Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Reviews

Anonymous user

Reviewed February 2018

Undiscovered Atlas review

A brilliant trip – the guide ensured we had a great time, even when the route had to be changed for safety reasons – we lost a days walking as the plan had to be changed entirely with our starting point changed because we weren’t allowed through by the border patrol. The guide worked so hard and immediately came up with a new plan which meant he had to manage everything to ensure we had food, camping sites and a safe alternative route. He was professional, fun and so kind throughout. The food was great and the organisation by the Moroccan team out there was brilliant. I had such a great time.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting having a cup of tea looking at an incredible view of the mountains after 2 full days walking and about to start the 3rd. Beautiful views. Great company. Safe and well looked after. Fantastic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mohammed was superb. He adapted and managed things so well - when the route had to change and when I was finding the trek uphill hard on the first day - he paced things so well and was extremely encouraging. He was fun, enthusiastic and worked so hard for the whole trip. He always tried to make things as good as possible. Exodus was lucky he was managing things as he really did ensure we still had a great time regardless!!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Take layers - the climate covers all the extremes.. 2. Take your good camera - I didn't - I regret it! 3. I borrowed a walking stick - it was very useful!

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Claire Howard

Reviewed February 2018

Lovely country, lovely group but disappointing wildlife experience

Sri Lanka as a country is gorgeous and the people are delightful. My disappointment with the trip relates to how the tour was delivered by the local company and the fact that this should be advertised as a bird watching trip with the odd mammal sighting possible. We did see elephants and the blue whale but 90% of wildlife sightings are birds.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing an adult male elephant with a prostetic limb play in the watering hole at the Udawalawe Transit Home followed closely by spending a couple of hours watching a blue whale.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a delightful young man who was extremely enthusiastic and good fun to be around but he failed to adequately deal with concerns/ complaints raised by the group. The game drives were poorly organised. There was 16 in our group. We were put in 3 trucks which they named AB &C and we were we told we had to stay in the same groups so that we all had access to the nature guide. This didnt happen. As a member of jeep C, for all 4 game drives were we the third jeep in the line with limited sightings and always late to the wildlife party. Concerns were raised but not acted upon by the tour guide even when these become complaints. My wildlife game drive experience was eating my fellow travellers dust, hearing out what they were looking at and often seeing things behind shrubs or flying away when disturbed. I’ve never beed on a trip where the game drives were organised this way. If you were in jeeps A or B which alternated being at the front you had a much better experience than the 6 of us in jeep C

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a bird watching trip. That was the emphasis of our naturalist guide and birds were in ambundance. Mammal sightings were limited. I didnt appreciate this and so was disappointed by the safari experience for this reason as well as how the jeeps were managed. I enjoyed staying in the rain forest and the ecolodge. The converted shipping containers were really cute and one of my hilights. They were hot during the day and cold at night but blankets are provided. We didnt walk along trails but walked up and down the tarmac road to the ecolodge. This limited the opportunity for wildlife sightings or should i more accurately say bird sightings as we were passed quite frequently by motorbikes. You need leech socks. These are provided so no need to bring your own. You need long trousers for this part of the trip.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Claire for her feedback, although we were very sorry that her experience was so disappointing. We have responded to Claire directly and in response to this feedback, Exodus has reminded our local partner in Sri Lanka to try to ensure that the naturalist guide in Yala National Park rotates between the vehicles, and that the vehicle order should also be rotated where possible to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of wildlife sightings.

Jennifer Cox – Product Manager

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Tony Renfrey

Reviewed February 2018

Excellent trip to Sri Lanka with Exodus

We have just returned from our first trip with Exodus and must say we were very impressed with all aspects of the holiday. The administration and trip documentation were top class. The tour leader was brilliant….nothing seemed to faze him and he organised day-to-day activities superbly. The coach driver and his helper were also excellent and the tour coach was first class. The itinerary was comprehensive, with a nice blend of iconic and historical sites, cultural and physical activities, and nicely varied transport and accommodation.

Most Inspirational Moment

We loved the white water rafting and cycle ride through the villages.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As I said before, he was brilliant! His smiley face and warm and friendly personality will live long in the memory.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your own re-usable water bottle to reduce the plastic waste from single-use bottles.

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Janet Lillicrap

Reviewed February 2018

Highlands of Sri Lanka

A wonderful experience in a beautiful country.

Most Inspirational Moment

The welcoming smiles of the Sri Lankan people.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujee was excellent - caring, helpful and knowledgeable with a passion for his country. Nothing was too much trouble for him or his team and they were a team who worked really well together.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take an umbrella as well as a sunhat!

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Anna Kennedy

Reviewed February 2018

Costa Rica - Coastal Secrets Jan 2018

We had a great time on this trip. We saw lots of birds and other wildlife. Costa Rica has very diverse ecosystems and we experienced quite a variety. We really liked the limit of 16 travelers. We enjoyed the group and were made very welcome everywhere we went.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being on the waterways around Tortuguero and Drake Bay was very special. If we hadn't had the benefit of great guides, we wouldn't have seen so much wildlife. Snorkeling at Cano Island was really amazing too - fantastic to see the colourful fish in the coral reef and also a large black sea turtle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was so knowledgeable and a really nice guy. Very thoughtful in terms of knowing what people were keen about and interested in.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We didn't factor in having to tip so many people (boat drivers, resort staff). Also, we were surprised that traffic all around Costa Rica goes much slower than you expect so time to get to some places is longer than anticipated.

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Andrew Bennett

Reviewed February 2018

Outstanding trip in Finland

Superb trip! loved every minute of it. The activities, accommadation, food and staff were all excellent. Cannot fault a single part of the trip and would really like to do the whole thing again!

Most Inspirational Moment

Husky dog sledding. Amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, nothing was too much trouble at all. All staff were superb.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it.

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Tara Jellis

Reviewed February 2018

Incredible South Africa

All in all a fantastic and diverse trip with a great group of people. South Africa has so much to offer. Beautiful scenery, close up encounters with wildlife (I still can’t believe we came so close to lions), an interesting history, combined with some great walks and a few more thrilling activities. The food was also very good. There really was something for everyone and I would recommend this trip to virtually anyone really.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many. The Tooth and Claw Safari at Schotia Game Reserve, zip lininig at Tsitsikamma and everything about Cape Town. We were lucky enough to get up Table Mountain on our first attempt and the views were amazing. But, my lasting impression from this trip will be of the South African people who all seemed so happy and welcoming.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were incredibly lucky to have Justin as our tour leader. He’s friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining and professional. A real credit to Exodus and a pleasure to be with. I would be happy to tour with him again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t be put off by tales of violence and crime in South Africa. Everywhere we visited seemed very safe and we were able to wander around after dark without fear. ALthough do make sure you are the right sort of person to join a group tour as if you are a lover of 5 star luxury or find it difficult to fit in then this sort of holiday may not suit. Having said that, the hotels all had their own charms, and the one at De Rust was exceptional as was it’s owners who really welcomed us.

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Dave Young

Reviewed February 2018

Snowshoeing, wine, cheese, culture and much more in the Catalan Pyrenees

This was a superb trip for me. As well as enjoying the snowshoeing I learned so much from the group leader about Catalonia – its wildlife, history, language, culture and the current political situation.
The remote mountain villages were charming and the scenery magnificent, especially after an unusually heavy snowfall.
The hospitality everywhere was excellent and I especially enjoyed the local wines and delicious ewe’s milk cheeses. The large glasses of brandy were also wonderfully warming after a cold day out in the mountains .

Most Inspirational Moment

Meeting a local cheese producer who had moved from Barcelona to make a new life for herself and her family in a remote mountain village. She now lives in a lovely large house with magnificent views across the valley and spends her days making the most wonderful cheeses. She is so passionate about my favourite food and richly deserves all the awards she has won for her produce.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel is very friendly, knowledgeable and always keen to improve his spoken English. Each day we snowshoed in a different area so that we saw as much as possible and experienced different types of terrain. We were fortunate in having excellent weather most days and an exceptionally heavy snowfall at the beginning of the trip. I loved all that deep, fresh snow but it made it very challenging for Miguel to re-plan routes to cope with much deeper snow than expected as well as a large and diverse group. In the circumstances, I think he did a great job. I agree with other reviewers that a smaller group would have been better, but then the cost per person would have been much higher.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Before booking, study the trip notes giving details of the proposed duration, distance and amount of ascent / descent each day to check the trip is appropriate for your level of fitness and experience of walking in steep terrain. Also, vegetarians should be vigilant. Although the meals were generally excellent, two dishes described as vegetarian actually contained pieces of chorizo and bacon.

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Steve & Dianne Fletcher

Reviewed February 2018

Plenty of snow in remote Pyrenees valleys

We had a great week snowshoeing in plentiful deep snow, staying in very comfortable and welcoming hotels, particularly Hotel Victor in Rialp. The family there made every effort to accommodate our varied and various needs always with a smile. The fresh deep snow made it difficult for the group to complete the planned walks every day, but this really was not necessary – the pleasure of being out in untouched snow with no-one in sight all day was the thing. Miguel our leader had built several cultural extras into the programme which added considerably to the interest .

Most Inspirational Moment

Sun shining on deep untouched snow on the day walking above Son.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel had to cope with a combination of a group with diverse abilities and experiences in a week with more snow than usual which made logistics and completing the planned walks difficult. Given this he did a good job of trying to ensure that as many people as possible completed as much as possible of the advertised programme. He clearly loves his country (Catalonia!) and the mountains and went out of his way to share this enthusiasm with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Understand that the degree of challenge involved is very dependent on the snow and weather conditions. The depth of soft snow we had meant the effort involved was 50% to 100% more than in conditions of less or no snow. Also experience of walking in the hills in varied weather conditions is desirable. Be prepared for long days out in very cold conditions.

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Steve & Dianne Fletcher

Reviewed February 2018

Plenty of snow in remote Pyrenees valleys

We had a great week snowshoeing in plentiful deep snow, staying in very comfortable and welcoming hotels, particularly Hotel Victor in Rialp. The family there made every effort to accommodate our varied and various needs always with a smile. The fresh deep snow made it difficult for the group to complete the planned walks every day, but this really was not necessary – the pleasure of being out in untouched snow with no-one in sight all day was the thing. Miguel our leader had built several cultural extras into the programme which added considerably to the interest .

Most Inspirational Moment

Sun shining on deep untouched snow on the day walking above Son.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel had to cope with a combination of a group with diverse abilities and experiences in a week with more snow than usual which made logistics and completing the planned walks difficult. Given this he did a good job of trying to ensure that as many people as possible completed as much as possible of the advertised programme. He clearly loves his country (Catalonia!) and the mountains and went out of his way to share this enthusiasm with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Understand that the degree of challenge involved is very dependent on the snow and weather conditions. The depth of soft snow we had meant the effort involved was 50% to 100% more than in conditions of less or no snow. Also experience of walking in the hills in varied weather conditions is desirable. Be prepared for long days out in very cold conditions.

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