Reviews

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

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43 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Eleanor Freckleton

Reviewed May 2016

South Africa Walking and Wildlife

I had booked this holiday because of the variety of activities on offer and it didn’t disappoint. My main interest was the hillwalking and this was superb in all locations, however I found the safari part of the holiday just as enjoyable. The sights we saw, such as the cloud inversion at God’s Window, were also stunning.

Most Inspirational Moment

All of the walks offered something unique and I enjoyed them all. I was surprised by how lush the countryside was in Swaziland and it was a very picturesque walk. The scenery and views in the Drakensberg were stunning and all of the walks here were excellent. I particularly enjoyed our scrambling up the Crack. Unfortunately we were not able to go up the chain ladders to the top of the amphitheatre due to high winds. Our guide made the right call on this one but we still managed to get some spectacular views from the viewpoint slightly further down. The whole Drakensberg experience was awe inspiring, helped by the location of our lodge in the Royal Natal National Park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our main leader Andy was outstanding. He has a fantastic personality, which really helped to bolster our group spirit, and he was also passionate about all the activities and very hard-working throughout the trip. He was a great help to me personally when I needed medical attention halfway during the trip. Andy was assisted ably by Colly and David. Nothing was too much bother for them and they did everything with a smile.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes are very informative. I would also add that walking poles would be very useful, albeit not essential. I think the walking part of the trip is fairly graded as a 3. The walks are not overly long, but do require a reasonable level of fitness. There was also a fair degree of scrambling required on our second last walk. I would reiterate previous reviews about some long transfers on the minibus. A good supply of reading materials and music kept me occupied. However, I personally would not change the itinerary as each of our stopovers had something unique to offer.

Suggestions

I can't praise this holiday highly enough. We had a great group spirit and one of the most enjoyable things for me was simply the companionship each night after the day's activities. Our nights round the campfire at the private game reserve are particularly memorable. Add to this an action-packed itinerary with splendid walking and sightseeing opporunities and it truly was a spectacular holiday.

Anthony Negus

Reviewed February 2016

walking and wildlife

The whole trip was fantastic. The only downside was the failure to inform the leader of my requirement for a gluten free diet. I don’t think Ende had even heard of the condition, but, when it was explained to him he coped brilliantly even to the extent of preparing my main dish separately.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing elephants in the wild for the first time is always a thrill. I have seen them on several occasions but it is always a thrill.The lodges at Royal Natal park and in Swaziland together with the views were something special

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ende was fantastic he organized everything brilliantly. I would happily go with him again, also I cannot speak to highly of Collie and Marco who were very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for this one

Suggestions

Make sure the people on the ground know about special diets.

Lauren Sable

Reviewed February 2016

South Africa Walking & Wildlife

We booked this trip for our Honeymoon, it was something we always wanted to do and we enjoy trekking.
We said we would keep a very open mind when getting to South Africa as we didn’t expect to see a lot of animals or didn’t know what to expect with the accommodation.
Well, we were completely blown away with what we saw on this trip, within the first evening on the safari we saw Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalo, Impala and Wildebeest.
The accommodation was very good, clean and tidy. Our favourite place we stayed was Mtomeni Safari camp in Letaba Ranch Reserve, this was the true safari experience for us. There was no electricity so bring your torch, sat round the fire, taken back to our tent in the evening by a guide with a riffle just in case we had an unexpected visitor!!. Waking up in the morning to site of the beautiful river with some monkey playing outside of tent was brilliant!
Kruger Park was not as touristy as we thought it would be, the camp sites were really good and the showering facilities were very clean. Seeing all the animals so close to our van was incredible. It was almost like the animals were just as interested in us as we were in them!
The walking comes later in the trip mainly, the mountains were breath-taking. The scenery surrounding our accommodation was amazing. Drakensberg is such a beautiful place and easily somewhere you could go back in the future for more walks.

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlight of the trip was seeing Elephants walking in a line, crossed the road with their young (who kept looking back at us) it just fantastic and something I only dreamed I was see. It totally made our trip and was a dream come true! Also the safari game walk was a brilliant activity. Our guides Craig and Edwin were brilliant and very friendly. We tracked a giraffe then saw it in the distance. It was great to learn so much from him and being in the bush on foot was amazing an experience we will never forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Ende and he was absolutely incredible as were our 2 other guides Colly and Marco. They were all very knowledgeable on the animals, birds, trees, plants etc we saw and could identify every we saw (even when we were quite far away!) The meals were excellent and so tasty, every meal was different. We really enjoyed their company and are hoping to stay in touch in the future. Anyone who gets these 3 guys as guides will be very lucky and are sure to have an amazing time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The drives can be very long on some days driving to different places so maybe take a book or something to occupy yourself. However the guides have a library on the van with lots of wildlife/birds etc which you are welcome to read.

Suggestions

This trip is two holidays in one, with the safari and trekking, the trekking mainly comes in the second half when you head for the mountains. Due to the weather being so hot our walks we a little limited but only for our safety. This trip really is something special so definitely do not hesitate to book this one!!

Denise Hooper

Reviewed November 2015

South Africa Walking and Wildlife

I loved the variety of this trip. The accommodation ranged from lodges to mountain huts to tents. The activities covered day hikes and game drives. The scenery went from cool mountain plateaus to hot lowlands to lovely beaches. The organisation was streamlined.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the Sentinal track was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both our group leaders, David and Andrew, were all we could wish for - happy, thoughtful, efficient and caring. Collie was a quick learner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take fewer clothes, a good zoom lens camera and good binoculars.

Suggestions

I'd recommend this trip to everyone.

Lisa Hutchison

Reviewed November 2015

South African Walking Safari

This trip has the perfect blend of hiking and wildlife.
Without exception the walks were stunning, and the game viewing in Karongwe and Kruger plentiful and awe-inspiring.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being only a few metres from an adult male lion in Karongwe. He had his back to us, but would look round every now and again, not at all bothered by our prescence. The endless views in the Drakensburg, from the imposing amphitheatre to that 'top of the world' feeling at Sentinel Peak.

Thoughts on Group Leader

David, Andrew and Coli achieved legendary status in my eyes. I have never known one guide work so hard to ensure a trip runs smoothly, let alone three! Pitching and striking tents, preparing all our delicious meals, and driving us thousands of kilometres so we could see so much of this beautiful country, all the while providing great company and humour along the way. Give them all a medal.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can't stand the heat, don't travel in November.

Suggestions

I genuinely don't think I can top this trip, but I'll continue to travel the world trying. ;-)

Patricia Noble

Reviewed August 2015

South African Walking Safari Aug 2015

A fantastic trip which gave us a some highlights of South Africa. We really enjoyed the Drakensberg area and especially loved the chain ladders! Walking in the indigenous forest was a great experience. We enjoyed the 2 nights in Swaziland as the area was very scenic and the walking good. Visiting the Karongwe and Kruger was so worthwhile – we saw so many animals, birds and plants. Our day on the beach at Cape Vidal was great fun and we loved the big waves and the white sand, a real opportunity to relax at the half way point

Most Inspirational Moment

The early morning walking safari in Karongwe Private Reserve was really amazing: we had a close encounter with rhino and learnt so much about plants and animals. My highlight though was the evening driven safari, also in Karongwe, where we left the vehicle to watching a cheetah eat her kill, standing just a few feet away, we watched for 10 minutes - totally incredible! We also saw 2 porcupines and a civet in the headlights. Wow!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ende (Andy) and David were fantastic! They were both so enthusiastic and worked so hard to give us an amazing holiday experience. Ende's cooking was fantastic, every meal was tasty, well prepared and vegetarians well catered for. Both were very knowledgeable about the animals and plants we saw and we had interesting discussions about some of the local customs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take books/Kindle to occupy yourself during the long drives. Some of the walking in the Drakensberg may worry vertigo sufferers but there was nothing technically difficult. Rehydration tablets/sachets useful on very hot walking days ( it was much hotter than we expected)

Suggestions

Go for it!!

Michael John

Reviewed August 2015

South African Walking Safari

Fantastic trip. Such a variation of landscape and scenery.
From wide open prairie, rainforest jungle and wild bushland to golden sand beaches, the Indian Ocean and souring mountains… we had it all. Oh, and too many wild life encounters along the way to actually list here in this short review.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean at St Lucia.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leaders were just fantastic. Really nice guys. This being a camping/lodge/cabin based kind of trip meant that we had two guides, David and Endi, but we also a third in Coli who was learning the ropes. The three guys were knowledgeable about pretty much everything and the amount of stuff that they did each day to make sure that the trip ran to plan and everyone was happy was just phenomenal. Two solid weeks of driving, guiding, setting up camp and cooking and they were still smiling at the end.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for all seasons. We went in July, end of winter in SA. I almost didn't take up on the advice of packing a 3/4 season sleeping, but I was glad that I did. The nights got cold, but during the day it was warm enough for t shirt and shorts. We even laid around on the beach and splashed around in the Indian Ocean for a day before heading up into Drakensberg where we had a little sleet and snow. It all added to the fantastic contrast of the two weeks though.

Phyllis Ryan

Reviewed July 2015

My wonderful walking safari

This trip was fantastic. The guides, David and Ende were very knowledgeable, and excellent cooks!! They had a trainee, Colly, with them who knew a lot about tracking and local knowledge. We saw so many animals. It was wonderful to see them in their natural surroundings. I really enjoyed the walks, which were varied. However, the weather, and time beat us on Sentinel Peak, which was disappointing, but it is expected as it’s winter in South Africa at the moment. A truly wonderful trip. I recommend it wholeheartedly!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to mention. I loved everything!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leaders were all great. very good communicators, and excellent cooks!! All were very knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a very rocky climb on Sentinel Peak.

Julie Beauley

Reviewed April 2015

South African Walking Safari

This was an amazing holiday, we packed so much in and saw so much it will be difficult to choose a highlight. The guides were very good and made sure we were happy, safe, well fed and enjoyed every minute.

Most Inspirational Moment

We actually saw the big five as well as seeing a black Rhino which was fantastic and totally unexpected. We were up close and personal to all the animals and we saw some amazing and rare birdlife which was a bonus.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was very passionate and knowledgable about his country and what it contained, from the smallest of grasses to the biggest of animals. He was able to answer any questions we had and he made sure we packed as much in to the time we had.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long drives in the bus, it is very comfortable and well worth the time spent as we covered a lot of ground and saw a lot of the country. Early mornings are also part of the trip this is to ensure you see and do as much as possible while you are there.

Suggestions

This is my third trip with Exodus and once again they have allowed me to see and do things I would not be able to see and do if I tried to do this independantly. I am already looking in to my next trip with them.

Roger Reeves

Reviewed September 2014

SOUTH AFRICAN WALKING SAFARI

Having walked in every continient and completed 11 Exodus trip I feel reasonably well qualified to judge that three of the walks we did on the trip should be included in anyones top day walks of the world. Knowledgeable local staff had the language skills for me to learn more about African wildlife on this trip than two previous safaris. This trip comes very highly recommended by me.