Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments during the trip. It was my frist trip to India - and the rich diverse culture simply grabs you from the moment you arrive and enthralls you until you leave.There were many wonderful things, from walks in nature reserves and tea plantations, elephant rides, cruising the backwaters in a houseboat and by Canoe.., ancient and exotic Palaces and Temples, tuk tuks crammed with school children ( I mean at least 10!) all beaming and excitedly waving at you as they pass by, and now I'm onto that - the chaos of the roads - which actually seems to work - from the many tuk tuks, buses, wagons, carts, rickshaws, vespas, and yes elephants all vying for space, watching wild elephants grazing on rich grasses, sampling the excellent food which is just waiting to be explored - and sample I did! We even met a local family and cooked with them to learn how to make some of Keralas dishes and Paratta!Probably the most thought provoking was our day trip to the southern most tip of India. We took a ferry over to an offshore rock where we had two very significant views: Looking South, the meeting of three waters: The Indian Ocean, The Bay of Bengal and the Sea of Arabia.  Nothing between you and the Antarctic.  Looking North, the town of Kanyakumari and the start of the landmass of the subcontinent of India - and the rich, colourful, noisy, kaleidoscopic and charmingly chaotic life of 1.2 Billion Indians.I really appreciated that I could do so much and get so involve in the local culture and activities, which is down oto the fact you are going with Exodus - who know the country inside out and have the logistics and ideas of where to go thoroughly reseached / tried and tested.  There is room in the itinerary for you to decide if you want to relax or if you want to explore some more.  You can tailor it to what you want within your group.  The important thing is you can place all your trust with the Group Leader and waste no time in figuring out logistics / systems. You just get to immerse yourself and enjoy India to the fullest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Touffique was exceptionally friendly and really good with the whole group. He kept us on track and was really helpful throughout the trip.  The itinerary was already exciting, but he always had "a plan" - for some additional adventures - which I readily did and was so glad to do so...... Nothing was a problem for him and he went out of his way to make sure the trip was enjoyable and memorable for us all. He managed to strike a good balance of being informative but also not making you feel like you were on a school field trip and will be tested afterwards :-). Overall a very good Group Leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take hand sanitiser just to be sure, and use before you eat. It is not that people are "dirty" there, it is simply the fact that naturally you are exposed to bugs you are not exposed to in the cooler climbs of Northern Europe. I used Vicks First Defense hand foam, and did not experience any stomach upset at all.  Other than that, take a deep breath, and get ready to immerse yourself in one of the big adventures of our life.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling the quiet coastal roads with spectacular views.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ana was really great. She was experienced in organizing our tour, arranging meals together and is sociable and fun. She was also a good bike mechanic when necessary and able to adjust our itinerary to accommodate some rainy weather.

Advice for Potential Travellers

October may not be the best month to go. We had quite a lot of rain.

Most Inspirational Moment

That first sighting of the lions a family too !! with  cubs, how aww struck to see them playing trying to get up a tree with Mum at the top sleeping. That is what I came to see the cats !We also saw a great moment with a giraffe approached a leopard sleeping in a tree, it nudged its tail so the Leopard looked up and just watched the giraffe walk on, great to see. I saw the big 5 in the environment they should be in and that to me is just fantastic to witness.As a group we had some really funny moments and that will stay with me fantastoc memories thanks to all for that!!Exodus run a great trip and I would travel with them again!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jacob was fantastic, you couldnt ask him a question he didnt know the answer too. He was entertaing and very helpful the best guide by far I have ever come accross.  The rest of the crew was just as good Simon the cook amazing creations in the middle of nowhere!! and always gave alternatives to those that needed them! Kennedy the driver/Mechanic dealt with every hurdle the rough terain through at us, 2 shock absorbers, 2 tyres and a gear box (this did require a new truct, but Exodus were on it straight away!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are thinking about it dont do it!!  So much fun this trip the crew and group made it even better if that is possible!

Most Inspirational Moment

We had no idea we would be climbing mountains and to find that we could and did on most of the days was ( although challanging, a satisfying and inspiring experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Patient and encouraging. quitely confident and very experienced and respected by the local community with whom she had a great working relationship.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Despite discussions with local agent I was not prepared for the level of difficulty of the walks. if I had been more prepared I would have taken different boots, trained more prior to the trip and taken my own walking poles ( my leader however was happy to loan me some spares)

Most Inspirational Moment

The warm up hike day was amazing, to be walking up to Tigers nest monastry and hearing the monks chanting with it echoing through the valley..just great way to start the trip!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader was great, very helpful and friendly. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy! Also ask your guide about hot stone baths in Paro, they were great! 

Most Inspirational Moment

Each cycling day had many highpoints, but for me the best day was the last one when we cycled 10k up the Danang-Hue pass, then 10k down again in torrential rain !! Ended the trip cycling through the villages as the children were leaving school.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Simply the best ! My expectations for future exodus trip have been set extremely high. Not only were Danh and his team 110% safety conscious, he also ensured we experienced a variety of excellent food and gave us extensive insight into the culture and history of the country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hotel accomodation was far better than I expected, so don't bother with a mosquito net !The markets in Ho Chin Minh sold good quality rucksacks, waterproofs, caps, casual crossbody bags plus lots more, so providing you plan to get there before midnight, you could pick up most things you need when you get there. Oh, and if you fly Malaysia airlines, carry plenty of spare clothes on the airplane with you. On the way there the baggage missed the connecting flight, and on the way back there was a 14 hour delay in KL - we were sent to a hotel for the night without luggage. Malaysia airlines don't supply sleepmasks/earplugs/toothpaste/toothbrush like most other airlines do on long haul. 

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many it's hard to choose. The wildlife, in particular the lemurs were the highlight of the trip and we were lucky to spot many different types of lemurs in the National Parks or purely whilst out trekking, it was such a thrill waking at Grace Lodge to the calls of the Indri and then seeing them close up in the wild. We enjoyed several night walks and were lucky enough to spot several Mouse Lemurs on these as well as many chameleons, frogs and so on. The walk to and through Canyon des Makis in Isalo was incredible, a walk through a dry landscape with Zebu farmers tending their cattle to rice fields and a verdant oasis with crystal clear pools. The trek to the piscine naturelle was hot and quite long but well worth it, so much to see along the way, the tombs and to learn about the history of the people. I loved driving through the Highlands in a hail storm and the 4wd drives across bumpy sandy tracks (roads) and then the ferry trips to Morondava. The first sighting of Baobab Alley was awe inspiring and I never tired of seeing the amazing baobabs. The camping in Kirindy Forest was just brilliant, I loved showering out in the forest listening to the calls of lemurs. Seeing the Fossa was so exciting too! The morning canoe trip through the gorge was so peaceful, amazing colours on the rocks and seeing the tombs of the first inhabitants of Madagascar. The trek and climb using harnesses through Grand Tsingy and over the bridge was tough and hot but so worthwhile and I felt a great sense of achievement. Tana the capital felt like home in the end, a lively city full of charm. The days we spent by the sea were so relaxing, some fabulous sunsets. I will never forget the welcome we got everywhere, children running out and waving to us, the whole trip is inspirational!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sol was a fantastic group leader who told us all about the history of Madagascar, the people, the wildlife and the places we visited. I spotted a large bird when we were driving in separate 4x4's which I described to him later on and he was able to tell me exactly what it was which was great. He was really clear in letting us know what to bring for a night walk such as mozzie spray, head torch and so on and letting us know what we would need for a days activities and he tried to be as flexible as he could to fit in what everyone wanted to do. He was really helpful translating menus when we were choosing supper each night on arrival and in generally looking after us. I felt we were in a very safe pair of hands and would totally recommend Sol.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think you need to be reasonably fit for this trip, there were some walks which were tiring mainly due to the heat rather than the distance, you do need to make sure you are drinking lots of water all the time. There are some quite steep treks through the rainforest when spotting lemurs so you need walking boots with a good grip. There are some longer days of driving but personally I enjoyed the variety of landscapes I saw from the window, there were also frequent stops along the way for different interesting sights or for a loo stop! The 4x4 drives were through amazing countryside and villages and although we had air conditioning in our vehicle we did not feel the need to use it as we found it was just fine with the windows down. Some reviews have been critical about the trip because of a few long days driving but Madagascar is quite a big country so in order to see everything some longer days driving were necessary, it didn't detract from the trip at all for me though so don't let it put you off. There are in any case relaxing days by the beach interspersed with the driving though overall it's a busy trip, often with early starts each day and packed with exciting activities and different things to see. The trip notes to me did not do justice to the amazing things we did every day, each day was 'wow'! Bring mosquito coils to burn at night, we found them invaluable! Also although the latter part of the trip was really hot, some earlier parts of the trip were cooler so make sure you bring a fleece for evenings. Bring a good camera, a spare battery for when there is no electricity and lots of memory cards as you will need them, there is so much to photograph!

Most Inspirational Moment

Angkor Wat was the highlight of the trip for me

Most Inspirational Moment

We have seen the big 4, two kills (even though I am vegetarian, still a very good natural experience) and 5 ugly :) Many cubs! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was friendly and knew his stuff.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the "bloody" hill (it was only big in our minds!); Drinking beer on nursery stools in the road; Watching sea eagles fish; Cycling downhill through a herd of goats when I couldn't see where I was going because of torrential rain; Being entertained by Danh, whose giggle is infectious!

Thoughts on Group Leader

They don't get any better!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this trip, you won't regret it! Just ensure you are moderately fit, the rest will come with practice!