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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14457 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Neil Robson

Reviewed April 2015

The unforgettable festivals of Bhutan

This was a true trip of a lifetime – 10 days in-depth vitit to the last Shangri-La. Mountains, monasteries, dzongs and monks – and dancing monks

Most Inspirational Moment

The Paro tsechu festival was an honour to be allowed to attend - many hundreds of local Bhutanese enjoyed the music, dancing and the spectacle of this amazing week long festival - and only a couple of dozen westerners. It is an honour to be with such humble and serene people at such a joyous time in their calendar!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kunzang Namgye was without doubt the best tour leader ever! Enthusiastic, knowledgeable, helpful and proactive, he MADE this trip so special for us by bringing his personal touches and being genuinely enthusiastic about sharing his culture with the group. He is an asset of the Bhutan Travel Service and Exodus

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware that at Easter it can be very cold after dark at altitude - lots of layers are helpful. Also, when attending the festival, if you wear traditional Bhutanese garments (the gho for the men or the kira for the women) you will get a really enthusiastic response from all the local people and it us a great ice-breaker. The robes can be bought in Thimphu for GBP £20 and upwards. It's a great investment.

Chris Warren

Reviewed April 2015

Cycling Vietnam

This was an excellent holiday, within the time/distance restraints of the trip. Everything was organised and implemented very professionally, and also with genuine attention to customer service. The local team were fantastic. This is a combination holiday – experiencing Vietnam, and cycling. If you like to cycle from start to finish, or are worried by fairly heavy traffic over not-insignificant parts of the route, then this might not be for you. In particular, note that there is a lot of time spent in the coach. However, for us, it was all worth it. We really felt we experienced a lot of Vietnam, we were pushed just the right amount to ensure we felt we’d really achieved something in terms of cycling exertion (we holiday quite a lot on bikes) – and the trip organisation and the efforts of our tour leader (Chi) just couldn’t be faulted.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the Hai Van pass and cruising through the flat approaches to Hue seeing unspoilt Vietnamese villages and excited children.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Cheerful/knowledgable/patient/enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would suggest a reasonable level of cycling fitness is required for this trip. The heat/humidity can at times really put the pressure on. Bring a gel seat if you're not regularly cycling!

Simon Pressley

Reviewed April 2015

Jordan 2015

A wonderful quick whizz around a fantastic country, some of the sites and experiences were amazing

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the Siq and then seeing the Treasury in Petra, simply mind blowing. The time we spent in Wadi Rum was great as well, with the evening meal (cooked in teh traditional way) very very good

Thoughts on Group Leader

Waed was great, very passionate about his country and could not do enough to make our trip as enjoyable as possible. A really nice bloke who managed to keep a group of 18 of us entertained throughout

Advice for Potential Travellers

Where good walking boots in Petra, enjoy the food and try and experiment it will be worth it. At the Bedioun camp beds and blankets are provided, so I am not sure a sleeping bag is necessary .

Julia Hussey

Reviewed April 2015

Awesome

What an experience, the history, geography, culture and architecture were wonderful. The organisation was perfect, we cracked on at quite a pace which allowed us to see everything, yet somehow managed to have some free time to explore on our own. Everyone I met was helpful, courteous and genuinely welcoming.. The whole trip was truly magical and I came home weary, elated, satisfied, and haven’t stopped talking about it since my return.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra - your first sight of the Treasury will not disappoint......

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was extremely knowledgably and couldn't do enough to ensure our trip went smoothly. Likewise the driver with whom I felt totally safe and confident despite some of the driving, and some of the roads!

alison stewart

Reviewed April 2015

Mot Hai Ba Yoh

Fabulous holiday. I am not a cyclist at all, I usually go on hill walking holidays, but I was persuaded by my daughter to go on this holiday. The cycling was tough for me, undulating means hilly. A fast pace was set at all times and after the first couple of days I really thought I would have to go in the vehicle support, but I persevered and even did the Hai Van Pass, with lots of encouragement.It was very hot especially in the south The accommodation was far better than I had expected. The food was exceptional and Bia Saigon went down very well at the end of the day.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was out of my comfort zone a lot of the time but seeing the happy smiley faces of the children, waving and shouting hello was great and put a smile on my face. My favourite day was the cycle from Da Lat to Nha trang,, beautiful scenery, small villages and 32km of downhill, the only day I was not last. The local markets were amazing with every kind of fish, meat imaginable. You name it the market had it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Long was fantastic as were the rest of his team, the mechanic,the truck driver and the bus driver. Long was always smiling and encouraging. He was full of knowledge on all the different areas we visited. He could tell us about the different fruits He took us to great places to eat in the evenings ( although this not included in itinerary) be it restaurants or street food. One of the best leaders I have encountered, nothing was too much trouble for him

Advice for Potential Travellers

I had my 60th birthday while on this trip and as I said not a cyclist although I do consider my self reasonably fit, so do some fitness especially for the hills. Maybe consider sleeping mat or similar for the overnight train journey. Be prepared for some long days on the bus.

Margaret Pisaneschi

Reviewed April 2015

Cycle Indochina

Very good cycling trip especially for “non climbers”. Too much on first 3 days especially 90km on first day after long flight no time to acclimatise

Most Inspirational Moment

Angkor wat and contrast as we crossed from Cambodia to Vietnam

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good always helpful lovely person worked really hard. Didn't always make arrangements clear to everybody resulted in confusion especially at Thai Cambodia border

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring dollars not sterling. Read notes carefully especially tipping

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Margaret for her review, although we are very sorry that she was disappointed with the hotel used in Siem Reap; regrettably the original hotel was overbooked and our local manager believed that the alternative hotel offered a similar standard of accommodation. We are confident that the hotel we usually use in Siem Reap offers a suitable standard of accommodation for our groups.

Megan Devenish – Trip Manager for South East Asia

Paola Cassotti

Reviewed April 2015

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.

Philippa Browning

Reviewed April 2015

Great way to experience Cuban city, coast and mountains

I really enjoyed this trip. It was varied and exciting, and we had an excellent guide. Cycling was an excellent way to see the “real” Cuba, getting out of the cities into the countryside. We also saw lots of interesting historical sites, and had plenty of opportunities to swim, relax and drink mojitos.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the Escambre mountains, listening to the birds singing and seeing the small farms which seemed unchanged for centuries. Overtaking horses and carts on quiet country roads. visiting the historic city of Trinidad. Snorkelling on coral reefs in the Carribean. Seeing the Buenavista Social Club perfom live. Drinking mojitos and pina coladas in shady terraces and by the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader Yazel was excellent in all respects. Everything ran smoothly and we were always given clear information. The choice of restaurants for meals was excellent, we had some lovely meals. He gave lots of interesting information about history and society in Cuba.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cycling - given the heat and the number of hills - was a bit tougher than I expected from the "Leisurely moderate" grading! (Though bus back up is always available if you need it). If you are not already a regular cyclist, do some training. Bring plenty of cash and don't rely on using cash machines or credit cards. Spend a day or two extra in Havana at the end of the trip - it is a fascinating city.

Colin Bennett

Reviewed April 2015

Galapagos Cachalote tour

The reality of this tour far exceeded my expectations. I elected to fly with KLM from UK. No great shakes but it was OK. The representatives who dealt with my Quito arrangements were helpful, knowledgeable and on time, greeting me on arrival and handling all arrangements of my transfer to the hotel and eventually to the Galapagos. Monserrat even obtained my TAME boarding pass for me. Gloria was a mine of information on my visit to Quito which I extended by one day. The new road from airport to hotel allows a 45 minute transfer time.
The hotel Viejacuba was quaint and clean. Helpful staff always on hand, however, the promised early breakfast on the morning of my Galapagos departure did not materialise.
Christina, my guide met me at Baltra airport. What a gem. At 24yrs she was an encyclopedia of local knowledge on all aspects. Fauna, flora, geology. Couple this with her customer care and enthusiasm, take my tip, tip her well.
The Cachalote although not luxury, is first class. Helpful crew and good wholesome and plentiful food.(How did Pedro, the chef, perform so well?) The cabins are miniscule and, although I was lucky enough not to share, two people sharing would have to be very considerate to one another and arrange a dressing, washing and toiletry rota. Again, the crew were well worth a generous tip.
The weather was hot without being unpleasantly so and, apart from a T shirt to protect from the sun, only shorts were required to swim in.
Now, about the wildlife. Well, this is why I went. It is so fearless you have to take great not to bump into it, tread on it or disturb it. It is in abundance and Christina’s information was boundless. Resist the temptation to touch.
I came home tired but feeling totally satisfied that what I had done could not be bettered.

Most Inspirational Moment

It had to be the wildlife, after all, that is why I went but was all the more appreciated by the knowledge and information our guide imparted.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Words fail me. Christina was superb.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Mulling it over ? Just get up and go.

Timothy Williams

Reviewed April 2015

Discover Costa Rica

I went on this holiday expecting great things and this did not disappoint. The variety of wildlife was second to none. The hotels were all different and to a very good standard. The organisation was good and having two nights at each location gave you chance to experience each of the very different Eco Systems in the country. The guide Johnny was friendly, knowledgable, and went the extra mile often in his free time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of the wildlife.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have been on a number of Exodus holidays and the group leaders have always been very good but Johnny was the best I have ever come across. He went out of his way to make the holiday a great experience, he sorted out rooms so that you could get straight in on arrival, the cases were always ready. When ever we had any free time, he would normally offer to take us out for a walk to look at the wildlife and as a result I felt that I was occupied for the whole holiday, I am not one for sitting on a beach.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a holiday with very little down time, you can make time if you want but why not rest when you get home.

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