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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14493 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Kelly Topliss

Reviewed July 2016

Finding King Julian!

It was with some trepidation that I booked to go on the inaugural Madagascar cycle tour, but with only a couple of hiccups, I can quite honestly say this has been the best Exodus cycle tour I have been on. (My 4th). Madagascar is a country of such stunning natural beauty it will surely take your breath away. The trip had plenty of variety with 8 days of cycling & 2 superb days of trekking in 2 totally different National parks – the first Ranomafana – a lush jungle rainforest where everything smells damp & earthy & then Isalo Nat park which was in complete contrast with it’s stunning rock formations & canyons & beautiful rich red hues of colour. Both were home to wild lemurs & having them join us for lunch at Isalo was the icing on the cake. They are cheeky & naughty & won’t miss an opportunity to steal food. No two days of cycling were ever the same – the landscape constantly changes from beautiful valleys with terraced rice paddies & fields of assorted crops, colourful, noisy villages where the children fall about laughing hysterically at these white people riding bikes! Some real “off road” riding on dirt roads/tracks. Long stretches of road disappearing for miles in front of you, magestic rock formations & the hills! Madagascar is not flat & some days I’m sure we spent as much time going up as we did coming down! The gradients are not too bad though and on our lovely new bikes were easily manageable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our moment of reflection at Isalo National Park. Getting up close with lemurs in their natural surroundings. Breathtaking scenery & landscapes. The opportunity to see something of village life & how hard working the people are.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was an inspiration himself! He certainly had his work cut out for him from the start with 5 people off the group flight arriving minus their luggage & Exodus's brand new bikes sitting at the airport tied up in red tape. Luckily everyone was reunited with their gear by about day 2/3 & we finally got our lovely new bikes on day 4 after riding loan bikes hired virtually the day before we arrived. Mel went out of his way to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves. He always had a smile, a sense of humour & an aura of calmness even when everything could easily have gone pear shaped. He kept us well informed of any changes - like our flight from Tulear which changed from a late afternoon flight to a very early morning flight virtually within an hour! If there was something we wanted to do that wasn't necessarily in the itinerary (like an impromptu village visit) like a genie, Mel delivered! Over the course of our journey, he also became an expert at finding "lady bushes" - an essential skill when there are no "real" toilets virtually anywhere en route! Mel is so very passionate about his country & it is easy to see why. He also takes the most stunning photos!

Advice for Potential Travellers

In June, be prepared for some cold, possibly wet days. There are few opportunities to dry wet clothes in these conditions ( no matter how quick drying your fabrics might be) so extra changes & plenty of warm layers are essential. Our snacks were plentiful & varied. Lunches were generally "picnics" so we would either stop at a supermarket or the hotel would make baguettes. Overall the food in Madagascar was good & reasonably cheap. Breakfasts were generally always eggs - fried, scrambled or omelette so if you have an aversion to them you can buy cereal at the supermarket.

Myra Daly

Reviewed July 2016

Fantastic Trip - Do It!

The TMB trip was a great adventure – camping, wonderful scenery, great guide (Kim), fun group, laughter and fantastic memories. What a fortnight! If you’re thinking of this then just do it, it’s worth it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The two "challenging" days; up to the Col de la Seigne and the Col du Bonhomme. Both involved longer days, lots of climbing and lots of snow. However we were rewarded with great views and got our best view of Mont Blanc at the Col de la Seigne.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Kim, was great! She took an interest and had time for everybody, was great fun and honest about what lay ahead. She was great during our first day baptism of fire in bad weather and lots of snow! We're all fully trained to "dig our toes in", "use our poles" etc when we see snow now!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you're fit before you go. While the days vary in difficulty, added fitness will help you enjoy your trip. My knees suffered from the steep descents so I was glad to have lots of ibuprofen and some knee supports.

Alan Johnson

Reviewed July 2016

Mont Blanc Highlights Review - July 2016

The Tour of Mont Blanc highlights proved to be an excellent holiday for myself and my wife. The scenery, the walks, the weather and the supporting Exodus people were all brilliant.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our hosts Sarah and Rich were very nice and friendly people - it is worth going on the holiday just for Sarah's amazing cooking. We all looked forward to seeing what she created for dinner. I had the best food across the week that I have ever had on any holiday. I was tempted to miss one of the walks and ask her if she could teach me how to cook like that. Forget Jamie Oliver and the rest - Sarah is the boss. The walks - and Sarah's lunches - were consistently good and it is difficult to pick out a favourite.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The guides Rupert and Jen were very reassuring and set the length and pace of the walks according to the capabilities of the whole group. They dealt very well with members of the group with height concerns on elements of the walks and made the walks fun. If you can't talk while you walk, you're walking too fast was one of their suggestions! Jen taught us how to use walking poles correctly which was a massive bonus from the holiday. The Italian walk, Le Brevent (suggested to the group by Jen as it was more interesting than the Aiguillette Des Houches walk) and a snow covered Lac Blanc were all really rewarding walks with super views. Jen took us on a little used path on the return from Lac Blanc and we got up close to Ibex, Marmotts and Chamois which was an unexpected bonus.

Ellen Rogin

Reviewed July 2016

Loved the Prague to Budapest trip!

We had such a great time on this trip. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I hadn’t traveled with Exodus before. It exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Jan was fabulous. He was super knowledgeable not only about the route and biking but about every city we were in. I didn’t realize we’d be getting guided tours (by Jan) in many of our stops. If he didn’t know an answer to a question asked (which was rare) he made sure to find out for us. He also made sure we were well taken care of on the ride. As a newer biker I appreciated that he made sure we all knew the route, that there were breaks and that we were safe and had fun.

As American’s we loved the diversity of people in our group. Many Britts and people from other parts of the world as well. Made for really interesting conversations. Looking forward to our next trip with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

I have to say that finishing the 500k ride feeling good, seeing what we saw and having made new friends was fabulous!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jan was fabulous! Knowledgeable, conscientious, and fun to be with.

Philippa Cruickshank

Reviewed July 2016

Highlights of Provence

Liked our hotel with lovely outdoor swimming pool in the good centre of Greoux les Bains. The walks were leisurely as indicated in the tour description but as it was hot this was no bad thing. However, I was disappointed that the walk on the last day appeared to have been shortened as we didnt reach the village of Valensole as stated in the tour description and we rushed back to the hotel for lunch rather than stopping for a picnic, when I really enjoyed the picnics with the local breads and cheeses etc. The walks were varied and I enjoyed the gorge and the walk by Moustiers St Marie best. Yves was knowledgeable on many topics which was great and I was especially interested in the plants. It was nice to have a free day to visit Aix en Provence and time to visit the thermal baths if one chose. Eating out in large groups was often problematic as the service was usually very slow. It would be good to be given a list of local restaurants with a rough idea of cost as some were quite expensive. But it was a good holiday with a nice group.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the variety of the holiday with the mix of walks and a lazy swim in the pool. Although I normally go on more challenging walks, I chose this holiday knowing it was classed as a leisurely holiday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As above. Yves looked after us well.

Robert Snow

Reviewed July 2016

A wonderful holiday

Cycling in Greece provided a wonderful balance between absorbing the architecture and culture of Greece, both ancient and modern, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes and seascapes on two wheels. The organisation of the whole trip was excellent so that everything went very smoothly but without feeling over – organised. The route was hillier than I had first anticipated (although I should have known as the vertical ascent figure was provided for each day’s ride) but with the distances covered and the relaxed pace, it made for extremely pleasant riding. Add to this the warmth of the Greek people, the delicious Greek food and perhaps most importantly the calibre of our tour leaders and the warm companionship of our fellow cyclists and it truly was a wonderful holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to list!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Yannis and Kostas were excellent. Yannis led the group on his bike and he clearly had a passion for all things Greek and an extensive knowledge of the history, politics, geography, geology ------- of Greece. Kostas drove the bus, sorted out any mechanical problems, provided delicious lunches and was a great back-up for Yannis. They were both warm, friendly and encouraging as well as being very efficient in the way they operated. A great team.

Debbie Merifield

Reviewed July 2016

it was a challenge

Well I can honestly say this was the hardest thing I have ever done, but at the same time, the sense of achievement after walking through the Sun Gate and seeing Macchu Piccu, it was incredible and emotional.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finally reaching the summit of Dead Woman's Pass, I never thought I would finish the incline, but with the group and words of encouragement from Dennis our leader, I finally got there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dennis Dolmos was great, he made sure we were all ok, assisted when anyone was struggling and encouraged us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not underestimate this trek, do some training beforehand. You can not account for the altitude but good cardiovascular and leg training will help.

Janet Gibbons

Reviewed July 2016

Dubrovnik and the Dalmation Coast

I’ve been on a number of Exodus trips and this one did not disappoint. An excellent varied trip with a really good group of fellow travellers who gelled well and were lead by great group leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyday there was some thoroughly enjoyable experience. Croatia is a very lovely place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ivica (Ivan) was a great group leader who was fun and enthusiastic and worked very hard to ensure that all group members enjoyed their trip. He took us to some great places to eat and we had some fun evenings out.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read trip notes carefully! It was incredibly hot as a July departure. Also walks were quite challenging for some group members including myself! I do think very good walking shoes or boots are essential not just recommended.

Alison Briscoe

Reviewed July 2016

Prosecco Paradise!

A memorable and very beautiful sojourn into the foothills of the Dolomites. The hotel was very comfortable with delightful staff. The Prosecco tasting was excellent: informative and delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed walking the various paths and tracks although some had obviously not been investigated previously by our guide and were tricky and could have been treacherous had it been wet. Which leads me to the reason for 4 stars and not 5, namely our guide, Severio. He went through the motions but his heart wasn’t in it, we received very little local information from him, his main aim of the day seemed to be to reach a bar.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our final walk on mount Cesen which combined walking through woods, across the most glorious meadows and then up the mountain to a stunning view. Our farewell dinner was absolutely scrumptious too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Not a lot to be honest! As I have previously stated, he fulfilled his brief but I felt he was not enthusiastic or very informative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're travelling in June/July prepare for hot/muggy weather. Take plenty of t shirts, shorts, dresses for the evening. Some of the walks are through fairly dense undergrowth and you'll need long walking trousers for these.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Alison for her feedback, although I am very sorry to read that she would have preferred for her tour leader to have been more enthusiastic and to have provided further local information. Walking the Prosecco Hills is a new trip this season and this was the leader’s first time leading this particular trip. Whilst he usually receives positive feedback, we have discussed these comments in depth with him and he will not lead another departure of this trip until he receives further training; we hope this will help to avoid similar client disappointment going forward.

Marta Marinelli- Exodus Product Manager for Italy

Andrew Johnston

Reviewed July 2016

Discover the Baltics

An excellent trip.Most hotels of a very good standard. Very interesting sights. A few long drives but no early starts. Very relaxing and enjoyable. The trip gave an excellent insight into these Baltic States.

Most Inspirational Moment

The art nouveau buildings of Riga but the warm sunny day on the Curonian Spit was also very enjoyable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The tour leader Jolita was superb. Gave us a wealth of detail on local history. Knowledgeable and helpful and always enthusiastic and good-humoured.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip I went on was end June. It was a lot warmer than I anticipated (28-33C on most days). Take a blindfold if you need the dark to sleep during that time of year. A good meal out can be a bit expensive. Trip notes say 15 euros for a 3 course meal. Budget nearer 20 euros. Inspect repellent in some places is necessary.

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