Reviews

Indochina 19th Nov-3rd Dec

This was an excellent tour with so many happy memories. I still rate as excellent even though there was an issue with the e-bikes. Having said that, I have contacted Exodus about this problem and they have dealt with my complaint promptly and have a made a full refund for the extra cost of booking an e-bike for this trip which unfortunately didn’t work. If you are tempted by this tour please do book it. It is a long time time since I have toured abroad and now, at the youthful age of 55, I knew it was time to get out there again. I’m so glad I did. The group were fantastic company, all the trip guides were delightful and our overall tour guide, Rit, was someone you could put your trust in so you didn’t worry as you cycled along the roads an visited so may amazing places. You always felt safe as you explored these three different cultures.

Culturally rich and great variety of accommodation

I always find that Exodus trips deliver more than I expect and this was no different. I booked the trip focused on Petra and the UFO camp but have found the country to be so culturally rich and interesting. Our guide – Abdullah was ridiculously knowledgeable about Jordan and it’s history and it was a pleasure to learn so much about the country.

Great way to experience

This is a fantastic way to experience and compare the cuisine, landscape and culture of 3 different countries in South East Asia. Angkor Wat is the undoubted hightlight of the trip. Cycling round the complex is a great way to view these amazing temples. Additionally the Cambodian guides provide a really good insight into the history of Cambodia. Conversely, by covering 3 different countries this trip does involve more big cities (so less “off the beaten track” cycling), transfers and bike swapping compared to some of the other Exodus trips. The cycling is pretty easy as it was 100% flat, just the heat can make it a little more tiring.

A Fascinating and Exciting Trip

This was a fascinating and exciting trip. Our tour guide, Sam Benjamin, was wonderful. He made the difference between a truly excellent trip and a mediocre one.

No doubt India, especially Southern India, is an appealing place to travel. Our tour took us through a host of places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Cochin, we gained a sense of the people and history of this early port town dating back to at least the 1500’s. The tea plantations of Munnar were interesting. But the temple town of Madurai was fascinating. The tour of the Sri Meenakshi Temple, because it offered and opportunity to both observe and interact with Hindus visiting the temple, allowed me to gain a vivid, experiential sense of the religious passion that drives Hinduism. The bicycle rickshaw between the Thirumalai Nayaka Place and the Temple was quite interesting – allowing me to perceive first-hand the cities’ everyday life and poverty. Johnson, our guide through the temple, was quite knowledgeable.

Thekkady and the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary were even better. I had my doubts about cooking our own meal under Sheril’s supervision. (Sheril and his wife own a restaurant in Thekkady.) But the meal turned out to be surprisingly good. The hike through the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was fantastic. Even though we started early (6:30am) with the hope of seeing the tigers and elephants living there, we did not. But our indigenous guide, Rangu, made our exploration of the Sanctuary exciting, nonetheless. We got a good sense of these animals natural habitats. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Our homestay was low key – we stayed in a home built in the 1930’s that contrasted sharply with the hotels we stayed in – and saw Tambi (sp.?), one of the workers at the home, harvest rubber. What was intriguing in our walking tour of the surrounding area was how this rural area was becoming a suburb of newly built cement houses. I counted in the immediate neighborhood six houses built in the last three years. The contrast between the quiet, gentle style of where we stayed and the noisy housewarming celebrations of two neighbors, provided much food for thought about the change going on in this section of Kerala.

The other highlight, besides Periyar, was our overnight stay on a houseboat near Alleppey. The fresh, warm breeze as we slowly wound our way through the backwaters of coastal Kerala very much reminded me of the trade winds in Hawaii. There was gentle, refreshing quality to the whole experience. I loved it.

Not specified in the tour notes but a key part of the trip, was our tour guide taking us over several back roads and stopping so we could see, for example, bricks being made or a trained elephant (waiting to participate in a religious ceremony) and talk to his trainer (or mahout). The stops gave us a very vivid sense of Kerala rural life.

I would also add that our driver, Sandsill (sp?) ably navigated us through the chaos of Indian traffic. Despite the chances many Indians take that would, to a naïve American, likely end in a crash car, I never saw a car accident during our whole trip. Once I got use to the style of Indian driving, I felt quite comfortable and safe with Sandsill. He is a very skilled driver with a talent I quite admire. Watching him “in action” made the time go by quickly.

Our trip ended in Kovalam. A former “hippy colony”, I found Kovalam enjoyable – visiting the beach side shops, restaurants, mosques, churches, and fishing harbor. Even better, was talking to many of the town’s inhabitants. The food, especially the Tandoori dishes and “Sizzlers” provided a relaxed context to reflect on the whole trip.

Review

A fabulous trip with a great group. Top to tail of Egypt, seeing the sites with a great tour guide. History, culture and fun.

Great Trip Through Vietnam

A great trip starting in Ho Chi Minh where the pace of life is very fast with scooters everywhere. Then cycling through the countryside up 6 mile hills and down 18 mile hills.The scenery is stunning. The locals are always pleased to see you with plenty of waves and hellos. Time to chill out at Whale Island where the snorkelling is excellent and time to chill out on the beach.The overnight train to Hanoi was an experience but with 4 women in the carriage and a bottle of wine the 12 hours went very quickly. The visit to Halong Bay was amazing the boat was very comfortable and food great. The highlight oif visiting Halong Bay was the kayaking and seeing the monkeys on the rocks. Finally to Hanoi and back to the faster pace of life.

An amazing trip

This was an absolutely wonderful trip to the most beautiful and amazing country. We saw turtles hatching, sloths, monkeys and a huge variety of other wildlife and birds – including the resplendent Quetzal and lots of hummingbirds. The flora was also spectacular and a feast for the eyes. I took so many photos I am still going through them.

A Land of Diversity

Namibia did not disappoint, it is a land of diversity, deserts, small towns, nature, animals, friendly people. Although I dislike camping, it really was the only way to do it, it felt raw as if Namibia was outside my tent. Most of the campsites were okay. There were alot of early starts and long drives but it was the only way to get to places. The stops were interesting along the way.

A fabulous trip … we’ll worth the wait

A fabulous cycling trip around the Los Lagos region of Chile & Argentina – gorgeous scenery, plenty of lakes, mountains, rivers, volcanoes, roads, gravel, dust, lava, monkey puzzle trees, sand, sunshine and a couple of border crossings.

Mt Toubkal Winter Climb

An amazing inspirational trip, to a beautiful country that had the madness of Marrakesh and the splendour of the Atlas Mountains with its serenity and views to die for. A trip that fed my soul and enabled me to meet the most amazing group of people.