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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14440 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Jill Jill

Reviewed March 2015

Kilimanjaro: Lemosho Route

An amazing adventure superbly organised & undertaken. From Florence our lead guide through to all the porters, assistant guides & cook, all were friendly, helpful & full of good humour.
The scenery & weather were great & the support we received was positive & encouraging. Great care was taken of our well-being, the food was an amazingly high standard, the pace & distances well thought through. Trip of a lifetime!

Most Inspirational Moment

Setting off from Barafu camp at midnight to see a zig-zag line of torches heading up the mountain, with guides singing as we climbed. Magical!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Florence Chrispin was a fantastic leader. He was so support & very clear about the expectations regarding the climb. He was a kind & nurturing leader who clearly had climbers best interests at heart. He led by example & his team were a happy unit who obviously enjoyed working with him & all got on well together. He was stringent in checking our fitness as the climb progressed. He gave his assistant leaders opportunities to shine. All 3 (Hans, Fred & Jonas) were a great support & encouragement to us. He was very clear on the expectations for each day. A genuine & lovely person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train hard before you come! I had - but still found the climb a tremendous challenge, reaching Stella Point but not Uhuru. I have to be happy with that achievement because I know that there was no way I could have walked for another hour uphill to Uhuru. I also found the descent very hard work & was so grateful for the amount of encouragement given by Jonas. Read as much information about Kilimanjaro before you embark on your trip. There are some wonderful & honest accounts of climbs that present an honest picture of what to expect. I recommend "Kilikmanjaro Summit of Africa" by Jacquetta Megarry (She's climbed all routes). "Kilimanjaro" by Moushabeck & Schultz (beautiful photos & detailed account of the Lemosho route.

Penelope W.

Reviewed March 2015

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.

Nicholas kemp

Reviewed March 2015

Shared Adventures in a stunning Country

Stunning country with multiple Climates, Landscapes and Wildlife that will take your breath way. The people truly want you to experience the best their country can offer and every interaction leaves you feeling that your time and money is valued highly.

Most Inspirational Moment

The shared experience with like minded people, our group, the leader, the drivers and local people. There was a real and tangible desire to share highlights of new wildlife, food & drink, culture and scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was a gentleman, he made sure everyone's experience in Costa Rica was the best it could be, he was always accessible if required, appearing with a sixth sence at times to translate or inform. Passionate, knowledgeable and the leader within the group, he was in it with us and you felt that you and your shared adventure mattered to him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book now you will not regret it

Olive Patchett

Reviewed March 2015

An amazing cycling adventure coast to coast through the soul of India

You do need to be both a confident and competent cyclist not only to cope with the wonderful mayhem that is Indian town traffic but also the distances in the heat, however the rewards of this is getting to see and visit areas of India that most do not.
The sights,sounds and smells as you ride along are a delight and a photographers dream.
The accommodation was wide ranging from modern hotels, home-stays and magical old Indian hotels. All the food through out the journey exceeded our expectations with wonderful Tamil and Keralan cuisine.
We really had a great adventure – a highly recommended trip. Thank you Exodus!

Most Inspirational Moment

It seemed at times we were passing through the very soul of India with its very colourful local ceremonies and all the many school children high fiving us as we cycled through their life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Shaker and his support team were excellent throughout with their mindfulness of our needs both on the mechanical side and perhaps more importantly on the relaxation and refreshment front! To get us all safely across India on a bike was no easy task!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need to be both a very competent and confident cyclist with stamina more important than speed to enjoy this trip to the full. Take a small pocket camera with a big memory card! Tamil food has taste attitude! Enjoy!!

Thidara Udomritkul

Reviewed March 2015

Best Trip I've done!

A brilliant and very memorable trip! The team of guides and assistant porters really brought the trip together and the food during the trek was amazing. It is a trip of a lifetime, this was genuinely the best trip I have ever done.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching Stella point just as the sun rose. I felt I was at my absolute limit, the sun rising over Kilimanjaro provided that final bit of inspiration and energy for the final, oxygen deprived push to Uhuru Peak!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Florence was the best leader I could've hoped for! Safety was addressed very seriously throughout the trip and we would not have reached the top without the strong leadership from the guides. They were there to support us every step of the way and all staff members were very passionate about Kilimanjaro. The guides have been up to the peak more times then they can remember!

Advice for Potential Travellers

- Bring lots of soft tissues, my nose was often blocked at night. - Volcanic ash gets everywhere, bring a nail brush if dirty nails bother you. - Make sure you bring the warmest sleeping bag you possibly can, you will not regret the investment. - Drink lots and lots of water.

Peter Lockwood

Reviewed March 2015

Cycling Cuba

Good trip. Cuba is a very interesting place which I still didn’t understand despite lots of presentations by our group leader. The riding is graded ‘moderate’ but I’d say it’s top end of moderate, verging on moderate/challenging, compared with the other moderate trip we’ve done, Indo-China.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling along back roads (dirt tracks) through villages and through the mountains, seeing the wilder side of Cuba.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was great. When the bus broke down, he was very versatile and made sure we didn't loose a day's riding which could easily have happened. Wicked sense of humour and a dirty laugh to go with it..

Advice for Potential Travellers

You're advised to take your own snacks on several trips. For this one, you really need them. And if you're a tea addict like me, take some tea bags as well (the coffee's not too good either).

John And Wendy Lawton

Reviewed March 2015

An Awesome Experience!

An excellent trip in every respect. As Exodus “first-timers” we were a little unsure what to expect but in every way the experience exceeded our expectations. The staff were outstanding and under Tour Leader of the Year, Suresh Bandara, nothing was too much trouble for them. Organisation and planning was faultless, minor issues were fixed instantly. We truly cycled the backroads with regular, welcome “3 minute chats” on the history, culture and natural history of this wonderful country. So much more than just a cycling trip. We’ll never forget the smiling faces and we were even lucky enough to see a Leopard in Yala

Most Inspirational Moment

Being immersed in a developing country, with poverty evident, and yet seeing excited, smiling faces, initiative, resourcefulness and a "make-do-and-mend" attitude. Wonderful to be in such a positive environment with proud locals determined to make sure you had a good time. Joining a group of like-minded people who you've never met before, rapidly making friends and developing a team, committed to working together and watching out for each other (or perhaps we were just lucky!)

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were privileged to be with Suresh when he received news that he was Exodus Tour Leader of the Year. No surprise to us whatsoever! Gentle, kind and humble and yet authoritative and assertive when ensuring the group was treated as he felt we should be. Knowledgeable and proud, we lapped up his many intelligent, witty explanations of all aspects of Sri Lankan life and culture. He took us to a fantastic selection of local family run tea houses and restaurants, always ensuring we had the option to try a wide range of local delicacies. Planning and organisation faultless and absolutely reliable. Hard to imagine there is a better tour leader working for any company!

Advice for Potential Travellers

A couple of days saw quite tough cycling - you really need to be a cyclist to do this tour and have some recent miles in your legs. It will be hot and humid, ensure you drink a lot and use the regular rests wisely. Bugs were not a problem provided you used DEET - around dawn and dusk this was vital. Cycle light with bits and pieces for the day in the minibus in your hand luggage daysac. Take £ and change some at the airport, topping up in the bigger towns (Suresh will always make sure you get the best rate!). Wear a cotton peaked cap, which you can soak in water, under your helmet to help keep cool and keep the sun off you face.

Kathleen LOCKER

Reviewed March 2015

Amalfi coast

scenery excellent, but walking was much harder than I expected–and I have done about 60 Munros. V steep ascents + descents. Hotel clean, staff v friendly and helpful but food rather disappointing. However, the paninis we had at lunchtime were excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

The ascent of Vesuvius.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Knowledgeable about the area and its history.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do lots of training on hills before you go.

Roger Hargrove

Reviewed March 2015

Vietnam 2015

A comprehensive trip covering many aspects and places of Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon. The trip included several days of moderately intense activities such as hiking, bicycling and kayaking. Areas visited included large cities to small isolated villages. Other modes of travel were a day and night on a boat and train.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visits to small home businesses which gave insight into everyday life and experience of locals.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cong was a fun and thoughtful guide who took great care of the group and organized many optional activities for dining and entertainment. I highly recommend him as a tour leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We didn't need to take our bike helmets or sleeping bags because helmets were supplied and it was warm enough to just use the supplied sheets/blankets. Not sure if this is for all trips, but it would have been good to know to save luggage space.

Kate Kidd

Reviewed March 2015

One of the best

You may be in the wilderness, but if you like adventure you will run out of time before things to do.
I loved the dog sledging (you can have your own sledge and dog team), the snow shoeing, the cross country skiing, the sledging etc. There is also the option for extra’s and I’d recommend the skiing in Rukha and full day dog sledging. There is plenty of option for free extra’s too as you can use the equipment to walk the bear route with snow shoes and do local cross skiing.
You can get away with taking little cash and paying for most things by card at the end of the week. For a remote base camp the food is good, the room clean and warm with underfloor heating and the equipment good quality. The only down side is the taster sessions could have covered more ground e.g. the snow shoe taster guide session had a bit too much talking and not enough walking, but a few of us made up for it with a walk to village after. This was a small issue for an otherwise incredible trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

1) A couple of us walked the bear route and the pure magical beauty of snow, river and trees was uplifting. 2) The dog sledging also gave a sense of companionship and adventure. 3) The night walk was hilarious as we kept disappearing up to our waists in snow. ... 3 rather than 1 inspirational moment, but thats representative of how good the week was.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Teddy was very good. Entertaining, informative and attentive. He engaged the group well and was very clear with instructions. He has a very relaxed manner and got the best out of the group. He also worked very hard to ensure all 20 people got an opportunity to do everything they wanted to despite high demand for some activities, which meant he had to split optional activities over a couple of days.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You can pack light as they do provide all the gear. Suggest you take a couple of base layers, trainers and casual clothes for the evening. You don't need a lot of cash as the activities, your bar bill etc can be paid by card at the end of the week. You may want some cash if you eat out at Rukha or take a taxi back seperately to the organised bus.

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