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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14462 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

D Cox

Reviewed June 2015

Cycling in Vietnam

An assault on all the senses in an endlessly fascinating country. We hugely enjoyed this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the climb up Hai Van Pass (in 39 degrees heat and high humidity!), super descent, a cycle around the stunning bay to a fabulous restaurant on stilts, followed by a cycle to the hotel door. I also enjoyed the food markets, the encouragement from children waving to us on the route, and the occasional close encounter with water buffalo!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chi was a very capable and informative leader. He helped create a good atmosphere despite our exceptionally small group (due to some cancellations). He took us to some great places to eat that we never would have found as independent travellers. The Vietnamese language is not easy to pick up and the culture is so different - a local guide really makes the difference for this trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need USD - Dong is fine and there are lots of ATMs. Pack double the SD cards, sun tan lotion/after sun that you think you need. If you are fair skinned June is a challenging time to travel - our local guide told us that Jan-March is cooler which isn't particularly clear from the trip notes. I took anti-UV arm sleeves which were brilliant (local guides also wore similar to protect their skin) and on occasion wore my three quarter length cycle shorts. Also don't forget insect repellent, particularly for dusk on the first night in Saigon. The hotels were a much better standard than previous Exodus cycling trips. All rooms had kettles and tea bags.

Philippa Hull

Reviewed June 2015

Croatia: Islands and Mountains

This was my first tour with Exodus, my first visit to Croatia and I enjoyed every moment. Our leader Zeljko was brilliant, we had a very friendly and fun group of people, the scenery was breath-taking, the hiking interesting and varied, Dubrovnik was fascinating, the Croatian people charming, the hotels excellent and the local food delicious. I could not have wished for a better experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hikes in Paklenica National Park and on the island of Brac - the scenery was stunning. I also loved Dubrovnik.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zeljko was absolutely brilliant in every way: friendly, charming and fun, great company, a very experienced leader and hiker and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the country, as well as the local flora and fauna. He made everything so interesting and enjoyable for us. Everything went 100% smoothly thanks to his perfect organisation. I fell in love with Croatia thanks to Zeljko and look forward to visiting the country again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do go on this tour, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! The hiking was not difficult, it was interesting and varied, and the visits to Dubrovnik and Split were perfectly timed. There was a bit of travelling during the week but it meant we saw a large area of the coast, two major towns and the glorious National Park.

Amanda Barker

Reviewed June 2015

Fantastic trip in a beautiful country

This trip is an all round winner. It combines an excellent variety of daily walks, along with some fantastic sight seeing opportunities, and the chance if swimming almost every day. Highly recommend.

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing all the walks, so being able to appreciate the stunning views. On a personal level, our fantastic leader Željko encouraged me to get over my fear of heights

Thoughts on Group Leader

Željko. An amazing leader, and a very knowledgeable and interesting man. He personally ensured every member of the group was looked after, especially those who had some difficulties.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Croatia is a beautiful country, and this trip gives a great opportunity to see some of the Dalmatian coastline. The walking involves quite a lot of fairly steep ascents and descents, but the views are well worth it. Dubrovnik is not to be missed...the old town is beautiful.

Michael Bond

Reviewed June 2015

Lakes and Mountains of Slovenia

Slovenia has some stunning scenery, the people are very friendly, and the infrastructure is very well developed; an ideal holiday destination with walking at the higher end of the moderate grade, but nothing too extreme. Radovljica, where you will stay, is an ideal location from which to walk in the mountains and on your free day you can hire a bike and walk or ride to Lake Bled, or take the bus or train to the capital, Ljubljana, which is only an hour away and well worth a visit. A cool beer whilst sitting on the hotel terrace after a days walk is extremely civilised and very rewarding.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views from Golica, on the Austrian border, and Brda, just below mount Triglav, and the day trip to Ljubljana via bus on the way out and train on the way back.

Thoughts on Group Leader

David and Ales were very experienced leaders and both had a relaxed approach with an ideal (dry) sense of humour. Excellent leaders.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking poles can be useful on the steeper climbs and descents.

Ewa Krystek

Reviewed June 2015

Camino de Santiago Trek

What a lovely walking holiday! I enjoyed the beautiful gentle scenery, abundance of wild flowers, the history, the food, wine, meeting people from other countries, the peace of the countryside, the little places we passed through. We were lucky with the weather. Hot but manageable with well planned breaks in little cafes and restaurants so we didn’t have to carry too much. Accommodation was better than I thought it would be. Mainly modern even if simple hotels. We were well looked after by our friendly and conscientious guide Jose who had to deal with a group with mixed walking experience and ability. As we neared S de C ,the trek got busier but not as much as I thought it would and it wasn’t at all commercialised.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being struck by the fact that we were treading in the footsteps of pilgrims through the ages. That these were ancient routes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose Manuel was determined that we would ALL finish the trek and enter Santiago together and enjoy the whole experience because it WAS meant to be a holiday. He was very conscientious, friendly and diplomatically dealt with our various problems such as blisters, pace and stamina. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the region. Organised our snack, lunch and evening breaks. Kept checking that we were coping with the distances walked.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure that you spent time getting used to regular long walks before you go. You will spent a lot of time on your feet in between breaks and the pace is reasonably fast. Take a couple of pairs of light walking boots ,walking shoes or good trainers to change into so that you don't wear the same footwear everyday. Tackle any discomfort STRAIGHT AWAY. One of our group lost a small toenail by the 2nd day and had 12 blisters by the 3rd! Changing socks at lunch-time was also a good idea.

Caroline Scraggs

Reviewed June 2015

Fantastic walking, wine and great food

As a frequent Exodus traveller I was yet to try a walking holiday. The Chianti Walking and Wine seemed to be a good mix of walks, wine tasting and sightseeing and I was not disappointed with my choice. Having only had a few days in Rome before I really enjoyed getting to know this part of Tuscany.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk to San Gimignano was one of our longest walks. It was very hot that day and it seemed to be a long way in the distance with more ups and downs. But it was a real sense of achievement to arrive at this famous medieval town and enter through the gateway as the pilgrims would have done. Much better than simply being driven there. After a few hours of free time we enjoyed a delicious wine tasting with a platter of pecorino cheeses, bruschetta, bread and olive oil. Liz organised a picnic on the first day of walking which was a real treat

Thoughts on Group Leader

Liz was excellent. She was extremely well-organised, had fantastic local knowledge and went over backwards to support members of our group even on her time off! A real inspiration.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am pretty fit and enjoyed the walking but would recommend a few practice walks before hand to cope with the up and downhill terrain. I was pleased that I had taken my walking boots as I was grateful for the ankle support on the downhill sections which were very rocky in places. The dinners in the Farmhouse were lovely but be prepared for 4 course meals!

Brian White

Reviewed June 2015

A Beautiful and Undiscovered Part of Spain and Very Challenging Walking

We purposely chose the challenging week for this trip as they always tend to offer fuller days out and at higher altitudes. We have never walked or considered this area of Spain prior to this trip but certainly were impressed by the area, accommodation, food and the walking that was offered. This trip certainly did ‘what it said on the can’!

From the moment we arrived in Bilbao and were met by our guide Álvaro Saiz, the trip ran like clockwork.

Despite the weather on arrival being quite unseasonable and looking like it may affect the higher level walking, Alvaro adjusted the days to suit and still gave us challenging walks each day that were full-on, demanding and rewarding. By the end of the week the weather had cleared showing the Picos de Europa in its full and stunning glory.

The hotel and friendliness of the owners and staff made it very homely and welcoming. The views from the hotel were stunning and its close proximity to the very pleasant town was excellent. All the food offered at the hotel was first class and generous, including the packed lunches.

This trip was the full package and the Picos, scenery, guide, daily transport, hotel and food were faultless. We were very sad to leave and hope to return again.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole area, stunning scenery and remote and challenging walking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We instantly warmed to Alvaro as soon as we met him. He is extremely knowledgeable, very motivated and passionate about his Country and knows how to deliver challenging walks to suit a challenge hungry group. However, he does also consider the shortfalls of the group and offers alternative shorter routes and short cuts to the less capable members of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember, a challenging week is what is says and does offer higher mileage, altitude and longer days too. Make sure you are fit and prepared before you embark on the challenging week.

Christopher Dawson

Reviewed June 2015

Galapagos on the Cachalote

We spent two weeks on the Cachalote exploring the many islands of the Galapagos. Overall, the trip was very good with a couple of exceptions.
1. We had one afternoon in a town with nothing to do except sit in a bar – we were told we could swim in the sea, but it was very rough. (According to the trip notes, we could have visited a Giant tortoise breeding centre, but we were not given that option).
2. On the changeover day (between itineraries) we had to waste a few hours in Puerta Ayora. However, we did expect this.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wildlife! Getting so close to the birds and reptiles was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Juan was excellent - his knowledge was extensive. The chef was also excellent, producing good quality food despite the tiny kitchen. The rest of the crew on the boat were not so good - very little English was spoken and they were more interested in watching football (we were there when the Copa America was on) than attending to the needs of the guests

Advice for Potential Travellers

When taking into account the advice to pack light for the Cachalote, put out everything you think you need and then leave most of it at home. The rooms are **VERY** compact. We had a small amount of space under the bunk beds, a couple of small shelves and a few hangers on the back of the door. Also be prepared to leave everything on the floor if the sea is rough (only occasionally) as everything ends up there anyway.

Gail Madeley

Reviewed June 2015

Carpathian Walking and Bears

A great trip with a good selection of walks, wildlife and culture in a wonderful setting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing wild bears in a natural setting from the safety of a hide. We had the good fortune to see five bears at one time and four bears a little later on - we believe we saw at least 7 or 8 different bears. We also saw a fox. Our trip was spoilt by the weather - we only had three dry days, but this did not stop us exploring Dracula's Castle, sharing schnapps with a priest and riding in a horse-drawn cart before sharing tea and biscuits with a monk!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas was fun and shared his passion for his surroundings, even dressing in his Saxon clothing on the last night of our trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the itinerary to change - this is done for a reason when taking the weather into account - but everything is included.

Paul Gocke

Reviewed June 2015

Great trip through under explored Ecuador

Wonderful and informative trip through Ecuador. Well worth the longer than usual flight ! Beautiful landscapes and heaps of variety in a compact country. Especially enjoyed the Andes chain, Amazon basin rainforest, friendly people and markets.

Most Inspirational Moment

Ambling through the food markets in Otavalo, Quito and Cuenca. Walking mid stretches of Chimoraza. Agriculture and field patterns of the volcanic slopes and elsewhere Experimental day with local villagers at St Clemente community - and the finest fresh picnic lunch they provided. Fun on the zig zag train trip Proper bananas ! Roast pork in the markets Panama hat factory in Cuenca

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jolly good. Bit ruthless with the timekeeping - but I understand imperative on a fast paced trip. Give us a coffee break, Fabien ! Excellent driver, considerate and safe - Maurice, throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect some rain. Don't take too much clothing as a couple of well spaced options to get laundry done. Look forward to a great trip. Reasonable to good wifi, generally.

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