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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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336 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviews

An outstanding experience

This proved to be a memorable trip, for all the right reasons! The wildlife is extraordinary. Point a camera in any direction and you will capture something wonderful, including sloths, toucans, quetzals, crocodiles and frogs. The itinerary gives a true taste Costa Rica’s varied terrain, weather and eco-systems. The accommodations are excellent, not because they are luxurious, but because they are clean, safe, comfortable and most importantly, in excellent locations. We were also very well looked after by our exceptional guide, Johnny and bus driver, Randall, both of whom had a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but watching a keel-billed toucan taking berries from a tree in the grounds of Laguna Lodge in Tortuguero National Park was pretty special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our trip was made all the more memorable by our guide, Johnny Villalobos. His knowledge and expertise was exceptional and his love of wildlife and his country shone through. He offered us additional optional activities (including early morning walks) during which we enjoyed some of our most memorable wildlife spotting experiences. He also organised special events (blowing up balloons in the middle of the rainforest for one person's birthday and organising a lovely dinner at a local restaurant for our anniversary). He had a great sense of humour while remaining entirely professional throughout. Overall, Johnny was a great ambassador for Costa Rica and Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for varied weather conditions - from hot and humid to cool and fresh. We were lucky and didn't see too much rain but be prepared for it at any time. Comfortable walking shoes and sandals are fine but no flip-flops! Definitely no need for heavy walking boots which I took and regretted. Costa Rica is relatively expensive for food and drink (think English/American prices) and while we took local currency (colones), US dollars are accepted everywhere as are debit/credit cards. As regards food, be prepared for large (albeit plain) portions! Where food is not included you tend to have plenty of choice in terms of restaurants. As regards included meals, we were surprised to find that we were offered three-course set meals for lunch and dinner in the middle of the rain forest (Esquinas Lodge) and a la carte dining at Savegre Hotel & Spa.

An incredible experience

The trip was packed full of wonderful and exciting experiences. The itinerary was terrific and we saw so much that was incredible and beautiful, with masses of photograph opportunities.

Most Inspirational Moment

The beauty of the rain forest cannot be described and has to be experienced.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Glenda was outstanding from start to finish - a superb guide. Her in-depth knowledge of birds, plants and animals really enhanced our trip. We really enjoyed her company and her sense of humour, as did the whole group. She was always organised and made sure that everyone knew exactly what was happening and at what times. Quite honestly, there is nothing she could have done better; she was wonderful. Our driver Charlie was great too and looked after us (and our luggage) really well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare to change your clothes on a regular basis as it can be extremely hot and humid and pack with this in mind. Sunscreen and insect repellent is an absolute must and it might be handy to take insect bite cream too. Costa Rica is a little expensive but most places accepted payment by cards so having a lot of cash isn't necessary. We found that the prices for gifts varied enormously from place to place, but the Central Market in San Jose was really good. Prices were much lower, cards were accepted and there was a lot of choice. It is a fun and friendly market; we felt very welcome and safe and bought some lovely things.

Excellent trip!

A great itinerary covering a number of nature reserves. We have seen so much wildlife and although we had a specialist birding guide there was still a lot to see and discover. The hotels/eco lodges were good with one exception in Manuel Antonio which was poor and the town was very busy as the tour took us there on Easter weekend. The National Park there was a bit crowded and at variance with other locations.

Most Inspirational Moment

The early morning bird walks arranged by our guide - being in the rain forest whilst it is waking up is incredible!

Thoughts on Group Leader

David Vargas was inspirational and exceptional. His depth of knowledge and enthusiasm was astounding, he was amazing and very willing to help with anything.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Moving hotels every other night is a bit full on but we would not have seen so much without doing so. Maybe a specialist bird tour does not suit everyone, there were a few people who had chosen the tour because the dates were right for them (understandable!) but I think they found it a bit intense.

An excellent trip and I'd recommend Exodus

Amazing wildlife.

The boat driver at the beginning of the trip (Cecil) did a great job. Chico the bus driver, who was with us for most of the time, was a very good driver, was very efficient dealing with the luggage and he kept the bus immaculate. He was a character.

Before travelling to Costa Rica I spent 2 weeks in Panama. It has rubbish piled up everywhere – they don’t seem to manage it, don’t have a recycling culture and use a lot of polystyrene for the ubiquitous takeaways which just end up in the street. Costa Rica was like a breath of fresh air; no rubbish and a very strong emphasis on conservation.

I far prefer independent travel but having researched Costa Rica I realised that going to all the places I wanted to was a challenge too far. Exodus had been highly recommended to me by several friends and they were right. My reservations about an organised trip were dispelled very quickly. It was a small group, everyone bonded and got on very well. I enjoyed everyone’s company and never felt the need to ‘escape’. There was often a lot of laughter.

The trip was planned round my 70th birthday and I had a great group of people to celebrate (? drown my sorrows ?) with!

Most Inspirational Moment

Lots of them but not one in particular

Thoughts on Group Leader

Katia the guide was absolutely brilliant: she's a lovely person, friendly, helpful, enthusiastic and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the wildlife. How she spotted some things was beyond me - she has a very well trained eye. She also gave us a lot of information about Costa Rica in general. I wish I had half her energy! The restaurants she took us too were all really good. My computer mouse died and she even found a computer shop opposite an ATM so I could get a new one. Katia emailed me a lot of photos, as did one other group member, as I didn't want to get involved with Whatsapp (part of Mark Zuckerburg's dysfunctional empire!). I felt I'd missed out a bit as a Whatsapp 'refusenik' although I fully accept that it was my choice to swerve it. Perhaps there's another safer way to share photos as not everyone wants to sign up to Whatsapp?

Advice for Potential Travellers

- Don't overpack like I did worrying that you couldn't get laundry done. The lodges / hotels had fast and relatively cheap laundry services. - Take waterproof trousers as well as a waterproof jacket .

Costa Rica Is An Amazing Place

Costa Rica is such a beautiful Country. Can recommend it 100%.

Most Inspirational Moment

Touring Costa Rica was a very humbling experience for me. Nothing could have prepared me for the way a lot of Costa Rican people live. Driving around Costa Rica I noticed how many people live in accommodation that is no more than a shed with a tin roof but the people were happy and smiling. Costa Rica is a poor country compared to many countries around but they are contented . I have loads of wonderful memories of Costa Rica. My most memorable were 1 zip line at Monteverde. Just an amazing experience. 2 swimming at La Fortuna Waterfall 3 seeing animals in their natural habit 4 swimming in the Pacific Ocean 5 Kayaking in the Mangrove Swamp

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pedro was very passionate about his country. From him I learnt a lot about Costa Rica. Knew all the tricks of the trade to try and encourage the wildlife out of their hiding places. Nothing was to much trouble made sure that everyone got so much out of the tour. Tock us on many early morning hikes to spot wildlife.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on this tour with an open mind. What I mean by this is the Caribbean was not how I imagined it to be. The sea was wild and the sand was not the colour I expected it to be. Before going on this tour I watched a lot of wildlife programmes so I was expecting animals to be everywhere and easy to spot in the rainforest/jungle. Yes saw a lot but sometimes on the hikes we didn’t see a thing. Didn’t really mind this as just hiking through the rainforest was an incredible experience . Something that I will treasure forever.

Fabulous Experience of Costa Rica

We had an absolutely fabulous experience. The itinerary was well planned and allowed for a wide variety of experiences as well as free time to explore on our own or to rest. We loved the fact that we got to see most of Costa Rica to experience the wide variety of habitats and flora and fauna.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing sloths, monkeys and incredibly beautiful large birds (quetzal, toucans, etc.) in their natural habitats. Also, our group really developed a nice fondness for one another. Everyone seemed to really enjoy one another and get along well in spite of the great diversity of people on the trip. Happy hours and meals together made the trip extra enjoyable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Katia was by far and away the best tour guide/leader that we have ever had and we have had some very good ones on multiple international trips we have taken. Her knowledge of so many different topics is beyond comprehension. Katia's knowledge of species of birds, wildlife, trees, plants and anything else in nature is encyclopedic. She not only is able to identify what we were seeing or hearing, she was also able to tell us about the mating habits and habitat of any species she identified for us. Also her ability to find birds and animals and plants out in the wild is amazing. Seemingly, nothing went unnoticed. Katia is also amazing in her ability to organize and plan ahead and to keep the group well informed about upcoming activities and schedules. Katia was also fantastic at recommending fabulous restaurants for the meals that were not included in our trip. Lastly, we must comment on Katia's joyful personality. She is incredibly warm and welcoming and makes everyone feel at ease. She is extremely attentive to EVERYONE on the trip AT ALL TIMES!!! We are so very thankful that we had Katia to provide us with such a rich and fabulous experience. We must also mention how much we appreciated our driver Francisco (Chico). He is a very skilled and careful driver who also has a great personality and sense of humor. He also kept our bus EXTREMELY NEAT AND CLEAN INSIDE AND OUT at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack lightly and bring clothing that can be easily washed in sinks and then quickly dry. Given that we stay in each location only two nights, it is pointless to pack and unpack at each destination. Thus, be prepared to live out of your suitcase. Bring excellent walking/hiking shoes. Be prepared for rain even in the "dry" season as it rained on 70% of the days we were there in March. Bring plenty of one and five dollar bills for tips.

Got to love driving

A lot of time spent on the minibus. A variety of places visited for a short time.

Most Inspirational Moment

Zip lining over the forest tops.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, very knowledgeable and kept the group on schedule.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Consider if alternate days of driving is what you had in mind. You will see a lot but cover hours of driving to do so.

Discover Costa Rica (incl stay at Piedras Blancas)

Just recently returned from a fantastic tour of Costa Rica and its natural wonders. This was our very first tour taken with Exodus tour and given our experience we are sure to consider Exodus in our future travel plans.

My wife and I were the two token Canadians in the group. We had a wonderful bunch of tour mates who all shared a light hearted sense of humour and concern for our world.

The central location of the Hotel Presidente – our first and last night accommodation – was ideal as it allowed us to readily partake in several of the sites of San Jose (all within walking distance). The two night stay in each location worked out perfectly. The “Eco” accommodations were top notch and not detached from nature like a 4-star hotel would be. Nor were we “roughing it”.

The activities were not too taxing. We enjoyed the fact that our daily activities typically did not start before 8am. We were Initially concerned that the tour might not be active enough for us, however, there was often the option to do more or less.

Thanks to the keen eye and in-depth knowledge of our Guide Jorge Lizano Suarez, we observed a wealth of wildlife. His enthusiasm was evident as he continued to add to our group’s running list of “must see” flora and fauna.

Most Inspirational Moment

Learning how the government and residents of Costa Rica have been able to make protection of wildlife and biodiversity a top priority, as well as their 99% supply of renewable energy.

Thoughts on Group Leader

In a single word - fantastic. Jorge not only took care to ensure our safety but also truly cared that we all had our expectations met. His passion for his country and his job was palpable. He told us that at the end of the tour we would “be a family” and under his guidance that was indeed the case.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Telephoto lens camera would be advisable if one wants to bring back exceptional closeups of the wildlife, although Jorge was most accommodating to enable us to take pictures of animals with our phone cameras through his spotting scope.

Fantastic country, trip and experience

We toured Costa Rica as a couple in a group of ten in January 2024. Our guide Jorge Diaz did a fantastic job of showing us many of the different sights, sounds and experiences his country has to offer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Quetzal spotting. Early start and cold but they do have magnificent plumage.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Also a shout out to the driver Robinson

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sit back and let the guide show you what his wonderful country has. We could not have seen a fraction of what we did without Jorge. Anything we were interested in he would take time out to explain or visit - like adding the trip on the Crocodile River on the way to Manuel Antonio or stopping for lunch at the craft brewery outside Monteverde.

Costa Rica

Very organised trip with a very knowledgeable guide who would adapt the itinerary to suit the group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the abundance of wildlife in their natural habitat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I could not fault Johnny.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As this was a grade 1 walking holiday in the dry season do not get carried away with clothing and footwear and the mosquitoes were not the problem I thought they might be.