We noticed you are browsing from
NEW TRIPS! Our latest adventures are here. Secure your spot now. Click Here
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.
Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!
Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!
Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.
Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.
Select a trip specific review:
A very enjoyable and varied week of walking the hills, mountains and an incredible gorge. Led by Tina, a very enthusiastic and caring leader who knew when to encourage and when to take a break. Lots of visits to tavernas for a well earned refreshment/tapas. Cortiga Rosario was well run and the food was great and catered brilliantly for special diets, in my case gluten free. The location had a peaceful ambience. When not walking just chill out by the pool overlooking the rolling hills with ranks of olive trees from horizon to horizon. The visit to Seville made a very long day which did no more for me than Malaga which also has a great Moorish citadel and the remains of a Roman theatre. Very likely to go with Exodus again if I can find another one centred hotel.
The Caminito del Rey walk
Tina was great, good sense of humour. Looked after all our needs and catered for a range of abilities Very friendly with all the local people and the excellent staff at the cortigo.
Take range of clothes as it can be hot during the day and cooler in the evening. Walking poles can be useful on some walks. The Caminito walk is perfectly safe and is wide enough if you suffer from vertigo.
Having never done a cycling holiday before, I needn’t have been apprehensive. The riding was easier than I imagined it to be, going through beautiful countryside and visiting historic towns (albeit for short overnight stops) was just fantastic. Sadly, we missed the longest and most challenging day cycling due to bad weather which was a disappointment but Michele did his best to ensure we still got to do things during that day.
The overall company of the group was great, there were lots of laughs and Michele was a superb leader. It proved to be a memorable trip and I thoroughly recommend it.
Hard to define one particular moment, as there were so many The scenery, the mountains, a fantastic ride down towards Lake Garda and picturesque, historic towns. Oh, great food and drink too.
Michele couldn’t have been a better tour leader, he was enthusiastic, patient, knowledgeable and keen for us all to get the most out of the trip, even on the days when the weather wasn’t great. His love of the local areas, especially his home town of Vincenza shone through. His choice of coffee stops, gelatarias and restaurants along with local food and drink recommendations were excellent and these added to the overall enjoyment of the holiday
Ensure you bring layers, including waterproofs, maybe an umbrella in case of showers in the evenings. The biking is not difficult, with the majority being flat. The new bikes were good, and comfortable to ride, without the need for a seat cover to be brought. The panniers were good, easily removable when you got off the bike which meant there is no need to carry a day sack. We were also supplied with a small bag to attach to the handlebars which was useful. Some of the hotels were on main roads, and noisy at night so may be worth asking for room not overlooking the road.
Day 1
Landed at one of the smallest airports I have ever seen in Maun on a a two propped plane.
Temperature 31 degrees, holiday has begun.
I meet the group there are 5 of us.
Our guide Sam (Samason Chihohwa) explains we need to change 100 dollars to local currency for tips and meals this side of the border.
So with 4 different currencies in my wallet……
To Audi camp via the Choppie Store to purchase water and snacks.
Warm showers great us and the first sight of our tented homes.
Day 2 – Okavango Delta
Today we headed into the delta as we drove we saw zebra, an elephant and even a giraffe.
What a start to the day.
At the poling station we were met by 5 members of a local tribe who took us by canoe to set up camp in the wilderness.
Toilet built and camp shower all set up in minutes.
We had a rest whilst the hottest part of the day passed. Baboons in the tree tops.
At 4.30pm we took our first walking safari, very strange experience no safety of a jeep and no rifles to be seen. Just us, our guides and their experience. Concerned that the safety briefing (orientation) may be remembered wrongly. Run from a buffalo not a lion. Yep that’s right.
We were met by a loan Impala, a wart hog family and hippos, what a noise they make letting us know we were in their space. They blow water from their snouts so far it’s like a fountain.
Baboons again greeted us as we arrived back at our camp just before dark.
Camp fire dinner of rice and spiced stew.
The stars are amazing and the forest noises sometimes worrying.
Tomorrow we get up at 6am and walk again I wonder what we will see.
Day 3
Coffee and rusks at 6am and off for our second walking safari.
Today the first thing moving other than the various birds flying was birds of a very different kind ostriches running away from us. There were 5 in all the female is a slightly different colour to aid incubation apparently.
The male is black as takes his turn on the nest at night and the female lighter brown.
Lots of animal prints. Ostrich, aardvark, elephant, hippo. Interestingly hippo and rhino prints are similar except that hippo has 4 toes and rhino effectively the middle two are joined making one larger pad.
As we walked we saw buffalo and used a termite mound to approach closer without disturbing them. Yes because it’s run from a buffalo.
Impala were seen near a water hole, we sat a while watching them before zebra joined us to.
Before walking back towards camp.
On route and as if to add icing to the cake a loan elephant walked past. I wonder if that elephant thinks we are the mad ones walking in the sun.
In the heat of the day brunch and bush shower before our canoe cruise at 5pm.
Just before our sunset canoe ride sitting in the shade I hear an excuse me from one of the tribe. Elephant he says.
Not just one several make the crossing right in front of our camp. Biggest leading, smallest at the rear. Then minutes later another herd.
5pm sunset ride a giraffe is spotted in the distance we quickly reverse and land the canoe. We are facing the sun so we try to creep around on land to get the sun behind us.
Back in the canoe we continue to a spot to watch the sunset. Whilst waiting the hippos grunt and let us know they are there, there is also a fish eagle in the distance perched on a tree.
Tonight’s dinner chicken stew with mashed potatoes.
Tomorrow we leave this part of the delta.
Day 4
This morning our last game walk.
We came across house sparrow weaver birds protecting their nests from a little owl of all things in broad daylight. The owl attacked at least one nest while we were there and looked like it would be hanging around a while yet.
We stopped at the hippo pool they were shier today. A bird was having its own safari on the back of one, the hippo didn’t manage to dislodge it even though he went under water.
On the way back we saw the giraffe we had seen against the sun the night before a large male.
Before we reloaded the canoes and headed back towards Maun for supplies and a shower before our afternoon flight.
4pm Delta flight (Optional)
You get some kind of scale from above. The delta is a huge area. Lots of elephant herds below and hippos from above look even more comical. We had we are told a rare sighting of 5 rhinos. Not something the pilots see every day. Ours was keen to make sure he looked out for them on his next fight.
Our main guide Sam explains that some areas that are badly poached for rhino are sending rhinos to Botswana for their protection as poaching is not a problem here. For the 2 million population of the whole country there is plenty of work.
Day 5 – Makgadikgadi
Long drive to the salt pan.
All our shoes have to be brought out at the veterinary station to treat to prevent foot and mouth.
We stop for a picnic on route and to purchase firewood for cooking tonight.
A walk on the pan before watching sunset by the fire.
We are told it will be cold tonight and in the morning may be 5 or 7 degrees so got the coat out handy.
We saw 2 southern ground hornbills, some zebra and a stein bok on route.
Day 6
5.30am wake up to be packed and driving by 7.30am.
Very cold, but the quietest night we have had no wild noises out here.
The drive is long passing through national reserves. Elephant, giraffe and other smaller animals occasionally line the route.
Border controls and visa obtained and onwards to Victoria Falls.
Tonight’s dinner at a traditional African restaurant. Chicken Piri Piri I had with popcorn and small peanuts as a snack with drinks. Very nice.
Day 7 – Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls National Park.
Prepared to get wet with camera in a dry bag we headed into the park. 16 view points the first 3 not too wet however we were then in for a soaking.
Lots of rainbows absolutely drenched and dressed as if walking in the Cotswolds.
Actually it’s quite nice being wet in the heat of the day.
Having dried off a little we headed to The Victoria Falls hotel as recommended by a family member before travelling. However the path we had taken earlier now has 5 elephants on it having a late breakfast so we thought better of it and took the road.
At the hotel we headed straight out onto the veranda and ordered coffee and cheese cake. The nicest cheese cake I have had for sometime.
There were wart hogs patrolling the immaculate lawns.
It’s a great view. One of the guards asked if we had been bungee jumping. I think I’ll pass.
Dinner Cruise tonight (Optional)
On the dinner cruise we saw more hippos these ones were in much deeper water than we had seen before.
We also witnessed the engagement of a German Couple.
Most people were dressed for dinner and then there was our table. The safari campers.
We watched sunset before dinner of butternut squash soup, bream and more cheese cake I can definitely recommend this cruise. Choice of food and drink.
Day 8 – Chobe
We leave Victoria Falls and head to Thebe River Camp.
This afternoon we take a cruise on the Chobe.
This was a fantastic trip and if you are a photographer keen amateur or otherwise you may use a whole card just on this, you get very close to a nest colony of bee eaters.
We were very lucky and saw a pride of lions hunting a water buffalo although the buffalo was giving as good as it got.
Bee Eaters were brilliantly colourful and elephants in the water.
It was a brilliant cruise lots of photos taken to remember it by.
Day 9 – Savuti
Early start getting up at 5.30am before packing up camp and taking a morning game drive along by the river we cruised in last night.
Lots of buffalo and giraffe.
The beautifully coloured lilac breasted rollers and lots of hornbills and fish eagles line the route.
On leaving the park we hit the main road momentarily before back on the massaging sandy and bumpy surface on the way to the marsh where there are lots of elephants. A lot of them are missing parts of their tails because in this part of Botswana the lions have learnt to hunt elephants.
In the middle of nowhere is our camp site and you won’t believe what we have for dinner. Fish and chips, honestly who’d have thought that possible!
It was really nice.
We are really wild camping. I am desperately hoping I don’t have to get up in the night.
Day 10
6am our breakfast is coffee and rusks so we can head out straight away for our first game drive of the day.
We are looking for lions and we are not disappointed our wildlife guide (Kenny) tells us to get out video ready because we are going to see some loving.
A large male and a female lie in the grass and we now realise Kenny isn’t joking. Twice we see the male mount the female and strut his stuff.
Kenny explains this goes on all day for a week and neither eat anything in that time ‘whatever happened to wine and dine’.
We had an incredible view, but all decided a female lions life isn’t one we fancy.
In 3 months she should have some cubs.
There is a lot of wildlife out this morning and the tinniest elephant crosses our path before another trumpets at us.
Brunch and a bush shower meet us when we return to camp.
4.30pm afternoon game drive to the water holes to see the elephant herds come together for bath time at sunset.
Day 11 – Moremi
We get up early to break camp and head out of this reserve onto the next and last wild camping experience of this trip.
Although we were told by having bush showers yesterday we would wash away our luck. Within 5 minutes of driving we have 5 wild dogs running in front of us. This is a special and rare sighting and we are told to take as many pictures as possible. Leaning out of the vehicle and on a bumpy road not quite as easy as it sounds.
The lions are still within 100 metres of where we saw them yesterday and yes they are still mating!
A black backed jackal and bat eared foxes are also about today.
Giraffe seem to be everywhere they have no where to hide.
Arrived at our second wild camp site. This one initially felt less in the wilderness than the first it was nearer the park gate. However I was wrong…..
Lions had walked past us very close by when we set up camp. The paw prints in the sand gave them away.
Kenny follows them on our afternoon game drive and we came across two females and a male. The females were looking to hunt as the light faded. The male it seems again had other things on its mind.
What is it with these lions!
We watched them setting up for a hunt until the light began to go and we headed back to camp.
T Bone steak for dinner.
Day 12
Our last full day of game drives and wild camping before returning to Maun tomorrow.
We have been lucky with what we have seen so far.
Again 6am wake up and Coffee and rusks before we first headed in search of a leopard. Our guides had heard one in the night.
We headed past the hippos the river appearing to steam in the cold of the morning. Most were already under water keeping warm.
Our guides were convinced we were on the trail of a leopard and after some severe off road driving we spotted it tiny and camouflaged in the grass.
She was hunting.
We followed her for a while before leaving her in peace to look for lunch.
So of the big 5 we have all of them under our belts and wild dogs as a bonus.
If the holiday finished now it wouldn’t be disappointing. As we have been very lucky and it was a fantastic morning.
One last bush shower this afternoon and an evening game drive before our last night in the wild.
On our afternoon game drive we watch the hippos at sunset and on the way back to camp I spotted a short eared eagle owl.
Day 13
One last 5.30am start we pack up camp and head for one last game drive. Everything is quiet a hippo moving slowly to bathe for the day.
Then we hit the bumpy road over 100km, our last Botswana massage on route to Maun for our last night here.
All the wildlife and the fact that this is one of the friendliest countries I have ever visited, the guides the locals, even all the other tourists it must be the atmosphere. Being in the wild compared to being permanently on front of technology is clearly good for the sole.
Sam is really good as a leader pretty laid back, clearly enjoys life and nothing was too much. All of the staff be it the camp assistant and chef were amazing and the food they came up with on an open fire was incredible fresh bread, fish and chips etc.
It's colder than you might think so take lots of warmer clothes for the evenings but especially the mornings, the vehicle used is open sided and you don't want to miss the wildlife by having the canvas flaps down. They are early starts, but remember most evenings its bedtime at 9pm.
Another completely satisfactory cycling holiday with Exodus, combining a well thought-through itinerary, good to outstanding hotels, historic and cultural enlightenment, great exercise in the company of other like-minded, easy going participants, led by 2 top-notch local group leaders with excellent English who went out of their way to take care of us and to share their knowledge and love of their countries.
Biking along the former Iron Curtain boundary and hearing our group leader's stories of'the oppression experienced by those he knew and the courage of those who risked death to cross the border to freedom.
Exodus couldn't have found a better group leader than Jan. I think the whole group felt grateful that to be in such capable and caring hands which allowed us to have fun and enjoy our holiday the way we'd hoped we would.
Yes. You only need to bring one water bottle (the van carries water so you can top up along the way). The bikes provided are good ones with pedals that accomodate both biking and regular shoes. You'll need 3 different currencies, but not ahead of time as local ATMs dispense them and at a better exchange rate than most currency exchange places. Paniers (sp?) are provided, but daypacks are a good idea to keep in the minibus.
A unique, magical and fantastic experience to remember!!!
Reaching Dead Woman's Pass at 4215m after 6 hours of a very steep ascent. A truly massive achievement!!
Very knowledgeable, organised and always available. All the extra local guides were excellent too.
Travel as light as possible!!! Sort your stuff into 3 colour coded waterproof stuff sacks before you go. Amazon Inca Trail Titicaca Most important thing... have a positive attitude and enjoy
Lovely Holiday in Sicily.
Lea the guide was very good, friendly, patient and very knowledgeable.
There were 13 in our group, many were club cyclists who left me behind on the hills.
For me the hills were steep and some very long!
I think that was more to do with my level of fitness than anything else. That said I enjoyed the challenge and I didn’t give in!
For me the highlights were Modica, Noto and Syracuse.
I thought the accommodation was of a high standard overall. Loved the farmhouse, we had a lovely suite.
The picnic lunches were excellent courtesy of Giuseppe who travelled with our luggage and looked after us and the bikes. I have to say the bikes were in excellent condition.
The weather was fantastic all week, temperatures ranged from 25 to 30 degrees. Pretty hot for someone from Shetland!!
The only area I felt could be improved was the choice of venue for evening meals, They were fine and I think chosen to cater for all tastes.
This was a minor gripe in an otherwise fantastic trip.
I met some lovely people, took some awesome pictures, got fitter, saw the sun!
The historic town of Syracuse and the sunset. I enjoyed it all really!
Lea was great.
Get some hill climbs in before you go!
This was my first led walking holiday in 15 years, my first visit to Italy, and I was unsure what to expect. It turned out brilliant in every way apart from the weather, which was middling. So the walks, the leader, the accommodation, the setting, the company, the food and drink were all great, and I came away having had a fabulous time.
Lots of moments, but particularly the views from high up, and those times when you've been walking for a while and somehow, without noticing the change, everything feels just right.
Sara is a great leader. She thinks of everything everyone might need and sorts it out for them, is flexible around routes and weather, explains routes and difficulties fully beforehand, and is naturally easy to talk to. I can't think of any way she could have improved things further.
I came by train, arranging tickets and route myself. Everything was straightforward, and I recommend it so long as you give it plenty of time. I was surprised how high the mountains were - up to 6,000' - but then I'd never been to Italy. As we started the walks fairly high up, it was still easy to get to the ridges. But waterproofs and some warm clothing were really necessary at times.
My first holiday on my own but I needn’t have worried as the rest of the group were a fantastic bunch and our guide, Suzy, was absolutely excellent. Lots of laughter the whole week. The hotel was comfortable and the food was of a high standard. The staff were approachable, friendly and helpful.
For me it was being in Herculaneum.
Suzy went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure we were all happy (particularly in my case). She was on hand 24/7, always smiling, always making time for a chat regardless of her schedule. I struggled during the week with various issues and Suzy was an absolute rock, making arrangements to ensure I didn't miss out on anything.
Don't make my mistake and assume this is a strolling holiday with easy walks and lots of café breaks. This is a holiday for seasoned walkers!
This was a great trip and I was happy to give it 5 starts (I don’t give every Exodus trip 5 stars either).
I was not sure about of number of things before setting off but the trip ticked all of the boxes – great cycling, excellent leaders, a fun group, excellent weather (most of the time), fantastic and cheap food and a beautiful part of the world. What more could you ask for from 1 week in Spain.
Probably the good nature of the pilgrims, it’s a tough walk some had been on the road for weeks, they were always friendly, willing to let us pass and wishing us a good trip.
Danny and Alfonso were excellent, always positive, available and they offered first class support along the way.
Having read the reviews of this trip regarding the grade of cycling before departing I got the impression that the grading was a bit complicated, some clients saying it was challenging and some saying it was moderate, so I was not sure what to expect. In truth It’s a little problematical as it comes down to a number of factors such as fitness, cycling ability and weather conditions. What is certain is that this is no simple moderate itinerary, there is too much variety in the cycling (climbs, off road, rough track, technical sections) but it’s also far from challenging the majority of the time (unless it rains all day) so the moderate/challenging grade is probably appropriate but in good weather closer to moderate than challenging.
My husband and I took a tour on May 7th. We thought it was absolutely amazing ! Our tour guide Suzy was the best tour guide one could wish for. She did everything above and beyond our hopes, She saw to our safety, conveniences, fun, at times it seemed she even ordered great weather for walking (ha-ha) ! Had an amazing great time. Will definitely do it again. Will try to get on tour were Suzy is the tour leader.
Yury and Gina Reznik
The entire trip was amazingly organized, the sites we visited were very special. Can't tell what was the best.
In addition to what I already said about our tour leader in the summary, she also gave us a ton of most interesting information regarding history of the place, cuisine, background, etc. Made walking easier and more fun.
Make sure you bring waterproof clothes and shoes. May come in handy !