Reviews

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

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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Reviews

Reviewed December 2013

VIETNAM ADVENTURE

I have never done a trip like this before and what a fantastic experience to start with.  Vietnam was a wonderful country and I have learnt and seen so much.  Our tour guide Hai was excellent and made sure we took as much away from the country as possible.

Most Inspirational Moment

The history of the country was fascinating and having travelled North to South you see and feel what a war torn history has done to the country. It is however only after a visit to the war remnants museum in Saigon that everything is hit home in a graphic and shocking form.  What is most remarkable is that even after the turbulent lives a lot of the Vietnamese have lead they retain their resilience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hai was great, he made every effort to ensure we took as much away from the trip as possible.  He was very witty and sociable and played a bit part in the experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and a give it a go attitude, it is a developing country so you will see and hear things that may differ vastly to what you are used to.  The optional activities were some of the highlights for me, if you don't do the bike rides your experience will be very different and less rewarding.

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Reviewed December 2013

CYCLING VIETNAM

Our first but definitely not our last cycling holiday. Such a great way to see a country and get close to the people. Exodus made sure it was a totally stress free experience, great holiday.   

Most Inspirational Moment

The 489m climb up Hai Van pass was a good challenge. All of our "cycling family" made it to the top and there was a great feeling of camaraderie.  Fantastic scenery on the way down and a great feeling of achievement.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danh is the man. He ensured we were safe at all times and that we got the very most from our Vietnam experience. A complete professional and a very cheeky chap.       

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light and don't worry to much about having bike time under your belt, the trip caters for all levels of cycling ability.  

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Reviewed November 2013

HIGHLIGHTS OF MOROCCO

As a highlights tour this was a good 2 week whirlwind tour of the country. From the hustle and bustle of the northern cities, down to the African south and the beautiful Atlantic coast, this is a good introduction

Most Inspirational Moment

Having the final morning to learn more about how the locals live. We where presented with the chance to do some proper Moroccan cooking, from going with the Riad hosts to the local market, picking very fresh food, including 2 live chickens that where slaughtered and prepared while we watched. This was a real chance to see the culture of the Berber community

Thoughts on Group Leader

He tried his best but i did feel that he was only interested in taking us shopping and spending money rather than spending a lot of time giving us more cultural and historical context. His best bit was finding us some wonderful restaurants for food.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to spend a lot of time travelling in a minibus, some of the days are long, with some breaks enrouteUse antiseptic handwash before or after mealsBe prepared to find yourself on some days spending time shopping, even if you do not want toIf you travel in the winter months, it will be cold in the mountains so be preparedThere are no swimming pools on this trip just plunge pools

Reply from Exodus

Thanks for your valued feedback. We take all comments on board and have communicated your concerns to our local operator. We are particularly concerned regarding the mention of shopping stops as this is against our policy and something that we stipulate is avoided at all costs. This is being investigated and the leader will be questioned related to this claim.

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Reviewed November 2013

CYCLE NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA & PANAMA

Brilliant way to see aspects of three countries in a part of the world of which I knew almost nothing.A lovely blend of cycling, wildlife trip, and genuine holiday (good company, very comfortable accommodation, good food, plenty to drink).

Most Inspirational Moment

 Arriving unexpectedly at the Pacific coast of Nicaragua.  When I say "unexpectedly" - we were meant to go there, but I thought we had a bit more cycling to do!  In all honesty, I didn't know the geography of Nicaragua (or much else about the country) and the whole Nicaragua section of the trip was a delight. But hitting the beach, after a delightful if slightly muddy stretch of off road, was a treat.  And wandering down shortly afterwards to catch the sunset with a cocktail seemed the right thing to do, too.Rounding off a cycling day in La Fortuna with a zip wire trip in the canopy that covers one of the volcanoes, and then a bathe in the hot springs (some days were pretty packed.) As a wildlife enthusiast, I felt pretty excited about my first sloths and toucans.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent,  Janiell engaged well with all of us, and led the Costa Rican team well. Outstandingly well-organised.  Two examples:  I don't think I waited as long as a minute for a room key!  When you have finished a cycling day and really want a shower, that is a great boonWhen we switched bikes in Costa Rica, all the replacement bikes were ready for our size and properly labelled: to do this for one set of bikes is good, to have it done for both sets was very slick.  Luis and Ronald dsereve a special mention : they lifted our bikes onto and from the roof of the bus so many times...

Advice for Potential Travellers

I prefer to put stuff into frame bags on my bike, rather than carry a rucksack.  In tropical heat, I would not want the extra burden of a rucksack .. but I do like to have camera, binoculars etc handy.

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Reviewed November 2013

PETRA & WADI RUM TREK

Fantastic trip that far surpassed our expectations. Wadi Rum is absolutely stunning, and to camp under the stars each night was phenomenal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen stars so bright. Add in breathtaking scenery, incredible rock formations and then top the trip off with a visit to Petra, and you have one fantastic week. And be prepared to eat a lot of flatbread!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the milky way and sleeping under the rotating stars. Seeing the treasury at Petra for the first time by candlelight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very friendly, knowledgeable and well organised, but also allowed people to enjoy the trek at their own pace.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring snack food like nuts, chocolate etc for the trek. Definitely bring a camera!

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Reviewed November 2013

CYCLING VIETNAM

A fantastic holiday with a great group  of people ( the best ever!) A wonderful way to see such an interesting country combining activity, culture,  relaxation and friendship.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the Hai Van Pass, cycling the longest bridge in Vietnam through wind and rain, Cycling 30km downhill was so exhilarating, being fed spring rolls in a restaurant, enjoying a mud bath, the cruise in Halong Bay - the list is endless!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danh was at all times aware of any danger ( especially given the unexpected flooding) He had our safety as his foremost thought at all times. However despite this level of concern he was great fun and ensured that we had as much fun as possible throughout our visit to Vietnam. He made the trip so enjoyable. Thanks must also go to Leigh our mechanic who provided so much support to those of us on the trip who found the hills challengingThank you Danh and Leigh for making our trip so enjoyable. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

To enjoy this holiday it is necessary to have a reasonable level of fitness - As we were first timers with Exodus I do not feel that this was stressed enough before we went and a little more guidance on levels of fitness prior to departure would have been useful.  

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Reviewed November 2013

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

This is a wonderful trip – we saw so many different aspects of the country throughout our two weeks, and it felt like I’d been away for far longer than a fortnight!

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the Horton Plains walk - we didn't get to see off World's End due to the fog, unfortunately, but the entire walk was lovely. Climbing Lions Rock was also brilliant - I'm glad I made it to the top, despite finding the walk up a little tiring!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan is a great leader - always ready with a joke (which may or may not be a 'good' joke), and clearly passionate about his job and the country. He was able to answer pretty much all of the questions we threw at him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Other reviews have said this already, but there are an awful lot of buffet restaurants during this trip, as most of the hotels are located away from cities/towns and there aren't any other options. This was totally fine for me, and the buffet food is great, but be aware that most of the time the only option is to eat with the group. Remember to change money early on during the free day in Kandy - we left it too late and the banks/money exchanges had shut for the day. ATMS are plentiful, but banks don't seem to be at the half way point of the holiday (e.g. when I was running out of currency).

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Reviewed November 2013

ESSENTIAL PERU

A very interesting and varied trip, though more tiring than we had expected. Our tour guide/leader was absolutely superb.

Most Inspirational Moment

Was it one of the obvious things, such as flying over the Nazca Lines, or standing at the top of Machu Picchu, or perhaps being "buzzed" by a condor? These were all memorable and rank among life's "unforgetables"; but dancing in traditional dress by the light of an open fire, to the music of three local people is a strong contendor for most inspirational. We also went on the Rainforest Extension, so we have to add in the sound of Howler Monkeys at sunset as another amazing moment - it was hard to believe we weren't listening to the sound-track of a science fiction movie.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We cannot sing his praises enough. His knowledge was encyclopaedic; he was delightful, tactful, caring in equal measure and had an excellent manner with the group which meant we were all very cooperative. Seek out Jhonn (sic) Smith if you can.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our only reservation with this trip (and the reason for the Very Good rating rather than Excellent) is that we don't think Exodus were sufficiently explicit about the amount of time to be spent in busses and the impact of altitude. Certainly there are warnings about both these things in the trip notes, but we feel they are "played down". Nearly every day was a very early start; most nights were one-night stays so it was impossible to unpack and difficult to do laundry; and the altitude made it all that bit more exhausting.We very much recommend the trip, but please go into it knowing what you are taking on. 

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Reviewed November 2013

CYCLING THROUGH RAJASTHAN

My first time on a cycling holiday and it exceeded my expectations! A brilliant way to see Rajasthan – the beautiful cities and rural villages at the perfect pace.

Most Inspirational Moment

Making it up the hill to our hotel in Kumbhalgarh, riding into Sariska National Park, the Taj Mahal at sunset.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish was great! A lot of fun but still ran a smooth, organised tour. The team really complemented each other - Manish was the best motivator when I was cycling at the back and the driver/assistant/mechanic trio were so helpful and friendly! They all had pretty great dance moves too, which didn't hurt!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this tour! I was really nervous about the cycling being only a very casual fair-weather cyclist at home but with moderate fitness and a positive, fighting attitude the cycle days were nothing to fear, and by the end I was sad to say goodbye to my bike! The comments about aggression from some rural villages are fair but we were always warned when approaching and went through together. But the vast majority of people are so excited to see such wacky tourists and genuinely curious about you, we even had our picture in the local paper!

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Reviewed November 2013

EVEREST BASE CAMP

The trek to Everest Base Camp was awe inspiring and beyond my wildest dreams.  There are no words in the English Language that can describe the enormity of my thoughts and feelings about this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trek is inspirational in its entirety but the first sight of Everest and Abu Dablum, to mention but a few, is a truly magical moment and took my breath away. I loved the villages and Nepalese people and the three hour climb to Namache Bazar was well worth the effort.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Pasong, was knowledgeable and patient. He took time to get to know the team and he, and his team of guides, knew just when help or encouragement was needed and provided it in equal measures.  They were all true professionals, without whom I would not have been able to complete the challenge.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really just to go without any preconceived ideas.  Obviously do all the practical stuff that is suggested in the guide notes from Exodus and do travel light.  I could not have done without wet wipes and two fantastic merino wool base layers.  

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