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

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163 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviews

Essential Peru with Guide Sebastian Echegaray

This holiday was absolutely brilliant: the Ballestas Islands, sand buggying in the desert, beautiful & spectacular Machu Pichu and the Sacred Valley, the blue waters of Lake Titicaca and homestay on Amantani Island were all simply amazing. Our group leader, Sebastian Echegaray was great, and the other local guides and the drivers of the coaches – who joined us at different stages of the holiday- were also very informative, very friendly people. Add to that a sprinkling of alpacas, llamas, vicunias, dolphins…..we had an amazing time!

Most Inspirational Moment

I was particularly impressed by Machu Pichu. The guide here, Wagner, was excellent. He told us a lot about the history of the Incas and how Machu Pichu came to exist. His witty manner of explaining and talking about things made it a really pleasurable visit to this truly amazing site. Another highlight of the trip for me was the homestay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca. The lake itself is absolutely beautiful. We arrived by boat and were met by the families who were putting us up. We saw the sun set - and rise - over the lake and enjoyed the warm hospitality of the families we stayed with. They were so friendly and welcoming! Thank you Marisol !

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebastian Echegaray was great. He was friendly, calm and competent throughout the entire holiday. You felt that everything was in hand; you were able to concentrate on simply enjoying going to the different places, knowing that all the logistics of luggage, travel etc. were taken care of. I liked his unassuming, quietly competent manner. Before the holiday I had felt a bit wary of maybe encountering a bossy guide with us all following behind the upheld umbrella! But it wasn't like that at all. It felt more like going on holiday with a friend who was organizing everything for you! He was great at telling us all about Peru - its history, society and varying countryside - and was humorous at the same time. He took us to some great restaurants in the evenings and the daily briefings about what was going to be happening the next day were nice, informative get-togethers at the end of the day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that there are quite a few early starts! But it's worth it as you get to see so much of Peru in a relatively short time.

Essentail Peru

A packed itinerary with lots of early departures , but a great way to cover a lot of ground and see as much as posisble.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to stay as there was so much to see. Obvioulsy Macchu Picchu was impressive but equally so was seeing Condors in the Colca Canyon , the wildlife on the Ballestas Islands , the ever changing landscapes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Diana was very efficient and worked tirelessly to ensure things ran smoothly. Very helpful and attentive especially when travelling to high altitude points. Always ready to offer advice or helpful hints especially for language translation in different environments i.e. restaurants, hotels , pharmacy , shops etc .

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont dwell on the early starts and coach days - just enjoy the scenery and the amount of things you will see

Essential Peru

The description of the trip on the website was informative and sounded exciting. The reality of the trip from our point of view was beyond our expectations. We were forewarned of the early starts and long journeys but the journeys themselves were spectacular, had plenty of breaks and were necessary for covering such a wide range of experiences. The accommodation was throughout was always clean and comfortable although varied between luxurious and homely.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moments of our trip were Macchu Picchu, Amantani Island home stay, the floating reed islands, viewing the condors in Colca Canyon........and many more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Aleks, our group leader, was passionate about his country and the people. He was an excellent guide. He was knowledgable, kind and someone who went out of his way to ensure that everyone was getting the best out of the trip. He was very caring when necessary and had a good sense of fun. We could not have asked for a better guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The coach journeys are long, so early nights to ensure you do not miss the spectacular scenery! The head torch could be essential for the home stay! We onlyX had a candle in the bedroom!

Essencianl Peru

Hello there, I want to let you know how much WE ENJOYED our holiday to Peru, it was most exhilarating to see the ancient Inka, Wari and other cultural sites together with the unbelievably beautiful and varied landscape.
The people are very friendly. The trip was very well organised, the hotels and busses were very comfortable. The restaurants our leader took us to were well researched

Most Inspirational Moment

Some of the highlights were all the sites in the sacred valley, the archaeological site of Raqchi and the condors in flight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader Aleks was excellent, his knowledge of the country and explanation of the sites visited and his attention to the well being of the group members was absolutely exceptional. His time keeping and daily preparation were very good. Thanks Aleks for such a wonderful trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

High Altitude Sickness which I was worried about prior to the journey turned out to be easily manageable due to the very sensible instructions we got from our group leader: breath more often, drink lots of water, cola tea and sweets (chocolate) and perhaps INKA Cola help enormously. You can also get tablets (Zerodol-P) in the Chemists once you are over there.

Essential Peru

There is no doubt that this holiday is tiring and you have to be prepared for early starts and long coach journeys. However, we covered so many amazing sights in 15 days that it was more than worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many! The Ballestas Islands was stunning filled with wonderful birds and sea lions. Also loved the Colca Canyon and Valley and to see the condors flying over the amazing backdrop was just stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alex was a fantastic group leader. He had a depth of knowledge, a lovely personality, organisation skills was spot on and looked after us perfectly. We could not have asked for better!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a fleece when visiting the Ballestas Islands as it can be chilly and windy. A hand towel when staying with a home stay family would be useful.

Essential Peru

This is a 15 days trip to Peru covering a fair amount of distance. Views were spectacular and agree therr are quite a few days of early start but that suits me fine as I rather we arrive early at destination

Most Inspirational Moment

Taking the flight over the Nazca lines and Machupicchu

Thoughts on Group Leader

Out tour leader Diana was excellent. She is knowledgeable and ensure that the group is well looked after the whole way through. She went well and beyond her capacity as a tour leader. Couldn't ask for a Better tour leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure to check that you get what you paid for. The tour advertised 13 nights in HOTELS but we ended up in HOSTELS at Cusco and Machu Picchu. The hostels are pretty much a back packers hotel especially at Macchu Picchu the condition was basic (does not even have any cupboards or option to hang clothes), dirty (bedspread looked like it had not been washed for a very very long time), uncomfortable (lumpy pillow and no heating) and noisy (next to railway track and last train past midnight and first train at 5:30 am). Hostel at Machu Picchu smelt musky with condensation problem Only one hairdryer to share among the whole hostel and the hairdryer cuts out when it gets too hot. Also ridiculous breakfast time ends at 8am and checking out at 9am! There is no way Exodus can claim these accomodations are hotels as it was clearly sign posted outside the building it is a hostel. A total rip off and against trading standards regulations in UK. There are plenty of actual hotels around the vincinity but the group got hostels insteads.

Review Centre
Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank San for her feedback, however, we regret that she was disappointed with the accommodation at the beginning of her trip. Different countries use different criteria for hotel classification. In Peru the term ‘hostel’ is used in a very different way to how we consider it in Europe, Australia or US for example. In Peru hotel classification is largely related to the number of rooms and the size of common areas. In order to use the title ‘hotel’ in Peru, properties must have at least 30 rooms of 14m squared. Other criteria includes the requirement for the kitchen to be at least 40% of the size of the dining room. Many good standard properties in Peru don’t meet all of these criteria and as such use the title ‘hostel’ instead of ‘hotel’. Whilst it is rare for us to receive negative comments about the properties used during this tour, we will continue to closely monitor all client feedback to ensure that they are meeting our expectations.

Jenny Cox- Product Manager for Peru

Essential Peru

As others have commented, this is a pretty tiring trip as there are a lot of long drives and some very early mornings.
In my view, this is completely essential to see the massive variety of landscapes, wildlife and views that the country has to offer and there’s no way it could be acheived in 2 weeks any other way.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip to Machu Picchu was the definite highlight of the trip as this was the main reason for visiting the country. The walk up the Sun Gate was unmissable. I also loved the homestay on Amantani Island. The welcome received from the islanders, the hospitality offered and the views from the optional walk to the top of the island were extremely memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Daniel was a fantastic leader. He was extremely patient with the group and communicated his knowledge of all things Peruvian in a very entertaining manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would recommend taking an old hat and some expendable clothing for the boat trip to the Ballestas Islands. It is only apparent that there's a high likelihood of the birds creating a 'mess' when you get there and this is on Day One of the trip! The optional trip in Nazca to the Cahuachi pyramids is well worth a visit for those not taking the flight over the Nazca Lines. It was a real hidden gem but beware the dune buggy ride there could be a bit bumpy! The optional culinary experience in Cusco was one of the trip highlights. This consisted of an explanation of Peruvian foods, tasting of various dishes and the making of two dishes and a local cocktail.

Essential Peru

Fantastic trip. We covered a lot of sites and locations.

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Picchu , Ollaytantambo, Arequipa, Cuzco

Thoughts on Group Leader

very helpful and considerate

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, pack light, it is not so cold after all and chew coca leaves for altitude. Try to sleep in semi vertical position the first nights at high altitude . Drink plenty of LIQUIDS (juices, tea, soups) . You shouldn't kill yourself trying to swallow 4 l of water daily! LIQUIDS is the word!

ESSENTIAL PERU

NOT LONG RETURNED FROM THE ABOVE TRIP – EXCELLENT
FAR EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS – EVERY DAY WAS A NEW AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE!

Most Inspirational Moment

MACCHU PICCHU , NAZCA LINES , CUZCO , LAKE TITICACA , COLCA CANYOU , ARECAPA - I COULD GO ON AND ON !

Thoughts on Group Leader

ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT - PLENTY OF KNOWLEDGE - ENTHUSIASTIC - WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND HIS CALL OF DUTY.

Advice for Potential Travellers

LOCK YOUR SUITCASES EVEN IN YOUR HOTEL ROOMS AND USE THE SAFES PROVIDED. A FEW FELLOW TRAVELLERS EXPERIENCED LOSSES OF CASH AND GOODS.

APD Essential Peru October 30- November 15 2015

This trip is crammed full of the sights, sounds and sensations of southern Peru. Sampling them all in such a short space of time makes for a real adventure and you come away feeling that the Peru you have seen is a truly magical place.

Most Inspirational Moment

Early morning, away from the crowds, visiting the Inca sites scattered in the hills above Cuzco and then, in the afternoon, wandering the town’s hilly backstreets, soaking up the heady mix of old and new cultures just waiting to be found there. Lake Titicata was enchanting and the homestead stay a unique experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebastian Echegarary was brilliant. He ensured the hectic itinerary ran without hitch, keeping us well-informed of where we were and of what to expect at each stage of the journey, including the possibility of high altitude sickness. He was caring and even-handed in attending to the needs of each member of the group at whatever time of day or night they arose. His great sense of humour was also much appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

They might want to consider not only whether they are prepared for the long journeys, early starts and continuous travel (most hotel stays are one night only) but also whether they are happy to run the risk that their group size will be the maximum of 18 now set by Exodus and that they may conclude that the coach used to transport them may not be suitable for the purpose.