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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142 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Janine Foy

Reviewed May 2016

May 2016

A fantastic way to see Cuba. Beautiful scenery with the chance to see Cuban life as you pass it.
A really good mix of the History, Cuban culture and everyday practicalities endured by all Cubans.
Lovely cycling on well maintained bikes. There was always a person at hand to fix or adjust any problems.
The group were great fun and we spent a lot of time laughing and trying to stay cool in the baking heat. Various tactics of wet clothing and the use of cooling buffs under our head gear. I found the cycling to be perfect for a moderately fit person with a slight disability. I hoped on the bus if I was struggling and was made to feel comfortable doing this.
A really well organised trip. It met my expectations, of course there are always a few problems but that’s enviable when you’re travelling in a different hotel/Casa every night. I enjoyed the Casa’s the best as it felt like we were away from the hotel cliche. Some of the hotels were outside the hustle and bustle of town life. It would have been nice to have been able to swim in the sea a little more than we did but it was a cycling trip.
The food was as I expected. Some of the ingredients were there but their style of cooking Lobster was a shame, they boil it grill it to death. Beef was delicious and the goat ( they label it lamb) was always moist and tasty.
Thank you Team Exodus Cuba

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Ox ploughing fields as we cycled past. A trip in a horse drawn taxi in thunder and lightening How the Cuban people make the best of things

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was enthusiastic about his country and cycling. He was supportive to the group and very helpful with any health needs Jose was great at breaking the cycling into legs ensuring we knew how many Kilometers before the next water stop. Our Bus drivers Haslam, Arial and 2 day engineer were delightful, lovely jolly kind people.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pick the time of year carefully. Summer starts in May 35 degree heat was at times difficult. Toilets outside the hotels don't flush often. No paper, soap or water to wash your hands. Good hand hygiene required, pack Imodium and dioralyte! Wifi, did not bother. Only available in some hotels and local square. So good to have a holiday without it but if you're addictive you'll have to sit in the squares like a true Cuban.

Suggestions

Our group was such fun, a really lovely balance of personalities who supported each other. Looking forward to my next exodus trip

Laura Knapp

Reviewed May 2016

Cycling Cuba 15 day MAH

This was a fantastic trip and I highly recommend it. We saw so much of the country: cities, villages, beaches, mountains, rural communities, museums, and monuments. Was great to get so far east. Cars and trucks on the road are very considerate. We went end of April/beginning of May and it was incredibly hot.

Most Inspirational Moment

see below

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eric Garcia was excellent and enthusiastic and took really good care of us. If dinner was not included, he gave us restaurant options and made reservations for those of us who wanted to go. He have us insights into daily life in Cuba which was so revealing. He shared his pride in being a Cuban. He knew the route and described it accurately and concisely. He let us bike at our own pace which is essential to me. Eric made sure everything was OK with us. I cannot say enough good things about him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring UV arm protectors. Keen sandals with cleat attachment and the pedals could be good (but a pricey investment). Cipro in case of stomach issues. Might want to bring t-shirts, pens to give away. A benedryl (anti-histamine) or over-the-counter steroid creme for heat rash.

Suggestions

Thank you so much for this bike tour. I am a changed person with a better understanding of Socialism and a broader mind.

Marie Pryce

Reviewed April 2016

cycling cuba

the overall trip was well planned and easy. you will need a little fitness to stay with the group who cycle possibly once a week.. or head to the gym for this.. the food was fine, the scenery was interesting but at this stage Cuba is what it is, years of neglect in all areas, however its safe and adequate. dont go looking for a 5 star experience when the money is not in the country if it was – you would be paying 5 times more.. cuba is to be enjoyed from yesteryear and if you are old enough to remember what i am saying you will understand what i am saying. No countries were wealthy years ago and did not have technology like we do today…There is adequate amount of Wifi its not brilliant as you would find in other countries but again that is not what Cuba is about certainly not in the areas that we experienced.. How many countries today can you say there are more horse and carts then old cars….. Highly recommend taking a gel seat for your bike , wear bike gloves, take a face mask to protect your lungs from dust when riding on dirt roads , slap on lots of sunscreen cream and just relax

Most Inspirational Moment

the whole trip was inspirational and open my eyes to see what we are not told...

Thoughts on Group Leader

our group leader was very helpful, happy to answer any questions and he had lots of knowledge on Cuba as he was born there and has lived there all his life... Plus he had a father that was a good educator.....

Advice for Potential Travellers

as above in summary

Suggestions

drink lots of water from the bottle......take a bottle that fits on your bike that can be covered from the sun so your water doesnt reach boiling point during the day when riding....

Caroline Davies

Reviewed April 2016

Cycling Cuba - AWESOME!

This was my first EXODUS holiday and the first group tour I have done and it exceeded my expectations. What an amazing country; the people, the scenery, the architecture, the music the history, the cycling and of course, the mojito’s made this a fascinating and really enjoyable trip! The cycling was on well maintained hybrid bikes and was well paced with regular stops for fruit, fudge and to replenish our water. There were 18 of us of varying ages and cycling abilities but everyone was very supportive of each other and as one of the slower (and older) cyclists I felt challenged but comfortable with the pace and distances. The support from the group leader and the bus drivers was faultless. The hotels are of varying quality, with the boom in tourism in Cuba there is a shortage of hotel rooms and therefore in a few places we had to stay on the outskirts of the town, which was a pity.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many; Cycling into the mountains, staying at the eco-lodge and walking to the local village. Swimming with tropical fish in the Caribbean The old Spanish colonial towns Being in a country with no advertising billboards, just revolutionary posters everywhere. I could continue......

Thoughts on Group Leader

Freddy must be the best tour leader in Cuba. His kindness, knowledge, humour, organisation and excellent communication made this a seamless trip. He was attentive to everyone's needs and interests and fascinating to talk to about a huge range of subjects.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! Make sure you are comfortable with the distances before you go, so that you enjoy the cycling. I took my own saddle, which was great, as I knew it was comfortable. Remember Cuba is a poor country, so standards of accommodation, food and service vary quite a bit but this is all part of the adventure, so just relax and enjoy. In fact, I found the food in most places very good - far better than I had expected

David Sanderson

Reviewed March 2016

Cycling Cuba

Cuba was very interesting, with excellent insights provided by our very knowledgeable guide. However, this was my first ever group cycling holiday – after years of cycling with one trusty mate – and there was a mismatch of expectations. I cycle to enjoy the scenery, view the sights, stop and look at things. The group, many of whom were commited cyclists, doing sport events or long distances regularly, seemed more interested in going as fast as possible. As a result I was physically stretched and frustrated by not feeling able to stand and stare when I wanted to. Also, many of the roads were boring; long, straight & flat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the hotel at El Salton

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Very intelligent and knowledgeable. Made sure no one was left behind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit and have ridden alot recently. Up in the Pennines in winter this is not easy! Make sure you will be happy riding in a closely packed group as fast as you can. Be prepared for some hotels where things like aircon do not work or doors do not close - the old soviet-type hotels are in poor condition in particular.

Suggestions

Take a big water bottle; 750ml rather than 500ml.

Karen Morgan

Reviewed February 2016

Cycling Cuba

This was my first EXODUS trip & it more than met my expectations. Cuba was a fantastic country to visit especially by bike. We saw so much of the island from the cities of Havanna, Trinidad & Santiago to the countryside where few tourists travelled. The history of Cuba was fascinating & our tour leader Laz was a wealth of information. The rides were well planned with regular stops for water & fresh fruit. All the staff – drivers, mechanic & Laz were always ready to help & support us as necessary. I met a fabulous group of fellow cyclists making the holiday a great experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to choose - it was all so amazing. But I think listening to Laz describe the history of his country & explain the life of Cubans today was inspirational. Also the solemnity of the Che Guevara mausoleum was thought provoking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had a fantastic group leader called Laz - he is a credit to his country. He is very professional, extremely knowledgeable, a great communicator & he has a wonderful sense of humour. He is clearly very proud of his Cuban history & was able to convey a wealth of information to us in 'small chunks' each day. I think EXODUS are very fortunate to have such a high caliber of staff working with them. In the words of a famous brewery - Laz is probably the best tour guide in Cuba!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Visit Cuba as soon as possible as it is going to change quickly over the next few years. Go with an open mind & relaxed attitude to enjoy this unique & friendly island. Be careful what you eat & drink as it is common to have an upset stomach & dodgy bowels!! Don't forget to take some basic medications especially Imodium.

Suggestions

I had a brilliant holiday - I loved Cuba, the cycling and met a great group of fellow cyclists. I would travel with EXODUS again.

John Gray

Reviewed February 2016

Cycling Cuba - the holiday of a lifetime!

16 day cycling holiday in Cuba, covering most of the island. Cycling between 35-80k for 10 days, with back-up support and bus transfers. Staying in huge variety of accommodation, from 5 star luxury hotels, to Russian utilitarian hotels, to beautiful colonial hotels, and a couple of casas, giving insight into how the locals live.

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming in the sea at the Bay of Pigs, when a pelican flew very low just past me and some of the lovely long descents, with amazing views. (John) Completing all the cycling without going in the bus, and being the first to finish the final leg! (Polly)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant! Laz was exceptional, he got on very well with all our group, very mixed age and ability; he was very knowledgeable about Cuba's history and gave us good advice about places to see and what to eat and drink, and he had a great sense of humour. We felt very well looked after and could not have had a better group leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As long as you can cycle the distance, including some very steep hills, age doesn't matter, the oldest in our group was 76 and was always in the front. But don't worry,even if you can't manage it the bus is always following you, so you can choose to ride in the bus if you want to. A gel saddle cover would be a good idea. and lightweight cycling tops and shorts that cover you to avoid sunburn - also high factor sun cream. Lastly, do take Imodium, however careful you are you are bound to get Cuban tummy!

Suggestions

This was the holiday of a lifetime for us, we've never done anything like it before and are very glad to have experienced such a fascinating country, with a completely different lifestyle. We also met some very interesting people cycling with us and would highly recommend this trip to any keen cyclists.

Brenda Hildebrand

Reviewed February 2016

Cycling Cuba

We really enjoyed the cycling. This trip is rated as a 3 but could be a 3/4 as there were more hills than we expected. The country is beautiful. The people are very friendly and we felt very safe. We enjoy cycling through the small villages. Our travelling companions were a wonderful group and we made some friends and had many good times.

Most Inspirational Moment

We enjoyed the Sierra Maestra mountains, the community of Gibara, and swimming in the Caribbean after cycling in the heat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jamie was a great leader. He kept us well informed, organized and safe. He knew his history.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a few extra snacks.

Vera Wealleans

Reviewed February 2016

Cycling Cuba

Cycling is a great way to see Cuba, we visited many areas and whilst we did not have a great amount of time in some of the towns we always had time to see the most interesting aspects of the place.
Travelling around was a great way to get the feel of the country and its culture.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to just choose one, I loved the buildings, the jaz clubs, cycling through small villages, the children waving us through with a smile & a hola!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Laz was a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable, giving us a short overviews of the history of the places were travelling through. The cycling was broken down into bite size legs which gave some respite from the sun and a chance to top up our water bottles.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't wait, book now.

John Stocks

Reviewed February 2016

Saddle Sore Cuba!

There can be no better way of seeing and getting under the skin of Cuba today than mounting an almost new hybrid bike, led by a knowledgeable local, supported by a comfortable coach (in case of a rest). The trip covers most of Cuba to the east of Havana. Check the trip notes and make sure you understand there are a lot of transfers at times to enable you to get from A to B. Given that in some ways Cuba is a 3rd world country (ie not as developed or comfortable as the West) the quality of the hotels generally exceeded my expectations – as long as you like quirky! You won’t go hungry, buffets are the norm, but I longed for meusli for breakfast and something other than rice , black beans and meat for supper.

Most Inspirational Moment

Moments that I will remember for a long time include the wonderful old american automobiles, the fantastic dilapidated towns of Havana, Trinidad and Santiago but there were other towns as well. The music venues in these 3 towns are a must - make the effort, at least once (you will be exhausted) as generally after 10pm is best and the alarm went off at 0640 everyday! Watching my wife trying to dance with some locals was truly the laugh of the tour!! Above all, we felt as though we really got to know the country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Jamie was a lovely guy but he could have been 'tighter' on departure times (leave at 0830 probably meant 0850 ) and making sure everyone understood what was going to happen next (very difficult with these sorts of groups but on my Indian trips those guys managed it!) Always smiling and his knowledge of Cuba's history was all encompassing and engrossing. Our 2 bus drivers and mechanic didn't really speak English but they were fun to have around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You must do some cycling training and get a few miles in the legs. Like all these Exodus cycling trips there is a range of cycling ability. I took my wife for the first time and she enjoyed it immensely but she did get the training in before hand building up to 40 miles in a session. We are 66. There were some hills but all more or less manageable and you can always hop on the bus for a rest!

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