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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14370 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Gillian Stott

Reviewed December 2018

A road trip with a difference

An easily manageable cycling holiday for most moderately fit people full of variety. Through careful, informative and expert guiding we cycled away from main roads through rural Vietnam and into cities. There was time to admire the view and quietly pedal along, past traditional Vietnamese ways of life of rice paddies, children waving, people conveying ambitiously towering loads of produce and shorelines of fishing practices.
In contrast the cities were hectic, bustling with motorbikes negotiating around each other, of clothing stalls and fishmarkets, ancient ruins of rich colour and splendour and of people hard at work in an attempt to make a living away from the land.
Halong Bay was the northernmost attraction which was spectacular though possiblly too over developed with torusim for my liking.
Our group of 15 seemed like minded and we worked well as a team with much supporting of each other.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through rural villages of tradtional housing with children excitedly waving and calling hello - it felt like we were on a Vietnamese sysle Tour de France. This felt humbling, our lives being full of consumerism and clutter. My inspirational moment lasted a long time!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Any review of Linh would find it hard to do him justice. He worked incredibly hard every minute of the time in order to make sure that we enjoyed the trip. I felt pampered by the bikes being maintained to a high standard and snacks laid out after a sensible stretches. Instructions and itineraries for the day were carefully metered out to us - otherwise we forgot! In the evenings Linh found us fabulous places to eat and I think we all loved the food. I felt educated on many aspects of Vietnamese history and life which Linh would entertain us with on some of the longer bus sections. I am new to trips like these so asked others who weren't if they had met any guide who bettered Linh's very high standard but they found it difficult to think of anyone. So I feel incredibly lucky to have booked the week that Linh was on duty. Linh is a cyclist at heart, like us and this made a difference too. His management of his support team was impressive. A guy worth his weight in gold - I hope you reward him well!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Carry a lightweight rainjacket for cycling in rain. Keep a diary of where you took what photos as a minimium, it is amazing how rapidly you forget as all the cycling days begin to merge into one. There is quite a bit of time spent on the bus in order to travel through the country so make sure you have enough to occupy yourself with during these times if you are not happy to gaze out of the window.

Yvonne Carson

Reviewed December 2018

Fantastic experience

This trip is fantastic! So well organised by the amazing guide, amazing wildlife and scenery and great cycling. Be prepared for the heat and the humidity, but the terrain is not too difficult. Accommodation was mostly very good or excellent, one not so good hotel. This is an experience to remember.

Most Inspirational Moment

Wild elelphants at the side of the road!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Couldn’t fault Suresh. Best leader I have met. Lovely person. Well organised. Very high standards. A credit to his country and Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

enjoy every moment. Take anti bacterial gel, as toilet facilities can be basic out with hotels. Don’t need US dollars, Sri Lankan Rupee is best. Food is mostly rice and curry.

Barry Tiernan

Reviewed December 2018

Coast to Coast

This is a great holiday covering 2 distinct regions of Southern India, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
The cycling was excellent, flat rides for the first week in Tamil Nadu and hilly the second week in Kerala

The accommodation was generally very good. The food was excellent, enjoyed by all on the trip. There were only 6 of us on the trip(all friends), on previous tips there were 16. However it worked out really well. We all enjoyed the cycling, potholes and all. Some busy towns but enjoyable to cycle through.

Most Inspirational Moment

We stayed at a Plantation House in Vagamon, Kerala which was a special moment for all. Such a beautiful house and the family looked after us very well, cooking a magnificent meal in the evening. Were also driven to a rock pool in a Jeep for a swim. All of us would have loved another day here The night on the houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala was also great fun, a nice touch near the end of the holiday

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Abhilash (Abi) was wonderful. He was kind and caring, looked after us very well. Abi was always there to make our holiday enjoyable. The rest of the team, Kurian, Santos, Vipin also worked very hard and we enjoyed their company. This was a truly excellent team

Advice for Potential Travellers

The food was so good, likely to put a few pounds on!

Lester Wheaton

Reviewed December 2018

Exhilarating

‘Discover Chile’ was a fantastic holiday and certainly in my top three tours over the last 20+years. The main reason it was fantastic was that we had brilliant weather throughout and considering this holiday was to principally look at the natural landscapes within the country this was essential. Although it was a certainty that we would have clear weather in the desert which was confirmed, the bonus of views of the snow capped Mt Osorno and others in the Lake District, and also the fantastic Torres del Paine against cloudless backdrops was the icing on the cake.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many highlights on the tour but these are my top three: 3. Mt Osorno in the Lake District 2. Antiplano Lakes and Mountain Scenery in the Atacama 1. Torres del Paine Mountain Scenery in Patagonia I could never get sick of the view of Torres del Paine from outside my room in Patagonia.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ignacio was both competent and very pleasant.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to spend a considerable time on planes (5 off internal flights) and the associated waiting time in airports, also early get ups (2 before 5am) and a late finish (11pm). Flight schedules can change at short notice but none of ours were seriously affected.

Susan Barnes

Reviewed December 2018

An experience of a lifetime!

This was simply one of the best experiences of my life! We were very fortunate that all 12 members of our team got on really well and we had a brilliant leader with a ‘dream team’ supporting him. The trek itself is hard work, but I never felt that we wouldn’t make it to Base Camp. Our leader and the guides did everything to encourage us to “reach our destiny” and did so with professionalism and a great sense of humour. However, at no time was our safety compromised and the pace of the walk was judged to perfection. Some days are very long, with early starts; but well worth it. The scenery is breathtaking. This is definitely a holiday that is worthy of being on any bucket list.

Most Inspirational Moment

This has to be the arrival at Base Camp after 9 days of trekking. Everyone felt a real sense of achievement and really bonded the group. We were also extremely lucky to have Kaji on our team as one of the Guides. Kaji has summited Everest 8 times and his insight and knowledge was inspirational, which was matched by his modesty, humility and kindness.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can't speak highly enough of our leader, Ajay. He took the trouble to get to know every member of the team and put our health and safety above everything. Ajay has a great sense of humour and is extremely knowledgable, providing answers to our many many questions! If there was a problem with a room or the toilets, for example, he made sure it was resolved. Ajay had great support in Kaji, Cami and Nowoan, who led the yaks, so the success of our trek was really never in doubt. Just to add also (having seen some of the other reviews) that there was no mention of tips until the very end of the trip and, even then, it was only a suggestion, not a demand. We decided among ourselves what we should give to Ajay, as his tip wasn't mentioned at all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the itinerary carefully and make sure you bring everything you need to protect yourself against the cold (especially in the evening) and the dust! You don't have to be super fit to do the trek itself, but it is worth doing some interval training before you go. Don't expect luxury accommodation: it's a bonus if you get an ensuite toilet - sometimes you just have to 'go with it'!

Peter Eggleston

Reviewed December 2018

A great holiday/adventure

Our first Exodus trip, and what a wonderful experience. The accommodation, cycling, trip leadership and support were all first class. There are two elements out of their hands – the flight (in our case with BA on superannuated 747s) and the people who pay for the holiday. Our tour party was excellent, a great and disparate group of interesting and enthusiastic people. The less said about BA’s performance the better. If we’d been unlucky enough to have been booked on the Thursday flight back to

Most Inspirational Moment

Three unforgettable moments: A whale watching trip from Hermanus that was the best (of quite a few) I have experienced. As my wife (who suffers from sea-sickness) said, I don't think we need to do one of those again. I can't imagine it could be bettered. Arriving at Barrydale after a longish bus transfer from Stellenbosch and a "undulating" 60 odd km ride everyone was quite tired and too late for the planned brandy-tasting. The recipe for a grumpy evening was complete, but instead it was the making of our group, bonding over a really good meal. The whole party getting to the summit of Chapman's Peak just before lunch on the last day's cycling at the same time after one of the most beautiful morning's cycling I have ever experienced. The shared experiences are the best.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Peter was excellent. He was always enthusiastic, determined that we should eke out every last experience available to us, and always knowing where they could be found, whether it was a venue for our evening meal, a walk to a viewpoint (when we were all tired and were less than enthusiastic ourselves) or a drive to a local beauty spot for a pre-dinner G&T. His team, Bradley and Voyu were similarly motivated to go that extra km to help us all enjoy the adventure as much as possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go! I doubt that you'll regret it.

Jenny Martin

Reviewed December 2018

A stunning holiday!

If you’re looking for a great mix of exercise, wine-tasting, wildlife spotting and camaraderie, this is the trip for you! As this was our first organised holiday we approached it with some trepidation, but our expectations were surpassed many times over. Every day brought new experiences – different landscapes and vistas, unfamiliar but delicious wines, the highest quality local dishes, friendly hosts and quirky accommodation, and a developing bond between all participants as we slogged up the inclines and sailed down the descents.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were too many highlights over the 10 days to mention here, but the satisfaction of riding over majestic mountain passes to be rewarded with beautiful vineyard visits, seeing whales, sharks and penguins up close in their natural habitat, and swimming in the Indian ocean were some of the best.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Peter, really went the extra mile to make our trip special. He offered numerous little add-ons that were hard to resist, e.g. a hike up to a view point overlooking the Whale Coast in Hermanus, and G&Ts above Cape Agulhas at sunset. We left South Africa with so many special and unique memories thanks to the hard work of Peter and his team, Bradley and Voyu.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do get reasonably fit for this trip as, although the distances aren't massive, the route is undulating and, at times, hilly, and it can be windy. You will enjoy it more if you do. You also need to factor in the wine-tasting - this is bound to make your legs a little heavier in the morning! Be open-minded about the accommodation - our hosts offered comfortable, quirky rooms that gave a fantastic flavour of local life. I will never stay in a chain hotel again!

David Couzens

Reviewed December 2018

Cycling The Cape And Winelands

A wonderful cycle trip and an excellent introduction to the Cape (and South African wine!). Some great cycling (Franschheok Pass, The Whale Coast) mixed with plenty of wine tasting and a day’s recuperation whale watching in Hermanus.

The cycling itself is graded as moderate though a grading of moderate/challenging would be more appropriate, especially if you are not a keen cyclist.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the Franschheok Pass. After having to walk up hills in Central America 18 months earlier it felt wonderful to be the first of the group to reach the top!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Warren was an excellent tour leader and interacted with everyone in the group. A wealth of knowledge and nothing was any trouble for him. Our second guide/driver Adonia is a great guide in the making.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the trip!

Carol Sutton

Reviewed December 2018

An amazing experience

Vietnam is a beautiful country with wonderful gentle people. This holiday gives an insight into the ways of the people who live in the modern world but respect the ways of the old world.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the day to day activities of the Vietnamese people going about their daily lives, the traffic, the scooters, the noise. The abundance of fruit, vegetables and flowers on display at the markets, Also kayaking in the lagoon at Halong bay as dusk was falling and everyone else had left, we watched the monkeys scurrying along the cliffs and it was silent and magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cong was a lovely patient man who was obviously very proud of his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do all the optional trips offered to you, or get out and about on your own in the free time parts of this trip. It feels very safe in Vietnam so don't spend any time in your hotel room unless you are asleep!

Michael Appleyard

Reviewed December 2018

A Vietnam Experience cycling included

A Brilliant trip showing all aspects of Vietnams culture, more than a cycling trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

To cycle up and over the Hai Van Pass.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Linh was a brilliant team leader who's knowledge of all aspects of the tour was brilliant. He was very entertaining and looked after all aspects of the tour. The support team were also brilliant and dealt with cycle repairs snacks at stops, and transport.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a brilliant trip, the cycling is not too difficult apart from the Hai Van Pass, however 14 out of 15 team members managed the climb. Be prepared for long Coach transfers.

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