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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123 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Bianca Courtright

Reviewed December 2016

Great way to see Central America!

This is a great trip to see 3 Central American countries. Each has different history and presents different experiences for tourists from jungle, wildlife, ocean and lake viewpoints, infrastructure marvels and lots of seafood!
Exodus does a great job and ensuring border crossing and logistics are organized to ensure it’s a holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Support for the entire team to make it up the hills with horns honking and flags waving! Ometepe Island was a great stop and the Panama Canal was especially enjoyable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is an energetic guide and genuinely wants to share highlights of his country to all those on the tour. He is passionate about ensuring everyone has a great time. He is an excellent listener to all requests and delivers above and beyond. The great team ensured that all participants with all skill levels had adequate care and assistance throughout the trip. This meant that members of the team raced ahead with the keen bikers (thanks Paul, Roberto and Gerhart!), while ensuring that adequate stopping points provided the group to reconvene and enjoy fresh fruits (thanks Luis!).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a few different biking outfits and the guides indicated laundromats where they could get washed at various destinations during the trip. Bring a great attitude for varied terrain: hills and flat stretches.

Emilia Chachulova

Reviewed December 2016

Incredible cycling holiday

This holiday was simply amazing. We cycled through three incredible countries supporter by a wonderful leader Roberto and his team. Everything was so well organised from the very moment we arrived and were welcome with a cold beer, to the very end. We were a bit unlucky since we managed to hit the first hurricane in Costa Rica in about 175 years. However Roberto and his team ensured we were moved to a safe place and could carry on with a plan B. This trip was incredible, so much fun and a great adventure. Recommend it very strongly!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspirational moments on this trip, it's hard to pick just one. I think everyone should go and pick their own :)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was simply fantastic. He and his team worked incredibly hard to ensure we were all safe and had a lots of fun. And we did!!! Roberto was very professional and had our safety in my first and always ensured we were enjoying ourselves. He always waited for the last person so everyone could cycle at their own pace. Special thanks to Roberto and his team during the hurricane Otto where they took care of us so diligently!!! Exceptional leader and a wonderful team!!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although extensive cycling experience is not required, I would recommend to do some cycling preparation for this trip.

Sarah Conlon

Reviewed November 2016

Trip of a lifetime

What an amazing trip! Three beautiful countries, all very different from the other. Abundance of wildlife, rolling hills, big hills, active volcanos, stunning hotels, fun guides, bus karaoke! Cycling was achievable but challenging in a good way! My fitness went from being in the bottom half of the gears to then maxing out the gears and needing more! Started hating hills and now hate flats! Beautiful humbling countries , full of happy smiling people; young and old wanting to interact with you!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the active volcano in Nicaragua and Ometepe Island, jumping in the sea wearing cycle gear at the end of a good day! The best ride was by far the additional one added through the indigenous tribe in Panama, ammmmaaaaazing!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was fantastic! Great sense of humour and never rushes you despite where you fall in the group! I struggled with hills at the beginning and was going way too fast and burning out. He taught me how to endurance cycle over this trip and on the last day I was good enough to lead the group even though just for a short while! He also rearranged the trip around a Hurricane adding the best extra ride on his day off and even a cheeky shopping trip! Salvo the driver was amazing and a very cheeky sense of humour! Always beeping and waving you along! Paul the mechanic was faultless. A fun, hilarious and cheeky smile added to his absolute professionalism throughout! Always encouraging! Gerhardt, hardcore athlete was put through his paces which surprised even him and he had some awesome stories! Just don't mention bananas!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't think, just do it! Trip of a lifetime awaits!

Kim Sinnamo

Reviewed October 2016

Cycling nicaragua, costa rica and panama

What an amazing adventure. I have been on several Exodus trips – hiking and cycling – and this was my favourite so far. Three countries in 2 weeks – brilliant guides/mechanics; great bikes, beautiful scenery and locations…. all you could ask for and more.
The cycling is moderate/challenging – good roads throughout and the bikes are excellent. The bikes have speedometers which show your speed, distance covered etc which is really helpful. There are a few challenging hills but overall it is manageable. The group has a leader at the front and one at the back of the group (I was at the back!) so you can take whatever time you need! Plenty of stops for water and fresh pineapple and biscuits.. It was very warm and humid so be prepared to be very sweaty!
All three countries were beautiful. Plenty to see and do whilst you cycle – our guide – Roberto- was extremely knowledgeable about everything (don’t think there wasn’t anything he couldn’t answer) so the cycling was interspersed with breaks to show us wildlife, views, swim at a beach…
The hotels were good – some more basic than others- but all decent. Some of them were fantastically located, right on a beach or on a beautiful hillside.
Food was very good – lots of seafood; those who were vegetarian found it harder to find choices in some places though
On a free day, 10 out of our group went zip wiring in Costa Rica- brilliant fun and I would definitely recommend it if you are okay with heights

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention! Sunrises and sunsets, the views, the camaraderie ... One to mention was actually completing all the cycling and hill climbs and not having to get off the bike! This is thanks to Steve (one of the leaders/guides) who cycled at the rear of the group. He was great fun, professional, friendly, and incredibly helpful - not being a regular cyclist (I know - why choose a cycling holiday?!!), he helped me with picking the right gears and getting my pacing right so that I was able to complete it all which was a great achievement for me. What a star!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was the main leader and he was just fantastic - he gave us more detailed trip notes on the first day outlining each days distances, climbs, activities which was very useful. He was always available to answer any questions and did so with a smile! He was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the trip - wildlife, cycling, countryside, traditions, foods, anything and everything. Great fun and great guy. The other leaders, mechanics and drivers (Steve, Paul, Luis and Ronaldo) were also fabulous and also helped make the trip an unbelievable one!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes - book it! You won't regret it!

Jennifer Shurina-Egan

Reviewed October 2016

Cycling in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama

This was the best cycling trip I have done with Exodus. In fact, this is my fifth cycling trip with exodus.The organization and leadership of Roberto made all the difference in experiencing a wonderful trip. His team including Steve, Paulo, Luise and Rolando worked effectively and efficiently together and interacted very well with all the clients. Though they all worked extremely, they had fun with each other and with us. It was a privilege to be on the trip with them. This is caliber of staff Exodus needs to support and hire.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think for me was accomplishing the cycle on the Queen route in Costa Rica. It was the most difficult of all the routes and I managed at my age to be with the top portion of the cyclists. I also believe how Roberto and the other members of the team motivated all of us to keep going made a difference.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I think I have already indicated how Roberto functioned as the group leader. He brief us every evening about the next route and in the morning before we cycled he showed what we had already accomplished and then indicated what was the next route. He also warned about the difficulty of the specific route and the safety precautions we need to consider. He always made sure that everyone was alright, was willing to answer our questions and suggested places to eat, tours to take and where to obtain money.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit to do this type of trip especially in dealing with the heat and humidity. The heat and humidity makes the cycling more difficult. I have cycled three times in India and the heat and humidity in Central America was worse that in India.

Stephen Harrison

Reviewed September 2016

Another Great Trip

This is a whirlwind tour of the three countries. A lot is packed into the 2 weeks. The itinerary is fast moving and most days are either cycling or travelling to the next destination. The cycling has some steep hills, so it’s best if you are reasonably fit, but you don’t necessarily have to be. All in all, a great way to see Central America, the beautiful scenery and the different cultures

Most Inspirational Moment

Roberto took us to a remote school in Panama, where he told us that because the children did not watch TV they were completely innocent, and very rarely saw people from other countries. For me, this was one of the highlights, especially seeing how Roberto talked to the children, and how he got all of us to introduce ourselves to the children in Spanish!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is a top leader in every way. He is very passionate about his country (Costa Rica) and gave us all sorts of information about each of the countries as we travelled through. He was always concerned for our safety when cycling and gave us clear instructions at the beginning of each ride so that we stayed safe

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would travel a day early to get over the jet lag when you arrive. Make sure you have high factor sun cream, especially for your arms (The cycle leaders put sleeves on their arms for the long rides)

Roddy Tyrrell

Reviewed September 2016

Father and son bonding

Great trip with my 19 year old son,great companions , Roberto was like a mother hen and kept us all safe ( despite my sons best efforts ) .
Met up with other son 21 who was in Panama for a month in Bochas del Toro volunteering with Floating Doctors.

Most Inspirational Moment

Looking into the active volcano at night. I was a bit cynical at first about the school visit but it is the real thing , Roberto truly loved those children and made a meaningful interface between us and the children so that they and us gained without patronising the children.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto and Steve who took over on last days were both great and went beyond anything expected.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do some hill training before you arrive as there are some steep climbs.I had only prepared on the flat . No sure I ever will hear the word "undulation " again without wincing

Suzanne Castenmiller

Reviewed April 2016

Cycle Central America - Go For It!!

Absolutely amazing way to spend our honeymoon! The tour group was a great bunch of laughs, from so many walks of life. The trip itself was well organised and gave us all a great opportunity to encounter a different culture. It was the first time I had ridden a bicycle with gears and I got amazing support from everyone throughout the trip! And the tour leadership was absolutely perfect.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up those hill climbs in Costa Rica! Admittedly, I'm not the fittest person, and my lack of cycling experience was not a great contributing factor. But I had so many positive vibes from everyone, and really enjoyed overcoming the challenging climbs (even if I did take a few moments to get off the bike and push it up the hill!)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was absolutely fantastic. He is like a duck on water. He makes everything run so smoothly for not only the group, but for his tour team and the hotel staff. Yet it is evident that he is managing a thousand different things behind the scenes! He is very dedicated and passionate and became a really good mate. Also need to mention that the support crew (driver and mechanics) were amazing too. There were never issues with the bus, they helped with getting bikes up and down from the bus, and ensured our equipment was well maintained. They all possessed a great deal of patience, and I loved listening to them have a few good hearty laughs at he front of the bus on some of the long bus legs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring gloves! And a sweat band for your head would be a good idea too. There are a lot of rides where you are exposed to the blaring sun. Having sweat mixed with sunscreen drip into your eyes is not a pleasant experience! Don't worry if you are not cycle fit. There are some intimidatingly good cyclists in the group, but the support and encouragement you get from everyone will not make you feel inadequate! Also I'd highly recommend zip lining in Fortuna.

Howard Kelly

Reviewed April 2016

Great Holiday

A really great way to experience Central America with its different cultures and people. Every aspect of this trip is fantastic in all respects.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to choose from but the school visit has to be near the top of the list.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto and his team were true professionals and really made the trip run smoothly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be aware of the heat especially whilst cycling. Coming from a UK winter was quite a contrast.

Keith Rollin

Reviewed April 2016

Cycling in Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama - Easter 2016

This was my third cycling holiday with Exodus. The time spent in Central America was simply fantastic from start to finish. I would certainly recommend this holiday. The cycling was super – lovely views, great bikes and good support from the guides (water, Gatorade, fruit and snacks all provided throughout the cycling). Away from the cycling, each day was varied with plenty of activities to suit every taste. The locations we visited were all interesting and the hotels all good quality with plenty of character.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed so many parts of this trip. The visit to the school in Panama was an amazing and emotional experience. The cycling was brilliant in all three countries (particularly in Costa Rica and Panama). Having so many birds & animals in the trees around us was magic, with the boat trip being a fantastic opportunity to get close to plenty of wildlife. The visit to the Panama Canal was very interesting.

Thoughts on Group Leader

From the moment we first met Roberto at the hotel, we all knew that we were in safe hands. A professional, friendly, funny and hard working tour guide from start to finish. He provided us with plenty of information about the history and culture covering all of the three countries that we visited. He was very personable and nothing was too much trouble. Our group had so much fun and much of this was down to Roberto and his team. Simply brilliant!

Advice for Potential Travellers

US Dollars accepted in all three countries (with local currency being given back 'as change' - sometimes in Nicargua and Costa Rica). Take some low value US Dollar notes (as some places prefer this to using 50 US Dollar notes). Two laundry stops on route (so no need to take too many clothes). Diarolyte sachets a good idea (although I had no problems throughout the trip).

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