Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the summit of Durakopf and being completely surrounded by snow covered mountains against a clear blue sky takes some beating but there were many other moments like that. Every day provided something new and even more amazing than the previous one. The sense of achievement we, and the rest of the group felt on reaching our targets.

Thoughts on Group Leader

It is quite hard to explain how much Sara makes this holiday. She is all the things a guide should be, knowledgeable, helpful, caring and extremely competent but the whole is so much more than the sum of the parts. With any reasonably competent guide this would be a good holiday but Sara takes it up a notch and to a different level. Excellent does not do her justice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are a fit and able walker and the snowshoeing will come naturally. Read the trip notes and kit list thoroughly and ensure you follow it. Bring a camera or you will regret it.

Most Inspirational Moment

My Son, Hoi An, Saigon and Halong Bay - all of it really!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tao is a total professional. Very knowledgeable, proud of his country and top fun. Excellent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring extra cash if you like wine (it's a bit pricy in the hotels), and shopping there lots of bargains to be had. Also bring trainers and a waterproof jacket, the north of the country was not very warm and it rained as well.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many good moments. Hard to select one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nhi Pham in Vietnam was excellent. I nominated her for leader award. Leader in Cambodia was very knowledgeable, but not very experienced in interpersonal skills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Recommend the trip for educational and general informative content. Except for short Angkor leg, it was also not very exhausting.

Most Inspirational Moment

The boarder crossing from Thailand to Cambodia was an experience not to be missed - but the highlight of the 2 weeks had to be the temples in Siem Reap. Not only Angkor Wat, but so many other stunning temples to see.

Thoughts on Group Leader

It was difficult to gel with the team - having 3 teams and 3 bikes in such a short period of time. Because of that, the team leader wasn't as "prominent" as other trips because - in his own words - he was the general manager rather than the tour guide. However, Chai looked after us very well and allowed us to build up a bit of steam on longer sections.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In Seam Reap, head straight for Pub Street - a very lively atmosphere, not to be missed ! The 5am start to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise, was very much an anticlimax for the views, but worth doing just for the atmospehere of 3000 people at stupid-o-clock all racing there by tuk-tuk. When in Phnom Penh, take an evening river cruise - 2 hours up and down the waterways which was very cheap.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many inspirational moments in our trip but if one need be selected perhaps it might be our visit to Halong Bay, where we stayed overnight on a boat while cruising among the islands. Visits to Mekong Delta as well our kayaking experience were also very special experiences, as well as the visit to Hoi An, a lovely town in central Vietnam where we were able to mingle more with the local culture. The most emotionally challenging experience of the trip was a visit to the Vietnam War Museum wherein via photos of effects of Agent Orange, we were exposed to the tremendous devastation which the USA inflicted upon these countries. The trip was both experiential on multiple levels and allowed one to pursue history and culture to whatever degree chosen.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Nye, in Vietnam was beyond excellent. Her knowledge and presentation of information in both a casual yet educational manner was tremendous. Her capacity to keep organization in a group of 16 people while retaining a warm & cooperative spirit greatly encouraged a group experience and enable the schedule to run in an organized manner. Her flexibility to allow for individual deviation when desired as well as her capacity to show personal interest in each group member's activities was remarkable & would inspire me to nominate her as a best group leader ever experienced on a tour. Our group leader in Cambodia was also very knowledgable and presented educational material beyond expectations on Angkor. His presentation was less personally influenced and casual than our previous leader and somewhat more difficult to focus upon due to his tendency to present infinite tangential information. The heat in Cambodia also exacerbated the difficulty of this part of the tour, which may also reflect a wish for less detail in this experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would highly recommend Exodus travel after researching numerous companies as an excellent tour company and suggest this tour for anyone with interest in these countries from an educational and cultural perspective. We chose February as the month least prone to monsoons and weather was quite accommodating during our Vietnam portion of the trip. Heat is Cambodia was more than anticipated and did have some effect on our willingness to explore further on our second day, but fortunately, the group was in consensus regarding this concept.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything was magical especially with the celebration of New Year (Hoi An) Ha Long Bay kayak/sleeping on boat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Son Nguyen was very good.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wildlife: bears, chamoix, bats and the steep rocky mountain scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas Oyntzen. Very helpful generally, particularly with snowshoeing and knowledgeable about the local history and local routes to explore. Spoke very good English and gave very detailed explanations of local history and the peoples involved. Had obviously studied history to an academic level. There was a lot to explain in this area, where there was often conflict between the Austrian and Turkish empires and buildings like churches were often fortified to resist invasion. There was a lot of interesting historical facts to learn about a country, which was very different to Britain.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Come prepared for real deep snow and cold weather. A real Winter experience in a completely different landscape to Britain.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the beautiful colours of the birds, especially the quetzel ... and teeny tiny frogs ... and the headlamp beetles on a night walk ... and swimming in the refreshing water by a waterfall, and the sea in Manuel Antonio National Park ...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pedro was excellent and thorough and gave us every opportunity for new experiences.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Remember to use your sunscreen and insect repellent, and wear a sunhat, even when swimming in the sea! Be warned that everything in your case will absorb moisture while in the rainforest. Take a universal plug for the sinks.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing our first tiger emerge out of the grass or it was the tiger that came out of the woods right next to our parked jeep or it was the visit to the red fort or it was the invite to join the community for the Holi festival or ... this is an impossible question to answer

Thoughts on Group Leader

Having done several Exodus tours I have to say Krishna was the top man. Extremely thoughtful, willing to impart information, great communicator and organiser, as well a good guide in the field. And a sense of fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

See above

Most Inspirational Moment

Ankor Wat - it’s unbelievable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bun was our leader and he was knowledgable and good fun. Local guides were good as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring good walking shoes and lots of Deet!