Reviews

Classic Patagonia Trek

Excellent trek with lovely views of Torres del Paine in Chile and Cerro Torre in Argentina.

Best Trip

Just did cycle trip Nov 8-23…what a fabulous time!!!. I am not a cyclist and was worried about being able to do this trip, but it was amazing. The group was large (18) with a mixture of couples and singles all around 25-69 yrs in age.
I did fall off the bike on the first day and ended with a slight sprained wrist and cuts and bruises. 2nd day fell off again lol. Our guide looked after me well. I did ride the bus in places I did not feel comfortable with. Cycling was pretty decent, around 12-15km/hr for most of the group, the faster riders went ahead. Bike teams were fabulous and kept the equipment well looked after, snack foods plentiful. The heat and humidity was incredible, but after 3 days I was fine.
Crossing boarders was easy. Visited many markets along the way and tried Grasshoppers, Silk Worms, Beetles, Snake, Tarantula, Scorpion and many other delicious Asian dishes.
Visiting the Killing Fields, S21, War museum was very eye opening. The home stay was amazing! what a beautiful experience, got to help with dinner prep, beds were comfy, out door shower relaxing.
The only thing I would say is if travelling single it is worth the extra cost to book single supplement. Spending 24/7 with the group is great but its nice to have time alone.
I took the advice of reviews and packed light…took a back pack and carry on and I did fine, you can wash clothes in the sink and it dries quickly or laundry is cheap.

Discover Costa Rica

A great trip to get an idea of the different environments in Costa Rica, we saw a huge amount of wildlife in such a short space of time.

Truly a magical tour. It will make you want to return .....soon !

If ever you wanted proof that cycling is a great way to get to know a country then this is it. And what a country. So different in every respect to the UK. The upside of travelling in November is the glorious colours to be seen all around you, enhanced if you’re lucky by blue skies. The downside, and this was outside anyone’s control even our meticulous leader ‘Tea’, is that the weather can be changeable and quite cold at times.We had some challenging days cycling against a very determined headwind. If you’re a hardy northerner this will be no problem, but if you’re a southern softie bring plenty of layers. Having said that most of the rain fell at night and we were only caught out once and that was at the end of a ride, so you could say that luck was on our side.
For the most part the cycling was on quiet back roads with plenty of interesting stop-offs along the way, where our knowledgeable guides shared their knowledge and passion for their country. Hotels were a mix of western and traditional japanese inns which were generally of a higher standard than you might experience on many Exodus holidays. The traditional inns were very special and allowed you to immerse yourself, sometimes literally, into this unique culture. The food was excellent, but you do have to be prepared to experiment with a cuisine that is distinctly different from ours. The phrase ‘holiday of a lifetime’ is probably overused, but if you’re prepared to soak up the culture, be experimental and are relatively fit then this holiday will probably come very close to matching that description.
And of course the toilets – you’re going to be very disappointed when you return to the UK or anywhere else for that matter!!

Never gets old

12 years from first doing the Atlas descent in 2007 I am embarked for a third journey on this wonderful expedition. The variety of scenery and landscapes combined with the off-road journey makes this a wonderful trip

A fantastic trip

We have had an amazing time, our guide Pepe was extremely professional, helpful and made the group feel we were in safe hands. The scenery was beautiful and the treks were hard but well worth the effort.

Lots of treasures to see but some oddities in there too!

A very good trip, November is after the clocks go back in Jordan so the days are shorter and the first couple of days felt a bit rushed whereas perhaps the summer hours would have enabled more time in each place. Thereafter settled into the pace of the tour and enjoyed it. Petra is huge and I could have done with more time there to see the museum. Covered about 40km walking in 2 days! (You don’t have to!)

Personally I could have left out Wadi Rum camp but that might have been the overnight 4c weather, uncomfortable bed, and the camp fire “meal” which left us all smelling like a smoked kipper. I didn’t do the camel ride but feedback was it was a waste of time – hopefully someone will cover that in their review. The entire Aqaba day where we were trapped on a beach resort with competing music around the various pools waiting for the rooms to be ready, then whiled away the day waiting to get back to archaeology in Amman on the final day. Aqaba is very odd choice for this tour.

Therefore (or despite the moans) 4 stars.

Amazing Adventure!

If you are in two minds about booking this trip, book!

The cycling was not easy at times due to a combination of hills, non paved roads, distance and heat. However, this added to the challenge, adventure and achievement and our expectations were well managed by our fantastic Costa Rican guide/leader, Jackie.

The journey through three countries provided some amazing rides. Personal highlights were those ending with swims in the Pacific and Caribbean oceans where we would literally cycle on to the beach and jump in for a swim! There were also rides through cloud forests to rain forests, to and from volcanoes, through local villages and through banana plantations spotting monkeys, toucans, sloths and other wildlife along the way!

Along the trip we also enjoyed a couple of optional non cycling days and exciting pit stops. I loved our tour round a chocolate farm, canopy walk through a rain forest, zip lining, red frog island trip and walk through a butterfly nature reserve. The non cycling activities allowed us to experience more of the three amazing countries we visited.

Nature and wildlife feature highly on the trip but the start and end in Granada and Panama City provided a great contrast and are beautiful places to spend a few days. The amazing feat of the Panama Canal was also fitting end to the trip.

The trip was exceptionally organised from start to finish. There were no issues and I cannot think of any areas of improvement. Travel is with a group leader, mechanic and driver who were all fantastic and fundamental to the success of the trip.

Our Costa Rican guide Jackie is a real gem! She provided interesting and informative information about the history, culture and environment of the places we visited and an infectious sense of fun and positivity. She provided excellent briefings about the cycling before each ride, she had a genuine love of Central America and she was a joy to be around. She was also a very good cyclist.

The hotels and restaurants selected by Exodus were well chosen and some were so good they were highlights of the trip.

I will remember this trip and the lifelong friendships I have formed for years to come. Thank you Jackie and the Exodus team and book if you are considering this trip! I will be coming back for more!

Good 'ole Exodus!

An interesting blend of Vietnam from north to south including an o/n sleeper train. The success and enjoyment of these trips is usually down to the blend of fellow travellers and team leader and this one was no different. The weather,early season, was mixed with a little more rain and cloud than hoped for but did not detract from the enjoyment but a little more sunshine would have enhanced the countryside. A read of the brochure and trip notes will give a very accurate picture of the breadth and variety of the trip. The daily riding distances are mainly governed by the fitness of the participants and their ability to cover the miles in a reasonable time and for the first time in my experience of 7 trips we were delayed by some participants who frankly were not cycling fit and I wonder if they had read and understood the pre – trip advice!

Outstanding trip, wonderful experiences every day

Great organisation, team, guides and Leader; Chai, we experienced people, food, culture and daily life in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Saw most wonderful temples in Angkor, deeply moving visits to the Killing Fields and the Vietnam War Remnants museum and the great buzz of SiemReap, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh cities