Reviews

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

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14255 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed December 2012

PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI

I can not imagine a safari where I would be given better opportunities for photography. From dawn till dusk we were presented with all those things photographers want most: best light, ideal landscape shots, unhurried time to make the most of special opportunities with cheetah and leopards. And then the excellent camp with its brilliant accomadation and food.

Most Inspirational Moment

The reward of finally capturing a kill from a perfectly positioned vehicle, after spending hours following the hungry cheetah, till finally the chase was on. No other safari I have been on has included that sense of determination and focus.

Thoughts on Group Leader

No one could have worked harder to give us the best chance of getting the best photos we were capable of.Again and again we were presented with the great lighting and vehicles well positioned for photographs.Personally, Pauls totally obvious passion for wanting us (and himself) to get the best possible shots is the reason I hope to go on many more such photographic trips. Against all these positives -the need to wear a tin hat now and then, is a tiny price that is well worth paying.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take the best kit you can, and high factor sun block. Going a bit out of season has some distinct advantages.Often there were no other vehicles . Go and listen to one of Pauls presentations and that will give you a good idea of the safari.

Reviewed December 2012

PETRA & WADI RUM BY BIKE

A week spent visiting some stunning scenery and amazing historical sites in a beautiful and friendly country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to cover all but the highlights were: Covering myself in the local “mud” and floating in the Dead Sea.Spending 2 days exploring the whole site at Petra.Snorkelling in the Red Sea with the coral and the fish.The night sleeping under the stars with the Bedouin tribe.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Did the job expected of him but not really any surprise and delight situations.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s more a “sight-seeing” than a “cycling” holiday, so if you’re after a lot of cycling this isn’t the one for you. Also a lot of the cycling is down steep hills, which may sound like fun but really isn’t as although your legs don’t get tired you get a sore hand from constantly holding on the breaks.You need at least 2 days in Petra to see the whole place. There’s quite a lot more to it than just the Treasury and the Monastery. Beer and wine is expensive and not served everywhere. I’d estimate over 50+% are restaurants are dry, but 100% of the hotels will have a bar.

Reviewed December 2012

WALKING THE FJORDS

The landscape was just out of this world – my jaw was almost permanantly dropped! I’ve seen a million pictures of the fjords so I thought I knew what to expect but actually, once you’re there it’s like stepping through a gateway to another world, simply awe-inspiring. No National Geographic image can quite prepare you for how small you feel. One lady on the trip was an artist and she took a sketch pad with her, which I thought was a wonderful idea. The guest house was another surprise – it’s so quaint! And the dinners – well, it’s lucky we were walking all day! Three course meals every evening, truly superb. Even the breakfast was seriously impressive – they bake their own bread so you have fresh rolls, and pick their own fruit from the orchard. The chef is a truly talented individual!

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the waterfalls - just the raw power of nature, feeling the spray on your face and hearing the incredible thunder as the water crashes down. I could never get bored of the view out of the guest house window - overlooking the fjord with the huge waterfall on the opposite bank. The water is so clean in Norway that you can just refill your waterbottle from the icy streams all around you and apparently if you go in August you can pick wild blueberries along the paths!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Asbjorn was excellent - he seems something of a local celebrity, I swear everyone knew him and gave us a friendly wave! His passion for history and the great outdoors is evident - he used to be a teacher, so he's really interactive. He won't just tell you why the fjords are green or what that particular carving inside the church represents, he'll ask and make you all call out guesses - quite a giggle!

Advice for Potential Travellers

I'd suggest taking a variety of clothes - the weather can be quite changeable, so you want a backpack big enough for proper waterproofs although I mainly used mine for when we got close to the waterfalls! The trip notes aren't joking when they say about fully waterproof boots - mine are full leather and I was very grateful! Don't worry about a camel back unless you particularly like them, as you can refill bottles from the fresh water streams on all but one day. If you fancy a refreshing swim in the (glacier-fed) fjord, take a swimming costume as you can do so! It's about 150metres from the guest house so you can wander down whenever you like. It's not as cold as you think but it will definitely catch your attention!

Reviewed December 2012

PHOTOGRAPHIC SAFARI

This was hands down one of the best trips I have ever taken – guided or not. Paul and our three Kicheche Camp guides (James, Patrick and Charles) definitely put us through our paces – 4:30am starts, 14 hour days in the land rover and some serious miles on that road, but we were delighted. We probably managed to see more of what the Mara has to offer in that one week than most people see in a lifetime (and all in amazing, gold, sunrise/sunset light). The whole team was super dedicated to making the absolute most of every hour, and were extremely knowledgeable about the area and its animals and completely understanding of the need for just the right angle on that back-lit cheetah. Meanwhile, Kennedy, Abe and the team back at camp made sure that when we returned bruised, battered, and exhilirated, there was always a hot shower and a cold Stoney to welcome us. I cannot imagine doing the Mara in any other other way or with any other tour – as can be attested by the fact that all our most memorable sights (10 day old cheetah cubs, leopard with 3 cubs, cheetah taking down an impala) were pretty much witnessed only by our three vehicles. Truly amazing!

Most Inspirational Moment

First glimple of the leopard and her cubs at 6:48am after a 4:30am wake up. We didn't think we had a particularly great shot at finding them (Paul put it at 25%) and yet somehow there they were - ready to be photographed just as a the sun came up.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As everyone will tell you, Paul is quite the character and being picked to be one of the three in his car on a game drive was probably one of the more daunting aspects of the trip. But he's incredibly passionate about the Mara and photography (also cricket, cycling and the Shawshank Redemption) and very committed to giving you as much (or as little) help and tips with your photography as you want. He also goes completely out of his way to make sure you have an amazing trip so you always feel amazingly well taken care of, even though he's not afraid to push the group through some pretty grueling days.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you don't have excellent gear going on this trip, rent some. You will see some pretty incredible things, but you're not coming back with much if you don't have a very good telephoto lens - while the occassional lioness does walk 2 feet away from the land rover, most of the action is a sizable distance away.

Reviewed December 2012

A TASTE OF CUBA

A very well run and interesting tour, getting a real flavour of a fascinating and unique country on the cusp of momentus change. The holiday was only let down by one night at one particularly poor hotel.

Most Inspirational Moment

A night out dancing in Trnidad, taxi'd by a fleet of 50s american cars.And the last night in old Havana, watching the Buena Vista Social Club

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very attentive to everyone's needs, keen to involve everyone and informative. Good fun!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take pencils to donate and save all the hotel shampoos etc for the same purpose. Have some salsa lessons before you go to get the most out of your holiday

Reviewed December 2012

CYCLING THROUGH RAJASTHAN

This holiday was quite simply the holiday of a lifetime. It exceeded my expectations in almost every way. I could never have imagined that India had quite so much to offer. The endless stream of temples, forts, palaces and scenery that was simply breathtaking. The people of India were just so friendly and the great thing about cycling through the villages was the opportunity to meet the real people of India.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pushkar - the afternoon I spent on my own wandering around the streets of Pushkar during the world famous camel fayre was the most memorable few hours of my holiday. I spent a lovely lunchtime overlooking Pushkar Holy Lake in The Rainbow Cafe. The service was friendly and the food excellent but the views and the serenity of the location, in what was a bustling town centre, was simply breathtaking. Taj Mahal - Nothing can prepare you for the beauty of the Taj Mahal. It is simply perfect. The detail on the building can only truly be enjoyed by being there in person. The story of how it was built is fascinating in itself. This was a great way to bring my amazing trip to India to a close. Indian Wedding - whilst cycling up a quiet rural road we stumbling into a wedding procession where 26 couples were getting married. We were mobbed by the procession and at one point I was shaking the hands of the guests with both hands at the same time. Everywhere we went in India we met local people who were inquisitive, friendly and always smiling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

On our trip we had a team of 5 people taking care of the group of 10. Mr Singh - our bus driver and his very enthusiastic assistant. "Michael" who was the bike doctor. Sanjay was the supporting group leader and Harish was the lead group guide. The whole team spent the entire holiday looking after us. The attention to detail was amazing and Harish and Sanjay were always happy to help if you wanted a little more information or guidance. Harish's knowledge of the places we visited was excellent. He is also an expert on wildlife and in particular birds. He is a lifelong member of the RSPB and has even travelled to the UK as a guest of the RSPB to give lectures. I really felt that for those two weeks, all the team cared about was ensuring the whole group had the best possible holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The cycling was enjoyed by everyone in the group. I would have described the group as generally fit but not athletes by any means. Everyone seemed to enjoy the cycling and managed to complete the routes with relative ease. The cycling is broken up into shorter legs throughout the day to ensure the group are together at each point of the tour. The hotels were of a surprisingly high standard. The were usually very impressive locations. Occasionally the hotels lacked the refinements of a European 3/4 star hotels but the staff were always happy to help. I think you have to expect in this trip that at times the hotels may not be as well run and maintained as you might get in the UK. However, the rooms were generally clean, well furnished and the cycling helped ensure a sound sleep at every location.

Reviewed December 2012

CYCLING VIETNAM

Still digesting the whole experience. Sights, sounds. tastes, new peronal best with cycling distance and height climbed. Warmth of the Vietnamese people especially in the south.Touched by the kindness and support from the stronger cyclists to the weaker cyclists in our group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the 10km climb with the support, encouragement and a little help from my new found friends. Cycling down was awesome, as was the 30km down hill too a few days earlier. The views were amazing.My cheeks aching with laughter on the 8 hour train journey to Hanoi. Relaxing at Halong bay a lovely end to the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Commited, informative, proffesional, fun, interesting, his recommendations re restaurants were 5* and meeting his family and having lunch was an extra bonus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take old tshirts socks etc and discard at the end of the trip Deet ruins clothes and whites become anything but. Also old towel to discard and give you extra room for souvenirs.Get training as the terrain is 'undulating' and in the heat humidity the more training the better.

Reviewed December 2012

COLOURS OF RAJASTHAN

A really interesting trip round North India, an excellent guide and a small group all helped to make it a memorable holiday. Taj Mahal, Uidapur, and Jaipur were highlights. The Camel Fair was interesting but I hear it is less colourful than it was in the past. Last day to Dehli was the only low spot of a great holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Taj Mahal has to be the wow moment as it is such a tribute to a great love story. Also the lake at Uidapur was sublime, we could have easily spent another day there. A special mention must go to the small village we visited, a chance to see real India away from the tourist hot spots.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ravi was great, knew his stuff and helped bind the group together. He also put the trip in context by telling us a great deal about the Indian way of life. Only drawback of a tall group leader is that there is a very tall Indian in most of my street views!

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be colder than you expect, November is winter in India as well. I prepared for finding our own meals by downloading reviews from the Internet, but we ended up eating as a group all through the trip. Go vegetarian for the trip, the food is much nicer. There is a lot of walking around the various sites and palaces so it is not for the unfit.

Reviewed December 2012

KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

This was ‘Biking through Southern India’, NOT ‘Southern India by Bike’ – a small semantic difference, but a real one, on the ground. If, like me, you are only a leisure cyclist, not a cyclosportive/triathlon/serious mountain-biker, no matter how fit you think you are – you may well find this tour more ‘Challenging’ than ‘Moderate’.

Most Inspirational Moment

I didn't find any moments "inspirational" (in the true sense of the word).

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two group leaders: Peter was with us for the first week, then handed over to Joseph, a local leader.Peter was an excellent leader; experienced and professional. I can say only good things about his work.Joseph did his best but, from the moment he took over, he allowed the speed-merchants to force the pace and was always well ahead of the increasingly strung-out group, leading from the front and therefore inevitably unaware of how far behind some of the group was falling. This was particularly noticeable on the main-road, traffic-heavy sections when I, for one, didn't see him or the head of the peloton for miles. He also seemed not to know that, at catch-up points, the last few people to arrive were entitled to the same amount of breathing space as those who'd arrived first had had; as soon as all were reassembled - he (and the front runners) were OFF. I think he would benefit from some further training, in particular with regard to the likelihood that members of the group will have widely differing levels of biking fitness and different expectations of the tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When you've phoned your bank/credit-card provider (in advance) to alert them to the fact that you'll be travelling through India - double-check that they've actually done something about putting alerts on your cards. And if you bank with HxxxxxX - triple check. From the second day, none of my cards were accepted anywhere (except, finally, an M&S credit card): be warned. It's a bit ignominious to be having to borrow cash from fellow-travellers!

Reviewed December 2012

CYCLING THROUGH RAJASTHAN

It was a great adventure cycling trough cities with crazy traffic, passing forts, palaces and temples. Cycle along with cows, camels and elephants and beeing greeted by friendly Indians! As a dutchman I had good fun with a group of English, Scots and Manx!

Most Inspirational Moment

Just seeing big smiles cycling trough rural Rajasthan when you greet people and children with Namasté from your bike. Passing loaded jeeps and tuk tuks with cheering people in, behind and on top of.It was good fun winning a prize on the Puskar Camel fair by making a human pyramid with 12 other foreigners and beat a Rajasthan team because we first broke a bowl with flowers at 5 metres high! And afterwards being interviewed by Indian news!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish and Sanjay where great tourleaders who took responsability for a great journey. They where well organized and we had good fun with them! And of course not forget the great bus driver mister Singh and the bike repair team!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go for it, have fun and aproach India with a big smile!

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