Most Inspirational Moment
That hill
Thoughts on Group Leader
The best. 10 out of 10
Advice for Potential Travellers
No need to have massive breakfasts. The snacks come throughout the day
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Beautiful island, great cycling
This is a wonderful trip. The landscape is beautiful, nature everywhere, monkeys, birds, even elephants and crocodiles. Gentle people, interesting history. Cycling started with 2 easy days then the build up to the big hill after the rest day in Kandy. All those who started the hill finished it and were glad to have done so – but it is a long hard day. The second week has a visit to Yala safari park which was terrific and a day and a half on the beach – optional whale watching. The guide Suresh is the best leader I have come across by a distance. The way he organises everything brings us into the heart of the country and its people. Super efficient use of time at tea stops etc by his use of a group kitty. And supported by a greedily and very practiced team. And no bus time until the second week. We cycle from hotel to hotel. Hotels variable but fine. Food is good and plenty of it.
The Best Way to Experince Sri Lanka
We have just returned from cycling the back roads of Sri Lanka with Exodus. Quite wonderful… a lot of miles across multiple landscapes on very good bikes staying in great accommodation, eating local food all managed & led by an exceptional guide. A joy every day with so much seen and experienced.
Most Inspirational Moment
The views heading up to the highest town on the island, the happiness of the children and people we encountered on the way, the sense of achievement at the end of every day!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Suresh has been leading this trip for many years and as a result has fine tuned so many of the experiences - knowing where best to stop to enjoy a view or where refreshing tea / fruit or ice cream might be required. His relationship with all the local people and owners & staff of places where we stopped shone through and made everything we did feel happy and safe, as well as a treat.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The point of the trip is to cycle and there are some big days….I was pleased to have my own saddle!
Wonderful journey!
From start to finish this tour was just fantastic, packed with activities that made us feel like we had been here a month. the tour guide Roberto runs a slick efficient operation with his co-workers Paul an Luis, nothing was a problem whatever you asked.
Most Inspirational Moment
For us there were many, staying at the biological station and visiting the national park of Tortugera, the wildlife was fabulous.if you're a bird enthusiast then your in for a treat!!!I saw more than 20 different exotic species up close, hummingbird,toucans and parrots galore. Sloths, iguanas, monkeys...to name a few All the guides that took us around were knowledgeable about the habitat.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Roberto is a very professional,kind, respectful gentleman with an abundance of local knowledge. He's considerate to all the different levels of fitness in the group and nothing was to difficult a problem to solve. He's also has a fantastic sense of humour 😃
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take plenty of sun screen as it's hot🥵and it costs a lot of money to buy here.Also bring insect repellent,none of us were bite free You can drink the local water which is a bonus...and it tastes nice. Nobody suffered any upset stomachs.
A fantastic week of winter activities in Finland
We’ve just returned from the Wilderness Week at Basecamp Oulanka and it’s been brilliant. I can’t believe that we managed to pack so much into one week. As complete novices to wintersports we weren’t sure how we’d fare but wanted to give them a try, which we did and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The tuition from Elina, Martti and the team was really good, they are a really friendly team and were happy to ensure that we got the most from the trip. For example Elina gave my wife a one to one lesson in cross-country skiing after she had to miss the group session. The food was lovely, including some traditional Finnish dishes and plenty of it too. The accommodation in the cabins was warm and comfortable and we were supplied with all the kit we needed, which included three sets of boots to cover all the activities.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the trip to anyone after an active holiday, as I have done to all our friends.
Most Inspirational Moment
For me, I would say that three activities were my favourites. Firstly, the dogsledding was really memorable gliding along through the snow behind seven huskies. Secondly, the chance to try some ice climbing was a treat even if I'm not likely to repeat it at 70 and thirdly, racing ice karts was really good fun with the competitive spirit kicking in big time. I'm sure that my wife would add spending a night in the Quinzee we built in -20C to that list.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Elina, Martti and the team were really first rate with their tuition and helpfulness as I've said. They were all really sociable, informative about flora and fauna and Finnish history and customs all of which go to make the holiday enjoyable. All of the organisation was first class and all the excursions and externally provided activities went like clockwork.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Not particularly save that when the trip notes say that all kit will be provided it will be and good quality it is too.
You have to go!
Where do i start…..what an amazing country – Sri Lankan people were welcoming and felt completely safe, everything is spotless, food delicious, sun shines brightly, amazing wildlife, amazing contrasts of environments, great guides and best group anyone could ask for!
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved watching the leopards mating ritual - whole half hour in open grassland. The bit when they were play flirting with each other and she lay down and wrapped her tail gently around his head and he just purred and smiled. Loved that.
Thoughts on Group Leader
both excellent plus the driver and bus sanitiser and temp man
Advice for Potential Travellers
dont need leech socks - the rainforest hotel supply them. You dont need to get much cash from the airport in Columbo - £180 per person will be enough. There are atms towards the end.
Nile Cruise - Premium December 2021
A fantastic journey for anyone wishing to immerse themselves into the ancient Egyptian culture.
Thoughts on Group Leader
We were really fortunate to have a tour guide who explained very clearly the itinerary for tour on the first morning. The tour & excursions are full-on with lots of sites to visit and information to absorb. Sayed is an excellent tour guide and should be voted as the best tour leader for Exodus for his professionalism. Many thank Q’s to Sayed who made our journey a wonderfully interesting experience, full of knowledge & fun times from dawn to dusk.
utterly brilliant trip!
Sri Lanka on a bike – was outstanding. This was our 5th trip and it certainly was one of the best so far- the country is beautiful, the people so friendly and the cuisine was delicious. The trip was made even better by the outstanding tour leader – Ruwan was so organised, considerate and knowledgeable about so many aspects – his country, religion, wildlife, plants, demographics -we can thoroughly recommend this trip.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ruwan was fabulous - so attentive to everyone's needs and a lovely person too!
Costa Rica January 2022. 1st trip post Covid.
There were a couple of memorable highlights over two weeks that involved a lot of travelling by bus. However, the point of the trip was to cover a lot of ground to get a broad experience of what Costa Rica has to offer, and that was achieved. Apparently, it was the first time this trip had run since Covid and lockdown, and the guide told us to ignore the trip notes as they were out of date. That wasn’t always the case, but it gave the impression that the guide didn’t know what to expect at each destination and whether advertised activities would go ahead. In some places, it was evident that things needed some updating. The Caribbean side in Cahuita had clearly suffered due to the dramatic fall in tourism, and accommodation facilities were very poor as a result. But this will be an issue everywhere, no doubt, and it’s a case of managing expectations.
If you need an escape in 2022 then Costa Rica is certainly a safe, sunny and visually beautiful place to visit.
Most Inspirational Moment
Without a doubt it was the Pacific side at Drakes Bay Wilderness resort. It feels quite remote, takes an hour and a half boat journey as there is no road access, and the place itself is wonderfully understated. The food is fabulous, all included in the price, and the staff are really great; helpful, relaxed, and as local folk very knowledgeable about the area and its flora and fauna. I would have spent half the trip there easily. There are many activities available though for 3 nights, 2 full days, we could only do two, snorkeling and a waterfall walk in a newly protected (since the seventies) coastal rainforest.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Knowledgeable, a bit mechanical in his delivery, and on this trip, he said his first as a tour guide in over a year, lacking essential understanding of a duty of care beyond Covid rules. Without unnecessary detail an incident occurred where one client verbally abused another in a very intimidating and threatening manner, in public and in front of the tour leader, driver and group, and although the tour guide agreed that it was unacceptable behaviour, he did nothing to address it or remedy it and as a result of ignoring that behaviour it made for a very bad atmosphere throughout the trip. When you are expected to travel with x number of total strangers for several weeks, often eating together, doing activities together, and in this case, spending long periods of time travelling together then being aware of the importance of setting clear boundaries in terms of acceptable, and unacceptable behaviour is vital in supporting a clear code of conduct. This didn't happen, and no responsibility was taken on the part of the tour leader to address it. These things do need to be nipped in the bud to avoid unpleasant atmospheres; in the case of intimidation, bulling etc of one client by another, it is the tour leader that must lay down the rules. There should be something in traveller documentation in terms of behaviour expectations, but I couldn't find anything.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I did everything, walks etc, wearing a pair of crocs so you could save packing space and leave your walking boots behind. Unless you are a big SLR camera enthusiast, then if you've got a good camera in your phone, just use that. I've never just used my phone before, as I've always used my SLR with several choices of lens, but it broke a few days before I left, so I had no choice. Photos were great. Bring good binoculars as there will be a lot of birds, monkeys and that elusive sloth hidden away high in the trees.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Phyllis for her review, although we are very sorry that she was disappointed with aspects of the leadership of her tour. Alejandro is a very experienced and knowledgeable tour leader, who has recently started leading for Exodus, and the general feedback we have received about him has been overwhelmingly positive. Having discussed the incident with him, we are satisfied that Alejandro followed the steps we would expect from our tour leaders on the rare occasions incidents such as this occur. However, we will continue to closely monitor the feedback we receive from clients who join his trips to ensure that he is meeting our expectations on every departure he leads.
We regret that the accommodation in Cahuita fell below expectations, as this is not the type of feedback we expect to receive. At the beginning of each season, our product managers and local managers use client and staff feedback to review each property used on this tour, and if any concerns are raised by clients throughout the year or identified by our staff who have also stayed at the properties, these will be addressed and dealt with accordingly. We cannot recall receiving similar feedback to Phyllis’ previously but, as this trip has only recently resumed, we are very grateful for her comments and will endeavour to ensure that any issues with this property are addressed ahead of future departures.
Malcolm Parkinson – Product Manager
True Wilderness Experience
You really are in the middle of nowhere. The silence was deafening. The Northern Lights obligingly came out at least a couple of nights during the week – they look better through a lens I discovered. The rooms are basic and surprisingly warm – underfloor heating seems to work for the most part even though the temperature outside remained stubbornly well below zero for the majority of the week.
The scenery was breathtaking, not exactly mountainous but with so much snow around there were plenty of picture postcard moments. Winter clothing is provided, but the fashion conscious snowshoer (is there such a thing) might be disappointed. It works, that’s all you need to know. There are many prepared trails in the area and walking solely on them could have proven to be a bit boring, but thankfully our leader, let’s call him M, was happy to go ‘off piste’. The walks were a little shorter than I would have liked and the current itinerary is definitely aimed at the beginner. However the last walk of the week – along and around the Little Bear Trail was simply stunning. Sitting around a campfire at lunchtime slurping some piping hot soup from a flask definitely was a plus in my books.
There are optional activities on offer – snowmobiling is a definite must for any boy(or girl) racers out there. The visit to the reindeer farm lacked a certain something . . . speed. The reindeer ride was definitely underwhelming – if they’d gone any slower we’d have been travelling backwards. Just as well then that the course was very short indeed. Ruka is the closest urban centre which offers limited but floodlit downhill skiing and a host of winter activities including cross country skiing (it’s compulsory in Finland), ice karting and fat biking.
Back at basecamp the sauna and hot tub is a good place to unwind at the end of the day, and rub snow all over yourself in between – you’ll only do that once! Food in the evening is excellent and there’s plenty of it. Drinks are pricey, but this is Scandinavia.
Overall a relaxing week away from the hectic life back home. No masks (within basecamp) and if you can leave that phone or tablet alone you really can forget about all that ‘covid stuff’. Anybody can snowshoe – only your stamina dictates how far you’ll want to go. Enjoy.
Wildlife Superstore
This trip surpasses all other wildlife trips I have been on, in that so much wildlife is seen on every excursion that it is almost impossible to go home at the end of each day disappointed. Wildlife seems to be guaranteed. Its like going into a wildlife superstore and witnessing all that nature wants to provide. The trip was well put together but there are a few long travel days so be prepared. The hotels were mostly comfortable with great facilities. The food was excellent and our guide and driver fantastic.
Most Inspirational Moment
the sheer amount of wildlife available for us to see especially at Tortuguero and Cahuita the remoteness of Drake Bay getting to see the quetsal, when it is like finding needle on a haystack
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alejandro was fantastic, kind, so informative about nature and could spot a bird in a tree from a mile off. We had a problem person in our group and he managed her with such professionalism, our driver Carlos spoke great English and was fantastic throughout. They made a great team.
Advice for Potential Travellers
pack some things to do on the long travel days. bring more than one costume, they dont always dry in the humidity, its cold ,4 degrees , waiting for 2 hours for the quetzal, wrap up warm. go on the direct flight from uk to san jose and get to see san jose, some lovely places to see there.