Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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124 Reviews
4.7 out of
5
Reviews
Laura Coggles
Reviewed April 2017
Cycling Nicaragua-Costa Rica-Panama
This was a fantastic adventure!! For those wanting a physical challenge, varied terrain, beautiful scenery and the cultural experience of three different countries, this trip is for you. The guides were very knowledgeable and organized. They are passionate about cycling and sharing the uniqueness of the countries we visited.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting a school in a rural village in Nicaragua. Spending time with the children explaining who we are, where we were from and listening to them introduce themselves and tell us about what they want to be when they grow up.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was very knowledgeable and organized. He is passionate about cycling and sharing the uniqueness of the countries we visited. Roberto worked hard to ensure a good time was had by all!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Train prior to the trip - on hills and in heat if possible.
The bikes were great. I used my own gel seat as well.
Louise Staniforth
Reviewed April 2017
3 countries by bike in 2 weeks - do it!
This isn’t just a cycling trip. There’s so much more to this than you think… yeah, there’s lots of cycling, but there are so many other activities too that it feels like an adventure holiday. The scenery changes dramatically over the various days, from arid land, to amazing beaches, rainforests, cloud forests, remote villages, downtime, uptime! I loved cycling through tropical rain. 3 countries in approx. 2 weeks is an awesome trip – our leader Roberto said that it’s like having 3 moments in time. Nicaragua is the past. Costa Rica is the present and Panama is the future. You’ll know exactly what he means as the days progress. A great saying for 3 great places. He also said Pura Vida which I will now adopt!
Most Inspirational Moment
There are so many moments where you just go 'wow'. I won't go into a lengthy description of the awe inspiring moments as it may spoil it for your own 'wow factor' . But the lava in the volcano was mesmerising; cycling in the backdrops of volcanoes makes you smile non-stop; casually seeing a crocodile and other wildlife as you raft on by was brilliant; sharing conversations at a local school, a bus stop and even whilst being overtaken by a 4 year old girl running up the hill (I was on my bike!) are moments I'll never forget; swimming in the sea as the sun comes up; having my 'guardian angel domestiques' (the bf and Antony and Paul - the mechanics) placing their hand on my back and literally pushing me up the tough hills - I can never thank these guys enough, they are amazing.
...... but mostly, it's the feeling of having pedalled yourself many miles through 3 amazing countries with people that you were thrown together with and shared random experiences with, that you'll never forget.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ah Roberto. What an amazing leader... The passion that Roberto showed both on and off the bike was unbelievable. I don't know where he gets his energy from! Super fit on the bike! I was often up early and would see Roberto working away. Then giving briefings for the day, then cycling back and fore taking photos, making awesome videos that he would then share on fb, plus then giving us cultural information whilst on the van. It was like having our own personal documentary maker and he was brilliant. Awesome knowledge on all 3 countries and a way with people than is a engaging, personal and professional. I can still hear his 'one, two' advice when going up the hills and this is what keeps you going. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes when you have 14+ people to organise and the way he made it seem so easy goes to show how good he is. Oh, and he has some great cycling tops too! He's funny and makes you feel at ease. If I do another trip, I would actually head to Costa Rica just to have him as my leader! Pura vida.
The rest of the team were great too. Ronald the driver works super hard and drives so safely and professionally, Paul and Antony, the mechanics were a godsend. Paul is a funny guy, an amazing cyclist and really helped me on tough hills and long flats. Antony - what can I say? This guy is a machine! I called him Terminator 2 as was always looking out for me and pushing me up hills. The strength is has is phenomenal. He made the cycling so much better for me and made my experience better. Thanks guys!!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Learn a bit of Spanish. There are opportunities where you least expect it, to meet locals and exchange a few words. It's a great feeling.
Great to take some stuff for the school that you visit. We missed/forgot this and were gutted.
Get some hill training in!
Read the trip notes, but don't micromanage... the best days for me were the surprises of things I had forgotten and the leaders will change the schedule to make the experience better, or if the roads are busy, to make it safer.
We did a white water rafting trip on our day off in Fortuna. Was brilliant but if you want a rest... this isn't it!
I left my trainers there, one of the guys was going to give them to charity, so don't throw stuff away if you no longer want it.
Helen Sumpton
Reviewed March 2017
Fantastic, active way to explore 3 countries, their culture and wildlife.
An all-round fantastic holiday. A great way to see three countries at a slower pace. Cycling through the villages gives you a great chance to soak up their way of life. It was great to be active each day, fitting so much in to any one day. On paper the cycling distances look short but in the heat they are about right. There were a few hills but the scenery totally made it worthwhile. The changing landscapes (rain forest, volcanoes, islands, Pacific coast, Caribbean coast, continental divide etc) were great to experience. There are fantastic opportunities to see wildlife be it from the roadside, in the hotel grounds or via activities such as the river floats and canopy walks.
The trip has been well planned to provide the perfect balance of cycling activity, wildlife spotting and experiencing the three countries. Hotels were better than I had expected and restaurants were well chosen.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were so many: Seeing inside the live volcano; Seeing all the animals on the road/in the hotel grounds/via trips such as the river float (Howler Monkeys, Toucans, Iguanas, Coatis, Frogs, Crocodiles etc); Passing through the villages, getting a feel for local life and seeing all the villagers wave and say ¡Hola!; Sunsets/sunrises on both coasts.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The Team were really superb: Roberto (Lead Guide), Walter & Alvertivo (Guide/Mechanic), Neno (Driver). They worked well together to provide excellent service and support.
Roberto delivered a very well organised trip which went seamlessly. His knowledge and information on each country/location was invaluable. The regular briefings and well planned pit stops were great. Booking group lunches/dinners, and the organised bill paying & individual account keeping made life so much easier and saved a lot of time. His additional help with translating dietary requirements was appreciated. Border crossing were made much easier thanks to their help.
The support provided on the road by the Guide/Mechanics and Driver were much appreciated. From on the road mechanics to loading the bikes and general encouragement. Between them, their wildlife spotting was fantastic.
Many thanks to all of you for really making the trip wonderful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Kit: Padded cycling shorted and padded cycling gloves are essential - there are some very bumpy roads in Nicaragua. If you can, take your own saddle as well. They can also fit your own pedals if you prefer to take cycling shoes.
Cycling snacks: take your own snacks, gels etc if you are used to using them or have any intolerances. They provide some biscuits / isotonic / fruits at stops. For Gluten Free travellers, there were options at breakfast in all but a few places so just take a small amount of GF breakfast food. Lunches / dinners were mainly in restaurants where there was a full menu choice, so there was always something which could be eaten (practise your spanish for clarifying with waiting staff or ask your guide for help).
Currency: there is no need to exchange to any local currency. Take USD. All three countries accept USD and you get change in local currency in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which you just need to spend before the border. You can use credit cards in a lot of the restaurants and you pay the guide for your lunches in USD cash in the first two countries.
Re-apply sun cream at each stop (think about taking some sleeves for the strong afternoon sun) along with regular mosi spray in the evenings/early mornings (mosis only seem to be around in a few locations).
Don't take too many clothes. It is very warm, even in the evenings and cycling clothes can be hand washed and dried overnight in the first two countries. Also there is a launderette in La Fortuna.
The cycling is hot and there are a few hills but you can take your time and there are plenty of stops. Take your time to spot the wildlife - it's worth going a little slower in some locations. I would recommend hiring quad bikes on Bocas del Tores as a way to see the rest of the island.
Jonathan Jagger
Reviewed March 2017
Great trip
A fantastic way to see three countries and test yourself with some challenging cycle routes. The various destinations varied a lot in terms of the evening distractions – some were town centre with plenty of options – others were more remote. Worth reviewing the trip notes so you can plan.
Most Inspirational Moment
The volcano trip was particularly breathtaking - worth the queueing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Great - Gerhard's knowledge and patience was admirable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do some training if your not that fit - otherwise the first few days cycling can hurt. Heat and hills!
Simon Burbidge
Reviewed March 2017
Three Central American countries in one brilliant trip
An amazing whistlestop tour of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, their Pacific and Caribbean coasts and their rain forests, cloud forests and arid plains. We covered a lot of ground on the trip, over 330 miles on the bikes and in excess of 2,000 miles in the bus. For nature lovers the variety of birds and animals is wonderful. We managed to see sloths, toucans, ospreys, howler monkeys, various iguanas, an armadillo and a crocodile not to mention numerous unusually coloured birds, on which we got the full low down, thanks to David, a keen twitcher in our group. He drew our attention to Montezuma’s Oropendola, a member of the Blackbird family with a yellow tail that builds a hanging nest. Until then I would have said it was something nasty one went down with on holiday!
My knowledge of the geography of the three countries was scanty prior to the trip and I hadn’t appreciated how many volcanoes there were, nor that several are still active. The resulting terrain is quite ‘lumpy’ from a cycling perspective which made for some energetic days, especially given the heat (and humidity in some areas).
We finished in Panama City and, of course, got to see the canal and the container ships being guided through it and experienced the crazy driving of the Panamanians.
All in all a wonderful trip and one that I would heartily recommend. Having been on the Cycling Cuba trip last year, which my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed, I would say that this exceeded it.
Most Inspirational Moment
Like other reviewers, there were many highlights - looking down at molten lava in the crater of the Masaya volcano; a guided trip down the Rio Tenorio where the iguanas and ospreys are so numerous that we became blase about them; the wildlife around Lake Arenal; the hot springs near La Fortuna; bathing in the Pacific after the day's ride at Las Lajas and the Panama Canal.
Thoughts on Group Leader
This is our third Exodus trip and each of the leaders has been excellent in terms of organisation, humour and imparting local knowledge but Roberto was definitely a cut above the others. Everything was done that bit better than before e.g. daily briefings on the route with its profile, where the refreshment stops would be and any specific things we had to be vigilant about; paying for the meals, rather than us delaying things by doing it individually and then presenting us later with our own aggregated accounts; copious photos and videos being uploaded daily to a WhatsApp group so we could review and chat about them over dinner; melding the new group of support staff into a harmonious and happy team. The result was that we (and, I believe, they) had a ball. His Pièce de Résistance was his male howler monkey impersonation that certainly had the desired effect on the local monkey population!
Advice for Potential Travellers
We hadn't appreciated that the prevailing weather comes from the Caribbean and so, even in the dry season, it can be wet on that coast. Also, like another reviewer, we had debated about taking anti-Malaria tablets. In the end we used Deet and saw few mosquitoes, which vindicated our decision not to take them. Do take advantage of the laundry in La Fortuna, which was efficient and used to cycle wear.
Mark Bishop
Reviewed February 2017
Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama
Really enjoyable cycling trip though Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Good group of twelve people who all got along pretty well! Really nice lead guide with an excellent support guide in Nicaragua. Nicaragua was my highlight of the trip as I loved Grenada, Ometepe and San Juan Del Sur. Northern Costa Rica was also excellent especially round Lake Arenal. I was less attracted to southern Costa and the Panamainian island of Bocas Del Toros was my least favourite place as it was just a scruffy hedonist playground on which we didn’t get to take our bikes! The pacific coast of Panama was lovely, the sea was stunning and the hotel was great. Couldn’t get excited about the Panama Canal (yes I know it is a major engineering feat, but watching boats go up and down was like watching paint dry for me!). Loved Panama City old town and the live Panamanian Covers band in the Irish bar next to Holiday Inn on our night was great!
Most Inspirational Moment
For me it was the cycling. I absolutely loved the winding steep decent after we crossed the Continental Divide! My wife, who was not a cyclist coped really well and this is a moderate/challenging tour. Seeing the live active Nicaraguan Volcano is a one off thing too!
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was great, Great sense of humour and saw to the needs of each individual on the trip!! Not over fussy and that suited me fine.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Costa Rica and Panama are much more expensive than you would imagine especially if you are used to India, South Africa etc. The 'Tat' shops are not great - even my tat collecting wife struggled to find anything she would put in her 'Tat' collection. It all seemed really safe so don't worry about the Central America issues. Don't be too uptight about plan changes - in the words of one of our guides 'Shit Happens'
Julie Brown
Reviewed February 2017
Charm, wildlife and incredible scenery
What a fabulous trip!
Three amazing countries with some challenging rides, an abundance of wildlife and lots of laughter.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was all about the wildlife for me and we were lucky enough to see sloths, toucans, pelicans, monkeys, agoutis, coatis, iguanas, crocodiles, butterflies, various species of heron and many other colourful birds. Experiencing the Masaya Volcano at night was also an unforgettable experience. For me, Nicaragua had the charm, Costa Rica had the wildlife and Panama had the landscapes.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andres and the whole support team (Ronald, Paul and Alvero) were great. The team couldn't do enough for us and we were very well looked after throughout the trip. The whole support team laughed with us for 2 weeks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The hills can be tough especially in full heat and even though the distances are relatively short, a certain level of fitness is required. Take plenty of sun block and insect repellent. I wish I'd taken a video camera for my bike / helmet.
Magdalena Polikarska
Reviewed January 2017
One of the best holidays
Great way to get a flavour of the three countries. The trip was well organised, great guide and support team – Andres, Paul, Ronald and Alvaro. Good bikes in Costa Rica and Panama, okay in Nicatagua. If I could change one thing, I’d have brought my own saddle. Some challenging hilly rides but also well organised technical/food stops. Excellent extra activities like a night volcano trip in Nicaragua, boat will life spotting trip in Costa Rica and Miraflores locks visit in Panama. Good internary, we’ve visited some cool and beautiful places, however two nights in La Fortuna was one night too many, and two nights in Panama City was one night too many. Otherwise a fantastic trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
Visiting Masaya volcano in Nicaragua, seeing sloths in the wild in Costa Rica and unspoiled, empty beach in Panama.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very well organised, engaged, funny and knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring your own saddle, waterproofs and well padded shorts.
Torben Dahl
Reviewed January 2017
A great way to explore 3 countries in two weeks
Picked this trip based on the itinerary that provided an excellent option to explore 3 countries in Central America on bikes for those with limited time. For someone who likes to travel over xmas this trip was a good fit with mainly dry weather.
Most Inspirational Moment
For me and my travel partner the cycling and swimming in the Pacific were among the best moments as we like to be active.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both the group leader as well as the other guides and driver were all amazingly friendly and knowledgeable. They definitely made sure to take good care of us and that we were never bored.
Advice for Potential Travellers
It's a relatively easy and relaxed active trip. If you have more than two weeks available, this trip is a good option to visit other countries in the region either before or after the group trip if you don't go on the group flights.
Anonymous
Reviewed December 2016
Lovely trip to some beautiful places
Interesting journey through 3 central American countries – some lovely rides, beautiful spots to stay and other interesting sights
Most Inspirational Moment
Enjoyed seeing the active Masaya volcano in Nicaragua, cycling by Lake Arenal, seeing toucans and sloths and (many) iguanas, beautiful boat trip to Red Frog beach in Bocas del Toro and an evening with cocktails by the beach in Las Lajas
Thoughts on Group Leader
Competent, managed border crossings with minimum fuss and got us all safely from A to B. The assistants and driver were, as ever, passionate about their country and great fun to be with
Advice for Potential Travellers
- Book Jeff (opposite the hotel) for your boat trip of choice in Bocas del Toro. He tailored a trip to exactly what we wanted and it was the best $20 we spent all holiday
- Be prepared for rain (at least in December). At least it was mostly warm and didn't last for long but it rained every day. I wish I had packed a small travel hairdryer to dry my shoes
- Take US$ in small denominations - there is no need to exchange money - everyone accepts US$ (though you will get change in local currency)
- Food and drink are probably more expensive than you are expecting - you can easily spend $30 or more per day if you take lunch and dinner with a drink
