Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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14278 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLING VIETNAM

This trip exceeded my expectations of the adventure I had signed up for. Vietnam is a beautiful country and there is no better way to get a real feel for the culture and ‘real Vietnam’ than to cycle through it. The cycling itself was great, I would say at the high end of moderate on some days, but the bus is always there for people who do not want to climb the hills.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the children in the small villages and towns who wave, shout out hello and try and give you a 'high five' as you cycle past. These children are obviously poor, but they are so happy that it teaches us something about out material way of life. The ever changing scenery from coastal, to mountain and frm small villages to bustling cities is the other main memory of the trip, and Halong Bay is just fantastic!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tho was a great Group Leader, and let's not forget the support team (2 drivers plus the mechanic). As a team they worked very well indeed and we were shown places that 'normal' tourists would not see, ate in small house restuarants and generally avioded most of the tourist traps. Tho worked tirelessly and was knowlwdgable about the culture and history of Vietnam, always willing to talk about anything. Organisation was great: Turn up when you are asked to and that is all you have to worry about. Working as a team on the ride you should never get lost, but can ride at your own pace.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring good quality padded cycling shorts (at least 2 pairs) and some 'bun cream'! Most people wear loose shorts over the top of the lycra ones. The only people who suffered were those who were saddle sore.Don't rush the rides through the most senic areas, stop, take photos, soak in the atmosphere!! Most of our group did.

Reviewed March 2013

PERU EXPLORER

The Peru adventure was a trip of a life time, to see a large portion of Peru, from the Pacific coast, the Andes, to the Amazon Basin, Inca Trail and Machu Picchu.

Most Inspirational Moment

Its hard to choose, the Peruvian people are diverse and wonderful, the scenery magnificent, the archeological sites are a great tribute to a very advanced, complex society that existed many years ago, over a huge area.The food was splendid, the accomodation good. The porters on the Inca Trail were amazing. The local guidesat the various locations were exellent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rene Calancha was am amazing guide! His vast experience, knowledge and ability to relate to people adde so much to our enjoyment of our Peruvian Experience. He knew how to handle any difficulties that came up. He was essential in gettig me through the Inca Trail after a difficult second day through the high pass.I will never forget him for that.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would suggest a smaller amount of US$, take more Nuevo sols in the smallest denominations you can.We found it easy to use Interac to get cash in sols, which were more happily received. Most of the hotels had internet acess.

Reviewed March 2013

DISCOVER COSTA RICA

A wonderful tour of the beautiful country of Costa Rica, taking in amazing scenery and wildlife. This trip is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many wildlife highlights, including seeing sloths, monkey troops and unusual creatures on a night walk such as the kinkajou. Going dolphin watching, snorkelling and then watching the sun set on a afternoon/evening boat trip. The Esquinas Rainforest Lodge was also a highlight as the hospitality and location were great and it was a 'wilder' experience than some of the other destinations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Gustavo and he was excellent - so friendly and enthusiastic, and clearly very proud of his country. He was very knowledgeable on plants, birds and other wildlife, and gave a great insight into Costa Rican culture and history while travelling between destinations. Always very organised and on time and went above and beyond. Our driver Orlando was also great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for early starts to get the most out of each day! Take a decent camera with sufficient zoom as there is plenty to see and take photos of. As a fairly fussy eater I was slightly concerned about the food but I was pleasantly surprised and found it all really good - plenty of fresh fruit, and lovely coffee! Definitely do the zip-lining, the night walks, the boat trip at Manuel Antonio, and the visit to the organic farm in the Arenal area, they are extra excursions but were all great.

Reviewed March 2013

WALKING THE AMALFI COAST

A really fabulous week in a beautiful part of Italy, walking every day along the stunning Amalfi coastline with a lovely group of people. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a holiday!

Most Inspirational Moment

We were so lucky to have such a sunny week in February, so the views were terrific each day. Our visit to Pompeii was incredibly interesting and this was followed in the afternoon by a trip up the snow-capped Mount Vesuvius. Perhaps the best moment of the week was when we arrived at the beautiful waterfalls during our long walk through the forest and down the very steep hillsides en route to the little town of Amalfi. The waterfalls were breathtaking and we could have stayed there all day!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Christine was superb! She was absolutely lovely all week, very jolly and chatty and she took every opportunity to show us maps of the area and keep us informed about all aspects of the Amalfi Coast. Her local knowledge was incredible and she really looked after us brilliantly at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to have lots of fun and don't forget your camera. Go with a huge appetite, the food at the hotel is amazing and the local red wine goes down a treat! Make sure you have good walking boots as there are long walks up and downhill every day and lots of steps.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE SOUTHERN INDIA - COAST TO COAST

A great new trip from Peter Bluck who created the Kerala and Sri Lankan trips. It was the first time the trip had been run so there will be some tweaking for future trips but its another winner!

Most Inspirational Moment

The amazing people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There cheers, waving and welcome. We attracted a lot of attention. Tea stops could cause minor traffic jams as crowds came to greet us. It was funny having our picture taken!The ride through the tea plantations and down hill to the home stay was probably my favourite day but every day was great, diverse in scenery and interest. Chettinad is almost like being on a film set. The Sri Meenakshi-Sundareshwara temple is amazing.Coming across a spectacular festival in a temple just by hearing the music as we cycled.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The reason why I booked this trip was because of Peter. Having cycled around Sri Lanka with him I knew the trip would be good. He is a great group leader. The support staff were also great. There local knowledge steered us through some stunning back streets. We were well looked after.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Again, this was the first time the trip had been run so the itinerary might be tweaked slightly.Tickets to get inside Auroville should be booked in advance. When we arrived the next available ticket were two days later.Visit the market at Thanjavur.If you want to visit the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary, book tickets in advance if the day of arrival doesn't change.You will see more wildlife in a few minutes on the house boat than an hour in the bird sanctuary but it was worth getting up early for the sunrise! Completely cover yourself with mosquito repellent on the boat. They were biting through clothing! In Fort Cochin the Synagogue is closed Friday and Saturday. The Palace is also closed on Friday, so if arriving on Thursday visit these first. If you want to see the Katharkali dancing I would also suggest booking the tickets early so you can get a seat nearer the front. For those who like a cold beer after a hot day in the saddle be advised that a lot of the hotels do not have a liquor liscense. It might be an idea for exodus to get a cool box (not just for beer) and pick some up on the way. You might have to ask for "special tea or coffee"! Odomos is a local mosquito repellent, widely available and very cheap. Money - £250 covered everything including tips at the end. There are ATMs if you plan to do a lot of shopping.Camelbaks or something similar I suggest are better than bottles. I would also suggest getting/bringing a handlebar bag. There are so many photo oppurtunities. It would make life easier.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLING THROUGH KERALA & TROPICAL INDIA

Brilliant, absolutely love love LOVED it! First time I’ve ever done an Exodus holiday, a group holiday or a cycling holiday and I can’t wait to do all three again!

Most Inspirational Moment

Completing the ascent up Ooty- was amazed just to finish, the cake at the top was a pleasant bonus! :)The fantastic descent back down Ooty! Occasionally it pays to carry a bit of extra weight- free-wheeling on a bike is one of them!I found cycling is a fantastic way to see a country; you experience so much more of the local culture and in a very natural, laid-back way rather than something that is "put on" just for the tourists.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. I think Vishnu's love for his local area really helped inspire an enthusiasm for learning about and experiencing a new culture that I've never truly had as a tourist before. In terms of the cycling, I always felt well looked-after (despite the sometimes crazy traffic, road surfaces and wildlife you share the road with) and very safe. Thanks to Vish and his team!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Surprisingly few issues with the food (or the ill-effects thereof if you know what I mean!!) and as a vegetarian (Pescetarian by the coast, admittedly!) I felt extremely well-catered for.My own gel saddle turned out to be an essential rather than a luxury. 100 denier tights are an excellent anti-mosquito method, recommended to men and women alike!

Reviewed March 2013

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - LEMOSHO ROUTE

The whole trip was very well organised throughtout.The guides and porters were amazing- always friendly and helpful.The food was very good.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit has to be the highlight of the trip after some very tough trekking.I think everyone in our group was quite emotional because of the achievement.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Makeke Sandy was great-always encouraging and cheerful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a tough eight days but anyone can do it.The sense of achievement makes it worth the effort.I was 70 years old when i did it.

Reviewed March 2013

SPICE TRAILS OF KERALA

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, the scenery was very impressive and the Indian people seemed very happy and cheerful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trek over the Western Ghats was the most enjoyable part of the trip and the best of that was the evening meal round the campfire. The group got on well together and all had a thoroughly enjoyable time. The camp support staff were extremely capable and very amusing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I thought that Ajith Kumar was a genuinely nice man who did everything he could to help us and make the trip as enjoyable as possible. He was affable, amusing and extremely informative about the flora of the region and its geology.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money: £200 in cash will probably see you through depending on how much you spend on presents. Best take advice from the tour guide regarding money changing. When we were there you got R82 to the pound for cash in town but only R75 at the airport. ATMs were limited to a max of R10,000 and the effective rate was only about R76 when deductions were taken into account. My credit card paid R81 for hotel checkout bills.Mosquitoes: the only place we were bitten was in the Cochin hotel bedroom on the first night. Take a knockdown spray and use it before going to bed and use deet. Leeches: there should not be any outside of the rainy season. We did not come across any.Food poisoning: we ate whatever was given us and did not have a problem except on the flight home through Dubai.Camping: the sleeping mats are a bit thin, I would take a light selfinflating mat next time.Fluids: bottled water is readily available for about 20p a litre, even on the trek, we didn't need a water bottle (hotel bottled water is about £1.50). We had beer each night on the camp provided by arrangement with the support staff for about £1.60 a 660ml bottle.Laundry: you'll probably want to wash some things after the trek, be aware that the Madurai hotel charges double the quoted rate per item received after 10.30am for express wash and you may not get your stuff back until after 11.00pm. Don't put anything delicate in. Consider waiting until you get to Thekkady.

Reviewed March 2013

PETRA & WADI RUM BY BIKE

My first ever organised tour of any kind (at 61yrs old) I thoroghly enjoyed it. A good mix of people who got on well so that was lucky and good for all of us. Always wanted to see Petra and knew little of the other regional visits which were also interesting, Roman city of Jerash, Dead sea resort, the Red sea at Aquaba (never done snorkling on a coral reef, brill) and a camp site at Wadi rum all very different.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra was clearly the highlight of my tour and I can now see it was very easy to spend two days in and aroud the area walking, and a little cycling.Long periods of cycling down hill, prepare your hands for braking!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Danny was very good at communicating and organising us. He repeated most of the basic information enough times to ensure we knew what was going on, where and when we should be at all critical times. During the guided tours he gave us plenty of the regional history but never too much. For me he judged it well.I'd like more options on the last night, in Amman, one of our group said it was beautiful and she was the only one that saw it!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes.

Reviewed March 2013

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE QUEST

I was introduced to Antarctica in the most amazing way. When we arrived there was a blanket of heavy fog the team got us on the zodiac and navigated on compass bearings. Suddenly like the curtain of a stage being pulled back we sat in sky of blue surrounded by a wild and pristine environment.

Most Inspirational Moment

See above. Watching whales breech. Smelling penguins before you could see them. Filming Leopard seals with my gopro. You truely need to be awake 24hrs a day and have eyes in the back of your head for this trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shelly and the team were amazing. Their passion and commitment and tirless effort to show what they love and care about the most was amazing

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take European travel plugs for Ushuaia as well as American.

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