Reviews

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

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54 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Hayley Mooney

Reviewed July 2017

Unbelievable Uzbekistan

Definitely book this trip, Uzbekistan is beautiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The yurt camp. Sitting under the milky way listening to the guy singing is something I'll never forget, even the 6k walk through the desert the following day was fun. Of the historical sites, the necropolis in Samarkand was my favourite, and Samarkand was my favourite city. It's easy to get around and the people are lovely, although that can be said for every town and city in Uzbekistan.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilshod was incredible, his passion and knowledge of Uzbekistan is awesome. He must be the best guide in the whole of Uzbekistan. He's also just a really fun and lovely guy. Valentin is a fantastic driver. Even though most of the roads are in good condition it did get a bit bumpy at times, but I always felt safe.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Uzbekistan airways is great, you get plenty of leg room and the food really isn't as bad as everyone says. A lot of the historic sites have been reconstructed in the past 10-15 years, so much so that it kind of became a running joke, it doesn't detract from the trip though. The food is delicious. Plov is the best! The kebabs taste amazing, but can be a bit greasy. The bread is delicious, and there's plenty of salad options for vegetarians.

steve adams

Reviewed May 2017

the delights of uzbekistan

The people of uzbekistan are so open and friendly. The cities and the monuments within them live up to all expectations and there is so much to see. The Yurts are comfortable and spacious, toilet facilities at the camp are good, much better than expected. Camel ride and walk through the desert was a great experience and finishing up with a swim and a picnic beside the lake was a great rounding off of the camp experience.
There are long bus journeys on this trip between the towns and some of the roads are quite rough but we felt safe in the hands of our driver.
Food is much better than expected and there is more variety than the trip notes seem to indicate. Nobody appeared to get any serious stomach bugs on the trip which is unusual when the weather was so hot. I think this was because our guide advised on good eating places and kept us right.
The currency issues are not as difficult as hinted at and are easily managed. Security, including arrival and departure at the airport was robust but not a problem

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to say as there were many. For me the Registan and other monuments in Samarkand were probably the most inspirational thing but the night in a yurt camp with camel ride was amazing as were the desert forts. Or maybe the most inspirational thing was the openess and friendliness of the uzbek people. A trip of many highlights

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilshod was patient, understanding, organised and extremely knowledgable on history and local customs. He had a good sense of humour, gelled well with the group and shared many personal experiences of his life in uzbekistan. He made the trip easier for us all and kept us going when the heat of the day made us wilt. I think his guidence and attention in terms of directing us to eating places also helped to keep us healthy

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel as light as possible, have a torch for the Yurt camp and make sure you drink lots and lots of water. Take money in US dollars and slap on the sun cream before you go out.

Erica Whitfield

Reviewed May 2017

Uzbekistan uncovered

This was a well structured trip , and took in most of the spectacular sights of Uzbekistan. It is busy with little free time (in the right places ) and we didn’t get to go on the train , which would have been a relief from the tour bus ,as it covers a lot of distance.
Uzbekistan is a fabulous place to visit , has many awesome buildings , and you cannot walk more than 50 metres without a local wanting a photo with you, which meant lovely conversations and interactions.
It was great to have a camel ride to the lake , as this meant chilling time and a much needed refreshing swim.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Poi Kalyon was fabulous , and seeing the Koran in Tashkent (which we would have missed if we had not insisted on going )

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilshod was very good , a calm and knowledgeable guide who would try to accommodate our wishes.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The vegetarian food is nowhere near as bad as suggested , try to avoid the set meals though , they are not worth it for Veggies. Do not accept a ground floor room by reception in Bukhara Hotel Aist, it is very noisy ,dark (no window) and cramped.(which the other rooms are not )

Elizabeth Robertson

Reviewed April 2017

UZBEKISTAN UNCOVERED

Surpassed all expectations. This was an 11 day escorted tour across Uzbekistan, following the silk road.

Most Inspirational Moment

The historical monuments were stunning. The sheer scale and colour was breathtaking. There was a nice mix of seeing the old alongside the new.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can't speak highly enough of our tour leader Dilshod. Nothing was too much trouble. His knowledge of Uzbekistan history was incredible. He was helpful, informative and a real pleasure to have with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a raincoat as we had a couple of cooler wet days. Tea is the national drink, taken without milk. If you enjoy coffee or milk take your own. The sun can be quite strong so take sun cream. All the hotels had wifi, although it could be very intermittent. Alcohol was widely available and very cheap, even in restaurants.

Dulcie Wrinch

Reviewed October 2016

Uzbekistan Uncovered

A well balanced comprehensive trip in that we had time to see all the sights and look around in general before moving on to the next destination. Trips out to the desert fortresses and the night staying a yurt followed by a hike with camel ride to Aidarkul Lake were a welcome break from seeing the historical and other not so old blue tiled mosques and madrassas etc.
The long drives were made more bearable in the fact we had a full sized coach and only 16 people so were able to spread ourselves out, the rest stops were regular and unhurried.
The food was variable and rather greasy and mostly edible. The local people were friendly (apart from some taxi drivers)

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to say what was the most inspirational moment as the sights overall were all awesome and in particular when lit up at night. I think the most fabulous moment was when I was on a camel and saw Aidarkul Lake ahead of me. The other people in the group were a lovely bunch and it made things even better. I came home feeling well satisfied with it all.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dilshod....He was wonderful, so kind and good humoured. Also very helpful to any needs of our group. His spoken English was excellent, the best of any guides that I have met on Exodus trips to date. He was so organised when it came to ordering meals and drinks and managing the finances of it all. Didn't want to say goodbye.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not waste time going and leaving Tashkent outside the trip itself, the flights to and fro from London are only twice a week so more time spent there is not worth it. It was difficult to explore as tourism virtually unknown and taxi drivers say they can take you to requested place but haven't a clue where they are going. The hotel used in Tashkent is not widely known or central. The customs forms about permitted medication were non-existent, going through customs was trouble-free unlike what blogs say. A good torch for the night at the yurt advisable unless you like fumbling around in the dark, but we all fell asleep very quickly. Bring lots of of immodium and andrex loo paper, also air freshener as bathrooms have no ventilation!! Maybe download some maps prior to trip because they are non-existent.

Michael Allen

Reviewed October 2016

Glad I went but glad it's over

This was a bit of disappointment because I was hoping to see lots of exquisite Islamic art and architecture. There is some toward the end of trip in Samarkand but the mosques and madrasas in Khiva and Bukhora weren’t very attractive. There was too much shopping time for my taste. I am vegetarian which limited food selections. The salads are very good but there isn’t much choice beyond that and I don’t think even the non-veggies enjoyed the food much. Sometimes a vegetarian dish was just a regular dish with the meat removed e.g. we were told chick peas were vegetarian but they came with some bits of meat which they had overlooked. The local beer, however is excellent.

An interesting part of the trip was learning about the Russian influence, good and not-so-good, and the changes that have occurred since the Soviet Union imploded and Uzbekistan became independent. I also enjoyed learning a about current life in Uzbekistan but am aware that we as tourists we may be presented with a somewhat sanitized view of things.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most enjoyable (not inspirational!) parts of the trip were the yurt stay/camel ride and in Samarkand learning about Ulugh Beg, the brilliant ruler and astronomer, and touring his museum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was excellent - extremely conscientious, good humoured, punctual, reliable and helpful. He never tired of answering our questions and knew a lot about the history of Uzbekistan. He took very good care of us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be offline for several days. The internet service is very poor and was not working in some hotels. This seemed to be more of a problem for Macs and iPads than Android devices. In Bukhara I went to an internet cafe to check email and even there the connection was very slow.

Philip Stoate

Reviewed October 2016

Uzbekistan uncovered

Well planned and executed trip. A wide range of sights visited. Hotels were reasonable some were good and some were very good. Particularly the room in the madrassa was unusual. Generally the standard was better than expected.

Most Inspirational Moment

The night in the yurt - definitely better appointed than I expected. Followed by the camel ride and swim in the lake

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very accomplished and caring. Ensured that our salads were safe to eat and toilets were clean. Checked on anyone who became sick.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be ill with a stomach upset at some stage. In spite of care taken everyone became ill at some stage.

Lucie Oakley

Reviewed August 2016

A great mix of the old and new in Uzbekistan

A fascinating tour along the Silk Road seeing all the fabulous architecture, mixed with activities which were relaxing and interesting. This is a leisurely tour, a couple of early starts and a few long drives but nothing too onerous. Good to have some free time to explore places. We had an expert guide, helpful and friendly and quietly smoothing our path – perfect!

Most Inspirational Moment

So many good moments....the wonderful architecture (which is largely reconstructed but finding out more about its history over the years was fascinating); the people - so friendly and keen to engage with us, welcoming and open; watching the sunset in the desert camp; swimming in the lake in the sun; watching local bread being cooked in an oven in the market, then eating it; trying nuts and roasted apricot kernels in the market; going to the hammam - amazing! The food - so delicious after all the dire warnings for veggies - I'm a veggie and the salads are wonderful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Olympics? Dilshod deserves a medal - he is very knowledgeable about the history, economy, religion etc of his nation, but for me it was his personal experience in his own lifetime of Uzbekistan's recent past that was so vivid. We stopped off at a cotton field one day so he could explain how it's grown and how to pick the buds. He organised dinners for us, ordered ahead when we were running late, sorted the bills, stopped at ice-cream shops when we asked(!) and explained everything with patience and good humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go! It's amazing - the architecture is breathtaking and the people are really friendly. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, the salads and the breads are really tasty. Cover up for mosques as per the trip notes - the guide is always very clear about what to wear and when (it's not a major issue, just respect the dress code). Take your cossie! It really is worth swimming in the lake - a unique experience.

Janet Walters

Reviewed May 2016

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan was the only section of the Silk Road that I had not travelled so this trip was on my bucket list and it met my expectations. We had a lively group. Travelling was fine, as described in the trip notes, and the pace was just right. Hotel accommodation was good with excellent service. We visited all the famous sights,shopped in the bazaars, enjoyed the local food and had fun at the yurt camp. I was impressed by the friendly and enterprising. people. A memorable trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Registan in Samarkand at night. Also dancing with a happy smallholder in Khiva and chatting with families on days out at the shrines.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was excellent. He took the role of general guide, looking after us very well, and was also our guide at each of the sites that we visited. His Engish was the best I have experienced on all my trips with a detailed knowledge of not only his country's history and culture, but also each place that we visited. He kept us amused on bus journeys with stories and was very helpful with local currency.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes cover what you need to know.

Michael Oliver

Reviewed May 2016

Great trip to Uzbekistan

An absolutely great trip. We were lucky with our group of 8 as we gelled brilliantly. Star leader/guide in Dilshod. I loved Uzbekistan. Relaxed, safe, and met with universal friendliness. Once there a very cheap holiday. Itinerary pretty standard with exception of excursion from Khiva out to desert fortresses which was interesting – one of bits of “leavening” of a diet of cities and mosques/madrassas etc, lovely tho they were. Altogether well balanced trip, and would recommend Exodus version.. Can’t avoid long journeys between centres, but we had plenty of space in a medium sized coach. Even the retail stops (carpets, embroidery (beautiful pieces), pottery were quality.

Most Inspirational Moment

All good but coming around a lane corner in Bukhara to see an extraordinary vista of domes, minarets and tiled archways. Also seeing Tamerlan's mausoleum and tomb.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A star. Dilshod rules.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lots of handicrafts pottery, brass etc so if you like that sort of thing leave space in your bag. Carpets are fabulous. If buying a carpet take sufficient dollars to pay cash. Lower price as avoids seller paying approx 12 1/2 % charge to Mastercard. Think twice if a vegan. Uzbeks are serious carnivores. Meat tastes great but don't stray too far from shish kebabs and koftes as more adventurous parts of menu often disappoint.

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