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Reviews

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

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237 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviews

Discover Sri Lanka...shame about 'Brit package tour' feel

Beautiful country, worth seeing this way as you get to see the main sites of Sri Lanka. Beware the British package tour feel that didn’t go off the beaten track- not for you if you want to be around cultured and culturally sensitive people.

Don’t be afraid to NOT follow the herd! I organised my own excursions on free days or when I didn’t want to do ‘optional’ activities and DONT be put off by the tour leader, Roshan’s lack of enthusiasm for sites that were not part of the trip, I wasn’t put off and had an amazing time. DO get him to get you a guide for your own excursions – he is trustworthy and the prices he quotes are honest as I asked around.

DONT be sucked into paying £45 for the Kandy Esala Perahera festival!!! You are paying for garden plastic chairs to sit outside pizza hut or equivalent for a not so great view (i.e. in front of a pillar) – sit with the locals as some tourists were and it was not a squeeze and you did not need to get here at 12pm to get a seat (as the tour leader advised), you can easily arrive at 6pm and get a seat on the floor and soak up the atmosphere.

The tour leader is an award winning tour leader but this did not stop him trying to get everyone to pay £45 by advising us that it would be too busy to try and get a seat with the locals etc – frankly very disappointed with this as with £45 by Sri Lankan terms we did not get value for money at all. Even in England you wouldn’t pay this much for an awful seat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Most inspirational was my trip to Kataragama when we stayed at Yala National Park and a few of us made this trip on our own. This was not arranged or mentioned by the guide Roshan (Proshantha). It was an amazing experience because it showed Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists worshipping together - the experience was humbling and spiritual. The smell of incense, the heat of the evening, the people chanting and praying with offerings of fruit and lotus flowers was unforgettable. Despite the extortionate price of £45 for the Kandy Esala Perahera, it was absolutely amazing to be part of such an electrifying experience. The Perehara festival in Kandy was fantastic - the atmosphere was electrifying.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan (Proshantha) was our group leader who was amicable, the tour guide he organised for me was excellent for my separate excursion. He is an ward winning tour leader and which I was very surprised because he had low enthusiasm for activities / sites not part of the trip and did this by not telling the group at all about them (even though they were in our guide book) or providing negative feedback about said activity / sites. He didn't impart with information about he country unless asked and even then the answers were short and he had to be probed further for a satisfactory response or the response was a retort to humour the group that were culturally insensitive and had bandied together. The tour had a package tour feel as we spent most of our time on the coach, the food he recommended was not local but buffets or English style food to meet the palette of some of the group (who bandied together) who moaned the most about the Sri Lankan food and laughed at effort of the Sri Lankan chefs to meet the requirements of ever critical British, we weren't told about temples or other sites even in Colombo that were options to visit because most of the Brit pack were 'templed-out' and that there was 'nothing to see in Colombo'.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be afraid to not follow the herd. Read all your guidebook and persist in asking questions about Sri Lanka. Talk to the locals as much as you can as you will not get a chance being on the coach.

Review Centre
Reply from Exodus

We are directly in contact with the client and are investigating the issues that they have raised. We are very sorry that some aspects of the trip did not live up to their expectations and we will respond to the client on an individual basis.

Customer Services

An Amazing 2 weeks!

We had an absolutely brilliant 2 weeks discovering Sri Lanka. We travelled together in a couple and really enjoyed the group dynamic and all of the activities and excursions. Overall the hotel quality was fab – really good rooms and most had lovely pool areas – for the occasional free afternoons we had! The whole trip was a brilliant experience (this was the first adventure holiday we have done) and we’ll definitley be looking to do another similar trip again. It was a great way to see and experience a country – no stress or hassle!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing large groups of elephants in the wild was amazing and something we've never done before. We also really enjoyed seeing real Sri Lankan country life on the bike ride and rafting and swimming in the river in the middle of the jungle is an experience I won't forget. However it was the great group we were with and tour leader that made everything so special!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujee was brilliant - couldn't have asked for more. Very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, organised and funny - he even taught us a Sri Lankan song!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you can pack up your case/bag easily as you are moving from 1 hotel to the next fairly quickly throughout the 2 weeks.

Discover Sri Lanka

Had 2 brilliant weeks discovering Sri Lanka in our 2nd Exodus holiday. A brilliant mix of sight seeing, fun, shopping and relaxing. Exodus organisation is superb. Guide was so helpful and accommodating – nothing was too much trouble.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are too many excellent moments to name just one, but enjoyed the cycling day, learning about the coconuts and the lunch in the forest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was super. Very friendly and accommodating. Excellent knowledge about the island, the history and the places we visited. Nothing was too much trouble. Sometimes the tricky Sri Lankan names/words/pronunciation were difficult to understand.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a pair of binoculars - great for the National Parks and whale watching. Ladies might like to carry a foldable fan - I found this of great benefit as the humidity can be very high. Next time I would carry a damp flannel too so I could dry my head, face and neck in the heat. Bring a double pack of playing cards for some fun evenings. I didn't take a hairdryer as all hotels either have one in the room or they loan you one.

Discovering Sri Lanka was a Joy.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable time from start to finish and would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see and experience Sri Lanka. The people were warm and welcoming and we were often to hear children call out ‘ hello, how are you ?’ along the way when cycling or rafting. I think it must be the first phrase taught in school.
Great variety of country and activities covered. Bus journeys passed by quickly with plenty rest stops for refreshments. We were looked after by the bus driver, helper and guide Roshan who would start the journey each morning giving a clear, helpful ,informative explanation of the day’s activities and local customs.
We travelled in February and had good weather except for one afternoon when torrential rain came down just as we were on the Elephant Safari. Lots of crazy careering about in jeeps and soaked as we had the roof open ( watch your cameras & phones stay dry ) but had a great if bumpy time. Was rewarding to see the elephants enjoying playing in the rain in the freedom of a natural habitat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Totally unexpected but the most memorable and enjoyable part for me turned out to be the Mangrove boat trip when down South. Worth every penny of the £10 it cost. Paddling out to visit the islands was relaxing and felt privileged to be allowed to land on and explore Temple Island where up to 60 monks live then Cinnamon Island where we were shown how the cinnamon sticks, powder and oil are made by the families living there. The cycle ride along the canal also gave an insight into daily life of the people living there and an opportunity to see more wildlife close up. Loved the monkeys living and playing by the ruined temples at Polonnaruwa.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was helpful, polite and displays a clear pride , knowledge and love for his country which he was able to convey well. His daily descriptions on the bus each morning were well paced and informative. He has a great sense of humour and excellent use of English. His enthusiasm teaching us local games on the farm land was infectious with all enjoying the morning's activities. Our group had a diverse range of interests, age and ability which Roshan catered well for. He displayed great patience when listening then dealing with any queries or concerns which arose. It was a relief to see his happy smile greet us on arrival at the airport and we were sorry to have to say goodbye at the end of the trip. I hope if Roshan ever wants to visit Scotland, we can help him see and understand our country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money cannot be changed into rupees until you arrive in Sri Lanka so you will have to visit the exchange on arrival before leaving the airport. Porters will be keen to help you collect your bags but will expect a tip in return. There are plenty chances to change money throughout the trip and I would advise using cash rather than credit cards to pay as some in our party found their card details being copied. At the start of the trip we each put £20 into a kitty with the guide to cover daily tips, bottled water on the bus etc. which made things easier. You can also pay for optional excursions in sterling though must be notes as £1 coins not accepted. Useful to keep some small notes & coins ( rupees ) handy to give if taking photographs or buying trinkets when the bus stops for rest breaks. Supply of cool water and air conditioning on the bus was much appreciated. Be prepared to be standing on the train as busy and seats can only be reserved in Colombo but great views and lots of character. Wi fi is available free in most hotel reception areas. Handy to have an adaptor plug though most rooms also had square pin sockets. Plugs can usually be borrowed if you ask at reception . When quoted a price for something it is definitely worth haggling as can usually be bought for half or a third of the original price. Price for spices was a lot cheaper in Kandy than at the Spice Gardens. The waves crashing on the shore make it difficult to do any more than paddle on the beach but most hotels had beautiful pools to swim in.

Explore Sri Lanka

A thoroughly rewarding visit to such a beautiful country. Plenty of variation in cultural, wild life and physical activities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visit to Lion Rock, Sigiriya. Elephant Safari Walking on Horton Plains

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader (Roshantha Fernando) was very good. He met our expectations and was very informative, professional and with excellent temperament.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Adam's Peak optional activity - We would have preferred to climb another mountain, rather than this site, which although important to holy believers was inundated with the volume of people climbing, waiting at the summit and then returning back to the base. Also, we couldn't believe the amount of litter scattered on the route, which has such a religious meaning to the population!

Discover Sri Lanka (not Premium departure)

Beautiful country and friendly people plus good variety of activities, enough free time, coach journeys not too long and only one early start.

Most Inspirational Moment

Horton Plains/World's End walk was fantastic: great weather at the higher altitude and superb views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshantha was quietly efficient, obliging, constantly smiling, spoke clearly and there did not seem to be any hitches. He gave us some background information on Sri Lanka (mostly history) during coach trips but not quite enough practical information e.g. what shoes to wear, leech precautions and, in Kandy, someone asked what he recommended we do in our free day and he replied that he had circled 3 places on the photocopy of the map he'd given us, with no further explanation. He never offered to accompany us during our free time, which other leaders I've had have done - maybe that was exceptional - but overall he was good and very pleasant.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The arrangements and accommodation were good so don't worry about anything. The jungle walks were not very difficult but tiring due to the humidity and heat - heavy walking boots not necessary. Seeing whales and leopards is not guaranteed! but there is lots of other wildlife + birds to see. Take a guidebook if you want to explore during free time.

Discover Sri Lanka (not premium version)

Excellent trip. Good mix of culture and temples, cities and rural, walking and beach time.
(Please note I did not go on the ‘premium’ version, but I couldn’t the correct trip on the list!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Adam's peak Sigirya Cycling

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshantha was very organised, kind and caring. Was able to sort out problems and was very knowledgeable. Organised a kitty to pay for tips to avoid overpaying/hassle individually. Organised constant supply of bottled water on coach to save everyone buying in order to save costs and time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money - get it at Colombo airport and there are plenty of opportunities to get out of ATMs along the way. Can pay in sterling for optional activities. Option to change in Kandy. Except for three or four days it is a different hotel every night. This is fine as it's the only way to see the sights! There was usually no more than 90 mins spent on the bus at any one time as appropriate breaks built in (e.g. to tea factory, spice garden, tea house etc.) Wifi available at almost all hotels (mostly in reception and not in rooms - I note this was a complaint earlier... but who wants constant internet when on holiday!?) Plenty of time for relaxing around the pool at the end of the trip and also odd afternoons - it's not 'on the go' constantly... I thought it would have been more 'active' but some felt it was too active! Hotels were much better than expected - some were luxury! Most food is consumed in the hotels. In some places there is an option to eat in town, but some may regard the hotels 'safer'. The cycling was very gentle and excellent fun The extra day in Kandy is not really necessary - I'd have rather had an extra day of walking, but it does serve a 'functional' purpose (time to wash clothes, change money etc.) For Adam's peak it cost me £80 as I was the only person in the group that wanted to do it (if more people do it the cost comes down) On one review the person complained that those on single supplement had worse rooms. I can't see how this would be possible. The rooms were almost all equal.

Sri Lanka - sparkly people and some lovely scenery

Well we covered a lot of ground! There were some early starts and some of the places we visited were rather busier than expected. The main sites get a lot of tour groups and you can see that tourism is a major growth industry. The best bits, as ever on these types of holiday, were when we went a bit more off the beaten track.

Most Inspirational Moment

Nothing specific but I have been to some amazing so I may be a bit jaded! The Sri Lankans are lovely people and very cheery and seem to be genuinely pleased to see you. We did a lot of waving. So lets say I was inspired by their optimism. Some of the countryside is stunning; particularly in tea country and the upland areas. The beaches looked nice but we really only saw them from the bus apart from getting out near Galle to see some fishermen bring in nets.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was a delight. Very cheerful and knowledgable. He kept everything ticking a long and was very patient. He and our lovely driver Charles also organised a great birthday surprise (and we had 4 of them on this trip!). I'd quiz your leader on what some of the optional activities are really like as maybe he wasn't as upfront on this as he could have been. We gelled well as a group and everyone was prompt which helped.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the scenery, talk to the people, check which side of the bus to sit on each day for the best views. Most walks can be done in a good pair of trekking sandals. Even Horton Plains in my opinion although I did wear light boots here as it was a bit rocky in places. If you go on the whale watching optional trip you will pretty much be out until they find a whale - in our case 8 hours! Be prepared but we did at least see a blu whale. A small umbrella makes a good sunshade. I'd advise against the optional 'jeep safari' after Sigiriya to see elephants. It was nose to tail jeeps and diesel and most unpleasant in my opinion. It seems to be very unregulated and far from the 'eco' in the name of the park.We saw more elephant from the main road on the way back! Try and get away from the endless buffets at hotels. It can be tricky as one of the hotels are isolated and a la carte can be very disorganised (you can see why the hotels opt for buffets). Evening meals can be very crowded and noisy and it does sometimes all feel a bit 'package tour.' Ditto lunches where all the stops seemed to be tourist stops but check for stalls nearby if you're willing to risk eating local (which is also much cheaper). The train ride after Horton Plain is not a chance to meet the locals (as billed) as most of you will be standing up along with other tourists for close to 1.5 hours. The 'locals' have booked their seats (wise) and have all come from Colombo. I'd change more money than advised at the airport. Its quick and easy and rates are pretty much the same everywhere. There are ATMs but some of us had problems.

Discover Sri Lanka

This was an excellent trip with a fantastic and varied itinerary, but still enough optional excursions/free time to relax if you want to. It has taught me a lot about Sri Lanka and I would definitely go back again. Everyone is really friendly and it’s great to see a mixture of different cultures. There is something for everyone on this tour – wildlife, history, culture, walks, bike ride, optional rafting and the food is fantastic. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.

Most Inspirational Moment

The pilgrimage walk to the top of Adams Peak.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Nalaka. He was incredibly knowledgeable, organised, attentive and always smiling - we couldn't have asked for a better leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

£500 worth of rupees should be enough for the two weeks but bring your card as well as there are some shopping opportunities ( Kandy markets and gem factory and Galle ) You will be given bottled water on the tour bus and at every hotel you go to. Bring waterproofs as there was one place we stayed for one night where it was rainy and nearer UK temperatures. There are plenty of monkeys/dogs about so best to get your rabies jabs done before you go - none of the animals were aggressive though so nothing to worry about. The leader will do a tips kitty at the beginning I the trip so you don't have to think about tipping as it go along.

Discover Sri Lanka

A well planned and varied itinerary which provided a good insight into the people, culture and landscape of the island. All the activities were very enjoyable and there was plenty of free time for relaxation at the various hotels. Cycling, walking and the river rafting were a great way of seeing local life and working off some calories from the generally good food. The lunches in the Tsunami House and local cafe were a welcome opportunity to sample local food in authentic surroundings.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many including-Sigirya Rock, elephant safari in the rain, rafting and swimming with locals in the river at Kitulgala and visiting Galle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide with a very calm and relaxed approach. Although not appearing to get overly involved, everything ran very smoothly under his guidance and I welcomed his laid back input. The driver did an excellent job on the mainly busy and chaotic roads and the co- driver was also helpful and courteous.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for lots of hotel buffet food which was generally fine and varied, but there are a couple of opportunities to eat out in Kandy and Columbo. There were a few long drives but nothing compared to other similar holidays and we generally arrived in good time for a swim or relax. Don't be afraid of the grade 3 river rafting, it was really fun and not too scarey !!