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!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Reviews

Martyn Roberts

Reviewed July 2014

Fabulous Experience

An fascinating, varied and rewarding tour which was great value and included with one exception (the Golf Hoi An hotel) great accommodation.

Most Inspirational Moment

I know many people nominate Hoi An as the place they liked most in Vietnam but for me the homestay with the family in the Mekong Delta was by far a more rich and rewarding experience of the whole trip. Having said that it was a close call between that and the overnight trip on the Reunification Express from Hanoi to Hue or the night on a boat in Halong Bay.

Thoughts on Group Leader

This is the reason why I've only given the trip four stars and not five stars. Our group leader Dat was no better than OK on a generous assessment. His punctuality was variable to say the least, getting relevant information out of him at times was a challenge and he too often relied on his cheeky chappy persona to cover up his obvious shortcomings. More seriously his proactive endorsement of the use of rhino horn and bear bile as effective medicines , on a couple of occasions, upset some of the group. This along with a major issue that he failed to resolve regarding my accommodation on the Halong Bay boat trip is the basis for my assessment.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't change too much of your currency in to Vietnamese Dong as the cost of meals, drinks etc is very cheap. The difference between temperatures in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is marked. The former can be cool and wet whilst the latter can be very warm and sunny. Come prepared for all eventualities. If you are on the direct Vietnam Airlines flight from Gatwick it is worth trying for the standby upgrade from economy to business. This works out at about £280 per person each way. We got it going out from Gatwick but not coming back. The trip in economy is pretty dire so , whilst it is nowhere near as good a business class as the other flights I've been on, it is well worth the investment.

Reply from Exodus

We are very glad that Martyn had such a great trip, but we were very disappointed to read about the comments made by his tour leader. Exodus does not endorse such practices and it goes entirely against our Responsible Travel policies. Martyn’s feedback and the serious nature of the comments have been brought up with his leader.

Megan Devenish – Product Manager for Vietnam

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Emma Butcher

Reviewed July 2014

Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast

Croatia is a beautiful country, stunning scenery and lovely, friendly people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Dubrovnik was amazing

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a genuinely nice guy, but... The information on what was happening the next day was sparce, late in the day and inconsistent. He also shared little knowledge of Croatia's history and culture. In comparison to the many other exodus trips I've been on, it felt as though we had an escort on a would-be 18-30 trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You do need good walking shoes for the walk on Korcula. The Prosek is lovely!

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Clare Griffith

Reviewed July 2014

Walking in Puglia and Basilicata

This holiday is a lovely mixture of easy walking, sightseeing, and superb eating and drinking. The balance was just right for me. I went in May, before it got too hot, and the countryside and wild flowers were beautiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first sight of Matera old town. I'd wanted to go there for years, and it lived up to my expectations. Having the time to explore the town was very welcome. Also the stay at the masseria. At first it seemed a bit strange to move such a short distance for one night, but it was such a lovely place to stay that it was well worth it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrien was excellent. He always seemed very relaxed but was completely on top of everything. He anticipated our needs and was also very good company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't choose this holiday if you're looking for challenging walks. Do choose it if you want fairly easy walks combined with discovering the local culture.

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Hugh Nolan

Reviewed July 2014

Mongolian Adventure including Nadaam festival

A great trip to a vast and interesting country.

Most Inspirational Moment

The remote ger camp where we were the only visitors, riding a horse for the first time, the unexpected horse race, the opening ceremony of the festival, seeing a couple of long eared hedgehogs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A nice lady but her English was quite poor and she wasn't very organised.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some sweets for sharing during the van journeys, mind your head on the ger doors and the van doors. Note that the luggage allowance for the internal flight is 15 Kg in total (i.e. checked plus carry-on) and that any excess has to be paid in local currency.

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Hannah White

Reviewed July 2014

Exceeded expectations :)

Wonderful trip from start to finish. Busy, but well paced and varied with some surprises. Brilliantly guided, and a fabulous mixed group of people. Support staff and facilities all fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the sierra maestra day - I wasnt sure I could do the hills, but with the group and guide behind each other it was a real chance to push yourself. Followed by suitable celebrations afterwards.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, very professional but also completely amenable and friendly. Made every body feel included throughout the whole trip. And an excellent dancer :)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some snack food or energy gels for the cycling days. You are well catered for, but it does make a difference in the heat to have a boost!

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Steve Clark

Reviewed July 2014

Mont Blanc Circuit

Overall I had a fantastic trip, fantastic views, great food cooked for us by Graham our chef for the trip, good flat camp sites with good showers and some great views as you look out of your tent, even washing machines for your dirty clothes. The weather could have been a little bit kinder to us as the first and last two day were a bit of a washout and inbetween wasn’t exactly pure blue skys all the time. There are some stiff climbs to the tops, but the views are worth all the effort. With stiff climbs the inevitable steep decents follow, giving your knees a good pounding, (have walking poles, they help,(I PUT THAT ONE IN FOR YOU JOHN). The tents are spacious, but if you share with someone you don’t know room is limited and prohibiting, I would strongly advise paying the single tent supplement, you will have more room than you need.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of a hard climb and getting great views of the mountains all around you. A dip in a river at the end of a very hot day at one of the two wild camps

Thoughts on Group Leader

John was a good leader, he was very informative and always approachable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1-Hard steep climbs and knee pounding decents-TAKE WALKING POLES. 2-5 star advice - Pay the single tent supplement, you will be glad you did it at the end of the two weeks.(Especialy if you share with someone you don't know) 3-Be fit when you go, this trip is not a walk in the park

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Mark Crawford

Reviewed July 2014

Atlas Panorama

A very good well run holiday. Good mix of city and walking in the mountains

Most Inspirational Moment

Lunch at the high pass after a long walk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very experienced and took the whole group's needs into account

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be chilly in March and we had snow in the mountains one night. Take a spare fleece.

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Sonia Dilcock

Reviewed July 2014

The best way to see the Amalfi Coast

Our week on the Amalfi Coast became one of our best holidays which we will always remember. We had wanted to see Amalfi and this part of Italy and this holiday certainly gave us an excellent chance to experience this area through the walks, excursions and visits to local businesses/cafes. The staff at the hotel were all friendly and went out of their way to make your holiday something special and hassle free. Suzy our group leader was always a ray of sunshine and delighted in sharing her knowledge of the area. The walks did encompass some challenging terrain on loose scree, steep inclines/declines but you always felt confident and safe in Suzy’s capable hands. This was a holiday where everything came together to make it wonderful in every way – beautiful scenery, everyone in the group getting along, glorious weather and excellent food. I would not hesitate to recommend both Exodus and this particular trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Walk of the Gods with a beautiful view for lunch, culminating with a paddle in the sea at Positano and boat trip back to Amalfi.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suzy could not be faulted, she knew everyone's name from day 1 and demonstrated understanding of individual's interests and concerns. Her love of this part of the world was evident and her enthusiasm contagious. We could not have found a better guide to show us Amalfi.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would recommend taking and using walking poles, particularly for negotiating areas of scree and steep inclines. Be prepared for a fairly full schedule, with short window from end of most days walk to meeting for dinner.

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Anthony Withers

Reviewed July 2014

Costa Rica – pura vida

This was a wonderful 14 day trip (March 8 – 23 2014) which introduced us to the amazing bio-diversity of Costa Rica. Six very different regions were visited in a hectic schedule: the beguiling waterways of Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast; the impressive Arenal Volcano; the Monteverde Cloud Forest; Manuel Antonio on the Pacific; Esquinas Rain Forest, and Savegre Tropical Cloud Forest.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlight of the trip? There wasn’t any single highlight. Everything we saw was a highlight. The colours are amongst the things you notice immediately on arriving in Costa Rica: the bright plumage of even the common birds, the array of brilliantly coloured flowers, the blood-red Pacific sunset, the vivid green jungle foliage reflected in the Tortuguero waterways. Another thing you notice is that wildlife is everywhere, even in the unlikeliest of places: a herd of coati around the minibus, a two-toed sloth and baby snoozing high up in the tree in an otherwise undistinguished restaurant car park; a three-toed sloth, in the same car park, laboriously descending his tree to do his toilet; a green parakeet on a suburban street in La Fortuna; crocodiles basking by the river under the motorway bridge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Necessarily, there is a lot of time in the minibus so it was good to have 14 convivial fellow explorers. Our driver patiently negotiated the often difficult tracks that stood between us and the next discovery. As for our guide ….. . Johnny Villa-Lobos (no relation!) was a fund of information and expertise which he combined with good humour and bad jokes. He knew everything about everything Costa Rican; nothing floored him – he was equally knowledgeable about birds, flora and fauna, wildlife, history, the goal-scoring record of Mr Campbell. He knew it all. He was indispensable. Pura vida.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are lots of early starts to make the most of every day: we are near the equator, so it gets dark around 7pm. The gallo pinto (rice and beans) breakfast, washed down with some Costa Rican caffeine, is an ideal launch pad for the rigours ahead. On the bus we get some history: ticos take pride in the fact that they abolished the army 60 years ago (they all became teachers, policemen or doctors apparently). Every village, you will be told, boasts a church, a school and a football field.

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Victoria Boughton

Reviewed July 2014

Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

This was my first visit to East Africa and I absolutely loved it! Passing through lush jungle and remote villages, I was enchanted by everything that I saw and experienced in Uganda.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights. The noisy chimpanzees of Kibale Forest, hundreds of monkey's lounging in the trees of the Bigodi Wetlands, coming face to face with a family of gorillas after a humid trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, spotting elephants, lions and other big game in Queen Elizabeth National Park, seeing hippos line the banks of the Kazinga Channel as a herd of elephants came to drink at the waters edge.... the list goes on!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a pleasure to be around with great wildlife knowledge. We all enjoyed his company and everything ran very smoothly. The group were great fun to be with and plenty of stories were shared over a 'Nile Special' in the evenings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a good camera and lens but remember that sometimes you need to put the camera down and just enjoy the experience! Especially when you have just one precious hour with the gorillas. It was magical to just sit and watch their behaviour and interactions without trying to get the perfect photo.

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