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Turtle, Ecuador

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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Reviews

An abundance of adventure

I had a great trip, despite unfortunately not being able to visit Panama due to the ongoing protests. We had 5 days in Nicaragua and 10 day in Costa Rica, every day was different and the wildlife was out of this world. The first week was very busy, cycling a lot with many hills, the second week was a lot more relaxed but still with cycling and activities. We went on 2 crocodile safaris which were great fun as well as some free time in La Fortuna, which came at a great time after a hard weeks cycling. Our Leader, Guilermo (Memo) was great, he had a wicked sense of humour as well as being a great cyclist, i unfortunately wasn’t as fast but enjoyed it all the same!

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of a big hill and then being able to come down the otherside to the sun set, we got to the hotel by Lake Nicaragua in time for a sunset that set the sky alight, in that moment you really felt like you were on another planet.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was lovely, very funny and was able to interact with all group members, he had a personal touch and got on well with the drivers and mechanics, it was a great atmosphere.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most places you go take card payments, so you don't need as much cash as you think!

Egypt: money advice

Alexandria to Abuu Simbel.: Egypt from top to bottom! This trip packed so much into 11 days, yet it never felt rushed. The archaeological sites are awe-inspiring, in terms of their size, antiquity and elaborate carvings and wall paintings. No amount of looking at photos will prepare you for what you see in person.

Most Inspirational Moment

Karnak and Luxor temples at night

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Naiel had extensive knowledge of Egyptology - I still don't know how he remembers all of those dynasties. He was friendly and helpful throughout.

Advice for Potential Travellers

MONEY ATMs are readily available including in hotels. You can only withdraw Egyptian pounds (EGP), but get some (I needed about 80 GBP worth) for minor purchases, meals, drinks – and toilets, where you will be asked for a tip of 10 EGP (about 27p), so a wad of small notes is useful. US dollars (USD) are the most useful currency for the tip kitty, meals, hotel bills, optional trips and major purchases. They are acceptable almost everywhere, including street sellers, but there is no coinage in circulation and the price might be rounded up generously. You are likely to pay rather more than if you use EGP. Change, if required, will be in EGP. I got through around 350 USD. Sterling and Euros are not so useful. They may be acceptable in hotels and major tourist shops, but not generally elsewhere. Credit cards are fine for optional trips, hotels and major purchases.

Suggestions

Security in Egypt is tight, with armed police and some army much in evidence, as well as a security guard on the bus for parts of the trip. This is primarily to keep tourists safe, as they contribute about 1/3 of the economy. There are limited opportunities for going off on your own.

Great trip to Ecuador Mainland

We had a wonderful trip to Ecuador. The itinerary is well planned with a wide variety of experiences. Our guide, Etiel, was excellent and very knowledgeable and organised. The hotels were very good. Some of the walks were quite challenging but well worth the effort. The scenery is spectacular! With a great group of people, an excellent guide and driver, and a great mix of activities, it is one of the best Exodus tours we have ever been on.

So colourful!

I did this trip in Nov 2019 and did a review but cannot see any reviews from our trip for some reason. This was an amazing trip, so much to see, stop, photograph and take in the views and scenery. Tamil Nadu, tiger reserve (only saw elephants but that was great) we had a great guides and a fab group. I was definitely taken with the whole cycle trips to see more of the real country and life going on. Ooty hill was an amazing achievement for me though a lot of swear words kept me going! The Ooty train trip was great too. The colours, smells, madness of the traffic all terrific memories. Eating a typical Karelian meal from banana leaves in a local house was the best food. Vegetarians very well catered for and I wasn’t ill like many of the others in the group.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved it all but cycling up Ooty hill I guess. Also loved the overnight boat trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic, couldn’t be more helpful

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do it!

Wildlife galore!

The wildlife on this trip surpassed any expectations I had beforehand. Really amazing. The cycling was enough – it was very hot and humid in November and I was happy that the distances were as they were. We were on and off the bus – very cool and extremely clean and well looked after by Luis (in spite of our best efforts to mess it up and make it smelly!) and the days seemed to be filled enough! I was pleased to get the opportunity to see both coasts of CR, not something other tours do.

Most Inspirational Moment

Spotting an ever increasing list of new wildlife - animals and plants alike, seeing hummingbirds, toucans or macaws at breakfast! The nature walks were just brilliant. But other moments include: cycling in bibical rain to Playa Platanare, staying in the Wilson Botanical gardens, staying at Pachira Lodge in Tortugeura.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fab. Memo was extremely knowledgeable about Costa Rica, past and present, and all of it's fauna and flora. His talks were engaging and he had a great sense of humour. He was clear in his cycling instructions and kept us alll safe :) He was also very patient - he often had to explain things to us several times - mostly becasue our holiday brains just weren't working!! He was well assisted by Jason - mechanic - always smiling and helpful. And Luis, as previously mentioned, great driver, friendly, helpful and kept his bus as clean as humanly possible and had fruit and snacks ready for us on the stops.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you have binoculars, take them. Assume you will be very hot! Take loads of pictures!

Great trip!

Early mornings & long days but we’ll worth the effort. Enthusiastic & knowledgeable guide. A great introduction to all Egypt has to offer – history, pyramids, temples and more. Beautiful scenery while cruising along the Nile. Highly recommend!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Galal was very knowledgable and eager to ensure we understood everything he had to tell us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for early mornings and some delayed lunches - keep some snacks available!

A fascinating gastronomic cycle trip

A wonderful insight into Japanese culture landscape and gastronomy. Spectacular views, peaceful countryside, bustling cities and tranquil temples. Moderate to challenging cycling is a good description and in November be prepared with suitable base layers for a wide range of climates.

Most Inspirational Moment

Where does one start? Japan is a country of contrasts between cities and countryside, but wherever we went we were taken by the polite respect that people show to one another and which was extended to us. The country is free of litter and the Shinkansen trains are fantastic. The food is amazing, though be prepared to eat a lot of raw fish in a variety of guises.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kuzu is an enthusiast, keen to show us the best of Japan, particularly the gastronomy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go there with an open mind, experience the place, the people and their culture. Embrace the food and drink, but be prepared to eat raw fish and seafood. Enjoy the onsen (public baths), and be prepared to overcome your inhibitions!

Suggestions

The assistant tour leader Vaskar was excellent and very considerate. He not only ensured our comfort and convenience but contributed valuable suggestions to the leader especially on the one rainy day.

Great experiences in the Deep South

I had a very enjoyable 12 days experiencing the 3 big musical cities of the Deep South famous for jazz, rock and roll and country, but along the way learnt a lot about civil rights, slavery and the roots of all sorts of music. In addition some of the lesser know stops such as Natchez and Clarksdale proved to be just as interesting as the big 3. As with any US touring trip there were long drives, but these were broken up by our group leader playing music relevant to the area on the bus and lots of stops at interesting places eg Nutbush, which was an unexpected experience. The long drives were offset by the fact we had a full day to ourselves in New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville to explore areas of our choice after an initial tour with the tour leader.

Most Inspirational Moment

My personal highlights were hearing about Mardi Gras in New Orleans from our leader who had lived there and experienced the whole 2 week festival and to then see costumes and further detail in the Presbytere museum along with a great exhibition on Hurricane Katrina. We also had a few great evenings in New Orleans hearing a variety of musical acts on the steamer dinner cruise and in the bars of Bourbon Street. Visiting Graceland was also memorable and Sun Studio in Memphis was so much more than expected and so exciting to see.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were so lucky to have Mike as our leader as he made this holiday an amazing experience. His knowledge of music of all types, civil rights and slavery is exceptional. He has also lived and worked in the area and had visited everywhere we visited multiple times before. This meant he could point us in the right direction of things to see and the best bars and restaurants to try. This saved us wasting time trailing round trying out places. His enthusiasm was infectious. In addition he is very kind and thoughtful and worked hard to make sure everyone on the trip was happy and saw and did what they wanted.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I had done a fair amount of research in advance, but the trip exceeded my expectations. There was so much to see and do related to music and I learnt so much about civil rights and slavery. The hotels are adequate so don’t expect luxury but are well positioned close to city centres and walkable to the main sights. Although I have been to the US a few times before it takes a while to remember every price has tax added to it and in restaurants a minimum tip of 18% is expected and tips for every round in a bar. I see that the trip we did that started and finished in Atlanta seems to have been changed to a shorter one starting in New Orleans and finishing in Nashville. This means you would be covering a lot less miles than our trip which covered well over 1600 miles. However you would miss out out on stops in Atlanta, Birmingham and the Jack Daniels visit.

Suggestions

I have been on about 7 exodus trips and been lucky enough to have had some exceptional tour leaders, but Mike is unbeatable.

Amazing sights, worth the early starts

Just returned from the Nile Cruise trip. And what a trip, visited some amazing sites, with my highlight being the tomb of Tutankhamun. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, full of historic stories but his ‘people’ skills could have been better. The trip is full on with many early starts but worth the lack of sleep for the breath taking sites. Would recommend booking an extra day/s at the end to chill and relax in Aswan. Overall I would recommend this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

tomb of Tutankhamun

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, full of historic stories but his 'people' skills could have been better. He was often quick to dismiss questions/observations which didn't fit his narrative. He messed up the booking of optional trips, failing to let us know what days the trips were on and advised the wrong opening times of the Nuburian museum at Aswan which meant some missed going. Clearly he loved sharing his knowledge but needs to member it's own holiday and not just everyone shares his passion and take on the history.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book an extra day or 2 at the end to chill in Aswan and it's a busy full on trip

Suggestions

Cruise boat could have done with tea/coffee making facilities in rooms and water should be included at mealtime.

Wonderful holiday - stunning scenery, delicious food

I highly recommend this trip. The cycling routes were superb, only a couple of days on main routes. Stunning vistas and a wonderful experience in a very unspoilt country of rural beauty. Standard of hotels was very high. The food was delicious. Buffets in all hotels for breakfast but one and likewise for dinner so a very wide range available. People very friendly. Our guide Ruwan was delightful and very knowledgeable. The other activities besides the cycling were also great. Really enjoyed the safari and whale watching. There can be heavy rain in the afternoons so waterproofs essential….

Most Inspirational Moment

From a cycling perspective, making it to the end of the really hard hill climb was very inspirational from a personal perspective! I loved the view from the hotel in Lake Girithale, breathtaking view. The final beach hotel was wonderful. Standing on the sand looking out at the ocean at the surfers was wonderful and the final poolside BBQ was very special. The pools at that hotel were fab as well as the one at Chaarya hotel Seeing elephant and leopard on safari and a fin whale while whalewatching also very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was a wonderful group leader. He was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, flexible, attentive, great wildlife knowledge too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring your own loo roll and hand sanitiser. Bring cycling shoes and trainers because one will get wet. Bring high quality camera. Bring a sarong for easily going into temples to tie round your waist