Reviews

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

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14370 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed April 2012

VIETNAM ADVENTURE

The Vietnam Adventure certainly lived up to its name in every way! It was a mix of an adventure in every sense from the many different (and often novel!) modes of transport we took and encountered during the two weeks, a culinary adventure experiencing different regional specialities and a sightseeing adventure from centuries old pagodas to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the Vietnam War. If you want to sample what Vietnam is all about this is the trip for you!

Most Inspirational Moment

Each place we visited had a highlight, from learning how to cook delicious Vietnamese food from an entertaining chef in Hoi An, kayaking around the many and mysterious islands in Halong Bay, visiting the My Son temple complex, exploring Tu Duc's mausoleum, the sights and smells of Hue market, crawling along the tunnels at Cu Chi to taking a cyclotaxi ride around Ho Chi Minh City, every day had numerous inspirational moments. The Vietnamese people are amongst the friendliest I've met which added to the experience. I would highly recommend visiting Vietnam for the sheer variety on offer.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zung made the history and culture of Vietnam come to life and helped us to understand their customs and way of life. This was an invaluable way of getting a better understanding of the country and the people around us, which I definitely won't have got the most out of if I had visited Vietnam on my own.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book this trip now before Vietnam changes!!! You won't regret it. Don't forget to bring tropical strength DEET for the Mekong Delta as the mosquitoes in that part of Vietnam were particularly vicious!

Reviewed April 2012

WALKING THE GREAT WALL

For someone who’s never been to China before, this was a perfect introduction. Thanks to this trip, I really want to go again.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to walk the wall in your own time/pace. Take it all in and enjoy the scenery!!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kevin was a fantastic tour leader, always trying to accommodate everyone as best as possible. He's easily one of the best tour leader I had with Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a sleeping bag liner, a travel towel and spare toilet paper. Unless you're travelling in the summer, take a long base layer with you, just in case it gets cold at night. If you're into landscape photography, this is a fantastic opportunity to take some unique pictures, take a ND Grad filter with you - the light can be quite harsh (something I didn't expect). I didn't have one and now I wish I did.

Reviewed April 2012

ATLAS PANORAMA

The Atlas Panorama trip was a great introduction to the variety that Morocco has to offer. Perfect combination of mountain peacefulness and vibrant city life. Good company, with lots of laughs. Food very good and certainly plentiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to decide on a favourite part, but probably have to settle on the walks in the beautiful mountain scenery, with the views of the snow-capped mountains, beautiful valleys and picnics by the river. Then again, the square and the souks in Marrakesh at night were a smorgasbord of smells, sounds and sights. Lots of nice memories - sitting chatting over cups of mint tea in the gite at night, wrapped up in blankets then venturing outside to see a skyful of stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We felt very confident in Hassan's experience and knowledge of the mountains. He had an innate sense of timing in terms of walking pace and stops. Certainly won't forget the snowball fights at the pass on the second day's walk! He was always calm, friendly and good-natured. The staff at the gite were lovely, too. Managed to get some recipes out of the cook.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Always take warm clothes - especially gloves and hats! Don't believe forecasts that predict the mountain temperatures will be 3-5 degrees lower in the mountains than the city. We travelled in April and it was very cold, although worth it for the snow scenery!

Reviewed April 2012

EVEREST BASE CAMP

I was so excited to be setting off on my EBC holiday at last. the holiday from start to finish not only fulfilled my expectations, it surpassed them. i came home feeling that i had had a wonderful experience. all queries to exodus were dealt with promptly prior to the holiday and our leader Pasang resolved any problems that arose during the holiday with seemingly effortless ease. Nothing was too much trouble for him.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were woken early on the morning that we were at Thyenboche to come and look at the view. The sky was a brilliant blue, the air was cold but the sun was out. We were thrilled to get our first view of Everest, nestling behind Nuptse and Lhotse. It was beautiful and I know that that vista will stay in my memory for ever.

Thoughts on Group Leader

What can I say about Pasang. His beaming smile met us at the airport after our long, tiring journey. He was entertaining, bright, efficient, helpful, charming and knowlegeable. He assisted us with our many queries throughout our holiday, he gave us good advice and seemingly effortlessly guided us to our destination. I think I can speak for the whole group in saying we felt very lucky indeed to have Pasang along with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would simply reiterate the advice given by exodus. some of the walks are challenging because of the altitude and therefore I would advise potential travellers to get themselves as fit as possible prior to their holiday. although one cannot always avoid altitude sickness, you can cope with the effects if you are fit and well in other respects.

Reviewed April 2012

VIETNAM ADVENTURE

It was a great country but the demographic i.e. mainly older couples, lack of night time activities and more exciting daytime activities were lacking for me.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really loved Halong Bay and the kayaking, but heard the music on the other boat and they were clearly having more fun, jealous.The Mekong Delta was also beautiful and the locals lovely and friendly, the homestay was a bit quiet for me though.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Was initially dissapointed as took an early dive on the 2nd night and decided we didin't need a group meal, the first three days were tough as lack of information on what we were doing and not properly kitted out for the day trip. However; once he asked what was wrong and I explianed he bent over backwards to make the trip really enjoyable. Very knowledgeable guide who was proud of his country and clearly enjoyed his job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Shopping in Hoi Ann is amazing, bought several tailor made suits and wok shirts which were well made and dirt cheap, so leave space in your luggage and remember you can do laundry there so don't over pack.

Reviewed April 2012

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

I had high hopes for this trip, having read previous reviews, and was not disappointed. Tourism on the islands is carefully controlled, which allayed any concerns I might have had about encroaching into the natural territory of the abundant wildlife. The opportunity to see these creatures in their natural habitat ane experience their environment was truly wonderful. The accommodation, food and hospitality – both on Cachalote and in the jungle (we did the rainforest extension) – was excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many great moments on this trip. Walking amongst wandering giant tortoises, stepping over myriads of marine iguanas, watching sea lions at play......Seeing a whale and calf breach the surface of the ocean ahead of the yacht - even momentarily - ranks pretty high. As did cruising with a pod of Dolphins at our bow - who remained with us, leaping and dancing, for some minutes - especially as our guide had assured us Dolphins don't do that in the Galapagos! Also not forgetting the snorkelling with large numbers of turtles, sea lions and the occasional penguin.Generally, it was the wildlife that provided the highlights - which is what you would expect and the reason we chose the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I would single out Esteban, our mainland guide in Quito, for special praise. Nothing was too much trouble for him. He is clearly passionate about his country and went to great lengths to ensure we got the most out of our time in Quito and had the opportunity to see as many of the highlights as possible while we were there.The joining instructions advised we would be meeting Darwin (who has received many good reviews) in the Galapagos Islands. Our guide in fact turned out to be Franklin, who was knowledgable about the area and the wildlife, and keen to share his knowledge - and his opinions. We were a small group (initially there were just five of us) joined part way through by others (a family of three) and we felt Franklin could have done more to stimulate group cohesion. He also had his own views about what we should want to see, rather than group members' specific interests. We also all felt a little bit abandoned on the first evening on board Cachalote after Franklin left to go to a meeting and the crew retired leaving us to our own devices!In the jungle David was knowledgable but the real star there was Hugo, our local guide, whose wildlife-spotting capabilities were amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go - you won't regret it, but don't forget the seasickness pills. (Better to be safe than sorry.)

Reviewed April 2012

EVEREST BASE CAMP & GOKYO LAKES

I went on this trip with very little expectation or knowledge of the region – massively underprepared, however with a great bunch of people, a fantastic leader and guides I found this one of the best trips of my life. I would highly recommend it.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip had it's hard days, but it also had its easy days. A couple of us (with a guide) set of earlier than the main group on the morning of the Gokyo Ri summit, and although we missed sunrise by about 10 minutes it was such a spectacular view.I also really enjoyed the scramble to the top of the Cho La Pass, the day was long and hard but very rewarding - this was more of what I was expecting of the trip.Reaching Base Camp was amazing, there was alot of activity on the trail up, which was a bit of a shock because the route we had taken to get there past the Gokyo lakes and over the Cho La was quite quiet.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Prem was amazing. He was undoubtedly key to making the trip as enjoyable as it was. He was so easy to get on with and extremely knowledgable. We also had 2 guides, Indra and Norbu, both did a great job. Prem was always making sure we were prepared every evening for the following day, making sure we were drinking enough whilst walking, always on the lookout for signs of mountain sickness and always trying to accomodate the different demands of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip doesn't necessarily demand you be at your physical peak, I certainly am not and still managed the trip, although you do need to be prepared, half of our group were on Diamox for the higher parts of the trip. The actual walking wasn't that difficult, there were a couple of long days towards the end, and a couple in the middle, but all in all it was a nice steady pace so very managable.Things I wish I had taken: more wet wipes - very handy when you haven't seen a shower for a couple of days; a thin buff or dust mask - the trails get very dusty, expecially when following a herd of yaks and finally a pack of playing cards (althogh thankflly someone else had thought of this) they help pass the time in the evenings when its snowing outside and there's nothing much else to do.

Reviewed April 2012

ESSENTIAL PERU

This was a wonderful holiday and a truly great experience. Peru has eveything – stunning scenery, friendly people, ancient civilisations and cultures, a unique wildlife and more – and this tour gives a generous helping of it all.

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Picchu has to be the single most impressive archaeological site that you will ever see, with that first view in the early morning being absolutely jaw-dropping. No books or photos do it justice; it really has to be seen to appreciate the magic of the place. But there was so much else as well; the condors at Colca, the mummies at the Chauchilla cemetery, the stay on Amantani island, the Ballestas trip, endless Inca buildings, museums, markets, churches, the brilliant colours everywhere, the friendliness of the people...........

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan, the group leader, is simply the best. His in-depth knowledge of just about everything we saw, his enthusiasm for showing us his country, his instinct for reading the group psychology and his organisational abilities made the whole two weeks go like clockwork. The drivers should also be congratulated for getting us around very difficult terrain on a very long trip with absolute safety and reliability, always patient, friendly and on time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a pair of binoculars as well as a camera.By far the best restaurant we found on the whole trip was Granja Heidi in an upstairs room on Cuesta San Blas, 5 minutes from our hotel in Cusco. This trip can be hard work. It covers 3000km by bus with much of it at high altitude and there’s a lot of sightseeing on foot, often in very strong sunshine. Minor health upsets (diarrhoea, altitude effects, sunburn) are easily picked up. So listen to the guide’s advice, take the uphill bits at your own speed and keep the water handy. None of it is beyond the reach of the average person with a bit of common sense.

Reviewed April 2012

THE AMALFI COAST

First group holiday. Lovely bunch of people made all the difference and an excellent Guide in Francesco.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Walk of the Gods and being on the edge of the crater of vesuvius.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Francesco was a charming , informative and entertaining host. We loooooved him!!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

In case of luggage delay take at least your boots, waterproof jacket, socks and clean undies in your HAND luggage. This will at least enable you to enjoy the first 72hrs of your holiday!! (not that it stopped us having a great time!!) Gatwick failure (electric) not Exodus fault.

Reviewed April 2012

LAND OF THE TIGER

A truly excellent trip, from start to finish. For any wildlife fanatic seeing tiger in the wild is a must – awe-inspiring and majestic.

Most Inspirational Moment

The anticipation when the guides know when a tiger is close.Seeing tigers in the undergrowth but then mounting up on elephants to get closer to see a family of 5 around a kill. The elephant got within a couple of metres, moved a branch and spooked the adult male, its growl at such close quarters got the heart pounding!Taj Mahal at sunrise - didn't think many buildings could compare with Europe's gothic cathedrals, but this does (and beats them).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was excellent, any problems were sorted quickly with minimal fuss, he was very knowledgeable (better than some of the guides) and very enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Tigers are not easy to spot in the wild and we had 6 days when none of the group saw a single one and Bandhavgarh was easily the best place for us with several tiger sightings. Departing in late March seems a good time to see tigers as it is near the end of the dry season but the temperature was touching 40 degrees most days so pretty oppressive! Also, whilst the sleeper train isn't exactly 5* travel, it is nowhere near as bad as it could have been.If you don't like Indian food - be prepared to go hungry - if you do the food is great!

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