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

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65 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviews

Gorillas and Masai Mara - Wonderful!

I can’t really tell you what this trip is like until you have yourself been to the Rwandan Genocide Museum, climbed the misty mountains up to the gorilla family, slept in the wild, gotten the mandatory sunburn, stood on the equator, ridden on horse-back across Ugandan sugar cane plantations, flown in a hot air balloon over the Mara, eaten ugali, stared into the eyes of a lion, seen the Great Rift Valley, been greeted by a thousand smiles and made friends with some of the very best people.

Most Inspirational Moment

East Africa had wonderfully beautiful nature and touching history, but the most memorable things from my trip were all the encounters with people, for a few minutes, hours or two and half weeks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can only use the best words for Jacob, our group leader. He was the person who made all of us feel at home in East Africa, like his own friends and relatives. Jacob made sure throughout the trip that everyone was happy and safe. Albert, our chef, made sure everyone had a smile on their faces, each day. And my big thanks to Boniface and Wycliffe as well - we had an excellent crew!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Double batteries and zoom lenses for cameras - great photo opportunities will not run short on this trip. A season 4 sleeping bag was also not a bad idea at all. Don't be fooled by it being "Africa".

Gorillas and Masai Mara

There is no way to describe how perfect this trip was. It was all I had expected and much more. Every aspect of the trip deserves a superlative. It was as if the trip was made to give us the absolute best of each featured activity. The migration was at its height, we saw the “Big Five” within the first 24 hours, the balloon ride took us down into the river twice, the white water rafting was breathtaking (still smiling!), and the gorillas can never be adequately described in words or duplicated in pictures. This was truly the trip of a lifetime with a group of like minded, fun and spirited companions, who had all come to experience it all from a “real” level. Definitely the best trip I have ever taken.

Most Inspirational Moment

Have to say there were two. The first has to be the gorilla interaction in which I had a silverback charge down the hill, end up sitting next to me, breathing on me, and the two of us looking at each other multiple times, eye to eye, before he moved on. There is no question we are related! The second was viewing the great migration from the air. It was like watching a giant swarm of ants move across the plain. Must have been what the great buffalo herds of the American West were like. When we then moved down to ground level, the entire picture was made whole. I have a new respect for Mother Nature and her great plans for her creatures.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jakob was outstanding! With a wry sense of humor and great local knowledge, he led us through this fantastic journey. He was a leader, fellow traveler and friend. His interest in being sure we all had the best individual trip possible was obvious. He was always there for us. Can't say enough about our driver, George! Can't imagine how he drove that giant truck over so much difficult terrain and through crazy areas! Hats off to him. The meals Daniel made were always a delight. The fresh vegetables local, crisp, tasty and delightful. Lots of variety and fresh fruit all the time. You will not go hungry. And, last, but not least, Alex, our guide in training. He did it all, from assisting with meals, to truck repair, tent placement, set up, portage, etc. Anything anyone needed, he was there, and always with a great big smile. He is going to be a great leader very shortly. What a crew!!! They were all like family to us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some hiking for the gorillas, but don't let that put you off. Definitely worth the effort and there are individuals who will give you a hand with gear (or just a hand!) if you need it. Go with an open mind, be flexible, and be prepared to smile a lot!! Also, the more you "chip in" with the chores, the more you will enjoy your trip and bond with your "vacation family". This is a "must do" trip.

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

One of the best holidays we have been on, every day was special. Ideal holiday for wildlife and adventure loving people.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Gorillas definitely were the highlight of the trip. To be able to see these magnificent animals in their natural environment is something we shall never forget. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of all the staff eg rangers, trackers etc in their attempt to save the gorillas.In addition we were very fortunate in experiencing some fantastic wildlife sightings; pair of male Cheeters, lioness with her two week old cubs, both black and white Rinos, and a Hippo giving birth in the river Mara.We also enjoyed the trip to the orpanage and the wild camping. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

 Our group leader, Often, was exceptional the whole trip ran smoothly and he did everything possible to accommodate everybody's requests, our safety was paramount to him. He was always cheerfull and a delight to be with. His local knowledge was impressive, and if he didn't know the answer he would find out for you.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepaired for a great time, however, local tipping is generally expected everywhere and can leave you short of cash. 

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

Wonderful trip – from the Masai Mara to the Gorillas in Rwanda. Often and his crew couldn't have been more helpful and informative – and I travelled with a really nice group of people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Lots of inspirational moments: Wildlife - lots of it including lions, white and black rhino, elephants, hippos, zebra, wild dogs, warthogs and of course the mountain gorillas - haven't seen leopard but a good excuse to come back!New experiences - have never travelled in a balloon before or jet boated - really enjoyed both experiences.Orphange in Uganda - Led by someone (Duncan) who was sponsored himself and wants to give others the same chance he had - on school number 2 but already has aspirations for a third if he can raise enough money.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I read the previous reviews about Often - and was so pleased to find out he was leading our group - and he definately lived up to and surpassed all expectations. The whole crew - Often, George, Peter and Onasemus all worked together really well and helped each other when needed. I enjoyed helping out as it gave me the opportunity to find out more about their lives. They all worked so hard - rarely having any time off in the whole trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you usually rely on internet cafes to communicate with home they are few and far between. Although it's voluntary, I enjoyed helping put up tents, chopping veg and helping with the washing up (flapping the plates dry) - give it a go - definately helps with the team spirit!!

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

This was a great holiday but we did have a good group of people so we were lucky. There was a lot of driving though and not much exercise which I found difficult. I'm not sure how we were supposed to do some of the activities listed in the itinerary as there was no time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The gorillas were definately the highlight and then the sunrise, hot air balloon ride over the Masi Mara, this is a must if you can afford it you won't regret it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Clara was very sweet but not always clear with information.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Not everywhere had mosquitoe nets and some of the places that did have them, they had holes in them!  However not sure if it was the time of year but we did not have a great problem with mosquitoes.We did use our padlocks to lock our things away in our lockers, despite reading on a review previously that this was not the case.It was very cold at night in Kenya so do take warm clothes!Do be prepared for a lot of time in the truck driving and a numb bum!  I did not find it an active holiday at all, so if you usually exercise a lot you will get restless.  Take a good book to read.Be warned there is something called African time! Things may take a lot longer than expected or be later than advised.  Just relax and go with the flow but don't drink too much, as the journey may not be an hour but could be two and it is not always possible to stop for the loo!!

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

An unforgettable trip with some remarkable experiences.  But some long drives and days with limited activities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Without doubt the top and tail of the trip: Gorillas and Masai Mara.  Also really enjoyed the walking safari in Lake Mburo and the game drives around Lake Nakuru.Rwanda was completely unexpected, a beautiful, clean, safe country and one we would recommend without hesitation.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julias was an amazing group leader.  He was funny, caring, knowledgeable and dealt with any problems quickly and efficiently.  The rest of the crew, Mike, Ken & George were equally fantastic.  They made the trip as comfortable as possible (not easy with some of the more basic facilities and conditions).  I was the only vegetarian in the group and Mike catered for this by preparing special meals.  The food was varied and we even had some home comforts, everything from Weetabix to Chips!

Advice for Potential Travellers

1)  Take ear plugs, some of the camps are very noisy into the early hours and with early morning starts sleep can be limited.2)  Take a couple of warm jumpers, a lot of the trip is at altitude, so sitting outside having an evening meal can get chilly.3)  For the lockers a normal TSA type padlock is suitable; but make sure it's a combination lock!4)  Do not leave any valuables in your tent, especially in the campsites with permanent tents.  Always lock them on the truck.  Unfortunately there was an incident in our group where a tent was broken into and belongings stolen.5)  Take a smaller bag to pack enough clothes etc for a couple of nights away from the truck (at the Masai Mara).6) Take something to do on the long drives.7) If you are planning to do any of the activities at Jinga, check your travel insurance before you go.  A few of us had to spend the day in the camp as we didn't realise we weren't covered until we got there.  The Rafting contains Grade V rapids, so you will probably need to tell your insurance company in advance.8) Before we went we specifically asked how much money we should take for tips, additional activities etc.  We needed a lot more than advised and would have preferred a trip where tips were organised by the tour leader.

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

Our second Exodus trip:Gorillas this year and Polar Bears last year.The first day each trip was unbelievable.'Beat That!'The second day did beat that and the third day increased expectations…. 'don't stop the world we don't want to get off'.Now looking forward to Antarctica and/or Namibia and/or …. whatever next!? Thanks to Exodus' expertise,knowledge and planning our experiences of the world's peoples and other mammals must be second to none

Most Inspirational Moment

Realising and then accepting that a 'keep 5 metres' distance from gorillas!' doesn't apply to gorillas keeping away from us. After an initial few minutes of mutual wariness we might as well have been members of their troup/family.They carried on and walked by us or around us ...never through us. WOW! Were we lucky or has this become the norm!? The eyes of the younger animals say so much but we didn't look directly at them;there were warnings about that also.

Thoughts on Group Leader

One or two unforseen circumstances were dealt with aplomb and expertise and even if the leader wasn't able to directly deal with things beyond his control he knew of someone who could. Individual queries or needs were dealt with as if we were the most important member of our group at that time.The expertise and knowledge of the leader through years of Exodus experience meant that the encounters of our group of all things animal,vegetable and mineral were many and varied and rarely boring.Our leader was a great bloke whose care and humour was much appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Kigali to Nairobi can't be beaten even by the Nairobi to Kigali variation.The end of September seemed much less plagued by Mosquitos than we feared.This year may have been unusual but the massing of Wildebeest and Zebra by the Mara at the end of Sept/beginning of October was an amazing sight. To the locals they were a welcome sight at this time.The long and sometmes bumpy journies were well chronicled before the trip.They are a necessary if somewhat uncomfortable part of a long overland trip necessary if we were to see and experience so much.Pack a pillow/cushion.

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

Amazing trip! Well organised, diverse and inspiring!

Most Inspirational Moment

Uganda is beautiful! I had no idea of what to expect from this country as I did not know much about it but would go back in a heart beat!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Often and his team were amazing! So helpful and hard working, always a smile and a listening ear!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it! Make sure you have a good camera and torch!

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

An excellent trip which explored 3 countrys with lots of wildlife and contact with local people.

Most Inspirational Moment

My first close up sighting of a mountain Gorilla.

Thoughts on Group Leader

An excellant leader who cared about us and our experience. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

I travelled on a reverse itenary which sufferes some disadvantages over the forward trip.

GORILLAS & MASAI MARA

A tremendous shared experience of travelling across East Africa; visiting Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and viewing all manner of wildlife.

Most Inspirational Moment

It has got to be the point at which we had hiked for approaching one and a half hours to meet the Urugamba Gorilla Family in Rwanda. We were in the middle of the forest, our guide Patrick's walkie-talkie squawked, and he announced "Gorillas in 3 minutes". True to his word, we rounded a bush and there they were. It was a privilege to watch them so close up, and an hour never passed so fast.Close behind must come our day in the Masai Mara, starting with the sunrise baloon flight (Yes it is expensive, but you may only be there once and that is what credit cards or for); and continuing with a day of criss-crossing the trails to see Lions, Cheetahs, Elephants, Giraffe, Zebra, Antelope, Wildebeest etc. Sadly, no Leopard, but that means we may have to book another safari. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

All tour groups take time to join together, and we were a full group of 18. At the start, Clara seemed somewhat reserved and formal, but steadily loosened up and revealed a sly and somewhat wicked sense of humour. She led a great team including Bonfas (our driver), Elias (the cook) and Godfrey (jack of all trades). Congratulations are due to all of them for keeping us together, on time and feeding us extremely well. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is a reason that we have given this review 4 stars rather than 5, and it is not that we failed to see a Leopard! We were warned beforehand, but the tour involved a tremendous amount of road travel on various qualities of roads - We estimated that we must have spent in excess of 5 full days travelling out of 15 days in East Africa. However, this was inevitable given the sandwiching of Masai Mara and Gorillas in one tour. Still, you should not let that put you off, and and as long as you are prepared, it is fascinating to sit and watch African life go by.Money. The Trip Notes advise you to take US Dollars and change them into local currency in each country, but how much? We spent about USD 550 per person during the tour including Kenya & Uganda Visas, gifts, local tours etc. (the Baloon Safari was paid by credit card); also changed about USD 50 per person into local currency in each country for incidental food and drink. Warning: This did NOT include budgetting for Bunji Jumping, Jet Boating or White Water Rafting in Jinja.