Most Inspirational Moment
The views of the peaks surrounding the refuge.
Thoughts on Group Leader
A brilliant young man.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Train hard.
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.
Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!
Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!
Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…
Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.
Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.
Select a trip specific review:
Reviews
Mount toubkal winter climb
It is tough,I did not make it to the top,others did but it is worth the effort. It was described by one of the people as being like Shangrila.
Finnish Wilderness Week
This was an absolutely fantastic holiday and a true ‘week of firsts’. We got to try lots of winter activities that we’d never done before, all in stunning surroundings. The basecamp was excellent and the food was amazing. All of the included and optional activities were excellent, as was sitting in the hot tub and sauna at the end of the day!
Most Inspirational Moment
There are so many! Building and sleeping in our quinzee was a great experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the night-time snowshoe walk (walking through the forests with only the light of the moon), the ice climbing and husky dog sledding as well.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Henri was a really great guide, he was really encouraging in all the activities and really knowledgeable about the local environment. He was also great fun and we all had a lot of laughs as a group!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book this trip! You don't need any experience of any of the activities, just a willingness to give it a go. You also don't need to bring any specialist gear as everything really is included. You'll just need your own base layers to go under the kit they provide. Also some warm socks would be useful, although they do also provide these at basecamp. And finally, a Finnish sauna is a must, complete with rolling in the snow!
Finnish Wilderness Week
Fantastic holiday with great guides and stunning scenery. This is the first time at -18C and its surprising how warm you get when you are taking part in the winter activities. We were worried about being cold in the rooms but there was no need, all have under floor heating and we were always cosy and warm. The main building has the same heating and also an open fire to sit around at night.
Most Inspirational Moment
Arriving by dog sleigh to a wonderland of snow clad trees, an absolutely stunning vista, the sun just above the horizon with lakes in the distance. A photographers paradise!! The snow mobile trip was excellent and extra clothing was provided, we had a full two hours so well worth experiencing, but don't forget your driving licence.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Henri was very approachable from the start and had a fantastic knowledge of Finland, its winter sports and wildlife. Nothing was too much trouble, his English was impeccable and his stories kept us waiting for more.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Like all the other reviews you really do not need to bring many outdoor clothes but you would find it useful to bring a thermal buff and hand warmers especially for the evening outside meal where even our wine froze. A kettle for tea in the morning, although there was plenty at breakfast. A tripod is essential if you are lucky enough to see the northern lights like we were, there are also some aps which help predict an appearance. We found the lake an excellent vantage point, less light pollution away from the lodge.
Incredible first taste of Iceland
After a 4 hour flight delay and miserable weather the first morning, our luck changed and we had glorious sunny weather for the rest of the trip which showed a wintry Iceland off in all its glory. Although the trip is short, a lot is packed in and we did and saw more than I’d anticipated. The scenery really was stunning and I would love to go back in summer to explore further. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this trip to others, although I think the weather can have a really big impact on how enjoyable it will be.
Most Inspirational Moment
The northern lights appearing for us on our last evening in Reykjavik, and Day 3 of the tour when we visited the glacial lagoon and diamond beach then donned crampons for hiking the glacier.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gudni was fantastic and looked after our group very well. He was very calm and personable and provided lots of interesting information about the country as we drove around. It was the first trip where I've seen the guide also do the driving, but with the help of his Madonna-style headset microphone it worked perfectly.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Clothing: We were extremely lucky with the weather, but I would definitely recommend lots of layers, and a scarf/buff/balaclava to protect your face is essential. I took both walking boots and snow boots but didn't wear the snow boots at all. They provide you with chains for your boots (which we found to be essential) and you need walking boots really to use them. You also need walking boots to fit the crampons for the glacier hike. I used a Peruvian-style hat with ear flaps for most of the trip, but you also need a beanie-style hat (no bobble) for the two occasions where you need to wear a helmet. Waterproof trousers and coat are essential as you may get wet in the cave and from waterfall spray, even if it’s not raining (a lens cleaning cloth for your camera is also useful as you’ll end up with lots of droplets on it near the waterfalls). I’d also highly recommend two pairs of gloves – the thin inner pair will protect your hands when taking photos. Other equipment: I took a flask but didn't use it. There was a kettle in the room at Hotel Laki, but not in Reykjavik. You can easily fill up a bottle with drinking water throughout the trip. It may sound strange, but sun cream may be useful, especially if you go later in the season; it had clouded over a bit by the time we did the glacier walk, but otherwise there would have been a fair bit of exposure and reflection from the sun. Northern Lights: We were extremely lucky and saw a great display on the last night. However, be prepared to be flexible and keep extra layers on the bus with you just in case. We headed straight from the day's activities for dinner with the intention of then checking in to the hotel and getting extra layers on etc before heading out into the countryside (away from light pollution) as the forecast was looking good. However, the lights had other ideas and appeared for an hour at 8.30 pm, just as we were finishing dinner. We all piled into the bus and headed 10 minutes to a peninsula near the harbour in Reykjavik. So whilst we didn't get to see them against dark skies, we did avoid a long drive and hours of standing outside in the cold, and were back at the hotel by 10 in time to head out to a bar. A friend who went on the trip in January had a 2 hour drive each way to find them on the last night and got back to the hotel at 3 am! When you are at Hotel Laki, if you hear people moving about in the middle of the night and doors going, don’t lie in bed wondering why people were being noisy like I did; it probably means somebody has spotted the lights, so throw your warm clothes on and get up to the viewing area on the roof! I only have a compact camera (Panasonic Lumix TZ30) but managed to get some reasonable photos after doing a bit of research online before I went. I used the manual mode with F3.3, ISO 800, a 15 second exposure, and self timer to avoid camera shake. The key was having a mini tripod with me (that allows you to angle the camera upwards) – even though it’s small enough to fit in my pocket and I looked a bit silly next to everybody with their proper gear, it worked perfectly.
Fabulous adventure
Just returned from a wonderful cycling trip from Delhi, around Rajasthan, finishing in Agra with the Taj Mahal. Wonderfully organised with plenty of cycling through rural India and some exciting cycling in cities. Bhopesh and Anand were great tour leaders and the support team were also first class. The premium departure meant we stayed in some very beautiful hotels and the leaders arranged evening meals in some lovely restaurants.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the Taj Mahal was a major highlight of the trip, but cycling through the more rural areas, seeing the real India was probably just as unforgettable.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bhopesh and Anand could not have been more helpful, they were good company, adaptable, knowledgable and fun to cycle with. All arrangements were efficiently organised, time management was excellent, and preparing the group for the days challenge was always well done. Safety was always a priority but this didn't detract from the fun.
Advice for Potential Travellers
None of our group got any serious tummy problems, we ate Indian all the time. The leaders advised us well on good places to eat, we had street food and regular chai stops but because we were very careful regarding hand gel use and only drinking bottled water we had no problems.
Fantastic Wilderness Week
The Finnish Wilderness holiday is up there with one of my best holidays. Oulanka base-camp was fantastic, the accommodation excellent and the food home made and wonderful. Definitely an experience not to be missed.
The optional activities a must. The Arctic gear provided is fabulous. You can really travel very very lightly.
Most Inspirational Moment
Without a doubt the full day husky sledding with Lauri and the snowmobile safari. But we thoroughly enjoyed the other activities also like the reindeer farm, the night walk, the barbecues and the wilderness training.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Henri was outstanding. His patience, his commitment and his enthusiasm were second to none. His English was also first class.He mixed with every member in the group, and couldn't do enough for you.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read the trip notes and the reviews. They cover everything. There REALLY is no need to bring your own equipment, as the equipment provided at Oulanka is of excellent quality., and comes in all sizes. From snow boots, to suits, thermals, gloves, mittens rucksacks etc etc I read the trip notes, but still brought some of my own stuff ,just in case I would need them, and .... I didn't need any! The only thing I would bring is your own base layers, and a hat. A hair-dryer is also handy to bring, as is a small travel kettle if you like a hot drink in your room in the evening or early in the morning.
Northern Lights (and much, much more)
A very enjoyable trip and a perfect introduction to Iceland.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were many highlights but, as you might expect, finally getting to see the Northern Lights (after two largely unsuccessful previous trips – one to Norway, and one to Sweden - to see them) was a big deal for me. And this was despite an abysmal forecast (“Aurora Activity=0”!) Our tour leader, David, somehow managed to magic them up from somewhere. Other than that, Gullfoss (waterfall) is particularly spectacular and photogenic and the crystal clear lumps of glacier ice on beach are beautiful and fascinating.
Thoughts on Group Leader
David was very good. He worked very hard for us and, thanks to him, we took in a very full itinerary without ever feeling rushed or short-changed. I have no doubt we benefitted a great deal from his knowledge and experience of the country.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don’t underestimate how cold it is/can be. Make sure you’ve got plenty of suitable clothing. If you’re (primarily) going on this trip in the hope of seeing and photographing the Northern Lights then make sure you know what you are doing and are very familiar with your camera’s controls (including how to operate it in the (near) dark). In order to take photographs of the Lights, you do, of course, need a camera that can take long exposures (typically 15-20 seconds) and a sturdy tripod. I would emphasise “sturdy” as it can be very windy and, especially, with long exposures, you need things to remain as still and stable as possible. And don’t forget to remove any and all filters from your camera lens before trying to photograph the Lights.
Delicious Norway
A superb location for sampling the delights of winter in Norway. The hotel was authentically Norwegian – lots of wood and candles, excellent smoked/marinaded/baked fish and meat, with a few veggie options, mouth-watering desserts (several of us “bagged” our faves before the earlybirds – aka The Germans – scraped the plates), good skis, help with waxing and great tuition and group leading. The sauna was very welcome after the day’s battering – sorry “getting to grips with XC skiing” and the West Wing room was unusually spacious for a ski holiday.
Most Inspirational Moment
The slideshow from Lars on Venabu and the mountains gave us a bigger picture of the area and the Norwegian buffet on Wednesdays was delightful.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Robert, Richard and Siobhan went the extra mile to help us, both on and off the skis. Robert was excellent at tailoring the routes to the changing conditions, Richard was the waxing guru and his wife Siobhan mentored us newbies like a Pro.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Practice your balance! Yoga or Pilates are good. XC skis are a lot more nervous than downhill and tip you off far more frequently, forwards and backwards as well as sidewards. If the snow is soft it's OK but it got icy towards the end of our stay and my coccyx hasn't forgiven me yet.
A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS
This was a fabulous introduction to adventure travel. This trip was my first group holiday and I loved every minute. The group profile was really good! We had people from their 20s to their 60s, all great and interesting people with their own travel stories to tell. The itinerary was a great mix of culture, landscape and sightseeing. It was busy and we packed such a lot in in just 7 days. The trip was really well organised and I would have no hesitation in going with Exodus again.
Most Inspirational Moment
Riding camels and camping in the desert and 24 hours later walking in the Atlas Mountains in snow!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Rashid couldn't have been any better. He was friendly, efficient and great company.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go with Exodus....! This company proved to be so impressive in terms of organisation, efficiency, itinerary and group profile. I loved my trip!
Super Dolomites experience
About my 6th trip back to this lovely area and friendly welcoming hotel. Excellent group, super new spa in hotel and different routes to ski this year….when can I go again please?
Most Inspirational Moment
Being in the beautiful Giesertal valley, the fun of the experience showers and relaxing new spa.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Anne is inspirational and a great person and teacher tailoring her tuition to everyones individual needs. Alex is super fun and has an incredible knowledge of the mountains. Both are excellent skiers.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Come and join us