Reviews

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

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14364 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Hilary Morrison

Reviewed February 2019

Costa Rica Coastal secrets

2 weeks in Paradise – wildlife bliss in a beautiful country with a great group and the best guide imaginable ( Jorge )

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to list , but include watching a mother humpback whale nurse her baby at Drake bay, being surrounded by a huge pod of dolphins chasing a large shoal of flying fish , seeing a magnificant resplendent quetzal glowing in the sunshine at the top of a tree in sagrevre cloud forest , watching a sloth move slowly along a branch with a baby clinging onto her and waking up to the sounds of the howler monkeys and birds in the forested areas

Thoughts on Group Leader

Having Jorge our guide was actually one of the biggest highlights of our trip . His incredible knowlegde and passion for wildlife and his country was infectious. He was cheerful ,patient and good humoured at all times , and went out of his way to accomodate everyones interests . He worked very hard to ensure we all saw as much wildlife as possible , and could spot birds and animals we would never have seen , and get his scope focused on a rare bird in seconds so we all could see it clearly . We all thoroughly enjoyed his company and sense of humour and he was very generous with his time adding in extra nature walks if we wished. We were all very sad to bid him goodbye at the end of the trip - thank you so much Jorge !

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of deet and also some local currency ( Colons ) despite what Exodus advises . It just makes buying coffees , drinks and snacks easier as each bar will convert colons to dollars , but the rate of exchange will vary widly from place to place . Most of the group had an extra 24 hrs in San Jose at the end so we could fly on the only direct flight to Gatwick . At the end of the trip it was strange being back in a city after such being immersed in such variety of nature for 2 weeks. If you wanted and had time to visit a nearby volcano, plan this beforehand as its too late to do once you return to San Jose . We visited the National Museum , which was well presented in an old fort very interesting and covered the history of Costa Rica in an intersting way - it really summed up all Jorge had told us about its history .

Robert Beasley

Reviewed February 2019

Costa Rica

To call this an adventure is a misnomer it was just a trip followed by hundreds of groups following a well established route. Far to comfortable no sense of the unknown or unexpected. Perhaps as a 75 year old I am harping back to the days of Penn Overland. The majority of Exodus trips now seem to be aimed at the middle aged and upwards who have no idea of true adventure and are not prepared to endure a bit of discomfort.
I think once again I am 30 years to late.
As far as this trip is concerned avoid Manuel Antonio NP, its surroundings are just like Blackpool. How can you go a so called jungle nature walk when you meet people in swimming costumes on the same route, just ridiculous. What’s wrong with Carara NP instead. Luckily I was in Costa Rica for some additional time and visited this NP, also a few volcanoes which seemed to be avoided on the trip itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

The realisation that perhaps I should seek destinations more remote, to day getting more and more difficult.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Exceptional, his enthusiasm was infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do as much research as possible

Maggie Godfrey

Reviewed February 2019

Diversity, diversity, diversity

This was the most inspirational trip and I can’t speak highly enough of the country, its wildlife and its people. This trip ensured that we spent time in a variety of ecosystems that were all so diverse and each had so much to offer. Our brilliant guide Johnny made sure that we had every opportunity to maximise our time each day to experience as much as we could in every location. Our focus was birdwatching and we saw the most splendid variety of beautifully coloured birds of all types, including the quetzal, as well as many other animals including sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, coatis, agouti, iguanas, snakes , frogs and so on. The accommodation , mainly in lodges, was fabulous . It was always well located and often in lovely grounds and gardens with many opportunities for seeing wildlife before we even set out on our daily itinerary. We were also with a great group of people which made the trip all the more special.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a 3 toed sloth at close quarters in Tortuguero National Park but there were so many other experiences that I will saviour such as the hot springs at Arenal, the hanging bridges at Monteverde, the wonderful environment of Esquinas Lodge, the sound of frogs at night, the multitude of hummingbirds especially at Sevegre and the general beauty of the countryside wherever we went.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny was just brilliant. I think he must know every bird in Costa Rica by sight and sound and made sure we had every opportunity to see as wide a range as possible. But his knowledge does not stop there - his knowledge of all the wildlife, the different environments and the country in general is encyclopaedic and he is so keen to share it with you. He never seemed to stop working and took us out on many additional walks early in the morning and late at night . He was so well organised, could not do enough to meet our every need and had a lovely personality and sense of humour so that we felt at ease with him from the very beginning. It is no wonder that he won tour guide of the year in 2017.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go for it - it is a trip you will never forget.

Maggie Eaton

Reviewed February 2019

Bird watching in Costa Rica

If you want a relaxed birdwatching trip to Costa Rica this is the one.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to pick one highlight from this trip as there are so many. Lots of wonderful birds..........macaws. toucans, resplendent queztal,not to mention good views of sloths and snakes. The forests are fabulous.In San Jose the National theatre is a must.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny,our leader, and Olmond our driver, were both excellent.Johnny has a fantastic knowledge of all aspects of Costa Rica.He is a tenacious bird watcher as well as an attentive leader.

Donna Heinle

Reviewed February 2019

Mexico tour

The title of this tour describes the itinerary. We explored archaeological sites galore, toured historical city centers, visited local artisans, and ate lots of Mexican (and some Mayan) food. The hotels were all comfortable, and the baños mostly had toilet paper and soap. We had opportunities to swim and to visit a cenote.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking into the church at San Juan Chamula with its thousands of candles ablaze.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arturo was our professor, our concierge, our maitre d'hotel, our friend. It was a pleasure to explore Mexico with him as our guide. He's the best.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The first week of the trip is spent in areas at relatively higher altitude, so the weather was cooler than I expected. With the second week, we hit warm weather. I found my walking sticks helpful for climbing the pyramids at the archaeological sites. Comfortable shoes, of course, are also important.

Catherine Stothart

Reviewed February 2019

Wonderful wildlife, great food, friendly people and a lovely group

We wanted a holiday where there was plenty of opportunity to see wildlife, and this lived up to our expectation. Whale watching (saw blue whales and pilot whales), lots of colourful birds, mammals and reptiles too – the bio-diversity, especially of birds, was staggering. We had a naturalist with us who was really good at spotting and identifying birds – that really made a difference.
The hotels we stayed in were all different with their own character, and with one exception, were of a high standard. Loved staying in the rainforest and doing yoga at the beach. Enjoyed Sri Lankan food and especially having tropical fruit every day and fresh fruit juices. The group of people we were with were all great.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking across a lake and seeing herons, cormorants, pelicans, storks, crocodiles, water buffalo, kingfishers.......just so much to see, all in one place. Hearing the birds and frogs in the morning. Seeing orphan elephants running to be fed. Doing yoga looking at the sunrise over the sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was excellent - knowledgeable, organised, helpful, friendly, sense of humour. He told us bits about Sri Lankan history and society, which were really interesting and took care of all our needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take binoculars - it's much easier to appreciate the birds if you can see them properly!

Eric Fleming

Reviewed February 2019

Snowshoeing from Basecamp in Oulanka National Park

5 days very easy snowshoeing over well walked trails.

The optional trips were good in particular the hire of a snowmobile in Ruka plus the short dog sledding experience at the Arctic Circle.

Accommodation was basic but found that the underfloor heating in the bedroom section was not up to it as the room temperature dropped to +10 with warmest being +14.

Would have rated it as Excellent if there had been more chance to walk in virgin snow instead of keeping to previously walked trails. Also lack of fresh fruit at Basecamp.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing local men using fishing nets below ice on frozen lake...a rare chance to see them. The heavily snowed forests and the peace and quiet. Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the frozen lake a few minutes walk down from Basecamp locale

Thoughts on Group Leader

Else our Finnish guide was excellent throughout, friendly, informative, caring and thoughtful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ensure you hydrate sufficiently with warm drinks during outings. Basecamp food was good but is completely lacking in supply of fruit such as apples, oranges or bananas. I’d advise people to take dried fruit with them.

Andy Larkin

Reviewed February 2019

Amazing holiday

Costa Rica really is an amazing place. Not a rich place as thought by Columbus but not third world either. I think they call it ‘an emerging economy’. Very much worth visiting if you’ve never been before and this is an excellent trip. I can only comment on the 2nd half of January when it’s relatively (but not completely) dry and only really, really hot on the Pacific coast. In theory, you could create this trip more cheaply yourself but do you really want the hassle of having to organise all the hotels and transfers to some pretty remote places (Tortuguero, Savagre and Drake Bay)? 3 days is enough at any of the stops so you’ll want to get yourself around the country during a two week stay. Plus you would need to arrange a quality guide to learn all about Costa Rica and point out incredible wildlife you would otherwise inevitably miss. The age group on our tour was exclusively in the ‘retired’ category apart from us two who were a generation younger. 9 Brits, 7 US. No problem at all as we all got on famously. It’s not the most active of tours – a lot of time is spent on coaches and minibuses but that can’t really be helped due to the geography and ‘evolving’ road network of Costa Rica but you do feel a bit lethargic sometimes, especially after the long flight to get there. There were a couple of ‘challenging’ walks to waterfalls which almost everyone made but if you struggle with tricky surfaces and awkward walkways then it’s no problem to stop and wait for the others to return. The change in climate is quite incredible as you journey around. San Jose is relatively high up for a capital city so a lovely temperature for wandering round. The wind generally comes from the east and the Atlantic coast gets a lot more rain than the Pacific. This means the Atlantic coast is slightly cooler but wetter. Up in the mountains, it’s still warm during the day but down to single figures first thing in the morning. I have to say we were incredibly lucky with the weather even though it did rain heavily a few times but not for long. There are many early starts to contend with which is fine for those from the UK thanks to the time difference. This is so you can either catch the wildlife at their most active or get on the road early to avoid the traffic and travel to the next place as soon as possible. Talking of wildlife, Costa Rica is all about birdlife. We must have seen dozens of exotic species – far too many to mention here. The place is absolutely alive with creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours which is a great testament to the way Costa Rica has created a large number of magical National Parks. I must admit, personally, we were more interested in tropical fish than birds and thought we would be snorkelling on both coasts. Sadly the seas were a bit rough for the Cahuita reef but Cano Island more than made up for this with two excellently organised snorkels off the back of a boat. The fins and mask supplied by the resort were of a high standard so no need to bring your own gear. It’s probably not the best location to try snorkelling for the first time or if you’re not too confident but there are two snorkel guides from the resort in the water with you at all times so you’re in very safe hands. Not a problem if snorkelling isn’t your thing as the others went for a nature walk in the pristine forests of the island.

San Jose – Presidente Hotel – recently renovated, comfortable, very central location – right on the pedestrianised Central Avenue.
Tortuguero – Evergreen Lodge – a proper eco-lodge – metal mosquito mesh for windows – no AC, only a fan – very damp but don’t be surprised by this as it’s in the middle of a rain forest. Excellent swimming pool and lovely food.
Cahuita – Cuidad Perdida (not the Atlantida – worth checking with your Exodus rep which hotel you are booked into) – some people reported issues with showers lacking hot water but this was fixed during our stay. A 5 minute walk from the very easy-going Cahuita village with lots of Jamaican style restaurants and bars to choose from.
Turrialba – Villa Florencia – best room of the whole trip – huge, modern, well equipped. Beautiful, peaceful location.
Savegre – Savegre Hotel, Nature Reserve & Spa – Stunning location at the bottom of a steep valley, still 2,200m up so relatively cold first thing in the morning. Best food.
Drake Bay – Wilderness Resort – rooms really could do with an update but all had AC and plenty of hot water for showering. Amazing location, on the beach, overlooking Drake Bay. The highlight of the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think the Costa Rican nation are the most inspirational thing about the trip. Considering it’s a relatively young country, surrounded by pretty unstable neighbours with an economy seemingly based on bananas, coffee and sugar cane, they’re doing just nicely. They’re a very friendly bunch and have run the place just about as sensibly as could possibly be expected. Thanks to very far-sighted government policies around nature conservation and energy supply, they are now reaping the rewards through well developed eco-tourism. As long as the whole world doesn’t descend at once on Costa Rica, they’ll do just fine.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mayer did a fantastic job of coordinating us all – not an easy job by any means. Plus he’s a really nice guy who kept us all entertained and informed throughout. Mayer is a one man Costa Rican version of Google. What this chap doesn’t know about Costa Rican wildlife you can ignore. How he kept managing to spot tiny, camouflaged creatures hundreds of meters away through his incredible scope, I’ve no idea. For lugging this unwieldy scope and tripod through some of the world’s most hot and humid rain forests, he deserves a medal. You will learn all about the fascinating wildlife, history, politics and sociology which is why you need a decent guide for this sort of tour. He’s also very keen to answer any questions you might have.

Advice for Potential Travellers

So, what to take with you? Don’t go overboard with stuff because you’ll be doing a lot of packing and unpacking as you move between locations. I wasn’t sure whether to take a wheelie suitcase or a large holdall. In the end we went with holdalls but it didn’t really matter either way. As for currency, we didn’t bother with dollars and used a combination of Colon notes and credit card to pay for things. Most meals and almost all excursions are included so you shouldn’t need a huge amount of cash – just the odd lunch/dinner/drinks and tips. The remote places miles from an ATM are Tortuguero, Turriabla, Savegre and Drake Bay. Make sure you’ve got enough cash in your pocket before you get to these places. Medicines – upset stomachs and sickness were unfortunately not uncommon but soon passed after a day or two – best pack some tablets to be on the safe side. Insect repellent – you will get bitten even in the dry season, through clothes and despite DEET – hydrocortisone cream is fantastic to stop itching though which means the bites heal quicker. As mentioned, it will rain at times. Heavily. Poncho needed. Footwear – Approach/trail shoes or hiking boots are ideal for the walks – as long as they are comfortable and have plenty of grip you’ll be fine. Water shoes / Crocs are also worth packing for when you get in and out of boats as they reverse up to the shallows of beaches during the trips from Drake Bay. Technical (polyester) t-shirts, thin shorts and walking trousers are ideal for walking in the jungles as they’ll keep you cooler. Don’t forget a warm fleece / light jacket for Savegre. We were advised to take a beach towel but in the end didn’t need it. Most resorts lend you a beach towel free of charge so not an issue. For some strange reason, only the San Jose hotel had a sink plug. Get yourself a travel sing plug if you want water to stay in the basin whilst you’re having a wash. Camera is a must. Ideally a decent one with a good zoom otherwise you’ll come home to a load of photos with a small dot in the middle which could be anything from a sloth to a pelican. Don’t be afraid to ask your assigned Exodus rep and questions about the tour you might have before you go – they are really helpful and usually get back to you within a day or two. Laundry – Drakes Bay resort do have a free, same-day laundry service but this is near the end of your stay. I tried washing some clothes at Savegre but getting them to dry was hard work – this country is humid, even in the mountains but especially on the coasts – you have been warned. Flights from/to the UK – get the direct BA flights from Gatwick if possible. The food is plentiful if not gourmet. You’ll need an extra night in San Jose at the end but Exodus will sort all this out for you along with the airport transfers.

Robert Pratt

Reviewed February 2019

Superb Cycling Adventure and more

What a trip! We cycled from Saigon to Hue in warm sunny weather with a fantastic Vietnamese Crew headed up by ‘Chi’ who not only looked after us but also imparted a wealth of information on his country along the way. Then via train and bus to Hanoi and Halong Bay. Hotels were excellent, roads were generally good, most of the riding was flat or gently undulating, with two days of more serious climbing and excellent descents. The food was tasty, plentiful and generally inexpensive and the fruit at roadside rest stops was varied and truly gorgeous. But the highlight was the lovely and friendly Vietnamese people who shout ‘Hello’ at you about 100 times a day as you cycle past (mainly children of course). Things to be aware of are the number of scooters – sometimes with families of 4 or even 5 riding together, the apparent lack of any road rules or enforcement, the number of horns being used (generally as a friendly warning it should be said) and finally the amount of general waste on the roadsides (and floating at Halong Bay). But to the Vietnamese who have suffered decades of strife and wars agains western colonial powers, this is seen as a temporary and low priority issue as they try to rebuild their country and improve the standard of living. Vietnam is a communist country but unlike Cuba commerce is encouraged and major investment is visible for all to see. This is a great trip – do it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing my infrequent cycling wife of 62 climb up the Hai Van pass just behind men in their 50s. Personally Hoi An on New Years Eve was fantastic

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chi really couldn’t have done anything better - capable, professional, knowledgable, humourous and an all round top bloke! All his recommended eating places were excellent too

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware of the minor negatives that you will experience in a developing country like Vietnam. And read up/watch documentaries about the Vietnam War. Check out weather profiles - we had hot, dry and sunny weather in late January/early February.

Sean Marriner

Reviewed February 2019

Breathtaking

Yes the High Inca Trail is truly breathtaking in more than one way, from the stunning routes, and landscape to the hard climbs and how altitude affects your body.

Challenging but very rewarding at the same time, this is the best experience in my life.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a couple of inspirational moments... Firstly, when what was left of the group finally reached the highest point on the trail after a hard couple of days up the steep climbs. Second, seeing Macchu Picchu in the distance after walking through the Sun gate. It had always been a life long ambition to go see Macchu Picchu and I finally done it. Life changing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tomas was brilliant, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, very friendly and had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Listen to your group leader, don't go rushing off ahead or be a know-it-all, we lost a few group members because of this only a couple of days into the trail. Take some Vicks Vapour rub, helped me at the higher altitudes opening up my airways more. Plenty photos, take all your surroundings in and have a great time.

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