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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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Overall, we LOVED this trip and would highly recommend it.
Just a few minor complaints, many of which are unavoidable (but some could be addressed):
– Air pollution was pretty bad on some of the days (though not all). Obviously, Exodus can’t do much about this, but future travelers should be aware. I had heard the air quality had improved significantly since the 2008 Olympics, and that might be…but it was still pretty bad.
– Plumbing! Other than the Beijing hotel, every single guest house we stayed at had plumbing issues (and it wasn’t just our rooms – the other travelers in our group had the same issues). You name it – scalding/freezing shower water, no water pressure, drainage issues. It seems like these SHOULD be pretty easy to fix, and yet….
– WIFI – there are many sites that are banned in China, but others (CNN, EPSN, local news sites) are accessible…when you can get a signal. Most places we stayed at *claimed* to have wifi, but the networks were slow at best, and in most cases unusable.
– Food – generally pretty good at the guest houses, but there was not much variety (suprisingly).
– Tai Chi – it was nice to have a Tai Chi lesson, but the instructor stood in the front of the group which made it difficult for those of us in back to see her. She should have been in the center, or if possible elevated on a platform or stage so everyone could see her.
– Crowds – on the final day we went to the Forbidden City in Beijing at what seemed like the worst possible time: Sunday afternoon. The crowds were ridiculous. If possible, Exodus should try to arrange this tour early on a weekday morning to avoid (or at least lessen) the crowds.
Again, all these complaints are minor. Overall, we loved our experience and would recommend it to anyone considering it!
The first day on The Wall - just the exhilaration of actually being there!
Jerry was good - he spoke a bit quickly and was a bit difficult to understand at times, and was quite opinionated on some topics...but overall quite good. Very patient and good sense of humor.
The hiking gets a bit intense - be sure you are in good shape!
Why would you go to Albania?!? Is what everyone said to me before I did this trip. Well, after coming back I’m telling them they should go because of:
– Amazing scenery. Beautiful mountains, alpine type meadows, some nice beaches along the coast
– Good food. Really nice, simple food. Fresh fish and fresh vegetables. Options for vegetarians too.
– Great cycling. Some reasonable hills (and a couple of really good descents) and generally good quiet roads (in April anyway.)
The big hill on the last day was a satisfying challenge. The descent out of the mountains on day 2 was beautiful and probably my favourite bit.
Really good. The guide and driver we had were great - friendly, helpful and super organised. This is probably the best organised exodus trip I’ve been on.
In terms of difficulty this is definitely a grade 4 (certainly not a 3.) You don’t have to be a ‘cyclist’ but you do need to have a reasonable level of cardiovascular fitness and to have been on a bike about before I think.
The two-week wildlife cruise was the holiday of a lifetime. We both enjoy science and wildlife, we are also sailors and have our own boat. Most days the itinerary was full on and wonderful, and we were delighted with the amazing wildlife both on land and in the sea. The crew were very friendly and worked amazingly hard. There was a generous amount of good food for every meal, including much fruit, vegetables and salads. Unfortunately several of us had stomach upsets for 1 or 2 days.
The boat was the main cause for concern. The A/C in the dining room failed for a couple of days, and dripped water on the seating so we had several wet seats for a few days. The Dining room ceiling also dripped water on several occasions. Our A/C also dripped on the carpet, or anything that was on the carpet nearby, and also on the shelves under it. Many things were wet or smelled musty. We had room 1 and our toilet was often malfunctioning from the start, and then blocked completely for a whole day (happily the crew worked very hard and managed to repair it by bedtime). There were no other toilets except the ones in other guests cabins.
Exodus gave us only 24 hours to decide whether to abort the holiday as the original boat the Cachalot was out of commission but we were told that the substitute boat was also a “first class boat”. We now discover that according to Galapagos Islands.com the ‘Astrea’ or ‘Pinguino Explorer’ is down as a “mid-priced boat” and costs 650 dollars per week less that the ‘Catchalot’ did, so we are not amused as no refund was offered for this cheaper accommodation.
Exodus were unable to give us useful information regarding laundry (they said there was none) or the ability to wash things ourselves and hang them out. Also, they were unable to answer queries about the flight from Quito to the islands or the baggage allowance for that flight. We therefore took far too much luggage!
We were only told about the need for US dollars to pay the bar bill within the last week when we had already ordered and collected our dollars.
So hard to decide as most days exceeded our expectations. I loved the seals, so amusing and entertaining, as were the Penguins but the Hammerhead sharks took my breath away. We saw about 100 Mola mola (sunfish) I also was blown away by the Siera Negra Volcano – so huge.
Very knowledgeable about so many things, but not easy to get a straight answer from, and also rather creepy.
Find out who the local agent is and check their website, it answered many of our outstanding questions. You can wash for yourself, a plug is useful, and hang out clothes on the rail outside.
We would like to thank Jakki for her feedback. We are pleased that she enjoyed her trip overall, but we regret the disappointment that the Astrea caused. We were very sorry to learn that Jakki experienced issues with the air-conditioning and plumbing, as we appreciate the frustration and disappointment this caused. Following the feedback we have received, I can confirm that we will not be using the Astrea for any future departures and we have been in touch with Jakki on an individual basis.
Sarah Ahern – Product Manager for the Galapagos
This was a wonderful trip through the countryside of Tuscany. The Villa Casalta owner and her staff member was friendly and caring.
I really enjoyed the hiking. The countryside was beautiful! It reminds me of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in NC.
Liz Proctor was a great group leader. She is a very good organizer and "den mother" for the members of the group.
We boarded the wrong train going to Pisa before the start of the tour. It was on the same track and approximate departure time for our train. We had tickets for a regional train and it was a express train. The conductor charged us the cost of the ticket and 50 euros penalty for each person. It appears to be a money generator from the unwary!
excellent itinerary in covering Puglia in terms of scenery, landscapes, seascapes, distinctive landmarks in towns as covered, participating in or sharing local experience e.g. visit to olive tree groves; olive oil and wine tasting. accommodation in Trulli and formerly cave dwellings in Matera….
Castellana limestone cave; stay on Trulli in Alberobello
very efficient, responsible, comprehensive as well as detailed in taking care of needs, requests, meeting expectations, providing and obtaining information for all participants, very knowledgeable on all areas and aspects covered by the tour, full of energy and initiatives in guiding, offering help to and motivating participants.. recommending very good restaurants and regional food
will base on or along my above comments
Amazing trip around Sri Lanka
Seeing all the wild animals in the Yala National Park. We even saw a Lepard with her babies having lunch. It was just amazing!
Sujan was a great tour guide. He knows his county by heart, is sharing all his knowledge (he was even teaching us some local words). He has great humour and was always there to help if needed.
Bring a lot of sunscreen and insect repellant :) The best is to change your cash at the airport. There are not that many ATM possibilities during the trip
For anyone looking for a cycling trip with stunning views, coastal roads, beautiful fields, topped off with delicious food and wine, then look no further than Cycling in Sardinia. It is simply one of the most gorgeous destinations. I loved it – despite the rain at times. You do need to be fit enough to make it up some quite long hills, but they were generally a good gradient that you could just stick in a low gear and keep turning those wheels. Plus you can get a good sense of achievement at the top. Definitely recommend!
Getting to the top of some of the hills! Watching a 79 year old get to the top of those same hills! Lovely people to share those moments with.
Simone, our tour leader, and Ado, our driver/lunch chef, were both brilliant. Really fun to be with and always ready to help. I would love to be led by them again.
Read the trip notes so that you know what to expect and come prepared. Because some of the hills are quite long, it is worth doing a little hill cycling in the weeks before but, like I said above, the hills are generally a good gradient. Also don't be afraid to use an electric bike on this trip. Personally I did not need to, but one of our fellow travellers did and it really made her week more pleasurable. There was unseasonably bad weather on our trip (end April, beginning of May) and we actually had quite a lot of rain on several days, but it was still an excellent trip. I would recommend bringing lots of layers and a waterproof jacket in case this happens to you.
It was a wonderful way to see this part of italy. Our guide Fabrizio was informative, committed and funny. It was a wonderful week.
Being in Matera and seeing the wonder of the place and what is being done to maintain it. Alberobello was also extraordinary. But most of all the countryside was enchanting.
Fabrizio is a delight. He took interest in every individual. He was informed about the region and showed his passion for Puglia and sharing it with others. He was full of energy and humour. He also had the sensitivity to adapt to each individual.
Travel light. Have good walking boots and in the hot months take the very best of sunblock and reapply it often. The sun can be strong. I also put in a light dress to wear in restaurants because I like to dress up a little even in a walking holiday. Also remember that it is impossible to please all the people all the time. Go with the flow and focus on the place you are visiting. If your toast is a little too crisp just remember that's not what the trio is about. Embrace the local cuisine and ways of doing things.
A well organised trip with lots of activities packed in. Inside a week our guide ensured we experienced/saw all the highlights of Jordan. However the organisation was such that I never felt rushed or under pressure.
The cycling was very easy. We were transported to the nicest areas to cycle, avoiding the big hills and busy roads. The bikes were brand new and mine was perfectly adjusted. The cycle team were very friendly and competent mechanics. Nothing was too much trouble for them. I’d say this trip is great for leisure cyclists. Anyone looking for a tough physical challenge would not find this tough enough.
The accommodation was great. Clean hotels all en suite. Good food.
All in all a great experience.
Tough to pick one out. Walking down a Roman High street, floating in the Dead Sea, snorkelling in the Red Sea, the religious sites, Petra, staying in the desert, camel rides, they are all great!
Excellent. Had everything sorted. Great attention to detail to ensure that all our needs and wishes were met. Put in a great deal of effort to arrange the activites for us.
I didn't need my bicycle repair kit at all as, had my bike broken, the team have everything sorted. The bikes were flat bar Trek bikes, tyres must have been about 35mm wide, brand new. I've got lots of bikes of my own and I am glad I didn't take one as the ones provided were perfectly adequate to the job in hand. Same for pedals/saddle. Ensure you take a decent sun hat, sun screen and good shoes. To get the most from the Petra days there is lots of walking and you will spend a long time outside with the sun bouncing off the rocks! There was a lot of food and snacks! I found there to be absolutely no need for energy gels etc during the cycling.
First tour with Exodus and Im very impressed. From the initial communication, information prior to leaving and the ease with which everything was accomplished. The hotel was great – clean rooms (there was a norovirus outbreak among several groups and I noticed my room was thoroughly cleaned when it occurred.) The only thing was the pool wasn’t heated – so it was FREEZING. So only used once and very quickly! The hikes were amazing, but I believe this should be rated at a Level 3 not 2. Some hikes were very challenging, averaging 7-8 miles each hike and steep areas, loose shale, etc. One hike had 3,000 stairs along the way, another like 2000. It is a VERY steep area. But our guide was awesome, arrangements were made for one hiker who it was too difficult for. The food was EXCELLENT. The staff amazing and very accommodating and friendly. Visited Capri on the off day and was given lots of information on how to navigate. Pompeii and the hike up Vesuvius were a highlight!!
Allin all I had a great time, meet some incredible people from around the world whom Im sure we will stay in contact with. I will definitely take another Exodus trip!
The scenery was stunning. I love history so how (and why) people chose to settle here and just the construction of the trails, stairs, terraces. Pompeii was simply stunning. How people could accomplish what they did and the ingenuity.
Mikala was just incredible. Outgoing, friendly, great sense of humor. Felt very secure with her and also the sharing of her knowledge of the region.
Great trip - you will be well taken care of by not only Exodus staff but the hotel and restaurant staff. Just a caution - while the trip was amazing - would probably be rated one level higher. You will need trekking poles. They do have some at the hotel to loan