Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Everest for the first time.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very good leader,very attentive,very informative.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Listen to the guides,their experience was invaluable.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
EBC
Very good guides,well organised.
There and back again; an amazing journey
This is a very varied trip, a mix of culture and exercise where we met some of the friendliest people in the world and eat fantastic food, the highlight for me being the Singalila Ridge trek.
The trip takes you from chaotic streets of Delhi, to beautiful Sikkim and its wonderful people, to Darjeeling and its busy traffic, to the edge of the high Himalayas to trek that wonderful ridge and then back to more manic city streets this time in Kolkata.
Most Inspirational Moment
On day three of the trek we were up at 5:15 and drinking an early morning cup of black tea, we were pleased to see clear skies after the previous nights thick mist. The whole group walked to a low knoll near the camp site to watch the sunrise and see the view of the high Himalaya. As the sun rose the horizon lit up. To the north Kanchenjunga rose high above the cloud, as the sun hit the mountain it lit up and glowed. To the west in the far distance there were three mountains that looked close together, the first of these to catch the sun was Everest closely followed by Makalu and then Lhotse. We were standing at a height of approximately 3500 meters, a reasonable height if you were in the Alps, I was stunned by the thought that these summits were 5 kilometers higher than us; awesome a sunrise I will never forget.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide/group leader Sonam was fantastic, nothing was to much trouble, his organisational skills were excellent and he made everything work like clockwork. He had a great sense of humour and I shall always remember his infectious laugh that brought a smile to everyone’s face. He showed huge respect to the local people and customs and was an excellent ambassador for his country and your company If I were to rate him on a scale of 1 to 10 I would have to say, in the words of the bass player in the film Spinal Tap, he goes up to 11. A great guy and an excellent guide/leader
Advice for Potential Travellers
My main bit of advice to potential travelers would be, don’t be put off by the long days travelling. The end result is definitely worth it. Be prepared for any weather conditions you can think of because chances are you will get it. There were a few changes to our itinerary that Exodus informed us of before we left. One of these was the 1100 meter climb to reach the top of the ridge. Don't be put off, take it easy drink plenty of water and enjoy the journey.
A great trip!
Overall, the trip was wonderful! It was my first time doing a trip where we covered so many kilometres which made it tiring, but I expected that at the outset. Some of the hotel rooms could have been of a slightly higher standard.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Galipoli and gaining a greater understanding of the battles fought there. Generally getting a sense of the ancient history of this part of the world Experiencing the power of nature at Cappadocia.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ali was excellent! He’s knowledgeable, organized, personable and has a brilliant sense of humour. He’s also wonderful at managing a diverse group - although we regularly told him we were his best group ever.
Advice for Potential Travellers
To understand the pace and how that, more than anything else will be challenging. I would also suggest that walking poles could be offered as a suggestion in the trip notes for anyone who may need than. This is relevant for only a few days.
Great, varied trip
Concise itinerary of some key sights in Northern India and Nepal. Varied sights covering important Moghal, Buddhist, Hindu sites, mixed with wildlife, rural landscapes, lakeside resort and Himalayan vistas.
Good pace, not too rushed, not too many bus trips, chance to experience overnight rail journey. Good standard of hotels, good breakfasts with local and Western choices. Trip was considerably enhanced by having Mayank as our leader.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Varanasi in all it's intensity ; driving through rural Bihar and seeing all village life on the road, the paranama of Everest on a mountain flight ; the energy of Kathmandu, great end to the trip
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mayank was outstanding : incredable knowledge, good communicator, ever helpful, always going the 'extra mile' to solve problems, and good company at meal times with an easy, natural manner.
Advice for Potential Travellers
India is an assault on your senses - come with an open mind and flexible attitude, it will grip you like no other country. Nepal is more chilled, nice contrast to India but people and mountains will want you to return.
CHINA ADVENTURE
We enjoyed our experience in China and came home with a better understanding of the Chinese people and culture. Unfortunately, when we continued our trip to Hong Kong we discovered that someone had taken most of our Hong Kong money (equivalent to $500 Canadian). We keep these funds locked in safe deposit boxes, so not sure how this could have happened. We would like others who go on this trip to keep any cash with them at all times.
Most Inspirational Moment
Biking in the countryside.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very organized and factual.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Keep your valuables with you. Do not trust the safe deposit boxes.
Beautiful Bolivia
There are areas of Bolivia that are outstanding and I feel very unique in the world.
It was so satisfying and enjoyable travelling around the Alti Plano, it is out of this world.
Most Inspirational Moment
Uyuni was wonderful. It isn't all salt pan. In fact we only spent one day on salt pan. That was what made it so wonderful. We went to see the salt and saw so much extra interesting stuff. Thoroughly enjoyed the company and support of the drivers and local tour guide. Treated exceptionally and all told had an unforgettable time there. Sand, Salt, Rocks, Grass land, Lagoons, Wildlife (including rabbits with long tails but forgot their name), Flamingoes (lots) and LLamas/Alpacas/Vicuna.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Marco was trying very hard. He speaks very good English.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be ready to go slowly in Altiplano. Its high and less oxygen. You can experience a lethargy, but I don't remember any of our group having altitude sickness. But this isn't a walking holiday so relaxed is ok. I remember some of the group getting sun burnt so cover up and use sun screen. There is lots of opportunity for photography so keep equipped with all cards and batteries.
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.
Simply incredible!
I honestly cannot fault anything of this trip. It was an experience I will never forget, and although apprehensive while on the flight to Ho Chi Min city, I was at ease as soon as I met our Tour Guide, Long Le, and the rest of the cycling group. All extremely interesting, kind and fun people. The cycling was perfectly manageable with bus option available throughout the day. The scenery, the food, the landscapes and villages we cycled through, the additional activities (snorkelling, kayaking, cooking, water puppet show) were all 10/10.
Moreover, Long and his support crew were enthusiastic , hard working, patient, friendly, thoughtful and above all made everyone feel happy and comfortable.
If you are in two minds about this trip, just book it. Don’t think twice as you will not regret it.
Most Inspirational Moment
1) Cycling through the villages where local people would great us as we went by. 2) Cycling up the Hai Van Pass 3) Snorkelling of the coast of Whale island 4) Exploring Halong Bay by kayak 5) Spending time with incredible group of people
A great cycling holiday
This was our first cycling holiday with Headwater and hopefully not the last. Everything about it was excellent: the route, the hotels, the bikes, the other riders and the Headwater reps, Tony and Ludmilla. We particularly appreciated the ‘rest day’ in Lagos after the first day’s ride, to allow for exploration, and the shorter ride to the Atlantic coast from the second hotel at Pedralva.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the fantastic cliffs and beaches on the Atlantic coast, with huge waves and dozens of surfers. Another great ride.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tony and Ludmilla are cut out for the job. They were friendly and helpful, with lots of good advice and always hitting the right note. Top marks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You need to be reasonably fit for this tour, with preferably some experience of cycling off-road, but no need to be a Lycra merchant.
Highlights of Bolivia
This holiday provided a great introduction to a fascinating country. Wonderful landscapes , busy but picturesque towns and cities. Very friendly people wherever we went and colourful too.
Most Inspirational Moment
The main reason for going on the trip was for the few days in the Salar de Uyuni. That didn't disappoint, I would have loved another couple of days in that area of Bolivia at a slower pace to take in all the wonderful sites and take loads more photographs. The cable car trip in La Paz was a surprise highlight, flying low over the city and looking into peoples gardens.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Marco was a great leader. Helpful and informative and always cheerful. If any problems occurred (eg.vehicle breakdown) he had a solution to hand and on we went. He was ably assisted by all the drivers we had during the two weeks as well the local guides.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This trip has something for everyone. Masses of history, good hotels, great food, wonderful scenery, friendly locals and of course the superb salt plains plus a few hundred dinosaur footprints. Go and enjoy.