Amazing Hike on Kilimanjaro! We had an incredible experience on the Machame Route to the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro! The Team put together by this local travel specialist was amazing, with our guides Benedict and Brighton taking care of us and adapting to our strengths and weaknesses, and the cook Adam and the waiter James providing us with delicious food three times a day. The porters were carrying our bags and all the gear, tents, food and water, and everything was set up perfectly by the time we reached the camps in the afternoon. The trip with this agency is supposed to be a budget trip, which we did not feel at all: We got hot water twice a day to wash ourselves, the tent was spacious and the meals were lush. Two things which I did not like about booking this trip: First, there are non-optional "tips" for all the staff included, which you have to pay at the end of the trip. These are roughly 10 USD for a porter, 15 USD for a cook and 20 to 25 USD for a guide, per day. So for two people doing the trip these are another 700 to 800 USD (combined) in "tips", which you pay on top of the whole booking fee. This is true for any agency you book with, however it needs to be declared on the trip description rather than in some email three weeks after booking. Second, the organiser was extremely slow in replying to our questions. Some of our questions were never answered. In case that happens to you also, I would recommend asking for the organiser's phone number.
This trip was an excellent experience blending history and tourist sites with food experiences. The itinerary is well done. We were a small group of 7, and got along well, and our guide Tiziano was energetic and good natured, and attentive to everyone's needs. He was very organized and everything went off as planned. He was also personally helpful to me on 2 occasions, with forgotten eyeglasses and arranging individual transport to the airport. I really enjoyed all the tasting/eating experiences, including olive oil, cheese farm, wine tastings, cooking class, street food tour in Palermo, and group dinners. We moved a lot, staying one night in most places, but that was enough to see everything, and get a feel for the towns. The travelling distances were not very long between towns, so we had plenty of walk around time. My only criticism would be of the choice of the Siracusa hotel, which could be greatly improved, even if it meant charging a bit more for the trip. The rest of the hotels ranged from decent to lovely. Would definitely travel with Exodus again. Great value.
I was on a trek on a group of 6 with Buddhi. He is a dynamic, energetic and supportive guide. He always kept us motivated, continuously interacting with us on our health and conditions to make sure that we are coping well with the height. He was regularly asking if there are ways to make ourselves more comfortable. His abundance of experience as a trekking guide really made our trek easier. I highly recommend Buddhi and thank all the team members of the local operator for organizing our amazing experience we had on EBC trek.