Reviews

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

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14410 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed March 2013

GALAPAGOS WILDLIFE CRUISE

This trip whole heartedly exceeded my expectations. For those of you who love animals this is certainly the right trip for you. Being able to go around all the islands and be there for two weeks was breath taking and definately worth going for the two weeks, there is so much to see and the west islands were personally better for me. Getting so close to all the animals without feeling as though you were invading their space was so special, nothing was bothered you were around them it really was magical and my idea of heaven.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being on the islands was such as awe inspiring feeling, knowing how much they are doing to keep the islands and animals protected and knowing that tourists and local communtities are only allowed to be on 1% of the islands and the rest is restricted is wonderful to know.Swimming with 11 turtles with one falling asleep right beside me and floating into me was magical! The trip has certainly changed me and I feel very lucky and priveledged to have been able to go!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader (Juan Tapia) was fantastic. So enthusiastic and knowledgable, he really added to the trip and we felt lkucky to have him as our guide. You felt safe with him and as he had grown up on the islands and was so passionate about sharing them with others you felt even more enthused. He knew everything about all the different species and could never not answer a question about the islands/species!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light, as we were walking and swimming/snorkelling a lot we really didnt need much as things could be washed and hung up on the boat to dry. Take clothes that you dont mind getting dirty or ruined. Take strong suncream factor 50 if possible as i was caught out with factor 30. Certainly wear a top whilst snorkelling, the water was lovely and warm but your back is protected from sun burn.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE THE BACKROADS OF SRI LANKA

We found the friendliest people and beautiful scenery on every backroad of Sri Lanka. Enough Km’s to work up an appetite for the fragrant Sri Lankan cuisine and a wonderfully relaxed and flexible itinerary guided by our fearless leader Suresh! Cooler and safer on your deadly-treadly!

Most Inspirational Moment

Whilst fixing flat tyres at a drinks break in a tiny little town on a road to nowhere, one guy in the exodus group started kicking a softdrink bottle around with some school kids in the middle of the road - lots of laughs and fun for everyone. Just proves you don't need much to have a bit of fun!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great. Knowledgable, friendly, relaxed, flexible, thoughtful, accomodating.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't hesitate to visit Sri Lanka.

Reviewed March 2013

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

A beautiful area, colourful, fascinating, noisy yet with times of peace and tranquility.

Reviewed March 2013

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

The toughest, but most rewarding challenge of my life. The trip was simply brilliant.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing on the vast emptiness of the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo peaks - seeing what we had completed, and what was yet to come, and being in total awe of the whole mountain.Making way for the porters and support team as they passed us, each carrying 20 kg up the mountain. They did this with politeness, courtesy and always a smile despite the physical effort.Looking at the huge, clear African sky with more stars than I have ever seen beforeLooking up Kibo on summit night at the dozens of headtorches against the blackness of the mountain Crawling up to Gilman's just in time for sunrise - magical

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abraham was always calm, in total control, very patient (despite numerous questions and issues to sort out). There was no doubt about who was in charge, so our group knew we could have complete trust in him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a trip of a lifetime. If you decide to go for it, the most important thing is to go with an open mind, make the most of every single moment (not just summit night) and enjoy the mountain in its entirety. Take your time, there is so much to see and take in.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE SOUTHERN INDIA - COAST TO COAST

Great route, but cycling in India for me is about pedalling between points of interest, rather than pedalling for its own sake – and this tended towards the latter. That said, this was the first time the trip had been run – and I did have a damned good time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur - for the astonishing buildings and unexpected sense of calm. And by way of almost complete contrast, the village temple festival on the road to Kumarakom, which was a riot of music and gold-caparisoned elephants. The Chettiar town of Karaikudi had a special atmosphere too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Peter doesn't take sugar in his chai, which is almost unforgivable (!). He did plan a superb route though.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry about the distances - the terrain in Tamil Nadu is extremely flat, and apart from a couple of hilly days in the Ghats, the cycling is not as intimidating as the distances imply; The books on Chola bronzes in the museum at Thanjavur are poor quality, but you may be able to pick up a reasonably-priced copy of the excellent "The Sensuous and the Sacred" from one of the bookshops in Kochi instead. This covers much of the same material, but with much better photography; The gentle hike around the Periyar / Kumily National Park seemed to be much better value that the boat trips - we saw plenty of birdlife and monkeys whilst on foot that would not have been visible from the lake; Handmade soap is much cheaper to buy in Kumily than Kochi; If you have an early start for the flight home, there is a cafe on the roof of Kochi airport that serves a reasonable veg biryani and a very decent coffee (but no chai); Don't forget to pack your trunks - several of the hotels have excellent pools.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE SOUTHERN INDIA - COAST TO COAST

A fantastic trip taking in an array of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and terrain. As a first flavour of a cycling holiday it gave me an enjoyable experience of life in the saddle for a few days. The culinary and cultural stops also made for a memorable holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the 13k hill, struggling up hairpin bends whilst monkeys looked on leisurely chewing branches. Watching the sun go down over the tranquil back waters, then waking up on such a millpond with the fishermen quietly going about their business. Banana Jam!!!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Peter our leader was a good judge of character and tended to any needs, the back up support was also superb.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make the booking :)

Reviewed March 2013

PETRA & WADI RUM TREK

I would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone with a sense of adventure. Jordan is an ideal introduction to the Middle East, it feels perfectly safe and the people are extremely helpful. The Wadi Rum itself has much more variety than I had imagined. This trip covers around 60km on foot, but feels relaxed and easy paced, which is ideal for people of all abilities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing up to the Jebel Burdah rock bridgeSleeping outside under the starsThe evening camp firesThe feeling of open spaceEverything about Petra (except the donkeys!)The hospitality of ordinary Jordanians

Thoughts on Group Leader

Saalah was an excellent leader, who was constantly helpful and informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take several pairs of trousers, as you'll ruin a pair on the descent from Jebel BurdahDon't worry about the lack of facilities when camping in the Wadi Rum, it all makes the Turkish Bath in Petra more enjoyableTake plenty of warm clothing as it gets cold in the Wadi Rum at night, and don't forgot a head torchTake an astronomy guide, as the night sky is amazing

Reviewed March 2013

BORNEO WILDLIFE DISCOVERER

A good trip which could have been spectacular.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a number of moments on this trip. The time spent at Kinabatangan, Danum Valley and Mulu NP were the highlights for me. The variety of wildlife and the settings were fantastic, despite the heat and humidity!! I have taken away a lot of memories from this trip especially from the river journeys at Kanabatangan (seeing pygmy elephants, hornbills, proboscus monkeys and Orang Utans at close quarters etc.) and the cave systems at Mulu NP - awesome. There were too many birds, lizards, primates etc to mention. They've been covered in previous reviews anyway. The walking is easy if your relatively fit.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zahari tried his best to get us all involved but 16 people on this type of "adventure" is too many to deal with comfortably. He was very well organised in the logistics of buses, planes, 4 wheel drives etc. and as a restauranteur. He was a good bird spotter and is passionate about his region, Sabah and it's people.Zahari is a really nice guy and I'd like to do another trip with him when he wasn't so stressed out !!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the heat and humidity!!! We were lucky in that we had little rain over the holiday but the conditions are sapping and three showers a day are almost compulsary. Pack light and don't bring things like jeans as they will not dry in the humidity. There's ample opportunities to get your laundry done at ridiculously low prices outside the hotel.

Reviewed March 2013

KENYA & TANZANIA ADVENTURE

Wow I’ve done a safari and road trip – 2400 kilometres – in Africa. Zanzibar is a brilliant place for a beach holiday – loads of white sand and turquoise ,warm sea. The African sunsets and night skys were worth the trip in themselves. And that’s before you get to the animals. And Kilimanjaro. I walked up the first stage of the mountain. Through rainforest. Uphill. Over very rough ground. Nearly killed me but I got there. We had to leave Kenya in a bit of a hurry because of fears of post election troubles. In the event nothing materialised but good to know that Exodus was looking after our wellbeing. Camping wasn’t much of a hardship though I’d definitely recommend paying the single supplement. The campsites ranged from well organised with a bar, to a fenced field with a guard with an AK47, to a night in the wilderness in the Serengetti where you have to have your wits about when you get up in the night. Erecting and dismantling the tents was hard work at first but we soon got the hang of it, helping each other. There were 6 of us. The group worked well and we had lots of fun. The transport was fit for purpose with cool box, freezer, power sockets for UK plugs. It was comfortable enough. If group numbers meant you were restricted to just one locker each, there wouldn’t be much storage space. The food is fine , given that it’s cooked on just a couple of gas rings. There’s plenty of opportunity to buy booze, though do plan ahead.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close encounters with the animals.Camping in the wilderness under the night sky.Cocktails on the beach in Zanzibar

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the crew were first rate at their jobs. Many thanks to Ben the driver, Ken the cook and Lelei the guide.Local guides were used from time to time and these were all professional quality

Advice for Potential Travellers

There were relatively few mosquitoes during early March. No one was badly bitten.Pay the single supplement. 2 people in a tent would be a squeeze. Contrary to Exodus paperwork ,you don't need a photo for a Tanzanian visa. It costs $50 and they don't take other currencies.Apart from that ,you could take your cash in Sterling. That saves changing your money twice, into dollars and then into Kenyan and Tanzanian currency. An ATM card would be handy for when exchange places aren't available. - e.g sundays or where there's a huge queue in the only bank in town.The beach hotel in Zanzibar gave a poor exchange rate. Change your money in Stone Town before you leave for the beach. There are opportunities to do a bit of handwashing, now and again. Give clothes away as you go. They'll be gratefully received.

Reviewed March 2013

PETRA & WADI RUM TREK

A thoroughly enjoyable trip. Great desert and rock scenery on the Wadi Rum trek. Ruins of Petra were a lot bigger and more spectacular than I was expecting. Jordan felt a lot safer than I had been expecting, given the troubles in surrounding countries.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the desert in bloom. (the recently ended rainy season meant that there were carpets of flowers across the desert sands).Climbing to the rock arch on Jebel Burdah. Best views of the trip and a bit of an adrenalin kick if like me you haven't got the best head for heights!The first candle lit views of the Treasury at Petra on the (optional) night visit.Seeing President Obama, though I expect Exodus won't be able to repeat this experience on future trips!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader (Salah) and support staff were all very friendly and efficient at their jobs, and ensured the trip ran like clockwork.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't wear a new pair of trousers on the climb up Jebel Burdah - over a third of our group ended up with rips in their trousers from the rock.The scramble up Jebel Burdah is probably at the upper end of the challenging grade, but is only a few hours duration, and is well worth the effort.The wild camping described in the trip notes isn't as wild as we thought - a Portaloo followed us around for the week, and there were always comfy cushions to sit on for breakfast and dinner.

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