Most Inspirational Moment
Rainforest Austrians
Thoughts on Group Leader
One word Brilliant
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you take a good camera and binoculars
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Discover Costa Rica
An outstanding holiday
Amazing adventure
A great trip to take you on a journey through the Himalayas seeing some breath taking sights.
Most Inspirational Moment
The two highlights for me were summiting Gokyo Ri and crossing the cho la pass. Also I got engaged on an acclimatisation walk over looking macherno peak which was very beautiful.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader was brilliant could not have asked for better. He is very approachable and knowledgeable. He took great care of the group and his advise was priceless, he was very encouraging on the tough days and always had a smile on his face.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would advise to take Diamox for altitude and also ciprofloxacin in case of stomach upset, better to have it and not need it. I took a small hot water bottle for the night time which was brilliant and the water is still nice and warm to wash your face with the following morning. Snacks are a good idea, you can buy them in the tea houses but they are expensive the further up you go. We had a solar charge which folds up when not us use has about 3 panels on it this was really good you can just attach it to your day pack through the day. Steri pen for the water as it gets to cost a lot if you buy mineral.
Marine Wildlife of the Maldives
We boarded our boat, Felicity, and set off almost straight away for a lovely trip around the islands of the Maldives. They say it is a romantic place and it is but it is also very suitable for any occasion for friends or even singles. There were 11 of us, 5 singles and 3 couples, mostly British. I would definitely recommend doing the Maldives on a boat, as you get to see different islands and you are not just stuck on one island. There are only 7 double cabins so 14 is maximum.
Most Inspirational Moment
We were able to go a long way in search of the whale shark and manta rays and they took us to where they were. The sea was so warm to swim in so you don't need a wetsuit but be careful to put plenty of SPF on the backs of your legs and your back or wear a rash vest. Snorkel gear is provided and it was of good quality AND one of the crew cleans it for you and makes it so the mask doesn't fog up. I've only ever had to it myself before so that was a real luxury. All the crew are very helpful in every way.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader spoke perfect English and was very passionate and helpful in every way. He asked the question that we were strong swimmers and there was one lady who said no so he kept her by his side the whole time, and let her hang on to a ring which gave her more confidence. He took us to all the sites where we would get good snorkelling, see beautiful fish and we also had another crew member with us in case anyone got into trouble. All the crew couldn't have done more to make my holiday perfect and safe. I felt perfectly safe with all of them.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you are worried about boats/seasickness then this probably isn't for you. The food on the boat was very good if a bit basic and they catered for a lot of fussy eaters (vegetarians etc). Most of the food is fish/rice based. I put on 5lbs in a week so there is always plenty of food, so much so we felt guilty because there was always a lot that went back, hopefully the crew ate well too. Also lots of fruit which was good, nice fruit too, mangos, papaya, pineapple, bananas etc as well as oranges and apples. There was nothing the cook wouldn't do for the fussy eaters.
Good Trip With Lots To See With A Good Guide
Great trip with a busy itinerary. But also a few hours free to do what you want also. Well balanced trip.
Weather was very hot some days and the 5 mile bike ride was too hot for some. Jungle walk was also very humid. Luckily Sigiri Rock was cool that am, but if it had been high 90s weather that am, then that would also be a tough climb for some. Whale watching was an optional extra but it was absolutely brilliant, we saw lots of whales. Being a bird watcher, I counted 83 different species throughout the holiday. Along with 100+ elephants in Kaudula National Park and the whales, the trip had lots of wildlife for people like me to see and enjoy. All in all, a great trip, but if you don’t like the heat, then be aware, that Sri Lanka is a hot country. There are a few early am wake up calls, but was always worth it.
Lastly, the guide Sujeeva, was absolutely brilliant. He took us to some amazing restaurants (and family homes) to eat every evening. The Red Snapper on the beach was absolutely stunning. I would recommend this holiday for anyone thinking of going to Sri Lanka.
Most Inspirational Moment
The whale watching. An early am start but worth it.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Absolutely brilliant!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be aware of the heat.
Mr
A well organised and smooth trip from booking to return back home.
Stay in Marrakesh at the beginning and end of the trip was excellent. We were well looked after by our guide Hassan and the visit to the Medina and our free time was well balanced. Hotel Gomassine was clean and the staff very polite and helpful, Breakfast was plentiful and good, Plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance for topping up with water supplies and food.
Comfortable bus (air conditioning may not be working) for the trip to the mountain location but the ride gets bumpy once off the motorway – this is all offset by the amazing and wonderful scenery en-route. Such variable landscape and beauty. Good stopover points for refreshments and break.
Walk to the Riad from Anmiter is exciting – new location and scenery. Twisting dirt track road and lovely scenery. Riad is basic accomodation but clean with great staff. Food is excellent!
Daily organised walks will leave a memorable experience. Tough ascents but worth it. Carry plentiful water and energy snacks. Our guide Hassan had extensive local knowledge and the pace was reasonable for every level within our group. Walks started at 8 a.m. and mostly back before 4 p.m. Walking poles are very useful due to the nature of the terrain.
Trip to the hammam is fun and refreshing.
A really enjoyable trip!
Most Inspirational Moment
Doing the Tizi'n'Ourghsan and Mt. n'Oughlagal walks - so different and the views and scenery were breathtaking.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Hassan was superb in ensuring that we enjoyed our trip whether in Marrakesh or in the mountains. Always at hand to answer our questions about the places, environment and ' what's next' - extremely knowledgeable. He looked after us during and walks and afterwards too. He was part of the group but everyone recognized and respected him as the leader. I would not hesitate in following him on another trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Visit the Jardin Majorelle Gardens and Berber Museum which is about 10-15 mins walk from Hotel Gomassine. It was very cold in the mountains during the day and night so warm clothing is necessary. take some extra snacks as there are no shops in the village. Just enjoy!!!
Pretty much perfect from start to finish......
This was our (Wife and I) first group trip so wasn’t sure what to expect. Booking was easy. We flew out early on the non-group flights to get extra time in Marrakech and were greeted outside the airport by the Hassan who would be our guide for the week and a driver for the transfer to the hotel. After getting checked in Hassan took us to a local restaurant for lunch and our first (of many…) tagines of the week. Hassan gave us some advice about being in Marrakech, some ideas what to go and see and off we went. Next morning with the whole group having arrived we met after breakfast for a briefing by Hassan and then a half days guided tour, and an afternoon to ourselves to wander. The group was a real mix of people, but everyone seemed to get on fine. Next day we drove up to the mountains for our Riad for the next 4 days walking. As they say in the brochure, it’s basic……but comfortable. A bit cold in the evenings….and mornings, but great views from the balcony and tasty food. The walking was great, perhaps a bit easier than I expected but stunning scenery. Was a little bit dissapointed on the last day when some people in the group decided they didn’t want to do the longer 18 mile walk, so we all ended up doing a shorter 23 mile walk which was still very enjoyable and included the drama of the mule that got untied and ran back down the mountain.
A four hour drive back to Marrakech on the Saturday morning, and we decided on a group meal Saturday evening which Hassan arranged. People started departing early Sunday morning, we had a flight back in the evening so we had another day exploring the Medina with it’s souks and square.
I would sum it up by saying I loved it…..already planning to go back and do the 2 week camping trip with the climb of MT Toubkal. Hassan is a great guide, really informative, funny and looked after us really well. To be honest, once you have spent a day or two in Marrakech, you have seen it all……but the mountains and the scenery (….and weather, apart from the wind) was amazing.
Most Inspirational Moment
The landscape and views of the mountains...........just amazing
Thoughts on Group Leader
Hassan made the trip....knowledgeable, helpful and proud of his berber heritage.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't go expecting 5 star luxury in the Riad in the mountains...............basic, but comfortable sums it up pretty well
Lois
The tour leader Jamie really went out of
his way to show us the best of game life.
We got really near to the Big Game. He
was a very good driver too on difficult
terrain.
Our cook Mellow produced wonderful
food and always greeted us back to
camp after a game hike, with a smile
and the kettle always boiling!
The trip to Salt Pans was a waste of
time as there wasn’t much to see and
2 days of long long driving to this area
and then all the way up to Victoria Falls.
The lodge at VF was a disgrace, showers
in appalling state and toilet with no
plug to pull only wires sticking up!
It wouldn’t stop running.
The game life, food and tour leaders
direction made this trip worthwhile
but all in all, not good value.
LP
Most Inspirational Moment
Game life, food, tour leaders knowledge.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Good
Advice for Potential Travellers
Nothing to add to above
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank Lois for her review, although we are sorry that she was disappointed with aspects of this trip. The salt pan excursion is included in the itinerary as it is on route to Victoria Falls, and feedback in the past has suggested that it is a welcome break from the cross-country drives. Regrettably, late localised rains on this trip made it impossible to fully explore the pans, and it was not possible to make alternative arrangements at such short notice. We regret that Lois found the Victoria Falls accommodation to be disappointing; we would like to genuinely apologise for this and we have discussed the concerns raised with the management team to ensure that improvements are made for the future.
John Penge – Product Manager for Botswana
Walking in Andalucia (grade 4 week)
We spent a week walking In Andalucia as a group of 7 based at the Cortijo Rosario in Algamitas, about 1.5 hours from Malaga airport. Algamitas is a rural town in beautiful scenery. The accommodation, Cortijo Rosario, in in an enviable position high above the valley with fabulous views. The hosts, Cartouche and Joked, are helpful, warm and friendly. Roger, the chef provided superb four course meals in the evening and the packed lunches were tasty and well balanced. Doug provided extra assistance as the ‘knight in shining armour’, by driving us to the cortijo when our flight was 3 hours late, (proactively arranged by Miguel). The rooms are very clean and the communal areas cosy. We didn’t use the pool which looked great but it was March!
Most Inspirational Moment
So many. All the varied walks especially the suspended walkway on the gorge walk. Seville - the cathedral magnificent, the palace great, the tapas bar recommended by Miguel a revelation and the flamenco show breath-taking. We saw Griffin vultures close-up which was a real bonus. The view from the pool (not actually in the pool as it was March!)
Thoughts on Group Leader
Myself and Cath have been on numerous Exodus holidays - the leaders have always been good. Our leader, Miguel (Michael) Newcomb, leader was excellent. We missed the group transfer by 3 hours due to a late arrival at Malaga airport and Miguel had proactively arranged for a lift for us from Doug from the cortijo. This was brilliant and because of the previous leaders I've experienced, I hoped this would be the case but didn't expect it and it was a great start. Passionate. Enthusiastic. Safety conscious. Resourceful. Miguel has an encyclopaedic knowledge of local & broader history, culture, flora and fauna and shares this with verve and a sense of humour. An excellent leader up there with the very best.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The grade 4 moderate/challenging rating I would say is only moderate in my opinion. This holiday is up there with all the holidays I've been on and I'd highly recommend, as well as La Palma and Picos de Europe.
Extraordinary Holiday
I had the most amazing and extraordinary holiday and most of that was down to the lovely people in the group and our wonderful guide Sam Benjamin. From start to finish it was out of this world. The holiday proper started at our hotel in Cochin and ended there two weeks later when I actually felt very emotional – it was all over! The trek and camping were just incredible- our cook should be on Masterchef. Food was out of this world.
Most Inspirational Moment
When I had to use the hole to do my toilet in! 😂😂😂
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sam Benjamin was the most inspiring and thoughtful and decent young man ever, he made the trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Keep your expectations low! 😂😂😂😂
I really wanted to see a Tapir!
Our third visit to Costa Rica was everything we expected and more (sadly we didn’t see a tapir – but that was the only disappointment!). The trip is full on – if you participate in all that is offered, you don’t get much time to read your book! Early starts were the order of the day (not too difficult, due to the time difference between there and UK.) Some days there were longer journeys, but these were always broken up with stops for food or to see things of interest. The Costa Ricans are friendly and very keen on their eco-tourism. The lodges and hotels were of a good standard, with the meals (whether from the accommodation or from restaurants), were very acceptable. A holiday that starts and finishes with stays in lodges that can only be reached by a lengthy boat trip has to be very special.
Most Inspirational Moment
One of the highlights of the holiday was our visit to a small locally run restaurant in Sitio de Mana. A large wooden terrace/balcony in a little village, sited on a mountainside, with spectacular views (which gradually appeared as the mist lifted), was almost surreal. The food was fantastic (including a chocolate cake that they had baked) was all prepared by the local village ladies, on very primitive looking cast iron stoves. While eating we were able to watch humming birds and toucans at very close quarters. Another highlight was snorkelling at Cano island - a profusion of multi coloured fish flashed by, as a turtle slowly made its way to the surface within six feet of me, before disappearing into the depths again.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader Jonny Villalobos was excellent - so good that while with us he heard that he had won Tour leader of the year (2017) - voted by Exodus customers. His depth of knowledge is huge, whether it be re birds, flora, history or general knowledge on Central America. He found some very good restaurants for us and dealt well with the minor medical problems that arose.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do go on this trip - it complements the Exodus costa Rica Discovery tour. Do take plenty of sun protection - it is very easy to get burnt on the boat trips. Don't forget your camera, and if you have a waterproof one take that as well. Ensure that you have waterproof bags to line your day bag and protect your cameras etc.