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Take in an opera or ballet at the world renowned Opera House in Odessa.
Hit the slopes and go skiing in Bukovel.
Explore the UNESCO old town of Lviv, admiring the colorful townhomes, grabbing a quick bite at a corner café, and strolling the cobbled streets.
Learn about the history of Ukraine in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
For dedicated hikers, hike the tallest mountain in the Ukranian Carpathians at Hoverla.
Take a tour of Chernobyl and the abandoned town, Pripyat, the sight where the Reactor number 4 exploded, resulting in the town being abandoned for the last three decades.
Shop the bazaars and immerse yourself in the culture, while chatting (and supporting) the local merchants.
Excellent varied trip, a bit late in the season for Odessa with the cooling
weather. But all other destinations were great.
Chenobyl seeing the unfinished reactor 5 for the first time.
The group leader was excellent and very helpful.
Transnistria to Ukraine border crossing was long due to customs officials
being awkward.
An amazing trip to some of the least visited areas of Europe. An interesting
visit to Moldova including a monastery, a farmhouse lunch and the largest
underground winery in the world complete with wine tasting and music. The
unrecognised country of Transistria was a return to the Soviet era. Onto
Ukraine and Odessa with its vibrant culture and the magnificent opera house.
OK the night sleeper train was not the most enjoyable part of the trip but
Lviv was worth it with its churches, bars and restaurants. Kiev is an amazing
city with so much to do. Some great restaurants and bars. The churches are
amazing and the War Museum is worth a visit. The memorial to the revolution
of 2014 provide a poignant note. The trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was
both fascinating and sobering with it’s visits to the abandoned villages,
the reactor site, Piryat and the Duga.
The memorial in Independence Square to those who gave their lives in the
Revolution of Dignaty.
Marta was amazing with her enthusiasm and helpful advice throughout the trip.
Described as leisurely/moderate but I found this trip as full on especially
if you decide to do some exploring on your own.
An amazing insight into two lesser visited countries, each very different but
unusual especially Transnistria. The state winery in Moldova was staggering
in size but the wine not so good. The cities of Odessa, Lviv and Kiev were
amazing and interesting. Could have stayed in each city for multiple days.
The trip to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, very interesting but sobering
Mike was excellent, always kept us up to date with the days plans and any
items such as scarves that were needed. Very easy going but highly organised
Take US dollars or euros as cannot get currency outside each country. Also if
going to Chernobyl you must wear long pants and a long sleeved top plus
closed shoes.
We had an long weekend in Ukraine visiting Pripyat and the Chernobyl nuclear
facility.
The excursion into the control room and wreckage of reactor #3 (#4 is the one
that blew up) was very special and, frankly, I am amazed that we were allowed
such extended access inside the plant. I'll post some pictures to give you a
flavour of the trip.
Wandering around the 'ghost town' of Pripyat was also something of an epic
experience. As you spend the previous night nearby in Chernobyl, you're one
of the first visitors to arrive and have a really atmospheric experience
before the crowds arrive (And they do!). The huge radio antenna is also
somewhat overwhelming.
Wandering around inside the turbine halls of a nuclear power station.
I still can't quite believe we were allowed in there!
We had three leaders, one was the Exodus leader who was with us all the time
and conducted the 'cultural tours' in Kiev. We had another who guided us
around Chernobyl and Pripyat and a third who took us into the power station
itself. They were all very knowledgeable and got us through all the red tape
and checkpoints with much hassle.
You need to take some kind of 'overnight' bag for the trip to Chernobyl, the
minibus isn't very big and luggage space is limited. (The trip notes didn't
mention this but we were on the first Exodus trip there so I guess they'll
get sorted).
Food in Kiev is excellent and cheap. So is beer.
Food in Chernobyl is a bit basic but fine, veggies and gluten-free diners had
no problems.
We flew on UIA, check in at Gatwick and getting through passport control in
Kiev were nightmares.
On the return journey, check in and passport control in Kiev was easy and
quick - when you get back from Chernobyl, get the reception staff at the
hotel to check you in online and print your boarding pass. Then you can just
go to the self check-in at the airport.
The trip also includes a 'cultural tour' of Kiev and a big monastery. That
isn't really our 'thing' - we normally book walking/trekking/active holidays
and we soon got bored. We excused ourselves and had a look around Kiev on our
own - the WW2 remembrance park (Right next to the monastery, under the big
statue) is quite something and well worth a visit.
This isn't a criticism of the trip, I realise many people will book it
expecting a day like this, it's just not for us.
This is a fantastic trip which packs a lot into a week and visits two lesser
known but fascinating countries. The itinerary works well, and you are kept
busy without being too rushed. The group I travelled with were a pleasure to
be with and we had a great time. Our tour leader was excellent. The hotels
and transport were a very high standard. I couldn't have asked for a better
holiday.
Kiev was the highlight, a stunning city full of beautiful monuments. The
hotel is located overlooking Independence Square. If you visit in August you
might see preparations for the independence day on 24th August, which we were
lucky enough to. I particularly loved St Michael's Church of the Golden
Domes, which is beautiful inside and out, and Landscape Alley which is a
Gaudi-esque children's playground. Pechersk Lavra monastery is also well
worth a visit.
I also really enjoyed the winery tour in Moldova even though I don't like
wine much!
Our tour leader, Agata, was exceptional and one of the best I've ever
travelled with. She always went the extra mile, and was really caring and
looked after us very well without being overpowering. She was good fun, and
good at spending time with everyone in the group and looking after us all
equally.
Transnistria has its own currency, but you don't need to change very much as
prices are low and its completely closed so you can't change it back. Your
leader will advise you. But bear this in mind when budgeting for your days
in Moldova - you only need cash for the first evening and one full day.
Moldova has high quality and unbelievably cheap wine so if you enjoy wine,
make sure you have space in your suitcase to bring back a bottle or two.
That said, I strongly advise travelling light - I travelled hand luggage only
and was very grateful. There's a lot of getting on and off trains and moving
around stations that don't have lifts, so a medium backpack is the best thing
to bring. You don't really need lots of stuff as it's a short trip with no
special equipment. Bring good shoes as there's a lot of walking in cities
and on cobblestones. The group flights depart very early from Heathrow, if
that's likely to be a problem for you, book on the phone so you can discuss
flight options and decide if you want to book your own. It's possible to fly
direct, although it may cost more. Remember to bring a scarf for the
churches (women). Don't be put off by the train journeys, it's a busy trip
and the time to just sit is welcome, they're also nice trains. If you visit
Chernobyl, you will only get an evening and few hours in the morning in Kiev
(if you're on the group flights) and Kiev is amazing, so do consider
carefully which you'd prefer to do or think about staying longer.
This is a new trip (I travelled on the second departure) and I hope it
becomes a regular Exodus offering so others can enjoy it too. I hope that
when travellers catch on to what nice things there are to see and do in these
countries - as good or better than many other well known European
destinations, but without the crowds - they will want to come too.
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