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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14318 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Angela Beckwith

Reviewed September 2021

Wonderful Trip

We were one of the lucky first groups able to travel post-Covid lockdown, and what a way to re-start travel! The trip was excellent with a fantastic mixture of cities, culture, landscape and activities.

Morocco is a very diverse country, with so much to see and experience. I found the people friendly and welcoming, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Our guide, Fouad, was outstanding, as was our driver Mo-Mo, and both took such good care of our group from start to finish.

There were too many great experiences to mention them all, but the walking tours through Rabat, Fez and Meknes were all awesome – all of the local guides were so enthusiastic to share their country and knowledge with us and we were very lucky to get to experience it with them.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sleeping under the stars in the Sahara was a dream come true. We were lucky to have perfect clear skies and the Milky Way was incredibly bright and clear. Waking up early to take an optional morning camel trek out to the dunes to watch the sunrise (having already camel trekked for the sunset the previous day) and seeing the sand change colours as the light changed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fouad was absolutely outstanding. He went out of his way to make sure everyone got the most out of their trip and was constantly organising added little extras (tea and cake at a local home in the Atlas Mountains; local live music demonstration on the edge of the desert; organising for specific shops to open early so a few more last-minute souvenirs could be purchased). He was super organised and never once lost his smile and humour. He took great care of everyone, especially when a few of our group member suffered from dodgy stomachs, and made sure everyone had access to pharmacies and extra stops whenever necessary. He was truly like family by the end of the trip. Likewise, our diver Mo-Mo was such a lovely gentleman, always ready with a smile and a helping hand. He took incredible care of us in the bus and made us all feel very safe whilst on the roads.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Embrace the culture and the experiences and go with the right attitude to try everything (ride the camel, climb that sand dune, try the tagine, explore the souks). Do not go expecting 5* western accommodation, facilities or food - it is not that kind of holiday. Be prepared that, although the trip is rated "leisurely", it is not a relaxing, slow-paced trip. The holiday is pretty full on for the whole two weeks to ensure that you get the absolute most out of it and it is completely worth it.

Chris Greenfield

Reviewed September 2021

Fabulous, though in the heat of September 2021 probably more moderate than leisurely.

Breathtaking views, fabulous fresh Greek food and time (if you have the energy left) to stroll 5 minutes to a local beach at the end of each day’s walk. Our guide Charlotte (known to literally everyone on the island as Nanou, had an infectious smile, bags of enthusiasm and a motto of ‘everything is possible’ to help make this holiday memorable.
With temperatures being hotter than normal, some of the steeper ascents were a little hard work, and I’d recommend taking walking poles just to help you up and down the steepest parts of the walk to see the 700 year old Roman Columns.. The hotel is quite basic, but the water is drinkable straight from the tap as the supply comes from a stream. Your room will have a kettle and a supply of local tea and coffee, so if you hanker for a brew in your room, you can.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching 700 year old Roman Columns perched on the hillside (it felt like a mountainside), and seeing the views back down to the port of Karystos and Castello Rosso perched on an adjoining hill, that was to be our next ascent. Worth all the effort.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charlotte was excellent, and really helped make the trip memorable...on the second days walk we passed a vineyard and feigned shock that it wasn't on our itinerary to visit for the wine tasting tour...;-) For the 4th day's walk to the reach the Roman aqueduct, Charlotte rejigged our route and arranged for us to have the wine tasting tour; a superb way to end that days walk...Went above and beyond each and every day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring walking poles, even if you have never used them before, there are parts, possibly more on the descents where you will be grateful for having extra help / reassurance with your footing; mine are a cheap pair and were perfectly adequate. Walking trainers might just about be okay on the morning walk to Marmari, but for the rest of the routes, ankle support walking boots are essential. Free up plenty of memory on your phone / camera; you'll have so many opportunities to take photograph. If you have a drone, bring that too; sadly it was too windy on the walk to the Roman Columns, but I have some great images from other days. The Greek flysafe drone map can be found at https://dagr.hcaa.gr/#map_page

Julia Larsson

Reviewed September 2021

Wonderful Cornwall

A very enjoyable 6 days walking. I’ve only marked it as very good as I had rooms that looked over roof tops and air conditioning units in both hotels. Some others in the group had harbour views and very big rooms. Be aware that the Old Custom House in Padstow has stairs up and down all over the place. Quite an adventure finding your room!

Most Inspirational Moment

The north coast is stunning and the visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had Gaby and Tatty as our guides. They are exceptional young women, multi-talented, organised, caring and fun. They always had a supply of snacks and wine gums ready when required! They made this trip very special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you pre-book a taxi if you are going by train to Bodmin Parkway. There were only a couple of taxis there and they were both pre-booked. One cabby tried phoning for me but couldn't get anyone. The bus was supposed to arrive in 3 minutes and 35 minutes later we were still waiting for it. Luckily then a taxi did arrive that took me and two others to Padstow.

Vicki Barwick

Reviewed September 2021

Give the Gower a go!

Really enjoyable short break walking the Gower Coastal path. The scenery is surprisingly varied – from salt marsh to rugged cliffs and vast sandy beaches. The walking is mainly on well defined paths with a few rocky sections. There are some steep ascents (rewarded by amazing views) and descents but they are relatively short. The Gower Hotel is a great base for the trip. The staff are really friendly and there is a nice bar and restaurant. We had an excellent local guide (Cari) who passed on lots of interesting info during the walks. She was also really helpful in arranging lunches and dinners for the nights we didn’t eat at the hotel. The visit to the Gower Gin distillery (which included a very generous gin tasting !) was an enjoyable addition to the itinerary.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cari was great - extensive local knowledge and a real enthusiasm for showcasing the best the region has to offer.

Lucy Wiggins

Reviewed September 2021

Truly Amazing Experience

Chris Berry and Suzy Slaughter are two of the best guides I have had on a trip to date. They both worked so well together and looked after our large group of 14 so very well.

Chris was so full of interesting local knowledge and Suzys organisational skills were spot on while always ensuring everyone was enjoying themselves.

Both took our safety and level of walking very seriously and we had a lot of laughs and fun throughout the trip. So lovely to eat together in the evenings and the walks were just incredible and gave us a great insight into the Lake District region.

Would fully recommend this trip particularly with these incredible pair guiding us through our holiday.

Nothing was too much trouble for them and the sandwich lunches were brilliant.

The only criticism perhaps would be the current hotel uses need to be more flexible with their breakfast timing as 8.30am was too late on some days as we didn’t get back to 7-7.30pm which ate into the evenings.

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery, the walks and our guides oh and our group was all so lovely

Thoughts on Group Leader

11/10

Advice for Potential Travellers

The weather can vary so always pack waterproofs and warm clothing including a woolly hat but don’t forget your sun cream and sun hats

Nicola Peers

Reviewed September 2021

A journey around Iceland

This trip exceeded my expectations. The ever changing landscape was stunning, the food was excellent (although vegetarians are less well catered for, and it helps to like fish), and all the accommodation was clean and comfortable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day had at least one "wow" moment but the highlight for me from the published itinerary was the time we spent in the Krafla area, seeing the crater lake and walking over the lava fields. The Glacier Lagoon was also breath taking. To fit in our pre departure lateral flow tests, the itinerary was amended to arrive early in Reykjavik, which gave us the opportunity to hike to the active Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula. This was without doubt the overall highlight - never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined seeing red hot lava flowing, and fire bursting out of the earth.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kristjan was one of the best guides we have had on an Exodus trip. He is very experienced, knowledgeable and professional. He kept calm through every challenge - for example when one hotel could not accommodate the group at the last moment he made alternative arrangements without giving any indication that this had been difficult or stressful. He worked incredibly hard every day, as he was on his own to both drive and guide. The bus was spotless each morning and he was quietly aware of different needs within the group. Thank you Kristjan!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are vegetarian, take some snacks. The trip was a little more active than we had expected (which suited us very well) - be prepared for some walks on rugged terrain, and some lengthy steps to climb.

Colin Davidson

Reviewed September 2021

Trip is now much better

Having just completed this trip I can report that the concerns raised by the reviewer of the July version had been addressed and I found it a most enjoyable trip well led by Brian and more than ably supported by Susan. All the walks were really good, some having been revised to ensure safety levels were suitable and the scenery is spectacular. A highlight was seeing otters on the beach on the walk back to Thurso from Dunnet Head. The day trip to Orkney was also well worth it. made memorable by the knowledge and enthusiasm of our driver. The accommodation generally was better than I expected, although the hotel in Thurso was not as good as the others. We had a good group who all got on well and meant that the atmosphere throughout was sociable, although some of the jokes left a bit to be desired!! I would definitely recommend this trip to others.

Most Inspirational Moment

The otters.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very sociable and enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As this is a fairly new trip approach it with an open mind and expect it will continue to be refined based on feedback from previous trips.

Kieran Daly

Reviewed August 2021

Terrific trip exceeded expectations

My first Exodus trip. Very pleased indeed. Sparky and knowledgeable leaders, great programme which was physically testing but do-able, and above all – wonderful group with excellent chemistry. Had enormous fun and made new friends. Only caveat – weather in the Lakes this week was simply stunning – sunscreen more important than waterproofs – so everything does seem rather marvellous just now! But seriously, I’m confident it would have been pretty much as good in any conditions.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pick a peak - any peak!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great job Will and Chris - big thanks to you both

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our group of 13 guests was mostly pretty fit 50/60s, and single, with a smaller number in 30s I think. Don’t know if that is typical but that’s how it was and it was a very happy crowd indeed.

Kieran Daly

Reviewed August 2021

Terrific trip exceeded expectations

Most Inspirational Moment

Pick a peak - any peak!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great job Will and Chris - big thanks to you both

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our group of 13 guests was mostly pretty fit 50/60s, and single, with a smaller number in 30s I think. Don’t know if that is typical but that’s how it was and it was a very happy crowd indeed.

Alia Medniuk

Reviewed July 2021

Shambolic chaos: a crushingly disappointing trip

Firstly, there is no North Highland Way. There are no official routes, and the notion that the NHW exists remains in the mind of a few hardened Scottish hill walkers determined but not in the mind of farmers ans land owners who have put up barbed wire fences across inland bog and bracken strewn moorland, forcing walkers to take their chances on dangerous cliffs and rock and soil strewn beaches. The trip notes for this “adventure” are a work of fiction. The accommodations are mediocre at best. Exodus has lost a loyal repeat customer over this shambolic farce and waste of precious holiday time.

Most Inspirational Moment

The glorious sunshine and the seeing the most northerly beaches in the UK at their best, essentially, those parts of the trip not put in place by Exodus and the dreadful company this trip is outsourced to, EasyWays.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The director EasyWays joined the trip on the first three days. It is safe to say, I was not impressed. He did not join the group on the walks, instead walked a couple of the “planned” routes the day before our group was meant to. He would come back in the evening to report that the majority of the routes were unsuitable or impassable, therefore the billed route published in the trip notes was not going to happen. Shorter, dull routes were offered instead. The second leader was abandoned and left with a few maps and his map app on his smart phone to make up routes as we were ferried along from one chaotic accommodation booking to another. The second leader was therefore too distracted trying to find a route on the walking days to watch out for client safety and for people in the group struggling with the terrain, bogs and bracken. He made an effort to tell us about the history and background to the areas we stayed in, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the lack of planning, the poor attention to safety and general cohesion and enjoyment of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t book this trip.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Alia for her detailed review, although we genuinely regret that she has had cause to provide such disappointing feedback and that she does not plan to travel with Exodus again following her experience. This holiday was a new addition in 2021 and whilst we recognise that first departures of new trips may not run as smoothly as more established tours, given the work that goes into the design and logistics of new itineraries, we would not expect them to fall below our usually high standards. Having taken the time to review the itinerary with our Exodus staff observer who joined this trip and speak through concerns with the local manager at Easyways, aspects of the time management and some sections of the walking routes have been reviewed and, where appropriate, amended for future departures. We have also changed the accommodation to be used in Tain. Following these changes, we have received feedback more in line with our, and our customers, expectations. We genuinely appreciate that this cannot alter Alia’s experiences but hope this demonstrates that we have taken the feedback seriously and endeavored to react appropriately in the circumstances.

Product Manager – Claire Ouditt

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