Reviews

A Volcanic Undertaking

Once again Exodus delivered. Our guides were fantastic, the bikes were well maintained, and the accommodation was for the most part great. The food was also better than some previous trips and only somewhat challenging for a gluten free/vegetarian. Power bars go a long way! Finally, the scenery was picturesque and breathtaking. Lots of lakes and Volanoes.

Amazing Patagonia

An amazing trip. We were blessed with excellent weather which made it all the more special. The hikes were incredible with stunning scenery. The food and wine weren’t bad either!

Walking in Andalucia

This was a lovely (grade 4 ) holiday in a rural, unspoilt part of Andalucia. The cortijo is very comfortable with fantastic views over the surrounding countryside. The laid back approach made it feel like a house party and Cartouche & Joke must be congratulated on this. Tea & coffee available all day and a bar with amazing measures. There were 12 of us in the group and we all got on well with lots of laughs. We were fortunate to have perfect weather all week with blue skies, no clouds and temps in the mid 20’s. The walks were varied and the day off in Seville was well worth doing. We all went to the Flamenco dancing in the evening and one of the group was so inspired by this that the next morning she gave us her personal interpretation by the pool before we set off on the walk.

SOME GREAT, SOME NOT SO

First the good. One leader was beyond outstanding and really showed empathy, knowledge and understanding and really took everyone to a higher level.
The food and staff at the accommodation were exceptional. The accommodation itself a bit cramped but adequate. Overall accommodation was very good and not. problem.
The ski hire equipment was very old and dated, but worked OK.
Transfers were efficient and pretty timely.

Now the not so good.
As excellent as one leader was the other was beyond poor. No empathy, limited apparent knowledge of technique and minimal interest in teaching beyond follow me and catch up sometime, even if you fall and are struggling-you were left on your own which affected confidence of some less confident people..

Annoying that I was told in answer to specific request to fly from other than Gatwick that it was not possible( as were at least 2 other couples) on arrival in Oslo we waited for others to fly in from Manchester and Edinburgh.

Petty but annoying-expectation that all may be required to buy own wax throughout the week . Surely at £1500 it could cover £50 a season for leaders to have this-in the event the good leader did wax skis when out if she saw it was needed.

Quite. bit of pressure put on to attend the evening lectures etc-which were variable in relevance and quality.

Exodus Moderate Cycling holiday

This holiday was the most fantastic holiday I have ever been on. Every day was a challenge that was broken down into small sections so it was possible to complete. The route was so exciting, the lunch stops were fantastic, really delicious food. The hotels were such a treat at the end of the day after a hard days cycling. Our tour guide Tung was the best and his crew were fun and so encouraging. Vietnam is a beautiful country and biking is a fantastic way to see it. The train ride was really different and such a great experience.

Very happy with whole experience

Our guide Xavier really brought to life for us the quirks and beauty of Buenos Aires and the Patagonia region. Everyone in the group was having a great time. The region is full of stunning scenery and interesting history and Exodus organised this in such a way as to allow us full enjoyment without any accompanying hassle. Food and accommodations were of a good standard although the plumbing in the Cyan Rocaleta was unreliable and Exodus may want to feed back to the hotel on that (shower unavailable on first stay because the switch between bath and shower not working, and water temperature could not be reduced on the second stay and we had to wait 1/2 hour for maintenance to come and fix it). However, this was a tiny, tiny glitch in a wonderful holiday that fully met and exceeded our expectations.

Brilliant memorable Trip

Overall a fantastic trip. Lucky with the group members and Son the leader and his team. Vietnam is wonderful… the people, the food and the countryside. A bonus being it is very cheap!

Great Trip In A Fascinating Country

This was a very well-run tour which, because of the daily combination of medium-to-long bike rides and substantial bus rides, requires a fair amount of coordination. Since a bus was required, it was a simple matter for those not up to the full day’s ride to spend part of it on the bus. It was quite a treat to have a guide, a mechanic riding the tail end, a bus driver and a truck driver. They were a great team and didn’t miss a step.
A particular mention must be made of the team leader, Son Nguyen, who ran things with a firm hand without being overbearing. Guiding a group of Western cyclists through the chaotic traffic of Vietnam, with its swarms of scooters going in every direction, is not for the faint of heart. He was on top of every detail.
For example, one of us has an allergy to shellfish. He had this in hand before every meal, and she usually received her crustacean-and-mollusc-free dish right away, rather than having to chase it up.
Lunch was typically a delicious bowl of pho in a small family restaurant. Restaurants and hotels were always ready for our arrival, and there were no problems or long waits for check-ins
The tour itself is well structured, with a free day with no riding every four days or so. The riding portion started and ended outside the major towns and cities, where the traffic would have been insane. The hotels were much nicer than we expected, in the 3.5 to 4.5 star range.
The rides ranged from 50 to 100 km per day and were not technically challenging. There are a few hills, and the one long climb up the Hai Van Pass is a 500+ meter climb over 10 kilometres. Everyone who attempted it crested the summit within an hour.
However, it is humid and the temperature ranged from the high 20s to mid 30s. There were hourly stops for fruit and hydration, and we certainly used our bottles on the bikes. Expect to sweat out many litres over the course of a day’s ride.
The Vietnamese are lovely and welcoming people. We have fond memories of many children waving and calling out “Hello!” as we rode past, often reaching out to snag high-fives. They also have a real interest in visitors, asking us where we came from, and giving us interesting insights into the country.
This rapidly growing and modernizing country, however, has major problems with transportation and trash. There are millions of scooters and small trucks with little regard for the rules of the road, so one has to be alert. At least there are relatively few cars, which would make traffic much worse. Fortunately the truck or bus would go ahead and block traffic for our left turns and major intersections. There is a lot of air pollution because of the traffic, and a lot of scooter riders are wearing masks – not really an option for cyclists riding the distances we did in the heat and humidity.

Such a wonderful time

MOV190303 on YouTube says it all.

This beautiful video documenting our trip was produced by our lovely mechanic/wing man Y (EE) who worked so hard and supported us all the way and still somehow managed to produce this great video in time for us to watch it by the end of our trip. The tour went like clockwork under the excellent leadership of our tour leader Linh supported by Y and our excellent driver who all worked tirelessly to make our trip the success it was..

Our group numbered eighteen which was great and we all got along like family (a happy one that is).

Some reviews say the tour is pretty intensive and I would go along with that but also say that it was intensively good. Plenty of great cycling including the challenge of Hai Van Pass (if I can do it, you can! Lowest gear, take your time, make a few stops to take photos, and get a cheer from your mates at the top). The Whale Island experience was wonderful with its great snorkelling as was the Halong Bay overnight with kayaking which I have not done before. I had a jacket and trousers made by Yaly in Hoi An and they were great. Even crossing the road in Saigon and Hanoi was an experience not to be missed!

The hotels throughout were of a very high standard and Lihn always found us the best places to eat real, fantastic Vietnamese food. We were even very adequately re-fuelled en route via a selection of fruits and bits and home made cold drink using our “snacks kitty”to very good effect.

Such a beautiful country. So many lovely sights. So many new experiences. Such lovely food. Such lovely new friends. Truly a wonderful holiday.

Such a wonderful time

MOV190303 on YouTube says it all.

This beautiful video documenting our trip was produced by our lovely mechanic/wing man Y (EE) who worked so hard and supported us all the way and still somehow managed to produce this great video in time for us to watch it by the end of our trip. The tour went like clockwork under the excellent leadership of our tour leader Linh supported by Y and our excellent driver who all worked tirelessly to make our trip the success it was..

Our group numbered eighteen which was great and we all got along like family (a happy one that is).

Some reviews say the tour is pretty intensive and I would go along with that but also say that it was intensively good. Plenty of great cycling including the challenge of Hai Van Pass (if I can do it, you can! Lowest gear, take your time, make a few stops to take photos, and get a cheer from your mates at the top). The Whale Island experience was wonderful with its great snorkelling as was the Halong Bay overnight with kayaking which I have not done before. I had a jacket and trousers made by Yaly in Hoi An and they were great. Even crossing the road in Saigon and Hanoi was an experience not to be missed!

The hotels throughout were of a very high standard and Lihn always found us the best places to eat real, fantastic Vietnamese food. We were even very adequately re-fuelled en route via a selection of fruits and bits and home made cold drink using our “snacks kitty”to very good effect.

Such a beautiful country. So many lovely sights. So many new experiences. Such lovely food. Such lovely new friends. Truly a wonderful holiday.