FREEWHEELING CYCLING Going self-guided KALEIDOSCOPIC INDIA Highlights of India ¡BIENVENIDO! ADVENTURES Exploring Latin America 2018/2019 3 CONTENTS 4 YOUR ADVENTURE, YOUR WAY Get in 97% Ways to travel 6 WHAT'S NEW? of our travellers would recommend From Japan to Peru: our new trips the saddle us to their friends Welcome to our new Cycling Adventures brochure, your ticket to the best rides on the planet. 8 ASK THE EXPERTS Our team answer your questions Seeing the world on two wheels is one of the most liberating ways to travel, awakening your senses and filling you with inspiration. On a bike, you can soak up the atmosphere and get right to the heart of the action, whether that’s enjoying uninterrupted views over rolling landscapes or listening to 9 WHY EXODUS? the chatter of local languages as you ride through rural villages. Nothing beats the satisfaction of Ten reasons to travel with Exodus exploring the length and breadth of a country under your own steam. 98% This brochure is packed full of ideas and tips on the world’s greatest cycling routes, from iconic cols with worldwide reputations to cycling’s best kept secrets. Discover a host of stories from real Exodus travellers, expert 10 MEET YOUR HOST packing advice, and brand new carefully crafted itineraries we think you’ll love. You’ll also find holiday overviews A selection of our best accommodation to give you a glimpse of what our adventures are all about. All you need to decide is how you do it - whether you of our travellers think we design and join a guided group, enjoy a relaxing self-guided ride, or customise your own perfect tailormade adventure. operate trips to benefit the local 14 ¡BIENVENIDO! Get in the saddle – it’s time for an adventure… community and environment Exploring Central and South America Andy Ross, Head of Product 16 LEADER PROFILE: MARINELLA BOZZETTI Discover Puglia with a true local 4.7 out of 5 average trip rating 17 TRENDING NOW: FAT BIKING based on the past 100 online A different spin on a cycling holiday customer reviews 18 IT'S IN THE BAG Packing advice for your next trip 19 UNESCO: MYTHS & LEGENDS Discover the legends behind eight timeless wonders 22 KALEIDOSCOPIC INDIA Highlights from four regions of India 26 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Top tips and helpful advice ahead of your trip 27 BEYOND THE SEA Customer Rebecca Davis talks about time off the bike 30 FREEWHEELING The beauty of self-guided cycling holidays 32 TOUR DE FORCE Journalist Ned Boulting shares his Exodus adventure 36 HOLIDAY LISTINGS Details of all our cycling trips in one place Cover photograph: Cycling in Provence with Mont Ventoux in the distance created by illustrator Paul Shipper. Main photograph: Cape Argus Cycle Tour in South Africa. See p60. Call 0203 811 5187 or visit exodus.co.uk 3 CONTENTS 4 YOUR ADVENTURE, YOUR WAY Get in 97% Ways to travel 6 WHAT'S NEW? of our travellers would recommend From Japan to Peru: our new trips the saddle us to their friends Welcome to our new Cycling Adventures brochure, your ticket to the best rides on the planet. 8 ASK THE EXPERTS Our team answer your questions Seeing the world on two wheels is one of the most liberating ways to travel, awakening your senses and filling you with inspiration. On a bike, you can soak up the atmosphere and get right to the heart of the action, whether that’s enjoying uninterrupted views over rolling landscapes or listening to 9 WHY EXODUS? the chatter of local languages as you ride through rural villages. Nothing beats the satisfaction of Ten reasons to travel with Exodus exploring the length and breadth of a country under your own steam. 98% This brochure is packed full of ideas and tips on the world’s greatest cycling routes, from iconic cols with worldwide reputations to cycling’s best kept secrets. Discover a host of stories from real Exodus travellers, expert 10 MEET YOUR HOST packing advice, and brand new carefully crafted itineraries we think you’ll love. You’ll also find holiday overviews A selection of our best accommodation to give you a glimpse of what our adventures are all about. All you need to decide is how you do it - whether you of our travellers think we design and join a guided group, enjoy a relaxing self-guided ride, or customise your own perfect tailormade adventure. operate trips to benefit the local 14 ¡BIENVENIDO! Get in the saddle – it’s time for an adventure… community and environment Exploring Central and South America Andy Ross, Head of Product 16 LEADER PROFILE: MARINELLA BOZZETTI Discover Puglia with a true local 4.7 out of 5 average trip rating 17 TRENDING NOW: FAT BIKING based on the past 100 online A different spin on a cycling holiday customer reviews 18 IT'S IN THE BAG Packing advice for your next trip 19 UNESCO: MYTHS & LEGENDS Discover the legends behind eight timeless wonders 22 KALEIDOSCOPIC INDIA Highlights from four regions of India 26 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Top tips and helpful advice ahead of your trip 27 BEYOND THE SEA Customer Rebecca Davis talks about time off the bike 30 FREEWHEELING The beauty of self-guided cycling holidays 32 TOUR DE FORCE Journalist Ned Boulting shares his Exodus adventure 36 HOLIDAY LISTINGS Details of all our cycling trips in one place Cover photograph: Cycling in Provence with Mont Ventoux in the distance created by illustrator Paul Shipper. Main photograph: Cape Argus Cycle Tour in South Africa. See p60. Call 0203 811 5187 or visit exodus.co.uk 4 Your Adventure, Your Way 5 Tailormade YOUR ADVENTURE, The idea is simple: have your adventure tailored to suit you. We can offer most of our holidays as tailormade adventures, perfect if you’d like to travel with a group of friends or YOUR WAY family, or fellow club members. We can run these trips with a minimum of just two people travelling but the more people who travel the less it costs per person. All you need to do is let us know which trip you fancy, how many people are travelling Just as no two people are the same, no two holidays need to be either. With so much and when you’d like to go. of the world to explore, and so many things to consider ahead of booking your dream And, of course, you still have all the same benefits of a guided adventure, we offer a variety of travel options to ensure that your holiday is just as group trip, including the all-important local guide and their unique as you are. Because this time, it’s personal… invaluable knowledge of your destination. To find out more, or to arrange your own tailormade adventure on a date to suit you, call 0203 733 4849. Customised Kerala Together with friends, Michael Winstanley has conquered Kilimanjaro and enjoyed the awe-inspiring sights of Machu Picchu. When it was YOUR WORDS Michael’s turn to make the arrangements for the group’s latest trip, he chose to swap out the hiking boots for cycling gear and organise their first cycling adventure. After browsing our brochure, the group opted for the Cycle Kerala & Tropical India trip. Together, the 16 friends explored the coastline and backwaters of Kerala, cruising on a traditional houseboat and experiencing south India’s diverse wildlife and culture from the saddle. “Because Exodus tailormade our trip, the whole group could have a laugh together from the very start as we all knew each other. Some days we covered up to 60 miles, which is a long run if you’re not used to it. It wasn’t daunting though – we broke it up with various stops, watching ladies pick tea and drinking in cafés in lovely locations along the way. India was nothing like we’d imagined – we enjoyed it in ways we didn’t know we would. Every day was different and every day was great.” Cycle Kerala & Tropical India exodus.co.uk/trip/MIK Flexibility You don’t have to be travelling Self-Guided Adventures with a dozen friends to tailor a holiday to fit your requirements. Rather than following a guide who points There’s plenty of scope to make one of our you in the right direction, the decisions are adventures perfect for you, whether you’re yours to make; based on personal interests travelling with a guided group or on one of our and preferences and detailed route notes tailormade trips. Guided Groups The Inside Story that offer you all the information you’ll If you’re looking to add a touch of luxury, we need for your destination. Prefer to For those of you that are new to Exodus, guided group trips As Exodus customer Andrew Bass cycled through the vineyards of Italy, a perfect can arrange flight upgrades to allow you to spend a lazy afternoon picnicking by a are our most popular type of holiday. Guided exploration picture blossomed into life up ahead. Rolling towards Soave, grapes were being travel to your destination in style. picked near the picturesque castle and the sun beamed over idyllic countryside. riverbank? With self-guided travel you with a small group of travellers is how we began, and we’ve If you simply wish to fly to and from your YOUR WORDS Andrew took a guided group adventure through the Dolomites, Lake Garda and set your own pace, which means there’s been doing it for over 40 years now.