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.

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14433 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Gudrun Meisl

Reviewed December 2017

Highlights of vietnam

A fun way to see a lot of vietnam

Most Inspirational Moment

Some great downhill, giggling children wherever you say hello

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danh was great fun and worked very hard to make this an enjoyable trip. I would have never tried egg coffee otherwise

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's a very busy itinerary. There is hardly any time to see Saigon. If you can, book an extra day or too before and after the trip. The bikes are good but bringing your own saddle is worth considering. The traffic can look scary but drivers are very respectful. Don't hesitate or break and everything will flow around you.

dayl dufrane

Reviewed December 2017

Garden route - south africa in nov

Two weeks at the end of November was ideal time to travel the ‘Garden Route’ Varied itinery. from game parks , to wine tasting, whale watching to visiting ostrich farm, museums to shopping. Includes days in Cape Town ( table mountain etc ) , lots of free time, optional extras which you could chose to do or not.

Most Inspirational Moment

I went shark diving in a cage !! It was a must do optional extra - costs a lot but you have to do these things once in your life. Well worth all the money ( thanks credit card ) Picked up from hotel- driven to the centre - travel out on boat for 20+ mins Safety briefings given . Wet suit + mask etc Water not that cold for the Atlantic. Although not see great white saw plenty of copper back sharks - hey a shark is a shark . Had two long sessions in cage. I loved it ... Go for it

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin was very very good. Knew his stuff . Very obviously proud of his country. Put up with a lot of ribbing from the 16 of us. Always helpful. If he is your group leader you will enjoy yourself as well as learn loads about SAfrica - whether it be animals, plants , history, geology, even politics

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for different weather - can change - I think we were very lucky. However, did not get to Robben Island due to rough seas and were lucky to get up Table Mountain on 2nd attempt. Don't be disappointed if you not make these two trips. In Cape town go on hop on hop off bus BUT they only run clockwise - hence do not think about going all way round then doing it again and hopping off . Blue route takes 2 + hours. Take some tea/ coffee with you as a couple of apartments are ' self catering ' Apartments and hotels we stayed in were ideally situated- view over sea etc. Try all sorts of food - Ostrich, warthog, springbok all very tasty as were the fish dishes. Kayaking ( includes lilo + cliff jumping ) ok. Zip wiring - good intro as I had not done before but I think a bit tame if you had already experienced it. Whale watching approx. £40 may not be worth it especially as you can see from beach ( this opinion from group - I did not do ) Township - I did not do but there were very mixed views - many negative

Tony Glaser

Reviewed December 2017

A great trip

A great trip overall, which I would recommend. The itinerary was good, the hotels (with 1 exception) were really good, the trip leader (Le Long) was fantastic, the bikes and support team were good, the food was good, and Vietnam is very interesting. However the itinerary is very busy – although some down time is built in, there were lots of early mornings, and a lot of cycling time (good) and bus time (not so good), so there was not as much time for sightseeing and soaking up culture etc. as I would have liked – we rode past a few places I would love to have stopped an spent time exploring. There would be no solution to this other than making the trip a couple of days longer – so I am not complaining at all, just noting the reality – this is the only reason I give it 4 rather than 5 stars – 4½ would be more appropriate

Most Inspirational Moment

The long downhill ride on the 5th day. I loved riding through the markets and town of Dalat

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely fantastic - simultaneously very efficient and the life and soul of the party!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You might need a few days off after all this activity - especially if you are prone to jet lag problems if you are traveling from the UK or the US. I would also suggest getting to Ho Chi Minh City a day or two before the trip starts, to get over jet lag and also to explore the town a bit (there is no time for this in the trip itself) - I would recommend a back-of-the-motorbike city tour, the War Remnants Museum, the cocktail bar at the top of Bitexco Tower, among other. Vietnamese city traffic (mainly motorbikes) looks absolutely scary, but is not at all - all the motorbikes just flow around you like a school of fish, and the (relatively few) cars and trucks are very aware of 2-wheeled traffic and respectful. Everyone is friendly

Steve Terry

Reviewed December 2017

Manaslu from all sides

I’m just back in Kathmandu having completed the Manaslu Lodge Circuit. 33 years ago my late wife and I trekked the Annapurna Circuit independently which was one of the loveliest experiences of our lives. So I was prepared to be very disappointed by the neighbouring Manaslu Circuit. But not one bit. The itinerary works really well – with 13 nights to get round the circuit. Starting in warmth and luxuriance and Hindu culture; moving steadily up to the colder more spacious places of Tibetan villages with the beautiful twin peaks of Manaslu and the surrounding Himal providing glorious vistas; the long hard day crossing the Larkya Pass with the unexpected revelation of the Annapurna massif in the distance; the descent through dappled forest back to the world of flowers, butterflies, monkeys and terraced fields. Just magic! More than I’d hoped for. All made even better by having Valerie Parkinson as our leader – who could tell us what it was actually like to be the first British woman to climb Manaslu (8163m) – without oxygen. I feel very spoilt. Thank you Valerie – and thank you Exodus for another well-organised, unforgettable experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first proper sighting of Manaslu and the surrounding himal and the transition to Tibetan culture.

Thoughts on Group Leader

See above. Inspirational and a wonderful human being.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely take a Steripen (see trip notes) - such a brilliant device.

Fran and Alvar SWAINSTON

Reviewed December 2017

Beautiful Costa Rica

We have just returned from a fantastic holiday guided by Johnny Villalobos. He made the experience memorable for our group of 13 travellers. He gave 100% to us, walking early to see as much as possible, owl hunting at night and working all hours to enable us to ‘ maximise’ our holiday ( his word ) ! The itinerary was well put together and all the lodges and hotels were carefully chosen, all different but all excellent. We particularly loved Esquinas Lodge, its remoteness and the birds of course! We saw a huge number of bird species and Johnny helped us to check the ‘list’ every evening in happy hour!!! We had the good fortune to be travelling with a great group of people which really made for a fun time as well. We did see quetzal too. We saw at least two males and two females and they did us the honour of performing a memorable flying display! All in all a really wonderful holiday. My only query might be a question of its rating as Leisurely 1!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Baby turtles hatching and making their perilous journey from nest to sea. The Resplendent Quetzals! Getting very wet in Monteverdi cloud forest! Visiting a local school and the home of Aurora for a Costa Rican lunch.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing group leader. His knowledge, love and pride for his country Costa Rica shone through.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you love birds, mammals, nature and beautiful scenery book this trip.

Patrick Mulligan

Reviewed December 2017

aop ancient and modern japan

We had a wonderful time – Japan is an amazing country and this exodus tour really helped us appreciate that to the full.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing parts of japan off the normal tourist trail

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ayaka was fantastic - she couldn't do enough for us all - full of energy and infectious enthusiasm, and very knowledgeable too. She clearly listened to what people said about what they wanted to get from the trip and delivered on this. Impressive.

Patrick Mulligan

Reviewed December 2017

aop ancient and modern japan

We had a wonderful time – Japan is an amazing country and this exodus tour really helped us appreciate that to the full.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing parts of japan off the normal tourist trail

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cathy Cant

Reviewed December 2017

A ‘bucket list’ trip!

This was a great trip, planned and organised to Exodus’ usual high standards, which enabled my partner and I to tick of a number of ‘bucket list’ experiences that we’d wanted to do since our ‘teens.

The only downside was the number of hours spent sitting on the comfortable coach – but Peru is such a long country, and out itinerary so diverse, that there really wasn’t any alternative. And, as usual, we were able to stop and see places too small for a final destination which we would not otherwise have seen.

Altogether, a good, thorough exploration of Central and southern Peru.

Most Inspirational Moment

Oooh ... the Nazca Lines ... Machu Pichu of course ... floating islands on Lake Titicaca ... the food ...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Daniel Torres was an excellent tour leader - possibly our best Exodus leader yet. Coming from Lima, he thoroughly understood our problems with altitude, yet his own altitude problems never once impacted on his care and attention to detail. A lovely man.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not underestimate the variable effects of altitude! I was short of breath (especially at night) and experienced disrupted sleep and a complete loss of appetite. At very high altitudes (during brief coach stops) I felt as though I was standing on the deck of a ship - move too fast and I was swaying. My partner also suffered disrupted sleep, but wasn’t nearly as breathless and his appetite was undiminished. We saw the Nazca lines from a small aircraft (an optional extra which the guide arranged) - expensive, but worth it. But we were all very glad to get off the plane - cramped, of course, but did the pilot really need to bank so enthusiastically?

Barry Hunter

Reviewed December 2017

Wonderful

So much to see and enjoy. The landscape is awesome and the itinerary excellent. All of the places we visited were memorable, from Macchu Pichu to Lake Titicaca (great homestay, so friendly) to Cusco to the condor viewing…..plus many more wonderful places. Always wanted to see the Nasca lines and this was one of the few tours we could find that included it. The weather was largely kind to us so I would say it is a good month to go. We also enjoyed some really great eating experiences – thanks to our Tour Leader ‘foodie’ , Danny.

We really could not fault anything. The hotels were good and well located, the (sometimes long) journeys were broken up by regular stops along the way and there was some dramatic scenery to enjoy. We largely coped with the altitude but be aware that it does affect a number of people in some way.

Finally, our Tour Leader was excellent, probably the best we’ve ever had. All in all a fabulous tour, one not to be missed !!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Has to be Macchu Pichu !!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic.

Eleanor Freckleton

Reviewed November 2017

Wonderful Costa Rica

This was a wonderful holiday from start to finish, with so much to see and do. Our first stopover at Tortuguero was very enjoyable – the lodge was superb and we saw a lot of wildlife both on the boat trips and walking around the forest. It was also refreshing to have a swim in the pool at the end of a busy day. I thought the holiday may have gone downhill after that – but it didn’t! The lodges we visited subsequently were just as good, and I continued to be amazed by the flora and fauna that were in abundance at all locations on our trip. Add to that a couple of relaxing days on the beach at the Pacific, and it truly was the recipe for a superb holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

As already noted, this was a holiday of many experiences, and put them all together to get a whole that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. I would highlight the following however: - I did the Sky Trek at Monteverde, which is an optional extra - it's billed as the ultimate zip line experience and it certainly lived up to its reputation. I loved the thrills from zip lining at speed through the forest. - As a contrast, I also enjoyed the rest and relaxation on the Pacific coast. Our walk there at the Manuel Antonio national park was packed with sightings, including sloths and monkeys. We then had the rest of the day if desired to spend on the beach within the park itself, which was much more peaceful than the public beach back in the main resort area. - And finally, I need to mention the Esquinas Lodge. The main building is open plan which adds to the experience and you truly feel that you are away from all the hustle and bustle, and it is just you and nature.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gio(vanni) was top class. He had a very easy-going manner and really helped to make the group gel and to engender our enthusiasm throughout the holiday. Nothing was a bother for him and he was always eager to please (although I did like his comment at the start of the holiday that it does rain in the rain forest and it is one complaint he can't help with!). He was also superb at spotting wildlife, and he kept up his 100% record on our trip of always managing to spot a quetzal in the Savegre cloud forest.

Advice for Potential Travellers

- Accept that it is likely to rain at some point during your trip and enjoy the experience for what it is. Our trip was the latter part of November and we were lucky as most of the rain fall was during the night. However, when it rained during our stay at Esquinas, we got the brollies out and enjoyed our walk in the rain, and slightly muddy paths (!), through the forest. - The cost of food and drink throughout the trip was relatively expensive and I ended up spending more than the average noted in the trip notes. However, the food was good quality and in particular I enjoyed the fish and seafood. - We made time on our last morning to visit the Gold Museum and it was very interesting. We were in it for over an hour but could have spent much longer going round all the exhibits.

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