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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14469 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Barbara Martinez

Reviewed September 2017

Trip of a lifetime

This was the trip of a lifetime, words cant describe how amazing it was. Everything went perfectly and smoothly we had zero issues or problems other than very very minor ones. Vincenzo our guide was absolutely amazing and our driver Salvadore as well. They both did everything to make our trip wonderful. I could not recommend this more highly. The food, the hotels, the scenery, everything was perfect.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was brought to tears several times, it is hard to say what was the most inspirational. The whole thing was outstanding. Generally the best thing about the trip was the schedule. It was just so well planned with the right amount of adventure but also enough rest time. Really well done!

Thoughts on Group Leader

I loved Vincenzo!!! He was like a brother to all of us, he put up with our silly questions and helped us in every way he could. He was very professional and knowledgeable. I would go on a tour again with Vincenzo as the guide any time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to have electrolyte tablets with you at all times. It is very hot and it is easy to get dehydrated. Those tablets saved our bacon a few times.

Sara Harrop

Reviewed September 2017

Experience the best of Peru in 2 weeks

This rates among my top trips ever (and I’ve been on quite a few). Peru is an amazing destination. It is also a huge country and it would be difficult/impossible to organise the variety of activities that enable you to sample some of its highlights without the top organisation of Exodus’s UK and local teams.

Most Inspirational Moment

Just a few of the inspirational moments were: 1. Reaching Machu Picchu and sharing the sense of achievement and iconic views with my wonderful travelling companions. 2. Sunrise over the high Andes followed by breakfast on top of the world (well... at 3750m) 3. Reaching 'Dead woman's pass' without actually dying! 4. Dawn and dusk in the rain forest listening to the chorus of birds and beasts.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Raul was a top group leader. His love of his work and his country is infectious. His knowledge of the history, archaeology and culture of Peru are encyclopaedic and he makes the complex arrangements of a tour that encompasses 4 very different environments (mountain, jungle, lake and city) seamless. He treated the group as his family and interacted well with assistant guide, porters and local guides. He was supportive to members of the group who suffered altitude sickness and he is a master of tact and diplomacy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a breathtaking trip - in all senses of the word. The itinerary is packed so you'll need to be fit and active. Lots of early starts and rushed showers in your enthusiasm to see as much as possible at each destination.

Sarah Williams

Reviewed September 2017

Kenya & Tanzania safari adventure Aug 17

Saw all the infamous National parks & so much awesome wildlife, too numerous to mention.
Great group, relaxing tour pace & even the camping was great!
The way the trip is organised & run by the crew is flawless, I am so impressed & will definitely have consider this type of trip again.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wildebeast crossing the Mara river during the annual migration was the most awe inspiring thing I have ever seen, made up that we managed to see this...thanks to the crew !

Thoughts on Group Leader

Erillah was a fantastic tour guide, relentlessly cheerful & knowledgable, supported by Wilson & Esther - awesome chefs who looked after us so well, & Sam, the driver, who kept us safe at all times & gave us the best 'African massage' !!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take binoculars & pack really light, you really won't need many clothes as you can easily wash en route. We all got affected by motion sickness due to the rough roads, so I would recommend taking travel sickness medication.

Angela HORTON

Reviewed September 2017

Carpathian Walking & Bears

A wonderful holiday based in the beautiful, remote, rural village of Magura. The village is accessed via a long, winding unmade road so get used to a bumpy ride. If you get out of the van immediately after you leave the tarmac it will take approximately 45 – 50 minutes to walk up hill to Villa Hermani through the woods – follow the bright pink paint splodges on rocks or trees. Transylvania is like stepping back in time, where local people still travel via horse and cart and cut hay with scythes, although they will be on their mobiles as mobile signals, 3 & 4G and WiFi are readily available. Romania is home to many European brown bears and seeing them from a hide in the forest was one of the highlights of our trip. In addition to the walking there is a visit to Bran Castle which was given to Queen Maria of Romania in 1918, and to the delightful city of Brasov.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments so I will list them in no particular order: Viewing the bears in their natural environment from the bear hide Watching the bats in the bat cave The 12 mile walk along the gorge and through meadows Visiting Libearty, the bear sanctuary Seeing red squirrels in the woodlands The stunning scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Traian was very relaxed and friendly and was keen that all our needs were met. He briefed us on the following day's activities after our evening meals. Traian was extremely knowledgeable about his country's geography, history and politics and he was keen to share his knowledge with us. Before dinner one evening he gave an informal lecture which was really interesting due to the content and Traian's delivery. Traian's passion about his county's future is apparent and we felt we came home much more aware of issues that the people of Romania are experiencing. Traian also leads 'Highlights of Romania' and I believe we gained from the information that is given on that trip. Whilst he had a rather casual approach to walking he didn't get us lost and he let us lengthen walks whilst others continued in the vehicle which we appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't change your money at the airport as the exchange rate is very poor 4.1 Lei to the £ compared to 4.95 to the £ in Brasov. The restaurants in towns accept credit cards and Villa Hermani accepts local currency, sterling, US dollars & Australian dollars but not credit cards. Your bill for the bear hide trip , beer, wine, tea and coffee is settled on the Friday evening before you leave. If you are used to walking regularly the walking is extremely leisurely, however if you are unfit, over weight or don't like hills then you will find the walking more challenging. We were somewhat disappointed with the amount of walking but enjoyed the long walk and every other aspect of the holiday. Villa Hermani provides a hairdryer which is perfectly adequate but not as powerful as at home. Walking poles are available to borrow from Villa Hermani If you are travelling with Tarom Airlines they do provide you with a complimentary hot meal and a glass of wine or beer, tea or coffee on the flight. We were also given a tasty sandwich on the transfer bus as we did not arrive at Villa Hermani until shortly after midnight.

David Martin

Reviewed September 2017

Some fairly challenging walks with fantastic views followed by more leisurely sight-seeing

The trip notes warn: “This trek is suitable for the average walker who is prepared to put in some physical preparation”. For us, as a family of 5 adults, the longer walking days provided more challenge for some than others. However, worries (suggested to me by my doctor) that my creaky 60-year-old knee would give up were unfounded, though I found walking poles essential.

The trip notes perhaps understate the poor state of the remote mountain road down to Theth, with vertiginous drops off the side of the road and some scary moments passing other vehicles. It is not only on the walks that you need to be able to deal with heights!

The ‘basic hotel’ in Theth is, in fact, delightful: rooms are simply-finished but very attractive and the view from the terrace down the valley as you sip raki or a cold beer, or both, is lovely. Service is slow at busy times but the family who runs the hotel make up for any failings by their warm welcome.

Most Inspirational Moment

We went for the walking more than the sight-seeing and the walk over the Valbona pass was, despite its challenges, the high point. The views up from Theth were very different from those on the way down to Rragam and Valbone. Everywhere we looked there were jaw-dropping views. The drive down to Berat was very long but the city is beautiful and well worth it once we got there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

It would have been great if the guide had been more knowledgable about the basics of the geology, flora and fauna of the mountain area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do assess your own level of physical fitness and do some preparation, even if a stiff climb up the South Downs is rather tame compared to 1000m ascent in the Albanian Alps. Don't be put off by any enduring reputation that Albania has for violence. There are probably still a great many guns in private hands but we didn't see any. The political situation described most eloquently by Robert Carver in 'The Accursed Mountains' no longer applies: the book is well worth reading but not as a guide to modern Albania. A lot has changed in 20 years!

Julian Ainley

Reviewed September 2017

Fantastic country and cycling tour

The country was wonderful – everyone was very friendly, the views were stunning, and the new roads made it perfect for cycling around. Don’t be put off by preconceptions about Albania – we were all delighted to find it much more pleasant to be in than many other European countries, and will no doubt be full of tourists in the next 5-10 years. Definitely go before everyone else realises how good it is. It’s very cheap too, especially in the more rural parts.

My only complaint would be the repeated promises of ice cream, which mysteriously never materialised!

Most Inspirational Moment

The long descent on the second day, speeding down a mountain with amazing views, a new road surface, and no cars!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very sociable, organised, and clearly passionate about his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Withdrawing 30,000 LEK at the airport should be sufficient for the whole week.

Ann T

Reviewed September 2017

Brilliant family adventure

We travelled with children aged 11 and 14 and found ourselves in a lovely group of 4 families from across the UK. We totally lucked out with our amazing coach (and driver, Ohman) and our wonderful guide, Gustavo.
Every day was different and we learned so much about where our food comes from, nature, and all types of wildlife. Accommodation was slightly basic at times but we coped and all pools were lovely.
The 14 KM white water rafting is not to be missed and we also enjoyed the night walks and boat trips. Had an amazing trip on a catamaran and swam with tropical fish and the kids jumped off the boat back into the blue sea. We always felt very safe and well looked after with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the green turtles lay their eggs and watching the kids follow her back to the Caribbean sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing: Gustavo looked after us so well and knew so much.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take warm clothes, when it rains it's quite cold (we went in Aug) - it rained most days but was manageable. If you need special diet food take your own.

francis josephs

Reviewed September 2017

An outstanding cycle trip

If you’d like a highly scenic ride in a lovely country, then this is the trip for you. We cycled up and down hills with amazing sea views, and visited stunning towns, villages and vineyards. We stayed at some lovely places, swam in the sea and ate very well. Alan was one of the best leaders I’ve experienced, and our group was lovely. They ranged in age from 30s to 70s; some were strong cyclists, others not. However all were catered for, and the support bus was always available. There were no long transports, and the ferry trips were great. The climate was pleasantly hot, and the wine flowed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The islands were great, especially Korcula, and the town of Korcula- a medieval gem. Dubrovnik is unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alan was wonderful: kind, attentive, and highly knowledgeable, with a great sense of humour. On the road he ensured our safety, supported the weaker riders and also enabled the best riders to go for it!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't miss this

S Patel

Reviewed September 2017

So beautiful.

Such a beautiful week of walking made special by a great group and a fantastic guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

The beautiful views along the coast line of Cinque Terre and Portofino made every step along the trail worthwhile.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Michela Wicks was fantastic. Although our main reason for going was to see the fantastic views, the trip was made even more perfect by Michela, who worked hard to make sure we got to each place in good time to make the most of our day. She made sure we understood what was expected on each day of walking and was clear about what we had to take on our walk. She made sure we stopped to drink water and because of this made sure we got back to our base town safely and in good health.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Follow the guides given by Exodus on making sure you choose the right level of walks for your fitness and make sure you listen to your guides expert knowledge to keep safe on some of the more energetic walks.

Barry Tylee

Reviewed September 2017

realise your wildlife dreams

This tour is where you realise your every wildlife dream. This is where dreaming stops and reality takes over. From the beginning to the end, it is a non stop thrilling adventure. Poling past grumpy Hippos, listening to Lions roar while wild camping, seeing giant elephants wade across the water in front of you, Seeing the same cross a deep river with just their trunks showing. That’s just for starters. No need to imagine standing just five meters away from a grazing white Rhino with her baby, it happened, with a few more sitting behind. Horn bills, Kingfishers and a variety of other water birds. As you drive along the road between stops view the Giraffes, Zebra, Elephants, the list goes on. Most nights “we” gather around a roaring fire to eat lovely cooked food, compliments of our tour guides (Marco & Mira) so knowledgeable, really in safe hands. You don’t really want to sleep, because closing your eyes means that you will miss something. Just when you think its all over and the last day arrives, there are still some amazing opportunities to experience. Victoria Falls, just amazing. Try the optional safari, with luck you can view close up Black Rhino, again mother with baby. Mother walked right up to the jeep to check us out. Great photo opportunities. Last but not least, don’t miss the optional sunset cruise, it is just simply an amazing sight.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many, but the four Elephants crossing the Chobe river, one after the other, snorkelling, then climbing on the back of the one in front as they arrive at the more shallow part of the river. Being so close to the Black and White Rhino, (sadly they have been de-horned) for their protection against poachers. But still guarded 24 hours a day. Sitting in the jeep looking at a 10 strong pride of Lions, relaxing in the shade The photos that I have from the sunsets are for me a great reminder of this wonderful, exciting adventure.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader(s) were Marco & Mira, a husband and wife combination from South Africa. Really nice people. Always in control, whether driving or cooking or simply managing your day. Both extremely knowledgeable in respect of all the creatures that you might see and only to happy to tell you about them. I would be delighted to see them on any future tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not be put off by the 2 nights wild camping, bushy-bushy loos are not so much a problem. July in Botswana and Zimbabwe during the night and early morning is cold and I mean cold. Make sure that you have packed some warm layers, you will need them. When I did the optional early morning safari in Victoria falls (which i would not have missed for anything) I could not believe how cold it was until the sun came up. be prepared, its worth it. Hot tea/coffee and biscuits helped, followed by a cooked breakfast, while observing feeding Horn bills. Yes there are a couple of long drives, don't fall asleep !! Be patient when you arrive at immigration in Zimbabwe, it can be very slow.

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