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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Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Reviews

Reviewed November 2011

THE ZAMBEZI VALLEY

A great holiday if you want to get back to nature.  I really loved being on the river, although at times it wasn’t for the faint hearted!  Dodging the hippos in particular at times could be nerve wracking although the leader (CB) gave us confidence that he knew the best routes to take.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably seeing a family of elephants swimming from one bank of the river to an island and helping the smallest elephant both get across the river and get on dry land.

Thoughts on Group Leader

CB was very experienced and gave us confidence that he had our safety forefront of mind at all times.  He was also very knowledgeable about the wildlife and had a good sense of humour.  A difficult job that he carried out really well.  Carlos was the trainee leader and was very knowledgeable, but not always at the rear of the group which is where he should have been!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is really back to basics, so expect to be fairly dusty most of the time - take lots of baby wipes!  Also hippo dodging takes a little getting used to - I found it a bit of a 'Jaws' experience at times, but got more used to it as we went through the week.  I probably would have enjoyed the trip even more if I had been a little fitter as the paddling was fairly strenous at times, particularly when the wind got up.

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Reviewed November 2011

HIGHLIGHTS OF BOTSWANA

Wilderness and wildlife at it’s best without too much of the other stuff thrown in. A fantastic trip with lots of opportunity for wildlife sitings and being at one with nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

This was a question we kept asking ourselves as the trip went on and we never managed to pin point one moment. Some of the moments for me were:1. watching a young leopard lounge around in a tree - it felt as if he was looking straight at me!2. watching three lionesses interact with two cubs as the sun started to drop3. an elephant almost taking a swim - he just about got his shoulders in!4. spectacular sunsets and a spectacular electric storm!5. watching the pied kingfisher from a swimming hole in the delta

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam, Jame and Bruce made a good team. Sam wasn't well for the first few days of our trip but he struggled on and came into his own after starting some antibiotics. Sam clearly knows his stuff and the trip ran smoothly from start to finish. Jame is the gentle giant of the three and a true wildlife enthusiast. Even after hours of driving on challenging roads Jame would always stop if an animal was spotted and position the truck to ensure we got the best viewing and pictures possible. Jame never rested unless everything was in order. Bruce always had a smile on his face and was happy to put the kettle on for us at all times (even in the heat of the day!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

A Zambian visa was extremely easy to purchase at the border so don't worry about getting one before.When heading into Savuti and Moremi ensure you have enough cold drinks (as well as water) to last as there are no shops in between. If you get fed up of drinking water then get some drink powder from Shop Rite (supermarket). This is easy to carry and a little like squash when added to water. The mixed berry flavour is particularly pleasant.Take your swim kit into the delta as the swimming hole is a great alternative to no shower!Although we were advised to keep buying 5 litre water bottles, most of the water in Botswana seemed ok to drink - the guides were actually quite excited about the water in savuti and it did indeed taste goodIt was very hot in October, between 38-42 most days and above 30 at night. We discovered that wearing a wet T-shirt or havinga  wet scarf / towel around our necks helped prevent us from overheating at the hottest points of the day and dried very quickly.walking boots weren't needed - trainers were sufficient in the delta and sandals everywhere elseA light sleeping bag was totally sufficient and even that was too much at times. A cotton sheet or sheet liner would have been usueful.

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Reviewed November 2011

SIERRA DE AITANA TREK

An excellent holiday with some great walks in the Sierra de Aitana. All the accomodation was very comfortable and food was also excellent. The guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Some fantastic ridge top walks wit incredible views across to the Mediterranean

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guide was local to area and very knowledgeable about the environment we were walking in. He was celarly enthusiastic and passionate about the area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walking days are fairly long (7- 8 hours) so make sure you are fit enough.

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Reviewed November 2011

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF EVIA

Fabulous laidback trip, great scenery and coastline, varied walking with plenty of swimming opportunities – and fantastic food!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing up to the Roman Imperial marble quarries to see 10m marble columns, completed and 'ready for shipping' scattered about the hillside. Views out over the harbour, Med sparkling in sunshine. Sitting on our hotel balcony sipping coffee at sunset, watching the little fishing boats chugging in and out of harbour

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thanos was a warm and friendly group leader, full of stories about Evia, both recent and ancient, bringing Greek mythology to life, and giving us a sense of how long the island has been inhabited, and the different peoples who have lived there

Advice for Potential Travellers

Food is fabulous, don't expect to lose any weight!!

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Reviewed November 2011

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

What a unique fusion of culture, cycling and great company!-This holiday had everything that can be fitted into two very full weeks. A classic experience.  

Most Inspirational Moment

What inspired me most was the sheer resourcefulness and drive of the less-affluent locals, who seemed very much in harmony with their surroundings.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wassan oversaw the holiday in an apparently seamless manner, always at hand if necessary. His knowledge of the locals proven invaluable in securing a great holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Arrive with an open mindLaundry can be done on route.Don’t be put off with the amount of cycling-its paced with plenty of breaks-and there are contingencies.

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Reviewed November 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

Very enjoyable but summit trek was tough.  Relieved to get to the top.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing on the summit definitely, with the rest of the group.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Joseph was excellent.  Young but very confident and dealt with everything in a calm and efficient manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be fooled by the fairly easy going first 6 days.  The climb up to the summit is hard work because of the cold, lack of sleep the evening before and  altitude.  But you will get there eventually.  Just keep putting one foot in front of the other!

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Reviewed November 2011

ATLAS PANORAMA

A nice mix of city and country with minimal time on a bus. The walking is at a relaxed pace on uneven ground. There are a few hills and some small streams to cross using stepping stones.    

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking down on the rock coloured villages with their green fields and trees between barren looking hills. Seeing the goatherds sitting out alone in those hills watching their flocks.  In the city the Medersa is a must see if you have any liking for Islamic architecture. The souk is calm as souks go, the light streaming in strips through the roof onto the colours of the stalls was beautiful.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Clearly an experienced group leader, organised but relaxed. He understands the English well and has a very English turn of phrase.He judged the weather well and adjusted the order of the walks so that we went on the longer walk to the lake on a sunny day and then had a short morning walk and did the visit to the local kasbah owners for tea when it was wet and blustery.He kept a very steady walking pace on all days. He provided information on the local plants and rocks if people were interested.     

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is the easiest walking trip in Morrocco. For a healthy active person it will be relaxing outdoor holiday. However parts would be challenging if you are not sure of your balance on uneven terrain as the ground can be slippy due to the makeup of the rocks and soil, there are stepping stones to cross streams and there is one fairly short but narrow ledge to walk along.Weather wise we were lucky. The advice to bring clothes for all types of weather at the end of October is valid.  The torch is for the longest walk - just in case your group does not get back before dark. Their days get shorter too.

Reply from Exodus

Please be assured that it is very rare for two groups to take part in the same walk on the same day. Due to unpredictable weather during this particular departure, a walk had to be changed for one of the groups and although they tried to do the walk in reverse, there were sections where both groups were walking together.

Exodus will make every effort in future to avoid a similar situation in the future.

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Reviewed November 2011

THE ZAMBEZI VALLEY

The trip was totally amazing – I enjoyed every moment. Although, I have never done either camping or canoeing, I really loved both.        

Most Inspirational Moment

Every moment was inspirational. :)

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK was a fantastic and extremely knowledgeable guide. Both him and Oscar took very good care of us. We felt safe, relaxed and our tummies were constantly full.      

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try to avoid Nairobi airport so if you can, fly BA. If not, you can kill time at the Java café, this is the only place which will help you survive the waiting time. If you fly through Nairobi, be also very careful not to miss your flight to Lusaka. When we were there, no announcements were made that the boarding started.  The things I found most useful were gloves, head torch and mosquito bands.You really do not need to take or buy any snacks, there is no chance to get hungry. 

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Reviewed November 2011

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

I was going to give this trip 4 stars but to be honest I couldn’t think of any reason why it doesn’t deserve 5 stars as it was an amazing holiday.
This was my first holiday of this type and it really was ace, I was lucky enough to be there with 7 other guests that were pretty awesome, we all got on pretty well and had a bit of friendly banter between us all.
I basiically put this down as a holiday of a lifetime and I will be doing more exodus trips based on how much fun I had on this one.

Most Inspirational Moment

On day 2 we had a 26 kilometer climb followed by a 30 kilometer decent, tbh I was a bit worried about the climb as I had never done anything like that before, I didn't need to be worried, the way I felt standing next to the tizi n test pass sign is unexplainable, a true highlight of my life so far, and the realization that I am cabable of that was off the chart. This is just one inspirational moment, there were lots. :)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Ritchie was ace, he loves cycling and bikes so this wasn't just a job to him, he was very passionate about cycling, would spend his lunch breaks doing running repairs to keep the bikes in ship shape condition. He was also very good at inspiring you to get the best out of yourself, if you were happy taking in the scenery, he would leave you to it but if you like to push yourself out of your comfort zone and work on your technique and fitness he would see this and give you endless hints and tips and get you to challenge yourself. he even had a few of us having a little drafting race with each other that left us all buzzing like never before :) I would also like to add that we met the atlas decent leader Liz one night and her enthusiasm matched Ritchie's, it is very clear these guys just love what they do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would say just do it. I took my own shoes and pedals but don't feel this is necessary, it was my personal preference but plenty of people did it with trainers just the same. There's not to much I can say about the required fitness for the trip, it is a cycling holiday after all but peice of mind can be had with the knowledge that you can sit in a backup vehicle any time, but, and this is a big but, the fitter you are then you are more likely to get to the checkpoint first which gives you the first choice of the ace Moroccan chocolate bars.

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Reviewed November 2011

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

The 6 day trip culminating in ascending Kilimanjaro was the best thing i ve ever done in my life-the very hardest but the most special.The team looking after us just could not have been more generous in their time energy and spirit.They were proud of their country and wanted us to have the best time we possibly could- and we did!

Most Inspirational Moment

To be walking and constantly be shadowed by Kilimanjaro was exciting and nerve wracking.The whole group knew we were gearing up to the summit night but we all enjoyed every day leading upto that time.Walking slowly all day and coming into camp-the smell of deliciuos food and the thought of a cosy tent was a great feeling.I was inspired by the team looking after us- The African Walking co -the leaders were heavenly-caring for us all and helping in every way posssible to get us nearer to our goalThe whole trip was inspirational-all our individual efforts to overcome challenges-be they sickness,fatigue,worry or doubt-all the efforts from the team behind us-the wonderful scenery and amazing lanscapes.100% inspiring!!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henry Fernandez was a legend!!! A kind gentle responsible caring chap-who we learnt had trained to be a Priest-the church s loss was our gain!!!he headed a team of wonderful leaders-Davis-the most gorgeous kind funny and thoughtful man that I could have walked for days with,Jonath-dear and kind.John-interested and interesting considerate and gentle.Obote-my hero-without whom I would not have made it up that darn mountain!!!!-and many more-caspar and Trophid the chef-but really the whole team-from the all important toilet monitor-who carried it and serviced it the whole trip!-to ALL the cheery hardworking porters.What did I think of them all??? I LOVED THEM!!!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really dont fret or worry beforhand.As long as you are fairly fit and well you will be fine-unless altitude sickness picks you off-and that just random.A lot of the achieving is down to attitude-and there are times you must dig deep but its all possible.camping is a challenge-be organised-take as little as possible-you will wear pretty much the same every day! Wet wipes -always useful.Favourite snack and sweets -and I took Marmite-that got me through!!!Dont fixate on THE SUMMIT-enjoy EVERY bit of the trip-it flies by and you probably wont repeat the trip-so enjoy every day.Appreciate all the effort that is being made for you-and shoe that gratefulness to the team.Good boots,warm layers and positive mental attitude-thats all you need!!

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