Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia

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 18 reviews.

Poonam Sattee

ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written January 2013
The trip was wonderfully organised, good mix of landings and zodiac excurions. On the sea days, it was hard to be bored in between yoga sessions, penguin lectures and the entertainment. Visiting Antarctica, The Falklands and South georgia was a humbling experience... Rolling mountains, hearing the roar of avalanche, watching whales swim past the boat, watching elephant seals inspect you as you walk past them - you have the opportunity to be right there, visiting and co-existing with penguins and seals rather than observing them from afar...
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Hiking to a high point in South Georgia and watching this sea of king penguins intertwined with a sea of king penguin chicks was incredible!! So beautiful and such an incredible moment that you are finally here living this trip! Also, seeing a humpback whale emerge from under the boat and seeng its whole body just underneath the surface of the water was the most beautiful experience...
What did you think of your group leader?
Woody is incredible - very knowledgable, charismatic and has an infectious enthusiasm for everything which just makes it even more exciting!!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Whilst it's not the cheapest of trips (it took me years of saving!) - if seeing colder climates, whales, penguins...etc. is your thing - this trip is a must and it is well worth the wait! The beauty of colder climates never ceases to amaze me - especially the colours. Dont think the peninsular is just whte, you will be amazed at the colours you see...
Good camera is obviously a must! For the ocean diamond, you need a european two round pin plug. Quark give you a thick waterproof/fleece lined jacket for the zodiac excursions/landings - you don´t need to bring your own equivilant!!! Camera batteries/video camera batteries - buy spare ones - cant emphasise this enough. The cold zaps the battery's life and nothing worse than your camera dying when a penguin chick comes over to inspect your ruksack! Spare batteries - keep them somewhere warm to get the maximum out of them!!! Dry bags for inside the rucksack are a must (spray from zodiacs) and also waterproof covers for cameras - whilst its summer in that side of the world, it's still Antarctica and you can literally get 4 seasons in one day.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't forget your swimming costume for the polar plunge!!!
Duncan Muir

ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written December 2012
THE trip of a lifetime, itinery exceeded expectations AND so did the weather!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
A true expedition cruise aboard the excellent Vavilov (better than sister ship Ioffe because of its panoramic lounge)
Highlights were
The weather... and the changing light
Standing amongst 150.000 King penguins on South Georgia plus the Macaronis, Adeles Chinstraps and Magellenics
The squadrons of Albatross and other birds surrounding the ship
The awesome vastness and remoteness of Antartica
Seeing Orca Humpbacks Dolphins and standing amongst fur seals and Elephant seals and their pups
The glaciers icebergs growlers and pack ice
The desolate remains of old whaling stations ... a poignant reminder of our past and a photographers delight

What did you think of your group leader?
No exodus leader as such, Aaron the ships leader(A ONE Ocean director) was enthusiastic charming and authorative and his team of photographers, lecturers and wildlife experts were very informative, food was plentiful if a little too American eg sweetcorn with salmon and sweet cherry soup! The pastry chef was AWESOME!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take a travel mug to wander about the decks with your coffee/hot chocolate, towels and shampoo and conditioner are provided, as is a bathrobe. Rooms have decent fridge and tea making facilities . There are duty free shops in Ushaia to buy booze and one person bought 2 cases of wine on board!
Take loads of camera memory! A laptop too to edit photos on the sea days.
Take layers ..weather very changeable. "2 pairs of gloves a good idea and high factor sunscreen due to Ozone hole and good quality sunglasses.
I took a monopod and would take a tripod again and even invest in a GOPro for some awsome time lapse photos of penguin colonies . The binoculars for hire were good quality Bushells as was the dripak for rib tranfers to shore which can be very wet.. so some sort of camera protection is essential. The wetskins clothing and thermal boots were good quality.
Keep your fingers crossed as the internal flights have low baggage allowances ... my camera gear alone weighed 15kg but fortunately my carry on was not weighed although another traveller was caught.
My Hotties hand warmers were excellent and would take again.
Capture pictures of you fellow travellers in their bright red outfits... they provide interest and scale to photos and look great

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Spend a day or two in Buenos Aires and avoid Madrid Transfer (bad experience 2 yrs ago to Patagonia with Aerolineas Argentinas...awful plane , staff , food and delays) or Iberia and go DIRECT to BA with British Airways from Heathrow.
Ushaia is a strange place ... like a ski resort. Plenty of clothes shops and restaurants. A hike to glacier(taxi to start of walk) trip to prison plus light lunch were all achieved and worthwhile before meeting in hotel Albatross (good spa) for late pm ships departure....
Only complaint of whole trip which I have emailed ONEOCEAN about was disembarcation morning..this was shambolic and as soon as you had stepped off the gangplank at 08.30 they really didnt want to know...
we were driven 1/4 mile from the ship into a carpark where the driver disappeared without any instructions leaving everyone on the coach. After 20 mins, a search party with a spanish interpreter found him and it transpired that we were all to sit on the coach until our transfer to the airport (which has no facilities of note) . We had a 18.00 flight and this was TOTALLY unreasonable ie an unnecessary 8 hr wait ... we took our baggage off the coach and together with some South Africans hired a minibus and driver and had a lovely 5 hrs in the Tierra del Fuego national park which was beautiful before he dropped us at the Airport. Those who had gone direct to the airport were very envious and fed up.
Although Exodus advised a late PM flight on day of departure ( in case the ship was delayed arriving in Ushaia) , on talking to the ONEOCEAN boss Aaron they have only been late once in over 100 trips and this was a delay of over a day... so a late flight wouldnt have helped. Aerolineas however are unreliable and change /cancel flights regularly. So definately advise arriving early for ships departure from Ushaia especially as they had an unplanned national strike on the day of our arrival and at least 15 passengers were affected .
john cross

ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written February 2012
This was a very special trip. We had fantastic weather and managed 19/20 planned landings by Zodiac. There was an abundance of wildlife, both birds and mammals, including some seldom seen birds and whales.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The sheer number of penguins with fat fluffy chicks. The size of the wandering and black browed Albatrosses. Seeing Fin, Sei, Humpback and Orca whales as well as a feeding Southern Right whale.
What did you think of your group leader?
Shane was a very inspirational leader, confident, wise and well organised witha good grasp of what was possible and what was not.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you have any interest in wildlife at all then this is a trip you should put at the top of your wish list.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This was my 9th trip with Exodus (and I have just booked my 10th one) and the 65th country I visited. This trip was to one of the most spectactular places I have ever seen.
Angela Longman

ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written February 2012
The Sea Spirit was very comfortable, the only problem they need to address is the food, as it was tepid and mediocre. We have been on Polar travels several times before and the food was always superb. not sure if the problem lies with Quark or the Danish owners.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We saw every type of seal and penguin, including a young Emperor one out on the ice which was pretty special. the highlight has to be a humpback whale feeding at Hannahs Point on the last afternoon which swam between 2 of the Zodiacs almost within touching range.
What did you think of your group leader?
Shane Envoy was full of fun and energy and an inspiration to all the passengers.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The girl who ran the shop on board was highly obnoxious. I gather she is employed by Quark as opposed to the owners. I had occasion to return a paid of leather bootees, the day after purchase, as I felt that the leather seam inside was harsh to young feet. She pointed out that exchanges/refunds could only happen on day of purchase, a notice was hidden amongst stock to this effect. She eventually contacted her bosses who agreed to the exchange. The next few days were busy and when we took the goods back, she said she had sold 100s with no complaint. I then said I would buy a child's Tshirt instead. She pointed out that they were reduced as they had been wrongly tagged, in case I came back and complained.
Her interpersonal skills are sadly lacking.
Norman Seddon
ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written February 2012
A truly wonderful experience. It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to visit such an awe inspiring part of the world, and to have been made aware of the importance of keeping Antarctica and its wildlife in its present state for future generations.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The sounds and smell of a penguin colony.
Visiting Shackleton's grave.
Kayaking amongst the ice with seals and penguins alongside.
Icebergs.
The total lack of fear of humans shown by the wildlife.
The clear air.
Watching the albatrosses following the ship.
What did you think of your group leader?
Shane was a charismatic and dynamic leader. His daily roundups of the day's happenings and the next day's programme were inspiring and amusing. He was well supported by a team of knowledgable and enthusiastic expedition staff. The educational programme covered a wide variety of topics and was superbly delivered.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This is the trip of a lifetime. You will come back with a changed view of the world, having seen so many different landscapes, seen so much wildlife, met so many interesting folk from around the world (our trip had 15 different nationalities) and learnt so much through the educational programme.The ship (Sea Spirit) and its crew were excellent.
Kathy Kerr
ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written February 2012
Holiday of a lifetime, which will never be forgotten. Had an absolutely amazing time from start to finish. This holiday was beyond our expectations!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
King Penguins and their chicks, so funny!
Gentoo chicks laying on my lap
Up close and personal (about 8-10 feet away) from humpback whale swimming towards us - Awesome !
Abundant wildlife behaviour to watch and photograph
Fantastic scenery, weather and itinerary
Amazing icebergs
Watching Adelie penguins stealing stones from other nests, and looking so innocent when caught, just like on 'Frozen Planet' hilarious!
Educational presentations by the Quark staff were so informative and very helpful, learnt so much.
What did you think of your group leader?
Shane was brilliant and did everything he could to get us ashore, and succeeded as we managed 21 landings and zodiac cruises. At the briefings he was inspirational in telling us to "put down our cameras and feel our surroundings, watch the animals, take photos with your mind", he was so right! Shane even surprised us with a cruise round Cape Horn (which was unexpected).
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you thought you might like to do this trip, dont think anymore, DO IT! You will have a life changing experience.
Wildlife in abundance, be on the first zodiac out and the last one back!
Don't be tempted to have your eyes permanently stuck to the camera lens - just sit and watch it all happen around you ! Take a tri-stool like we did and just sit and take it all in.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The remainder of the expedition staff were amazing; Jamie, Tony, Mikolaj and Damien were so informative, their knowledge was immense and nothing was too much trouble for them. Angela (our shop assistant and newly qualified zodiac driver) was great, she was our driver around icebergs and she couldn't do enough to make our experience as enjoyable as possible; her patience, kindness and consideration were immense. Krystle was great with her photographic tips and Val and Solan brilliant for the kayakers. Dave and Karin were brilliant drivers and full of fun. Last but not least, Duncan who did so much behind the scenes and whose organisational skills were greatly appreciated.
The crew onboard the ship were professional, friendly and helpful. If we did have a complaint, then it would be that the food was good, but could have been a bit warmer.
Andy Barnes

ANTARCTICA, FALKLANDS & SOUTH GEORGIA

Written January 2012
It was a long way to travel - but it was well worth it, started with a few days in Ushuaia (Argentina) before the expedition cruise started. Ushuaia is a small town with many overpriced so called duty free shops, and outside the town is the National Park - which to be honest was very ordinary.Now to the actual trip itself - the Falkland, South Georgia and Antarctica - it was brilliant, very well run by the expedtion staff and the journey on the Valivov was 'plain sailing'.On this trip we missed one zodiac cruise, but managed to carry out all the other activites.Managed to see all the expected wildlife for that time of year, and great views when land and ice in view.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
South Georgia had everything, the scenery, history and the wildlife.
What did you think of your group leader?
Lynn Woodward - is an expert on the areas visited, so was always able to pass on her substantial knowledge.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Great for wildlife photography.
Spend as much time out on deck or on the bridge - you dont know what is going to swim or fly by !
(Could not beleive that out of 95 holiday makers on board - there were only three of us 'looking').
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It was my second Polar Trip - having visited the Arctic in 2010, the two ends of the planet are very different - with the Polar Bears and flat ice in the North and the 'millions' of Penguins and 'high rise' Icebergs in the South, both trip were superb and very different experiences and would recommend both to everybody.