Having sold the Exodus product for more years than I care to remember, I recently jumped at the chance to experience their fabulous product first hand.
We flew to Naples and were swiftly transferred to our base for the next few days, the Hotel Due Torri; centrally located within the small village Agerola. It's a charming, family run hotel that Exodus have used for many years, and from the outset I could see why they continue to do so.
My room was located in the newly renovated section and it was spacious and modern with the added bonus of a balcony affording great views of the mountains. Just be aware though this section does not have a lift unlike the other rooms located in the main hotel, something maybe to bear in mind after a full day of walking!
Our first day took us to Ravello, nestled in the hills inland from the coast. On arrival we visited the stunning Villa Cimbrone, about 15 minute walk from the main piazza at 1000 feet, now an exclusive hotel but for a small entrance fee of 7 euros (well worth it in my opinion) you can spend a couple of hours wandering around their beautiful manicured gardens before reaching the world famous "Terrazza dell'Infinito" (Infinity Terrace). This is a great spot to take pics of the spectacular view. We then made our way back through the cobbled streets passing artisan shops and hidden away traditional restaurants. After lunch in the main square overlooking the cathedral, we made our way through the Valle delle Ferriere Nature, this route took us through ever changing scenery and we were all enchanted with beauty surrounding us at every turn... a great way to destress and get back to nature!
We met our driver a couple of hours later down in Amalfi, a lovely albeit busier coastal town. Before our delicious home cooked evening meal we were treated together with our fellow Exodus guests to a cooking demo by the Head Chef - great fun and an added bonus!
Next morning we were taken to Pompeii and met by our local guide Hector - from past experience it's well worth paying for a guide; I learnt a lot more than on my previous visit years ago without one!
After an interesting morning, we were taken to a family run vineyard close by, the "Cantina del Vesuvio" after meeting the owner who gave us a tour of the vines we were treated to an excellent selection of pairing wines (which were available to purchase in their onsite shop) with each course with our typically Italian lunch of antipasti and pasta, just another great way to end the day!
After a hearty breakfast the next morning we set off from the hotel to the start of one of the most famous Italian walks the aptly named "Path of the Gods" This walk was a lot more challenging than before at approximately 13km it is longer and the terrain is much steeper and uneven in places . I was really glad our excellent guide Severio provided us with a walking poles, certainly useful for the steep downhill sections!
We broke for lunch halfway down to Positano at a traditional Italian kiosk nestled in the cliffside ran by a lovely Italian couple who made us feel really welcome and insisted we try their version of Limoncello Cream (think a lemon version of Bailey's!). This lunch set us up nicely to attempt the 1500 steps down into Picturesque Positano where some of us had a paddle in the sea before meeting our driver and heading back to the hotel.
This walk has to be the highlight of my trip, the scenery was just breathtaking, the weather was perfect and the views down to Positano were absolutely unforgettable!
Exodus holidays were exceptional in every aspect of my mini trip, they are a truly professional company and so if you are looking for a sociable, fairly active type of holiday with like-minded people please do call me and I'll be pleased to recommend one of their many trips!
