Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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14339 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Helen Bouchami

Reviewed May 2019

Wonderfully varied trip

Loved Peru. Land of contrasts and dramatic scenery, from the soaring peaks of the Andes to the world’s second deepest canyon and the highest navigable lake, from the simple lifestyle of the Titicaca islands to the sophistication of Miraflores in Lima. The surprise of a desert oasis with towering sandunes. Basking seals among rows of pelicans and boobies on the offshore islands, majestic condors in the canyon, and cute alpacas and even cuter vicunas. Impressive Incan structures – from Machu Pichu to terraced mountainsides, and the elegant colonial architecture of the Spanish.

The trip notes mention the early starts and long hours on the bus – this is true, but the spectacular scenery provides an excellent distraction. The bus itself was large, and although it lacked a little of the camaraderie I’ve experienced on smaller mini-buses with Exodus in the past, the space to spread out and the on-board loo were appreciated. My attitude is that the hours of travel are the price you pay for seeing so much, and those are the memories that remain.

I loved the variety of scenery and activities on this trip. I thought it was very well put together, including allowing for a gradual adjustment to altitude.

Most Inspirational Moment

Machu Pichu lived up to expectations, a highlight of not just this trip The condors were a wonder. Some came really close, but so quickly that I had no time to adjust my zoom. The home stay, whilst not the most comfortable experience, was fascinating - the weather there was cold and rainy, but our hosts, the mamatis, were a delight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Giuliano was an excellent organiser and very personable. So hard working, he was constantly checking ahead to ensure that everything ran smoothly

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes say no walking poles are allowed in Machu Pichu, so I had left mine at home. On our first, guided visit I found many people, even the young and fit, using them, so I bought one for the next day (c£10) and found it much easier to move around the site which has steep steps, uneven surfaces and few handrails. . It is definitely worth the second optional entry. RE. gifts for the homestay hosts, food from the San Pedro market in Cusco, fruit, cheese etc. was very acceptable if you can't fit anything from home into your case. Don't be overly concerned about altitude. Most people felt some effect, but a little breathlessness is not altitude sickness. Take the advice re. hydration and not overdoing it. It was curious - I climbed up to the Sun Gate with no problem, but found myself (as did others) gulping air occasionally when lying down, or bending to put on shoes - mainly on the Lake as this was our highest overnight stay. BTW I am in my seventies

Malcolm Mahony

Reviewed May 2019

Fascinating and beautiful country

The desert landscape and Petra are stunning. The scrambling is exciting. The archaeology is outstanding. The culture is fascinating.

Most Inspirational Moment

See above.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdullah worked hard to make the trip successful and enjoyable. He was totally unflappable!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You should be aware that the trekking area is heavily used by 4-wheel drive vehicles taking tourists on day trips. This compromises the wilderness feel. Unfortunately they also leave behind a lot of plastic litter.

Barbara Baker

Reviewed May 2019

Monkeys, caiman, snakes, giant otters, sloth and multiple birds!

A great extension to our Galapagos trip.
We used the extra time in Quito to see more of the city and visit the Equator – found it easier and cheaper to use a hotel booked taxi than the official tours.
The journey from Coca is very much part of the experience – lots to see especially when you transfer to the paddled canoe for 2 hours along small blackwater creek to the lodge.
Parrots aren’t guaranteed at the licks but we were lucky enough to see a troop of peccaries instead!
All the activities, apart from the night hike, involved a trip in our canoe from where there was always lots to see.
Our guides were helpful and brilliant at spotting animals in the mass of green, but there is also plenty to see around the lodges.

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the wildlife including a baby anaconda, 6 types of monkey including grumpy capuchins, rare woolly, and iconic golden mantled tamarin; a family of giant otters resting by the creek, a pair of roseate spoonbills and the noisy prehistoric “stinky turkey birds”.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both leaders were excellent- Jose was the bilingual guide, he also ate with the group of 6 and helped paddle; Shayan the local who spotted things we needed binoculars to see- and also helped with photos and paddled. William was the official paddler - and also helped with spotting. It was good to have the same team from arrival in Coca to departure.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s hot and humid, rains most days but the wildlife is fantastic- not as close to you as Galapagos but much more varied. Take binoculars if possible and long lens (waterproof) They loan you wellingtons for all the off site activities- if you don’t fit standard size such as muscular calves then consider taking your own! And take long socks. Long sleeves and trousers are best but I was bitten through the material at the parakeet lick - use plenty of deet even where covered. No mosquitoes at the lodge as the lake is too acidic for them to breed. Leave a suitcase in Quito if returning to same hotel - everything is paddled up river.

Condon Corbett

Reviewed May 2019

Amazing Sri Lanka!

From the private pick up at the airport in Colombo to drop off at the airport things could not have gone more smoothly. The pace of the tour was excellent given its short duration. Accommodations were very good-clean, comfortable and well located. Sri Lanka is a stunning country with friendly people, beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing to the top of Lion Rock (Sigiriya) to view the remnants of the ruined palace and the spectacular views of the surrounding countryside from 200 metres above. Magical!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Suresh was excellent. Very well organised, knowledgeable of his home country, it's history and different cultures which he imparted to us in an interesting and fun manner. I appreciated his somewhat sarcastic sense of humor as well. Schedules were well kept and adjusted as necessary based on the group consensus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take part in all of the included sightseeing and activities, especially the bike tour through the villages where you will be warmly greeted by the local children as you cycle by.

Stephen Gosling

Reviewed May 2019

Vietnamese

This trip lived up to what it promised from the start to the end. It was excellent value for money and provided a real insight into this wonderful country and it’s people. Our group consisted of 16 people, some couples, some travelling independently with a range of ages from the UK, USA and Spain. By the end of the two weeks we were all good friends. The weather started pleasantly warm, although very cloudy, in the north and steadily became hotter and sunnier the further south we travelled. Our group leader Anh Tran, who we knew as Viet, also helped to make this trip special as he worked hard throughout to provide us with information and guidance about the places we visited.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the Vietnamese traffic in Hue was daunting but very rewarding once we had survived unscathed. This was due to the support of the additional leader and Viet who ensured the group were able to safely negotiate the large number of scooters and other vehicles which weaved their way around us. The visit to the Cu Chi tunnels was also fascinating and it was good to hear about the Vietnam War from a different perspective and witness the conditions that these people had to live in. Seeing the good nature of the Vietnamese people and how they make the most from the limited resources they possess makes you realise how fortunate we are.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Viet was full of enthusiasm and was always keen to share his extensive knowledge of his country and it's culture to the group or to individuals. As we travelled from place to place Viet had everything in place at the right time ensuring the smooth running of the trip. He even provided us with additional hand written notes of recommended places to visit or eat in our spare time. Throughout he displayed a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The train was a really good experience and although the noise and movement of the train was not an issue we did find the beds were very hard and the day that followed very long,

Peter Loughridge

Reviewed May 2019

An excellent introduction to Japan.

We have always wanted to visit Japan and this trip gave us a wonderful opportunity to visit the cities, rural areas, travel by train, experience Japanese cuisine and, best of all, explore by bike.
The itinerary was varied and interesting. Onsens (hot baths) have to be experienced and helped relieve tired and aching muscles at the end of the day.
We stayed in a mixture of modern hotels and the more traditional ryokans with tatami mats and futons.
The Japanese people we met were always polite, pleasant and helpful.
This was a travel experience like no other. Just do it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the first ryokan and learning how to observe Japanese customs in this environment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very well organised and efficient. Perhaps a little shy at first but this passed as the trip progressed and his confidence in dealing with the group developed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a fairly large backpack as there are two separate days when you don’t have access to your suitcase. Keep your evening wear to a minimum as many of the hotels and ryokans provide a yukata (a casual summer kimono). Be prepared for rain and low temperatures. Very little fruit available generally and virtually none at breakfast.

David Hughes

Reviewed May 2019

Everest Base Camp - a journey to heaven!

This trip met and exceeded my expectations by miles! I have never seen scenery so beautiful in my life , it was truly wow! It was the hardest thing (trek wise ) I have ever done and breathing at times in the higher parts was tough but it was more than compensated by the experience.

A big shout out to Bikash T ( TNT190427) who was a brilliant leader and encouraged us a long the way and ensured we paced ourselves the result of which we all made it to Base Camp! His team were all brilliant too!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Base Camp after such a long journey to get there. I never thought in my lifetime I would see this and it literally took my breath away and was very emotional when I arrived!

Thoughts on Group Leader

As stated above Bikash was a great leader and was certainly always reassuring me whenever I had any nervous moments and was easy to talk to and great sense of humour too !

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not underestimate how tough this trip is. The more preparation you put into this , the more you will enjoy it. It is worth it! Also , it gets expensive to buy snacks the further you go up, I would recommend bringing energy bars etc from home it save you money. And, finally , when the leader says pace yourself , take notice, as walking too fast is not a good idea at that altitude!

Gina Crowcroft

Reviewed May 2019

Great concept but, on this occasion, poorly delivered

The basic trip concept is excellent. However, a group of 16 with only 1 main group leader was wholly inadequate – it meant that we had a lot of wasted time hanging around for the slowest person and our itinerary was unilaterally changed by the tour leader to ensure that the needs of the slowest person out of 16 was met. Unfortunately this meant that 15 out of 16 people were left short changed and did not get what they paid for.

Additionally, most days we were rushed to ensure that the group lunched at a specific restaurant off the wall. Given that people would have signed up for this trip due to an interest in the Wall it seems strange that we were always being rushed everyday to get off the Wall. This meant that most days we could not linger and savour the amazing views nor take our time to get that non-touristy photo!

We also had itinerary changes due to local factors. Whilst it is appreciated that these are unavoidable the revised itineraries, each time, resulted in less trekking time never more trekking time – very frustrating and left a feeling that we did not receive what we paid for.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being on the less touristy parts of the Wall.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jerry is clearly a lovely guy and a more than adequate tour leader. I think if our group had been more evenly matched re fitness he would have been perfect. However, I believe he was too nice to actually deal with some of the issues on our trek and tried to please everyone but thereby actually not pleasing a significant number of the group. We had our trekking time severely curtailed by a combination of local reasons and a disparity in the speed between the fastest and slowest members of our group but this was not discussed properly with the group and conflicting reasons were given.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not underestimate the unrelenting steepness of the Wall trekking. Be prepared for a lot of "wasted" time away from the Wall due to where the restaurants are etc. It would be much better if picnic lunches were provided most days so that time on the Wall could be maximised. Be brave enough to question how the group kitty is used! Our bus driver ended up being tipped a huge amount (the balance of the kitty) due to our guide leader asking in front of the bus driver if it was ok to give him the balance of the kitty - strangely none of us felt that we could object! But we were all wondering why the balance of the kitty was not redistributed to us after a sensible tip taken for the bus driver.

Geoff Waters

Reviewed May 2019

Camino - Samos to Santiago

A great experience, walking the last 100 km of the Camino Frances. Great scenery, good basic hotels with friendly staff and lovely authentic food.
You can’t beat a three course ‘menu del dia’ with bread and wine or water for only 10 euro.
I walked with a group of 16 and we really enjoyed each others company. It rained for two of the six days but that didn’t affect the mood. Longest days walk was 18 miles but with coffee and lunch stops it didn’t seem that far.
Last two nights in Santiago allowed us to unwind and really enjoy the old city

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving in Santiago with the rest of the group and standing in the square in front of the cathedral, congratulating each other on our achievement. Meeting up again with other pilgrims we had met on the trail, some of them had done the whole walk from St Jean in France. Lighting a candle in the cathedral and quietly reflecting on the trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alvaro was an excellent group leader. His daily briefings after breakfast told us what to expect that day and where the best coffee and lunch stops were. He was very knowledgeable about the history and architecture on the route, and made sure everybody enjoyed the experience to the full. He was always positive and professional and ready to help with advice and information. He also has a wicked sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't wear heavy walking boots, good walking shoes are more suitable. Invest in some good walking socks. The route is undulating not steep on minor roads and tracks and is easy walking if you are reasonably fit. I am 70 and had no problems at all with the walking or my feet.

krystyna kiel

Reviewed May 2019

Pretty territory

Slower paced trip. Lots of free time. Highlights of Dalmatia coast

Most Inspirational Moment

Walks along the sea

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very personable and involved. Went the extra step.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Compared to other Balkan countries, this is a pricey area. Prepare for crowds. I’d go off season, but then swimming in the sea would be challenging. Croatia is certainly ready for the tourist

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