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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14375 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Jonathan Dusheiko

Reviewed April 2019

Sri Lan-ka!

Great cycling holiday through a stunning country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Whizzing past white stupas with a backdrop of emerald green hills on day 5. Watching late afternoon cricket at Ella and views of mountains. Elephant up close in Yala National Park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suresh organised everything very competently,

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took a headband, removable UV-protective arm sleeves and sweat-proof sports sun cream. Don’t underestimate the equatorial sun, especially on the day after the big climb when you are also at 1900m! The big climb is not that bad if you have done some training, shortly after we arrived at the top a couple on touring bikes with heavy panniers got there as well to general amazement. Remember binoculars and a reasonable zoom camera for Yala NP. Don’t bother with full cycling gear for late afternoon visit to ruins at Pollonaruwa, more walking than cycling!

Linda Pearce

Reviewed April 2019

Great Experience

The was a wonderful experience. My focus was to see Petra, but the trip was so much more than that.
There was such a variety of places to see and varied scenery to enjoy. The trip was very busy, but not rushed and our guide ensured we made the best use of our time in Jordan.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many striking moments. Walking in the Siq and arriving at the treasury was as spectacular as I had hoped. Other significant memories are spending the evening with the Bedouin, seeing the mosaic map at Madaba, swimming in the dead sea and standing on a high rock looking over the desert watching the sun set.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Ibrahim, was excellent. He was very knowledgeable on both ancient and modern Jordan and made stops very interesting. He did everything to make the whole trip smooth, hassle free and fun. The weather during our trip to Petra was very variable, but forethought on the part of our guide meant we all agreed to change the itinerary so that we did not miss any of the sights and climbs. We had excellent meals all the way with a good mixture of local restaurants and local food in hotels. Our driver, Abdul-Assize, was an asset to the trip with his safe driving in difficult situations.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In March/April be prepared for a great variety of weather and temperature. Take a raincoat and sun cream!

Liz Mulgrew

Reviewed April 2019

A brilliant mix of foodie and cultural delights

This trip is a wonderful mixture of food and culture, with Etna thrown in for good measure! From sampling spleen sandwiches (yes, really) on the Palermo street food tour to a Marsala wine tasting and eating ricotta, still warm, that we had watched being made just minutes before, all the gastronomic experiences were enjoyable and delicious (even the spleen wasn’t that horrendous). The cultural highlights for me were the amazing mosaics at the Villa del Casale and the Duomo and cloisters at Monreale, whilst experiencing Etna in the snow was simply stunning. Our guide, Rosario, was brilliant, and our group, made up of mostly couples and with around 30 years from oldest to youngest, bonded really well – as one of the three singles, and one of the youngest, I never felt isolated.

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the cable car/4WD/guided crater tour at Mount Etna. The combination of snow with lava showing through just made the scenario so beautiful, and we were lucky that the clouds parted and it was a beautiful sunny day. Awe-inspiring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rosario was so lovely - he guided us with a gentle touch so that we felt like adults and not a school group, yet somehow we were always ready to go when needed! His passion for Sicily and delight in showing us everything just shone through and his attention to detail in organising our activities was amazing. He had time for all of us as individuals and regularly checked that we were happy. Superb!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you go in April (and, I'm guessing, October) make sure you have plenty of layers, including a waterproof one, so that you can add/take away as needed. Our temperatures, in early April, ranged from really quite warm (I got slightly sunburnt one day) to -2 at the top of Etna! You probably won't have time for a swim at any of the hotels, as generally you do get to them quite late (and I think only one or two of them had pools anyway). Don't bother taking much reading matter - apart from airports you won't have time to read! There is a fair bit of walking around to be done, so make sure you have good shoes. Make sure you can cope with your suitcase as you do have to move it around a bit, although there's usually someone around to help. And make sure you have plenty of space in your case - you will bring back plenty of foodie souvenirs, if our group is anything to go by!

Liz Broadhurst

Reviewed April 2019

The amazing Justin Barr - Cool Beans

We chose the trip, our first with Exodus, as we required a sedate pace with not too much walking.
The trip was perfect on both counts.
The balance of the day excursions was a perfect combination to enable the group to see the country

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to see the wildlife in its natural environment Seeing Cape Town from the top of table mountain

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were lucky enough to be guided by the inspirational and passionate Justin Barr. His knowledge of the flora and fauna of his native country was first class. This over spilled into the history of the country, it’s political turmoil and his future aspirations for what he showed us as such a beautiful country. His commentary and his driving experience only added to the trip. Certainly “cool beans” and a 10/10 for Justin He really did make the trip a trip of a life time

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! You won’t be disappointed.

Martin Stanford

Reviewed April 2019

Spectacular varied & educational experience travelling thro the Cape

This trip lived up to all expectations and beyond.

The amazing places visited, the friendliness of the people interacted with in each location (plus my fellow travellers on the bus), quality of the accommodation / food / transport / scheduled & additional trips, awe inspiring landscapes, wow moments up close with the varied wildlife. These were all fantastic and every experience was raised even higher by Justin’s organisation, knowledge, humour, friendliness plus his openness and passion for showing off everything his country has to offer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting within the Townships and interacting with the local people there was both eye opening and inspiring. It gave a great insight into how South Africa's people are determined to help themselves advance and how they are able to find happiness in simple things that the majority of us easily dismiss or incorrectly feel pity for. Personally - after recovering from a serious ankle injury last year - one of my trip highlights was the day we explored and clambered over parts of the awesome Table Mountain and the Cape Point National Park. With a trip to Boulders beach in between - where three penguins practically tripped over my feet moving from the Ocean to the shade of some nearby trees - it was my wow moment of an amazing trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin's organisation, knowledge, humour, friendliness plus his openness and passion for showing off everything his country has to offer was incredible. His driving and advance scouting skills were pretty impressive too!!! :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Say yes to each trip and opportunity. None of these disappointed and really enhanced our experiences. Don't be put off my South Africa's reputation for being unsafe. In our experience, this 'international' rep is definitely undeserved within the Cape region where the usual common sense you should adopt in your own towns and cities, or across any location holidaying in Europe should suffice! Consider travelling our a day early to Port Elizabeth to sit on the beach and recover from the flight, or stay a few extra days in Cape Town - there's so much life to experience there, Some places have European or UK plug points but the majority require the bespoke South African adaptor. Either buy off somewhere like Amazon or Ebay beforehand or purchase at Joburg or Port Elizabeth airports - it keeps you charged up for all those photo opportunities at a small cost!

Peter Fielding

Reviewed April 2019

Hidden treasure of Jordan

I saw the things that I hoped to see and they more than lived up to my expectations. However there were numerous aspects of the trip that left me frustrated, annoyed and at times angry. I was assured by others who had travelled before with Exodus that my disappointments were not usual. Even so from my one experience it did not compare favourably with my trips with Intrepid or G adventures and so couldn’t be recommended.

Most Inspirational Moment

The approach to Petra through the winding narrow passageway with the rock walls towering above creates a feeling of anticipation that is totally fulfilled as you step out into the Wider space with the Treasury facing you. Both the climbs up to the monastery and the Place of Sacrifice are the other highlights of apetra not to be missed Finally our stay in the desert amidst the amazing rock formations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

If you were making a training video highlighting how not to behave and what not to do then Mohammad Baninazet would be perfect. His English is not good, pronunciation poor and he slurs one word into the next. He was confused about the number of nights in the various hotels, the times for meeting constantly changed partly because he kept confusing 8.30 with 10.30. On the journeys he was totally engrossed with his mobile phone and if not for being prompted by the driver told us nothing about the places on our journey. He appeared to have little knowledge of the sites we visited so that as the trip progressed people wandered off. If you questioned anything he said or asked for clarification he would say we hadn’t been listening . Some were told off for ‘undermining ‘ by listening to other guides who had far superior knowledge and English. I arrived the day before in Amman and a notice was displayed giving the time of the group meeting as 8am the next day. At 8.15am I asked for the second time about this and he said there wasn’t one. I pointed out the notice and he dismissed this as being from the Exodus Office. He wouldn’t accept that it had anything to do with him. No meeting happened and even on day 4/5 we were still trying to get to know each other. The staff doing the transfers were helpful and efficient. I can’t praise the driver enough for even with his limited English he was always courteous and helpful. Though writing for myself alone I know we all tried to make the best of it and not let him spoil our trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely arrive a day early otherwise you will not see Amman especially the souks and the Jordan Museum which house the Dead Sea Scrolls. AsThere isn’t enough time on the last day

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Peter for his feedback, although we are very sorry that some aspects of this trip fell below his expectations, especially with regards to the tour’s leadership. A more experienced tour leader was originally assigned to lead Peter’s group but was regrettably called away at very short notice due to a family emergency. Whilst the replacement tour leader, Mohammed, was briefed by more experienced leaders and we were confident he had the necessary enthusiasm, energy and skills to lead this departure we are very sorry that his leadership impacted on Peter’s enjoyment of the trip. We would like to confirm that as a result Mohammed will not be leading any Exodus trips in the foreseeable future. We would only consider him again as a leader for Exodus if we were sure that his English skills had improved sufficiently along with his leadership abilities. Should Mohammed lead any future tours for us, we will closely monitor the feedback regarding his performance, to ensure he is meeting the high standards we expect from our tour leaders. Kashka Lantis – Product Manager

Karen Lim

Reviewed April 2019

Absolutely wonderful - totally recommend!

This trip really did offer a lot – rainforest, cloud forest, canopy, beaches, waterfalls, hot springs, lots and lots of birdlife, wildlife, hot weather, cool weather, sun, rain. Costa Rica is a land of contrasts and diversity! It was one of the best holidays I have ever had.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many memorable moments - seeing the resplendent quetzals, the monkeys, the hummingbirds, the sloths, the macaws, swimming in the waterfall, the hot springs. Learning to distinguish the calls of various birds (particularly the black-faced solitaire, aka the squeaky door bird).

Thoughts on Group Leader

I've joined the Johnny Villalobos fan club - excellent guide and great guy, passionate about birdlife, wildlife, his country and the environment. It isn't surprising he was named Leader of the year 2017. A special mention to our very able driver Frank who kept our minibus clean and shiny.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring binoculars, a camera with a good zoom lens, suncream and effective mosquito repellent. No need for hiking boots, waterproof walking shoes/trainers will do. Shorts most of the time, trousers for the colder areas. Two swimming costumes (the first one may not dry in time).

Sandy Celovsky

Reviewed April 2019

Incredible Trip!

This trip was an excellent intro to Japan! It covered a huge variety from highlights of sprawling Tokyo to rural seaside and mountain villages as well as offering insight into Japanese culture through the eyes of our wonderful local guides, “Tea” and “TaiChi”. Despite the weather being colder and wetter than expected ( trust me, bring full waterproofs especially hands and feet as temps were also near zero in places), the sheer adventure of cycling along a beach, up some challenging climbs to our local ryokan and wonderfully exquisite prepared dinners, the photos relect is all smiling through the weather! The rides were punctuated with well thought out cultural stops and a wonderful selection of lunch spots. I would highly recommend this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, it was the introduction to such an unique culture. Despite Japan being a developed country, the norms, many intricate rituals and the respectful nature of the Japanese, made this such an interesting trip with a great deal of variety. I also would include the nightly soaks in the onsens a highlight! Our group completely got into this routine around the peninsula where they were common!

Thoughts on Group Leader

One cannot say enough about our primary group leader “Tea”. An incredible person, he was the epitome of organized, safety conscious, accommodating, knowledgeable and patient. We were not sure when “Tea” slept as he seemed to always be engaged doing something for the next day, ensuring all special dietary needs were met, organizing tickets, lunch stops etc. He also turned out to be photographer at large capturing many fantastic images of the group cycling..not quite sure when he managed to capture so many images as he always seemed to be leading us with commands of “single file”!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring less evening clothing (you really do end up wearing kimonos more than half the time post cycling) and bring more cycling stuff..full array of warm weather and cold/wet weather gear. Hands and feet especially. A down puffer jacket is recommended as used more than several times and lacks light and small.

S J

Reviewed April 2019

Excellent

Without going into the interesting detail of the trip notes, this tour was well lead by Sujan who was very funny and knowledgeable. Compared to other Exodus holidays it is quite laid back with more time off on most days and reflects the laid back feel of Sri Lanka. The elephant safaris were wonderful and we saw 60 elephants in all…..a bit of excitement!!! had when one rammed the jeep in front, whale watching was fabulous too with 17 sightings of Blue Whale and some mating turtles. The cycling was very relaxed seeing plenty of interesting village life along the river. The hotels were mostly luxurious, always a welcome drink, barely had to move a suitcase as porters dealt with them all, most with pools and a feast for breakfast. Although it was very often only an omelette and fries or club sandwich option for lunch. Most evenings the dinners were in the hotels so this meant you could eat and go to bed when you felt like it. In Late March with 38 degrees and great humidity it was boiling but the air conditioned coach helped tremendously and there were no mosquitos. Do take an umbrella for sightseeing to keep out the sun as a hat didn’t feel enough. Drives that were set to be three hours turned out to be interesting stop and start drives as things were pointed out along the way, A trip I can recommend.

Most Inspirational Moment

The elephant safaris.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabulous.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In late March we saw no mosquitos whatsoever so you could safely wear shorts and short sleeves to keep cool. Do take a light coloured umbrella to keep at bay the sun, like the locals, a must for sightseeing.

Sharon Saliken

Reviewed April 2019