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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14521 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Hannah Reese

Reviewed January 2018

The perfect winter escape

If you’re looking to get away from it all in unspoilt scenery, try out different winter activities, and generally have an experience you’ll never forget, then book this trip.

The location is beautiful, the staff are great, the food was absolutely delicious, and I didn’t want to leave!

Most Inspirational Moment

The optional snowshoe hike in Riisitunturi National Park was fantastic. The scenery was something I'd never seen, and everything I wanted to see when I imagined Finnish Wilderness. Also the silence in the forest, and exploring on snowshoes with others, or practicing cross country skiing alone. It's a perfect escape bubble from the rest of the world.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Teddy/Bjorn was great - very laid back with a great sense of humour. All the staff at Basecamp were knowledgeable and really friendly. The whole place has a relaxed and cosy feel.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! If you like being outdoors, making new friends, and trying out new activities then you'll have a great time. You don't need any experience of the activities, just be willing to have a go. On a practical note: The afternoons are mostly free so you can be as active as you choose to be - either snowshoeing, cross country skiing, using the sauna and hot tub, or just taking a nap! Evenings were spent playing cards or boardgames, chatting, or reading by the fire. Drinks are available from reception - I recommend the cloudberry liqueur, or the peppermint in some hot chocolate! Optional activities can be quite pricey so do allow for that. You pay for everything on your tab at the end of the week. If you're not a downhill skier or boarder then Ruka doesn't have much to do, but I found the day spa and a nice coffee shop. A few others went snowmobiling. Wifi works in the dining room/reception (most of the time) and you can always use 4G in the rooms if you need to. Bring a spare power pack if you like taking photos on your phone. The cold will drain your battery quicker than at home. Basecamp really do provide everything you need to stay warm, and you don't need to pack much at all. Just a few sets of your own baselayers, hat and buff, and then jeans and jumper for the evening.

Gail Leeder

Reviewed January 2018

Fabulous Winter Walking

If you’re looking for European winter walking, this is for you. The sun was gorgeous (although the wind is cold on the mountain tops so make sure you have warm clothes) with fabulous, long range, 360 deg views. Jose’s sandwiches are already legendary, and rightly so, but he is also an experienced, knowledgeable and fun walk leader. The perfect escape from a dark, grey, damp UK and only a short flight away. Don’t expect to lose weight though!

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the summits and enjoying the fabulous views

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was fabulous - knows the area well and is enthusiastic about sharing information so you understand your surroundings and appreciate the walks even more. Very conscious of the group to ensure that everyone is enjoying the walk, that the pace is right, and anyone who is a little uncertain in parts is encouraged and supported.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring layers, gloves and a warm hat. The sun can be warm (sometimes we were in T shirts) but the wind is icy, especially on the mountain tops (in January anyway).

Stephen Clark

Reviewed January 2018

Annapyrnna Circuit

A great holiday. Excellent leader, good group, great weather, excellent views, lovely locals.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the Thorong la Pass and the high mountains all around us. Pokhara was great fun on New years eve.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good, he mixed in with the group in the evenings and was always joyfull and very knolageable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go to enjoy yourself and have plenty of card space in your camera. It is a strenuous trek with plenty of steep ups and downs to tax the knees

SImon Knight

Reviewed January 2018

Walking on Evia

A really good short walking holiday with rewarding hikes, beautiful scenery and lots and lots of good food. Greek hospitality has to be experienced to be believed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The long hike up to the top of one mountain to see the remains of an doorway arch and views across the island.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Probably the best group leader we have had (and we have done a lot of Exodus and Explore holidays).

Advice for Potential Travellers

In December you need to be prepared for cold, wet and windy weather (it even sleeted on us at one point), and pack layers accordingly. A pole or poles will help on the descents.

Michael Chow

Reviewed January 2018

A great tropical escape in the winter months

This was an excellent trip but marred by the noisy festive celebration around the New Year in the beach resort of Kovolam; the noise continues into the night. The lush tropical scenery was a welcome get away from the dark December days.

Most Inspirational Moment

Backwaters, temples in Madurai, tea plantations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was fantastic. One of the best. He was highly knowledgeable in all aspects of India and gave relevant commentaries as we journeyed. He was also patient with us on the menu selections.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip was rated as easy walking. I would say on two days it was moderate.

Jagdish Jethwa

Reviewed January 2018

Tropical South

Excellent trip. It was good to get a day at the end in Kovalam. We could have done with 3 days on thew backwaters which was fantastic.
Look out for the “Easy to moderate” hike in Tea plantations which is at least medium and on several sections it is a hard tough hike not suitable if you have dodgy knees or not fit.
Tour leaders tend to be risk averse or for the sake of “commissions” and take people to “tourist” restaurants for meals. The best food for most of us was always in the local restaurants.
Hope Exodus will stop exporting this virus of “Tipping” to India.
No Indians tip bell boys to take bags up/down in lifts so why “impose” this negative practice on them?
Why don’t you just pay the drivers etc. better wages instead.

Most Inspirational Moment

Home-stay, Walk and talk in the spice garden, On the houseboat

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was Good and very hard working although he felt compelled to keep giving commentary despite many people sometimes being marginally interested.

Brian Helsdon

Reviewed January 2018

A great if (for me) a strenuous trip

I really enjoyed this trip. We had a full (15) and varied group, two couples, an American family and ages ranging from late twenties/early thirties to seventies. They were great fun and helped to make the trip. We were also extremely fortunate, no rain in what is the wettest month in Madeira, sun and above average temperatures for the first half of the week. All the hotels were of an acceptable standard with generally very good and varied breakfasts. The exception was the hotel in the centre of the island where the choice at breakfast was very limited and the food quality poor. The walks offered varied terrain and fantastic views but certainly merit the grading moderate.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the end, the two days in Funchal, maybe because I felt I'd earnt it! We did an optional extra dolphin boast trip, went on the cable car and generally soaked up the atmosphere. Funchal at night during the Christmas period was lively with very tasteful decorations. The views of the north coast from several of the walks were spectacular.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Andre a very experienced mountain guide. He was extremely friendly and helpful and considerate to those of differing walking abilities and experiences. The walks all went well without incident because of this. He was also good at recommending places to eat which accepted 15 individual bills.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't do this without either regular walking experience or some preparation before hand. There are five walks. I ducked out of the most strenuous one ( I wasn't the only one) but the last was also for me hard going, too many rocks, too many tunnels and too many hills. To be fair it was not the route in the itinerary which we could not do because of road closures. Definitely consider walking poles, invaluable especially for the down hills.

Charlotte Bosseaux

Reviewed January 2018

Mixed feelings

Perhaps summarizing the trip as overall fair is a little on the harsh side. After all, I did see beautiful landscapes and enjoyed good times with my partner, as part of a group 14. However, I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by India. There are too many issues of inequality, discrimination, misogyny and last but not least pollution. I enjoyed parts that were quiet in the tree plantations in Munnar, the temple at Madurai, some aspects of the walk in the jungle, and the cruise on the backwaters but these were very short moments in the midst of extreme noise and pollution, and issues of inequality, discrimination, misogyny always in the background, and on occasions, very much in the foreground. I would have preferred spending longer in the hills, on the backwaters, in the temple, etc, but as the tour is packed with things to do, there’s very little time to breathe and take in properly what you are being shown. It is a shame as one of the big selling point for Keralan trips is the backwaters, for instance. But you’re on the water for less than 24h, and you’re not moving overnight like you would on a Nile cruise, you start at midday, moor at 5pm and leave again at 9am so cruising time is just about 7 hours. The hotels were also not very good: most were run down and in need of TLC. It’s always so much nicer after an intense day out to come back to a room and feel that you can relax properly not having to worry about hygiene. I have traveled in many places in South East Asia, China, Sri Lanka, Africa and Latin America, and hotels in Kerala (and Madurai) were by far the worst I’ve stayed in. On the plus side, food was good, with other options than curries in most places we went to. If you love coconuts, you’ll be happy as lots of curries are made with them, and you can drink coconut water from the shells almost everywhere, yummy! Overall then, this trip was a mixed bag, and I would only recommend it if you are fully aware that it won’t be relaxing, and that don’t have too many other destinations to compare it with.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cruising the backwaters, followed by visiting the temple at Madurai, and the tree plantations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was very professional and knowledgeable. He also had a great sense of humor.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for an assault to all your senses and to face the fact that misogyny and discrimination are everyday issues. You also know nothing know about sound pollution, air pollution and garbage/plastic pollution until you have been to India! Quite frankly I came back from the holiday more tired than I was before I left. That's mostly due to the fact that we were traveling from one place to the next every other day (with three nights in a row in a different hotel). But India generally speaking is not a relaxing place, unless you go to a beach and don't move for a few days, I guess. I have learned a lot but I wouldn't say India is a place I'll be eager to go back to.

tony whelan

Reviewed January 2018

Fantastic Vietnam

Brilliant trip from start to finish, loved every minute and would recommend to anyone.
Chi our guide was a fountain of local knowledge (not bad on Karaoke either btw) and the rest of the team, Li, Chun and Tang were great support, always on hand to help with the bikes or share out fresh fruit and drinks on our stops.
Vietnam was incredible, everyday a real adventure from the Cu Chi Tunnels, to the amazing scenery at Halong Bay. Along the way we enjoyed the tranquillity of Whale Island versus the madness of Saigon and Hanoi, the picturesque towns of Dalat, Hoi An and Hue and an overnight train that gave a taste of daily life for regular folk in Vietnam.
The itinerary was generally very busy, most days starting at 6.30am for breakfast but was so well organised that there was no time wasted and the odd couple of hours were nicely taken up with a massage or a cool beer.
We were blessed with a lovely group of people and my friend Wack who entertained us non stop.
I have great memories of the people, the places, the scenery, the food, the fun and cycling 10km up the Hai Van Pass, this was one trip that will live long in the memory and be very hard to surpass!!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many great moments on our trip but the most inspirational and humbling for me was the spirit of the Vietnamese people, from happy smiling school kids shouting hello as we cycled through their villages to the hard working people in the fields planting rice or ploughing fields with Water Buffalo always managing a smile or a wave. It made me appreciate what I take for granted in my comfortable life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Chi was fantastic, great knowledge, answered every question that was put to him, managed all aspects of the trip perfectly, great restaurant recommendations and good fun to be with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a shoulder bag for the overnight stops or change of clothes for the longer bus trips after cycling when main luggage isn't accessible. Try the local tailors in Hoi An, amazing quality and very reasonable. Take your own food on the overnight train, the canteen gets very busy. Use taxis in Saigon and Hanoi even for short distances, they're cheap and it's safer than walking (crossing roads). Take a book for the coach rides.

M Ward

Reviewed January 2018

Sand dunes, wildlife, endless sky

A great two week trip in Namibia. Provided a great overview of the country and able to experience the vastness and emptiness of Namibia. A stunning country with lots of wildlife. The camping was fun with great meals and a refreshing pool and bar at every campsite (except one). The cycling isn’t hard, just hot and on rough gravel roads. Lots of stunning photo opportunities.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many! Seeing black rhinos on two separate occasions in Etosha, cycling past baboons, zebras, warthogs and giraffes on the side of the road, the incredible sand dunes, the incredibly feeling of space and emptiness with endless horizons and far-reaching roads. The stunning night sky with so many stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hard-working, laid-back and happy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect to cycle vast distances each day...the heat and road conditions allow for only a few hours riding each morning. Think of it more as a tour of Namibia with time for exercise each morning. A lot of the roads are heavily corrugated which makes for slow and uncomfortable riding, although in the second week we had beautiful tarmac so managed a lot more miles. Always have your swimsuit in your daybag so you can take a swim to cool down and refresh as soon as you arrive at that night's rest spot.

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