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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13 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Yolanda harris

Reviewed March 2023

Cape Town to Johannesburg

This is a good tour covering a lot of South Africa. There is a lot of travel but it is worth it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The walking trip in the National Park. Seeing the rhino come to the waterhole in the early hours in Eswatini

Thoughts on Group Leader

Warren is very passionate about his role as a tour guide, and about sharing the countries with his clients. He is not frightened of answering questions about the politics and communities in the countries

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect a lot of travel in between. South Africa has many beautiful areas, but is also a troubled country, so be careful of your possessions and your well-being

Bridget Burns

Reviewed February 2023

Cape Town to Johannesburg

Lots of laughs. Fantastic landscapes & wildlife. The trip started in Cape Town which is a beautiful city with many attractions and things to do. I would suggest having a few extra days in Cape Town to ensure you see all that is on offer.
There is a lot of driving and van time, but the scenery is stunning and we had a fantastic group & tour leader, so there were many laughs and chats along the way and wildlife spotting for the bird enthusiasts. Accommodation was varied, from hotels in Cape Town and Hermanus to chalets and cabins in the National Parks. All were clean, comfortable with ensuite facilities and most had wifi connections. Our tour leader, Warren prepared many delicious dinners and was able to cater to non-meat eaters.
There were a few long driving days over some very rough roads (especially driving to Lesotho), but our driver, Brilliant, was brilliant and did an amazing job getting us to Malealea in one piece. The peace & serenity of Malealea made the drive worth while.
We did encounter heavy rainfall in the second half of the trip which seemed to follow us from the Drakensburg, into St Lucia, Eswatini and Kruger N.P. It didn’t dampen our spirits, but did mean that roads in Kruger N.P were closed and we managed to leave St Lucia before the road out of St Lucia collapsed. The road to our accommodation in Kruger N.P (Skukuza) was flooded forcing road closures 10kms out. Warren & Brilliant, our tour guide and driver had everything under control, making sure that our safety was paramount. The highlight was the unscheduled night drive, coming close to elephants and giraffes as we drove to our alternate accommodation.
Kruger N.P did not disappoint where we were able to see 4/5 Big Five (unfortunately we missed the leopards, who were busy trying to keep dry). The highlight was seeing a group of juvenile male lions chilling under some trees & shrubs trying to keep dry. There are also a lot of bird sightings, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebra, monkeys, antelope, Kudu, Waterbuck.
Overall it was a fantastic trip, showing off the best of South Africa, with many special moments and highlights and I would recommend this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

The safaris and seeing the lions were my highlight, especially the unplanned 'night safari' in Kruger N.P. St Lucia and the hippos and the hiking in Drakensburg were also highlights. An impromptu visit to a local kindergarten in Lesotho is another highlight. The group and our tour guide really gelled providing many fond memories of this trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Warren our tour guide was fantastic. He was very professional, but easy going, very knowledgeable, friendly, patient and went out of his way to ensure our safety in Kruger N.P when the road to our accommodation was closed forcing us to find another exit to get to our alternate accommodation. He and our driver, Brilliant, were both great fun to travel with and very helpful arranging alternate safari drives and activities due to the wet weather.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip involves some long travel days on some rough roads so be opened minded and enjoy the experience, remembering that not everyone has the same opportunities to travel abroad.

Andrew Ash

Reviewed November 2022

Potential to have been way better

As per the title it seems Exodus sub contracts this trip out to an African travel company and has little to no involvement with the actual trip planning. Because of some failures with a previous trip I reached out to the person in charge of this trip from Exodus end. Sadly it seems Kate gave me a wonderful level of lip service of what to expect and answers to my questions etc. However in reality, she clearly never passed any of her observations onto the African company organising the trip. However 2 other couples who booked through Trailfinders UK (also part of our group) did have their requests passed on. The levels of difference in hotel accommodation were clearly noticeable, although we all paid the same amount.

Most Inspirational Moment

The animals which thankfully weren't budget orientated. Of the big 5 we missed out on cheetahs and lions. But that was more to do with organisational issues. As well as having 3 separate vehicles for our trip. Not including the safari jeep also an extra expense.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both leader & driver were very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes this is the second trip whereby the trip notes are badly (years) out of date. No excuses..... since covid Exodus has really gone done hill as far as its people knowledge of the trips and its trip notes were always wrong when it came to things like currency values and even simple things like having to buy your own water...... to a stop being a permanent camp no light bulbs.... in fact no other guests for months but supported by EU funding (10 years ago perhaps) that was not worth a 8 hour drive to arrive at night and leave in the morning.....??

Suggestions

Unfortunately I have 2 further trips deposits with yourselves.... but you really need to get your staffs knowledge up to date as trips like this (especially the cost) are meant to be once in a lifetime.

Frances Burman-Mueller

Reviewed February 2019

What does this mean?

Varied itinerary, unusual overnights.

Food quality very mixed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The game drives

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Pleasant, helpful, everything went to plan

Advice for Potential Travellers

You definitely need a torch: no electricity in some places. Be prepared for very infrequent Wi-fi Some laundry opportunities are in fact self service launderettes.

Gwen Trott

Reviewed January 2019

Johannesburg to Cape Town Reverse

Accommodation was good.
Scenery excellent.
Wild life excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close encounter with the Cheetah

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader started very well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Would recommend this trip

Suggestions

The 16 seater vehicle was adequate for our group of 8. Would be too cramped for group any larger. To be able to have the option to travel in open vehicles for safaris was a blessing. The schedule was to stay in Tsitsikamma National Park but our accommodation was 40k away which meant our time in the park was limited and we were not able to take full advantage of the activities. We were due to depart for an early morning safari meeting at 04.15 a.m. for drinks and snacks for departure at 04.30 a.m. The guide did not appear until about 05.00 a.m., we were unable to contact him because his phone was off and the driver did not know where he was. He loaded up the vehicle and we departed at 05.15 a.m. there was no drink or snacks and no apology/explanation. The guide did not talk to us all morning and we were not able to get a drink until after 08.00 a.m. It is none of my business what the guide does in his own time but affects others when he fails to deliver.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Gwen for her feedback, although we are sorry that she was disappointed with the start of the game drive in Kruger National Park on New Year’s Day. While we would like to explain that this group’s game drive took place earlier than normal, due to the public holidays and a much higher volume of visitors to the park than usual, we appreciate it would have been disappointing that the excursion was delayed. Following client feedback from this trip, we have spoken with the tour leader, and moving forward we do not anticipate future clients encountering similar issues. We were pleased to read that Gwen overall enjoyed her time in South Africa and has awarded it a five-star rating, and we hope to welcome her on another Exodus holiday in the not too distant future. John Penge – Product Manager.

Karen Wallace

Reviewed January 2018

Fabulous sightseeing adventure

What an amazing experience! 3 weeks, a lot of time spent on the bus traveling, but never boring, always stunning landscapes, often wonderful wildlife, and with the help of our excellent guides, who spotted and identified animals and birds and pointed them out to us, followed up by showing us them in their wildlife books. The nights were spent in a large selection of hotels and cabins. Some were rustic, no electricity, but always comfy and clean. I was so impressed with the delicious food our guides cooked for us for dinners, accompodaring those who did not eat meat. With limited facilities they produced plentiful and tasty meals. I enjoyed the places we visited especially the organised hikes. The only slight glitch, the safari that is included was in the van which would have been unacceptable so we had to pay for an additional trip in an appropriate vehicle. I would have liked a few moe healthy options for lunch, but the r st of the trip was truly a great experience. I would recommend starting in Capetown and ending in JoBerg, otherwise you will have the best animal sightings in the first week, making the limited sightings in the end less dramatic. I would also suggest going to Capetown a few days before the tour, as there is so much to see and a limited time. I will have to return!!!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the animals in the wild so close was fabulous. I also hiked up Table mountain alone and that was so worth while.

Thoughts on Group Leader

They were both truly wonderful. I felt like they truly cared and wanted us to enjoy everything. They were genuininly friendly and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to Capetown a day or ao earlier and def start there, no JoBerg. You will be so excited to see a few animals in the first week as it is your first sighting. If you do it tbe other way round, it will be an anti climax. Def bring a rain jacket and torch. Temps range dramatically...so layers.

Anna Mcsherry

Reviewed February 2017

Cape Town to Johannesburg

Quite possibly the best holiday of my life (and I’ve had a few).

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many. The majesty of the Drakensberg mountains, seeing a leopard drink from a river, the beautiful and so very different landscapes, and learning about the animals from the extremely knowledgeable guides.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The tour leader Petro was amazing, and she was supported by two others, David and Andrew. All three were friendly, approachable, open and fun, as well as knowledgeable, enthusiastic and clearly proud of their country. This was possibly the most important thing for me as a lone traveller, as I could rely on them for company, though I didn't need to as we had a close, cohesive group anyway. I was on a trip last year where I didn't have the same feeling about the guide, and while it hasn't tainted my experience the trip, it made me reluctant to ask questions or have fun. This was the complete opposite where in fact the guides were one of the best things about the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go. Doing the trip in this direction rather than the Jo'Burg to Cape Town direction is probably a bit more exciting. As the trip progresses, the ante is upped and the end of the trip is much busier than the start. If you want to relax, I'd consider doing it from Jo'Burg to Cape Town as it is more chilled at that end. I'm glad I did it the way I did though, as for me, the best was saved for last, i.e. game drives. Read the trip notes, and in addition with a couple of days without electricity, I was glad to have packed my portable batter charger for my phone/camera, etc.

Suggestions

If you're interested in seeing a massively diverse area, full of beautiful flora and fauna, and don't mind a sore bum from a few long bus days, go. I have so may fantastic memories to take away with me, of the people, the history, the guides and I have made firm friends who I hope to see again.

joe neduvelil

Reviewed February 2016

Cape Town to Johannesburg

I really enjoyed this tour and would highly recommend it- the tour offered the opportunity to see a lot of Southern Africa – I started the reverse itinerary in Cape Town, a beautiful city with plenty to do. There are many highlights on this trip – the landscapes and wildlife were spectacular- we saw the big 5 several times including leopard on 3 consecutive days. Many of the other highlights are outlined in the trip notes and I won’t repeat them here. Our guides Justin and Fiona were excellent. This was the first fully accommodated tour offered by Exodus for this journey and all our accommodation was clean and of a good standard. The transport was spacious with regular stops on the long driving days. On one of our walks in Lesotho, the rain and hail came down and a grandma from the village invited us to take shelter in her home – the people here are very accommodating. During our trip, there were some water restrictions due to the worst drought in Southern Africa since the eighties but there was always the opportunity to get a shower every day. Similarly, a couple of places either had no electricity or restrictions on when it was available. The general standard of the local guides was good with some such as Thulani, a Zulu guide, at Rourke’s drift outstanding and others still gaining experience. With the depreciation of the rand, South Africa is very cheap compared to the UK.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several - the stunning beauty of the Drakensberg; the opportunity to see abundant wildlife including the Big 5, but much more; the friendliness of the people we encountered.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin was our tour leader and driver - he was fantastic at spotting and identifying wildlife, as well as having great knowledge of all aspects of the country. Fiona was our cook and provided a variety of tasty meals including local dishes such as potjies and Braai, often going beyond the call of duty to cater for guest's wishes. Their easygoing yet professional attitude enhanced the whole trip experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our stay in Lesotho provided us with the opportunity to engage with the local community, visiting people's homes, schools and villages - there is the opportunity to give the community old clothes and stationery for the schools - nothing gets wasted here. This is not included in the Exodus trip notes. Remember this is Africa, so chill and don't worry about first world problems. South African power sockets require their own unique 3 pin plugs not available in most multi-adaptor plugs

Suggestions

This is a great tour to see one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Carolyn Thompson

Reviewed December 2015

Caz T

The trip was a fantastic introduction to South Africa. The scenery and wildlife was excellent. The trip was very well organised and ticked all the boxes for me.

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of wildlife and the opportunity to view it up close. The varied scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin, the tour leader was excellent. He was friendly and accomodating. He was knowledgeable and had a very good knowledge of wildlife. Fiona consistently magicked up lovely food, wherever we were.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for variable weather.

Reviewed October 2015

Sylvia Herd

This was a great trip, showing off the main sights of South Africa, with the added bonus of Lesotho & Swaziland. Although there were some long driving days, we were a small group of 6 who gelled really well & had a very competent staff of 3. Personally I felt the Garden Route was overrated, so I was pleased that I’d done the reverse itinerary as this saved the best until last. But I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed St Lucia (which I'd never even heard of before!). Also Lesotho, the Drakensburg Mountains &, of course, the various safaris.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both our group leader & our cook were really knowledgeable, friendly & helpful & great fun to travel with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long days on the bus. The camping was fun, fully supported so you're not allowed to do anything to help, & the S African camp facilities are very good.

Suggestions

A fun, if sometimes tiring, trip.

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