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.

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!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

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.

Reviews

Reviewed October 2014

Excellent introduction to a fascinating country

This is a great way to experience a lot of Vietnam in very short period of time. Using the bikes allows you to get to parts that you simply wouldn’t get to on a more conventional coach-based tour; small lanes and roads that are just about wide enough to get a bike through. The trip shows aspects of recent and ancient Vietnamese history in equal measure and, if you ask the right questions, you can get a feel for life is like in Vietnam in the here and now.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the pass in the middle of the second week was certainly an achievement for everyone on the trip, even the hardened cyclists.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader on our trip, Long Le, was fantastic and probably the best leader of the four Exodus trips I've done. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble and he was equally attentive to all in the group. His walking tours around the food markets were excellent and allowed us all an opportunity to try food we'd never get back in the UK - duck brain and tongue anyone? He was incredibly organised and efficient in checking us in and out of the hotels and getting us moving in the morning.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a pretty full on trip with early starts almost every day. Breakfast was usually at 6am with cycling or coach journeys starting an hour later. A few of the days include quite long bus journeys, either getting to the start of the cycling or at the end to get to the hotel, so take an iPod or a book to read. There were a couple of opportunities to get laundry done so don't over pack; it's very cheap - about $1USD per kilo of washing. Just embrace everything that there is to see and do and you won't go wrong on this trip.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

Puglian feast

This was a great trip and wonderful introduction to a largely unspoilt area of Italy. The walks were easy and through some great agricultural and ancient landscapes. The food was lovely and very plentiful and unlike the cuisine of other areas I have visited. The hotels were very characterful especially the Hotel in Matera with stunning views of the old city.

Most Inspirational Moment

The unscheduled bonuses. The celebration of the feast of St Cosmas and Damian in Alberobello on the first night. The town was lit up with thousands of lights, there was music from the bandstand and fireworks later. The show of traditional Puglian music and dancing at the Masseria was also wonderful. The food and the wine too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Angelo was great. Friendly, passionate about his country and always making that extra effort to ensure we had the best time!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't go if you are watching your weight!

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

A week in Jordan

This was the most amazing trip I have ever been on – just wonderful from every aspect! Our tour leader was fantastic – the best I have ever come across in terms of wealth of knowledge, personality and enthusiasm in helping us to get to know his country from every aspect; the food (which we were largely able to choose ourselves at restaurants each night) was fabulous and catered for every diet, value for money was outstanding as airport transfers and entry to all sites we visited was included in the trip fee, and the content was incredibly comprehensive – we covered so much ground and saw so many wonderful things in a week that we all said we felt as if we’d been in Jordan for 3-4 weeks! I cannot recommend this trip highly enough if you are interested in history, archaeology and lots of fabulous ruins!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Petra was one of the highlights of my life! I had wanted to go there since I was 11 years old in junior school and saw a movie on the discovery of Petra in a history class. Exodus is one of the few companies I found to offer two full days in Petra - and both days were full on and only for the fit and active. I had no idea that the Petra Archaeological Park was so extensive as most people are really only familiar with the much-photographed Siq and the Treasury - but there is so much more! We walked and hiked and climbed all over the park for 2 days for about 8 hours a day and saw an enormous amount, mostly with a running commentary from the eloquent Danny. It was an experience etched in my mind forever.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Danny Haddad, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history and archaeology of Jordan, and patiently answered all our questions about the social, political, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of life in Jordan. He spent about 14 hours of each day with us, and was a great PR person for Jordan, being highly proactive in engaging us in conversation about Jordan and inviting discussion on issues of interest while on the bus travelling between stops. I have not yet come across someone more passionate about his country and more willing to help immerse a group of travellers into his culture than Danny. He was a fabulous guide and is an amazing asset to Exodus. We were extremely fortunately to have him guide our group. The trip to Jordan, and especially Petra with Danny revealing its history and archaeological wonders to us, is one of the highlights of my life.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit and be prepared for high temperatures in summer - even in September when I went it was over 35 degrees centigrade in Petra. Wear hiking boots and socks when visiting the Petra Archaeological Park as there is a lot of climbing of steps which are covered in fine dust and are quite slippery on the descent. Even the flat parts are also covered in a lot of gravel which can be quite sharp. I wore hiking sandals the first day and constantly had to empty my sandals of stone and huge quantities of sand! The second day in boots with ankle support which didn't allow sand and stones to ingress was much more comfortable. A hat is essential, as are spare camera batteries if yours doesn't have a rechargeable battery. Even a spare rechargeable battery would be a bonus as you will takes masses of photos! A warning - don't change Dinars back into whatever currently at the airport on departure as the exchange rate is horrendous and I was really stung there. Rather work on about JD 200 for the week and carry some of your home currency in notes to exchange when you run out. It was easy to exchange GBP, USD or CAD via our guide.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

Imperial China and Yangtze River Cruise

This trip has a packed itinerary and takes in several of China’s most well-known sites. If you enjoy sightseeing and have an interest in Chinese history, culture and scenery then I would certainly recommend it. You should be prepared for some days where there is a lot of travel and also for some early starts, but they are included for a good reason (e.g. to see the pandas early while they are still awake, get to the Great Wall before large crowds of other visitors turn up etc.). With China having so much to offer you can’t possibly see everything in the time available, but I felt that the organisers had made excellent use of the time and it’s hard to imagine that we could have done a lot more than we did. As well as the main itinerary there are also a number of excellent optional shows and activities for those who want to experience even more!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's hard to pick out one specific item that was the best, but for me the highlights included seeing the Great Wall at first hand, the Summer Palace in Beijing, Xian walls and Great Mosque, seeing the giant pandas so close, and cycling/boating while surrounded by the stunning scenery around Yangshuo. Also, if you get the chance, see the Shanghai acrobat show- it's awesome!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Kris (Chris?) was excellent. As well as being well-organised, ensuring we were all ready when we needed to be and dealing with any problems or complications that we encountered, she was also full of interesting information about the various places we visited. She also made sure that at mealtimes my girlfriend, who was the only vegetarian among us, always had something she could eat. She certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you bring some imodium because there is a good chance of getting an upset stomach at some point. Chinese trains have hot water dispensers, so it's also worth bringing a plastic cup/beaker for tea/coffee. I'd read up a bit on China and Chinese history before the trip, and I found it enhanced my enjoyment because I had a better understanding of what we saw.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

Taste of Cuba - a surprising island in many ways

A tour of the island – Vinales, Bay of Pigs, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and La Habana.
Typical Exodus arrangement touches really bring the real Cuba alive.

Most Inspirational Moment

An educated and welcoming population despite their relative material poverty. Unique political and economic system in action. Music, dancing and those cocktails everywhere - just cannot resist joining in. Some amazing colonial architecture in La Habana. Trinidad a delight of colours and history. A ride in a classic car.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge was very helpful and a great ambassador. Really helped group get under the skin of island life and what it was like for the population. Fun Cuban sense of humour and went out of his way to support us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Maybe get Salsa lessons in before leaving - trip lesson is too short and late in schedule. If you master basics early, chances to join in are everywhere during the trip. Quad measure Mohito's slip down too easily. Food in private restaurants surprisingly good - had anticipated it being very bland and basic. Don't expect mobile data or wifi. Usual tropical climate precautions - sun cream, hat, lots of water and insect repellent evenings.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

Wonderful way to see the island

Just returned from this trip (land-only option) and have to say it exceeded my already-high expectations. Itinerary was action-packed without being exhausting, with a decent amount of free time including in the evenings and on rest days. I was pleasantly surprised how early we reached our overnight hotels on most days, enabling plenty of siesta time in between cycling and sightseeing. The route was also great, taking in the vast majority of Cuba’s surprisingly diverse landscapes and cultures whilst also providing a good variety of accommodation, from private casas particulares, jungle lodges and provincial hotels to the occasional luxurious, American-style resort. The cycling itself was enjoyable and never too tough – perfectly within the reach of the averagely-fit rider, especially given the pretty capable hire bikes provided, although the heat/humidity obviously adds an extra element of challenge at times. Roads were generally quiet but I was also pleasantly surprised by the courtesy shown by vast majority of drivers – if only British drivers were this considerate! There are a fair amount of coach transfers to contend with in between cycling legs, too, but these passed quickly in our comfortable vehicle and enabled us to miss out the less interesting bits of a road whilst also taking in additional sights. In particular, our tour leader Freddy was absolutely superb – by far the best guide I’ve ever experienced. Highly-organised but also very funny and unafraid to give us ‘warts and all’ insights into the realities of Cuban life. Our two other support drivers were also great and it was good to know they were on-hand constantly. Overall, I’d thoroughly recommend this trip as a great way to experience a fascinating and superbly atmospheric country whilst also working off some of those endless rum cocktails with a bit of exercise.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention but I loved the harder cycling days through the Sierra Maestre mountains, coupled with the legendary salsa clubs of Santiago and Trinidad. Also loved the frequent swimming opportunities in natural rock pools and almost comically-perfect tropical beaches.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hard to fault - Freddy was brilliant. My only regret is that I can't pack him in my rucksack for my next adventure as I fear future guides now have a really hard act to follow.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's worth doing a little training beforehand - none of the rides are super-hard but the heat adds an extra element so I'm not sure this is the ideal trip for a complete cycling novice. That said, we had people ranging from early-thirties to early-seventies, with varying degrees of cycling fitness, and the vast majority coped perfectly well with all the rides. Hungrier riders might want to pack their own energy snacks - the support team kept us well topped-up at snack stops with fruit and water, alongside the occasional local treat, but packing a few of my own energy bars would have been sensible too. Also as noted elsewhere, I would take plenty of hard currency with you - Cuba is not as cheap as some might expect and the availability of ATMs is still pretty limited outside larger towns so worth planning ahead.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

Beautiful HILLY Tuscany

So as a complete novice to cycling I discovered it is a wonderful way to see a country, but damned hard work in this hilly part of the world!
Great group of people to share the holiday experience with. Helpful supportive guides, but make sure you prepare for this trip with hill training.

Most Inspirational Moment

The end! Knowing I had finished, achieved and arrived at beautiful Florence

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alex was very knowledgeable about the region having guided this trip before. Together with Tug, I found them to be encouraging and supportive. I particularly liked the distraction techniques Tug used to help with the hill climbs

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train, train, train! I was totally unprepared in terms of how much cycling I had done pre trip. In particular I had not done enough hill training and there are lots of hill climbs. In Tuscany, all the villages and towns we visited sit atop a hill. This means you spend a short time cycling down and then most of the day cycling uphill. September was a great time of year to go as it was warm, but not too hot. I can only imagine how hard this trip would be in the heat of summer.

Show more

Reviewed October 2014

A great weekend

Awesome weekend to blow away the cobwebs.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit, despite the weather. (we had all 4 season in 3 days, sunshine, snow, wind & torrential rain)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Overall good leader. Great level of English, kept us well informed of where to be and when. The second guide spoke no English, so couldn't really communicate with him at all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's not overly challenging from a technical aspect. Expect some scrambling on summit day to negotiate some large rocks, which can be rather slippery when wet. Take some good water proof gloves, several of us experienced very cold hands due to the inclement weather. It was the last of the summer trips, so weather wasn't the best on summit day, so ensure you do have good, warm and water proof clothing. Make sure to put all your belongings into dry bags inside your kit bag - they aren't water proof, and with the torrential rain we had on summit day, some peoples gear got a little wet. There's an abundance of places to purchase water and other refreshments, so no need to carry copious amounts with you at all times. One thing to bear in mind is change is in short supply, so it might be worth trying to obtain some smaller notes to aid shop keepers.

Show more

Susan Forrest

Reviewed October 2014

Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast

Our holiday got off to a bad start when we missed our flight connection in Zagreb and had to wait 8 hours for the next flight to Split. The connection time was too short as it was only 30 minutes, and I think that Exodus made a mistake by booking these flights.
The rest of the holiday was fine until we reached Dubrovnik. The Hotel Sumratin was simply below standard and did not have the facilities that we expected. It was dirty, noisy, the bathroom was the size of a cupboard, and the breakfast was disgusting. In fact, everyone on the tour got sick with food poisoning on the last two days and we believe it was the hotel breakfast that caused this. This hotel was not of the standard that you would expect from an Exodus holiday and the last two days (and most of the week following) were ruined due to sickness.

Most Inspirational Moment

I can't think of one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a little on the young side at only 24 years old, but otherwise he was fine.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not book this holiday if it includes staying at the Hotel Sumartin, Dubrovnik.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to apologise for Susan’s far from ideal start to her holiday as we realise it must have been very disappointing to have arrived into Croatia much later than planned. We would like to assure Susan that these flights met the minimum connection time in Zagreb and we have used these flight times for our clients previously without issue. Having said this, we have asked our aviation team to look into alternative options for next season’s departures. Further to recent feedback we are no longer using the Hotel Sumratin for this tour, which we hope will help to avoid similar client disappointment going forward.

David Sear- Product Manager for Croatia

Show more

Sandra Barrett

Reviewed October 2014

Fantastic experience

This is a most fantastic trip with plenty of wildlife viewings (although not as many in numbers as the Masai Mara).
Lots of travelling through beautiful countries – South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland – where there are some tremendous views. This is a trip where you really NEED TO READ THE TRIP NOTES. So many of our group were not prepared for the long days travelling or the many nights camping. One person hadn’t even brought a sleeping bag with her!! If you want luxury lodges this is not the trip for you. The more you read up before travelling the more you get out of this trip. The campsites were in some superb locations with tremendous views and most had excellent shower facilities and most even had places to charge batteries.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspirational moments on this trip but for myself it was myself spotting a leopard at the side of the road in the Kruger and the driver backing the vehicle so that we could take a photo. I just managed to get one in the scrub but then it was gone. St. Lucia would have been better if there had been water but there had been water shortage for several weeks so washing with wet wipes was needed. The time in the Drakensberg was superb with excellent views yet again.Camping in Tsitsikamma was fabulous on the sea front in an excellent campsite watching the dolphins close to the beach and Whales further out and of course the sunsets. In Lesotho staying in a Rondevel and going on the walks to the gorge and the Bushman's caves with the locals. Even children sang for us in the Echoing cave. Whale watching in Hermanus was an experience especially as the sea was so rough on our return. We quite liked Cape Town but would have preferred a better hotel. The flora was incredible as was the scenery. Too many moments and I must have missed loads. GO AND ENJOY

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wynand our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. If he couldn't answer a question he would willingly research it for us. He had a lot to put up with on this trip with people complaining about camping, long distances etc. and not having read the trip notes. Sofiso the driver was excellent, never felt worried about his driving, very good at spotting animals and always so helpful, full of fun. Joannel trainee guide was super company, had a good sense of humour and a very good wildlife spotter, a delight to be with. Should make a good guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

READ THE TRIP NOTES you really must read the trip notes, this is a camping holiday mainly with small hotels as well. Lots of driving to be expected as we were covering a large area from Johannesburg to Cape Town, via Swaziland & Lesotho. Be prepared to be flexible, this isn't a luxury holiday but one to be really enjoyed being one with nature. One thing we weren't told is that in Lesotho the people would appreciate any clothes, also feminine products and schoolbooks and pencils. We were able to stock up on the latter items before we entered the country and some of us left clothes behind. In Cape Town, the hotel only has European charging points as its owned by a German, this some people found rather annoying when you have travelled all the way with SA plugs. Fortunately I threw in a worldwide plug at the last minute.

Show more