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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14244 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed March 2012

ANTARCTIC EXPLORER

What can I say?! The most amazing trip, far exceeding the expectations that I had held for a lifetime! Each experience seemed to surpass the last , and I hold the memory in my head each day since returning home.

Most Inspirational Moment

Zodiac cruising on a sublime cloudless day, encircling aquamarine icebergs, quietly observing a leopard seal casually lounging on an icefloe. The intense colours, the stark white of the ice and snow contrasting with the deepest blue ocean. The sound of penguin chatter and raucous calls, the soft patter of penguin feet while I sat very still on the beach, listening, absorbing and watching the astonishingly beautiful scene before me. Humpback whales breaching and the whoosh of the sea as they played out the spectacle. Hourglass dolphins accompanying the ship as we approached Cape Horn. Listening to the group leader, Shane, reading a short poem about the wandering albatross and lost sailors as we approached land at Tierra del Fuego.. Sitting with like minded people, conversing about our adventure. The feel of the ship under my feet as I stood at the bow, looking, watching and looking...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant! Shane was professional, informative, kindly and always concerned for our safety, well being and enjoyment!! Cannot speak too highly of him. Inspirational.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read up on Antarctica before you go, it will enhance your awareness of what to look for. Take more memory cards than you think you'll need. Sea sickness pills are provided and are effective( although we were very lucky - no Drake shake!). Take your time when on shore, stay still and the penguins will come to you. Take time to look, look and look... there is nowhere else on earth like this....you wont see anywhere like it and it deserves to be experienced fully. The ship is warm, you dont need outdoor gear inside! High factor suncream and moisturiser is necessary- the weather can be snowy, dry , windy, cold, sunny - protect your skin. Forget about your phone- no signal after the Beagle Channel. Its good to be able to email but dont get hung up on it- you can do that at home. And perhaps when taking photos- just put your camera aside sometimes and look around you...

Reviewed March 2012

CYCLING CUBA

I throughly enjoyed the trip, the company, the country, the history, the locals and the food and I am a VEGETARIAN!!! The local people went that extra mile to ensure that I did not have omelettes every meal. I would say htink very seriously about the time of year that you cycle as it did get very hot for me… also try and get a few weeks in the saddle before you go so as the cycling is not too ardous and you can enjoy the early starts from breakfast :-0)

Most Inspirational Moment

The fact that all cubans are cuban, the people pull together...

Thoughts on Group Leader

An absolute gem!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cycle before you go, don't pack too many items, take a lot of sun screen, take an attachment to fit on your bike to carry items such as camera. Take protein bars if you are a veggie.

Reviewed March 2012

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: DOBBIACO

Great skiing, great guide, great group and loads of food!

Most Inspirational Moment

Skiing on the last day with the gang with fab snow and no fear of the downhill!

Thoughts on Group Leader

David was a great coach and leader. Very relaxed and chatty. Always giving you tips on your posture as he whizzed up and down the group. He got the group to bond, he adjusted his teaching for the less confident and the experienced, and had a knack for getting us to the bus stop 20 seconds before the bus arrived (did he like the bus company so much that he bought it?!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do the exercises you get sent - much less pain in the first few days! Go for the fish options at the hotel - veggie options aren't the best.

Reviewed March 2012

EVEREST BASE CAMP

Wow! OMG! are just some of the expressions I found myself repeatingly saying. An absolute must, this trip combines, the magisty of the highest mt range in the world, with love & warmth of the local people & bloody hard work – at times! What you waiting for, book now!

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moments of my trip was the sunset on the peaks. Some evenings where just so blissful,I wanted to cry.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our GP was a young man with wisdom & life experiences be young his years. Playful, intuitive, professional, supportive ~ the list goes on.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a little extra cash so that you can buy your GP & support staff meals from time to time.

Reviewed March 2012

CYCLING VIETNAM

All too soon, the two weeks had come to an end. Yet whilst we were busy with the trip, time seemed to expand. Full on, always busy, but what a wonderful way to see such an incredible country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Experiencing the crazy world of Vietnamese travel - the scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, mixed in with the buses and trucks!; Seeing the beautiful scenery, the outlines of the hills of the central highlands on the skyline whilst cycling amongst the rice paddies; swimming in the warm Pacific ocean from a paradise sandy bay; tasting such fantastic and varied food; being made so welcome by all the people we met - especially the children and their calls of hello as we cycled past, "high-fiving" as we went!; 30km of downhill cycling, from hill top to river-side restaurant

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danh was simply the best! This was our sixth Exodus adventure, and all of our leaders have been superb, but Danh is a cut above in a field of excellence. His attentive dedication to his job and those in his care meant that we wanted for nothing, and with his wonderful support team of drivers and cycle mechanics backing him up, the whole trip went as smoothly as a well-oiled bike chain! His passion for, and love of his country shone through, and his encylopeadic knowledge of Vietnamese history and culture combined with his fantastic sense of humour and fun, meant there was never a dull moment!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you only ever cycle to the shops, prepare yourself for a shock! Don't let this put you off, you should still do it, but you might want to put in some practice on some inclines (or undulating terrain, as we educated Danh to refer to it!). What is difficult to prepare for is the heat - which for most of our trip was in the high 20s and more often than not into the 30s. Cycling in the sauna should do it, but your sports centre might object!

Reviewed March 2012

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

A good mix of cultural and wildlife experiences. Lots of Buddhas and plenty of birds – a few crocs and great elephant encounters.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Lion rock fortress at Sigiriya was quite amazing especially the rock paintings. You have to use your imagination to envisage the whole face of the rock covered in paintings and then marvel at the almost impossible problems that the painters must have overcome to complete their task.Riding on the neck of an elephant was magical - Hero's ears flapped against my legs and I could feel the power of his muscles moving as he carried us along beside a lake. He seemed to appreciate a good scratch behind his ears and really didn't mind me standing on his head to dismount!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was well organised, had a fund of knowledge - both of the history and the wildlife and plants, was approachable and had a good sense of humour. He efficiently sorted out a problem with the initial coach, organising a couple of minibuses and then a replacement coach during a busy day without us missing out on any of the planned programme. He was sensitive to the various needs of the group and always managed to find us a 'good-looking loo' when it was needed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A liking for reasonably hot curries would be an advantage. Rice and curry is the staple meal although more western fare was usually available. Try the red and white wine if you must but the local Lion beer is a far better alternative! The walking is easy but a good pair of walking shoes with a good grip is recommended, especially if the paths and rocks are slippery from rain I would imagine.

Reviewed March 2012

CUBAN HIGHLIGHTS RIDE

This is my 5th cycle trip (4th of which with Exodus). Done about 20 group trips such as this to dateCouple of points- Most people spent about 200 pounds (best to take GBP), generally easy to change along the way, incl in Hotels so don’t change too much up front. Everything is paid in CUC, so no option to pay in EUR/GBP (USD is not a good idea !)- Bikes were all in excellent condition, many in the group took gel saddle covers, the roads are quite bumpy !- There are 2 good (scuba) dive sites where I stopped to dive , Caleta Buena and Guajimico (day 1 and 2 on land only itinary) , although the guide didn’t seem to know much about them. Diving was generally 25 CUC (40 CUC for the cave dive near Calenta Buena), if you book thru a hotel, add 40%, so best book direct. (take your dive card !)- Most companies are moving to local guides to contain costs, they often don’t understand what westerners are interested in, so do some reading up, make it clear what you interested in, early start, see more, etc. – I generally take my own bike on trips such as these, I didn’t however on this trip and would recommend others to use the hire bikes, they’re good quality and reasonable.- The cycling is very easy, if you can cycle round Richmond Park twice in a few hours, you will sail thru this trip.- It is very hot, take plenty suncream, possibly a wide brim hat that fits under your helmet- Some Exodus trips have operators print day route maps (very useful), unfortunately this is not done here so you need to stick with the group- This trip is very short, I would recommend an extra day at the end in Havanna(Exodus do whatever flight booking you need, no issues there), I wouldn’t stay in group accommodation for extra nights tho, the group hotel is way out of town (and no character). Some stayed in Town before the trip started , and seemed to find some far more interesting/central alternatives. The group City tour is too short (and doesn’t go into any sights), and extra day following a LP walking route (or similar) should do the trickNot my best trip to date, but very enjoyable nevertheless. These cycling trips do tend to attract and interesting and fun group (from my experience), which certainly helps !

Reviewed March 2012

WALKING IN ANDALUCIA

As a much younger traveller then most who were on the trip, at 19, I found it an interesting and enriching experience. However, as with all holidays there were high and low points. Seville is an amazing city, and it has inspired me to return, because a few hours out of the day was simply not enough to explore such a jewel of history and culture. The walks were relatively easy, and had enough variety to remain interesting, and the location of the Cortijo was, while very remote, beautiful. However, the food one the first two nights was disappointing, though it did improve somewhat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Driving up winding mountain roads, right to the top of the Grazelema Mountains was certainly a high point, if slightly nerve-wracking! The vultures that flew almost level with where we were eating lunch that day was also amazing. But of course, the city of Seville was completely amazing, and I was loathe to leave after such a short time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very knowledgeable, if a little long winded. We were lucky enough to have two guides, one of whom was a native of the area, which gave an insiders view of the area. He could have perhaps been clearer about the exact nature of the walks, but overall was completely competent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its an enjoyable holiday, and if you are looking for some Winter Sun, along with activities then its perfect. However, the remoteness of the location means there is very little interaction with the local people.

Reviewed March 2012

CYCLING CUBA

Overall a very good holiday. Cycling is great way of seeing Cuban life and it justifies the numerous mojitos every evening… Some of the cycling days were a bit boring though – long straight roads with headwind and not much of a scenery to look at. Would have liked to spend more time cycling in the Sierra Maestra (day 9) and on the Northern Coast (day 13).

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling in the Sierra Maestra. The scenery was brilliant all day long and the couple of steep uphills were always followed by long downhills. Definitely the most interesting bit of cycling. The hotel up in the hills in the lush green surroundings (despite the dry season) with some of the best food of the trip made the day even better.The next day's hike in the hills visiting a small coffee farm and swimming in the river were brilliant too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Raymond was funny, well organised and gave us a very good insight into Cuban life. The drivers Jose Louis and Tomas were both great, very realiable, helpful & always smiling.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was much hotter than indicated in any temperature charts & trip notes (30-35C) most days. So it's worth taking long sleeved tops for cycling to cover from the blazing sunshine.There is very little time spent in Havana. It would be worth adding an extra day at the end of the tour to allow exploring the city on your own. It's worth keeping a camera with you while cycling - some of my best photos were taken on a saddle.

Reviewed March 2012

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

This was a wonderful trip with plenty of variety in a beautiful country, there was something for everyone.

Most Inspirational Moment

At the elephant orphanage, Sujan had reserved tables at the restaurant directly above the herd of 50 elephants playing in the river - unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was totally professional, his attention to detail and knowledge of his country was first rate. He firmly believed in responsible tourism and putting money into the local community where it is most appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do all the optional activities that you possibly can, they were all great fun .

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