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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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14370 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Karen McIlravie

Reviewed December 2018

Colourful India

A truly comphrehensive tour of Kerala with just the right amount of contrast throughout the 2 weeks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but amongst them has to be seeing elephants in the wild up close and personal, the magical temple in Madurai at sunset, the relaxing houseboat in Allepey, watching fruitbats flying overhead in their hundreds, pulling up a fishing net in Cochin...Oh, I could go on and on..

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was amazing and went above and beyond the call of duty. He even went out and bought one of our group a cake when it was her birthday. He was a mine of information and always wore a smile no matter what was thrown at him. Our coach broke down one night in the back of beyond and Sam handled the whole situation very swiftly and with great professionalism. He is a charming man and a credit to your company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trekking is quite hard in places so make sure you are fit enough. Take extra sd cards because there is a photograph around every corner!! Just go...and enjoy the beauty of southern India and all of her wonders.

Su Wheeldon

Reviewed December 2018

Kerala is open to tourists! A memorable trip not to be missed !!

When I booked I hoped for a good memorable holiday, what I came home was an amazing experience that will live with me forever! It exceeded my expectations

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many too mention all of them! However need to mention ( no particular order) the visit to a local school, the overnight stay on the backwater, the lady making bricks, going to the cinema, the flower market, tuck tuck ride, the food, the people and everything on the itinerary. The overnight stay on the back was extremely relaxing, comfortable accommodation and we where served delicious food for lunch and dinner. Prior to dinner we had a short walk to an uninhabited island on the way seeing local people going about their lives . Visiting the school (3-8year olds) we where given the warmest welcome from the adorable children. They welcomed us by singing songs, in return we sang to them (Old McDonald had a farm!! ) We all had big smiles as we left ... impossible not too!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Santo was a great ambassador for Exodus, always well presented, professional, friendly with smile no matter what. Knowledgeable, always offering interesting alternative suggestions to try not on the itinerary. Being responsive to the group wishes, an awareness of each member of the group and ready to accommodate their needs. Whether it was assisting with food suggestions or finding a working ATM (Mondays they often run out of cash), nothing was too much trouble for him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Grab every opportunity to experience not only what’s on the itinerary but the amazing non scheduled events offered. This gives you a real insight into this amazing country ! All too good to miss! Go with an open mind and be willing to embrace every experience you can even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. You may like me enjoy something new and learn a lot about yourself, Don’t expect it to be perfect, nowhere is and therefore you will be disappointed. Change is good !

Jyoti Nair

Reviewed December 2018

Bliss @ Atlas

Nice trip, well divided between doing the touristy thing in colorful, bustling Marrakech and walking in the mountains. The difficulty level is somewhere between a 2 and a 3, rocky and uneven paths. Good shoes and walking poles, guys! Die hard walk enthusiasts may find the 3 days of walking not challenging enough. Food was freshly perpared, clean and tasty. The accomodation decent. Showers hot.

Most Inspirational Moment

Navigatibg the rocky paths and making it in time. Albeit last!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Omar was a young group leader, probably not very experienced in leading. Had to be reminded a few times that he needed to be looking out for the last person on the trail rather than trying to be the first one to reach from point A to point B.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and have a good time.

Sue Hoddell

Reviewed December 2018

sri lanka

great cycling, diverse landscapes and a real flavour of the country. a well put together programme and full on with little time unoccupied. some challenging rides on generally good roads and plenty of time in the saddle. Good accommodation and food. don’t expect much time to relax

Most Inspirational Moment

enjoyed the ride up through the tea plantations to the high point, even more enjoyable as part of it was done in torrential rain but little danger of getting cold. the wildlife park trip scored well on spotting the animals and showed a wide range of animal life in the park

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wasantha was kind and thoughtful, always respectful of the group members

Advice for Potential Travellers

we were lucky with the weather but the rain we did experience was awesome, be prepared as it can really throw it down

Jay Howard

Reviewed December 2018

3 Easy "Day Walks" rather than a "Moderate" walking trip.

This is quite an easy “walking trip” but I think it’s far more suited to those who are looking to walk more than those who are already more seasoned walkers.
The pace of activities is well balanced between city tours and days walking in the mountains with (probably) the best local food being served at the Riad.

Most Inspirational Moment

Marrakesh is (as expected) alive with activity during the day and evening and the views from the high Atlas walks can be spectacular as are the vivid pastel colours of many valleys you'll see on the walking days from the Riad.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Omar was well organised and spent much time to explain the Berber culture in quite a lot of detail to the group over the evening meals in the Riad.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Both the hotel and Riad used on this trip do not have bars so if you enjoy a glass of wine etc with dinner you may need to be self sufficient (and discrete to respect the views of others). The Riad is basic and comfortable but if you're traveling out of the summer period it can be very chilly as the heating is limited so pack some warm clothes for the evenings.

Julie Reynolds

Reviewed December 2018

A great trip!

The annapurna circuit has been on my wish list for a long time and having finally got to do it, it did not disappoint! The scenery is fantastic and ever changing with something new to look at, at seemingly every corner.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting drinking fresh apple juice as a golden eagle flew just over our heads. Seeing the mountains against the cloudless blue skies time and time again from all different angles. Getting over the pass!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kumar was excellent. I really do not think we could have asked for more in a guide. Everything was well organised and nothing was ever too much trouble for him. I think he put a lot of effort into ensuring everyone in the group was happy and had what they needed and to just making sure we were having a good time . He worked extremely hard as did the other guides and the porters and we were very lucky to have such a great team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of warm layers for the evenings. Despite being in tea houses it is very cold, even in the communal areas. Don’t go on this trip unless you can cope with squat toilets, often not very clean, communal facilities and dodgey showers!

VICKI NUNN

Reviewed December 2018

We were left wanting ...

… wanting more of a South African experience! The area around Cape Town is lovely and definitely worth visiting – upon reflection, however, we wish we’d have taken a car tour in South Africa and cycled somewhere else. The reason we take cycling holidays in different parts of the world is to experience a country in an active way and really see, hear and feel the country. We enjoyed the whale watching, Cape Point and Boulders Beach visits but there was definitely scope for more South African experience. We learned about the history and botany of the area but would have liked more of modern South Africa, the relationship between black and white and how they now live side-by-side post-apartheid, etc, as it’s such an intrinsic part of the area. Often with these trips there are extras that are not mentioned on the trip notes which really enrich the holiday and make up for the inevitable slightly dull bits of cycling – there were none of these interesting extras! There were many times when we could have been anywhere slogging our way up yet another hill. If you are a stats person (how far, how fast, how high, etc) who wants some warm cycling when it’s cold in UK (please see note below tho!) you’ll probably have no problems with the trip (although I would recommend Morocco’s Great South for more stunning mountain scenery). Every day you are pushing up a hill, against the wind (it is always windy in this part of the world it seems!) or both!! I would question the grading of this trip – we have taken a few moderate trips and this was definitely harder. By the same token I have taken a moderate/challenging trip and it was easier! At one point my husband said we should have saved ourselves a lot of money and just bought a turbo-trainer – it did sometimes feel a bit like exercise for exercise sake and not a holiday!

Most Inspirational Moment

Whale watching and seeing a megapod (300-500) of common dolphin (which apparently are not so common!) swimming alongside us. A walk up into the hills behind Hermanus on our day off. Staying in in Cape Town for 4 extra nights at the end of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Warren was very personable and knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for it to be cold!! It caught us all out when our first two days' weather was like the Scottish Highlands rather than South Africa!!! Evenings are cool too! Take binoculars for whale watching and Bontebok NP. The sea looks beautifully inviting but you probably won't be swimming as it's absolutely freezing!!! The swimming pools are unheated so they are not very appealing either! BOOK EXTRA DAYS IN CAPE TOWN BEFORE OR AFTER!! There is virtually no time in the city within the trip and it is definitely worth seeing!!

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Vicki for her feedback, although we are sorry she felt the trip left her wanting more from her experience in South Africa. We were pleased to read that Vicki enjoyed the whale watching and visits to Cape Point and Boulders Beach; we regret, however, that she found the trip would have benefitted from a more integrative local experience. We do endeavour to offer trips that provide a full experience, taking into account the culture, history and geography of the areas we visit, and we endeavour to do this in a positive and responsible way. We also feel it is worth mentioning that out of 43 reviews on our website, clients have given this tour an average of 4.5 stars out of a possible 5 (on the date of publishing) and we feel this is reassuring and demonstrates that the trip is described accurately in our tour literature. Based on the feedback from our local team and previous clients, we are confident that the activity level assigned for this trip is appropriate, although we acknowledge this is not Vicki’s view. We are, nonetheless, genuinely sorry that Vicki’s experience was not so positive. John Penge – Product Manager

margaret crisp

Reviewed December 2018

What an adventure!!!

Had a wonderful trip around Costa Rica, on the delightful ‘women only’ trip. We were led by a very knowledgeable and informative guide, in Katia, and whilst I avoided the zip wires, I thoroughly enjoyed the suspension bridges, the boat trip in the mangrove swamps and the geo-thermal baths. We saw birds of all kinds, including the quetzal, racoons, crocodile and caiman, an armadillo, sloths, turtles and monkeys! We started as a group of strangers on the same trip…and ended up feeling a family!!
The only downside was the return trip…so thorough is the security at Houston, that a two hour gap between flights is barely sufficient and i had to run to catch the second plane!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the tree roots seen on the boat trip round Tortuguero…..

Thoughts on Group Leader

Awesome!!!! Very knowledgeable and an inspiration!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can, avoid Houston airport....or be prepared to keep looking at your watch and hoping!!!!!

Monica Ozwoeld

Reviewed December 2018

Vietnam Adventure

I have not been on a group tour in over 35 years and was anxious how it would be traveling with 16 other individuals and a tour guide. I am quite independent when I travel. I was also the only American in a group of 16 people, the others being from England, Scotland and Wales. My fears were put to rest almost immediately. These people all became friends over the two week period – a very cohesive, easy going and adventurous group. Our tour guide, Cong, was amazing – very organized and on top of every little detail, making sure every one of us knew exactly what the day’s schedule would be. Exodus is a very conscious tour company and Cong, whenever possible, made sure our activities supported the people of Vietnam in cities and the rural areas. I learned and saw so much, and though it was at a bit faster pace than I might have gone on my own, it worked. What an amazing country. Each place we visited was different and offered unique insights into the Vietnamese culture. I would highly recommend this tour and Cong, our guide, gets an A+.

Most Inspirational Moment

On our bike ride when we were in Hoi An visiting with the veteran from the war with Cambodia. Hearing his story, listening to him sing and watching the awe that our bicycle guide had on his face as he listened to him sing was very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cong was excellent. As said previously, he was extremely organized and kept a close check on each member of the group, making sure we were all doing okay. His attitude was always positive and he gave us insight into the Vietnamese people and culture. His love of his country and his people was evident in all he did and said. He made sure that whenever possible we visited and ate at places that supported the more needy in Vietnam. As I stated, I am used to traveling on my own and pretty independent. At times this may have been a bit difficult for him, but I felt I had enough time on my own and he worked with me allowing me the freedom at times I needed. A wonderful kind and caring guide.

Amanda Patton

Reviewed December 2018

Very aptly named trip!

A fabulous introduction to India for a first-timer. India surprised and delighted me in so many ways; the vibrancy, the people, the architecture, the culture, the food – I was constantly reminded of the line in Best Exotic – something along the lines of “how could you not love this country, all life is here”.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first sight of the Taj Mahal through the windows of the Red Fort in Agra reduced me to tears - it just shimmers on the horizon and is so incredibly beautiful. But also Bundi, an absolute delight and assault on all senses, and we were lucky with a late Diwali that meant we caught the beginnings of the camel fair at Pushkar which was huge fun!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was just amazing, his knowledge, enthusiasm and kindness made him the perfect guide. He knew the best places to eat, from a palace on the shores of the lake at Udaipur to street food (and the best samosas ever); he organised fireworks for Diwali, tuctucs in Udaipur, a trip to a Bollywood movie, going out of his way to give us all the best experience possible, and adding in extra elements when he discovered our interests.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take existing clothes to be made up in hours from local material - I didn't know about it so didn't take anything but wished I had! I took a daily pro-biotic but on the one occasion I felt a bit dodgy it was sorted with some charcoal tablets that one of the other ladies let me have.

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