Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

My first tiger sighting of course!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Vijay and he was great. He worked so hard to get everyone to see a tiger, and he clearly loves his country and is eager to share his knowledge with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think anyone doing this tour needs to understand clearly how it works to avoid disappointment and frustration. So tiger safaris are not at all like African safaris - the tigers are solitary animals ( not like the lions that gather in prides) and while their numbers are increasing, most of them reside in what is called the core area of these reserves. The tourists (you and me) are not allowed in the core, so the truth is you are looking for a very finite number of tigers that are residing in the tourist area of the parks. Finding them is no easy task, but your drivers and guides in the parks will (if they are good, and not all of them are) work hard to find them for you. Secondly, your tour group will be broken up into groups of 4 for the game drives, and each group does not necessarily go to the same place. The jeeps are given proscribed zones and routes, so it is entirely possible that part of your tour group will see tigers and some may not. In our group, we had 2 people that didn’t see any tigers till about 2 days before the tour ended, and there were 6 that went about 2/3 of the way through the trip with no sightings. Needless to say, for those not seeing the tigers, it is hard to enjoy the time when the others are seeing them. But if you understand how this works in advance (and I did not think this was at all clearly spelled out in the tour literature) then you will be better prepared for it. No one can control the appearance of the tigers, so to some extent it is the luck of the draw, but it’s best to fully understand how the game drives work. And PS since most days you have breakfast in the reserves, you will get tired of hard boiled eggs and cheese sandwiches, so think about packing some protein bars to take along instead!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Lions up close & seeing a Hippo open it's jaws was pretty amazing. Hearing how local people in townships are so positive and hard working was very inspiring too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin Barr is a fantastic group leader. He is very knowledgeable about everything from wild life to geographic matters and also he is witty, friendly, reliable and punctual. We loved the way he timed everything so we avoided large coach parties of people wherever we went. Justin is a real asset to the company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not hesitate to take this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Most inspirational moments were two trip not part of the itinerary but suggested by the tour leader. The first was an early visit to the fish market, 3 of us went and we were the only non-locals to be seen. Cambodian life was happening around us, we were right in the heart of the morning work. The local people just carried on their business as if we were not present. Second was a trip to the Rolous Temples on the last day. Far less people and visiting these temples just consolidated and rounded off the whole visit to Cambodia

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader - Bun - was 100% dedicated to making sure we all enjoyed and experienced Cambodia. Bun was ever attentive, adapted to requests, was constantly checking everything was just right. He loved his country and his knowledge was endless. But more, he brought his personal experience to the trip in a really positive way for us to understand life in Cambodia now and in the recent past. To top it all he had a really loveable sense of humour and engaged everyone

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not expect the normal adventure holiday, yes there are good hotels and sights but there is also the emotional side of the recent past history which was compelling even though sad to hear. This trip is about a country coming to terms with its past and in early stages of becoming whole again.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many of them! The cave temples at Dambulla, climbing Lions Rock at Sigirya, the country cycle ride with a home lunch under the trees, the imposing ruins at Polonnaruwa, three lovely days in Kandy, Horton Plains (quite a tough hike, but an amazing view at World's End), scenic Ella Gap, and our visit to the Exodus tsunami house, where we were welcomed and had a delicious home-cooked meal at a very reasonable cost. We also enjoyed Galle, though we thought a few hours there were quite enough.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oscar was the best guide we have had on any holiday, and this was our fourth Exodus trip. He was so interesting, we didn't want to miss a word! He was very empathetic to our group, and went beyond the call of duty in that if only a very small group of us were doing an activity, he was there with us. As a group, we all loved Oscar, and his love of his country was impressive. On the last evening Oscar brought us on a walking tour of Colombo which wasn't on the itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The optional activities are really worthwhile. The elephant safari, the cultural show, white water rafting and the whale watching trip. We would really recommend this trip to Sri Lanka!

Most Inspirational Moment

The visits to local businesses and the visit to Angkor Wat were great, and the cameraderie of the group and team members was really important, and the gentle rides by the river were lovely. The well placed stops for amazing snacks, fruit and all important plentiful cold drinks and water were marvellous. Cold beers at the end of the day were not to be forgotten as well!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely faultless, Khim and his team did so well considering this was the first trip of its kind, dealing with our different needs and expectations with consideration and great humour. Not bombarding us with facts - in no way did I feel 'templed out' - but answering all our questions and advice with candour and understanding and giving us a real background to the country's trials and tribulation both past and present. His insights into Buddhism and the complicated religious history of the sites was a real bonus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the heat - even with early starts the temperature soon rose impressively and we were regularly soaking scarves, buffs, and cotton caps in ice cold water to deal with the mid-morning and midday heat. The cycling is almost entirely flat, but don't be fooled by the seemingly low mileage. It's a grade 3 due to the heat and the road surfaces which were in some places pretty good, but more often were paths that varied from reasonably well surfaced, to rather gravelly, to pretty much no surface at all (basically just sand!). The bikes are brilliant and well-suited to the conditions and the need for the big tyres soon becomes very obvious. There is even a short stretch of real offroading through the sandy jungle around Angkor which was new to me and great fun once I got used to it. There are a few seemingly daunting stertches, but everyone was allowed to go at their own pace (although cycling with someone else always made it easier and the support from the second cyclist Hian was superb).

Most Inspirational Moment

The desert

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all fab

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. Sara was knowledgeable, helpful, paid attention to safety and detail, fun and kind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

take clothes for every eventuality weather wise. We were lucky with the weather being warm but it can be very cold

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk on the last day to Mudlerhof, Lutterkopf, Durakopf and Taistneralm in glorious sunshine, enjoying lunch at the summit with a 360 view of snow covered peaks and no other people, other than our group, in sight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Sara Bull was fantastic, her extensive experience in the region, her attention to detail and her ability to read the group and offer challenge or encouragement where needed ensured we all had a wonderful time. She not only looked after our safety and well-being but offered help and advice about travel on the free day, she provided arnica for sore feet and sweets and treats to incentivise us whilst snow-shoeing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for varied weather, takes lots of layers. The double strength arnica offered by Sara and the local pharmacy is is instant cure for aches and pains. The village offers most things you could want and there is an outdoor shop for any extras you may need, gloves, replacement sunglasses etc. Make use of the free bus and rail ticket for tourists, its a great way to see the valley and public transport is very efficient.

Most Inspirational Moment

seeing the orang u

Most Inspirational Moment

(Many moments) Soundscapes: At home I instantly and unconsciously recognise every bird call whereas in CR I was back to being a complete beginner, unable even to guess what kind of bird was making each sound. With Glenda's help I was able by the end of the trip, to differentiate quite a few, enriching the experience. Favourite songs: Montezuma Oropendula & Black-faced Solitaire. The various nocturnal choruses of frogs and crickets were astounding, sometimes synchronizing to a pulse like some ambient electronica, at other times more like a warehouse full of misfunctioning radios & striplights. Frogs that sounded like Space Invaders or little carpenters hammering boxes... I forgot the Howler Monkeys at dawn... The unexpected: Scarlet Macaws suddenly appearing when I thought we had little chance of seeing them. Flocks of unexplained nighthawks passing over the coast one evening; another invisibly camouflaged on its next just beside a busy path. A Masked Falcon gleefully cackling as it carried a snake to its perch.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant: Glanda Araya is a great asset. Smartly turned out, punctual, well-prepared, efficient, conscientious, attentive to the needs of tour participants. Subject knowledge excellent, but communicated with heartfelt enthusiasm, hence my title. Glenda's excitement at the amazing things we saw and heard was authentic and infectious. Her social skills were excellent: cheerful, humorous, with the ability to make relationships seem personal as well as professional. She & driver Luis seemed like old mates so I was amazed to find they'd never met before this trip! She was friendly with and respectful towards hotel personnel. I benefited greatly from her enthusiasm for bird-watching & she often went out of her way to show me things or just spend extra time looking for birds. The great majority of nature guides are male, and there were occasions when some of them seemed less respectful of Glenda because she's a (small) woman. I feel though that she is a shining example to which other female guides could aspire. I hope and expect that Exodus actively compensate for gender imbalances in the companies they deal with but there are some structural impediments to this, one of which is companies' preference for guide & driver to share a room. In order to pursue an inclusive policy I would expect companies to absorb the extra expense of separate accommodation in the case of female tour leaders. Another approach would be to employ female drivers.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes. Not all had understood that a "wildlife" tour might involve stopping to look at wildlife. They imagined it as a hiking holiday and got restless. This was not a big problem, and was solved quite easily thanks to the leader's flexibility. Only a few brought binoculars. Glenda compensated with very adept handling of her telescope, enabling everyone a good look at the more static animals.