Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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14330 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Juho Ranta-Aho

Reviewed November 2022

Well planned Trip, left room for improvements

The trip was good but definitely not in Top 3 on my Exodus Trips. Despite what the Trip Notes and Exodus description might say about this trip it is actually all about Namibia with very brief drive throughs in South Africa and Botswana. So this trip is great for all those who want to see and experience Namibia as the vast majority of the trip is spent there. The itinerary for the trip was good but this time it really felt someone had decided to play the scrooge. Some of the hotels were clearly sub-standard. When you send people to a land tour at the time when it is almost 40 degrees outside and if you pay almost 5,000 pounds for the trip, you are entitled to expect working air-conditioning. Especially the Seeheim Hotel in Namibia was rubbish. Same applies to the vehicle used on this trip. Our truck broke down three times during the trip and again, no air-conditioning on the truck. If Exodus really wants to do this cheap and cheerful style, then by all means but based on my previous trips I expected more and this was disappointing. Some of the items on the Trip Notes did not materialise either, for example there was no vineyard visit in South Africa. So Exodus might check a bit better as to what to include in the Itinerary or Trip Notes. And it is a bit weird to finish the tour on Victoria Falls if you do not even include the visit / entrance in the falls. That is the main reason to go to that city in Zimbabwe. Having said that, there were plenty of good things on this trip as well and if Namibia is what you want to see, then this trip has it in abundance. Stunning country. Especially Fish River Canyon was very impressive, so was Etosha National Park. Swakopmund was great too! But do not go to this trip if it is Botswana, South Africa or Zimbabwe you want to see. There are better trips to see those countries than this one. At the end of the day, this trip is about Namibia, no matter what the Trip Notes or Exodus description might suggest. But we had a great gang on this trip and Jonathan and LeRoy did great job!

Most Inspirational Moment

Etosha National Park was great and probably my favourite part of the trip! We saw so much wildlife there. Fish River Canyon was also very impressive and I really liked the Orange River canoe trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jonathan and LeRoy did the best they could in sometimes tough conditions. They worked hard and were fun to travel with. No bad thing to say about them. Really nice guys both of them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for lots of early starts / wake-ups and long days in the truck. Take some good reading or iPad with you to keep yourself entertained during the long drives in the desert. Good walking shoes will take a long way on this trip. And don't take this trip if you are more interested in Botswana or Zimbabwe or South Africa than Namibia. The first mentioned countries will be swept through on this trip.

Reply from Exodus

We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, Juho, and particularly for sharing such positive feedback about our local team. On the other hand, we are genuinely sorry that you were disappointed with aspects of your accommodation. At the end of every season, our product managers and local managers review all feedback from clients and staff who have undertaken trips, to see where improvements can be made, and there is always scrutiny on Southern Africa as we send so many groups to this part of the world. While the majority of our clients who travelled on this tour in 2022 rated the accommodation as either “Good” or “Excellent” in our Holiday Evaluation Forms, which makes us confident that that the hotels, lodges and guesthouses used on this trip meet the 2/3* standards we expect, we have spoken to the management of the Seeheim Hotel about your comments to give them the opportunity to make changes. We have subsequently received much better feedback about this property, which, for context, is used for a one-night stopover and has a great location nearby Fish River Canyon, which means shorter driving times at the end of a busy day.

We are further sorry to learn that you felt your vehicle was unsuitable and broke down several times, as I can appreciate this must have been extremely frustrating. We highlight in our trip literature that roads in Namibia are punishing on vehicles, and we are aware that surfaces have deteriorated in recent years, but it is unusual for so many breakdowns to occur on one trip. We have followed up with our local manager on the issues your group encountered and hope that future groups will have a smoother experience; we realise this cannot change things for you, however, and we remain apologetic for the disruption caused to your trip.

John Penge, Product Manager

Matthew Tett

Reviewed November 2022

What an amazing trip!

This is a wonderful trek through the Sierra de Aitana, led by the amazing Jose who is so knowledgeable about the local area. Using Rincon de Pepe as a base, and hosted by the wonderful Raquel, this week encompasses five tough, but very enjoyable, walks in the area. They range from walking from the base, through to starting in different places after a short drive. Each day starts with a lovely buffet breakfast – we were fortunate, in November, to be able to eat on a sun-drenched terrace each day. Jose, enthusiastic and passionate, leads the walks in an area he knows very well. Perfect packed lunches are provided and Jose’s sandwiches are second to none: varied, tasty and with plentiful contents! Post-walk, there is usually a chance to grab a drink in a local bar, or head back to Raquel’s – and her gin and tonics are definitely worth a try. Before dinner, which is always extremely tasty with good local wines included, Jose briefs the group on the next day’s walk – and this is a great way of getting prepared for what lies ahead. I sincerely recommend the Sierra de Aitana trek. The rest day is perfect (after three day walks) and allows a trip to a nearby coastal town – for more walking, if you wish, or some superb fish. You may even choose to visit the chocolate factory (my partner and I didn’t, but wish we had!) This trip is great if you want to explore a beautiful area, with varied walks and a wonderful host.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the walks, particularly the final two days to the peaks, as well as meeting lots of different people - always inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing - one of the best, if not the best! Jose has a great rapport with everyone and is so interested in the area, and keen to share the beauty of it with the group. He is an expert sandwich-maker, and provides delicious snacks for lunches, as well as refreshments in a designated room - people can help themselves throughout the day/night. Also, when my partner's walking boots broke on day one, he went out of his way to repair them, mid-trek, and took us to Benidorm to buy new ones - very kind and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walks are great - you do need a good standard of fitness, and in some cases, a head for heights. However, Jose is very adept at knowing if people are up for certain walks, and will advise if not. Take walking poles, if you think you need them (we did, and found them brilliant, having not really relied on them before) and be prepared for changeable weather. Our experience - stunning, all week, but this could have been different, I think.

Sally James

Reviewed November 2022

Fantastic holiday

An amazing first trip to India. Great variety of scenery with a very challenging climb! Fantastic guide, Safi, and support team, Shibu and Franklin. We were a small group, 7 in total, that quickly jelled and were of a similar cycling ability. A fantastic holiday with a great bunch of people. Thank you.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to choose, thoroughly enjoyed the cycling, seeing a variety of Indian life and cuisine, however the unexpected bonus was the amazing wildlife we saw on the safari. Two leopards AND a tiger, plus an elephant in the wild on our jeep transfer. We were especially lucky as it wasn't the best time of year to see exclusive tiger. The house boat was also a great experience, very relaxing and tranquil.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was fantastic, as were Shibu (mechanic) and Franklin (driver.) Even though this was the first trip since the pandemic Safi had everything so well arranged. He organised an amazing variety of dishes for us to try when meals were included and always had excellent recommendations when not included. He even quickly realised that "least spicy" in Tamil Nadu was still a little too hot for myself and another member of the group and even got a couple of places we were staying to adapt their usual menu to ensure there was tasty food for everyone. The food in Kerala is generally milder and I found this fantastic. He arranged numerous local tea/coffee/drinks stops where we could try local delicious snacks or Franklin provided fantastic fresh fruit and snacks. When leaving we arrived at the airport at 1am Safi( who had taken a couple earlier) miraculous appeared through the crowds the instant the driver dropped us off and quickly whisked us through door security. He even went back to the airport at 4am to rescue 2 of the group who had their flight rearranged.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I am a road cyclist and bought some half and half cleats and shoes with inset cleats. These made cycling in traffic much easier as I could cycle unclipped, but cycled clipped in the majority of the time, especially on the climb! The shoes meant I could easily walk around at stops and when looking round villages, temples etc during rides without my usual road cleats that would have been slippy and noisy. I was very glad I had done some training beforehand, it definitely paid off on the climb. I adapted the Exodus training plan, doing some cadence and interval training as well as hill sessions on the turbo trainer. It is only the climb that really makes this a four. The rest of the days felt like a three. I did a mixture of the level 1 and level 2 strength exercises too. Ensure you have paper and electronic copies of all documentation. Get your visa in plenty of time and remember to do the self declaration form a day or two before hand. You also need to fill in a paper form before you go through passport control when entering India. These weren't obvious, there are some booths at the back of the hall that you get them from. A card like, Chase, is also good as we found it was readily accepted. However it did sting us on the ATM fee, fortunately we had taken cash as well as the exchange rate at money exchange was much better. ATMs weren't that available and the one outside the airport had run out of cash when we arrived, perhaps we were just unlucky.

Karen Munro

Reviewed November 2022

Amazing Experience with a Superb Leader

Overall the trip was well planned – mainly due to our leader Sukman Pakhrin. Sukman and the experienced guides supported us as a whole group through the trip, managing difficulties of skills, illness and being on hand 24/7. Even after an exhausting day Sukman organised arrival teas, organised dinner, beds, paying bills and with a positive attitude inspired us all for the next days adventure of trials and difficulties. Giving us clear understanding of next days adventure, Sukman was the glue that made the team great and worked together well. I can’t thank Sukman and his guides enough for the patience he offered me for helping me get over the pass as I found that day really challenging. Thank you Karen

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting over the pass with a chest infection

Thoughts on Group Leader

amazing leader and couldn't thank him enough for his patience on my difficult day

Advice for Potential Travellers

be prepared for hard and some long days

Gary Howard

Reviewed November 2022

Fabulous Trip

We have had this trip on out to do list for quite a few years. There was great variety and a lot is packed into the week. Well Worth The Wait

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking around the corner to see the Treasury at Petra Hiking up to the high place alter in Petra. The Night Sky in Wadi Rum. Diving the Cedar Pride in Aqaba. Mud bathing in the Dead Sea I know that is 6 but couldn't wittle it down any more

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fadi did an excellent job and managed somehow to keep us mostly pointed in the right direction. He manged to get every thing done and made the trip super easy for us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Great Trip. If you are a diver there is a dive centre at the beach so you can arrange a dive for yourself if you so desire. Obviuosly this is not part of the trip :-)

Karen Hibbert

Reviewed November 2022

Fantastic trip to Bolivia

It was a really busy but completely rewarding experience. We got a real flavour of the whole country, with its diverse landscapes, welcoming people and ancient culture. Our guide Julia was superb. Her knowledge of the history, diverse peoples, land and nature really enriched the experience and her care in ensuring we weren’t floored by our time at altitude helped greatly. On some days we were often lucky enough to be the only visitors to some sites which added to the amazing atmosphere. I’d definitely recommend visiting now before it gets too busy in the coming years.

Most Inspirational Moment

Some of the landscapes in the Atacama desert are breath-taking, as are the salt flats. We never felt like we were on a well-trodden tourist route which made it feel very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julia was superb. Flexible, open and extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the culture particularly indigenous life. She was also excellent fun!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for long journeys and the effects of altitude. But go now!

Kelly Watson

Reviewed November 2022

Gorillas & Masai Mara - Accommodated review

It was a superb trip enhanced by our group leader, Patrick! The memories I will hold with me for ever! Our group was lucky to see an abundance of African animals accompanied by many young in the wild . We saw so many zebras, giraffes, buffalo, baboons and water hogs that it was like seeing cows/sheep in the UK countryside. If that wasn’t enough, we had the privilege of seeing multiple elephant herds, prides of lions, packs of hyenas, the odd jackal, rhinoceros family passing in front of our bedroom window and so many hippos where ever there was water. Of course the icing on the cake were the chimpanzee and gorilla treks. Such an honour to see such magnificent animals in their natural surroundings! The sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Masai Mara is what dreams are made off. Luckily for me, one of our group was a “birder” so I had the pleasant introduction and appreciation of more African birds than perhaps would be the norm. Rounding the trip of perfectly.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing so many different species of young and newly born animals, of course it goes without saying the chimpanzees and gorillas. Varied and changing landscape came as a pleasant surprise. The energy and inspiration of Helen, from a Masai Mara village who is trying to educate the young and guide the elders, to stop FGM and to adopt more sustainable farming and lifestyle methods.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Patrick was brilliant! I have never had a group leader that made the holiday. Everything went so smoothly and any hiccups he was there to sort it out. He bought us all together as one big, happy and caring group. Not an easy thing given our diverse backgrounds. Most importantly, he went the extra mile, he, as well as the animals, is what made the trip so memorable. His co-assistant and our driver, Boneface, was an enormous asset too. He drove us tirelessly and safely over difficult roads always with a smile on his face. Ever ready to support and help Patrick when need be.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do, do the hot air balloon and source of the Nile trip. If you want to try your hand at white water rafting, you couldn’t be in more professional and safer hands. If you are thinking of spending extra days at the beginning and end of the safari, in Nairobi and Kigali then just two days in each is enough. We did three. In some ways Nairobi has more to do, but Kigali is a beautiful, clean and safer city to walk around with some great restaurants and cafes to experience. We stayed at 'The Social House' hotel in Nairobi and the 'Ubumwe Grand Hotel' in Kigali and would reccomend both.

John Mitchell

Reviewed November 2022

An action-packed trip taking in culture, food and the environment

The standard of this trip is up there with the best Exodus trips I have experienced: great cycling, fantastic food, very few moments of down time and a terrific insight into the culture, environment and wildlife of the three states it encompasses. It is an added bonus that the local population is hugely welcoming and friendly.

Most Inspirational Moment

This trip was so good I had four! Without a doubt the first and foremost was seeing both a leopard and a tiger on our jeep trip in the Bandipur National Park; we were able to watch each of them for over 15 minutes and whilst the leopard was close, the tiger was only a few metres away. The second was - with apologies to anyone yet to attempt it - reaching the top of the Kalhatty Killer (the climb up to Otacamund) which was definitely the hardest bit of cycling I have ever done since I first sat on a bike 60 years ago. The third was eating a Sadhya - a traditional Keralan meal served on a banana leaf - and learning from Shibu, one of the team members, how to eat politely and neatly with my fingers. Finally - swimming in the Arabian Sea at Cherai Beach: huge waves in what felt like bath water with an air temperature to match.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was outstanding. As he has so many qualities, it's difficult to know where to start, but let's kick off with the fact that he is a really nice, friendly, modest person. Then, he couples a great sense of fun with an even greater sense of safety, something which is essential on Indian roads. His attitude was, "Let's really enjoy the cycling, but let's also all get to the end in one piece", an attitude which he backed up with, when necessary, lengthy but clear explanations of the risks associated with each upcoming stretch of road and how to mitigate them, whilst not losing the adrenaline hit of, for example, the descent from Ootacamund. He would deny this next attribute (as he frequently did on the trip), but he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Southern India, its economy, politics, customs and religions. He has been working on this trip for well over a decade and in that time has accumulated a huge red book of places to eat, drink and shop (even down to each of the morning tea shops), matched only by his relationships with the proprietors of these establishments. Finally, he knows and loves the food of his homeland: it was entirely due to him that we ate so well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Do the recommended training programme. I am a regular and energetic road cyclist and, living in the South Downs, I am used to hill climbing, but I seriously doubt that I would have managed Kalhatty if I had not done the training. 2. If you are a road cyclist, take a pair of half-and-half pedals (one side platform, the other cleated). Cycling in Indian traffic cleated-in would be a nightmare, but on the open road and up climbs you can have the riding action you are used to. If you are an off-roader like most of the people on our trip though, you won't understand what the fuss is about! 3. Take a bike rucksack or handlebar bag, as panniers are not provided on this trip but it is useful to carry a waterproof on days when rain is threatened: although the van is right behind, the ferocity of some of the rain showers means you could get very wet very quickly. 4. Do the cookery class in Fort Kochi if you are offered it. Whilst I have been cooking Indian-style food for decades, this introduced me to the theory of using spices in cookery and was a real eye-opener.

Michelle Gale

Reviewed November 2022

A Great Holiday (mid Oct departure)

The itinerary is fast paced requiring early starts and a quick turnaround following the day’s ride – often arriving the hotel early evening/out an hour later for dinner at local restaurants. Some of the transfers are long but the coach was comfortable and had wifi. Chi, our Leader, and his team (Sow, Ee & Minh) were brilliant, as were their time management and organisation skills. The bikes (Giant Rincon) were brand new. Each day we were handed a detailed Ride Plan with the route stats, logistics and transfer timings etc which certainly managed my expectations re the gradients. The majority of roads were relatively quiet but when we had to navigate a couple of highway intersections the Team expertly shepherded us through (which was slightly daunting coupled with exhilirating). Some rides had several 8%-10% inclines which I and a few others part-walked – snack stops were usually every 15-20km. All meals throughout the trip were excellent, with one exception (Qui Nhon) – we arrived later than usual so ate in the hotel roof-top bar, however, the view made up for the poor service & meal. Hotels were good (one or two very much so), and when on ‘two-night stays’ the laundry service was efficient and inexpensive (I wished I’d packed less and made better use of the service). Highlights of the trip: a great Leader & team, sharing the experience with fellow travellers, the food, exploring Saigon (we travelled a day early), Whale Island, and Hoy An.

Shawn Henderson

Reviewed November 2022

Beyond fabulous!!!

A2z travel and Exodus exceeded my expectations!!! Portugal is an amazing country and our tour guides took us to spots we definately would have missed if we traveled on our own. This was my first guided tour- I was nervous it would be very basic and boring. Our trip was the farthest thing from boring! We hiked, toured, ate and ate and ate some more, drank great wine and port and more unique spirits. So many laughs shared with very fun people! I will go in more trips with Luis and his team of exceptional guides. If you are on the fence-go for it!!!! I will return to Portugal for sure. Thanks Joao, Carlos, Luis and Hanne and the amazing women on the tour! Shawn H North Vancouver, BC Canada

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiking the fisherman’s trail!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leaders were exceptional. Fit and fun, kind, funny, warm and sincere. Also nimble- always had a back-up plan when needed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it!!!!!

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