Reviews

Snow leopards aplenty!

This was our second visit to Hemis NP in search of the snow leopard. Our visit in 2011 produced one very brief sighting. On this return visit we were amply rewarded with several lengthy sightings on four of the six days we were there, giving us the chance to view them stalking prey (blue sheep), resting and ridge-walking. Much of our success was due to the incredible skill and dedication of our Ladakhi spotters. We cannot thank them enough.
We were also priveleged to have good sightings of a pair of wolves, a herd of urials, picas, woolly hares and several large birds of prey including two Eagle Owls roosting and flying at dusk.
Apart from wildlife watching, there were very good cultural experiences too – visiting monasteries, attending a Buddhist masked dance festival at Matho Monastery and a welcoming homestay in the traditional Ladakhi village of Rumbak.

Disappointing holiday with potential to be so much better

If there were a category between Fair and Good I would have ticked that one. I was on the same trip as Steve Winfield and concur with pretty much everything he said. Apart from the guide (ssee below) another disappointing matter for a trip called Premium was the variability of the accommodation. From a delightful (but cold) riad in Meknes and a lovely one in Essaouira to a rather sterile (and cold) hotel in Fez and a really miserable and dirty one in Marrakech. The latter was probably the biggest disappointment as I had hoped to stay, at the end of the trip and the hundreds of miles covered, in one of the many lovely riads in the city or at least a hotel that justified the Premium label. We ended up in this ghastly hotel , on a busy noisy road (my room was right on it), a lousy breakfast and unhelpful and rude staff (who denied that the wifi didnt work in some of the rooms when some of us were clearly experiencing the opposite).
I am sounding negative because I had hoped better of Exodus but I would not recommend this holiday as it was delivered to us.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding the camel through the desert ...the beautiful Secret Garden... the wonderful guide at Todra

Thoughts on Group Leader

It is extremely telling that the review of the same trip taken in November is much more positive than our experience and that their guide was described as excellent and fun. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for ours and this set the tone of things. I think we all had a good time but this was despite him. He was very efficient on the organizational side so we could travel with no worries about luggage etc but he gave the minimum of information and the kind of cultural and historical background that most travellers seek when visiting a country as rich and varied as Morocco and rarely interacted with us at mealtimes. The information he did give was, as Steve indicates, invariably incorrect as regards timings, temperatures and what to expect on a day by day basis. Briefings were ad hoc - no regular times and opportunities missed to impart details in the coach with a microphone to hand. His English was competent but halting and this was in total contrast to the excellent local guides who were engaging and amusing and interesting. Our young guide in the Todra Gorge, for example, spoke excellent and highly adaptable English learnt from subtitles on TV ! Minimum education but a great love for his area and a desire to impart everything he knew. T

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you dont like to be cold dont go to Morocco before mid March. This is a fascinating country that pays your attention and the local people , particularly in the country and desert are delightful. Find out who your group leader will be and where you will be staying. However, Exodus was not at all forthcoming with the latter information. Oh.. and avoid the hammam in the mountains..... a few of us women had a less than enjoyable experience. Give the money to support the villagers some other way.

Reply from Exodus

We were very sorry to hear that Teresa was disappointed with aspects of her tour’s leadership and that this impacted on her enjoyment of the holiday.  Rabiaa has been working as a tour leader for 6 years in Morocco and we have received positive feedback about him from his previous Exodus trip. Teresa and Steve’s comments have been shared with Rabiaa and we have asked the local manager to discuss with him how he can continue to improve his local knowledge and language skills for future trips.

Tom Harari – Product Manager

Loved this trip it will be hard to beat!

This was a most fabulous trip – a fantastic mix of cycling and sampling local culture. We had a really good guide Shibu and his team. We loved Kerala and the mix of experiences on this trip. We liked the level which was leisurely /moderate – ideal in such a hot country we wish there were more trips available at this level. We loved the food and have had withdrawal cravings on return to the UK from such delicious fare! We had a great group of people on this tour they also helped to make it a brilliant experience.

Mexico: Mayas, Aztecs & Conquistadores

This is an epic journey through Mexico to see the ancient sites and to get a flavour of the country, its beautiful colours, its friendly people and its delicious food. Although we spent a lot of time on the road between locations (and some were very windy through the Sierra Madre mountains) we always made stops along the way to visit places of interest, have lunch and plenty of stops for the banjos!

Your Chance To Be David Attenborough For 2 Weeks!!

This was a well choreographed exploration of Costa Rica, with an emphasis on exploring biodiversity and ecology thematically. The choice of hotels/lodges is excellent – you stay 2 nights everywhere which gives opportunity to explore without feeling too rushed. The trip is graded “leisurely” but in fact we seemed to be active throughout, so good basic fitness is important to get the most from the trip.

There were 16 people in our group, and whilst we greatly enjoyed the company, it felt a big group to take for nature walks – usually most of the wildlife had scarpered by the time we arrived as 16 people stomping along a trail are not exactly quiet!).

Mexico: Myans, Aztecs & Conquistadors

An excellent experience. We saw so many Mayan sites, and learned a lot about Mexico’s history in general.

Discover Sri Lanka

We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this trip. It was very varied in experiences from Buddhist temples to a taste of the local culture and life of the villagers. The contrast of the busy noisy towns to the tea plantations , national parks & forest areas. The whole experience was made extra special and interesting by our excellent guide’ Bob'( his Sri Lankan name is impossible to pronounce), who explained clearly the history, culture & life of Sri Lanka, illustrated by his own personal stories. Hotels were of a good standard and the food & service were on the whole good. The train ride was an experience, expect to stand for 2 hours, though some local women made a small seating space for me and I enjoyed hearing their life stories and they generously wanted to share their snacks with me! Yala national park was very good and we did see a leopard however, the game drive in Kaudulla National park was too crowded with other viewers.

Effort rewarded

Being complete novices my wife and I were just experimenting with this trip. We are so glad we did. The walks are all pretty challenging stuff but the rewards of the effort put in are more than ample reward. We were fortunate enough to get a pretty good week, some snow, some blue skies and not too cold and the Dolomites definitely showed us their best face. We are in our early sixties and walk regularly and found the walks doable but not easy. You get out of this holiday what you put in.

Vietnam Adventure

I have just returned from the Vietnam Adventure trip. It was my 6th Exodus adventure and I have to say it was easily one of the best I have been on.

This vast country has so much to offer, there are vast differences between the north and the south and the trip enables you to experience a lot in a relatively short time.

When we were on the boat in Halong Bay the weather was damp and grey – it gave a really ethereal quality to the experience and I think our photographs are absolutely stunning.

As we moved south the weather changed and became hot and humid which was a relief!

To me the whole trip was fantastic, it’s hard to pick favourite places but I have to say that Hoi An and My Son were truly amazing. I have never seen anything like them.

It is a busy trip with lots to take in and lots of variety in what you do. I have to say that Tao, our Trip Leader, was brilliant. He must have had so much to organise, check and manage but he did it all with total calm and good humour. He was knowledgeable and kind and is one of the best Trip Leaders I have had the pleasure of touring with.

The standard of hotels is excellent, the toilets are fantastic and everywhere is spotlessly clean.

So book it and enjoy.

Leisurely Vietnam adventure

Excellent trip. Well organized and interesting. Good quality accommodations.