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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14375 Reviews
4.7 out of
5
Reviews
Stephen Gosling
Reviewed May 2019
Vietnamese
This trip lived up to what it promised from the start to the end. It was excellent value for money and provided a real insight into this wonderful country and it’s people. Our group consisted of 16 people, some couples, some travelling independently with a range of ages from the UK, USA and Spain. By the end of the two weeks we were all good friends. The weather started pleasantly warm, although very cloudy, in the north and steadily became hotter and sunnier the further south we travelled. Our group leader Anh Tran, who we knew as Viet, also helped to make this trip special as he worked hard throughout to provide us with information and guidance about the places we visited.
Most Inspirational Moment
Cycling through the Vietnamese traffic in Hue was daunting but very rewarding once we had survived unscathed. This was due to the support of the additional leader and Viet who ensured the group were able to safely negotiate the large number of scooters and other vehicles which weaved their way around us.
The visit to the Cu Chi tunnels was also fascinating and it was good to hear about the Vietnam War from a different perspective and witness the conditions that these people had to live in.
Seeing the good nature of the Vietnamese people and how they make the most from the limited resources they possess makes you realise how fortunate we are.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Viet was full of enthusiasm and was always keen to share his extensive knowledge of his country and it's culture to the group or to individuals. As we travelled from place to place Viet had everything in place at the right time ensuring the smooth running of the trip. He even provided us with additional hand written notes of recommended places to visit or eat in our spare time. Throughout he displayed a great sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The train was a really good experience and although the noise and movement of the train was not an issue we did find the beds were very hard and the day that followed very long,
Peter Loughridge
Reviewed May 2019
An excellent introduction to Japan.
We have always wanted to visit Japan and this trip gave us a wonderful opportunity to visit the cities, rural areas, travel by train, experience Japanese cuisine and, best of all, explore by bike.
The itinerary was varied and interesting. Onsens (hot baths) have to be experienced and helped relieve tired and aching muscles at the end of the day.
We stayed in a mixture of modern hotels and the more traditional ryokans with tatami mats and futons.
The Japanese people we met were always polite, pleasant and helpful.
This was a travel experience like no other. Just do it.
Most Inspirational Moment
Arriving at the first ryokan and learning how to observe Japanese customs in this environment.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very well organised and efficient. Perhaps a little shy at first but this passed as the trip progressed and his confidence in dealing with the group developed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring a fairly large backpack as there are two separate days when you don’t have access to your suitcase.
Keep your evening wear to a minimum as many of the hotels and ryokans provide a yukata (a casual summer kimono).
Be prepared for rain and low temperatures.
Very little fruit available generally and virtually none at breakfast.
David Hughes
Reviewed May 2019
Everest Base Camp - a journey to heaven!
This trip met and exceeded my expectations by miles! I have never seen scenery so beautiful in my life , it was truly wow! It was the hardest thing (trek wise ) I have ever done and breathing at times in the higher parts was tough but it was more than compensated by the experience.
A big shout out to Bikash T ( TNT190427) who was a brilliant leader and encouraged us a long the way and ensured we paced ourselves the result of which we all made it to Base Camp! His team were all brilliant too!
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Base Camp after such a long journey to get there. I never thought in my lifetime I would see this and it literally took my breath away and was very emotional when I arrived!
Thoughts on Group Leader
As stated above Bikash was a great leader and was certainly always reassuring me whenever I had any nervous moments and was easy to talk to and great sense of humour too !
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not underestimate how tough this trip is. The more preparation you put into this , the more you will enjoy it. It is worth it!
Also , it gets expensive to buy snacks the further you go up, I would recommend bringing energy bars etc from home it save you money.
And, finally , when the leader says pace yourself , take notice, as walking too fast is not a good idea at that altitude!
Gina Crowcroft
Reviewed May 2019
Great concept but, on this occasion, poorly delivered
The basic trip concept is excellent. However, a group of 16 with only 1 main group leader was wholly inadequate – it meant that we had a lot of wasted time hanging around for the slowest person and our itinerary was unilaterally changed by the tour leader to ensure that the needs of the slowest person out of 16 was met. Unfortunately this meant that 15 out of 16 people were left short changed and did not get what they paid for.
Additionally, most days we were rushed to ensure that the group lunched at a specific restaurant off the wall. Given that people would have signed up for this trip due to an interest in the Wall it seems strange that we were always being rushed everyday to get off the Wall. This meant that most days we could not linger and savour the amazing views nor take our time to get that non-touristy photo!
We also had itinerary changes due to local factors. Whilst it is appreciated that these are unavoidable the revised itineraries, each time, resulted in less trekking time never more trekking time – very frustrating and left a feeling that we did not receive what we paid for.
Most Inspirational Moment
Being on the less touristy parts of the Wall.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jerry is clearly a lovely guy and a more than adequate tour leader. I think if our group had been more evenly matched re fitness he would have been perfect. However, I believe he was too nice to actually deal with some of the issues on our trek and tried to please everyone but thereby actually not pleasing a significant number of the group. We had our trekking time severely curtailed by a combination of local reasons and a disparity in the speed between the fastest and slowest members of our group but this was not discussed properly with the group and conflicting reasons were given.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not underestimate the unrelenting steepness of the Wall trekking. Be prepared for a lot of "wasted" time away from the Wall due to where the restaurants are etc. It would be much better if picnic lunches were provided most days so that time on the Wall could be maximised.
Be brave enough to question how the group kitty is used! Our bus driver ended up being tipped a huge amount (the balance of the kitty) due to our guide leader asking in front of the bus driver if it was ok to give him the balance of the kitty - strangely none of us felt that we could object! But we were all wondering why the balance of the kitty was not redistributed to us after a sensible tip taken for the bus driver.
Geoff Waters
Reviewed May 2019
Camino - Samos to Santiago
A great experience, walking the last 100 km of the Camino Frances. Great scenery, good basic hotels with friendly staff and lovely authentic food.
You can’t beat a three course ‘menu del dia’ with bread and wine or water for only 10 euro.
I walked with a group of 16 and we really enjoyed each others company. It rained for two of the six days but that didn’t affect the mood. Longest days walk was 18 miles but with coffee and lunch stops it didn’t seem that far.
Last two nights in Santiago allowed us to unwind and really enjoy the old city
Most Inspirational Moment
Arriving in Santiago with the rest of the group and standing in the square in front of the cathedral, congratulating each other on our achievement.
Meeting up again with other pilgrims we had met on the trail, some of them had done the whole walk from St Jean in France.
Lighting a candle in the cathedral and quietly reflecting on the trip
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alvaro was an excellent group leader. His daily briefings after breakfast told us what to expect that day and where the best coffee and lunch stops were. He was very knowledgeable about the history and architecture on the route, and made sure everybody enjoyed the experience to the full.
He was always positive and professional and ready to help with advice and information. He also has a wicked sense of humour.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't wear heavy walking boots, good walking shoes are more suitable. Invest in some good walking socks.
The route is undulating not steep on minor roads and tracks and is easy walking if you are reasonably fit.
I am 70 and had no problems at all with the walking or my feet.
krystyna kiel
Reviewed May 2019
Pretty territory
Slower paced trip. Lots of free time. Highlights of Dalmatia coast
Most Inspirational Moment
Walks along the sea
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very personable and involved. Went the extra step.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Compared to other Balkan countries, this is a pricey area. Prepare for crowds. I’d go off season, but then swimming in the sea would be challenging. Croatia is certainly ready for the tourist
Jan Strasser
Reviewed May 2019
A Great trip to celebrate a milestone birthday!
We had a fantastic time with a great group of people walking along the beautiful hills of Tuscany – visiting quaint hilltop villages – viewing spectacular scenery and partaking in wonderful food and wine
Most Inspirational Moment
Hard to name just one! I loved the hilltop villages but I also love Florence - something incredible to see around every corner!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz Proctor was our group leader and she is amazing! She knew so much about every single place we visited.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you enjoy walking and great food and wine I highly recommend this trip
Dave Johnson
Reviewed May 2019
Fantastic experience!
The Picos de Europa is a great National Park to experience wonderful mountain ranges at a moderate hiking grade. We were very fortunate to have an excellent tour guide in Nacho who really looked after us and filled the days with great facts on the local area and wildlife.
The walking group was a wonderful mix of ages and backgrounds and we bonded from Day 1.
The hotel accommodation was good but I have to highlight the excellent customer service from Jim/Pillar and their team. The food each night was simply fantastic…4 courses which would grace any London establishment. Also, a great bar to socialise in after the walks!
Thanks everyone!
Most Inspirational Moment
Taking in the wonderful mountain range of the Picos.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nacho was a great group leader...full of wonderful local facts, history and knowledge of the surrounding wildlife.
Malcolm Phillips
Reviewed May 2019
Don't understand question
Lovely trip. Excellent guide. Mixed hotels.
Most Inspirational Moment
Pass
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. V organised. V well informed about the subject of the trip. Pro active. Sensitive to clients requirements. Friendly, humorous. Well done Eva.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Earplugs, particularly for Athens hotels. Noise usually from other travellers.
Try and find an alternative to Lakonia Hotel, Sparta. Spartan room (ha ha), v hard bed, paper thin walls.
Olympic Village Hotel, I think it has a four star sign as you enter. This is a poorly maintained hotel 3* max. My room had a cracked sheet of glass covered by a safe deposit box. It would have taken 5 mins to remove it and make the area safe. I had to unplug the fridge at night it was so noisy
Terry Brown
Reviewed May 2019
Cow bells and Cuisine......
This would be a 5* PLUS trip for me, but it has to be mentioned that it does lose a star because the cow bells on the very beautiful but very close cows in the adjacent field kept us all awake half or most of the night which is not helpful when you are mountaineering the following day! It seems Jim the hotel owner can do nothing as its not his field.
Having said that the hotel was great, all staff were happy, helpful and always willing to please. The food was really amazing again 5* plus which you don’t expect on a walking trip. It was truly one of the highlights.
So now what to choose? the wonderful group of people that came together in an inspiring way, all having fun, helping each other, laughing a lot and enjoying every minute of our trip. We were a true team. So what’s left? oh yes our wonderful, kind, caring fun leader Ignacio or Nacho to us. He is great and truly looked after us all and was enthusiastic and knowledgeable too.
Finally of course the walking! Well, what a place. Glorious scenery, magical walks, varied and interesting. Some were a bit tough for me especially when hot but that was my age and ability rather than the level. I’ve been on many Exodus trips this one is right up there as a great one.
Most Inspirational Moment
Every day was inspirational - can't pick one. Walks were so varied it's hard to pick. Maybe, just maybe the wonderful G&T's that awaited us at the hotel at the end of each days walking.............
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fantastic, fun, friendly, caring and not only that he was very handsome!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take ear plugs - they are essential.
I'm sure notes suggests poles - not every one used them but I needed them. A fan - it gets hot up there!
