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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14217 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Richard Mullins

Reviewed October 2023

South African adventures

Prior to my trip I fully reviewed the itinerary and the many favourable comments on the trip and your company. This is not an assassination as there we many positive aspects. My travelling partner and myself arrived in South Africa three days prior and were meant to meet the remainder of the group on the Saturday .Sadly , and totally outside Exodus control’, the flight was cancelled and we meet our two guides at the Airport .Max and Paul took us on impromptu tour of Soweto which proved an excellent experience and was much appreciated. Should we have been advised by Exodus beforehand . We met the rest of the group on Day 2and I was surprised at the make up of the group and the physical ability of one member in particular was questionable from the outset. When completing challenges with other companies , I have always had to complete medical questionnaires including a doctor’s assessment now I am sixty five years of age. It’s beyond me that this gentleman should have been considered for this, at time, challenging adventure. I’m afraid to say his presence impacted the moral of the group and resulted in walks being shortened or omitted all together Accommodation throughout the trip were on the whole satisfactory. There was a few instances where hot water was not available. Food was excellent.Max and Paul catered for us well when their cooking skills were called upon. The only niggle was that too much time spent over the preparation of lunchtime meals when perhaps a self prepared sandwich would have sufficed. I went on the trip primarily as a walking holiday and in our case we missed out on some of these . Such as the fugitive trail, cape Vidal to Mission Rock and the Eswatini walk cut short. A bit disappointing. The group were a very well travelled group having completed many adventures with Exodus . I know that they were also disappointed with the trip Would I do the trip again ?. Yes. For all the shortcomings it was a fascinating insight into a wonderfully beautiful and complex country . I will definitely return to South Africa if the opportunity arises.

Most Inspirational Moment

1 The impromptu visit to Soweto. 2. The guided talk of the battlefields 3 A hippo walking down the middle of the main road in St Lucia 4 the beauty of the Drakensberg mountains ,

Thoughts on Group Leader

Max was extremely knowledgable on wild life and also cultural matters which provided a great insight into a complex country. He also has a strong political opinion. I felt he encountered various problems on the trip which had to be sorted . Most of these were sorted satisfactorily but as the trip progressed I felt he was starting to lose patience with some members of the group and I got the feeling he was pleased when we arrived back in Johannesburg. Much of his work was excellent but he perhaps needs to work on his inter personal skills. In all of this I cannot give Paul , his co leader enough praise. At all times he was caring and considerate and was fully supportive of the group. In some cases I am aware that he defused some issues with his professional attitude. Paul did 90%of the driving in a professional manner and I felt safe in his hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

. A lot of travelling by mini bus between destinations. I felt it longer than I expected. We went in September and saw temperatures vary between 16 c. and 34c daytime . Be prepared for a lot of early starts, this trip is full on. It is a truly beautiful country and whilst there is no doubt a lot security problems, I never encountered any and you should not be put off . At no time did I feel uncomfortable or at risk.

Reply from Exodus

We appreciate Richard taking the time to review his experience, and though we are heartened to hear that he found a good deal of positives about his trip and found it satisfactory overall, we’re sorry that some aspects left him disappointed.

We were unfortunately informed about a group flight cancellation at late notice by the airline at the start of this trip, which meant that Richard and his travelling companion arrived before the rest of the delayed group, and our local team made arrangements to keep them occupied – we’re really glad to hear that Richard enjoyed the tour of Soweto.

Regarding the suitability of another client on Richard’s trip, we do require that all pre-existing medical conditions are disclosed to us on booking, and we screen clients who are over 80 years of age for their suitability for an itinerary; however, aside from this we trust that our clients are able to self-certify using the detailed tour literature provided, including the grading of a trip and the information about terrain and distances walked. We find in general that this approach works extremely well and it is rare that issues arise such as Richard describes, though we are regretful that the client he mentions may have overestimated his abilities or the challenge of the walks on this occasion.

Regrettably, we are aware that on this departure a couple of walks could not be completed as expected, though the majority went ahead as planned and, in general, the feedback we received from Richard’s group was positive. Where possible, we always try to provide replacement activities should any parts of the itinerary not be achievable.

Overall, we are happy to hear that Richard got a lot out of his time in South Africa and experienced some truly memorable moments. We have taken his comments on board going forward, as while we’re confident this is a great trip we’re always looking to make improvements where possible for the future.

– John Penge, Exodus Product Manager

B Jeffs

Reviewed October 2023

The Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan do not disappoint

Uzebekistan did not disappoint. All the main sites in Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand are stunning, and the Uzbek people extremely friendly and welcoming. We were also lucky enough to get to visit the Savitsky Museum in Nukus due to the lack of flights to Urgench, and this was an additional highlight of the trip – I would recommend that Exodus consider including this in the regular itinerary, as it really didn’t add on much time to what was already a long drive anyway. Unfortunately, I can not be so positive about the night at the Yurt camp. While I enjoyed the drive through the desert and a chance for a little more wilderness and wildlife on what is generally a city-heavy trip, the actual camp was just an uncomfortable gimmick. There was no effort made by the camp, nor our team leader, to explain the history of Yurts and its relevance to Uzbek culture, and in reality we found ourselves in a busy basic campsite alongside about 3 other large noisy tour groups with limited and dirty toilet facilities (unlike the picture on the Exodus website which shows a small group of Yurts). We also weren’t given the opportunity (unlike the other groups) to camel ride as advertised in the itinerary – we had to either do it immediately on arrival, or not at all. Most worryingly, there was an enormous pile of abandoned plastic and broken glass behind the main Yurt buildings – hardly a sustainable experience. I would strongly recommend that Exodus just forget this Yurt experience, especially as it still requires a subsequent long and tiring ride to get to Samarkand the next day, which is especially painful after very little sleep in the Yurt and waiting arounf until 9.30 am to leave (unlike the other groups). If this trip must visit the desert, I would have preferred to stay in a local guesthouse in Nurata or somewhere similar (as some other companies do), and find out more about living in the desert environment – we leaned nothing at the Yurt camp other than not to do it again!

Most Inspirational Moment

Strolling around the beautiful streets of Khiva at night - hardly anyone else around and very atmospheric.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Barbor was very proud of his country, and certainly knew his history. However, he was not the best at handling or organising a group, and I feel that our tour did suffer because of this - it felt like we had a lot of wasted opportunities. For example, instead of using the long bus journeys to explain what we would be doing that day, and the approximate timings and activities, he would wait to tell us everything on arrival, wasting valuable time. In addition, he was often vague about the sequence of sites and visits. This was particularly relevant in Samarkand when we lost the opportunity to visit the bazaar, which then turned out to be closed the next day when we had some free time. He would also sometimes "disappear" when we most needed him (e.g., on our first day in Tashkent when we were told we had 30 minutes for lunch but had no idea how to find it [especially given we had just arrived on a late night flight]). I feel that with another guide we could have had a richer experience. As it was, the tour was just ok.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is easy to change money from dollars/pounds on the first day - we found that $200 each for the whole trip was just enough. It is almost impossible to use your credit card anywhere you visit apart from Samarkand, so you will need cash. Enjoy the bullet train from Samarkand to Khiva. I is a real treat and it was fun getting to 231 km/hr - beat that! Walking around at any time of day or night felt completely safe, and the tourist police (in Bukhara) are especially helpful even if it is just o ask directions. Buy any souvenirs in Bukhara or Khiva - Samarkand surprisingly does not have the same opportunities. Organise your own final group dinner in Tashkent or, perhaps better still, have it the day before in Samarkand. We ended up at the Gabrielle hotel in Tashkent were we were staying, the service is awful and the food expensive (perhaps why the tour leader chose not to stay and eat).

Silpa Shah

Reviewed October 2023

Hot!

Went in September 2023 and the temperature was too much to bare. However, Jordan is a must see country. The architecture is mind blowing. All the hotels were comfortable, safe and clean. Vegetarians and Pescatarians are not well catered for. There’s only so much pita bread and baba ghanoush you can eat on a daily basis! Jordan is landlocked so fish is not recommended unless you’re at the Red Sea.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra - walking along the Siq towards the Treasury, climbing to the High Place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Not a lot!. Mikhel failed to deliver on many levels. He was barely audible because he spoke so softly yet so fast. He was not very resourceful or creative when it came to food, especially for vegetarians. He though it was acceptable for me to eat a bowl of boiled veg and pita bread whilst the meat eaters tucked into a nice plate of hot food! Mikhel was complacent when it came to recounting the history, politics etc of Jordan. To him, mentioning "there's a field of solar panels to the left" would interest us and yet he didn't extend the story behind why they were there, apart from the obvious. This is just one example of how inspirational he was. I met a couple on the flight home who did the same trip but with Explore and I learnt more from them about Jordan because their tour lead oozed knowledge, unlike Mikhel.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're thinking of going to Jordan then look at Explore's trip, and they don't charge for transfers if you pay for your own flight! You might want to take a travel kettle.

Jill E

Reviewed October 2023

Coastal Walks of Western Sicily

The overall experience was excellent. Everything was very organized including the transportation each day, and the help with making any additional arrangements.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hiking in Zingaro Park, as well as the visits to the different towns. The ocean swims were the best!

Thoughts on Group Leader

As I mentioned, it would have been helpful for the leader to facilitate more connections and introductions between the group members from the start.

Jacqui Cottom

Reviewed October 2023

Scenery, wildlife, culture!

Cycling through the small towns and villages where locals pour onto the streets with a ready smile to greet you is something we shall never forget. Throw in a visit to a local school, a church service, a woodturners, the amazing scenery of the National Parks and the cheeky lemurs within touching distance and you have the perfect holiday! This holiday is culturally rich with dramatic scenery and this was every bit as good as seeing the lemurs close up.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being so close to the Ringtailed Lemurs in the Anja Nature Reserve with the mountainous backdrop was something we will always feel privileged to have been a part of. Impromptu visits to a school and a church service were also inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel was a brilliant guide who had a wealth of knowledge and experience and who put our safety first at all times. He had a great supporting team around him who could not do enough to ensure that our holiday was the best it could possibly have been. Armel had a constant smile on his face and this cascaded through the whole team , making our holiday an unforgettable experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring any medication with you that you could possibly need including paracetomol, ibroprofen,diarrhoea medication and rehydration salts as we only saw a couple of chemist shops on the entire trip. Best to be prepared! Bring some supplies for schools as they literally have nothing and if you visit, it would be great to give them things they need in person such as pens, pencils and crayons.

Anne M

Reviewed October 2023

Coastal Walks of Western Sicily

Our guide Tony had exceptional knowledge of all the places that we visited and the history surrounding them. He was happy to make small changes to our day based on joint agreement. He went that extra mile i.e. showed me the way to the Pharmacia and interpreted for me when I needed treatment for mosquito bites,

Most Inspirational Moment

"Seeing the magnificent ancient landscapes of Western Sicily and learning about their history from millions of years BC. Swimming in the wild sea Exploring the old town in Trapani Eating delicious local food and gelato"

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was kind, friendly and thoughtful.

Peter Chandley

Reviewed October 2023

Trip of a lifetime

.I went with my son for the trip of a lifetime and this lived up to expectations. Everyday we saw something new and amazing, from molten Magma in a Volcano, swimming in lake Nicaragua, hot or cold springs, the Caribbean or Pacific, seeing Sloths and Crocodiles . Incredible. The guides Roberto and Memo and the support teams were excellent, passionate about the environment and incredibly knowledgeable, well organised and looked after everyone.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many. Seeing molten magma in the masaya volcano with my son a graduate geographer). Swimming in cold springs and lake Nicaragua. Going to a remote school and meeting the school children. Cycling through the rainforest in the rain. Seeing sloths and crocodiles. The friendliness if the mystic hotel. The warmth of the guides and support crew.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two Roberto. Nicaragua Excellent leader , great communicator well organised and funny. Shared knowledge of the countries. Brilliant. Memo. Costa Rica and Panama. Very warm and friendly, at the same time very organised and thoughtful. Really good knowledge of the environment and nature. Very good at finding and highlighting points of interest and went out of his way to show us things and maximize the experience. The support crews both of them were exceptional too

Advice for Potential Travellers

Important things to take. Bug spray and sun cream. The rides are quite physically challenging as it is hot and hilly. Don't get local currency take US dollars and use cards. Don't forget a sunhat as I did.

Paul Methven

Reviewed October 2023

Ancient Greece brought to life

We had a fantastic time visiting the ancient Greek sites. It really brought to life all the stories that I’d read about the ancient civilisations.

Most Inspirational Moment

As a runner, visiting Olympia the home of the Olympic Games was special for me, particularly as I was able to run the length of the ancient stadium. Delphi was also spectacular with it’s site on the side of a steep hill.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eva was amazing. She was really friendly and presented information on the different sites in an interesting and engaging manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for quite a bit of travelling on the minibus, particularly on the last three days.

Melanie Mclaren

Reviewed October 2023

Delightful trip

Great trip if you’re interested in Greek history. Sites visited cater well for visitors and museums are well set out. Countryside and scenery is lovely. Besides last day driving time each day not too long. Accommodation was clean and comfortable. Nice pace to each day.

Most Inspirational Moment

Delphi and Meteora were pretty spectacular. Really enjoyed olive oil centre as an optional add on

Thoughts on Group Leader

Enthusiastic, well organised, very knowledgeable, very helpful when I needed medical help

Advice for Potential Travellers

All the ancient sites are on hills and uneven surfaces so if you have any knee/hip issues consider taking walking poles. If taking the return flight in evening of last day beware there are no tubes that late at night on a Sunday. Could only get to Paddington !!!!!!!!!! and no further. If making own way to joining hotel Metro is cheap and takes about 30 mins. Hotel is only a 5 minute walk away from station but good idea to have a map to hand as Google maps was not firing up.

Joe C

Reviewed October 2023

Nice trip, but more challenging than most Lv 3

Overall, this is a good trip with a good guide. It is well organized and has plenty of opportunities for people who are less fit to skip a section or entire day. That said, it became very apparently some people did have to skip a day. While the trip notes mentioned steep and loose descents, I would say about 6 out of 15 people on my trip were not prepared for what was ahead of them. More emphasis should be put on the difficulty of the terrain on the main tour page to make it a little more obvious. Maybe also a picture or two of the steps in the trip notes. Having completed several Exodus trips, this felt more like a level 4 trip, not level 3. I think this may be why the wrong audience was attracted, which took away from my personal experience. An example of this was seeing a 70+ year old member of the group refusing to use two hiking poles and ending up falling down a cliff. Luckily this person was okay, but this is a situation we should not have been in.

Most Inspirational Moment

The dinner at Assirto. While this was a recommended, not included dinner, it was a great suggestion. It was a very memorable experience with great food.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was good guide and very knowledgeable of the area and culture. He did have a big challenging of leading a group with an extreme difference in abilities. We also had a group which was largely fractured in regards to going to dinners together. Given all those challenges, he still did a good job. I would be happy to do another tour with him again, and probably will.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware you will have to scramble and have steep declined. The trip may also much much more challenging than you expect due to the temperature and humidity in Italy. The trip will cost more than you expect as the trip notes are grossly out of date in regards to expenses. Everything cost roughly 40% more than expected, which I think caused some of the travelers in my group to not have a great experience.

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