Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Frida Kahlo's house was somewhere I had looked forward to visiting, and it didn't disappoint. I also loved all the ancient sites, but Palenque was my favourite, due to its setting. Our cooking class in Oaxaca was excellent, ending in a 6 course lunch of all the food we had chosen and helped to prepare. The optional boat trip in the Sumidero Canyon is a must - we had gone early and that meant we were virtually on our own for the outward journey and for stopping to look at the wildlife. Some of the hotels we stayed in were exceptional but sadly at those for only one night. Likewise the restaurants our guide took us to were excellent. The final treat of my holiday was a swim at the cenote (sink hole) on the last morning. Was extremely refreshing on a very hot day and I would definitely recommend it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arturo was a fantastic tour guide. Nothing was too much trouble for him, and he looked after us so well and thought of absolutely everything and always had with him anything we might need, from extra water, to suncream, to anti-mosquito repellent to travel sickness pills ahead of what he knew would be a very windy route, for which I was most grateful! He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of everywhere we went; he would always dine with us (apart from a well-deserved couple of nights off) and he was very outgoing and had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be prepared for long journeys and for it being chilly some mornings in the high locations before the sun comes up. Take most or all of your money in Mexican pesos. I had too many dollars and was having to change them, which was sometimes a very lengthy process. Some of the smarter restaurants/hotels did accept credit cards.

Most Inspirational Moment

After a 5.30am start on our mission to find the rare Resplendent Quetzal, and after numerous false alarms, imagine the elation when suddenly, a lovely specimen landed in a tree barely 20 feet from me. David Attenborough - here we come!!! More seriously, I'd also say that taken as a whole, this trip is a remarkable experience in ecology and bio-diversity, which is so vitally important to appreciate in todays world.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pedro was a bit of a curate's egg - good in parts. Great at keeping us safe and outstanding in the natural environment - this man can spot a sloth in a tree a mile away and had outstanding insights into the natural world and the conflict with development. And our sincere thanks for all that. But we'd rate him as not very good on the organisational front; sometimes we felt we were on a school trip with an irritable teacher. It didn't matter very much, but we'd encourage Pedro to engage more with his groups in future (and, eg, to attend the final group dinner and ensure that the trip ends on a real high...).

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a photographer's paradise - but it is still challenging to take good pictures. You need a decent camera with a powerful zoom. Good binoculars are very useful. The climate can be surprising variable - bring rainwear and also a warm jacket for higher altitudes/early morning walks. Otherwise, dress code is casual throughout. We booked the direct BA flights which gave us a day or so either end of the trip, and we'd recommend this. Firstly, it gives time to recover from the long flight before the trip begins. Second, San Jose is more interesting than it seems at first glance. There are three excellent museums (National, Gold and Jade) and also an historic theatre; plus a small zoo. Everything is within easy walking distance, and we found San Jose to be safe and friendly. Try Pops ice cream - delicious!!

Most Inspirational Moment

The experience of seeing some of the ancient sites, even from as far back as 200-500 years BC. I thoroughly enjoyed roaming around, and climbing up these pyramids.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Arturo was a very good leader. He knew so much about his local history, and passed on his knowledge with humour and a great sense of pride.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for mosquitoes. Although it wasn't Malaria season, I still got bitten. Take a good repellent with you.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a Leopard in Yala National Park, Seeing blue wales, the white water rafting, and visits to local villages where we were served local food and drank from freshly cut coconuts. As well as the Buddhist Temple of the tooth.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, the best we have had yet, so informative without being over powering, always smiling and his own personal stories brought to life the history, religion and culture of the Island. I would live to go on another trip led by him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure that you have a light fleece for the hills of Nuwara Ella. Have plenty of sun cream & after sun for the coast. Be ready for sudden downpours. Trust your leader he knows the best time to arrive at attractions which might mean an early start! Just enjoy all the different experiences

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the summit of Durakopf and being completely surrounded by snow covered mountains against a clear blue sky takes some beating but there were many other moments like that. Every day provided something new and even more amazing than the previous one. The sense of achievement we, and the rest of the group felt on reaching our targets.

Thoughts on Group Leader

It is quite hard to explain how much Sara makes this holiday. She is all the things a guide should be, knowledgeable, helpful, caring and extremely competent but the whole is so much more than the sum of the parts. With any reasonably competent guide this would be a good holiday but Sara takes it up a notch and to a different level. Excellent does not do her justice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are a fit and able walker and the snowshoeing will come naturally. Read the trip notes and kit list thoroughly and ensure you follow it. Bring a camera or you will regret it.

Most Inspirational Moment

My Son, Hoi An, Saigon and Halong Bay - all of it really!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tao is a total professional. Very knowledgeable, proud of his country and top fun. Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring extra cash if you like wine (it's a bit pricy in the hotels), and shopping there lots of bargains to be had. Also bring trainers and a waterproof jacket, the north of the country was not very warm and it rained as well.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many good moments. Hard to select one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nhi Pham in Vietnam was excellent. I nominated her for leader award. Leader in Cambodia was very knowledgeable, but not very experienced in interpersonal skills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Recommend the trip for educational and general informative content. Except for short Angkor leg, it was also not very exhausting.

Most Inspirational Moment

The boarder crossing from Thailand to Cambodia was an experience not to be missed - but the highlight of the 2 weeks had to be the temples in Siem Reap. Not only Angkor Wat, but so many other stunning temples to see.

Thoughts on Group Leader

It was difficult to gel with the team - having 3 teams and 3 bikes in such a short period of time. Because of that, the team leader wasn't as "prominent" as other trips because - in his own words - he was the general manager rather than the tour guide. However, Chai looked after us very well and allowed us to build up a bit of steam on longer sections.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In Seam Reap, head straight for Pub Street - a very lively atmosphere, not to be missed ! The 5am start to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise, was very much an anticlimax for the views, but worth doing just for the atmospehere of 3000 people at stupid-o-clock all racing there by tuk-tuk. When in Phnom Penh, take an evening river cruise - 2 hours up and down the waterways which was very cheap.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments in our trip but if one need be selected perhaps it might be our visit to Halong Bay, where we stayed overnight on a boat while cruising among the islands. Visits to Mekong Delta as well our kayaking experience were also very special experiences, as well as the visit to Hoi An, a lovely town in central Vietnam where we were able to mingle more with the local culture. The most emotionally challenging experience of the trip was a visit to the Vietnam War Museum wherein via photos of effects of Agent Orange, we were exposed to the tremendous devastation which the USA inflicted upon these countries. The trip was both experiential on multiple levels and allowed one to pursue history and culture to whatever degree chosen.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Nye, in Vietnam was beyond excellent. Her knowledge and presentation of information in both a casual yet educational manner was tremendous. Her capacity to keep organization in a group of 16 people while retaining a warm & cooperative spirit greatly encouraged a group experience and enable the schedule to run in an organized manner. Her flexibility to allow for individual deviation when desired as well as her capacity to show personal interest in each group member's activities was remarkable & would inspire me to nominate her as a best group leader ever experienced on a tour. Our group leader in Cambodia was also very knowledgable and presented educational material beyond expectations on Angkor. His presentation was less personally influenced and casual than our previous leader and somewhat more difficult to focus upon due to his tendency to present infinite tangential information. The heat in Cambodia also exacerbated the difficulty of this part of the tour, which may also reflect a wish for less detail in this experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would highly recommend Exodus travel after researching numerous companies as an excellent tour company and suggest this tour for anyone with interest in these countries from an educational and cultural perspective. We chose February as the month least prone to monsoons and weather was quite accommodating during our Vietnam portion of the trip. Heat is Cambodia was more than anticipated and did have some effect on our willingness to explore further on our second day, but fortunately, the group was in consensus regarding this concept.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything was magical especially with the celebration of New Year (Hoi An) Ha Long Bay kayak/sleeping on boat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Son Nguyen was very good.