Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Mont Blanc in all its guises, the wild flower meadows and celebrating with Prosecco at the top of the final ascent.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kim was kind, funny and inspirational. We all loved her.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Challenging and joyous!
A really super trip. The leader Kim shared her love and knowledge of the mountains and kept our spirits high. Neil, our camp manager, cooked incredible three course meals every night, despite all our various dietary needs. It was a challenging trip but so much fun.
FANTABULOUS
Many of the reviews describe how stunning this ride is and it’s all true. I’d like to review a slightly different side to this trip – how it changed me as a person and that is down to 3 things: 1. The ride as a whole and all the beautiful sights along the way 2. The friends I made and the “moments” we had that I will treasure and giggle about for ever 3. The leader – read on… Mario soon became re-named ‘Super-Mario’; a true professional – caring, fun, sociable, knowledgeable, encouraging, supportive BRILLIANT, PASSIONATE & SIMPLY EXCELLENT. With mental health now recognised at being so important to people’s well-being, Mario skilfully managed to transform me from a tired, unsure, lost soul back into a happy, confident, motivated person hungry and ready for the next challenge. I laughed like I have never laughed before, made wonderful friends, felt good about myself and relished the escapism for a week. I shall never forget this trip and it is refreshing to see someone (young) like Mario who adores his country, loves his work and shows such respect and kindness. From the moment we 1st shook hands to tearful goodbyes, he took full control in such a fantastic mature manner and I felt in safe hands throughout. I really hope his parents get to read this as they should be SO proud. I can’t wait to do another Exodus trip (this was my first) but worry it won’t be the same without Mario – the other Exodus leaders have a lot to live up to as he has set the bar so high! Thanks Mario.
Most Inspirational Moment
Watching everyone on the group achieve those hills. With love and laughter, you can all get there and enjoy the rewards, be it gelato, carafes of Prosecco or a stunning view.
Thoughts on Group Leader
THE BEST
Advice for Potential Travellers
This was my 1st trip since being on my own - I couldn't have done anything better. It was scary clicking that 'booking' tab but my life restarted as soon as I met the Exodus crew. So if you're not sure -honestly, do it!
Dolomites, Lake Garda & Venice ride
Many of the reviews describe how stunning this ride is and it’s all true. I’d like to review a slightly different side to this trip – how it changed me as a person and that is down to 3 things:
1. The ride as a whole and all the beautiful sights along the way
2. The friends I made and the “moments” we had that I will treasure and giggle about for ever
3. The leader – read on…
Mario soon became re-named ‘Super-Mario’; a true professional – caring, fun, sociable, knowledgeable, encouraging, supportive BRILLIANT, PASSIONATE & SIMPLY EXCELLENT. With mental health now recognised at being so important to people’s well-being, Mario skilfully managed to transform me from a tired, unsure, lost soul back into a happy, confident, motivated person hungry and ready for the next challenge. I laughed like I have never laughed before, made wonderful friends, felt good about myself and relished the escapism for a week. I shall never forget this trip and it is refreshing to see someone (young) like Mario who adores his country, loves his work and shows such respect and kindness. From the moment we 1st shook hands to tearful goodbyes, he took full control in such a fantastic mature manner and I felt in safe hands throughout. I really hope his parents get to read this as they should be SO proud. I can’t wait to do another Exodus trip (this was my first) but worry it won’t be the same without Mario – the other Exodus leaders have a lot to live up to as he has set the bar so high! Thanks Mario.
Most Inspirational Moment
Watching everyone on the group achieve those hills. With love and laughter, you can all get there and enjoy the rewards, be it gelato, carafes of Prosecco or a stunning view.
Thoughts on Group Leader
THE BEST
Advice for Potential Travellers
This was my 1st trip since being on my own - I couldn't have done anything better. It was scary clicking that 'booking' tab but my life restarted as soon as I met the Exodus crew. So if you're not sure -honestly, do it!
Excellent trip - full of variety
I loved the variety in this trip, it’s three different holidays in two weeks ! From jungle hiking in Sumatra to seas and sunsets in Flores and finally Bali for temples, the beach and chilling.
Despite the distances covered and three flights, it doesn’t feel like you are always on the move as when you get to a location you stay for several days. All the accommodation was good and well located and the Indonesian people are lovely and welcoming. Food on the boat is exceptional and sleeping on deck is an experience.
An excellent guide and fantastic travel companions made this a highly memorable trip
Most Inspirational Moment
The main highlights were obviously seeing the orangutans and Komodo dragons and we saw both. We were lucky to have the opportunity to watch several orangutan mothers with their babies in close proximity and we saw plenty of dragons on both Rinca and Komodo islands. Other highlights were watching the fruit bats fly at sunset and watching the playful monkeys in Ubud. I also did an optional horse riding excursion (from Sanur) which unexpectedly included a visit to a turtle conservation area where we saw just hatched baby turtles.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Wira was an excellent guide. He usually does the activity based trips in Bali, but had stepped in to take this tour as Elly was unavailable. Wira was always laughing, approachable, organised, practical, knowledgeable and sociable, he was always prepared to go the extra mile for you. Additionally, the local guides that accompany you in Sumatra and Flores are excellent. Wira had to deal with a couple of situations which he did quickly and effectively and he couldn't apologise enough for a couple of issues that were completely beyond his control. He helped to arrange some optional excursions that were "not on the list" and even joined a few of us on one of them.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take decent walking boots, I'm glad I did especially for the 2nd day "long" walk in Gunang Leuser National Park. They provide walking sticks (no need to pack one)- I was grateful for the one I used though it does become a liability when trying to take photos ! If you are offered the opportunity to visit the Bat Cave - it's not for the faint-hearted, lots of rocks and scrambling (I had to bail part way through) A few of us wanted to do different excursions to those presented to us on the list. So from Sanur, 5 of us went horse riding on the beach with Bali Horse Riding who were very professional, taking time to assess your ability and matching you with one of their well looked after horses. Most of us slept on the boat deck for both nights. If you go July, I recommend taking something warm to sleep in. I wore my jacket and leggings both nights and many of us added socks for night two ! Some of our group got the chance to see Manta Rays at Manta Point, so make sure you are "snorkel ready" with your underwater camera when the boat gets there. Some of us also wanted to visit Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, so Wira arranged a driver for us and actually came with us. He even arranged the hotel to do breakfast e=half and hour earlier so we could leave and get there before any of the tourist buses. We watched the locals go about their prayers, saw a cremation purification ceremony and got "classic" photos of the temple (minus hoards of tourists). We then went onto the Jatiluwih rice terraces which were beautiful and so much less touristy than the ones we'd seen the previous day on the itinerary trip. We left at 7.15am and we were back for 1.15pm and it cost us about £7/8 each (including driver's trip) well worth it. If you want to do the optional half day trip to Tanah Lot temple from Sanur, I would ask your guide if you could arrange to leave earlier than scheduled, we left at 8.15am and got stuck in the dreadful traffic and consequently we were rushed around the temple.
Vietnam
The trip was great and our leader, Lam, was exceptional. With the assistance of his exceptional team he made the trip a very special one. His attention to detail and safety is without fault. A ***** Star experience on wheels!
Thank you Exodus and Lam & his team for making this a lasting memory!
Most Inspirational Moment
Cycling to the top of the pass and Hulong Bay
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lam is an absolute asset to Exodus. I have never met anyone with such dedication. He was always smiling and no request was too much. I felt safe and cared for at all times. What an amazing man. Even arranged a birthday cake for a group member's birthday......now that is what I call dedication!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take lots of sunscreen and keep on taking in liquids!
K2 Base Camp
The trip brings people into amazing environment by its remotenes and natural beauty and is a huge discovery experience. The difficulties of the trip in terms of the experienced heat and extremely difficult walking terrain catch people slightly unprepared (and the trip notes do not help here).
Most Inspirational Moment
Gore II to Concordia day walk.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Try to mentally prepare for the heat and extraordinarily difficult terain to walk on.
Magical Memories from Namibia.
This holiday was a great adventure in a magnificent country that I fell in love with. We went during Namibia’s Winter and as a result there was an abundance of wild animals throughout our trip. Lodges were more than adequate, WIFI was more widely available than I had predicted ( only needed to send gloating photos back home!), Most major places such as supermarkets, lodges and activities took either cash or credit/debit card and food although very meat centric was still complemented by lots of vegetables so didn’t come back too much heavier than we went!
Most Inspirational Moment
On our free day in Swakopmund some of us decided to do the Dolphin Cruise with Ocean Cruises. We were picked up and dropped back at the hotel. We had a small group of about 16 on our boat, Ocean Lady, skippered by a very knowledgeable, funny guy who shared a lot of information about the animals we saw en route. Dolphins, Cape Fur seals, Pelicans, the latter two joining us on board! Before we returned to shore we had some snacks including oysters washed down with some fizz. Can’t say I was a convert to future Oyster eating but others in the group certainly were. Etosha National Park was magical. We were extremely lucky to see the variety and amount of animals we did. It is fascinating watching giraffe at a watering hole, followed by 14 Eland and a vulture landing in the back ground. Suddenly out the corner of our eyes 20 Elephants come in from the left to drink, including very young ones. On another occasion on our way back to the lodge we come across a family of Lions, about 11, all playing in the fading sun. The younger ones play fighting with each other and Mum looking on. These memories will stay with us forever, the photos just reminding us of the amazing time we had on this holiday.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Arriving in Windhoek 19 hours after leaving London Heathrow on the group flight with Qatar Airways, we were tired but quietly excited about the adventure we had install over the subsequent 2 weeks. Shane our tour leader welcomed us all and introduced us to Jonas who was to be the cook for our trip. They were a great team, making sure we all had a great holiday. Jonas’s cooking was of a high standard especially the butternut squash soup! Shane had the most contagious laugh and showed us round their beautiful country over 2 weeks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
We took South African Rand in both cash and on a Post Office Travel Money card. The Travel Money Card worked everywhere we needed it to, Supermarket, lodges, cash points without any issues. If you go during their Winter, make sure you take jumpers as the early mornings can be very cold. We used the blankets some nights as it really was cold. During the day however it is extremely hot.
A great adventure
This trip is great for adventure, photography and wildlife. Be prepared for long bumpy journeys on the truck but driving through the towns and villages is interesting to.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting so close to mountain gorillas was an unforgettable experience. We were very lucky with all the wildlife we say. The hot air balloon safari was amazing to, watching the sunrise and seeing so much wildlife.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour guide (Gilbert) was very passionate knowledgeable and about the history and wildlife. He was also very helpful with any problems that came up like sorting out get peoples luggage back to them after the airlines lost them. He was always smiling and laughing with us all.
Advice for Potential Travellers
On the truck there are two uk plug sockets by each set of seats so don't worry about charging things. I'd highly recommend doing the hot air balloon safari, you will not regret it. Also there optional upgrades at some of the campsites. At Lake Bunyonyi campsite I upgraded to a tent with a bed and a balcony with views overlooking the river at a very reasonable price. I definitely recommend this.
Flexibility makes for a great holiday!
This was our first ever cycling holiday and so we were unsure before going whether we’d be fit and prepared enough. Building up our cycling beforehand as per the Exodus training plan definitely helped our fitness. The distances and routes each day were very manageable.
We did buy padded shorts for the trip and these were definitely helpful. We also took our own bike seats and after a couple of days using the one that came with the bikes (which I found a bit narrow and hard) I switched to my own which was definitely more comfortable and supportive for me, while my husband was happy with the Exodus one. The bikes were good with more gears than expected and an easy lever to flick the suspension on for bumpy ground. The pannier bag provided was an unexpected bonus and easily came on and off so can be taken to your room at night and packed for the following day. There are no separate compartments in them so after a few days of groping around in the dark space at the bottom every time I needed something, I organised smaller items into separate plastic bags which could be pulled out easily.
Hotel rooms were clean and spacious with good facilities, though we may have hit lucky with our room allocation as some people felt cramped and not so happy with theirs. The hotel in Palmse was more basic but this was definitely compensated for by the lovely location.
Breakfasts at all the hotels were good with plenty of choice. A gluten-free Exodus guest managed ok, helped by bringing a print out of ‘I can’t eat gluten’ translated into the 3 languages to show staff and by buying a loaf of gluten free bread for when rice cakes got too boring. As non-meat eaters our meals out tended to be dominated by fish with very limited choices at some places for total vegetarians. Generally though the food was tastier and more varied than I had expected with some great places suggested by Andrius – we definitely needed those bike rides to keep the calories from piling on!
Most Inspirational Moment
There were several lovely moments - the tranquility of Palmse, looking out of our window at midnight and it still being light (we were there around midsummer) seeing so many stork nests with young being fed, the wild flowers and of course the delicious and interesting food were just a few!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andrius is a great tour leader with a natural sense of humour which helped us all bond as a group. He guided us very well and engaged with us as very much a part of our group rather than just going through the motions of doing his job. He was able to be flexible and adaptable, adjusting the schedule according to needs and requirements- a detour to a bike shop for necessary repairs enabled a walk around an old castle for the rest of us. He had some great tips and recommendations and used his experience of the countries and the trip to really enhance our experience. Thank you Andrius!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack insect repellent and bite relief cream, your own seat or gel cover, a couple of small bags for putting bits in the pannier bag, and a flexible attitude and you'll have a great time!
Inca Trail incomfort and Amazon extension
Amazing and challenging adventure! We did the Inca Trail in comfort with the Amazon extension.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking through the Sun Gate together as a group after 4 tough days of trekking and seeing Machu Picchu come into view. Our amazing, strong and cheerful porters. Respect! Our leaders Julio, Anthony and Roldan. Jungle wildlife.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Julio and Anthony on the Inca Trail were outstanding. Friendly, approachable, kind and supportive. Julio also very good back in Cusco etc. Lots of recommendations and advice. All clearly explained. He even came with us to the airport when we left for the Amazon. Could not fault them! Roldan for the Amazon extension. From the moment he met us at the airport he really looked after us. His knowledge and care he has for the jungle are second to none. We were so fortunate to have him as our guide.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Embrace the adventure! Look for Exodus sign outside the airport. Do not be taken in by random people who approach you in the airport with offers of help. If you can give yourself an extra day in Cusco to get over the flights. Do the Inkan Milky Way walking tour. Ask for a room at the rear or side of the hotel if you are not used to traffic noise! Stick to kit list. We didn't take rain ponchos but had it rained in the Amazon it would have been useful. Take lots of snacks for the treks (some is provided but you may want more!). Bring inflatable pillow for the Inca camping. Altitude: we took diamox, bought local product recommended to inhale and avoided alcohol to start with and were fine!