Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I think the early morning drive in Yala as the wildlife was just waking up and it seemed less busy then the other reserve. Also the Eco Lodge and watching the birds all around and waking up to the sounds of the jungle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader and guide were fantastic and very proffesional taking such good care of us. Making sure we got the very best out of the holiday. Can't be praised enough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I bought leech socks which are needed but the eco lodge did have them to lend to you so no need to buy in advance. Take binoculars and a camera.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to to Manuel Antonio Wildlife Park and. seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto, a super group leader who did his absolute best to ensure that each member of the group got the best out of the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the lunchtime stops at sandwich bars, bakeries or markets, it was like being part of Jordan rather than looking on as a tourist. I was determined to immerse myself and happily enjoyed climbing, snorkelling, camel riding and floating.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jihad was the perfect guide. He was kind, funny and tolerant at all times. His knowledge of his country was obvious and his ability to give an unbiased view of its history kept us all enthralled. Actually his gentle tones lulled me into little naps between the sites!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Warm clothes for Wadi Rum night Good swim shoes for Dead Sea Try a falafel sandwich

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wildlife in its natural habitat at Manuel Antonio National Park.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to say, but one of the main reasons we chose this trip was because of the two days allocated to Petra, and this proved to have been absolutely right. Petra is vast, and tiring to explore - even in winter - so to get the most out of it, 2 days is essential. It is, of course quite superb. Ibrahim's pace in Petra allowed the group to see the highlights of Petra comfortably. We also enjoyed the unique experience of floating in the Dead Sea whilst staying in the very comfortable Holiday Inn resort. It was also interesting to see at first hand the geographical relationship with Israel and to explore important Biblical sites. I also particularly enjoyed seeing Jerash, a major Roman City. Finally, I'd make a strong recommendation for the Jordanian Museum, which we saw on the last day. It houses some Dead Sea scrolls and the oldest figurines every found. It is particularly well laid out and in our view was a fitting end to an excellent trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ibrahim was an excellent ambassador for both Jordan and Exodus. We particularly liked his affable temperament and helpfulness. His organisational skills were good, and we enjoyed his restaurant recommendations. His historical knowledge was good without being overpowering - to get the most out of this trip it is highly desirable to have a good guide book to supplement the leader's knowledge, as he should not be regarded as an expert in the various civilisations that Jordan has hosted. We found Jordanian people to be exceptionally pleasant, and you should not expect to be harassed in any way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Keep hydrated and watch personal hygiene as it is easy to pick up a traveller tummy upset. Do some homework before you travel as the history of Jordan is complex and you will see many very different sites. In winter, take warm clothing - there can be a significant windchill. It snowed in Petra while we were in Jordan. To get the most out of Petra you should be comfortable hiking for several miles, and the optional view points involve climbing hundreds of steps. If you drink alcohol, it is better to take some duty free as it can be hard to find while travelling (also very expensive).

Most Inspirational Moment

The 360 degree views on the top of Durrakopf. The beauty and desolation of the top of Monte Piano. The strudel in the hut during the Narnia walk.The sled ride down the mountain.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara is a fantastic leader- such a professional guide who takes pride in her profession. Her attention to detail is second to none, and made sure each person in the group was looked after.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take layers- the weather was warm when we were there, and we were constantly taking on and off clothes. Very warm ski type clothes would have been too warm. Use the pool, try all the food and stretch!!

Most Inspirational Moment

I could just rewrite the itinerary! Everyday was filled with wonderful experiences. It could be seeing elephants to discovering a beautiful lesser known Buddhist temple. So many inspirational moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Oscar was awesome! I’ve been on a few Exodus trips and he was one of the best guides I’d experienced. He always went the extra mile for us to ensure we had a wonderful time. Superb in organising and communicating. And a great sense of humour!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take every opportunity and enjoy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Overall it was a great holiday with so many highlights. The cycling day in the villages was particularly memorable as was the optional white water rafting. We would recommend the safaris especially the one to Yala NP. The beach side Insight Resort at Ahangama was very good. It was great swimming in the warm sea.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was an excellent guide- as well as being friendly and sociable he was very organised and his attention to detail was impressive. He told us a great deal about the culture, history and politics of a country he obviously loves and was also willing to answer our questions and give advice on activities we planned for our free time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We changed £500 at the airport on arrival and paid by card at the hotels - this seemed about right. All the walking is on fairly good surfaces and you shouldn't need more that good trainers. The temperatures were generally in the upper 20s except when we got to the south coast when it hit the mid 30s (too hot!) We recommend all the optional trips except: 1. The Adam's Peak climb - This is very hard even for experienced walkers. 6 of us went on it and it was a surreal experience walking up 5500 relentlessly steep illuminated (no need for a torch) concrete steps with hundreds of other people. Even at 4am it was very humid and exhausting. It was very crowded at the top and unfortunately we had a poor local guide. It's good to have done it but I wouldn't recommend it. 2. No one went whale watching - it was an early start and we were advised that we might be out for up to 7 hours and still not see many whales.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was the sunset cruise on Lake Pichola followed by the visit to the Brahma temple in Pushkar and a blessing by the priest, whereby we were absolved from our sins when we threw flowers, rice & sugar into the water. Being in Ranthambore - we just sat in the canter at one point - engine off, listening to the birds and sounds of the forest - bliss!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Naveen was one of the best tour leaders I've had in all my trips with Exodus. He was always approachable, calm & efficient and met the challenges of the trip in a measured way - and there were several challenges! Protesters closing roads, meant he had to work with our bus driver to find an alternate route from Agra to Ranthambore - one which ultimately doubled our travelling time. He rang ahead to arrange food for us and even managed a birthday cake for one of our group! When our final Delhi hotel was closed (owing to a fire in another hotel, a few days before), Naveen went without sleep to rearrange another hotel in Delhi, plus change all the airport transfers! He was always willing to engage in conversation, especially about his country - about which he knows a tremendous amount. However we didn't suffer from information overload from him (this was sometimes the case with local guides at palaces & forts!) Naveen had a good sense of humour and made us feel like part of his extended family. He always made sure we knew what our itinerary was the following day, that everyone was aware of timings , where to change money etc. The fact he took part in the optional cookery class he'd arranged for some of us, made the whole experience even more special. Naveen is a credit to Exodus, you'll be a very lucky traveller if you have him as your guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Long journeys in the bus on often bumpy roads, but usually lots to watch out of the window - I managed to read my Kindle but it was sometimes a challenge . If you take this tour as your first visit to India - it will take some getting used to seeing the amount of litter everywhere including sacred cows grazing in the rubbish! Child beggars in some of the large cities made some of us feel very uncomfortable, as did the elephants carrying tourists at the Amber Fort in Jaipur. Be sure you like Indian food as there isn't much choice of anything else in restaurants and hotels but omelettes & chips are usually available. The best place to buy souvenirs is Jaipur - bazaars, jewellery shops, fabric emporiums- although my favourite souvenir was bought for 100R (£1) at Fatepur Sikri - a Taj Mahal snow globe!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

My first tiger sighting of course!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Vijay and he was great. He worked so hard to get everyone to see a tiger, and he clearly loves his country and is eager to share his knowledge with the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think anyone doing this tour needs to understand clearly how it works to avoid disappointment and frustration. So tiger safaris are not at all like African safaris - the tigers are solitary animals ( not like the lions that gather in prides) and while their numbers are increasing, most of them reside in what is called the core area of these reserves. The tourists (you and me) are not allowed in the core, so the truth is you are looking for a very finite number of tigers that are residing in the tourist area of the parks. Finding them is no easy task, but your drivers and guides in the parks will (if they are good, and not all of them are) work hard to find them for you. Secondly, your tour group will be broken up into groups of 4 for the game drives, and each group does not necessarily go to the same place. The jeeps are given proscribed zones and routes, so it is entirely possible that part of your tour group will see tigers and some may not. In our group, we had 2 people that didn’t see any tigers till about 2 days before the tour ended, and there were 6 that went about 2/3 of the way through the trip with no sightings. Needless to say, for those not seeing the tigers, it is hard to enjoy the time when the others are seeing them. But if you understand how this works in advance (and I did not think this was at all clearly spelled out in the tour literature) then you will be better prepared for it. No one can control the appearance of the tigers, so to some extent it is the luck of the draw, but it’s best to fully understand how the game drives work. And PS since most days you have breakfast in the reserves, you will get tired of hard boiled eggs and cheese sandwiches, so think about packing some protein bars to take along instead!