Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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100 Reviews
4.5 out of
5
Reviews
Robert Borofsky
Reviewed December 2022
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.
Most Inspirational Moment
For me personally, the most inspirational moments of the trip were the opportunities to talk, in an informal, casual way, with the varied people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. India certainly has poverty. But the people of the region were fun to engage with. It made the trip not just a set of photo “opportunities” but an emotional, engaged experience that offered real enjoyment and much food for thought. The people I met, despite often having significantly less financially than the people I know in America, were more upbeat and positive about their lives and life’s possibilities.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Sam Benjamin really made the trip the wonderful experience it was. He is a font of knowledge. His willingness to take us off the “beaten track” to see unexpected things and meet a whole array of people, made the trip much more than a set of “photo shoots” of this and that. It allowed us to better engage with the people and the region. Sam is a caring, thoughtful individual who made sure people felt comfortable with the host of experiences we encountered. He is a delight to talk to. Honestly, he is the best guide I have ever had. I would give him a grade of A+++.
Advice for Potential Travellers
My advice would be to talk to the people you meet. Do not stay within the small bubble of your comfort zone simply talking to others in the tour group and taking pictures. Be open to new experiences, meet new people. One of the exciting things about India is that many people speak some English. Engage with them. Listen to their stories. Share, in return, your own stories. It will make your trip a much richer experience!
Carole Westnedge
Reviewed March 2020
Excellent Tour with superb Tour Guide
My first trip to India and with Exodus, this certainly wont be my last. Everything ran smoothly and was so informative and magical due to the charismatic and thoughtful tour leader Sam G Benjamin.
Most Inspirational Moment
So much culture! Impromtu detours courtesy of Sam which was so interesting and which if we were travelling solo we would of missed. For example the Hindu festival at a temple with elephants, magical.
The tuktuk rides! The walk around the rural village.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Brilliant could not have wished for better.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go with the flow!
Michael Nutt
Reviewed March 2020
A wonderful trip taking in a wide variety of locations and experiences.
This taster of the tropical south of India offers the traveler a wide variety of locations and experiences, and while some may be more appealing than others there is always something to appreciate and enjoy every day. There are sharp contrasts between the manic street life of cities like Madurai and the peace and calm of the more rural locations such as Munnar, Periyar, and the backwaters of Kottayam. The pace of the trip varies and some days are more full-on than others, but there are opportunities to recover from the more strenuous periods and sufficient optional activities for those with the energy to keep going. The itinerary takes in plenty of interesting diversions, and more than a few extracurricular surprises. At the end you will be amazed by how much you have packed into the trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
So many unforgettable moments, it is very difficult to select just one. The trek through the tea plantations at Munnar was an early highlight, although the mists and low cloud obscured what should have been stunning views. The whole experience at Madurai was amazing: a constant wall of sound, with crazy drivers (and a rollercoaster of a tuk tuk ride at night), an unmissable early morning heritage walk (with such a diversity of activities unfolding), followed by a visit to the wonderful Meenakshi Temple, and dining out on street food in the evening. The stop off at the spice garden was informative and offered an opportunity to sample and buy the local products. The cookery demonstration at Thekkady got everyone involved and was highly entertaining (with some tasty food as the end result), while the homestay gave us some of the best food of the whole trip. The houseboat experience was possibly the most inspirational moment, so peaceful and relaxing and a splendid way to wind down towards the end of the itinerary.
Thoughts on Group Leader
We could not fault San in any way. He was an exceptional leader with excellent interpersonal skills, and he organised the whole trip in a professional and responsive way. His knowledge of all aspects of local Indian life, culture and society was amazing and he was always ready to offer just the right amount and level of information, whether explaining what we were experiencing or answering questions from the group. His sense of humour engaged with the group and helped to make us a unit. We were aware he was having to deal with a number of issues behind the scenes (the spread of coronavirus was a constant concern) but he managed them calmly and kept us informed about everything we needed to know. We were always confident that he was acting in our best interests and giving us the best possible experience.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You need to take a travel plug for the basins if you want to use them for washing or shaving, as few - if any - of the rooms have them. Make sure you take plenty of hand sanitizer and apply a rigorous hygiene regime at all times, to avoid any unwelcome bugs; if you are careful you should be fine. Take a travel toilet roll or tissues out with you as outside of the hotels few toilets have any toilet paper.
There are plenty of opportunities for laundering clothes during the trip and they are very cheap. Using them could reduce the amount of clothes you need to pack.
Suggestions
Don’t expect much from the visit to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: it really is a matter of luck if you see any wildlife, let alone elephants (our guide tried valiantly but in vain to locate them), and you won’t see much from the boat cruise on the lake there unless you are seated right on the outside or the front.
Day 6 in Madurai was very full-on and some in our group found it too tiring towards the end, after an early morning start for the heritage walk followed by visits to the temple and palace before a long evening out sampling the street food. All of these events offered wonderful experiences, however it might be better to have the street food walk on the previous evening (Day 5) to allow for a more leisurely end to Day 6.
Tyler Nixon
Reviewed December 2019
A beautiful trip
We had 15 people on our group tour. We were from various walks of life and occupations, we were made up of several single people; a couple, a mother and daughter, friends travelling together up to 3 people and a family, we were mostly female group with only two men and aged between 20’s up to 70’s. We all got along nicely and enjoyed sharing experiences. Many people were pretty well travelled and at least two of us had never been to India previously. Our trip was made up of people from Britain, Australia and Hungry which made group dynamics more interesting.
Kerala and Tamu Nadu offer some of the most scenically beautiful countryside the world has to offer! There is great cultural diversity seen here too. Wildlife is present but perhaps not in the numbers you might hope. This area offers great experiences and some architectural and historical delights. You will see tea plantations, rivers, mountains, forests, wonderful back waters and beaches. It is very green and so can be wet at times which impacted on us at Periyar when walking in the forest so little seen due to mist other than black monkey’s and hearing a lone bull elephant breaking branches (so still exciting!). The hills at Munnar are a pleasant warm temperature, however if you like more sun and humidity you are likely to also experience this on your trip too.
This is a fantastic trip although, I think leisurely may not be how I would categorise this as some people struggled a little with the treks and there are long travelling days ahead. 4 to 7 hours although you often stop to see things along the way such as fruit bats, brick factory etc. You will likely experience some cold showers from time to time in the always clean and decent accommodation furthermore, you are likely to have some periods whereby you might benefit from taking along snacks if you need to eat very regularly.
Most Inspirational Moment
- Seeing a wild bull elephant at a local village and the journey by jeep to reach it, the atmosphere was electric.
- The trek up hill from the tea plantations, surrounding scenery and the magical dragonflies in their hundreds.
- The cycle rickshaw ride weaving its way through the crowded streets towards an imposing and beautiful temple at Madurai.
- Enjoying “a time that once was” on the backwaters and relaxing on a comfortable houseboat.
- Tantalising the taste buds with delectable vegetarian curries and delicious sea food.
My friend noted the early morning cultural excursion at Madurai was excellent and I an sorry to have missed it!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sam is a friendly guy who is helpful and tries to provide extra when individuals have specialist requests to see something specific i.e. cultural excursion, Although, he doesn’t appear as interested in nature (as I am!).
Sam perhaps left plan updates a little late in the day for our group members, however we was knowledgeable and we felt always felt safe with him around.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Leave room in your case if you would like to buy gifts. This part of India is great for material, silk and cotton garments, textiles, wood carvings, metal and wooden ornaments and spices.
Loose breathable fabrics as it can be very hot and humid. Pack an brolly/rain coat and a camera to capture the many splendours. A walking pole is useful when hiking if only to prevent slipping on muddy descents.
Bring Snacks if you have a high metabolic rate and burn up calories fast as you might get hungry on the longer journeys.
We experienced a few bites but nothing significant so cover up to avoid or use a little deet. Mainly bring with you a sense of humour and do all the activities on offer (although, note some suggested optional excursions in our case were not available.
Also take sufficient cash or even better a card, Sam was great at ensuring ATM’s we’re regularly visited but if like me you take cash get plenty exchanged before you go on the one night stays as I had to borrow money off Sam our guide which was very kind of him but I did not ask for too much as I quickly realised others in my group had done the same and this meant I did not have my usual independence to spend as much as I wanted too!
My friend and I did not get any sickness or diarrhoea but we ate where Sam recommended, I did not really eat meat but loved the fish. I consumed little in the way of diary although milk is said to be pasteurised and the water was filtered at the places we visited so take a water bottle and fill up on the bus.
Have a massage when staying up in the hills at Periyar locality, a number of our group enjoyed them, you will get the same gender and it is worth every penny.
Cover shoulders, chest and knees at temples. My friend and I would also recommend you do this in Kovalam too when walking to the harbour as to reduce undue male attention as men here can intensively stare! which can feel unnerving / unsafe at times, keep to tourist areas here too particularly if alone female and do not wander off the beaten track. There is a lot of rubbish outside and some unpleasant odours. The tourist bay itself has some great shops and restaurants. Wonderful sunsets can be seen here and the beach is pleasant but the sea can be a little choppy. The shop owners are friendly in the lovely tourist bay and there is access to tailors for those wanting clothes made up.
Suggestions
This trip was fun, enjoyable, interesting and I would recommend it!
Hope you enjoy it as much as my friend and I did. We saw amazing things, met great people and took in some of the best scenery the world has to offer.
Lynne Porteous
Reviewed March 2019
A great and varied trip!
This was such a good trip! I’ve wanted to go to Kerela for a long time and I wasn’t in the least bit disappointed when I finally got there. This trip had something for everyone in it: wonderful scenery, wildlife, food and people!
We covered a lot of ground, literally, and the itinerary was wonderfully varied in content.
Most Inspirational Moment
One of my highlights was the trek in the Munnar hills where we walked up through the tea plantations to gain breath-taking views of the surrounding area including the highest peak in South India, Anamudi. Made me want to come back and trek next time!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Santo, was a star! Knowledgeable, flexible, and engaging with a good sense of humour and attention to detail. Nothing was too much trouble!
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is a great way to experience India, especially if you haven't ever been before - the people are so friendly and welcoming and the itinerary offers so many opportunities to learn about the country, its history and its culture.
Lawrence Wheeler
Reviewed February 2019
A fabulous triñ
An excellent, very well-balanced tour around Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It provided a good insight into the life, culture and landscapes of these two states.
Most Inspirational Moment
The day spent walking through beautifully green tea plantations in the Kannan Devan Hills from our base in Munnar, and then up up up!! The views were stunning, and actually attaining a summit that at first appeared to be way too high provided a fantastic sense of personal achievement.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Philip Rojan, was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the region, its culture, its people, architecture, geography and food! He did a great job, which made for a wonderful holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A highly recommendable and thoroughly enjoyable tour. You will not be disappointed. However, you should be prepared for rather poor English by some hotel employees, and the occasional lack of hot water in some accommodation.
Martin Kingdom
Reviewed December 2018
A trip packed with interesting experiences
It’s hard to imagine that so many varied activities could be squeezed into a two week holiday, and our guide Santo James was excellent for the local knowledge that he provided. I came away with a much better understanding of Kerala, its culture and the problems that it has to deal with. Just one tip – don’t bother with the Kathakali dancing unless you have a serious interest in religious rictuals. I’d rather watch paint dry!
Most Inspirational Moment
A trip to see a Tollywood movie (the Tamil equivalent of Bollywood). Brilliant entertainment.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Santo James was excellent. Helpful, well organised and knowledgable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for high humidity as well as heat - except in the hills where it’s still quite warm.
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 !
Suggestions
Kerala is open for business following the floods! The infrastructure has been restored.
Experienced no problems with travelling or accommodation, everything went smoothly.
It’s a beautiful country, well worth seeing don’t hesitate. You will not regret it, I didn’t!
Jackey Phillips
Reviewed April 2018
A wonderful trip - Highly recommended
An action packed two weeks in an India I was not expecting. Kerala is a beautiful state (apart from the rubbish everywhere) and seems a more affluent part of India. We were not hassled for money all the time and the local people were all really friendly. We filled every day with new experiences, from going to the laundry in Cochin, to stopping on the road to meet locals making bricks with their hands and feet, then watching the tea pickers working in the hot sun for very little money. Once you get used to the traffic, the cities were fascinating and there was so much to see. The Bollywood film we saw was dreadful, but a great experience. Had to be done. Most of the hotels were of a good standard but the rooms at Kovalan, described as a Comfort Hotel, which I thought was supposed to be better than Standard, were very tired and most of the electric sockets didn’t work.
I was disappointed that due to a forest fire, we were unable to do the morning jungle walk and the only option was a packed boat trip along the river, where we did see wildlife, but mostly at a distance.
The food was very good on the whole trip, and so cheap! I was not aware of anyone being unwell.
Most Inspirational Moment
The houseboat was wonderful, made better by buying freshwater prawns from the local fish market. The best meal of the whole trip and our boat was the only one which had them.
The early morning walk in Madurai was great, seeing the wholesale traders selling their wares. It seemed like no other tourists went there, so it was more special.
I loved the Muhamma Backwater Resort we stayed at, but I had the best room, overlooking the lake. It was such a peaceful, beautiful place to stay. I could have stayed there longer.
I was lucky to travel with such a fun group. Even though we were of different ages, we shared a sense of humour and adventure and they made the 2 weeks very special
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sibil was an excellent local leader. He filled our days with sights and activities and had a lot of local knowledge. He was not always easy to understand and sometimes he did not understand us, but with a little patience everything worked out OK and he made sure we were all where we were supposed to be. He was very helpful and always cheerful.
Even when we arranged our own activities and he had time off, he always was at hand to assist if we needed transport or anything else.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't take too many clothes, you can buy very cheap cotton items everywhere, which are ideal in the tropical heat. I took my walking poles for the morning trek amongst the tea plantations, but it was very easy and more of a stroll than a trek and I didn't need them. Take European plug adaptors, they are most commonly used. The Martial Arts display at Thekkady is recommended, but if you book for the Kathakali dance display, don't expect Bangra music and dancing girls! You have been warned! Only one room had a hairdryer, but they were available on request. Be prepared for long drives, travel always took longer than anticipated. Though the bus was comfortable and air conditioned. Take snacks.
At the Homestay, take care in the bathroom as the floor is very slippery and one of our group fell and broke her arm.
I was advised by people at home to only eat vegetables during the trip, but I did eat fish and chicken with no problems. You can ask for food less spicy, so the heat was never a problem.
Suggestions
I would highly recommend this trip
Moira Cerny
Reviewed April 2018
The Tropical South
The trip’s title really sums up our impression of Kerala. The vegetation is lush and every tree or plant seems to bear medicinal and /or edible spices,delicious fruit or vegetables. It was a very varied trip – some long journeys, but to see as much as we did, they were necessary and our bus was air conditioned and very comfortable. Our walk through the tea plantations was most enjoyable . I think we will appreciate a cup of tea even more, having seen the pluckers at work. The drive over the mountains to Tamil Nadu was spectacular. Relaxing on our houseboat as we floated past villages was a very pleasant experience. We didn’t see tigers or elephants, but still enjoyed our boat trip in the Nature Reserve, although we were slightly surprised by the numbers of humans we saw!
Our group was interesting and fun to be with. and we never felt like we were merely following a disinterested guide. Sibil did his best to answer our many questions and every venue had a local guide.
Most Inspirational Moment
Too many to single out one in particular. We found the people of Kerala very friendly and genuinely welcoming. If I had to then... the spice garden walk, the tea plantations and the houseboat would be my favourite experiences. However, I also really enjoyed our last day relaxing by the sea, the trip over the mountains and the early morning walk through the market.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sibil was anxious to help and tried his best to answer all our questions. He was sometimes a little difficult to understand, but he is able to speak four languages well, so who am I to criticise? He had a couple of tricky situations to deal with and could perhaps have benefitted from some a more supportive back-up in India able to make their own decisions. However one of our group fell and broke her wrist and he dealt with that superbly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It was 'unseasonably hot' and humid we were told. I wished I had packed a long skirt ,as I think that might have been cooler than trousers at times. However the bus is air conditioned, as were all the hotels, except for the homestead, so it was all quite manageable. Be prepared for long journeys.
Kerala is not the trip for you if you want to see ancient forts and palaces, but it is if you enjoy Nature, spectacular scenery, delicious food and relaxing on a houseboat, watching the world go by.
Suggestions
This was our second trip to India with Exodus. On both occasions we have travelled with a friendly, interesting and fun group. No-one was ill or eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Go with an open mind and you will love it.
