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.

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14374 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Angela Beckwith

Reviewed April 2023

Tigers, Leopards and So Much More

What an amazing holiday! We were incredibly lucky with our sightings, not only of tigers but also of leopards (I think our group had 6 individual leopard sighting by the end), wild elephants, Indian Wild Dogs, jackals and the most fabulous array of colourful birds (peacocks, rollers, eagles, vultures – the list is long!). As has been mentioned in previous reviews, there are things to be aware of with the trip, but providing your participate with your eyes open, patience and the right attitude, you will have an absolutely wonderful time: 1) Jeeps are assigned per national park, so the people you share the jeep with will remain the same throughout that national park. Our jeeps were changed up between the parks, so we had three different jeep combinations by the end. 2) If you have one jeep which is not full, the Exodus guide tends to stick in that jeep due to space and comfort. Whilst this is understandable, it does mean that some group members had much more access to the trip leader and his expertise compared to others. 3) Do not expect tigers on every drive or even every day. They can be very elusive and with all things in nature, nothing is guaranteed. We had our first tiger sighting on Drive 2 (one jeep had an amazing view of two separate tigers, the other three jeeps had much lesser views of one tiger). We then did not get another good tiger sighting until Drive 8. And then on Drive 10, the tigers decided to give the most amazing show, with 6 tigers in one day. There was a point when we were leaving Pench where we were joking that we would have to rename the trip ‘India Leopard Safari’, as my jeep had had 3 good leopard sightings and only one glimpse of the backside / ears of a tiger, but by the end of the holiday, the tigers were most definitely the star of the show. 4) As has been mentioned before, it can be difficult when the different jeeps are in different sectors of the parks and thus seeing different things. On our trip, one jeep got two incredible sightings on Day 1, whereas with the different jeep allocations between parks, it took until the very end of the holiday for two members of our group to have an equivalent amazing sighting. Some members did not get a good leopard sighting at all, whereas other jeeps got two or three. It really is just luck and you have to go with the knowledge that each person’s experience will be different. 5) There is so much more to see than just the tigers, so it is important to not get hung up on just seeing them. You can go for days without a glimpse of stripes, so take the time to appreciate the beauty of the parks and the other incredible wildlife that is available. 6) The success of the safari drives can be rather dependent on the quality of the park-assigned driver and guides, some of whom are better than others. I think that every jeep in our group had issues with their driver / guides at some point; however as these change almost every day, you just have to put it behind you and focus on the next drive. Thankfully, with 15+ drives, there is plenty of time for everyone to have the amazing encounters and experiences within the parks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the five tigers (mum, three cubs and a young male) in the waterhole at Banghavgarh was truly something special. Watching them interact and relax in the water, before coming out and walking right past our jeep was an experience I will never forget. Driving around the corner in Kanha NP and finding a leopard casually wandering down the side of the road, before crossing right in front of us and disappearing into the trees. We were the only jeep around lucky enough to witness the beautiful big cat just going about his business, thoroughly unconcerned by us. Our guide was so excited by the sighting, as leopards are very rarely seen in Kanha, which really added to the experience. Watching the pack of Indian Wild Dogs with puppies in Kahna NP, playing in the water and on the road in front of us, before heading into the trees to jump around on some fallen logs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was absolutely fabulous. His knowledge and passion for the country and wildlife was obvious and he went out of his way to ensure that we all had an amazing time on the trip and all got to experience that magical moment of the first tiger sighting. He was always in good humour and was ready to answer our questions and provide plenty of additional information on the areas and conservation activities going on around the national parks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1) Take buffs for your face and your camera equipment - the roads, especially in Bandhavgarh, are very dusty. 2) Go with the right attitude - there is more to see than just tigers and you will get out of the drives what you put in. 3) Take lots of bug spray and put it on under your clothes in the afternoon - the insects bit through clothing, especially in Pench NP. Non-DEET sprays like Incognito work well on the insects there. 4) European plug adapters worked everywhere we went. 5) Card machines did not work in all the resorts, so ensure you have cash available as well. ATMs stops can be made on the travel days between the parks. 6) Even in April, a light fleece and rain jacket were beneficial. It can be chilly in the mornings, and two of our drives were pretty much a wash-out from the rain. The jeeps are open-top, so if it rains you will be getting wet. 7) There are a lot of early mornings (4.30am early) and bumpy rides (really not suitable for anyone with a bad back). Although the trip is rated leisurely, it is not really relaxing.

Rob Beere

Reviewed April 2023

Fantastic Local Team and Great Group

What a brilliant trek. Amazing scenery. Just the right level of challenge. Wonderful mountains. No other tourists! But this trip was made by two things. Firstly, the Moroccan team led by Lahcen and Khalid were exemplary – friendly, knowledgeable, hard working, supportive. The chef produced the most incredible food in remote locations for 16 trekkers plus the local team of 5. Secondly, the group were so friendly and fun. We all gelled and I can’t remember a single irritable moment! Very highly recommended.

Most Inspirational Moment

The mountains, the local villages, seeing a totally different way of life. The campsites were in incredible locations with great night skies. The hammam at the end of the camping was unmissable. This trip was truly life affirming.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lahcen was superb. A true leader but also approachable and an excellent assessor of the group's abilities. He didn't put a foot wrong and worked very hard to make our trip special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it!

Liz H

Reviewed April 2023

An amazing country, guide and group - book now!

As most reviews say, this is a full on trip with early starts and long days – but it’s 1000% worth it. From the manic cities of HCM and Hanoi via the enchanting Hoi An, taking in spectacular mountain and sea views; paddy fields with water buffalo having a cooling dip; and the occasional just wtf weird, you feel you’ve scratched the surface of this unique country. The food was a real highlight, non meat eaters well catered for – aided by Linh letting places know how many fish / veggie options we needed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Linh, worked tirelessly to ensure the group experienced the best of the places we visited, organising some memorable lunch and dinners for the group. The lunches especially felt as though we were participating in real Vietnam and contributing to local families. Linh helped pass time on the bus telling us about the history and culture of his country and how ordinary people live. His stories of his family's history, the war and his childhood were fascinating. Extra points for telling us how to find the 'western' toilets on the overnight train.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I'd recommend arriving in Ho Chi Min city at least a day earlier than the tour start, there's so much to see, do and explore. Take some electrolyte tablets to add to water bottle when cycling. Energy bars / gels not needed though as excellent and plentiful enroute snacks provided by the 'snack kitty'. The only real opportunity for getting laundry done is in Hoi An, not a problem, just be aware and pack and wear clothes accordingly.

Angela Whitbread

Reviewed April 2023

Dream Come True!!!

An amazing trip to japan to see its wonder and it didn’t disappoint. we were blessed with incredible weather which led to the blessing of seeing Mount Fuji fully during the day and at sunset which is mesmerising. the snow monkeys also came out to entertain us in such a beautiful location. we also had sakura viewings almost every day in abundance in the warm sunshine. spotting geisha wandering along and talking to each other as they were on the way to bookings was a lifelong tick of my list!! seeing a dance show complete with a comedy section which was totally relatable even if we couldn’t understand Japanese eating the most amazing food lots I have never had before and seeing how the real people of japan eat out and drink sake.

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing geisha, Mount Fuji, the snow monkeys, the amazing food, the onsens, sakura galore and celebrating my birthday not once but twice thanks to the fabulous guides Atsushi and Naoko who arranged for a birthday cake with candles which was a huge surprise, staying in traditional ryokan's was fun and the food in them was amazing. I couldn't have wished for a better trip just wanted to stay longer

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guides Atsushi and Naoko are amazing, they couldn't do enough for everyone and were always answering any question's we had about customs and shrines/temples, suggesting places to eat and often coming with us and introducing us to some amazing food we hadn't even heard of before. sending us group WhatsApp messages and location sharing was a necessity and we had lots of links for shopping and places of interest which was invaluable. seeing them both have interactions with all group members and being very caring towards an older lady who was in need of some extra assistance was lovely. they are a good team together and new family members of mine now; we were blessed to have them. a huge thank you to them both for sharing their beautiful country with us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

don't just go for the sakura go for everything japan has to offer and try the onsens they are amazing!! The transport is so efficient and clean, the staff on the trains always look impeccably smart, its a great insight into how the Japanese people get around. There will be standing but that's expected in such a busy country it super easy to get around on your own too. I will be going back for sure as I'm now in love with japan and all it has to offer

Deborah Gibson-Smith

Reviewed April 2023

Something a little different

Never having done snowshoeing before we were not sure how easy it would be but if you can walk you can snowshoe! It was a wonderful novel way of exploring the woodlands around the basecamp with plenty of time to chill in the sauna at the end of the afternoon.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were no particular highlights but the scenary was lovely

Thoughts on Group Leader

Anton was a very good tour leader and gave us some interesting insights into the local nature and reindeer herders.

Advice for Potential Travellers

They really do provide all the clothes you need to snowshoe so it would be possible to travel on hand luggage only.

Susie Crisan

Reviewed April 2023

Albania

Albania is a gem to visit. The rugged snow capped mountains to the blue Ionian Sea, there is much scenery to take in. The small villages have character of days of old. The people are friendly and helpful. Edjon the tour guide was excellent. His enthusiasm to share his country with others was infectious. Edjon was prepared, knowing all the information to enlighten the group about Albania. His outgoing personality, individual attention when needed, and small surprises he had planned along the way kept the trip interesting. Edjon is a top tier tour guide, that we were blessed to have in Albania.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Edjon the tour guide was excellent. His enthusiasm to share his country with others was infectious. Edjon was prepared, knowing all the information to enlighten the group about Albania. His outgoing personality, individual attention when needed, and small surprises he had planned along the way kept the trip interesting. Edjon is a top tier tour guide, that we were blessed to have in Albania.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to Albania. Ask for Edjon tours.

Claire Holloway

Reviewed April 2023

The very best of Vietnam - and a Cambodia bonus

This was a brilliant trip – but “fast-paced” doesn’t even begin to describe it! Our overnight flight landed in Siem Reap at 9.30am and we were off! River cruise to see the floating fishing communities, sunset at the magnificent Angkor Wat temple, a traditional dance evening, then up at 4.30am for sunrise at Angkor Wat, three more temples, a community restaurant – then a flight to Phnom Penh to the royal palace and the chilling Killing Fields. Another flight and we landed in the madness of Ho Chi Min for the start 14 days of the most wonderful, varied and exhausting trips we have been on. You could not have a better introduction to the culture, history, geography, food and people of these two fascinating and complex countries.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to pinpoint a single most inspirational moment. Maybe sunrise over Angkor Wat, or the Ta Prohm temple slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. Or cycling through DaLat to the flower market in the early morning and realising that the hundreds of scooters really will avoid you as you ride round the roundabout. Or cycling the backroads through shrimp beds and paddy fields and finding a herd of water buffalo cooling in the water. Or Hoi An at night and all the beautiful lanterns along the river. Or sitting down for a simple but wonderful evening meal with a local family in Hue and learning more about their lives. Every part of this tour was inspirational in its own way - but the real inspiration came from the passion and huge local knowledge of our tour leader Linh and the brilliant support team.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Linh Vo was a star. Unbelievably hard working with a mission to ensure that we experienced as much of Vietnamese culture, history, food, people and places as was possible in a two week trip. His wealth of stories brought to life the reality of life for ordinary families both now and during Vietnam's war years and helped pass the many hours in the bus. We were an oversized group of 17 but no one missed any of the evening group meals, which introduced us to every kind of Vietnamese food possible. And as for the singing... Cycle-Linh you will be remembered! I'd just also like to mention our lovely Siem Reap tour guide, Raus, who looked after us so well and gave us the best possible introduction to life in Cambodia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a full-on trip so just go with the flow. Be prepared for quick turnarounds and have an overnight bag at the ready for the Whale Island and overnight train trips. The hotels are great but there is little time to enjoy them unless you miss out on part of the richness of the tour.

Barbara Thomas

Reviewed April 2023

I.ll be back!

I joined this fully booked trip as a Solo.What a fantastic experience! Full of really interesting places & sights, with a very well thought out programme, not too fast yet we got to see SO much! I can’t choose a favourite experience or sight..they were all so good. Our group gelled extremely well & that really added to the enjoyment. Hotels very comfortable too. I have to give a huge shout out to Guide Alessandro who is without doubt the best Guide I’ve ever come across on my trips. Our driver Graziano & the local Guides were excellent too. If you haven’t yet been to Sicily & you enjoy culture then you cant miss this trip, I’m thinking of repeating,😊

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose..from the medieval villages through to Temples & the breathtaking Monreal Cathedral...stunning,

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack layers & try to travel light.

Richard Buss

Reviewed April 2023

Brilliant holiday

Just returned from cycling Vietnam, what an excellent holiday we had. The group of 17 was expertly led by Linh Vo and a three person support team. The mountain bikes were in great condition and maintained each evening by the Mechanic ready for each day’s ride. The routes were generally flat and provided a great insight into life in Vietnam taking in all of the popular sights. The south of Vietnam is tropical and the weather was hot, so much so that the screen on my Garmin was burned by the sun when I left it outside for an hour, lesson learned. Linh planned the routes so that regular breaks for hydration were factored in which was appreciated by all. The driver waited ahead at each stop with chilled lime juice (really refreshing) and plenty of snacks, ensuring that everyone was adequately hydrated and fuelled. During the rides there was always a lead rider, typically Linh at the front and a guide at the rear of the group keeping an eye on the riders at the back. The hotels were good and food plentiful and varied with a couple of non-cycling days when we took in some snorkelling and kayaking. Special mention must go to our superb Tour Leader Linh who was simply amazing! He was always available and never ceased to ensure that everyone was looked after and restaurants and hotels were organised, even pitching in to serve food at stops. Early in the tour, my elderly mobile phone charging port failed leaving me without all the things we rely on them for. Linh organised for a replacement part to be sourced and a local repair which involved a good deal of additional work for him and was hugely appreciated. His enthusiasm for his country’s history is infectious and the information he provided covering everywhere we visited was really engaging. I loved hearing about Linh’s early days in a Buddhist Pergoda, his Father’s experiences during the Vietnam war, religion and daily life in Vietnam, even about his family who are charming. We cycled, laughed and sang our way around Vietnam, it was brilliant.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have travelled with Exodus many times, Linh is without doubt the best Tour Leader I have experienced.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of high factor sun screen, maybe some light sleeves for additional protection.

Jon Browning

Reviewed April 2023

Egypt Wonderful, Exodus less so.

Our family of four went on this tour in February half term 2023. The places you visit are amazing, Pyramids and Valley of the Kings especially. 19 of us on the tour, really good bunch of people and the kids all got on well. We were first time travellers with Exodus and we really expected more effort to have gone in to their planning and attention to detail in making this a family adventure as billed. In reality it’s a tour Exodus seem to resell from an Egyptian tour operator and felt like an adult tour with kids on. e.g. after the 15hour overnight train journey when clearly the group were exhausted, the guide announced that the hotel rooms weren’t ready and we were going to do the next day’s itinerary then. This completely misread the group. Often the plan for the day didn’t factor in meals or breaks at a reasonable time, e.g. on the first day we at left at 0730 but lunch stop wasn’t till 1400, lots of very hungry children. For the overnight train to Aswan they don’t use the main station in Cairo but a small suburban one. They got us to the station 3 hours before the train departure and there was only a small café that served drinks. With a bit of thought they could have easily sorted out a family friendly restaurant with toilets etc, the food on the train is pretty poor so a meal before departure would have been welcome. With some planning all of this could be fixed easily. We didn’t expect someone from Exodus to be with us, but I did expect one of their team to have built the itinerary and worked with the operator to match the vision they sell. This just didn’t seem to be the case. Exodus say they have at some point visited the hotels etc but not been on this particular tour. The Cairo hotel (Cairo Pyramids – Steigenberger) was terrible, you don’t stay in the main part which is on the website but are in old bungalows that were like a 1* motel from the 1980s. I can’t believe that anyone from Exodus has stayed in that part of the hotel and they still let people stay there. At each hotel the group were met by a local representative from the tour operator, but never managed to once get the hotel rooms sorted to match the group, e.g. those that needed three beds seemed to always get two. I realise this seems petty but at 2030 after a 7 hour coach drive you don’t want to be spending another 45mins trying to sort out hotel rooms. It would have really helped if they’d got this type of detail right. The tour operator runs a tipping kitty which Exodus say is optional. In reality it isn’t. You are summoned to pay ($45 or $25 for kids) on the first day, also children age 12 or older are adults for this and the optional tours. The tour operator was literally chasing some people around hotels to collect any missing tip kitty. Exodus have said they are going to make sure the operator knows it is optional, but I think if it’s needed they should simply add to the cost of the holiday. The tipping kitty doesn’t cover the tip for the guide which is recommended at $4/day per person. We really enjoyed Egypt but think Exodus need to step up their game on this tour to make it close to experience they say they offer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Valley of the Kings and King Tut's tomb. The latter was an option not encouraged by the guide but I would definitely do it. You just gt a ticket at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guide was good, but we felt he didn’t grasp that this tour had children on it. At times he lost his audience a bit with his descriptions at the various sites. I think, particularly in Cairo, he over sold the optional tours. I’m not sure how the tour would operate if only some of the group opted for the one of the optional tours. Overall though he worked hard.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t use the tip kitty just tip the drivers, hotel staff etc yourself. Bring $100 to $150 cash per person for optional tours etc. e.g. the Cairo Museum is optional and costs $40. You can pay on a card but they add a commission and then convert to EGP at not a great rate. Buy a Egyptian SIM card at the airport on arrival. When booking we were told family / interconnecting rooms weren’t guaranteed, in reality we never got one. As there were four of us we would have packed differently if we had known our rooms weren’t going to be close to each other. The exchange rate for EGP is much better in Egypt than the UK. All the hotels had ATMs with no commission. Make sure you take plenty of snacks each day, often there is a long time between meals. It was pretty cold in February at night, so bring warm clothes.

Reply from Exodus

We want to thank Jon for taking the time to review our Egyptian Family Adventure. This tour was developed by Exodus and the logistics are delivered by our local ground operators, though we are so sorry to read that it did not live up to Jon’s expectations of a family tour.

We include the overnight train as it is the quickest way to travel through Egypt, though we appreciate it is still a long journey and sleeping on a train is not always easy. However, the timings and organisation of this particular departure sound as though they were not in line with the needs of children, which is of course a cause for concern for us. Jon can be assured that we have discussed this with his tour leader and our local manager, as we know a family tour needs to be run differently from adult tours and this especially includes the timing of breaks. We are very confident that this has been greatly improved on subsequent departures, in line with Exodus and our clients’ expectations, though we regret that Jon’s experience was not as positive.

We were concerned to read Jon’s description of the Cairo Pyramids Hotel; unfortunately, there are currently limited choices for accommodation in Cairo for hotels due to the boom that Egypt is experiencing, but our staff visited the Cairo Pyramids Hotel in December 2022 and found the location to be excellent, and the cleanliness of the bungalow accommodation and facilities provided to be of a good standard. We are very sorry to read of Jon’s assessment of the property, however, and while we haven’t received similar feedback from other clients, we will continue to monitor comments we get about the Cairo Pyramids Hotel, and will also continue to explore alternative hotels in the area, should we feel the accommodation in Cairo could be improved on this trip.

We provide a local representative at each hotel, who is there to ensure a smooth check-in and that the right rooms are allocated based on family sizes. We are not sure why this did not go as we plan on this occasion, and are very sorry for any inconvenience caused to Jon and his family, though he can be assured that this has been followed up with our local team.
With regards to the tipping kitty, this is most definitely optional, which has been reiterated to our leaders. Egypt has a tipping culture and it is occasionally hard to know when to tip, who to tip, and how much to tip, so the kitty is intended to alleviate this confusion. The leader manages the kitty and tips where good service has been given, and he is accountable to the group for this expenditure.

Once again, we would like to thank Jon for leaving a review. We are sorry that there were aspects of the trip which left him disappointed, and we have worked on these with our local manager in order to improve this trip and match what Exodus are offering with what we are delivering. We are very confident that going forward this will be the case.

– Kashka Lantis, Exodus Product Manager

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