a restaurant in Siena overlooking the city as the sun went down - throwing the most beautiful golden colours onto the red brick and ochre paintwork of the buildings. Idyllic.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mark organised us without making us feel at all "organised" and clearly knew the area well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a extra fleece if travelling in October!
Suzanne Pollard
Reviewed September 2016
Chianti walking & wine
A great holiday, Liz was fab. Be prepared for some serious walking if your not a regular walker up & down hills on rough ground. All in all a great time with a great group of people & lovely accommodation. Would definitely recommend.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved Siena & Sarah our guide was great.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very organised & ever attentive to everyone's needs
Advice for Potential Travellers
Practice walking on rough ground with ascents & descents
Judith Williams
Reviewed September 2016
Chianti walking and wine. J Williams.
This is a good week. The programme is good and varied. The accommodation was fine ( apart from the midges)
This is not a good trip for me. It was to,introduce a friend to Exodus. I shall upgrade next time!
Most Inspirational Moment
Nothing specialI
Thoughts on Group Leader
I did walking in Tuscany with Liz 2 summers ago, and was very happy to have her leading this trip. She herself is super fit, very knowlegable about the area, a very capable leader, and a very friendly 'people person'
Please will you send her winter walking in Turkey over new year?
Advice for Potential Travellers
Check that you have suitable shoes, a good water dispenser, and waterproofs.
Jacqueline Taylor
Reviewed June 2016
Chianti Wine & Walking
A good balance of walking in the countryside with visits to towns & cities for that cultural fix. The wine tasting was something I would not usually have done but I learnt from it & found it enjoyable
Most Inspirational Moment
The day in Florence
Thoughts on Group Leader
Friendly, well organised
Diane Mark
Reviewed May 2016
A memorable holiday
A really good balance between sightseeing, walking and wine tasting from an excellently located villa
Most Inspirational Moment
Numerous stunning views across the Tuscan countryside
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz, our group leader, was extremely helpful and committed to ensure that everyone experienced the delights of Tuscany to the full
Susan Sargeant
Reviewed May 2016
Tuscany Walking and Wine
A really enjoyable and varied week in Tuscany. Three lovely walks through forests and vineyards. Stunning hilltop villages and market towns. Excellent wine tastings and winery visits, each a little different, and we certainly drank a lot of local Chianti. Liz, our guide, was efficient, knowledgeable, capable and so friendly. We had plenty of time to explore the cities of Siena and Florence at our own pace, and on our free day most of us opted for a cookery class at a local restaurant. Enormous fun and the lunch we helped produce, was amazing.
The family run farmhouse where we stayed was full of character, and they made us so welcome. The evening meals were generous and based on local produce and served with their own estate wines.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery was stunning. A beautiful part of Italy. So many wild flowers around the vineyards. And looking down on the rooftops of Florence from the Plaza Michaelangelo was just fabulous.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz Proctor was so efficient, capable, energetic and friendly. She was always adding extra touches and local specialities for us to enjoy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This was the first trip of the season. It was very cold in the farmhouse, we had some rain and dense cloud, so be prepared with extra clothing and wet weather gear.
