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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334 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviewed March 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

A poncho, binoculars, camera and a change of underpants is really all you need for this trip (the first three are essential, the last one is optional!) If you like wildlife you will love this trip and when I say wildlife, I mean accessible wildlife everywhere you look. If you sit by your lodge at any of the places you stay at you will see wildlife passing you by and if you are really lucky you might even get a bat in your shower.There are some long drives but plenty of opportunities to stop and also to shout out what you have seen out of the window – SCARLET MACAW! TOUCAN! etc etc.The accomodation is excellent and many of the lodges you stay in are on the edges of the rain forest and there are so many trails to discover. The noises at night are amazing. My first night back in England I wondered what was wrong and why I could not sleep – it was too quiet!

Most Inspirational Moment

Rather surprisingly, a bird watching moment! I am no twitcher and so be honest birds have never really done it for me in the wildlife stakes. That was before I saw a Quetzal - what a beautiful creature. It was worth standing for an hour and cricking my next and thinking "I am sure those two feather sticking out from the hole in the tree have been put there by the Costa Rican tourist board and there is in fact no bird in that hole." When the bird flew out I could not believe what I was seeing - his mohican hair do and his beautiful green and red plummage. Even better was the fact that all the "profession" twitchers had given up for the evening and gone home and so it was only a select few of us that enjoyed that wonderful moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was excellent and his knowledge of Costa Rica was amazing. He enthused about his country and his knowledge of wildlife was incredible.There was no such things as a daft question (although I am sure we asked many) and he made a great effort to book optional trips for us. The tour finished on the Friday afternoon but we did not fly out until 11pm (ish) on the Saturday. Despite not being on the itinerary he took us in to San Jose for a walk around on the Friday afternoon and arranged trips for those of us who wanted to go out on the Saturday. He went above and beyond the call of duty.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Poncho, poncho, poncho. Invest in one of these as when it does rain you will be glad you did - not only does it cover you, it covers your backpack too.Don't forget your camera. If you have been thinking about investing in an upgrade with a good lens, do it before this holiday as the photo opportunities are endless.Torch - don't forget to take one with you so you can spot all the frogs, snakes and tarantulas at night!

Reviewed March 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

A wonderful tour of the beautiful country of Costa Rica, taking in amazing scenery and wildlife. This trip is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many wildlife highlights, including seeing sloths, monkey troops and unusual creatures on a night walk such as the kinkajou. Going dolphin watching, snorkelling and then watching the sun set on a afternoon/evening boat trip. The Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was also a highlight as the hospitality and location were great and it was a 'wilder' experience than some of the other destinations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Gustavo and he was excellent - so friendly and enthusiastic, and clearly very proud of his country. He was very knowledgeable on plants, birds and other wildlife, and gave a great insight into Costa Rican culture and history while travelling between destinations. Always very organised and on time and went above and beyond. Our driver Orlando was also great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for early starts to get the most out of each day! Take a decent camera with sufficient zoom as there is plenty to see and take photos of. As a fairly fussy eater I was slightly concerned about the food but I was pleasantly surprised and found it all really good - plenty of fresh fruit, and lovely coffee! Definitely do the zip-lining, the night walks, the boat trip at Manuel Antonio, and the visit to the organic farm in the Arenal area, they are extra excursions but were all great.

Reviewed March 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

Fabulous. First day on the road, our driver (the excellent Orlando) spotted five sloths in one tree – and that set the tone for the wildlife extravaganza to follow. Landscapes, experiences and accommodation were so varied that it was like (as others have said) a series of wonderful mini-holidays.

Most Inspirational Moment

Esquinas - proper jungle with a soundtrack to match. Second choice, a rhinoceros beetle bigger than the average hamster!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gustavo was superb. Helpful, informative, conscientious and endlessly patient with the constant stream of questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We had a virtually rain-free holiday which makes a huge difference, whether you're out looking for wildlife or relaxing by the pool. We did hear that some tours have experienced a lot of rain and I would definitely advise travelling during the dry season if you can. Also, be prepared for early starts - you'll miss some great wildlife spotting if you don't get into the early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine

Reviewed February 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA - fantastic!

The first time I have used Exodus (or any organised tour), This holiday lived up to all my expectations. Costa Rica is a beautiful country and DCR allows you to see a great cross-section – the two different Coastlines, rainforest, cloud forest, meeting local people, and of course lots of wildlife – day and night time, and a lot of birding. The accommodation was very good, the food delicious and lots of. It is a leisurely paced trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Ooh, tough question. I loved every moment of it - even the cold, wet cloud forest of Monteverde!!! - the zip lining was fantastic fun!! Tortuguero - even though we were not there for turtle season, and Esquinas Rainforest Lodge is a special place - make sure you go on the guided nightwalk . Relaxing with cocktails in the hot thermal springs near Arenal, stunning sunset in Manuel Antoinio..... the list is endless. Seeing and photographing the Resplendant Quetzal and his partner together in San Gerado de Dota was a special moment. Being with a fantastic tour group made the trip even better.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Allan Vargas. He was great. Very personable, funny, full of information, very enthustiastic and keen to share his knowledge and the country he loves. Our driver, Geraldo, although had limited English, was excellent. Felt very safe with him a the wheel, and he had a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you bring as good a camera as you can afford, along with the biggest lens - I had 300mm and I would say that is the minimum. That said don't worry if you only have a compact camera, you'll still get amazing photos (and you can take it ziplining...) and you can also photograh anything seen through the guide's telescope (so you may get better photos than those of us with slrs!!) Binoculars are very very helpful too.Just enjoy the views, dont' get hung up on getting photos of everything or you may end up missing it in the first place!!

Reviewed February 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

This was one of the best holidays we’ve ever had – the wealth and variety of experience was breathtaking! We couldn’t believe how much wildlife we saw against the backdrop of a truly beautiful country, and the structure of the holiday (2 days in each of 6 contrasting locations, from coast to cloud forest, topped and tailed by a day in San Jose at each end) made the trip feel like 6 full-on, action packed weekend breaks.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many! Probably the most stunning moment was the suspension bridge walk through the top of the tree canopy in Monteverde Cloud Forest, which also, as a bonus, began and ended in a hummingbird garden. To look down on primary forest from above rather than peering up from below, to see the vastness of the plants and trees and to realise a lot of the time you couldn't actually see the ground, was an almost spiritual experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Antonio, was fabulous! He was the font of all knowledge and appeared to know the answer to every question asked of him, delivering vast quantities of information with a wonderful combination of patience and humour. His enthusiasm and pride for his country took him way beyond the call of duty - he took us on extra walks in pretty well every location we visited, just to show us more of the natural wealth of Costa Rica.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Packing light is easy - laundry services in all the locations are excellent!

Reviewed February 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

Birds, animals, plants, landscapes, beaches and of course birds. You will see more than you can ever expect on the boat trips and walks from 0-10,000ft. Don’t forget the binoculars and camera but most of all don’t forget to just watch and absorb the diversity.

Most Inspirational Moment

After watching and photographing all the different hummingbirds at such close range; seeing toucans, scarlet macaws, 4 species of monkeys, 3 and 2 toed sloths, iguanas, bats, crab eating raccoons and a coati run toward us at Monteverde; plus the red eyed frogs and large caimans at night: it must be a small group of us coming together to see a pair of quetzals feeding in the trees at close range on a free afternoon.

Thoughts on Group Leader

There wasn't a wasted moment in the 2 weeks with Antonio giving clear guidance and assistance. We thought that his knowledge of birds was good until we found out his specialism is plants. He was flexible and did all he could to meet everyone's interests, rescheduling as necessary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only a few showers going in the dry season, but miss the turtles. Brilliant time to go for birds as rain is not a problem. Quite a variation in temperature from a few degrees first thing in the morning at altitude to hot and humid near Golfito. Travelling on the dirt tracks is not too uncomfortable. Local food is good simple fare and not expensive, with restaurant owners very pleased to see you. The Costa Rican's are very friendly, there's no hassle and you don't need to speak Spanish.

Reviewed February 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

A great trip, particularly if you are a bird watcher or photographer. We saw most of this facinating country from the coasts to the cloud forests so plenty of variety and also lots of free time to do optional activities or just chill out by the pool. All the hotels are really nice – look out for the ‘bath towel art’ made by the chambermaids at most of them.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hot springs at La Fortuna - what's not to like about an evening in a hot bath with a cocktail. Also the night walks when you can see some of Costa Rica's smallest and more poisonous inhabitants.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader - Allan - was absolutely great. Not only the most organised leader ever but also has fantastic knowledge of his countries history and nature. Also must mention Heraldo, our bus driver. he was a fantastic driver and a real laugh.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Costa Rica isn't a cheap place - be prepared to get your credit card out if you want to do the optional activities. If you are a photographer take your longest lens for the birds as they are often a long way away. Other essentials are binoculars/telescope, waterproofs and a decent torch ( so you don't tread on anything on the way back to your room!)

Reviewed February 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

We saw a beautiful and very varied landscape and a wide range of wildlife on this well organised and balanced trip, alternating between hot and humid areas and more temperate zones with optional opportunities for extra adventure. Our excellent and very knowledgeable group leader managed the needs of the mixed age group very well, arranging extra activities often to break our journeys, guiding us to good restaurants and helping us to get the most out of the excellent forest lodges or hotels we stayed in.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably seeing the Quetzal making a nest en route to the Savegre Forest but there were many other good moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have any difficulty walking on slippery ground or climbing steep slopes, take a walking pole or two. I had an arthroscopy for a torn cartilage last April and still have knee pain but managed the forest walks without problem using a walking pole. Some of the steps were steep but there was always someone from the group to help pull me up and we could go at our own pace. I didn't do the walk to the Fortuna waterfall down and up 500 steps in case it ruined the rest of the holiday for me but I did enjoy walking around Fortuna town with my camera instead.

Reviewed January 2013