Most Inspirational Moment
Sleeping in desert and waking up covered in ice
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mustapha was a star. Good sense of humour and knowledgeable
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't expect much of the food. Very disappointing
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Highlights of Morocco
Excellent trip. Varied from coast to mountains to desert
India's Tropical South
Very different from India’s North and a very pleasant experience. As expected from Exodus the trip was well organised and enhanced by the competence and flexibility of the guide. An ideal way to explore the sights of Kerala and Tamilnadu at an easy pace. Nice to explore tea plantations, temples and wildlife though lacking a bit of momentum towards the end due to makeup of schedule. Sufficient spare time for shopping opportunities if desired.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through tea plantations, eating lunch from banana leaves and drinking masala chai in a local tearoom in Munnar. Also enjoyed washing elephants and getting sprayed with water!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very confident, relaxed and keen to please. Ideal team player who can cleverly manage a group and keep everybody together! Couldn't have been better!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Good shoes required for walk through tea plantations and jungle walk!!
Vietnam Adventure. (AOV). 19 Dec 2014.
Broad ranging trip of almost the full length of Vietnam plus the Ankor Wat extention. From the riot of the Hanoi traffic to the calm of the Delta. From hot sunny weather to teeming rain. From the calm of a buddhist temple to budgie like noise of a Saigon Girly Bar. From the bumpy Cyclos’ and tuk tuks to the smooth four wheel drive of Phonm Penh taxis. From the almost formal superb boat dinner on Hanlon Bay to the disgust of barbequed ducks tongues or baked silk worms. Variety? Vietman has got it!
Most Inspirational Moment
Putting ten rounds through a Kalashnikov AK47. Disturbing. Wish I had had another ten rounds on "burst".
Thoughts on Group Leader
Khanh Dinh was absolutely super. Used magic to get us through Danang Airport. And did everything else as well. Kept us well informed just far enough ahead. Knows and loves Vietnam. Buses and taxis rolled into sight at the right moment. We were trained to cross the road safely which really needed a degree level course. Food guidance at the right time which was seriously needed and gave priority to the drinks, (beer), order. "M" in Siem Reap - excellent. Reya in Phnom Penh - excellent plus.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be sure to have waterproofs and warm stuff if in Dec, Jan or Feb. There are several places you can get laundry done cheaply but ironing isn't part of the service. Eases the amount you need to take. Take more money than Exodus forecasts as the optionals are just too good to refuse and may be once in a lifetime chances. I got through US$ 1,000 plus in 20 days with no regrets. And I didn't get a new suit in Hoi An, I did get a silk Ao Dia though. Look at your flights - Ho Chi Minh airport has the Apricot Lounge, prebook a shower before the 14 hour flight home for about £22.
The Tropical South
A brilliant two weeks! There were so many fantastic experiences and such a variety of places that it felt like a month rather than two weeks. Great mixture of culture, wildlife, scenery and a perfect beach stay at the end. A lovely group of fellow travellers and perfect weather too. Our first experience of India and of Exodus, would recommend both!
Most Inspirational Moment
Loved meeting wild elephants and seeing a very fresh tiger paw print inPeriyar. The walk in they tea plantations.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was excellent . Knowledgeable and entertaining. Nothing was too much trouble and we were very well looked after.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some long journeys on bumpy roads. Our coach was comfortable and air conditioned and the journeys were all worth it.
Fantastic
A very busy and cold week but fantastic fun. Expect to we well fed, exhausted and probably bruised by the end of the week but equally thrilled with the beauty of basecamp and exhilarated with activities.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting to the top of the ice wall.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Teddy was fun and informative
Advice for Potential Travellers
The clothes provided mean you don't have to bring lots of winter gear. No cash needed for basecamp
Chimps and gorillas of Uganda
This was a great holiday and we fell in love with Uganda during the trip. Although most people booking this trip will probably expect the gorillas to be the highlight, we found the chimpanzees’ more energetic behaviour even more captivating, though having a silverback plus females with infants clinging beneath almost brush past us was the highlight of the trip. We saw a leopard resting very close to a track in Queen Elizabeth National Park, saw a tree-climbing lion in Ishasha and had a great boat trip on the Kazinga Channel.
Most Inspirational Moment
For the trip organised by Exodus the gorilla and chimp trekking were both highlights. We took the optional second day on each occasion and were surprised how differnt the second day was, especially for the gorillas. If you do two gorilla treks your tour leader will try and make sure you see a different group on the second day. After the Exodus trip we spent a few relaxing days in Entebbe, and had the most insprirational moment of the entire trip when we visite a tiny fishing island called Makusa, only an acre but with 450 people living in wooden shacks only just above the level of the lake. Everyone was so friendly and the kids so happy - makes you appreciate that you don't really need all the trappings of modern life.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Male was the group leader and was fine. We spent more time with Sula who we found more lively and keen to discuss anything. We learnt a lot about Uganda from Sula. Both worked really hard to make sure we were happy, and took great care of us.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't expect anything special on your first night, the Central Inn was adequate but no more. We stayed at a much better place in Entebbe (Gately Inn) for 5 nights after the end of the Exodus trip. Don't expect to see shoebills on the quick stop at Mabamba swamp. We were lucky enough to see one on a separate trip after the Exodus holiday, but you have to go to the right place. Take at least one walking stick on the gorilla trek, but depending on your age and fitness you may not need one on the chimp trek. Use the services of a porter on the gorilla trek, well worth the $15 plus tip. The plants that look like nettles on the gorilla trek don't sting and we didn't encounter much that would warrant a pair of gloves, but someone on our group went on a more demanding second trek where gloves and robust clothing were needed. Despite the number of flying insects on the gorilla trek none of them seemed to bother us. You may find that you get better results from a good HD video than a conventiuonal camera when trying to capture the chimps and gorillas - more fun watching the videos when you get home too. A good HD video such as a Sony Handycam only weighs a fraction of a camera with large zoom. Tip as generously as you can as local hotel staff and others are on very low wages. If you take a close up of a local person offer money in advance and agree an amount that seems fair. No one has change, anywhere, so get mainly low value shilling notes when you exchange your dollars. The exchange rates for dollars to shillings is much better for values of $50 or above. Take a few extra days at the end and visit Murchison Falls if you have time. If you have time in Entebbe you could visit the Reptile Village and Makusa Island, both well worth the trip.
Discover Sri Lanka
This holiday did exactly what the title suggested. We discovered ancient Sri Lanka, its flora and fauna, its magnificent scenery and its friendly people. We cycled, walked, and did white-water rafting and tried our skill playing the local games. The coach was comfortable and driven well. The guide, driver and co-driver were excellent. The hotels were good and the food excellent. We travelled over Christmas and New Year and the weather was unseasonably wet but this adversity seemed to bring the best out of the group. I would recommend this trip but you may need to catch up on your sleep afterwards.
Most Inspirational Moment
The summit of Lions Rock, Sigiriya
Thoughts on Group Leader
Despite the heavy rain for 2/3rds of our holiday our leader used his local knowledge to ensure that we saw every thing as advertised (except the railway trip, because the line was destroyed by floods). He also made sure we had ample opportunities to meet local villagers and get a little insight into their way of life, away from the usual tourist haunts. His humour and knowledge educated and entertained us on our coach journeys.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take clothes that dry quickly and do not crease easily. There was only one hotel where we could dry our clothes and shoes.
Colours of Rajasthan
It was a busy trip, small group only seven of us, a lot of travelling but that added rather than detracted, an amazing guide and driver and we saw everything! The advantage of being on the road is we saw things we could not see had we flown or even been on a train. People working, doing business, women gossiping in groups, children playing, it was an eye opener.
Most Inspirational Moment
Too many to name, riding the ox on a small mill with the permission and amusement of the owner, my first site of the Taj Mahal, the Bollywood film our guide organised for us, the boat trip in the lake at Udapur, so many memories.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Aarti was amazing, funny, engaging, went out of her way to ensure we saw and did what would make the trip for us. We also have to mention out driver Amal, whose knowledge and eyes for spotting things we may have missed was unsurpassed. What a team.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Expect long drives, but make the most of it. If you have a good guide as we did rely on her/his expertise, Aarti knew the shops, the chai stops, the restaurants, in my case the best place to have a Meade to measure silk dress made.
Vietnam adventure
Absolutely sensational!! We were able to see the most popular tourist sites in Vietnam and traversed the country from the North to the South. A really fantastic trip with lots to see and do.
Most Inspirational Moment
The whole trip was amazing!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Thanh was phenomenal!! He was enthusiastic throughout the trip and always had a smile on his face. He gave us great advice on restaurants, activities to do in our free time as well as local food to sample. He has a great sense of humour and was incredibly accurate with all of the historical facts and information at each site.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack light and take a good size overnight bag as you will use this on more than one occasion.
Everything's bigger in China
Fascinating jam-packed itinerary of one of the most important influences of the modern world. Looking at the historical sites (like the Great Wall, the Summer Palace lake, the Terracotta Army) side-by-side with modern China’s immense infrastructure projects (the railway tunnels/bridges, the Three Gorges dam and ship locks) demonstrates how China has always done things fearlessly and BIG.
Most Inspirational Moment
Photographs of the Terracotta Army don't really prepare you for the vastness of what is only a fraction of the whole site, and the detail of the warriors is fascinating right down to the tread on the boot of a kneeling archer warrior. The pandas were pretty cool too - but they DO look like dudes in panda suits (I tried very hard to see the zip)! The food was fantastic everywhere we went (with the possible exception of Congee - a Chinese breakfast I never quite mastered). Cycling round the walls of Xi'an.
Thoughts on Group Leader
One of the great things about the best Exodus tour leaders is that they get you to places at the best times to beat the crowds. Our leader Xin worked tirelessly, the clock-round for two and a half weeks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I loved this journey, but we need to be honest about the intensity of the schedule. Despite the lack of physical "activities" on this trip, it is arduous. Negotiating the main railway station at a city of more than 30 million people (when most of them seem to be crushing to get in to the station), 16-hour train journeys in filthy compartments, squat toilets with dire hygiene, pollution which catches in the back of your throat - this trip covers huge distances and is pretty intense, takes it out of you, and you need to be stronger than the activity rating would suggest. There is very little "downtime" and Chinese hotels don't have much in the way of common areas where you can chill out, swim or watch the world go by. None of this can be changed by Exodus, it is part of the experience of this much China, but it is not for the faint-hearted. Psych yourself up and power on through. The rewards of this fascinating country are fantastic, even if they don't come easily!