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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14357 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Donald Morecombe

Reviewed February 2019

An action-packed and fun filled holiday

This was an excellent introduction to Sri Lanka which included a wide range of activities, from visiting Buddhist temples to safari trips in two national parks, white water rafting and cycling in the beautiful Sigirya region. We travelled through contrasting regions and were also given opportunities to meet a number of Sri Lankans who were not involved in the tourist trade and try some authentic Sri Lankan food. The hotels were of a high standard and a number had good quality swimming pools. We were impressed by the diversity of Sri Lanka wildlife- we saw so many different birds, as well as monkeys, water buffalo, crocodiles and lizards as well as the elephants and even (luckily) a leopard! Generally, a varied and well thought out itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

Overall it was a great holiday with so many highlights. The cycling day in the villages was particularly memorable as was the optional white water rafting. We would recommend the safaris especially the one to Yala NP. The beach side Insight Resort at Ahangama was very good. It was great swimming in the warm sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was an excellent guide- as well as being friendly and sociable he was very organised and his attention to detail was impressive. He told us a great deal about the culture, history and politics of a country he obviously loves and was also willing to answer our questions and give advice on activities we planned for our free time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We changed £500 at the airport on arrival and paid by card at the hotels - this seemed about right. All the walking is on fairly good surfaces and you shouldn't need more that good trainers. The temperatures were generally in the upper 20s except when we got to the south coast when it hit the mid 30s (too hot!) We recommend all the optional trips except: 1. The Adam's Peak climb - This is very hard even for experienced walkers. 6 of us went on it and it was a surreal experience walking up 5500 relentlessly steep illuminated (no need for a torch) concrete steps with hundreds of other people. Even at 4am it was very humid and exhausting. It was very crowded at the top and unfortunately we had a poor local guide. It's good to have done it but I wouldn't recommend it. 2. No one went whale watching - it was an early start and we were advised that we might be out for up to 7 hours and still not see many whales.

Ruth Green

Reviewed February 2019

India In All It's Glory!

This was my second trip to India, having been on The Tropical South trip in January 2017, so I knew a bit of what to expect. For my husband it was his first trip. I was overawed by my experiences, the Taj obviously was a highlight – but be prepared for crowds. The Jain temple at Ranakpur was a wonderful surprise – a fabulous building, with an amazing interior. The blue houses in Bundi & the magnificent step well! The tiger safari was a true wild life journey – even if the tigers all hid from us that day – the monkeys, birds and crocodiles were much in evidence!
Palaces, forts, temples – we explored and learnt about these incredible structures reflecting a way of life that has now disappeared forever!
And not to forget the people – and there are LOTS! Pushy hawkers, shy ladies & children, laughing teens, solemn old men with craggy faces, business men in flash cars, women carrying containers of rubble working on a building site – as the saying goes ‘All human life is here!’

Sitting here typing this I can’t really believe I was there – to experience all of India’s diversity – what a lot we packed in, in 2 weeks. The noise of hooting cars and tuktuks, the smell of dust, exhausts, drains, incense, cows ( which really do wander in the streets and across the main roads!) The colour of the women’s dresses, the laughing children waving at us from the street as we passed – so many wonderful memories.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was the sunset cruise on Lake Pichola followed by the visit to the Brahma temple in Pushkar and a blessing by the priest, whereby we were absolved from our sins when we threw flowers, rice & sugar into the water. Being in Ranthambore - we just sat in the canter at one point - engine off, listening to the birds and sounds of the forest - bliss!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Naveen was one of the best tour leaders I've had in all my trips with Exodus. He was always approachable, calm & efficient and met the challenges of the trip in a measured way - and there were several challenges! Protesters closing roads, meant he had to work with our bus driver to find an alternate route from Agra to Ranthambore - one which ultimately doubled our travelling time. He rang ahead to arrange food for us and even managed a birthday cake for one of our group! When our final Delhi hotel was closed (owing to a fire in another hotel, a few days before), Naveen went without sleep to rearrange another hotel in Delhi, plus change all the airport transfers! He was always willing to engage in conversation, especially about his country - about which he knows a tremendous amount. However we didn't suffer from information overload from him (this was sometimes the case with local guides at palaces & forts!) Naveen had a good sense of humour and made us feel like part of his extended family. He always made sure we knew what our itinerary was the following day, that everyone was aware of timings , where to change money etc. The fact he took part in the optional cookery class he'd arranged for some of us, made the whole experience even more special. Naveen is a credit to Exodus, you'll be a very lucky traveller if you have him as your guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Long journeys in the bus on often bumpy roads, but usually lots to watch out of the window - I managed to read my Kindle but it was sometimes a challenge . If you take this tour as your first visit to India - it will take some getting used to seeing the amount of litter everywhere including sacred cows grazing in the rubbish! Child beggars in some of the large cities made some of us feel very uncomfortable, as did the elephants carrying tourists at the Amber Fort in Jaipur. Be sure you like Indian food as there isn't much choice of anything else in restaurants and hotels but omelettes & chips are usually available. The best place to buy souvenirs is Jaipur - bazaars, jewellery shops, fabric emporiums- although my favourite souvenir was bought for 100R (£1) at Fatepur Sikri - a Taj Mahal snow globe!!!

Evelyn Alpert

Reviewed February 2019

Nothing short of amazing

So first, I need to state unequivocally that if you love wildlife, and in particular tigers, then you need to do this trip. The tigers are exquisitely beautiful and the thrill of tracking them is fun in and of itself. I am already dying to repeat this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

My first tiger sighting of course!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Vijay and he was great. He worked so hard to get everyone to see a tiger, and he clearly loves his country and is eager to share his knowledge with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think anyone doing this tour needs to understand clearly how it works to avoid disappointment and frustration. So tiger safaris are not at all like African safaris - the tigers are solitary animals ( not like the lions that gather in prides) and while their numbers are increasing, most of them reside in what is called the core area of these reserves. The tourists (you and me) are not allowed in the core, so the truth is you are looking for a very finite number of tigers that are residing in the tourist area of the parks. Finding them is no easy task, but your drivers and guides in the parks will (if they are good, and not all of them are) work hard to find them for you. Secondly, your tour group will be broken up into groups of 4 for the game drives, and each group does not necessarily go to the same place. The jeeps are given proscribed zones and routes, so it is entirely possible that part of your tour group will see tigers and some may not. In our group, we had 2 people that didn’t see any tigers till about 2 days before the tour ended, and there were 6 that went about 2/3 of the way through the trip with no sightings. Needless to say, for those not seeing the tigers, it is hard to enjoy the time when the others are seeing them. But if you understand how this works in advance (and I did not think this was at all clearly spelled out in the tour literature) then you will be better prepared for it. No one can control the appearance of the tigers, so to some extent it is the luck of the draw, but it’s best to fully understand how the game drives work. And PS since most days you have breakfast in the reserves, you will get tired of hard boiled eggs and cheese sandwiches, so think about packing some protein bars to take along instead!

Penny Slate

Reviewed February 2019

Superb in every way

This was one of the best holidays we have had in every way. We stayed in some beautiful guest houses, all a bit different with lovely personal and homely touches. The places we visited were quite diverse and made the trip more interesting. The locals were extremely friendly and made us feel welcome. The food was out of this world. I could not fault this holiday and will have fond memories for years to come.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Lions up close & seeing a Hippo open it's jaws was pretty amazing. Hearing how local people in townships are so positive and hard working was very inspiring too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin Barr is a fantastic group leader. He is very knowledgeable about everything from wild life to geographic matters and also he is witty, friendly, reliable and punctual. We loved the way he timed everything so we avoided large coach parties of people wherever we went. Justin is a real asset to the company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not hesitate to take this trip.

Neil Caves

Reviewed February 2019

Superb Experience

I would not describe this trip as an adventure holiday but an experience.
It was full of emotion, culture and recent history. While this trip would not be for everyone and you need to be a bit prepared for the sad times it was a life experience and learning unlikely to be found on any normal “holiday”

Most Inspirational Moment

Most inspirational moments were two trip not part of the itinerary but suggested by the tour leader. The first was an early visit to the fish market, 3 of us went and we were the only non-locals to be seen. Cambodian life was happening around us, we were right in the heart of the morning work. The local people just carried on their business as if we were not present. Second was a trip to the Rolous Temples on the last day. Far less people and visiting these temples just consolidated and rounded off the whole visit to Cambodia

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader - Bun - was 100% dedicated to making sure we all enjoyed and experienced Cambodia. Bun was ever attentive, adapted to requests, was constantly checking everything was just right. He loved his country and his knowledge was endless. But more, he brought his personal experience to the trip in a really positive way for us to understand life in Cambodia now and in the recent past. To top it all he had a really loveable sense of humour and engaged everyone

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not expect the normal adventure holiday, yes there are good hotels and sights but there is also the emotional side of the recent past history which was compelling even though sad to hear. This trip is about a country coming to terms with its past and in early stages of becoming whole again.

Helen Burrell

Reviewed February 2019

Discover Beautiful Sri Lanka

This is a wonderful adventure to a beautiful island. It’s busy, with some early starts and long journeys, but so worth it, to see so many Unesco Heritage sites, and many unexpected stopovers outside the comprehensive itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many of them! The cave temples at Dambulla, climbing Lions Rock at Sigirya, the country cycle ride with a home lunch under the trees, the imposing ruins at Polonnaruwa, three lovely days in Kandy, Horton Plains (quite a tough hike, but an amazing view at World's End), scenic Ella Gap, and our visit to the Exodus tsunami house, where we were welcomed and had a delicious home-cooked meal at a very reasonable cost. We also enjoyed Galle, though we thought a few hours there were quite enough.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oscar was the best guide we have had on any holiday, and this was our fourth Exodus trip. He was so interesting, we didn't want to miss a word! He was very empathetic to our group, and went beyond the call of duty in that if only a very small group of us were doing an activity, he was there with us. As a group, we all loved Oscar, and his love of his country was impressive. On the last evening Oscar brought us on a walking tour of Colombo which wasn't on the itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The optional activities are really worthwhile. The elephant safari, the cultural show, white water rafting and the whale watching trip. We would really recommend this trip to Sri Lanka!

Adam Levy

Reviewed February 2019

Beguiling Cambodia

A superb trip, with variety, local colour, great cycling (if you like it hot!), and loads of smiling.
Considering this was the first departure for this trip it was brilliant in its calm and organisation – Leader Khim was absolutely superb – we got a real feel for this slightly beleaguered country which is absolutely well worth a visit as a standalone destination.
Its certainly a real adventure in the best possible way.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visits to local businesses and the visit to Angkor Wat were great, and the cameraderie of the group and team members was really important, and the gentle rides by the river were lovely. The well placed stops for amazing snacks, fruit and all important plentiful cold drinks and water were marvellous. Cold beers at the end of the day were not to be forgotten as well!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely faultless, Khim and his team did so well considering this was the first trip of its kind, dealing with our different needs and expectations with consideration and great humour. Not bombarding us with facts - in no way did I feel 'templed out' - but answering all our questions and advice with candour and understanding and giving us a real background to the country's trials and tribulation both past and present. His insights into Buddhism and the complicated religious history of the sites was a real bonus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the heat - even with early starts the temperature soon rose impressively and we were regularly soaking scarves, buffs, and cotton caps in ice cold water to deal with the mid-morning and midday heat. The cycling is almost entirely flat, but don't be fooled by the seemingly low mileage. It's a grade 3 due to the heat and the road surfaces which were in some places pretty good, but more often were paths that varied from reasonably well surfaced, to rather gravelly, to pretty much no surface at all (basically just sand!). The bikes are brilliant and well-suited to the conditions and the need for the big tyres soon becomes very obvious. There is even a short stretch of real offroading through the sandy jungle around Angkor which was new to me and great fun once I got used to it. There are a few seemingly daunting stertches, but everyone was allowed to go at their own pace (although cycling with someone else always made it easier and the support from the second cyclist Hian was superb).

Rebecca Parker

Reviewed February 2019

Too much shopping.

The only reason this trip did not receive a rating of poor is sure to the fact of the our guide Rashide. The were good points for example the camel ride and the desert as week as the time in Marrakech. However there didn’t seem much time for anything else, we always seemed to be running late. There was far too much time travelling and most of the stops we made were to places where we were expected to buy something. It would have been nice to have the opportunity to explore more of the sites. The driver was not very safe he seemed to drive far too fast and swing us around a lot which caused our belongings fly all around the bus. In the Atlas mountains we were involved in a car accident which was a frightening experience that lucky didn’t involve any injuries to anybody. Accidents do happen but in this case, as previously stated the driver did not seem to be driving with due care and attention . The hamman in the mountains was posponed until the next day and then cancelled which ment that some of us missed out on the walk. Overall this trip did not live up to expectations and was a disappoint ment. There were some good point, the group was lovely as was the guide, but too much time was spent in the bus with few stops to see the sights.

Most Inspirational Moment

The desert

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Rebecca for taking the time to review her holiday, although we were concerned to read that her group experienced an accident, and that some other aspets of the trip were disappointing. We would like to assure Rebecca that all Exodus drivers hold the appropriate licences to carry passengers, and Rachid, the tour leader on this trip who has many years of experience, has explained that on this trip he did not consider the driving to be irresponsible. The accident was very minor, involving a local taxi, and fortunately was quickly resolved with no injuries or damage to either vehicle. We appreciate that some of the roads on this tour, especially in the mountains, are steep and windy, and are sorry for any distress experienced.

We are sorry for any disappointment caused by the cancellation of the hammam; this activity is offered in a remote village, and unfortunately at the time of the group’s visit there was not sufficient firewood available to provide this, although we understand that an alternative hammam was available upon the group’s return to Marrakech.

We regret that it was felt too much time was spent shopping. Generally speaking, the most convenient locations to stop in Morocco with suitable facilities will often have shopping areas. We find that many of our clients enjoy having the opportunity to browse and purchase souvenirs and local handicrafts, should they wish, but would like to assure Rebecca that people are of course under no obligation to do so.

We were pleased to read that Rebecca enjoyed other parts of the holiday, such as the camel riding and time spent in Marrakech. Tom Harari – Senior Product Manager

Jackie Kilding

Reviewed February 2019

A fantastic holiday

This was a fabulous holiday taken in February half term week. I cannot praise the guide highly enough. Great variety of terrain and scenery. Comfortable hotel with good food. Free travel pass a real boon on free day. I shared a room and that worked well. Nice pool. Useful free day to explore and rest feet and legs

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all fab

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. Sara was knowledgeable, helpful, paid attention to safety and detail, fun and kind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

take clothes for every eventuality weather wise. We were lucky with the weather being warm but it can be very cold

Elizabeth B

Reviewed February 2019

A wonderful week

The snow-showing was hard work but really worth the effort to get off the beaten track in deep snow and to see the magnificent scenery. The itinerary varied depending upon the weather conditions and included forest walks past WW1 chapels, battle grounds and monuments and more exposed walks to higher areas, usually incorporating a welcome drink in a mountain hut and the opportunity to sample local goodies.
Lots of opportunities to see the local villages and towns, the free train and bus pass for visitors to the valley was very welcome.
Several people in the group had walked in the area with Exodus during the summer and enjoyed it so much they were returning for the winter experience , which seems a great recommendation.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk on the last day to Mudlerhof, Lutterkopf, Durakopf and Taistneralm in glorious sunshine, enjoying lunch at the summit with a 360 view of snow covered peaks and no other people, other than our group, in sight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Sara Bull was fantastic, her extensive experience in the region, her attention to detail and her ability to read the group and offer challenge or encouragement where needed ensured we all had a wonderful time. She not only looked after our safety and well-being but offered help and advice about travel on the free day, she provided arnica for sore feet and sweets and treats to incentivise us whilst snow-shoeing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for varied weather, takes lots of layers. The double strength arnica offered by Sara and the local pharmacy is is instant cure for aches and pains. The village offers most things you could want and there is an outdoor shop for any extras you may need, gloves, replacement sunglasses etc. Make use of the free bus and rail ticket for tourists, its a great way to see the valley and public transport is very efficient.

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