Fantastic way to explore the Amalfi Coast

Janet N Walking the Amalfi Coast

We had not done an adventure family holiday before and were unsure as to what to expect. Any anxieties were very quickly dispelled and we had a memorable 14 days discovering Vietnam from north to south. The schedule was paced so that we had time to recover from flights and travelling. The heat took some getting used to. Our tour guide said that Vietnam has two types of weather, hot and hotter, so don’t pack a jumper! There were five other families on the tour and we all got along really well. Our tour guide Huyen Nguyen made sure everything went smoothly and imparted her in depth knowledge of Vietnam giving us context and descriptions of her beautiful country. The tour was a mix of activities from rickshaws in Hanoi, Cooking classes in Hoi An and relaxing at Whale island. We didn’t really get into the history of the “American War” until late into the tour which was good, because Vietnam is so much more than its history! The Vietnamese people were warm, welcoming and generous. It is also helpful that English is spoken widely and quite well, which is useful as the Vietnamese language is very difficult to understand. The food was really tasty and we enjoyed the Ban-mi in particular. One final note, the Hotels were really good, particularly the Sincerity Hotel in Hoi An which has a very good swimming pool.

Gareth Jones Chopsticks & Coconuts Family Holiday

This was the best way to experience the country of Sri Lanka. The back roads on a bike gave access to the most amazing wildlife, natural beauty and glimpse into the culture and way of life. The cycling was challenging at times due to the heat, humidity and one day of tough climbing. The hotels and food were of a high standard and nothing was too much trouble for our support team.

Louise Littlewood Cycle the Back Roads of Sri Lanka

This was a jam-packed itinerary, with many walks and other activities, combined with a lot of driving. We moved on every two days, which was necessary to see everything, but it also meant there was no down time. Although this was a wildlife trip, at times the wildlife was rather shy. Some walks we saw very little. We probably saw more wildlife on the boat trips. Our expectations were probably not realistic, but we expected toucans and sloths to be hanging off every branch. It’s not like that (at least in the dry season). We didn’t see a sloth until halfway through the trip when there was one on a tree next to our hotel. Never saw a yellow-billed toucan, although we did see other toucans and toucanets (never knew there was such a thing!). Final count was around 150 different birds, as well as many other creatures (many of which we didn’t know existed). So the wildlife was amazing, but you need to know it doesn’t necessarily just pop out at you. On some walks, especially in Manuel Antonio, there were so many other groups looking at the same thing that it was quite difficult to get in to see things and was quite tiring at times. The walks throughout the trip were also very slow and we understand the pace was to suit looking for wildlife but walking so slowly was difficult and tiring in the heat.

Kurt Mills Discover Costa Rica

My perspective is that of a fit and active gent in his early 70’s. Also, this is my first trip with Exodus. As another reviewer has noted, “Discover Costa Rica” is almost exclusively a nature trip. The itinerary touches only slightly on the peoples, history and culture of Costa Rica. This is also an active trip! You’re on the move every second day: bags packed and ready for loading by 7:00 AM with 8:00 AM departure. There’s not much downtime throughout this two-week trip.

It struck me that on a nature trip like this, the wildlife needs to “get the memo” that we’re coming. The wildlife needs to show up! Seriously, the forces of climate/climate change, local weather, and seasonality can come together in a way that limits the opportunity for wildlife viewing. Such was my experience. Several of the nature walks yielded very little in terms of wildlife viewing. In no way do I fault our group leader. He was VERY knowledgeable. I can’t imagine anyone trying harder to find wildlife for our tour group to view. So . . . enjoy the walk in the tropics and any wildlife you see is a bonus might be a good mindset.

Most of the wildlife I saw was birds. It seems silly almost to state the obvious. Birds are actually quite small as compared with other wildlife, say, an elephant you might spot on a trip to Africa! A bird can come into view, alight on a branch, and then, within a few seconds, disappear into the lush vegetation. There’s limited opportunity to observe the creature and perhaps take a few photos. I wish I’d considered this more before embarkation!
Accommodation was perfectly serviceable, clean rooms and well maintained. This is not luxe accommodation but it’s not spartan either. It was perfectly in line with the amount I paid to take the tour. The food was varied and tasty. Lots of it!

In my opinion, Discover Costa Rica is a good trip that could be great if the itinerary was tweaked a bit. For openers, I would get rid of one two-night stop (suggest Monteverde as we saw almost nothing) and create two other three-night stops. This would allow for a little downtime. I would also add some trip experiences such as the farm visit on the final day. These added experiences might focus on the people, history, and culture of Costa Rica. This way, if the wildlife “doesn’t get the memo”, there are still some high-quality experiences that the traveler will cherish.

Douglas Parker Discover Costa Rica

The tour introduced us to Sicilian food and we experienced making pasta, drinking Marsala wine, tasting mozzarella and warm ricotta straight from the buffalo cows, and visited an organic olive farm. This was in addition to eating loads of delicious street food, and exploring fish and vegetable markets. And then we visited beautiful historical towns of Ragusta and Nota – and learned about the ancient history of Sicily in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento. I also walked around a crater on Mount Etna. What a week ! Full of fun and learning.

Judy Oliver Sicily Food Adventure