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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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14315 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Gillian Drake

Reviewed February 2023

Fantastic trip

This trip has it all. A wonderful variety of adventure, challenges, culture, stunning scenery, friendship, busyness and relaxation. South India is stunning.

Most Inspirational Moment

There’s too many to limit it to one. Climbing Mount Meesapulimala, House boat in the backwaters of Alleppey Madurai, Cooking class, Beach

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was excellent. He had so much knowledge it was unbelievable. I felt very looked-after. Santosh Kumar arranged extra cultural visits to break up the journeys. And pointed out interesting features which we would have missed otherwise. He clearly had a lot of experience and prevented problems by anticipating and advising ahead. He had the right balance of authority needed to make it run like clockwork but perfect sense of fun to make it enjoyable. Nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the itinerary, kit list and trip notes. Take a flannel- it really helps with the camping 🏕️ and washing. It’s a bit chilly in the tents overnight so make sure you have a thick enough sleeping bag. I felt cold in a two seasons one. Embrace it all, accept the differences!

John Powell

Reviewed February 2023

An all encompassing trip

A great way to see the different parts of Malaysia, from the wildlife in Borneo to the different cultures found throughout Malaysia and finishing the tour on the beach in Langkawi. A memorable experience throughout, assisted by the knowledgeable guides on both parts of the tour and a great group.

Most Inspirational Moment

After seeing the Orangutans in the sanctuary, spotting some in the wild whilst on the river cruise was memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both group leaders were knowledgeable, I think in particular Wan on the second part of the tour excelled in helping everyone with there questions. With a full group of 16 it is nearly impossible to satisfy everyone but Wan ensured that, I believe, everyone was sad to see by the end of the tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just relax and enjoy the different cultures and try everything!

Charley Liddle

Reviewed February 2023

Exhausting, exhilarating, challenging, fulfilling

What an incredible trip! Even though we had been lucky enough to visit Petra some ten years ago, we wanted to come back to explore the country further. Everything we did was very well organised and planned. The hotels were great as was the food. The evenings spent in local restaurants with our guide were brilliant, especially loved the evening walk round Aqaba. Jordan is a lovely country facing challenges, but with so much history!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing The Monastery. I never thought I'd be able to do the steps but I challenged myself and I'm so glad I did. The day doing thr High Place of Sacrifice was also staggering!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayyad was lovely!!! So knowledgeable but he felt like such a safe pair of hands. He said something to me when we were walking which I'll keep with me forever. Shout out too to our driver Anas....drivers often don't get a mention and he was very skilled and professional.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Warm clothes, layers, lots of socks and comfortable shoes. Some days walking boots will be good but there's some scrambling over rocks so I found my Sketchers we're better for that. But do it - you won't regret it!

Emma Towers

Reviewed February 2023

A varied trip

Excellent varied trip , very few early starts which is unusual for exodus but it is quite tiring given you are only staying 1 or 2 nights in places. Trekking was the highlight and it very integral to the trip so don’t underestimate it . If you are a regular walker you will be fine but it isn’t flat and can be quite challenging underfoot. The mileage in the trip notes is also not correct , we walked 5km in Munnar then 11km, 16km, 14km, 10km and. 4 km. what makes the walking so special is that there is very few others around….yiu get the place to yourself! People are so friendly, a very easy country to get around as most speak English. You feel very safe

Most Inspirational Moment

The trekking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

San was exceptional, exodus are very lucky to have him. His English was very good as was his local knowledge He ensured everybody was happy as our group had a very wide age range 35 to 76. He never stopped, in all the hotels he was there in breakfast ensuring we got what we wanted and ensuring the waiters delivered. He even ensured we had porridge!

Advice for Potential Travellers

No need to get money out at kochi airport as commission rates are high. There is a prepaid taxi service in the airport which is open 24 hours and takes credit card. It will cost about 1,200 rupees to get to the Grand Hotel. There are plenty to AT!’s near the hotel. I used SBI and HSBC both of which didn’t charge me any ATM fees. I have a barclaycard rewards card which is worth having as they don’t charge for ATM withdrawals or ex fees on transactions. Ladies - carry loo roll and bags to put used loo roll in as there isn’t always a bin and yiu shouldn’t put it down some of the more remote toilets

Donald Chalmers

Reviewed February 2023

Trip Spoilt by Exceptional Weather

Our Atlas Panorama trip was spoilt by exceptional snowfall which precluded the planned hiking activity. As a result we spent 4 days in very basic accommodation with no proper heating, no direct contact with the outside world and nothing to keep us occupied. There was only one inefficient patio type heater in the whole building which was barely enough to raise the temperature above low single figures. There was no heating in the bedrooms which made them untenable for anything other than sleeping – and even then most people slept in 2 -3 layers of clothing! Whilst safely achieved, our return to Marrakech took 13.5 hrs through a very small mountain pass in the dark was particularly stressful.The first day in Marrakech went as planned and was excellent. Food in the Riad was simple but tasty.

Most Inspirational Moment

N/A

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent group leader but he was constrained by uncertainty. He did as much as he could in the circumstances

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of warm clothing if holidaying in the winter

Gail Madeley

Reviewed February 2023

Highlights of Morocco

A great way to see a lot of Morocco and the variety of the ever-changing landscapes. Great group, great guide. Although we didn’t get the hot weather one would normally expect, we didn’t get rained on, but we did have snow!

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the roman ruins at Volubilis and watching the sunset and sunrise in the Sahara Desert. The hammam was an experience you should not miss. The architecture in the palaces is breathtaking. The scenery even more so. The trek in the High Atlas was fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Essaid was one of the best guides I have experienced. He was great fun, full of knowledge, loved his country and became part of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If going in the winter months take more warm clothes than suggested. Had we known how cold it was going to be in the mornings, evenings and night we would have taken more than a fleece, hat and gloves. Not all the hotels have hairdryers or sink plugs. If your trip is fully booked, be prepared for a cramped minibus.

Stella Thompson

Reviewed February 2023

Cross-Country off track skiing

The best Nordic skiing trip you will ever find. Lovely venue, friendly, great food and facilities but most importantly the 2 best leaders and coaches I have ever met. A wonderful natural environment which they know inside out and can confidently guide groups through.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to ski down hill off track with confidence

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mary and Ilse are the best

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come on the trip but get into the right group for your skill level

Murali Golconda

Reviewed February 2023

Why there are so few recent reviews?

That was a question I asked the Canada based ‘Customer Experience Specialist’ in November 2021 when I first contacted Exodus on behalf of a group of friends. The reply I received was that it was because of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel. After my trip last summer, I believe that there are other reasons. During our hike we learnt that because of changes in regulations due to Brexit, Exodus had lost most of its established International Mountain Leaders and was relying on services provided by a third-party company. Based on my experience, I question the vetting process of this company for its guides. On day #5, as we were approaching La Fouly, a couple of group members wanted to detour to a waterfall that was off the TMB trail. The rest did not, but the group leader forced all to walk across a boulder field (read ‘ankle twist risk’) to access the trail to the waterfall. We returned to the TMB trail on a different path that was a safe hiking trail. Would a sensible leader put the safety of his group at risk by forcing them to traverse unsafe terrain? On the last hiking day, the leader stated that there was snow & ice on the trail (our hike was in August) from Le Brevent to Plan Praz, presumably to dissuade group members from hiking that last stretch and instead take the cable car. All but 2 elected to continue the hike. The only snow & ice was on the distant peaks! If you live in the United States, be aware that the company uses a reservation agent in Canada and a U.S. Operations Team. Communication between these two, and between the Operations Team and the local third-party operator was clearly deficient. At the time of making the reservation, because of the increased risk for COVID-19 infection in a confined setting, I sought assurance that we that we would not be staying in dormitory accommodation. In July, I asked for confirmation after finding that the accommodations in two locations had both rooms and dormitories. At one of these locations our group had to stay at two different hotels. The group leader told us that the Operations Team had not notified the local operator of our request and dormitory accommodation had been booked. After I wrote in July, they had to rebook and the Auberge did not have enough rooms for the entire group, hence the split accommodation. We were to meet with travelers arriving from the U.K. at Geneva airport for onward transportation to Chamonix. The Operations Team did not bother to notify us that the travelers from the U.K were arriving on a later flight. We spent an anxious 2+ hours in the airport not seeing anyone with an Exodus Travels sign and not being able to reach the local third-party company at the telephone number provided by the Operations Team. Writing to the company has only yielded defensive responses.

Most Inspirational Moment

Enjoying Mother Nature's beauty.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lack of concern for safety of group members, Dishonest, Manipulative

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would not recommend this company to potential travelers.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Murali for his review, although we are incredibly sorry that he was disappointed with several aspects of his time in the Alps, as this is not the type of feedback we expect to receive. We have sourced tour leaders for this trip from the same local operator for almost twenty years and have full confidence in their ability to select highly qualified mountain guides who meet ours and our customers’ expectations. The consistently high scores they receive suggests that this process works well, so we regret that this does not chime with Murali’s experience. We can confirm that his group lodged at the standard chalet used on this tour and did not spend any nights in dormitories, so we were equally surprised to receive these comments. Our customer services team have been in direct communication with Murali since he returned home and we remain satisfied that his trip was delivered in line with our expectations; we, nevertheless, remain apologetic for his disappointing experience.

jackie spiby

Reviewed February 2023

pity about the trip notes

Great holiday Costa Rica is great fun and lots of birds. just a few points: there are lots of additional activities so take plenty of dollars. if you don’t take them up you lose a lot of the experience and may have to stay on the bus. at least a couple of the hotels are not as stated in the trip notes and not really equivalent. The San Jose hotel is way out of town so you miss doing the city tour and there isn’t much to do there. take a camera. take the best camera you can get or be lucky and have some great photographers in the group. enjoy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Tortuguero

Thoughts on Group Leader

a great birder

Karen Schober

Reviewed February 2023

Costa Rica Extravaganza

This is a jam packed, go go trip. We saw lots of Costa Rica’s landscape and wildlife. Even though there were a couple of long days on the bus, I found it a fantastic way of see the countryside. It is a small country with slow roads so we were very happy not to be doing the driving. We saw 89 species of birds, in addition to sloths, monkeys, coati, snakes frogs, dolphins and a tapir. And snorkeling we saw, of course many fish, but several hawksbill turtles, a green sea turtle, and 2 white tipped reef sharks. We saw wildlife!

Most Inspirational Moment

More than one! Foremost among the loads of wildlife was our experience seeing 4 of the infamous Quetzals. I've wanted to see them ever since a trip I took in the late 70's to Guatemala. Photos do not do these magnificent birds justice. Secondly, we encountered a school of dolphins on our boat trip back from Drake Bay. I have seen many dolphins in the wild before, but this calm, warm morning was special. Perhaps 25 of them played with our boat for 30 minutes. Amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Glenda Araya is the best tour guide EVER! So knowledgable we called her Glenda-pedia. She truly loves nature and loves Costa Rica. She is quite the ambassador for her country. Her parting speech to the group brought us all to tears. She is wise beyond her years.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light. We found our carry on roller bags and a small back pack were perfect. There is laundry at Drake Bay toward the end of the trip but plan on washing out quick dry clothes in your room. Bring a small clothes line. We wish we had. Mostly it was very warm and humid but quite chilly in the highlands for the early morning bird watching. Don't forget a warm fleece or puffy jacket. Footwear. Trails can be root covered and uneven so you will be glad you have sturdy walking shoes. Plus, there can be stinging ants and yes, snakes. Also, there are some wet landings from boats and flip flops will not work. Bring some water shoes or sandals to protect you from hot sand and rocks.

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