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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14423 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Carolyn Baxter

Reviewed July 2023

Sun, sea and monuments

This tour was a comprehensive introduction to some of the sites of ancient Greece, but also included Mystras, a Byzantine town and Meteora, a spectacular landscape with monasteries perched on top of huge rocks. I would personally have benefitted more from what I saw if I’d read up some information in advance. Lida, the guide was excellent, and she gave a lot of useful information about the sites and the mythology and history behind the sites and the history and mythology about them. The hotels were generally good quality though the Rex Hotel in Naufplio was a little tired decor wise. The Nidimos hotel in Delphi village had the best views! There was plenty to eat, of variable quality. The restaurant for the evening meal in Pylos was not very good; the booked group table was given to others, service was glacially slow and the food uninspiring.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights were: The unexpected sites of Mystras, ancient Messene and Meteora. The small towns of Pylos and Naufplio The ferry ride from Patras back to the mainland

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lida was an excellent group leader, sociable, friendly and always ready to answer questions. She looked after the group very well and was very helpful. Grigoris the driver was also excellent, and drove the minibus smoothly and safely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There was not a great deal of 'free time'; one afternoon in Olympia was free of any activity. We often seemed to arrive late afternoon/early evening. The last day from Meteora to Athens airport was very long, though there were stops. It is a very 'packed' tour with much to see; it was hard to take in all the information about the places visited. So maybe read up ia little n advance! It is not strictly speaking an archeological tour; the tour leader was not an expert (this is not a criticism).

Susan C

Reviewed July 2023

The Moonstone Trek

I felt safe and looked after, the trip was well organised and our guide was brilliant!

Most Inspirational Moment

all of it; it was a great variety of walking and scenery

Thoughts on Group Leader

Smithy was an excellent leader. His knowledge extended beyond just the history. He was able to highlight fauna and flora. He showed such a depth of knowledge of Peru, the Inca's etc and his love and pride in his country shone through. Smithy was active in sorting out issues quickly (such as when we had a train cancellation he used his relationships with the train staff to bump us onto a different train). He was engaging and socialised with us all. I felt safe and well informed with Smithy. In my view he is a top rate Tour Guide

Chris Nixon

Reviewed July 2023

Three Baltic Capitals plus so much more.

As other reviewers have said, this is an excellent trip that not only travels to the three capitals but includes other interesting places, such as the university town of Tartu, the eerie Hill of Crosses and the wildness of the Curonian Spit. Each of the tour guides explained the history of each location in a succinct style and the contrast between the capitals. (Medieval Tallinn, Art Nouveau Riga and Baroque Vilnius.) We were fortunate to visit Riga at the time of their Midsummer Festival, which was an added bonus. Plus a Jazz Festival in Klaipeda.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many. The Maritime History museums in Tallinn. The serenity of the National Parks in all three countries (Lahemaa, Gauja & Curonian Spit.) Plus the chilling Cold War Museum in Plokstine Forest and the KGB Museum in Vilnius.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Yevgeniya was a very knowledgable guide with over 30 years experience. Her knowledge of both ancient and modern history was extensive. It could occasionally be more than we could take in, especially on the longer coach journeys. A more succinct style would have been welcomed on these longer journeys.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although the pace of the trip can be brisk at times, ensure you maximise your opportunities to visit the excellent museums. Especially the Maritime Museum in Tallinn, the Art Nouveau Museum in Riga and the KGB Museum in Vilnius. And do try the local food and drink.

Chris Nixon

Reviewed July 2023

Three Baltic Capitals plus so much more.

Most Inspirational Moment

Thoughts on Group Leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Johanna Barraclough

Reviewed July 2023

Amazing variety & opportunity to see Big 5

The organisation from Exodus was first class, they were quick to answer any questions prior to the holiday. This trip includes a lot of travelling, but that offers a wide variety of experience and a fantastic opportunity to see numerous animals. We were very fortunate to see all of the big 5, including witnessing a Cheetah hunt an Impala through to capturing it. There were numerous animals which were within a couple of metres of our vehicles/boats. The staff were amazing and very knowledgeable instilling great confidence in us. We would particularly like to thank our Group Leader Adonia and Driver Sofiso, who both went above and beyond their standard duties to ensure our group had the best experience possible.

Most Inspirational Moment

Camping in the Delta gave us a first hand insight into the lives of the Polers, as well as bring us face to face with nature. We were able to witness lions and elephants in action, not just standing, but the highlight of the Safari was having the opportunity to watch a Cheetah hunt an Impala through to capture.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader Adonia, was fantastic. He was very approachable, extremely knowledgeable and nothing was too much for him to do to make our Group’s holiday unforgettable.

Katia Moretti

Reviewed June 2023

Fantastic holiday

Fantastic holiday! The group was great and fun despite the age gap. the tour leader Lukas was very knowledgeable, competent and fun!

Sue Murdoch

Reviewed June 2023

Excellent trip (TDS 230617)

An excellent reminder of the beauty and contrasts of Andalucia. Each day is different. Based at the lovely Cortijo made everything so easy. Simple but comfortable rooms, a lovely small pool at the end of each day and the friendliest service from Joke and Cartouche. They create a relaxed but efficient mood – and top quality food at the end of each day. But the biggest credit goes to Michael – undoubtedly the best guide I have experienced. The schedule means there is always time to relax in the pool followed by a drink before dinner.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many great moments. Walking the Caminito way, spotting birds of prey and ibex high in the Grazalema national park, the Alcazar in Seville followed by rooftop cocktails, relaxed evenings over dinner on the terrace....

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael Newcomb is exceptional. HIs knowledge of the region is exemplary - he gave us just the right amount of information on the culture, farming, birdlife, geography, food, and so much more. He is absolutely professional and his long experience of guiding mixed groups meant he was able to keep us interested and on track, giving us flexibility whilst ensuring we stuck to the schedule. He's also good fun. For our free time, he prepared notes and sent links to places to visit as well as pre-booking things for us so everything felt very easy. It's possible to drift through the week without having to make a decision about anything except what to get from the (well stocked) honesty bar in the Cortijo.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go. Worth every moment. Listen to Michael (especially around how much water to carry!) and you'll have a fantastic time. This was a level 2 holiday and the grade is about right for the trip. You can get away with good walking trainers on most days but light weight walking boots are best on a couple of trickier bits of terrain.

LINDA REID

Reviewed June 2023

PITY ABOUT THE SUBSTANDARD CZECH BIKES

The bikes we got weren’t Kelly Bikes as advertised on the initial trip notes but Czech bikes – Leader Fox Sumava. These were old bikes with cheap components, the gears slipped and jumped on all the bikes as the bikes had been fitted with new cassettes but not new chains. The tyres were bald some down to the canvas, the front chainrings were old and worn. There were no spare inner tubes and tyres. The bottle cage on the Ladies bikes was on the lower tube and couldn’t be reached when riding. After never ending mechanical problems, punctures & a broken chain, we asked the guide Andrej to get replacement bikes from the company which arrived the following day. They were the same model but the gears changed on these ones, so we had a mechanical free morning. After lunch there was an accident when the mudguard supports on a riders bike had broken off and attached to the rear tyre, the rear wheel jammed and the rider was thrown over the handlebars, followed by myself and partner. Had this occurred on a downhill section the injuries would have been far more serious. The rider whose bike had the dodgy mudguards was taken to hospital as his hand was very swollen, no fractures but he couldn’t ride his bike for 2 days. Fortunately myself and partner had cuts and bruises which we managed to get patched up using dressings from other members of the group. Andrej’s first aid kit consisted of a few plasters, betadine and a packet of tissues – not much use in the event of an accident. The group’s health and safety was compromised on this trip due to faulty bikes which is unacceptable as it was a CYCLING TRIP. The capital cities that we visited were great, as was the accommodation, just a pity the route to them hadn’t been more enjoyable. The trip notes stated that there would be full vehicle support which was impossible due to the cycle routes and narrow roads which the big bus and trailer were unable to negotiate. On several occasions we had to wait for the bus to appear as the driver had no smart phone or sat nav and relied on a paper map. Fortunately we had excellent weather and didn’t have to wait in the rain. This was an expensive trip and I don’t feel that I had value for my money. None of us had any confidence in the bikes wondering what was going to happen next. I always thought that Exodus looked after you on their trips but sadly this wasn’t the case on this one.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Vienna and getting a bike tour of the city from the guide Andrej. We went to a Vivaldi Violin Convert in the evening Visiting Budapest which was a lot bigger than I thought. It has so much history. Bike tour of Budapest was worthwhile. Very easy to get around on the metro which was very efficient .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrej was a really nice guy who tried his best to adjust the gearing on the bikes. He was very helpful telling us where to eat and what the local dishes were. Unfortunately his choice of evening venue in Bratislava was not very good. The food and service were awful. Sometimes his communication about what was happening during the day could be rather vague, as was his historical information. Some riders wished to go ahead of the group and he didn’t give any information on where to stop to wait for the group. Needs to invest new tyre levers to get the tyres off when there’s a puncture Needs to get a decent first aid kit to deal with an accident - dressings, swabs and antiseptic spray

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a decent set of Allen keys and tyre levers. A good first aid kit so you don’t have to rely on the guide. In Czech Republic we used our card and Karuna - they preferred Karuna to euros. In Budapest they took card and euros rather than HUFF. If you’re a vegetarian you’ll have difficulty finding anything other than a salad in rural areas. If we spotted a super market we got bread and cheese. They eat a lot of meat especially pork.

Angela Horner

Reviewed June 2023

What an amazing trip !!

We loved every moment of this trip – the ship (Ocean Adventurer) was extremely comfortable the food and service was second to none the guides were experts in their fields and passionate about the wildlife and the area. We were lucky enough to see Polar Bears in their own Enviroment as well as Puffins, Seals.Walrusss,Artic fox and other bird species. I would advise anyone thinking about this trip to go ahead and do it !!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing our first Polar Bear in the wild.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent , knowledgeable and passionate.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it

Mike Speke

Reviewed June 2023

Scenic cycling in Puglia

A very scenic cycling tour of Matera and Puglia, though the cycling landscape is not as diverse or dramatic as some tours. The challenge was coping with the temperatures of around 30c rather than too many hills. The region though offers great food and drink, and as well as the lovely dinners the lunches were also excellent. It also has stunning religious buildings along the way even in the smallest of towns. The tour is split in two parts, with countryside rides in the first half where you stay in some iconic accommodation such as a cave hotel, trulli house and a masseria. The second half hugs the coast with tourist hotel stays.

Most Inspirational Moment

Like most cycling holidays its getting to the top of the climbs though there weren't too many on this holiday. The climb on the way to Otranto was made tougher after a lovely lunch and a few beers in Castro.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fabrizio was very enthusiastic and led the group well. Coming from Bari, he has a lot of local knowledge which he communicated well. He lived in England for awhile so his English is good and he was eager to pick up new phrases.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the food and drink. Try and find a few craft bars otherwise you will be stuck with the local beer which is Peroni.

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