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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15 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Jenny Hicks

Reviewed September 2017

A great trip of two very different parts

This trip is in two parts. Four days on the Jaguar houseboat looking for jaguars, the boat’s a bit cramped and you spend all day on the river, but the sight of your first jaguar makes it all worthwhile. Then the fantastic Araras Eco Lodge, which is spacious and relaxing and the bird life is amazing! You need to be prepared for long days and you need lots of patience, but it’s definitely a fantastic experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

The sight of our first jaguar of course, as well as a mother being suckled by a young cub. But also the kingfishers, the storks, the skimmers, the sight of a potoo completely disguised in a tree - load of special moments!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tony was great at spotting jaguars, but I think his real passion showed through, which is birdlife. He has a great knowledge of the local wildlife and birds.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be windy (and cold) on the early morning boat rides, so take a fleece, sunglasses and moisturising cream. Take long trousers and 100% deet mosquito repellent as they bite through your clothes. You get so hot and dirty, but if you rinse clothes through at night they are dry by the next day. Be prepared for very long boat rides looking for jaguars (sometimes 6 hours) and you need to be patient. You may sit looking at a jaguar for a couple of hours, during which it hardly moves! The lodge is wonderful - spacious, relaxing, great food, wifi and amazing birdlife everywhere. Horse riding and kayaking and a night drive are included at the lodge and part of the Exodus itinerary. Brazilian electricity sockets have changed in the last 18 months and in hotels and the Lodge they are recessed - you need to buy an adapter locally.

Suggestions

Amazing trip - a long journey to get there and you have to rough it a bit on the houseboat, but it's definitely worth it! Exodus arranged an Iguassu Falls extension which we did before before our group trip which was fantastic - worth spending some extra time in Brazil if you can.

Liz Newman

Reviewed September 2016

When can I go back?

This was a terrific holiday, despite the weather being the coldest on record for that time of year.

Most Inspirational Moment

Predictably, seeing a jaguar for the first time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tony was excellent. His knowledge of the wildlife was first rate. And he came horseriding with us on the last day!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't assume the weather is going to be hot, whatever the online sites tell you in advance. When we arrived in Cuiaba it was hot and humid - then the cloud rolled in, so thick that it sometimes looked like twilight at midday. It rained - not a lot, but if I hadn't taken a raincoat I'd have been in trouble. Going upriver into the wind was a bitterly cold experience, and everyone was wearing everything they had. Six layers! The guides had scarves round their faces, dark glasses, and woolly hats. All you see was their eyes... and those eyes gave us four jaguar sightings. The wildlife came out to platy whatever the temperature. But when we arrived at the Araras Eco-lodge the weather changed, and it was glorious.

Suggestions

The Jaguar Houseboat did not have Wi-Fi, so we had to play games when it was too cold and wet to do anything else in between boat trips. The food was great. The Araras Eco-lodge was wonderful, with friendly staff, good food, and a cayman almost within touching distance of every room. (They eat fish, luckily.) There were no mosquitoes, which was a surprise. I've been on a lot of Exodus holidays, but this was one of the best.

Stephen Harford

Reviewed July 2016

A short trip but very enjoyable

We went on this holiday principally to see Jaguar, Giant Anteater, Giant River Otter, Tapir and Hyacinth Macaws. We opted for a short trip combining a boat hotel and and land-based lodge. We had been with Exodus previously and felt they would do a good job. Food at both venues was very well prepared although a little monotonous at times. Travel arrangements were very good.

Most Inspirational Moment

We saw 7 Jaguars on the river including a pregnant female and a lover's tiff between a young female and adult male. Saw giant river otters a number of times and while we only saw giant anteater and tapir once both were superbly close and long viewings. Our main interest is usually birds and these didn't disappoint with good views of various macaws, parrot, herons and some noteworthy viewings of sunbittern at Araras Lodge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Tony, was very helpful and knowledgeable and he would always try to meet everyone's requirements. Originally from Guyana clearly his English was very good. In addition the guides at the Jaguar Boat and the Lodge were also very helpful, particularly Paulo on the Jaguar Boat day trip craft whose ability to spot wildlife at a distance was quite remarkable. The drivers transporting us between venues were also very courteous, safe and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It may not be appropriate for all trips but when we were there was a surprising cold wind particularly when out on the river in the early morning. If you have room in your luggage it would be worth taking some warmer clothing just in case.

Suggestions

Some cabins on the Boat Hotel were quite cramped as they had 4 'short' bunks. Other cabins seemed more spacious with less beds. It might be worth viewing the available accommodation and selecting the most appropriate.

Lesley Carder

Reviewed January 2016

Land of the Jaguar

A fantastic experience, with far more wildlife sightings than I expected. We saw three jaguars (some of the group saw five), with great opportunities to both observe and photograph these beautiful animals. We saw dozens of species of birds, caiman, capybara, howler and capuchin monkeys, coati, armadillo, peccary, brocket, tamandua and the iconic giant otter and giant anteater. We were lucky enough to glimpse a very rare jaguamundi too.

Excellent accommodation; although the houseboat was quite basic we were made to feel very welcome.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several. If I had to pick one, it would be spending four hours one morning watching jaguars mating. Unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tony was excellent, he knew a tremendous amount about the animals and birds we saw. He also had great people skills. The local guides and staff were all friendly and helpful. Cicero Kurtz (houseboat) was incredibly knowledgeable - and caught the catfish for our lunch!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of mosquito repellent and antihistamines. I have never experienced such aggressive mosquitoes, they bit despite Deet, skin-so-soft, garlic tablets, and impregnated clothing.

Suggestions

Eco-tourism is very new in the Pantanal, and the area is very unspoilt at the moment. I hope this does not change.

Karen White

Reviewed October 2015

Land of the Jaguar

Amazing array of wildlife. Providing you don’t mind roughing it a bit and don’t mind getting bitten (a lot!), this is a fabulous holiday. Must have been good as I came home with over 2500 photos!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the jaguars and the giant otters! Although I love the close encounter with a pygmy anteater; loved the capybaras and can't believe how many caiman I saw - carpets of them - literally!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tony's knowledge of the local wildlife was amazing. He was also very good at spotting it including a tarantula spider on a night safari!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The boat accommodation was basic. if your cabin is on the river side, be prepared to share your evening shower with a lot of flies! Be prepared to get BITTEN! I got bitten by a multitude of bugs and these blighters can bite you through layers of clothing and Deet! One of my colleagues found that they couldn't bite through the life jackets on the boats but that was about it! Pack long socks - you often need to tuck your trousers (pants) into your socks to help stop bugs biting your legs!

Suggestions

If you don'tmind roughing it a bit and coping with a fair bit of travelling, go for it! The wildlife including a huge variety of birds is amazing and Exodus do take you off the beaten track where there are very few other humans or tourists so you get exclusive access to the wildlife.

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