Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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11893 Reviews

5 out of 5

Nick S

Reviewed December 2022

Enjoyable holiday due to the spectacular/historic/biblical sites and great travelling companions and NOT Exodus

We enjoyed the holiday but that was because of the spectacular/historic/biblical sites and great travelling companions and NOT the efforts of Exodus.

Effectively all Exodus provided was transport between sites and generally poor hotels, (except the Dead Sea but particularly the grubby SeaNet in Tel Aviv where we endured 2 extra nights at the end of the tour), albeit the hotels were in good locations. The bus in Jordan was not fit for purpose, or Health & Safety compliant, as luggage didn’t fit in (some initially had to go by taxi) and was balanced above the heads of the back row and in the aisle when rearranged and ‘fitted’. Sitting over wheel arches in a full cramped bus is not comfortable on long journeys or good for posture.

Inexperienced, disorganised, uninformative and slow moving guide in Jordan and just a ‘day guide’ in Israel, who provided better information but with limited time on the Tower Mount spent too long talking, such that the guards started emptying the site before we fully enjoyed it. Fortunately we had the next full day to explore Jerusalem on our own.

Petra and Wadi Rum were spectacular but need to start Petra early, not later with the crowds. If relatively fit it is possible to walk to both the monastery and the high sacrifice but is a full day, which meant us missing out on the meal with a local family that had only been suggested that morning. Wadi Rum camp was basic but fun with good food, but it doesn’t give sunset or sunrise views. The guide suggested it was too far to walk to see sunset, though we saw other groups heading back on foot later, and that we could see sunrise by walking round the corner. We walked several corners the next morning but the cliffs were too high, so a walk out towards the centre could have provided both.

The Dead Sea is an unusual experience and the only good hotel on the tour but the Group had to push to get there early enough to enjoy any meaningful time.

The Israel part of the tour started badly as we were waiting over an hour standing at the border control before the bus/guide turned up and then had to wait further as he had 3 additional names on his tour list. We explained they weren’t part of the group and couldn’t have fitted on the Jordan bus but clearly he needed to check with the office.

Jerusalem and Bethlehem are clearly must sees, but we should not have gone back for another night to Jerusalem after Bethlehem but headed North to Nazareth and Sea of Galilee (we went on a day trip from Tel Aviv and worth the trip). The long journey to Haifa was pointless and hardly a ‘visit’ as was just a view of the port and the Bahai Gardens from over/through the railings and gave insufficient time in Jaffa/Tel Aviv.

In summary great places to visit but can’t recommend this Exodus tour with its current format, guides, transport and hotels, though Exodus failings likely helped the bonding of the group. It was nothing like the experience and support we expected having had a fantastic guide and great time with Exodus in Sri Lanka.

Most Inspirational Moment

First views of the Treasury in Petra and walking to and views from both the monastery and high sacrifice summit.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Inexperienced and poor in Jordan and although better (ie more informative) in Israel/Palestine he was just a day guide, who wasn’t there if issues arose out of working hours. Neither provided good recommendations for food options.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Potentially avoid this tour until Exodus address the shortcomings and feedback. Refuse the small bus in Jordan that doesn’t fit all the luggage in safely or is comfortable for all on long journeys. Get yourselves organised and get early starts for key locations (particularly for Petra get an early night and skip the late night meal next to the hotel) and long travel days. Food and drink is readily available inside Petra at reasonable price and can be in the shade. Insist on seeing sunset and/or sunrise at Wadi Rum. Get to the Dead Sea in time to enjoy the resort. Get the guide to brief you before the Temple Mount and enjoy the time at the top. Reject the long trip to Haifa and get to Jaffa/Tel Aviv earlier.

Suggestions

Exodus need to ensure guides are trained to required Exodus standards, hotels described as ‘comfortable’ are at least clean, and make changes to the itinerary based on feedback and experiences. (eg head north from Bethlehem to include Nazareth and Sea of Galilee and don’t go on the long trip just to get ‘views’ at Haifa).

Michelle Zuther

Reviewed December 2022

Amazing country but...

This was my third cycling trip with Exodus (April 2022). As always, it is a great way to experience a country. The sight, the smells, the noises. You can’t beat it. Jordan is a must see. The cycling itself is not challenging. The rides are quite short and a couple of steep hills but that is it. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the tour because of the guide. Who has ever heard of a tour leader not cycling!?!?! His rules for cycling (everyone must be single file – always, you can’t stop for photos, you must cycle at the same pace and with minimal distance between each cyclist) was frustrating and at times dangerous. People have their own pace and to cycle out of this especially up and down hills can be downright dangerous. It was a shame because the group were fun and the itinerary was interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader must be a cyclist. It is just insanity not to have someone who understands cycling leading the tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Find out who the tour leader is first on this one! Normally, the group leaders are amazing...

Suggestions

Yolanda Harris

Reviewed December 2022

A Good Trip although you must be a keen walker

6 days of walking. After the first 3 valleys they start to look the same (how many pigeon holes do you need to see?) but the group was great, and the guide was enthusiastic and patient, managing the fast walkers at the front, and the ones at the back who took lots of photos. He was very good at finding different places to eat, and it was great that food was all included so you just paid for extra drinks. Water was always available on the minibus so plastic waste much reduced. If you are vegetarian expect a lot of vegetable stew and eggplant! There are some lovely churches to visit in the rocks (as in small places of worship with the remains of old frescoes dating back several hundred years, not churches as tend to be build here)

Most Inspirational Moment

The churches I visited in the Ilhara valley, and the cathedral we visited on the final day (not one building, again a collection of beautifully decorated rock spaces with Christian wall paintings)

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was patient, with a good sense of humour. He occasionally cam across as a little impatient and on one walk I rarely saw him as I was at the back taking photos and he stayed at the front. Every time I was nearing to catch up he set off again. He was probably on a time schedule and was frustrated. He was very good at sorting out everyone's requirements - ATM visits, people wanting to stop at pharmacies, tracking down the lost luggage of one of the group, and keeping us all informed (often having to repeat the same information 3 or 4 times) and answering all our questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure you want to walk for 6 days (or you can always miss a day and relax by the pool at the hotel!). Be prepared to get dusty. Do the balloon flight!

Reply from Exodus

We are grateful that Yolanda has taken the time to leave a review and are glad she had a good holiday, although we’re sorry that the star rating she has given does not reflect the usual positive experience our customers have on this trip. We’re confident that the information we give in the trip notes makes it clear that this is a dedicated walking trip, and believe that the stunning and unique scenery of Cappadocia, which we hope we show off in the ‘Gallery’ page for this trip, is one of the main draws of hiking here. However, there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and to engage with local Turkish culture; and as Yolanda says, our clients are welcome to take a day off to relax by the pool if they’d like.

Vivien Urban, Product Manager

Jinny Pohl

Reviewed December 2022

Terribly let down by Exodus

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. But there were many amazing moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Holgar (Olie) was an excellent tour leader with great knowledge of his country and with very good command of English. He has a kind and friendly personality and went out of his way to help us and to make the trip a memorable one for us. His organisation skills were outstanding and he made sure that everything flowed smoothly. As I suffered from altitude sickness his kindness and help was invaluable to me.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ask Exodus all the details such as the air line you will be booked on (if you are booking with flights) etc before you book the trip. Do not trust Exodus to make the right decisions for you. From what I gathered from some members of the group, Exodus offers better prices and a better service if tours are booked through third parties such as Trailfinders. It might be better not to book directly with Exodus and better still, book with another tour operator.

Suggestions

Peru is a beautiful country, well worth travelling to.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Jinny for her review, although we are incredibly sorry that her trip was soured by the service she received on her flights with Air Europa. We understand that, as Jinny made her booking later than other clients on this trip, flights with KLM would have incurred a large supplement, and so our Sales team looked to book her onto flights with alternative airlines which offered her a better price. We would mention that Air Europa are an established, full-service airline who we have used for many years on different routes to Spain and South America without issue; they are not considered a ‘budget’ carrier, and are a member of the SkyTeam alliance alongside KLM. Consequently, our team were confident they would provide a similar level of service, but we are shocked to hear of the experience Jinny had on her journey to and from Peru, and are so sorry to hear that she became ill following her flight home. Our Aviation team has been made aware of Jinny’s experience and will closely monitor feedback we get from clients who fly with this airline in the future; should this prove not to be a one-off, we will strongly consider removing Air Europa from our list of preferred carriers.

We are also sorry that Jinny feels that Exodus offer better prices should our trips be booked through third parties, which we can assure her is not the case. In this instance, the members of her group who booked through Trailfinders did so far in advance, and so avoided any supplementary charges, which are reflective of the costs Exodus incurs in making a later booking. However, we are heartened to read that Jinny found Peru to be a beautiful and worthwhile destination, and are particularly pleased that she singled out our tour leader, Holger, for praise.

Troy Glennon, Product Manager

Vaughan Sheward

Reviewed November 2022

Live at the Apollo

According to the group, the trip exceeded all expectations. The terrain was more difficult than expected, but this was due to the age of the heritage sights. Take walking poles just in case. The tour leader was excellent at reminding us to watch our step. Accommodation was better than expected, including a sea view in beautiful Pylos. We all wish we could’ve stayed in Pylos for an extra night. Personal highlight: Incredible experience being able to run on the track at Olympia and to stand next to the temple of Zeus.

Carol Birch

The animals which thankfully weren't budget orientated. Of the big 5 we missed out on cheetahs and lions. But that was more to do with organisational issues. As well as having 3 separate vehicles for our trip. Not including the safari jeep also an extra expense.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both leader & driver were very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes this is the second trip whereby the trip notes are badly (years) out of date. No excuses..... since covid Exodus has really gone done hill as far as its people knowledge of the trips and its trip notes were always wrong when it came to things like currency values and even simple things like having to buy your own water...... to a stop being a permanent camp no light bulbs.... in fact no other guests for months but supported by EU funding (10 years ago perhaps) that was not worth a 8 hour drive to arrive at night and leave in the morning.....??

Suggestions

Unfortunately I have 2 further trips deposits with yourselves.... but you really need to get your staffs knowledge up to date as trips like this (especially the cost) are meant to be once in a lifetime.

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