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

Michael Allen

Reviewed October 2016

Glad I went but glad it's over

This was a bit of disappointment because I was hoping to see lots of exquisite Islamic art and architecture. There is some toward the end of trip in Samarkand but the mosques and madrasas in Khiva and Bukhora weren’t very attractive. There was too much shopping time for my taste. I am vegetarian which limited food selections. The salads are very good but there isn’t much choice beyond that and I don’t think even the non-veggies enjoyed the food much. Sometimes a vegetarian dish was just a regular dish with the meat removed e.g. we were told chick peas were vegetarian but they came with some bits of meat which they had overlooked. The local beer, however is excellent.

An interesting part of the trip was learning about the Russian influence, good and not-so-good, and the changes that have occurred since the Soviet Union imploded and Uzbekistan became independent. I also enjoyed learning a about current life in Uzbekistan but am aware that we as tourists we may be presented with a somewhat sanitized view of things.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most enjoyable (not inspirational!) parts of the trip were the yurt stay/camel ride and in Samarkand learning about Ulugh Beg, the brilliant ruler and astronomer, and touring his museum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was excellent - extremely conscientious, good humoured, punctual, reliable and helpful. He never tired of answering our questions and knew a lot about the history of Uzbekistan. He took very good care of us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be offline for several days. The internet service is very poor and was not working in some hotels. This seemed to be more of a problem for Macs and iPads than Android devices. In Bukhara I went to an internet cafe to check email and even there the connection was very slow.

Helen Mackie

Reviewed October 2016

Cycle Cuba

Fantastic trip with enjoyable cycling through some beautiful scenery as well as interesting towns and great sights recording Cuba’s history of revolution.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many but it was awesome visiting the Che Guevarra mausoleum, and walking in the Sierra Maestra where Fidel and his band were holed up.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Carlos was excellent. He was informative, a good communicator with excellent English. He not only gave us loads of interesting information about Cuba's history but was prepared to share personal insights into his own experiences and into what it means to be a Cuban living there now.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for heat and humidity, and bring your own snacks as it was difficult even for our guide to find more than bananas and avocados as snacks for our stops. Lunch is also sometimes sandwiches which are very poor, dry stale bread with cheese and ham and no butter, so not very appetising - better to have extra snacks to cover that too. Other meals were sometimes good, especially lobster and prawns, but variable, so don't expect too much from the food.

David Hill

Reviewed October 2016

Mount Kilimanjaro

Superbly organised and our guides / porters were the best!

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit, against all the odds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Makeke, went above and beyond to make sure that I reached my ambition. He's an excellent asset for Exodus and I wouldn't have made it to the top without him. A true professional who takes real pride in his job and simply looks after everyone in his care.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a tough, indeed gruelling physical challenge but well worth it.

Harry Johnson

Reviewed October 2016

Superb!!

We went with a group of friends from Church and the experience was absolutely brilliant!The trekking every day is not for the faint hearted and even the best prepared among us received blisters. However, the whole adventure from start to finish was so well organised and a great tribute to the package that Exodus has put together for us. It felt really personalised and the group leader Josea was fantastic. His attention to detail and his kindness and thoughtfulness throughout the trip was truly inspiring. He genuinely cared about every person in the group. I’m 60 years old and can say genuinely say that this was an experience of a life time on many different levels. The food and drink in Galicia was also fantastic!

Most Inspirational Moment

When the group were becoming very tired walking we sang all sorts of songs ranging from modern pop, musicals and hymns-absolutely magical. For me it was also seeing seriously disabled people walking the Camino at their own pace but with such determination. I found this very moving and humbling. Also completing the trek as a group in the beautiful old city of Santiago which is a very special place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Josea was absolutely superb. He was very protective of the group, was the first up in the morning and the last one to go to bed. He would provide fruit and sometimes cake for the journey and had intimate knowledge of the Camino and surrounding area. He was constantly planning ahead and arranged many fantastic meals at local pensions/restaurants at unbelievably low prices. He quickly assessed the ability of the group members and developed a bespoke approach to every person. Fantastic man management and thoroughly decent and likeable person. We couldn't have wished for a better guide. In fact we were all very sad as he left the group at the end as it was like being parted from a really good friend. He burned with the desire for every person to enjoy their Camino and this desire shone from him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really do your home work on walking shoes/walking sticks and other gear. Make sure you have plenty of appropriate plasters for blisters and make sure that you have broken in fully any walking boots. It is worth investing in really good walking socks too. Watch the film "The Way" with Martin Sheen which is set around walking the Camino.

Deborah Barber

Reviewed October 2016

Madagascar Discoverer

A good trip which covers a lot of ground, literally. There are some very long days travelling on pretty rough roads in hot and dusty conditions. Perhaps I should have studied the trip notes more carefully before booking the trip. Clean and comfortable hotels, although occasionally only a “set menu” was available. At a small resort, like Grace Lodge this was quite understandable, but at some of the larger places it seemed to be more for their convenience than the guests.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hightlight for me was Vakona Lemur Island, where you can get up close and personal with the lemurs. Grand Tsingy was suitably dramatic and the walk through Isalo National Park was excellent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ben, our group leader was helpful and knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware of the length of the drives involved, and the days of consecutive driving. But the ferry crossings were good fun.

Anne Bell

Reviewed October 2016

A very interesting trip

I really enjoyed this trip to this little visited country. It is so little visited we hardly saw any other tourists on our travels. It is correctly graded as a leisurely trip as there is no strenuous activity, but it is certainly a busy one with lots to see. The Albanian people are very friendly and welcoming. We saw stunning scenery and ate wonderful home grown food.

Most Inspirational Moment

Enjoying the wonderful hospitality from an Albanian family in the tiny village of Dhoksat, where we ate their home grown and produced vegetables, cheese and wine. I also loved Butrint, even though we visited it in a spectacular thunderstorm and ended up wet through.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Erion Puca, was very good indeed. His historical knowledge was excellent and he went out of his way to ensure that all our particular interests were covered. Our driver Timi was superb and deserves a memtion too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you travel outside the height of summer, waterproof jacket is essential. Take an umbrella too, those of us who had one during our Butrint thunderstorm fared better. In restaurants it is normal for side dishes and salads to arrive before the meat, fish or main vegetable. It took us a while to work this out. There are lots of ATMs but Albania is a cash economy and I didn't see anywhere outside Tirana where a credit card was accepted. However, compared with other destinations, apart from Kruja there isn't much in the way of traditional handicrafts to buy. The airport currency exchange office surprised us by telling us to exchange money somewhere else as their own rate was awful! On the downside, Albania certainly has a problem with litter, stray dogs and bad driving, but it is all part of seeing somewhere different.

Kim Sinnamo

Reviewed October 2016

Cycling nicaragua, costa rica and panama

What an amazing adventure. I have been on several Exodus trips – hiking and cycling – and this was my favourite so far. Three countries in 2 weeks – brilliant guides/mechanics; great bikes, beautiful scenery and locations…. all you could ask for and more.
The cycling is moderate/challenging – good roads throughout and the bikes are excellent. The bikes have speedometers which show your speed, distance covered etc which is really helpful. There are a few challenging hills but overall it is manageable. The group has a leader at the front and one at the back of the group (I was at the back!) so you can take whatever time you need! Plenty of stops for water and fresh pineapple and biscuits.. It was very warm and humid so be prepared to be very sweaty!
All three countries were beautiful. Plenty to see and do whilst you cycle – our guide – Roberto- was extremely knowledgeable about everything (don’t think there wasn’t anything he couldn’t answer) so the cycling was interspersed with breaks to show us wildlife, views, swim at a beach…
The hotels were good – some more basic than others- but all decent. Some of them were fantastically located, right on a beach or on a beautiful hillside.
Food was very good – lots of seafood; those who were vegetarian found it harder to find choices in some places though
On a free day, 10 out of our group went zip wiring in Costa Rica- brilliant fun and I would definitely recommend it if you are okay with heights

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention! Sunrises and sunsets, the views, the camaraderie ... One to mention was actually completing all the cycling and hill climbs and not having to get off the bike! This is thanks to Steve (one of the leaders/guides) who cycled at the rear of the group. He was great fun, professional, friendly, and incredibly helpful - not being a regular cyclist (I know - why choose a cycling holiday?!!), he helped me with picking the right gears and getting my pacing right so that I was able to complete it all which was a great achievement for me. What a star!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was the main leader and he was just fantastic - he gave us more detailed trip notes on the first day outlining each days distances, climbs, activities which was very useful. He was always available to answer any questions and did so with a smile! He was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the trip - wildlife, cycling, countryside, traditions, foods, anything and everything. Great fun and great guy. The other leaders, mechanics and drivers (Steve, Paul, Luis and Ronaldo) were also fabulous and also helped make the trip an unbelievable one!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes - book it! You won't regret it!

Estefante Fernandes

Reviewed October 2016

Tour of Armenia and Georgia

A great trip for everyone–good scenery and the locals were very helpful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip to Khor Virap area, south of Yerevan and monastery with a clear view of Mt Ararat. Gergeti,has good scenery and the Holy Trinity Church, at the top was superb.There is also a ski resort,Gudauri, looked good--may come to ski here in the future.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Daniel,our leader,was most knowledgeable of his country,Armenia and answered most of my questions well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this trip and you will not regret doing it( I went in September and the weather was just fine,Summer will be very warm.)

Rebecca Davis

Reviewed October 2016

Stunning coastal scenery in remote Sardinia

This was my first exodus trip and as I usually travel independently I was unsure what to expect. The group was large at 16 but all lovely and all super fit! I got used to being at the back but don’t worry, someone has to be there…..The food was excellent due to local knowledge on where to go etc. this is the first cycle trip where I have put on weight!. All extremely well organised, well paced and we swam every day at gorgeous beaches. I was shocked how hot it was in October. Some BIG hills to be done, train hard!

Most Inspirational Moment

Swimming at a stunning remote beach near Calaforte in crystal clear water and no tourists.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader Michele was outstanding in every respect: kind, patient, knowledgeable and funny! He genuinely cared for everyone and allowed flexibility eg the super fast pack could go ahead and I was allowed to stop for photos etc at the back.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring sunscreen, hat and mosquito repellant (even for dry Sardinia) and sarong for the beach. A gel seat really helps with pressure areas and I am sure that clip on shoes help up the hills Train as much as possible!

Carolyn Francis

Reviewed October 2016

Self guided walk on the Camino

The service provided by Exodus was excellent. I would book with the company again. Luggage was efficiently moved each day and transfers were timed quite well. My only critique would be that daily instructions might be too detailed. In some cases it would be good to just say follow the Camino markers until………
Accommodation was fantastic at almost each location.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was amazing to meet so many people on the walk - from all over the world and of all ages. That alone is very inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

N/A

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have a long walk planned in a day - do as much as you can before noon so you can travel more easily in the afternoon. It takes a couple of days to find your dad wn walking rhythm and then it becomes easier. If it is warm , make sure to drink lots of water.

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