Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling with turtles, sea lions and the most enormous shoals of dinner plate sized fish. The sea lions in particular were great fun – swimming towards you at the speed of a torpedo, you think a collision is inevitable and then at the last minute they dive underneath you. I’m sure they loved the look of panic on our faces! The turtles were completely unbothered by our presence and in some places were so plentiful you had to be careful you didn’t kick them in the face.Another memorable occasion was watching the seals at night chasing fish round the boat – the speed at which they can change direction is quite amazing.And I can’t fail to mention the famous Blue Footed Boobies – truly as stupid as their reputation.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two group leaders – Danny in the Amazon and Juan in the Galapagos. Both were excellent. Juan in particular was very entertaining – we knew he was a bit of a joker from the moment he pretended to mistake a rock for a giant tortoise.

Advice for Potential Travellers

AmazonDon’t expect to see much wildlife in the Amazon – there are too many trees in the way! It is an experience that I enjoyed but I was expecting to see far more than we actually did. Most exotic birds were viewed through binoculars and the giant otters proved frustratingly elusive – although another group did see them. However, gently gliding along creeks listening to the call of the howler monkeys was still special.It’s a good idea to take a small fold up bag so that you can leave some of your Galapagos clothes at the hotel when you go to the Amazon. You won’t need them in the Amazon and it will save them getting damp in the humid conditions.You will need to wear long sleeved shirts and long trousers every day in the Amazon – although the bugs weren’t annoying.GalapagosOn the boat you will be barefoot most of the time while aboard – so the only footwear you really need is a pair of walking sandals and a pair of walking shoes.They will give you a swimming towel for the week, so there is no need to take one (but a small trek towel to take ashore to brush the sand off your feet is a good idea).The water is pretty chilly, even at the ‘warm’ time of year so I found a wetsuit essential.

Suggestions

If the planned Exodus flights are with Iberia, try to arrange your own flights. A truly awful airline! Unfortunately our flights were changed to Iberia at the last minute because United changed their schedule.

Most Inspirational Moment

The various snorkelling activities - each swim was a completely different experience with regard to the variety of marine life seen. The varied wildlife on each Galapagos Island - close encounters cannot be avoided as wildlife at times is almost underfoot.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Within the tour are two separate parts - each part we were allocated a guide, in particular we found Juan, our Galapagos guide really enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ensure you take/consider- anti bug spray for rainforest- ear plugs to reduce engine noise whilst sleeping on boat- we found hiring a wet suit on board the boat was necessary in order to snorkel for extended periods- take a spare bag so that you can leave luggage in Quito and travel lighter to Amazon and Galapagos- be vigilant with personal security when out and about in Quito

Suggestions

To enable you to get the most out of your time, be prepared for early starts and pretty full schedules.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip to the rain forest was majical from the moment we set foot on the moterised canoe - but seeing the Napo Centre from under our rain ponchoes was amaizing . The atmosaphire, accommodation and people at the Centre were all inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader in the Rain Forest was so enthustatic it was infectious, nothing was too much for her and she was always on the look out for us, made sure everyone saw what she saw!!The Leader in the Galapados was good but lacked the enthusiam.

Advice for Potential Travellers

GoIt is not as warm as you might expect in the GalapagosThe trip to the Cloud Forest was worth going on.Take a safety belt for money especially in Quito.

Suggestions

Great Holiday but pity about the 11 flights we seem to have spent a lot of time at  Guayaquil airport!!                             Don't take Tavellers Cheques - NO ONE acceps them.The market in Quito is great especially if you enjoy bargening.- get most of your presents to take home there.

Most Inspirational Moment

watching the giant otters in the Anangu creek, and snorkelling in the 'turtle garden' at Fernandina Island.

Thoughts on Group Leader

All good.  The leader in Napo (the Amazon basin) was outstanding. The leader in Quito was a mine of interesting local chat on political and social subjects.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

The schedule is focussed on the Amazon basin and the Galapagos, but Quito itself is also a treat.  It has a charming colonial old town, some wonderfully over-decorated baroque churches, as well as some good museums (the Museo Casa del Alabado is not the most famous, but should not be overlooked).  The local guide organised a morning tour of Quito, which was good, but is very brief.  Bear in mind that Quito is high (>2,800 m, and >4,000 m at the top of the cable car), so take it easy and allow a day or two extra.   Get up early to visit; the best weather seems to last no more than the morning. Rain and thunderstorms punctuated every afternoon.  It is also worth considering the optional excursion to the cloud forest, if only for the variety of humming birds, although there is much more to be seen -  provided it is not too cloudy.  This is normally a day tour, and slightly unsatisfactory as it is a 2.5 h drive each way, and one arrives too late for the best of the weather and the bird-spotting.  One couple solved this by arranging to spend the night there in the interval between the Napo valley and the Galapagos.  A number of us thought that Exodus is missing a trick by not offering this as an extra.

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling with sealions and hammerhead sharks!

Thoughts on Group Leader

It's worth noting for exodus veterans, that there is no group leader. Whilst someone meets you at Quito and you have guides in the Amazon and the Galapagos, these guides are simply responsible for that component of the trip. In that respect it doesn't feel like an Exodus trip. Our guide Lena in the Amazon was outstanding but Sylvia on the Catchalote was rude and unhelpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

People said time and time again to take it easy in Quito but really do! My friends and I (all fit and healthy) all struggled with the altitude.It's not included in the trip, but when in Quito take the opportunity to visit the cloud forest. Another opportunity to see a different part of the place and more and different wildlife.When asking Exodus staff before leaving whether there was room for full luggage on the Catchalote, I was assured that there was. There is...but only just. The rooms are tiny (which isn't a problem when there as you spend so little time in your cabin) but if possible enable yourself to take only what you need.Be careful in Quito - a member of our group had her bag slashed on a bus. 

Suggestions

It might be expensive but it's worth it

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting comfortable with snorkelling which gave me the opportunity to snorkel with penguins, a white tipped shark, turtles and a multitude of fish. Hearing howler monkeys in the rainforest (we got to see them too on  the canoe trips), seeing the colourful birds at the clay lick. Seeing a large pod of dolphins hunting just before sunset, seeing whale sharks right next to our boat and seeing just how unconcerned the Galapagos wildlife is about the presence of humans. Taking the cable car in Quito up to 4100m and not having any major problems with the altitude, which opened up a number of trip destinations for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Estoban (Quito), Patti (Napo), Juan (Galapagos Islands) were all excellent, well organised and enthusiastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take it easy the first few days in Quito, it can take a while to get used to the altitude, I felt lightheaded on a couple of occasions but nothing that some slow deep breathes couldn't fix.Take plenty of $1 and $5 bills for taxis and small purchases as getting change might be a problem with higher denomination notes.Use plenty of sun block when snorkelling, especially on your legs.Our flights back from Napo and the Galapagos Islands all ran to time so there was plenty of time to go on some of the optional excursions, allow for this in your budget.The cabins on the Cachalote are quite small so try and avoid taking huge bags/cases, you can always leave items in storage at the hotel in Quito. You can also get laundry done at Napo and at the hotel in Quito.Take more camera memory than you think you'll need, you wouldn't want to run out! It's also worth taking a second camera in case anything happens to the first one.

Suggestions

A lot of early mornings but you can always catch up on sleep when you get home!

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling with sea lions coming over to investigate & 'play' with these strangely inflexible wetsuited humans. With penguins cormorants & sea turtles all swimming past completely unconcerned.A feeding frienzy all around the dinghy with Pelicans & Blue footed Boobies dive bombing into the shoals of fish & Noddy's waiting for the small fry to spill out of the Pelicans pouch, all unconcerned with our presence. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

As there is no overall leader for this trip, I would consider the guides in the 2 locations to be the leaders & both were excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!

Suggestions

The trip notes should make it clearer that providing flights are on time there is time to have 2 separate full days of optional activities in the Quito area as well as 2 half days. So time for Cotopaxi, cloud forest, Equator, City tour & cable car. Who wants to sit in a hotel room!!

Most Inspirational Moment

On our final full day we were travelling between Isabella and Santiago. The trip had already been far more than I had wished for. We had seen the many changing faces of the islands and several of their charismatic inhabitants such as the inquisitive sea-lions, ancient tortoises, slovenly marine iguanas and the downright ridiculous blue footed boobies. The islands had decided however they would throw us yet another surprise. As our boat the Cachalote broke the waves, rocking back and forth in the now familiar rhythm, a cry was heard from our guide Darwin - "dolphins!". As the sight I had seen so many times in nature documentaries of dorsal fins breaking the waves became more and more numerous, the excitement grew. Suddenly one of the pod broke the waves and revealed itself to the boat load of gasping tourists. They then began to ride the bow wave of the boat occasionally leaning sideways and eying the smiling faces almost falling over the sides of the boat trying to capture a glimpse. Fully lost in the moment and mesmerized by the sight of the creatures it took a while for Darwin's comment to actually register, "OK, so we can try and swim with them if your grab your stuff". As the words sunk in I left the side of the boat and ran to grab my snorkel, mask and flippers. Within what seemed like a few seconds about half of our group were aboard the small panga boats and gliding along the surface of the ocean surrounded by our new friends now riding the much less impressive bow wave of the panga. We slowed and the cry of ‘GO’ was heard from Darwin. I let go of the side of the boat and rolled backwards, met with the usual sight of a mass of bubbles which cleared quickly to reveal the far more unusual sight of 4 dolphins staring straight at me. Three of them slowly swam into the blue whilst one, holding what seemed to be some sort of starfish or sea sponge in its mouth came closer as if to show me its prize. After exchanging eye contact for what seemed like an eternity it turned too and swam into the blue. Our group then slowly swam after the dolphins who occasionally turned, swam past us and then away again as if almost expressing surprise in our clear inability to swim with any sort of gracefulness. Eventually the pod, which in total must have consisted of between 20-30 individuals, began to disappear into the distance. We then climbed back aboard the pangas and once the engine was running and we were again surrounded by dolphins. Again we dived in, exchanging glances and momentarily forgetting the endlessness of the blue beneath us. This routine was repeated about 5 times until we were truly exhausted and had taken on a good few pints of sea water. We returned to the Cachalote. As we began once again to sail, the pod resumed riding the bow wave and glancing at us for another 5 minutes or so as if to wave us off. Then one by one they returned to the expanse of ocean to which they are so perfectly suited and I was left with one of the most moving experiences of my life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Darwin thankfully made a great first impression which was fully justified. As soon as we arrived on the Galapagos we were met by a smiling, enthusiastic and welcoming face. Throughout the trip he taught us much about the islands often derived from personal experiences and impossible to gain from the Internet, books or documentaries. It felt a very personalised tour. Darwin quickly realised the aspects of the islands that interested our group the most and talked more about these. This kind of treatment is what separates a great guide from a good guide. It was clear that he was as enthusiastic about the wildlife as we were and he seemed to love seeing our enjoyment of the islands as well. Darwin certainty had his work cut out living up to his name but it is a challenge he most certainly rose to and the trip would not have been half as enjoyable were it not for his knowledge and guidance throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Personally on the jungle portion of the trip I did not find long trousers necessary. The paths are well cut and maintained and the amount of actual trekking is minimal. I suppose insect numbers and weather conditions vary and it is certainty worth packing them but I found it much more comfortable to trek in shorts. Washing services are available in the jungle and Quito and easy enough to perform yourself on the boat so don't fill up your case with endless clothes. Bird/wildlife guides are a great idea to take. I have never been a twitcher but recording my sightings in the Galapagos gave me great enjoyment and I was thrilled with my final count of 176 species. The only other piece of advice I would offer is don't forget your camera charger and after-sun. Although if you do I am sure you can borrow from the group if they are as obliging as mine was.

Suggestions

Only that it was the trip of a lifetime. That is for now anyway but as I enjoyed it so much I am already researching other Exodus trips such as the Antarctic!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights, it's hard to pick out the ones to put here. The peacefull atmosphere of the Napo reserve, and the frog chorus that you fell asleep to every night. The amazing views across the jungle canopy from the observation tower were wonderfull. Seeing the Giant Otters was very special.The Galapagos Islands were stunning, each with their own character. To be able to view the wildlife so closely, was a real experiance. Snorkelling with Green Pacific Sea Turtles, Sea lions, Penguins and Cormorants were all amazing, and seeing the Blue Footed Boobies doing their courtship dance was also very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the Tour Guides were great. Stefan in Quito, Robby in Nappo and Juan in Galapagos were so knowledgeable and had such enthusiam. They looked after you very well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't just think about doing this trip, just do it! An amazing experiance awaits. High deet insect repellant required in Napo, and high factor sunscreen for Galapagos as the sun is so strong. Definately worth doing the cable car ride in Quito, the views are amazing from up the mountain. The Equator museum is also nice to do if you have a few hours to spare. Very informative and good fun.On a feminine note, if any lady travellers have long hair like me, take some leave in conditioner to save you hair turning to straw like mine! You can only use the bio-degradeable shampoo they provide, but you will find that all the sun and sea water will soon take it's toll!Also, if you have any nice white, or pale coloured clothes, I would advise against pegging them out on the metal ropes at the back of the boat, and many of us got rust stains on our washing!

Suggestions

At both sites, you were looked after so well. The meals were also fantastic, and I really don't know how the chef on Cachalote managed to cook such a huge amount of food from such a small kitchen! The 2 vegetarians on the boat were always well looked after too.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Amazon was easily the highlight of the trip. The accomodation at the lodge (Napo Wildlife Centre) was superb and the guides were of the highest quality. Particularly in the Amazon. It is difficult to highlight the best bits of the holiday. Everyday was different and I can't believe so much happened and I experienced so much in 3 weeks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I had numerous group leaders throughout my stay in Ecuador and all were very good. The Amazon guides are the best guides I have ever been with.On a more personal note the leader in Quito, Estaban, was fine as you would expect for the main part of the trip. However I extended my stay both at the start and end of the trip and Estaban was extremely helpful with giving local advice about backpacking opportunities and local tourist trips, sites and attractions. My luggage arrived late and when it arrived I was on a 2 day tour miles from the airport. Estaban, the Quito leader was able to collect my luggage from the airport on my behalf. He was clearly very passionate about Ecuador and his clients and when things go wrong (through no fault of exodus) he was able to go the extra step.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lots, firstly some possible myths. I spent 12 months researching the country and came across lots of advice indicating that Ecuador is a very dangerous country. I arrived a week after the shoot out between police and the presidents army in October 2010. There were no signs of any violence and after a couple of days settling in I felt very safe. Even walking around the streets alone.When the notes say Quito can get quite cold. They are telling the truth. Sometimes it felt freezing with temperatures as low as 5C although generally it was comfortable in pants and a long sleeve t shirt and fleece.In the Amazon you imagine lots and lots of insects and that may put people off. Yes there are lots of large insects and spiders (you can hear them all the time) but this should not put you off. It's not like you trip over them. The beds have mosquito nets so nothing gets in. There are literally thousands of ants, but they congregate together and you can easily see them and step over them. The lake at the lodge is of a make up that is safe for humans but which mosquito's can't stand. As a result the resort is almost completely free from mosquito's. We chose to do the easy walking routes through the Amazon which lasted around 2 to 3 hours, each at a very gentle pace. The paths were clear and easy to navigate alllowing you to look at the wildlife rather than watching every step. The wildlife is very well camouflaged and whilst if you blink you will miss something the guides were always pointing something out. You need binoculars to get the most out of the Amazon.Learn Spanish, a little bit of Spanish will go a long way as they (the locals) do not speak very good English. I bought a teach your self DVD for £ 10 ish and got on fine. It enhanced my holiday experience.Do some research on Ecuador and if you can afford to stay a little longer it is deffinately worth it. The cloud forest was particularly exceptional. It was not advertised in the Exodus brochure and I feel they should at least offer it as an optional extension. I heard about Bellavista Mindo Cloud forrest through a popular travel guide book. I asked if exodus could book a trip in advance. They emailed me several different trips with itineries and prices. Exodus booked everything from the UK and it went like clockwork. I would recommend the 2 day trip because the bird life is very lively at sun rise (cost was around £ 200.00 all inclusive for my trip).The advice regarding how much to tip varied a lot. I still don't know what the right tip percentage should be. I would just be aware that you may tip more or less than the Exodus brochure recommends.I spent around £ 70 on malaria tablets (Malorone) which was the most expensive and I think the yellow fever was about £ 40. I was never asked to show the yellow fever certificate. That was my only medical expense (plus suncream)Jet lag and altitude sickness varies from person to person. I felt some jet lag but it did not effect my enjoyment of the holiday. Everyone in our group was aware that the altitude was effecting them but for us it was never a problem and walking at normal pace was OK.Local food is pork and chicken usually served with corn or rice and whilst I personally will eat anything that is put on a plate. There was nothing extreme and if you are a (can I say) difficult eater you will not have any problems in Ecuador. On the galapogas trip, some of the group had special dietary requirements and I was worried I would be eating soup the whole time. The chef was superb and everyone was well catered for with a large variety of food for everybody. That said if you want to try different foods, they have fruits that are not just better than in the UK but not available in the UK. A potato and cheese soup is a local speciality which I would recommend you ask for. Others include Mura Juice and a fruit called Grenade fruit (it's yellow about the size of a large orange but breaks open very easily and contains seeds much like our passion fruit.

Suggestions

I took a night flight and arrived in the morning which is what I would do again if I went back.I had a 2 day trip to Bellavista Cloud Forest to see the humingbirds which was excellent. Panaramic views of mountains covered in forest was also excellent.I went on a day trip to Cotopaxi and a local market which was excellent (the local leader helped me arrange this on the last minute, I deliberately left it late to see how I handled the altitude).On the first day of arrival our group ascended the cable car which they advised was enjoyable but exhausting because of the altitiude on there first day (I was at Cotopaxi that day).I first met the group on the day we flew out to the Amazon.On the free day after returnign from the Amazon we had the city tour which finished at around 11.30AM, had lunch at the hotel then me and 2 others went to the Equator line exhibition. It was very touristy as you would expect but the part around the corner (ask the guide and then ask locally) was much smaller but worth every minute. You go in and a guide will greet you and give you a 40 minute tour with experiments that seam like magic and give you an insight into the local life of years gone by and also the Amazon local life. The taxi driver (booked from hotel) waited in the car park for us and was excellent. In the evening I went to a football match (not organised through exodus, spur of the moment from a friend I met) south american cup quarter final. The atmosphere was amazing and there was no trouble. It may be possible to organise this through the hotel, the ticket was $6 and the football shirt on the stands outside was $5. All paid for on the day.Galapogas trip was amazing, the notes don't tell you about the excellent food on board and doesn't tell you that actually there is a certain pleasure in riding the big ocean waves in a very small boat. It was certainly interesting trying to take showers whilst on the move. The Galapogas part of the trip is pretty much exactly as described in the trip notes and there is not much I can add. Your hands reach for the camera all the time.After Galapogas I went to Otavalo for 2 days and this was very good (more so because I took the local bus and stayed in a run down hostel that didn't speak any English to try and get a true traveller experience) and the town was nice and friendly and small (especially when compared to Quito which is huge). The Market was very good (it wasn't even market day). There was a parade which made the trip extra special. Although Otavalo was a good experience it didn't have any special charm and I wouldn't go overly out of my way to see it. If you likle markets you'll like Otavalo.Overall I was very glad I did what I could in Ecuador, the country has so much to offer that I could have spent an extra week there easily.