0800 643 997
Call 0800 643 997

Ask a Question
hero-image

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.

Select a trip specific review:

17 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Reviews

Fabulous trip!

Great trip! There is a lot of time spent travelling on this trip but it’s a necessary evil to fit so much in!

San Jose is nothing very exciting but is fine for an overnight stay before you start the proper adventure. I wouldn’t spend any extra time here. Tortuguero is amazing, you head out on a boat to the hotel where you can see all kinds of wildlife. The hotel is a lodge in amongst the waterways and forest, you can see birds and reptiles in the hotel grounds. The boat safaris are good, particularly the first one, the earlier you go out in the day the more you see so the early starts are worth it.

La Fortuna is another lovely place to visit. The town is small and has some good restaurants, all against the backdrop of the volcano makes it rather special. The hotel here is another wooden lodge style place, really liked it, very peaceful. The optional trip to the hot springs is the perfect antedote to a long day of travelling, we got lucky and had 30 mins alone before the Americans descended on us! The food in the restaurant at the springs was good.

Monteverde wasn’t quite what I expected. The walks in the cloud forest were lovely, I wish we had started earlier in the day so we might have seen more. Really didn’t like the hotel here, great view but felt like a business hotel and not amongst the forest which was a shame as you missed the wildlife. Pizza place our guide took us too was fabulous!

We saw lots of birds and were very lucky with the weather given that I was there in the middle of the rainy season. Even when it rains it’s too hot to zip up a jacket unless you’re in Monteverde where it is much cooler and rather chilly at night. Don’t forget the insect repellent.

You cannot avoid the rice and beans, or beans and rice and why would you want to! It’s the staple dish so stock up. If you’re avoiding carbs this is not the trip for you, it’s carb tastic! I now have a new found addiction to fried plantain!

Most Inspirational Moment

The early morning boat trip around Tortuguero, such a beautiful place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eduardo was absolutely fantastic. His English put native English speakers to shame. He made sure we all knew what we were doing, what to wear and what time to meet and were well fed at all times, and was very patient with us all asking him the same thing a million times over! He was very knowledgeable and a brilliant guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't leave home without insect repellent, layers of clothes, comfy walking shoes, closed toe sandals, weather proof coat, binoculars, camera. You can pay for everything in US Dollars, try to take small notes where possible. You will struggle with anything bigger than $50. Be prepared for 2-4 hours on the road at a time and 2 hours on boat safaris each time.

One for the lover of birds

It is a long flight going out, 11 hours. British Airways were the airline chosen because of the direct flight, but the standard of service on the plane had much to be desired could not wait to get off the plane.

The first hotel in San Jose was okay but the food and drinks were very expensive, it would have been nicer to have had a hotel in the centre so that one could go out and see the city.

The adventure really begun the next day when we had a coach journey then boat to get to our first destination.

If you are a lover of birds you will love this holiday as they’re so many to see, however the island is very green with cloud and rain forests which you can explore. It is a country not contrasts and it should be seen.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the walk at night, to go into a forest at night and see night creatures and just to hear different sounds. I learnt to much.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was excellent, he knew so much about the wildlife and was able to spot them while we were driving. He was able to keep the group together and on time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect to much from the food, I found it very boring and plain. The country caters mainly for American visitors which is reflected in prices. Remember to pack waterproof and warm clothing for the evening's.

Fantastic, very well organised tour. Would highly recommend

Breathtaking sights. Very knowledgable guide. Friendly yet not over bearing. Great variety of wildlife and flora and fauna seen. A very intense few days. Probably one of the most exciting and fulfilling experiences we have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Would highly recommend this tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

The purity of the rainforest... So lovely to see there is still so much natural habitat in existence.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Guillermo was a fantastic tour guide. He was very informative and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Always happy to help.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take comfy walking shoes and plenty of change of clothes due to the high humidity and heat in Tortuguero. Would highly recommend taking luggage with wheels as its down to you to move your luggage about at all times and sometimes theres a small walk involved with this.

Natural highlights of Costa Rica.

This was a fabulous trip, giving you a slice of Costa Rica. There is a lot of driving between locations, ( at times 4-5 hours) some of the roads were still unmade, so can be very bumpy. The weather was extremely hot in places, but in Monteverde quite windy and therefore something warm to wear is a necessity. We saw so many beautiful birds and reptiles,on our boat trips and our guide had a wealth of knowledge of fowl and fauna. Beautiful kingfishers,herons, lizards,turtles,crocodiles to name but a few. The boat trips made it for me,but the visit to the Hot Springs was fun and a great way of getting to know your group! The suspension bridges were a lot lower than I thought they would be and it was far too short. If you are not afraid of heights and speed, go for the Zip Wire. I would recommend taking a waterproof jacket, walking boots or shoes, and mosquito repellent!

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the boat trip at Cano Negro; the boat was open at the front and you could stand and view both sides of the river for the local wildlife. We all had fun trying to spot the elusive sloths,but great time had by all.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He had an incredible knowledge of all the flowers and wild life, and could spot creatures from a great distance; very impressive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a weather proof jacket,walking boots or shoes, mosquito repellent and buckle up!

Cost Rica for the third time.

There was a lot of hours travelling, however that is acceptable as the country’s road system to the places we were going to do not allow shorter journey times, and some of the scenery was superb. Our drivers throughout were excellent as was our guide Glenda who worked hard to ensure we all had an enjoyable tour.
We were slightly disappointed with Tortequero as the boat safaris could have been longer and we did not really go as far into the jungle as we expected, a lot of time was lost queuing up for entrance tickets and the last morning it would have been possible to do an additional safari and depart the lodge a bit later to return to the jetty. We actually saw more on the 2 1/2 hour boat safari in Cano Negro than we did in the whole time in Tortequero. The Monte Verde part was good but again more time could have been spent in the actual jungle than having nearly an hour to have coffee and shop at the information centre.

Most Inspirational Moment

The time spent on the Rio Frio in Cano Negro where we saw lots of birds and all three species of monkey to be found here with a great showing of white faced capuchin very close to the boat feeding. In Monte Verde actually finding a male Resplendent Quetzal a very rare bird was enjoyed by all, the bird life at the accommodation was also well appreciated (note we are not specifically birders).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Glenda was escorting her very first trip and worked hard to ensure we all got the best out of the trip, She was very knowledgeable about the country, fauna and flora and the country's wildlife and birds and if anything was asked and she did not know she endeavoured to find the answers. Although she was lacking in experience which will come obviously, she made up for it with enthusiasm and in time will be a very good escort.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Costa Rica is a great place to visit and not just for the wildlife. It was our third visit having done the national parks on both coastlines on our previous visits and now the interior. If it is on your list of places to go then go, its worth it.

Fantastic tour of Costa Rica's top sites

A fantastic tour of all the best sites in Costa Rica from coast, to volcanoes, to cloud forests. The tour exactly mirrored what was described in the itinerary and the itinerary delivered lots of opportunity to view not only the tremendous wildlife on offer, but also the different landscapes and eco systems.

Most Inspirational Moment

We joined one of the optional tours on offer to see turtles coming ashore at night to lay their eggs. We were not disappointed and got the chance to see a green turtle scraping out its nest and laying its eggs. The included boat trips along the rivers provided the opportunity to experience the tranquility of the verdant forest bordering the rivers but also the skill of the boat skippers got us in the best positions, up close to view the wildlife.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Guillermo was an excellent group leader who had an extensive knowledge of all things Costa Rica and was energetic and enthusiastic in sharing that knowledge with the group which made the trip enjoyable and informative, this was particularly important whilst travelling between locations. He provided information on the wildlife, the culture, the crops, and the eco systems. He was passionate about the environment and proud of the efforts Costa Rica has made in conservation. Guillermo and his company also provided an excellent driver, Juan, who made an excellent wingman to the group leader and was an integral and welcome part of the group. Juan was as passionate as Guillermo about his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In Costa Rica, and Tortuguero in particular, they take the conservation of the turtle population very seriously and the tours at night are rigidly controlled by the wardens with no cameras or torches allowed, to prevent disturbing the turtles. There can be quite a bit of time spent waiting in the darkness to be called forward by the wardens and tour leader to view the turtles. Light waterproof jacket, dark clothing and closed toed footwear is recommended. Secondly, although it is best to just watch the local wildlife on offer, to preserve the memories it is best to take a camera with some form of telephoto lens. Lastly, and most importantly ! They always say it is best to learn some of the language to make the most of any trip. I discovered a little known, local, Costa Rican response, to the greeting: "Como estas ?" The local Costa Rican response is: "Con toda la pata". I guarantee that if this response is used it will make any local smile, not that that is too difficult ! Apparently it is difficult to translate this into English but apparently it means: "Fantastic ! including the whole paw" (?)

An excellent introduction to Costa Rica

This trip packs a lot into 8 days without ever feeling rushed.

We achieved our aim of seeing sloths (2- and 3-toed) and also saw many other amazing animals and birds.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a sloth climbing down from high up in a tree to avoid the worst of a squally shower and, as she got closer, realising that she had a baby clinging to her was fabulous. The Cloud Forest in Monteverde also stood out; for me it was the epitome of what a 'jungle' should look and feel like (very green and wet!)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Johnny, was friendly and knowledgeable about seemingly all aspects of Costa Rica and its wildlife. Special mention must also go to our driver Dennis who negotiated some narrow windy roads extremely safely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for rain in the cloud forest despite what the weather may be doing in Monteverde itself! For any photographers, a 400mm lens (or equivalent) really helps get photos of sloths, monkeys etc high up in the trees.