Discover Burma

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...

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  Gary Roberts

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  I found the trip extremely well balanced giving a good insight into the culture and heritage of the country followed by the opportunity to experience the countryside and interact with some of its many peoples. It provided space for you to do your own thing - explore or relax, as well a cover all the key sights, smells and sounds of interest. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Possibly the welcome we got everywhere we went. Whether we spoke to people or not they smiled at us and seemed happy to see we were appreciating visiting their country. Of course not everything in Burma is positive and the smiles disguised many problems.

  And just visiting, after years of boycot, to see the great temples and countryside first hand rather than on film.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Gabriel was an excellent leader. He was informative and fun ensuring the trip went smoothly and any problems did not surface to trouble us. Fortunately the group was very well behaved and everyone interacted exdtremely well so he did not have to yield the stick which suggests he was fairly spot on in the way he ran the tour and engaged with the group.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Yes go soon as the infrastucture will not be able to cope with increased numbers of visitors. The result will either be increased price or more dodgy hotels. Our hotel in Yangoon was switched at the last minute and my gut feeling is the replacement had less character and was more run down. Currently apart from Mandalay (which was basic and clean but a little eccentric - rooms were tiled, no windows, no lift) the hotels are very good.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  As alway trying to enahnce the trip I have two suggestions. With hindsight might have been even better if we had done a day at Bagan by bicycle. And a short one hour train journey into Kalaw would have been fun so something for reflection in the future trips.

   
• 

  Miles Goodman

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  An amazing holiday in a fast changing country. As more people hear about Burma and tourist numbers grow it is inevitable that some of the charm of this wonderful country, which has been brought about by 64 years of isolation, will be lost. On the other side of the coin, democracy and freedom for these wonderful people will inevitably happen in due course 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The vista of the shrine/temple landscape of Bagan is truly one of the wonders of the world

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Excellent. An extremely knowledgeable and experienced guide

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Bring plenty of high capacity SD cards/memory sticks. Consider a spare camera

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Expect to be educated and surprised on this trip

   
• 

  Mike Tuke

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  A holday of golden pagodas and warm scented air, of far eastern food and lots of fruit. There is so much of interest to see in this green and pleasant land. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  All the days were brilliant in their different ways but the best was spent on Inlay Lake. We glided across the lake under a clear blue sky and watched the local Shan fishermen trapping fish and leg rowing. We visited a pagoda and markets and walked through a bamboo forest. Later we were taken by boat to a restaurant on stilts and ate a loevely lunch while looking across the water and to the distant mountains.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our leader, Andrew, was fantastic. He had an extensive knowledge of everything we saw.  His English vocabulary was excellent.  Not only did we visit all the sites on the programme but on learning that there was a festival one day he took us off route to visit it. Also seeing some farmers winnowing hill padi he stopped the bus and we climbed a hill to watch them close up. He seemed to know instinctively what would interest us Europeans.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  I did not see a single mosquito.  Buy laquerware in Bagan, Jade in Mandalay.  The girls selling tourist items are amazingly charming and polite but quite a lot of what they sell e.g. mother of pearl, has nothing to do with Burma.

  The Burmese are all very polite and never once did I feel uneasy on the crowded streets or exploring villages on my own.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I would like to return and go to the teak forests.

   
• 

  Martin Burnell

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  The trip covers the main highlights of a fascinating country that is changing rapidly. There has been a huge growth this year in the number of visitors and this is putting pressure on the tourist infrastructure. The only standard guide is Lonely Planet and the latest edition is already out of date in some respects, as are the Exodus trip notes. Be prepared for a lot of walking without shoes or socks. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The balloon flight over Bagan and Inle Lake - both very beautiful and unique.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  This was the first tour for which Joe had acted as Exodus Group Leader. He was conscientious, hard working, showed a concern for all members of the group and was helpful with individual requests. He could have been more proactive in ensuring that our large group (18) kept to time. We were continually running behind schedule. It was frustrating that lunch sometimes took over 2 hours and we were much later back to the hotel than we should have been. Hopefully as he gains experience Jo will become more fluent in his conversational English.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  ? Toughen your feet before you go, or take blister dressings. ? It is now fine to change money at the airport on arrival. ? The balloon flight is expensive, but it is safe and well run and is worth the money. ? Internet is more widely available than indicated in the trip notes, but it is slow and erratic. ? Foreign bank and sim cards still do not work in Burma. Take dollar cash in mint condition. ? If you have free time in Mandalay, go to one of the gold pounders workshops (see Lonely Planet). ? Use any free time in Bagan to explore by bicycle. ? If you have time to research flights yourself, you may get them cheaper than the standard Exodus flights. Going via Bangkok is shorter than going by Kuala Lumpur.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  All the countries of SE Asia have their own distinctive character. One of the distinctive features of Burma is that women and some men commonly have face decoration using white paste made from tree bark. At Inle Lake we were taken to see Padaung women who practice a traditional custom of wearing brass rings around their neck to greatly elongate the neck to the extent that they can no longer carry the weight of their own heads without the support of the rings. This tradition has largely died out among young Padaung women and is only being perpetuated as a tourist attraction, exploiting women from impoverished hill villages, some of whom are taken to Thailand to be exhibited as a sort of freak show. The UN has compared the treatment of Padaung women to the treatment of animals in a zoo. If you wish to dissociate yourself from this exploitation, do not take photographs and make your feelings clear to the Exodus leader.

   
• 

  Jane Newman

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  An exciting, intriguing and thoroughly memorable trip.  I felt as if I was in another world and would love to go back one day. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Meeting the people of Burma, especially the children who loved to practise their English and were delighted to see us.
  The beautiful scenery in Kalaw and at Lake Inle
  The stunning Shwedagon Pagoda and the temples at Bagan, which were full of local people.
  Listening to, our group leader, Andrew’s stories of life in Burma.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Andrew is a fantastic group leader.  He looked after us all really well and worked tirelessly to meet the needs of all the group.  He was very knowledgeable about his country and culture, friendly, humorous, kind hearted and enthusiastic.  He was most conscientious about our health and safety and demonstrated his full commitment to Exodus’s responsible tourism philosophy on many occasions.  He also had some great ideas about what we should do in any free time and took us to some excellent local restaurants.  

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The mosquitos in Burma are the most determined I have ever come across.  Spray insect repellent all over (as they bite through clothes) and especially at dusk.

  If you are a little nervous of the internal flights (particularly after reading the Lonely Planet section on this subject) - don’t be.  We flew Air Mandalay and I felt completely safe, relaxed and happy.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  On the day of the bike ride, at Lake Inle, we visited a clinic at one of the villages.  They would be delighted to receive any toothbrushes and toiletries.  I also gave a cash donation, which I know will go directly to help the local people.

   
• 

  Ian Wiles

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  We had a fantastic timeIt is a great time to visit this fast developing country and with that comes comprimisesNot all the hotels were luxury, not all the meals were gourmet but all the experiences were memorableFor us Burma is one of the best Asian destinations up against some stiff competition A group of 18 was a challenge to take around the sites and feed  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Being in a country that will never be the same

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Nay was an inspiration

  He even laughed at my jokes!

  Nay is an asset to your country and an ambassador to Burma 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Go now

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable holiday

   
• 

  Sue Greenop

  DISCOVER BURMA

  

  Written November 2012

  This trip gives an opportunity to see a large part of the easily accessible parts of the country and includes many of the tourist spots and we saw cities, countryside, temples, lakes and rivers. Every effort was made so that we could sample the local delights from local food to handicrafts. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Bagan was the highlight for me and one of my joys was the horse-cart ride that I took together with my room-mate to one of the temples on our 'free' afternoon. It was wonderful to really experience the landscape close up, rather than being in a coach with a slightly elevated view point and behind glass. From the horse-cart we saw birds and vegetation, we heard the birds singing too and we really appreciated the size of the temples.  It was so peaceful, just natural sounds and the clipity-clop of the horse as we joggled along. I could have easily spent a few more days there just to enjoy the spaciousness and the gentle colours of the landscape, but we had to go.......

   

  I was really surprised at how inspirational I found the Teak Bridge visit in the early morning. The Teak bridge itself is quite something, but that wasn't really the treat for me, it was the expansive landscape and beautiful colours in the early morning sky, the reflections in the water and watching the local people going about their morning activities before it gets too hot - fishing from boats or standing in the water waiting, ploughing with oxen or rounding up their ducks. I can't believe how many photos I took! There wasn't enough time for me to get to the other end of the bridge and back again, I was too busy taking photos but others in the group managed it. I would have loved to have been able to return there again to enjoy it some more! 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our group leader, Joe, was very good, and our group was very good too! Joe was always patient and kind enough to answer everyone's questions. He has a sense of humour and, being from Burma himself, he knows the country, its history and current issues, its people and he certainly knows his way around! 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  I underestimated how hot I would get, so my advice would be to take many rehydration sachets with you and use one a day say, don't save them incase you are ill, just keep drinking!

   

  I am veggie and I found this trip extremely difficult. The meat and fish eaters were served with delightful looking meals, but mine - steamed rice or fried rice, a few veg sometimes not well cooked and some tofu on a good day - was utterly boring. Very few places served 'western' food such as cheese sandwiches, there's very little dairy or bread!! I made the most of it when I came across it. You can get eggs for breakfast though.

   

  If you suffer with jet lag, as I do, you might want to head out before the group. I did this and it helped me quite a bit.  The trip starts very full on with early start after early start and together with the heat - especailly if you've just come from a cold UK - takes a bit of adjustment, the others managed OK, its probably just me. There's plenty to see in Rangoon if you have extra time there, I did extra temples (!!!!). Taxis are pretty cheap so its easy to get around.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  No!

   

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