The Tropical South

Our Clients’ Reviews

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. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 43 reviews.

Emma Shubrook

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written October 2011
A wonderful holiday which ticked all the right boxes - great guide (Lukose), good mixture of city and countryside, good hotels, glimpses of local life - highly recommended as a great first time holiday to Southern India.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The houseboat. There is something intrinsically peaceful and calming about meandering along the back waters on a fabulous houseboat where the crew conjure up wonderful meals from, seemingly, thin air, oh and banana fritters just in case we were hungry in the afternoon!
What did you think of your group leader?
Lukose was brilliant. He anticipated our every question and had an uncanny ability to appear as if from nowhere as soon as anyone even passingly mentionned that there was something they wanted to ask him. Very knowledgeable about the places we visited and India in general; and very quick to call someone if there was a question he didn't know the answer to. He was very quick to get to grips with different peoples' wants and needs (beer and ice playing a large part in that!). The trip ran like clockwork. What can I say, a good few of us wanted to take Lukose home with us to organise our lives in the UK!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Definitely go on this trip it's a great experience.
Don't expect to be able to go to lots of bars, there isn't the same kind of drinking culture in Kerala as there is at home, but Kingfisher beer is available in most places!
The day walk from Mattupetty Dam was a lot harder than many people anticipated. The walk is really quite steep all of the way up and combined with the humidity / heat does make it quite difficult. That said it is worth doing, the view from the top is great and it was good to do something more active.

The air con on the house boat was really cold at night, take layers!

I wouldn't recommend the visit to Kanyakumari - we spent a lot of time queuing and there really wasn't anything much to see. The wooden palace about an hour away was beautiful so perhaps that could be a shorter optional trip.

The German bakery, Waves, at Kovalam is a must visit restaurant - food and cake is fantastic, as is the sister Fusion restaurant.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A fantastic trip. There are some long stints on the bus but Lukose made sure we had plenty of stops to feed us and you see loads. There are plenty of impromptu stops along the way to see fields being worked, sugar produced, bricks being made. Book it!
mavis tyas

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written August 2011
Excellent trip , varied itinerary with lots of time to explore.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We really enjoyed the optional trip down to the very tip of India. I would recommend that that day be part of the itinerary. The wooden palace en route was amazing, and the island off the coast where the three seas meet was just wonderful. The ferry was an experience not to be missed.
The houseboat was very well appointed and the food excellent with such an attenetive crew. The views as we cruised the backwaters were a delight = very restful and romantic.
What did you think of your group leader?
Gopal was lovely. Kind efficient and very thorough. He was very good at making sure we enjoyed all sorts of culinary delights. It was our third trip to India but he found us different tasty meals that we had not tasted before.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
You know leeches are not so bad. Inconvenient but not life threatening!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I did complete a more informed review in September with proper place names etc but it dissappeared and obviously failed to send. After spending ages with ny map getting the place names spelt properly etc I was disinclined to do it again, But I did not want you to think that we did not have a good time because we did. It was a wonderful holiday.
Jennifer Bailey

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written March 2011
This is a great holiday to introduce you to the delights of Southern India. It was a magical experience and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in this part of the world.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were so many highlights that it's difficult to pick out just one so I'll put down a few. The scenery and wildlife are beautiful as the colours are so vibrant and the contrasts immense. The walk through the tea plantations with the views of the Western Ghats was stunning. The backwaters in Kerala are amazing too - it was a dream of mine to visit there and the experience lived up to expectations. The Meenakshi temple in Madurai is very interesting and the visit provides an insight to some of the spiritual side of India. Other great moments were visiting the local markets and meeting the very warm and friendly people. The food was a great highlight too. We ate in a lot of local restaurants and the food was always fantastic.
What did you think of your group leader?
Avtar Singh is great! He was a fantastic leader and nothing was ever too much trouble for him to arrange. His humour and good nature helped an instant bonding across the group. The stories he told were always fascinating and I learnt so much about the culture and way of life in India. Always he tried to ensure we got a bit of extra 'spice' and this made the tour very special indeed. It was a real privilege to have him as a leader.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go with the pace of life there (it's much slower than London certainly) and open your eyes to new experiences. I enjoyed the early mornings when we were in the countryside as the wildlife was amazing at this time of day. The food in local restaurants was superb and while sensible precautions were taken most people did not suffer any ill effects. The people are very friendly and it was great to have the opportunity to speak to them in the markets and towns.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I'm a fan of India now, and hope to return soon to enjoy some more of this incredible country!
Penny Westmoreland

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written March 2011
Wonderful trip as it combined beautiful, ever-changing scenery, amazing temples, picturesque rural scenes, wildlife and colourful markets. Our guide was lively and funny, and our group was friendly, so we had a lot of laughs along the way.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The relaxing houseboat cruise and canoe trip were so enjoyable as we could observe village life, coir spinning, birds, etc. in their beautiful, quiet and exotic surroundings. Walking through tea plantations in Munnar was also lovely - they are dotted with silver oaks and stetch for miles over rolling hills, with some high mountains in the distance, and the tea pluckers, all women, working in groups, were friendly and interesting to watch.
What did you think of your group leader?
Avtar was likeable, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fond of jokes and silly expressions, one of which "easily peasily, lemon squeezily" I couldn't get out of my mind for days after my return... He took pride in his job and tried to show us lots of things to break up the coach journeys, which he called adding spices. Although he generally kept an eye on our group when sight-seeing, he let people wander off occasionally and wasn't quite strict enough about setting off on time (himself included); on the other hand, he was patient and resourceful, e.g. he proposed an (easier) alternative walk when he discovered that the steep Munnar trek would be disappointing as the tea plants had been cut down in that area. Also, as no one wanted to do the optional excusion from Kovalam to Kanyakumari, he took us on a walk to see the Fishermen's Beach, and was willing to accompany us if we had free time or offer advice on what to do. He refunded unused kitty money to us on the last day.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
It was very hot and also very humid the further south we went, so perhaps best to go before March. I would not advise visiting the Periyar Tiger Reserve in March because the wild elephants are irritable during this dry season and have calves and could charge at any moment (NB: tigers have not been seen by tourists for years). Our local guides were clearly frightened and often told us to run when spotting an elephant that could be aggressive, but had been told we wanted to take photos of elephants and it was difficult to persuade them that we actually wanted to leave! We could not do the Periyar Lake boat cruise because tickets were sold out when Avtar tried to get some a few days beforehand. A reservation system has just been re-introduced and includes a significant booking fee but even so there's no guarantee that places will be available. No one wanted to queue up for 2 hours and risk not going and it would have been particularly bad on the day we were scheduled to go because it was a Sunday, when local Indians go. Swimming can be dangerous in Kovalam because of currents - the waves are high and surfing is possible, so best to swim in hotel pool.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Funnily enough we weren't bothered much by mosquitoes. The food was really good and cheap - a lot of vegetarian meals but quite a bit of fresh fish and some meat. The coach was comfortable and the microphone worked well so we could hear everything that Avtar said. The driver and assistant were good. The roads weren't too bad and we stopped frequently as there's always something to see by the roadside, e.g. brick-making, religious processions and colourful markets, which broke up the journeys - Avtar did consult us first to make sure we wouldn't prefer to drive fast and arrive earlier at our destination! I loved this holiday with its variety of things to see especially the martial art and Kathakali shows which were new to me.
Hal Ewing

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written February 2011
Highly enjoyable tour of Kerala and the south of India. The tour took the stress out of travelling around India and allowed us to see and do far more than we might otherwise.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
This trip's major plus point over other trips concentrating on Kerala is the diversion to Madurai. It was amazing, fascinating and well worth the travel involved. The huge Hindu temple was definitely the real highlight of the trip.
Otherwise, Kerala's amazing natural beauty (particularly the tea plantation and the backwaters) and its stunningly tasty food were things that will live long in the memory.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The day trip to the southern tip of India is well worth making. After having spent time travelling you might feel like stretching out on the beach at Kovalam, but the trip was a nice chance to do your own thing. There is a beautiful wooden palace to be seen and the chance to see three oceans meet.
Gordon Robison

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written January 2011
We were looked after so well, our guide thought of everything. Exodus were well organised and prompt.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Visiting a Hindu temple with our Hindu guide who gave us so much infomation.
Watching the sun go down from our houseboat on the backwaters. Beautiful.
What did you think of your group leader?
He was everything one could want from a guide. I liked the fact he was a local man and a Hindu so could give us so much infomation about the way of life there.
He was very well organised and went the extra mile.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go with Exodus, you will not be disappointed.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A lovely holiday giving a really good overview of what life is like in Southern India. With a few relaxing bits added.
Christopher Watts

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

Written January 2011
A very good introduction to India and I would recommend it to anyone. Very leisurely - perhaps too much time for 'shopping'. The secenry is ever changing from coastal plain with its noisy cities and town to the quite lush setting of the tea plantations in the Western Ghats to the stunning hurly burly of Madurai's Temple and back down to the relaxing Kovalam.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
the optional trip to Padmanabhapuram Palace and the tip of India.
What did you think of your group leader?
Superb. Very attentive, full of knowledge and being local to the area gave an added dimension to the trip.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Check your trip notes - ours were inaccurate.
Make sure they give you at least 2 hours to change planes in Dubai. All our flights left at least an hour late except for the crucial one back to Gatwick which left on time and we had been given only 70 minutes between planes.
Don't expect western food. You are in India with its fantastic selection of local food.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Backwaters are lovely, but you'll only get 4 hours cruising. Too little for a wonderful area packed with interest.

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Our Clients’ Reviews

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH

THE TROPICAL SOUTH