Most Inspirational Moment
Angkor Wat
Thoughts on Group Leader
Vietnamese and Thai leaders very good, the Cambodian leader did not reach the level
Advice for Potential Travellers
No
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Thai Indochina Explorer
Sites very good, but the journey between them very drawn out.
"Best holiday so far.........guaranteed!"
A great trip that had everything including dramatic scenery, lush countryside, wonderful cycling, adventure in a safari park, beautiful beaches and of course lots of tea!
Most Inspirational Moment
We really enjoyed the safari and seeing elephants, crocodiles and leopard in their natural habitat.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Suresh took care of our every need from the moment we arrived and met us at the airport. He goes above and beyond in ensuring that we all had a fantastic experience, taking any stress away from us so we could enjoy every moment. His excellent relationships with the locals tells you that this is someone who is well respected among the community, which in turn means you get the best out of seeing how the people live and work.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Well everyone talks about that hill! My advice is to enjoy it - take it at your pace and see how you get on. If you are an accomplished rider then you will love it, if not, then it is a great challenge! There is of course the support bus always at hand. There is also the alternative of the train, for which 1st class tickets need to be booked months in advance. 2nd class tickets are available on the day but be prepared to stand the whole way! The tea and water stops are great but do not include electrolytes so you might want to take your own.
Costa Rica's Coastal Secrets January 2018
This was a memorable holiday, for all the right reasons. We were interested to find out about Costa Rica’s wildlife and landscapes, and we were delighted with what we found. It was an active holiday, with quite a lot of early-morning rises, but this was more than compensated by the richness of the wildlife encounters. Our guide, Pedro, was outstanding: his knowledge, organisation, and enthusiasm were inspirational. The group, which ranged in age from 33 to 83, got on really well together, united by his passion and good humour. Accommodation was good to very good, and the food (most of which is included in the price) was also good to very good.
We experienced the full gamut of weather conditions, from tropical rain to warm temperatures and blue sunny skies.
As for organisation, the trip passed without a hitch despite certain roads being blocked by landslides and fallen trees, and we always felt safe.
There is quite a bit of travelling from one location to another.
Most Inspirational Moment
Coming into close contact with so many wild animals in their natural surroundings is not an experience we are used to in Europe, and we have been lucky to return with some stunning photographs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Pedro, our group leader, was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, efficient, helpful, and passionate about his country. He led the group with great humour and was always willing to go the extra mile.
Advice for Potential Travellers
For anyone interested in this tour, take sun cream, insect repellent, a poncho, walking boots and a good pair of trainers. It is not really a trekking holiday, but conditions can be wet and muddy. A good camera is a must. We chose to fly direct from the UK to San José rather than face the inevitable immigration queues if you fly via North America.
Cycling Indochina & Angkor
The trip was a retirement present to myself and in the months between booking and departing I had intended to get many miles under my (too large) belt. When the time came to leave I was more than a little anxious as I hadn’t exactly hit my training targets, had never done this kind of holiday before and was travelling alone.
From the moment I first stepped on to the bike I knew that my fears were unfounded, The trip was among the best holidays I have ever taken. The cycling was wonderful, the scenery and ancient sites beautiful, the staff, support, equipment and organisation exemplary and the food delicious and cheap.
The accommodation ranged from very good to more modest hotels but all were clean and had en suite facilities. I had paid a single room supplement and was a litle disappointed to be sharing (for one night only) in the delighful “homestay” but this was a very minor inconvenience.
The group was large and diverse but here was huge companionship, support and banter between us and the staff ensured that both stronger cyclists and less experienced had plenty of fun and challenge.
It was brilliant to experience three different countries and cultures. In each the local tour guides gave interesting and educational background to visits. This part of the world has had more than its share of troubles and it was brilliant to see how each country is responding and developing. Throughout, the local people were welcoming and friendly – in Vietnam, for example, we were greeted by high-fiving children and shouts of “hello” at every village.
The days ranged from some long rides in the sun to occasional bus transfers and shorter excursions but all were punctuated by the excellent snack van providing lovely refreshments and fresh water at very regular intervals.
In summary I loved it, was sad when it finished and am already browsing the web for the next adventure.
Most Inspirational Moment
Angkor Wat was simply stunning and the visit to the Killing Fields and prison in Cambodia deeply moving . However for me the high point was more banal. When I was speeding into the lakeside lunch stop after about 45K on day 3, I was on the wheel of the day's cycling leader who turned to me and simply said "strong" and I got such an ego boost. The upshot was that half way through the afternoon I blew up and finished the day near the end of the finishers...but hey it was worth it!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nut was a brilliant tour leader. He was professional, friendly and fun, briefing us well before each day/stage, resolving any problems, taking us to some great restaurants and he also plays a mean guitar.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The trip notes reccommended bringing faourite snacks, gels, fist aid kit etc. None of this was necessary as we were well provided throughout and they took up valuable space in my luggage that I would more usefully have filled with more cycling jerseys, given the heat and humidity on the road. Make sure you have plenty of space on your camera/phone. There was so much to see.
A wonderful trip
A wonderful trip full of busy days that take in the history and culture of 3 beautiful countries. The food was delicious, the accommodation was all superb, the Exodus guides were fantastic. Plenty to see and do for the adventurer that likes something slightly different
Most Inspirational Moment
Inspirational moments would have to include the visits to see the history of conflicts in Vietnam and Cambodia, harrowing but a reminder to preserve world peace, the temple complex at Anghor Wat, the Royal Palaces in Bangkok, the homestay on the Mekong Delta
Thoughts on Group Leader
The best tour leader was Is, our lovely Thai guide, she was amazing
Advice for Potential Travellers
Absorb everything you see, taste and hear, it is a sensory trip that will have your thoughts racing
Excellent
This was one of the best trips I have ever done. The country was beautiful and very varied with excellent walking. The superb local and historical knowledge of our extremely friendly and able guide Ruwan made the trip come alive and he introduced us to many local people all of whom were incredibly friendly and warm. The local food was delicious and the locations well chosen
Most Inspirational Moment
The friendliness of the tea plantation workers who are among the poorest in Sri Lanka, and an elephant blocking the road on one of our trips
Thoughts on Group Leader
Couldn't have been better. A really lovely intelligent and capable man
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go! Take mosquito repellant
Cycling the friendliest island in the world
Highly recommend this trip as the best way to see Sri Lanka. Not only is it a most beautiful country that has such varied landscapes and sites to see each day, but you do it all by 2 wheels with very little overland journeys in a minibus. Its also a fantastic mix of cycling and sightseeing. What’s more the local people are so friendly everywhere you go…could it be the friendliest island in the world?
Most Inspirational Moment
For me personally my greatest achievement and moment of inspiration was climbing Sigiriya rock rather than the cycle challenges that I didn't find too challenging, as I had to conquer my fear of heights for the climb! Really thanks to Neelaka our guide and the rest of the group who were so calming and encouraging. I am so glad I got to the top as the 360 views of Sri Lanka were just stunning and I will never forget this moment in Sri Lanka. My other great moment was the cycling moment and satisfaction of reaching the top tea hills at Nuwara Eliya after the all day ascent from Kandy. The faster cyclists and the guides cheering everyone in at the top was memorable as was the relief of arriving.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Neelaka was outstanding. I have always found the standard of Exodus leaders good and have been with other companies that were good, but Neelaka was a cut above the rest. He was such a great mix of always so professional but letting his fun and sunny personality shine through and was always generous with his time to impart his immense knowledge and insight about the country, its culture and its places. He dealt with any concerns so calmly and efficiently and together with his team got the entire group of 16 people (no less) of quite varied cycling abilities, round the country with no problems whatsoever, with a smile on everyone faces and great memories. He was ensured we had memorable tea and lunch stops - a fantastic variety of local cafes with delicious local savoury snacks, local families houses and many treats of fresh coconuts and ice cream! Most people had done a few trips in their time but the general consensus was that Neelaka was everything you could want in a guide and more. The cycle guide and mechanic Sandy was also excellent in looking after everyone's cycle needs and supporting all 16 cyclists.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Its worth getting cycle fit before this trip as it is very hot cycling which can make the distances feel longer. I also found that it is OK wearing lycra in Sri Lanka - they are used to weirdly dressed cyclists by now! But slap on the sun block and take a hat for when you are sightseeing off the bike. The food is generally amazing but some of the hotels and restaurants get a bit repetitive on offering the same curries.
Classic Vietnam and Angkor Wat
We’d never visited South East Asia before so everything was new to us. We weren’t disappointed. Although there are the classic high spots like Halong Bay and the Angkor Wat complex, the overwhelming emotion we came away with was all about the people. Given the recent histories of Vietnam and Cambodia it was amazing to find the people so happy, friendly and, apparently, without resentment towards Westerners. (Even making allowances for the fact that tourism is so important)
Most Inspirational Moment
Although Angkor Wat itself was amazing, particularly watching sunrise over the temple, in some ways, some of the other temples, Banteay Srai, Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom and the Bayon were just as impressive, if slightly more modest. Thought we might get "templed-out" but ended up wanting more. Also, the photo journalism exhibition in the War Remnants Museum in Saigon will live in the memory for a long time.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both Thanh in Vietnam and Sokhom in Cambodia were amazing. Very thoughtful when it came to helping everyone in our group whilst always being thoroughly informed and organised.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do as many of the optional trips as you can manage/afford. They are all good and we particularly enjoyed cycling in the countryside near Hoi An. It felt like we were getting closer to a different aspect of Vietnam. The markets are great fun with haggling an art form. The stuff is cheap (if you haggle) and 3 months later no quality disasters yet!! So leave a bit of room in your suitcases.
Inspirational Vietnam
This trip is wonderful and is up there as one of my best holidays, ever. It is suited for people that are willing to go with the flow – we were lucky that all 18 of us were of similar ability, like-minded and happy to have a go. You need to have reached a base level of fitness and be comfortable with road traffic but most of the cycling is on country roads, with some hills and breath-taking scenery. The trip is structured to gradually build up your fitness and miles so by the end, I felt I was achieving far more than I had ever expected.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was all inspirational, but the highlight was cycling up the Hai Van Pass, then down, past exotic beaches and lagoons. The Vietnamese are so welcoming and all ages shout “Hello” as you cycle pass.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Long Li, our guide was fantastic at keeping the energy levels high. His sense of humour, encouragement, attentiveness, even during meal times meant that we couldn’t have been in better hands. His historical knowledge meant that all the visits came alive. Even losing my luggage on the way there, between Kuala Lumpur and HCMC didn’t spoil the holiday as Long contacted the airline and ensured that it was delivered to the hotel just a few hours later. He organised the best karaoke on the overnight train to Hanoi which will go down as an epic evening. Also Sow, our driver was always there with coconut sweets, fresh water melon, fresh mango, nuts, dried fruit and many other luxuries, and the fresh cold lime juice hit the spot every time. Len, our truck driver and Suel our sweeper/back stop, were so supportive and even ran around re-filling our water bottles during our breaks !
Advice for Potential Travellers
It is a very busy trip and there is a lot of packing and unpacking so travel lighter than I did ! There are opportunities to do laundry. If you’d like more time in HCMC or Hanoi, it’s worth having 1-2 days extra at the beginning or the end. The weather is changeable so you need both T-shirts/shorts as well as a wet weather jacket. It can also be cool so you need a sweatshirt and long trousers. Some people brought their own saddle but I found just a gel cover was sufficient. It was useful to have a small handlebar bag and to learn to take photos on the move as there is not a lot of time for stopping.
Snowshoeing in Transylvania
This trip provides a varied programme of walking/snowshoeing in beautiful scenery, with visits to a bat cave, a bear sanctuary, Bran Castle, a fortified church and the medieval town of Brasov. Physically, two of the longer days were quite demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. We stayed in a very comfortable and remote guesthouse in the mountains; the food was excellent and plentiful, special diets were accommodated and our hosts were friendly and spoke excellent English. We were part of a very sociable and well-travelled group, and came back with plenty of ideas for other trips. Romania has a fascinating if troubled history and our guide, Holger, was very knowledgeable and provided a good insight into both ancient and more recent periods.
Most Inspirational Moment
We were lucky to have plenty of snow, so the snowshoeing was a delight, especially on the clear bright days. The scenery was beautiful, although we did have one day when in snowed throughout and so views were minimal.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader, Holger, was capable and considerate, with a good dry sense of humour. He took a while to get used to the group, but became more sociable as the week went on.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you haven't snowshoed before, make sure that you are confident that your showshoes fit correctly and have no defects before you set off. Although plenty of bread and a variety of fillings are provided for packed lunches, there are no snacks, so I would recommend that you take some, as we definitely needed extra calories between meals, especially on the two longer days. A travel kettle could be useful too. The temperatures were well below freezing, and the roads around the guesthouse and in the towns were very icy. We found our instep crampons very useful; other members of the group used Yaktrax or similar.