Shape your adventure: With Extensions, every beginning and ending is yours to create. Learn More.      

1300 131 564
CALL: 1300 131 564

Ask a Question
hero-image

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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Select a trip specific review:

179 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviews

Finnish Wilderness Week - just book it!

This was our first Exodus adventure, and our first guided holiday, but right now we are booking our second!
Basecamp Oulanka is a friendly safe & cosy retreat with an excellent team of knowledgeable and welcoming staff.
The holiday is a mixture of activity, learning new skills, seeing stunning scenery, relaxing with new found friends and eating home cooked hearty food – what more can you want?! If you are thinking about booking it, JUST DO IT!
We are a 36 year old couple who enjoy the outdoors and enjoy being active, and I have recently become interested in photography, so this holiday ticked all the boxes!

Most Inspirational Moment

Dog-sledding was an amazing experience, like floating on top of a Christmas cake, the scenery is like Narnia untouched & spectacular with only the tracks from the sledges before you & the people on your group. The dogs howl & bark & pull until the off then they are silent through the beautiful white forest! Dinner outside making pancakes on a fire also a highlight on our last night. Ice climbing at the base itself - challenging but fantastic to learn a new skill. Snow-shoeing with a few of the group on the Little Bear Trail through forests, passing roaring rivers & sliding down embankments on our bums! Building a quinzee on a lake as a group - scary for the claustrophobic but a fantastic experience. All rewarded with a soak in the hot tub or a relax & chat in the sauna! There were so many inspirational moments, but also down-time where you could pick up a pair of snow shoes or cross-country skis, or sledges & head out on your own. The staff asked that you write down where you were going, times etc & a mobile number so we always felt safe & looked after, perfect as there were many solo travellers within the group. The chefs prepare the meals & then announce what they have made & it was always wonderful! I am a vegetarian and was happier than when at home in England! Lots of hearty stews with fresh vegetables & divine puddings such as almond & berry tart, scandanavian pancakes, cakes, crumbles - yum yum!! There is one meal choice plus lovely salad to choose from, but if you don't like fish, I would tell them you are vegetarian, as some of the soups had whole (but small) fish in them which put some people off. Vegetarians have first dabs at the vege food so the staff say to check they have had enough before the meat-eaters eat the vege dishes which I thought was lovely!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martti was with us for most of the time but also Jukka & Juuri. All were fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and really enthusiastic to ensure we enjoyed ourselves, but they also took our safety very seriously. Martti & one of the lovely chefs showed us to the coach at the end of the trip & hugged each one of us good bye - I really did not want to leave as they are all so wonderful & the place stunning!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You really only need to bring your own thermal underwear and probably woollen socks, as everything for the days is provided. In the evenings it is very casual so jogging bottoms & jumpers are perfect - I lived in leg gins & hoodies at night. They advise the women to wear no make up as if it is water-based it can freeze, so once I got my head around it is was so lovely to not wear it for the rest of the trip even in the evenings! Expect to spend a fair bit of extra money as lunches are 11 Euros each & there is no where else to eat (but they are worth usually creamy fish or veg soups...ask if they will make the Beetroot & Blue Cheese Soup one day - it is soooo good!) There are many optional activities and they are a little pricey (290 Euros each for an extra full-day of dog-sledding), but you don't have to do them. Squash, water, tea & coffee always available to help yourself in the main building (not in rooms) but other soft drinks & alcohol is extra. Not a massive choice but we found most people were chilled out with the drinks available or had the occasional beer so it worked perfectly. I made a bottle of wine (21 Euros) last a week which was fine.

A good mix of activities and time to relax

It is really like the pictures in the brochure! So beautiful and peaceful but with lots of activities to try out along with time to relax in comfortable accommodation and excellent quality local food.

As daylight hours at short this encourages you to spend a few hours relaxing in front of the open fire in the late afternoon before dinner.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the mix of activities but the husky dog sledging and the optional snow shoe to Castle Rocks were particularly memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was an excellent leader. He was well organised, very knowledgeable about the area, activities and wilderness skills and communicated this with good humour. All the staff at the Basecamp were lovely and nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Whilst all the clothing (which is of a high standard) is provided I was glad I had a few extra base layers but I do tend to feel the cold more than others.

Finnish wilderness week

A wonderful week of winter activities (all of them a new experience for me from snow shoeing to husky dog sleds) and fun in the snow. The evenings were spent in the community building/hub eating great food and enjoying the company of the rest of the group round the fire with a few drinks.

Most Inspirational Moment

so many to choose from: - Cross country skiing across the frozen lake, - Attempting the ice wall, - Husky Dog sleds in -39, - Building and spending a night in a Quinzee,

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martti was great, he went above and beyond making sure everyone was happy and well informed, Loved his stories too even if my toes nearly fell off during one on the night snow shoe walk. All the other staff were great too and the food cooked was amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although all clothing needed is provided I found that several thin base layers underneath were needed, also a thinner pair of gloves were good under the gloves/mittens provided. There is only a few hair dryers for everyone to share so a travel one is a good idea. If you like a cuppa in the morning then take a travel kettle as Breakfast wasn't til 9am. You get a towel provided but I'm glad I took an extra thin one which was useful to take to the sauna/hot tub

I had an excellent time during the Finnish Wilderness Week

I had an awesome time from start to finish. The clothing provided was excellent and protected me well against the temperatures which did sink into the minus 30s. The room was comfortable although i didn’t spend too much time in it. Food was great and filling after busy days (there is a lot of fish which I am not usually a big fan of but I loved the fish soups). Activities were well run and the instructors were patient and well skilled in cross country skiing and snowshoeing as well as various winter wilderness skills.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being outside in such a stunning location! Husky sledding was particularly memorable though as was the optional long snowshoe offered on the Saturday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Henri Suopanki who was brilliant. He is a great tour leader who is a good instructor across all activities. He is patient and helpful when instructing and with any other queries. He also mixes a good cocktail! All the staff at Basecamp Oulanka were great and this is one of the best places I've ever stayed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a book or small board game for the evening. When I went the days started getting dark at 3pm so a lot of time was spent in front of the open fire in the main lodge. There are a couple of board games available but I'd advise bringing a little entertainment of your own.

Finnish Wilderness Week

This is an amazing trip based at a wonderful centre called Basecamp Oulanka. The staff are fantastic, always available to assist and advise you. Mornings are spent trying out different activities and then in the afternoon you can try something different, relax or consolidate your snowshoeing or cross country skiing skills in the national park. Once you have tried these activities the equipment is available free to use during the week, as are the sledges on site. The food is tasty and plentiful, and the accommodation warm and functional. Trying lots of new activities really made this trip unique and now I feel I’m ready for a more specialized trip in the future.

Most Inspirational Moment

My daughter and I fell in love with the dogsledding. Everyone experienced the half day session and many of us scrambled to sign up for the full day which is something that we will never forget. The huskies are incredible, keen to be off, howling and jumping with excitement which contrasts with the silence when you are speeding along. The scenery is breathtakingly serene and beautiful. Lauri, the owner of the huskies, is caring and very knowledgeable and the dogs aim to please him and it is great to see their kennels and hear about how they live throughout the year.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Martti was always available at the camp to answer queries or to suggest a route for an extra walk. He was very knowledgeable about survival skills in the cold and we had great fun building a quinzee. He is passionate about the Finnish wilderness and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

All of the camp clothing is very good quality so do believe the trip guide, you really do only need to take thermals and good wool socks and liner socks, the fleeces and outer clothes are there for you. When it dropped to minus 27 it was useful to have a balaclava and woollen hats with the flaps to cover ears were a bonus. Do take Vaseline and lip salve, and use oil based moisturisers. Also shoes/trainers to wear in the main lodge when going for meals are useful.

Finnish Wilderness week

overall not great inadequate staffing levels for group size. Health and safety really not up to scratch – I have been to Iceland and Himalayas x3 this is, in my opinion, no where like as well run in terms of safety.

Most Inspirational Moment

free day skiing was good

Thoughts on Group Leader

Did not mix with group much.

Advice for Potential Travellers

consider very carefully before going

Review Centre
Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Linda for her review, whilst we have not received feedback of this nature in the past Linda’s comments have been passed to our local operator for consideration as health and safety is of the upmost importance to Exodus and our local partners.

Paolo Bonato – Product Manager for Finnish Wilderness week

Magical

This trip was one of my favourites ever… breathtaking scenery, yummy food, lovely Oulanka Base Camp staff, and great activities. I would really recommend this trip as there is a different activity each day which makes it so memorable and rewarding especially if like me you haven’t done any of these activities before.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on our second night which will always be a wonderful memory. What does inspire me is the friendliness and positivity of the Finnish people living in such cold conditions with few hours of daylight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour guide Martti was fantastic throughout. He was very organised, helpful and interesting. What really made it for me was his extreme passion for nature and the preservation of his environment.

Advice for Potential Travellers

One thing that isn't on the pre-trip details is that you have to be careful what you put on your face and lips (i.e. no make up or other water based products) as in such cold conditions certain products can freeze on your face. I would recommend taking VASELINE for the lips (and even your skin if really dry) as you can use this safely in such conditions.

Finnish Wilderness Week

This was one of the most exhilarating holidays I’ve been on for a long time. I only booked at the last minute which was fine because everything you need is supplied and it just means packing a few changes of clothes for the evening. Oulanka Base Camp is very cosy with really lovely staff who looked after us well – the food was exceptional and all made from fresh. The itinerary lets you try all the activities and then do them with more challenge if you want to. I opted for the additional day-long husky driving and it was wonderful to be travelling through spectacular scenery pulled by these extraordinary dogs – absolutely wonderful!

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the long husky driving trip. My team was raring to go all the time and sweeping down the tracks at speed was so exciting - a real adrenalin rush! I would definitely do this again.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Everyone was just so helpful and kind - a really lovely group of people.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it! Trust the leaders and try everything because you do get better at the activities.

Amazing experience

Great week with an excellent combo of activities in a fantastic location. Peaceful and relaxing, great food and friendly service.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the snow walking and cross country skiing in the peace of the forest and the lake. Stunning winter scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henry was great. Fantastic knowledge of the area and local stories, made me the greatest fan of Finland. Good training session before activities and patient, genuine passion for his job. Thank you!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Additional activities are well worth the extra expenditure.

Finnish Wilderness Week

It was a really enjoyable week with an opportunity to try many new things in a fantastic setting.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's difficult to pick a single moment, we enjoyed the whole week, especially seeing the Northern Lights (which is not guaranteed) whilst cross country skiing by moonlight across the frozen lake. The full day dog-sledding with Lauri and learning to cross country ski were also great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was fantastic and he made the week for the group: he is charismatic, personable, friendly, organised, very knowledgeable and patient.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you use a hairdryer, then pack your own as there isn't one provided in the rooms (apparently basecamp has two that can be borrowed). If you are vegetarian and aren't very fond of soya meat, then note this in the dietary requirements as it was a feature of many of the veggie meals at basecamp during the week.