Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Angkor Wat does take your breath away.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ly was exceptional. Our flight on the last day was late afternoon and as we had a three day pass to Angkor Wat he kindly organised for a tuk tuk to take us and wait for we visited an extra two temples. Great advice about restaurants and choices for the evening - Cambodian food is incredibly tasty.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only one happy loo visited out of many did not have toilet paper so always worth having some in your pocket. It is an action packed, full itinerary, which I like, but worth getting out and about and exploring on your own as well. Our guide recommended suitable laundry adjacent to hotels that charge $2 per kilogram, so easy to get sweaty clothes cleaned again. The cycling was fun and on cycle tracks for nearly all of the time.

Suggestions

The amount of garbage and plastic litter everywhere except Angkor Wat is shocking. The fact that Angkor Wat is litter free means that Cambodians do understand tourists don’t like to see and should not contribute to dropping litter. Do not miss the circus/theatre and houses on stilts by the lake.

Most Inspirational Moment

I suppose everyone expects the highlight to be the visit to Angkor Wat to see the sun rise over the temple, but for me the real wow moments came elsewhere. The cyclo ride around Phnom Penh was great fun, the bamboo train in Battambong an experience like no other. There were three boat trips to see the sunset, in Kampot, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, all of them memorable. And then there was the two-day stay at Koh Rong island, including a delightful group meal on the beach.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chan Ly was exceptional. He was permanently available for help and advice - even sending a WhatsApp message at 3.45am to confirm our Angkor Wat trip would go ahead as planned. He did everything with a smile and bonded well with all members of the group. He was on hand to support when various members suffered stomach upsets. Most of all his knowledge of and pride in his country enabled us to see so much of Cambodian life.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cambodia is a rapidly developing country. I was astonished at the number of high rise buildings, many still under construction, in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap, and some of the trunk roads are in the throes of an upgrade. And beware of the monkeys. My wife lost her camera case after an unequal struggle with an aggressive macaque at Angkor. We also spent much time before heading for Cambodia trying to find an appropriate plug adaptor. Don't worry. Almost all sockets accept UK plugs. Finally, consider adding a day or two to your holiday. There is more to do in and around Siem Reap than can be fitted into the Exodus itinerary.

Suggestions

The itinerary brought us so many experiences with rarely a dull moment. There were, inevitably, one or two long travel days but these were punctuated with regular stops to visit villages or artisan markets. The one disappointment for me was early in the trip with the afternoon in Kep. Frankly, there is nothing there worth seeing. The "ghost town" is a boarded up building site and the man-made beach is not a patch on those at Koh Rong. Cambodia also has a major problem with plastic waste. Admittedly, their priorities lie in earning enough money to fill their stomach, but Cambodians need to realise that leaving piles of plastic waste outside their homes is a disincentive to tourism.

Most Inspirational Moment

it would be impossible to single out one moment. The visit to the Genocide Museum and subsequently the Killing Fields will stay with me for ever. The temples of Angkor Wat were astounding as was the history and stories behind them. Most warming for me were the people. Most have very little in life but they smile, cannot do enough to help you or tell you of their country - their pride and humanity is astounding. I loved Kampot, especially that lovely hotel (the Columns?) and the insights we had into the life, skills and crafts of the local people. The food was amazing throughout - I tried most things (avoided rat and frog) and loved all of it. The hospitality skills throughout were very generous at all levels of society. This was a trip that lifted me out of my own worries and those of the world - it was life affirming and I am so pleased to have been a part of it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fila is quite a guy. He is warm, fun, a proud Cambodian and family man. He had such an excellent knowledge of all the places we visited and if he was unsure of any of our bizarre questions he went out of his way to find out what we want to know. He met all our requests, including Happy Hour at Raffles in Siem Reap, and guided us into a diverse array of restaurants and bars, from authentic tourist locations, to "local local" establishments, including a home dining experience which, without exception, we all loved. FIla's English is good and getting better as he is determined to learn. His pronunciation lead to some minor humorous misunderstandings at times, though overall it was excellent. At times Fila tended to over explain and illustrate his point, but I think this was to ensure that we understood his thinking. Overall, he was the best of excellent guides.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont hesitate to take this trip if you are curious. There is so much to see and do, lots to learn if you are that way inclined, and overall it offers a great range of activities and experiences. We found Cambodia to offer an insight into "old Asia" as well as the more modern aspects - a mid may between Thailand and Malaysia ,and northern Vietnam for example. The food is amazing, the landscapes are beautiful and the palaces and temples quite exquisite. The recent history of genocide in this country needs mentioning, as its echos are still heard in the country today. An extra day in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap would be a good idea at each end of the holiday.

Suggestions

We loved the variety of activities. The cruises,the cycling and the Rickshaw rides were so memorable. The TukTuks and road crossing experiences were quite something as well as the markets and the opportunity to try local simple foods such as Palm Cakes, Coconut Rice Cake and the BBQ'd meats. IT was a busy itinerary, with little down time. Thats not a complaint - just an observation. Several of the optional activities promised by the itinerary were not available eg the cooking class, the jungle and zip wire option and the silk factory. I was disappointed to miss all three, though I'm not sure when and how we could have fitted them in.

Most Inspirational Moment

1.5 course fish lunch in Kep Fish Market for peanuts,but superb.Straight from the sea. 2.The two night stay on the lsland. 3.The salt fields. 4.Guests and eating with a Cambodian family.(A must) 5.All the markets.Arriving on bikes and trying to speak ANY Cambodian was appreciated and great fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fila is probably one of the best tour guides l have had the pleasure to be with.His English was superb,and his knowledge of his country outstanding.Throw the guide books away!! He went out of his way to help us. We became his family and he always made sure we sanitzed our hands............ Found out a lot about him and his family. When we did have an issue on ironically the last day he was very professional in dealing with the bike accident in a calm and safe manner. You need to look after him............

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cambodia has sold it's soul to China who are pouring money into the country to develop the infrastructure and tourism. IF you want to see a mess look at Shihanouk. THe beauty of this country will be gone in the next couple of years and replaced with highrise hotels aka Benidorm So the moral of the story is GO.You will not regret it.

Suggestions

Off to Vietnam next

Most Inspirational Moment

Genocide Museum and Killing Fields will be etched in my brain forever (not inspirational but memorable) Evening dinner at a family home with a great host who made us most welcome Days cycling around Battambang and Angkor Wat Sunrise at Angkor Wat and cycling round the outlying temples

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabulous leader who spoke great English and became a friend of the group, he looked after us with great care and made sure everything was very well organised Fila made the holiday and we will never forget him

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long hot days - most days we set off at 8am so don't expect a lie in bed!

Suggestions

looking forward to our next Exodus trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

They don't come any better - knowledge, responsibility and professionalism.

Most Inspirational Moment

I would have to say that the most inspiring thing about this trip was “Bun” a truly amazing young man.

Thoughts on Group Leader

“Bun” was caring,funny,enthusiastic,helpful,knowledgable,friendly and very passionate about his wonderful country... He is a credit to Exodus

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and immerse yourself in this wonderful country, yes it’s poor but the people are delightful and the countryside is stunning.... This trip gives you a snippet of so many different parts of Cambodia. We could easily have spent a week in every town.

Most Inspirational Moment

Inspirational is a difficult word to asses for this trip, so let me try some others for you: Horrifying - the sheer inhumanity of what went on in the torture prison and the killing field (I just had to go and find a quiet corner with my own thoughts - our tour leader, Bun, whose parents had been Khmer Rouge child soldiers, came to my rescue as he was the only person to know so intimately what went on here; Humbling - meeting two survivors of the torture camp (I was left dumbstruck); Magnificent - seeing over a million bats suddenly start to stream out of their roost cave and head out to eat enough paddy field pest to save 20,000 tonnes of rice per year (nature at its most beautiful, so shortly after the horrors above); Majestic - the whole temple complex of the Angkor area (some are beautifully carved, some are vast, others are simply serene in their simplicity and tranquility, Ta Prohm not being among the tranquil ones since the Tomb Raider film. Crazy - the traffic in every town and city but this was contrasted by the ability of everyone to get through crowded junctions with in calm chaos. Walking out into the road, in the assured belief that you would not get run over, is a habit that one will have to rapidly get out of back in the UK! Tranquility - so many places were blissfully quiet, even at the fabulous hotel near Sihanoukville, where one had just gone through a vast building site, was so gloriously located on the beach near a fabulous choice of bars and restaurants. This was the first trip over the New Year when I have been able to get to sleep early due to the quiet in our Siem Reap hotel.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bun was a star so let me tell you why: he always gave us fabulously accurate and informative briefings about the following day (when we needed to be anywhere; what we would be doing; what we should be wearing; what we should bring with us) as well as updates throughout the day; he was always able to find suitable restaurants for group dinners and coped well with the assorted dietary requirements of some guests. Finding a restaurant for 17 people at short notice is very difficult in any location at any time of year, let alone over the New Year period. Some evenings, when no group dinner was needed, we would find him joining us for dinner and fabulous conversations always resulted; his charm was endless, even when some guests were less than polite or helpful; we always knew where he was as we could always hear his delightful giggle; when one of the guests developed medical complications from sand fly bites, he was fabulous about ensuring that she got the appropriate medical treatment in the right facility and kept the rest of us informed of her progress; when another was taken ill during a bus trip, he dealt with it so discretely that most people had no idea that there had been any problem; his knowledge of his country is amazing; with his parents having been child-soldiers for the Khmer Rouge we knew that he had a very close connection with that dark phase of his country's recent history - he was amazingly frank about some aspects of his parents' lives and of his own extraordinary upbringing; he is a great testament as to what someone can achieve in their own life through sheer determination and hard work, making us feel very humble at having had the privilege of meeting him (woe betide any snivelling brat who whinges about not having the latest gadget, just because they "want" it!) with my husband having broken five vertebrae and twice having had his pelvis crushed, he is a self-confessed "princess and the pea" when it comes to bed mattresses. Bun phoned ahead to ensure that our last hotel had extra facilities in the room when we arrived, helping to ensure some 3 good nights' sleep.

Advice for Potential Travellers

GO

Suggestions

The mix of locations and experiences gave us such a broad insight into this amazing country within a really short period. Thank you for creating such a fabulous itinerary (we had looked at many but yours came out as the best and, despite a false start, we are pleased that we came with you. The mix-up over our premium economy seats for the return flight was resolved before we left, thank you. As soon as we got on the plane, there was someone in one of our seats and then another person came along claiming that he had just been moved, from economy, into the other seat. That gave us a bit of a surprise but we rapidly clarified to the staff and passengers that we were in our correctly allocated seats and that the first of other two passengers had simply decided to choose his own seat and that the other had been misinformed. It all ended smoothly and we appreciated the window seats so that we could keep an eye out for the aurora borealis. The aurora did not appear but that is the nature of the phenomenon.

Most Inspirational Moment

Angkor Wat, the silk farm , the beach at Naia hotel

Thoughts on Group Leader

A truly excellent guide

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the People, their welcome, the warmth & hospitality. You can only admire the way they have come through the last couple of generations. Cambodia is a young, vibrant country which seems to be a good place to be right now

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sokkim was an inspiration in himself. I don't think I have ever met someone quite like him. He couldn't have done more for the group as far as organisation went. He was always on hand with a resolution when anyone had an issue, and was always mindful of what was happening within the group, and our surroundings. Great sense of humour, vast knowledge of all the itinerary items and extremely good with his fellow Cambodians. He had time for everyone, and would put himself out for anyone. Fantastic recommendations for evening meals Couldn't have asked for a better leader ! :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

In 38C and 90% Humidity - Drink, drink, drink and drink some more, whatever it is ! Make sure you have a water bottle, hat, sunglasses and plenty of lightweight clothes. Don't worry about bringing too much, as the local laundries are great. The food is great, so don't hold back ! The default currency is US Dollars, but don't worry too much, as all the ATM's in the big cities have Dollars in them. Don't both with the Foreign Correspondents Club, as Ibiza is right next door. You can't hear yourself think !

Suggestions

Enjoy before mass tourism really gets there ! Outside of Siem Reap, you'll be in the real Cambodia, so soak it and it's people up. You'll love it :-)