Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were lots of inspirational moments on the trip but the 5 day trekking and camping was a highlight, along with the houseboat experience on the backwaters. The support group for the camps were amazing and produced the most fantastic meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner with additional 'snacks' along the way. Also, our travel companions were great company!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was an inspiration and I cannot speak highly enough of him. He was experienced, patient, professional, knowledgeable and a lot of fun. We have travelled with the award winning Adventure Travel Guide of the Year when we were in Sri Lanka, and Santosh would be equally worthy of such an award.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come to India with an open mind and be prepared for anything. Our drivers were exceptional, but the traffic is crazy. Camping is not going to be like staying in a 5 star hotel and food can be spicy. Having said that, our tour leader still managed to cater for all requests thrown at him!

Suggestions

I would not hesitate to recommend this trip and definitely look forward to doing future trips with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

The terrain during the trek, with its very steep heavily-wooded green hills with rounded tops, similar in some ways to parts of the English countryside, but on a much much bigger scale.   Meeting numerous Bonnet macaques, with their small but almost human faces, both outside and within buildings, and seeing that when they eat a banana they hold it and peel it exactly as I do, and being stared at by them, as I was staring back, and wondering what they make of us humans, a feeling I don`t have when encountering other non-domestic animals, nor indeed when meeting other kinds of monkey.  The visit to the Hindu temple at Madurai with its 14 great towers (the tallest 170 feet high), their entire surfaces covered with many thousands of brightly-coloured sculptures of gods, goddesses, demons, etc.   I find it hard to imagine how they manage to repaint them all every twelve years.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Santosh Kumar was a superb leader, always, at least outwardly, calm, friendly, alert and on top of every situation. He combined so many roles in an exemplary manner, as master of ceremonies, reporter/commentator, bag carrier, visionary teacher, domestic servant, general manger and producer of surprises, to mention just a few. Praise also for Siva, our main guide on the trek part of the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have room, pack plenty of clothes suitable for the different requirements of the trek and the sightseeing part of the holiday.  If this is your first visit to India, remember that it is an enormous, ancient, and incredibly diverse country: try to leave all your preconceptions at home.

Suggestions

Changing planes and airports at Mumbai can be confusing.   Try to stick with the group.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was too much going on to say that any one 'moment' was the most inspirational. Reaching the summit of the 2nd peak; wondering if the tiger was stalking when we saw the very recent paw print; the beauty and scale of the Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar Temple; the calm of the backwaters from the houseboat; the amazing murals of The Mattancherry Palace; and of course the amazing Keralan food!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Santosh was fantastic. We were a small group of 5 Brits of similar age - a possible challenge for any tour guide, however San read us all perfectly. He showed great judgement where he 'rewrote' the trip agenda to suit the weather, which washed out two of our campsites. He improvised on a 'day off' with a really interesting jeep tour of a tea plantation and 'found' hotel rooms for us all. His knowledge and experience as a guide, gained over many years of working with tour companies, was extensive and he carefully explained as we went along and also answered the many questions we had about life in modern India.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of the trek. Definitely off the tourist route and very beautiful

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish was a very good leader. We had a number of discussions on the cultural context of India, which opened up a number of insites. We also had a very helpful 'trainee' leader, (BIbi?) on the trek

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes are a very accurate summary

Most Inspirational Moment

Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. Kathakali dancing. Walking in the Western Ghats. Cows with painted horns in Tamil Nadu. And just the life on the streets as we drove through towns and villages - good humoured, colourful, traditional and modern at once.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Santosh was a great group leader and a good companion. Intelligent, enthusiastic, organised and fun. He is an asset to his country and to the organisations he works with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The grading is fair at grade 3 as the hiking challenges are not sustained. Be prepared for walking uphill in the heat and downhill on rough paths that were hard on some folks' knees. Camping is not my thing so I didn't expect to enjoy that aspect. However, I do think the camping could be made more comfortable: >Squatting is difficult in trousers and toilet tents in the dark are a nightmare I will avoid in future (remember to bring a head torch) - is there a better solution? >The tents were old fashioned, didn't close properly, were too cosy for two and had no cover sheet on the veranda for bags and shoes. Better tents would help. >Instead of providing a basin of water to hunker over in your tiny shared tent, it should be possible to set up some ad hoc showers on one or two nights. >You need a 4 season sleeping bag in January. It dropped to -2c on one night and few of us slept.

Suggestions

The staff on trek and throughout were charming and helpful. The food was delicious everywhere we stayed. The group was lovely. Apart from the camping (the pain of which I forgot as soon as it ended!) the whole holiday was one treat after another. I even enjoyed our coach trips, to my surprise, because there was so much to see.

Most Inspirational Moment

Interactions with the locals

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, responsive to the group, helpful, knowledgeable, fun

Most Inspirational Moment

Some of the mountain landscape views on the trekking portion of the trip. It is a wonderful country with breathtaking views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marvellous - absolutely faultless in judgement, communication and local knowledge. Tour guides do not come any better than this. Perfect.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It rains. Even at the tale end of the wet season there is plenty of precipitation and grey skies. Take adequate water proof clothing and some warm clothes for the cool evenings in the mountains.

Suggestions

The tents need to be updated as a matter of urgency - they leak and show many signs of wear and tear.

Most Inspirational Moment

trekking to the 2nd hightest peak in Western Ghats, lovely views 

Thoughts on Group Leader

excellent leader made our trip, ready to answer all our  questions and  let us know about his own life  which added to our experience. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking shoes or trainers  would be fine for the walking part, binoculars useful for  birdwatching in Periyar Nature Reserve.  

Suggestions

We must have seen most  spices growing and were able  to purchase these at very reasonable  prices. We missed out on putting the temple to bed in Madurai  which  is suppposed  to be quite spectacular,  would be good if this  could be included. 

Most Inspirational Moment

It has to be the trekking.  It was so varied and there was so much to see, really lovely walking.  Though the elephant ride was a treat.  And the food - I even ended up opting for spicy breakfasts in the end.  We ate in very local everyday cafes and it was great.  And Anthony the chef's cooking on the trek was another treat.  Madurai of course.  And as everyone says unwinding on the houseboat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ajiy was terrific, really good fun.  We were a small end-of-season group and he turned this to our advantage.  He asked if we were happy to have a degree of spontaneity in what we did  - if so, he would try to show us the real India.  We were more than happy to trust Ajiy on this and he really delivered, taking us into small tea shops and even people's homes in a way that would not have worked with a large group.  Ajiy also worked out what everyone was most interested in and made sure we experienced this (I now have an unexpectedly thoroough selection of Malayalam movie music).  And we learnt so much without ever getting too earnest.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't get a lot of begging but a few spare pens for children go down well.Buy Connemara tea for your Irish friends.Leave space in your luggage for Popy umbrellas.

Suggestions

One of my favourite holidays.  Not so touristy as some areas of India, more relaxed.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting away from the tourist trail and being up-close to the local people, flora and fauna.  The back-waters of Kerala are absolutely beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arvind was friendly, approachable and well-informed even though this was not his regular tour.  He was very good at keeping the group under control and making sure we got the most out of the trip.  He even included some interesting trips that were not on the trip schedule.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was very hot and humid when I went at the end of March, so be ready for that.  The camping is fairly basic, including the sanitary arrangements and it was a good thing that we did it at the start of the trip so that the remainder of the time could be enjoyed in a personally clean condition.  The local support guys for the camping were brilliant anf the food they produced for us was incredible.

Suggestions

The trip title does not fully decribe the range of experiences on this trip.  It would have been nice to have the hotel in Cochin in the older part of the city (Fort Cochin) instead of the newer part.  Otherwise 'well done' Exodus, I will be back again for a new adventure.