We visited in March 2025 and there were no reviews for this trip prior to our date of travel. We added on two nights before and also after the trip in Delhi to allow us to do an in depth private day tour of the city plus visit the national museum and modern art gallery. We also had a little bit of down time at the end of the trip and we opted to stay in the Taj Hotel which was fabulous.
There were only five people in our group and our guide was Ajay Gupta. We had a brand new minibus for travel and we had plenty of room to stretch out. The itinerary is pretty busy and you are never bored. At the time we visited there was absolutely no rain and the temperatures varied between high 20s to low 30s degrees C and these are the temperatures in the shade.
We really enjoyed visiting the various temples and mosques and the walking tour of old Delhi has to be a highlight. We hardly saw another tourist during this walk and our guide was lovely. The noise, colours and smells are exhilarating and we particularly enjoyed the tuk tuk and rickshaw rides. The three cities on this tour are all very different and each has its own charms. The food in India is wonderful and another highlight was the cooking lesson at the family home and then enjoying eating what you had made. The quality of the hotels used was very good and we particularly enjoyed the Neemrana Fort Hotel and the Tigress at Ranthambore.
I really wanted to rate this trip 4.5 stars, but the site will only let me use whole stars. My advice to Exodus is to consider adding on a third, optional game drive at Ranthambore as unfortunately we did not see any tigers as you are pre-allocated a zone for each game drive. Also we did not see the point of the train trip between Bharatpur to Agra as the trains are grubby and overcrowded and we waited around at the station for quite a while before the departure. We were also warned not to use the facilities on board.
Galapagos Islands Holidays
Highlights: Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Islands Holidays
Darwin found inspiration for his groundbreaking book ‘The Origin of Species’ in the Galapagos Islands. On this isolated tropical archipelago, almost 1000km off mainland Ecuador, he discovered wildlife present nowhere else on Earth; today, Galapagos Islands tours will still astonish nature and wildlife lovers. The volcanic islands are considered to be a living laboratory by scientists and represent one of the most pristine yet fragile areas in the world. This enchanting environment is characterised by stark lava fields, cactus forests, volcanic craters, mangrove lagoons and turquoise waters.
Without a doubt, the highlight of Galapagos Islands holidays is the incredible wildlife. With very few external predators and limited human interference, the species that inhabit the Galapagos have always shown a near-fearless attitude to man. Close encounters are assured and we may find ourselves stepping over snoozing Sea lions and iguanas or watching up close the courting rituals of Blue-footed boobies, albatross or frigatebirds. A mask and snorkel will reveal an exciting underworld – turtles, sharks, rays and colourful reef fish are abundant and Sea lions love to come and play!
Galapagos Islands Holidays
Glenda Horne India’s Taj Mahal and Tigers – Premium Adventure
Jessica Harris Mont Blanc HighlightsMy recent trekking adventure with Exodus was truly exceptional. The hospitality at Chalet Chalupa with Caro & Sebastian was outstanding, and the support from our guide was incredible. Caro and Sebastian, the chalet managers, created a warm, home-like atmosphere with consistently delicious food, including perfect buffet to pack our lunches. The hikes offered a brilliant mix of terrains and elevation, leading to breathtaking views, which were wonderful to share with fellow trekkers.
Peter Jones Walking Portugal's Wild AlgarveThis was our sixth Exodus trip (and overall one of the best). The walks were interesting with spectacular scenery and varied wildlife (both flora and fauna), and we learnt a new definition of the term ‘more or less flat’. The hotels were all good, the first two full of character and the final one in a great location with magnificent views over Sagres harbour and with extraordinarily helpful staff. The hotel breakfasts offered great variety and were excellent fuel for the mornings’ walking. The non-walking activities were well-chosen and interesting. There were visits to a ceramics workshop and an artisan olive oil presser which were fascinating and the tasting at the high tech Vicentino winery very near the Alentejo coast offered a different dimension. The wines were very good, with a noticeable salty tang.
The walks were on paths that were generally good or very good, other than about 1km on day 6 which is over broken rock, but trail shoes or boots should have good treads as some short sections were quite loose and eroded (and could have been slippery if the ground had been wet). We were a little late for the best of the wild flowers on the dunes but they were still very varied and attractive. We saw storks nesting on rock pinnacles just offshore (apparently the only place in the world where they nest on sea stacks) and were lucky enough to see three peregrine falcons on one of the coastal walks.
Overall, this was a great week with friendly and amusing companions from Canada, Scotland and England and superlative guides. If we did it again, we would probably go in the late Spring rather than the early Summer, both to have slightly more varied wild flowers and (perhaps!) to avoid walking in 34 degrees in the hills, but we would thoroughly recommend the trip.
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