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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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14448 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Alan Dand

Reviewed December 2022

Discover Costa Rica

An informative, educational and thoroughly fun holiday in beautiful landscapes with wonderful wildlife.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the natural habitats and observing the wildlife including Hummingbirds feeding from your hand Finding hatchling turtles on a beach Observing a quetzal in the wild

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Glenda was exceptionally informative and friendly and made you feel very welcome in the country. Glenda’s enthusiasm and knowledge greatly enhanced the holiday experience as did her help with photographs. Our bus driver Charlie was brilliant at spotting wildlife and eager to help our tour members. Both are a great asset for Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take quick drying clothes, the humidity and rain in some areas make clothes drying difficult. The rain also requires that your camera is well protected.

william thomas

Reviewed December 2022

excellent winter holiday

This was a most interesting and unusual destination but what made the trip exceptional was the team leading it. Glenda was a truely inspirational guide and always went the extra mile to enthuse us about her country and its wild life.always cheerful and positive and full of fun.WE saw so much and learned about so many animals and birds that it has awakened a desire for more holidays with this theme.Glenda also has an eagle eye for spotting hard to see creatures.this review would not be complete without saying what a great driver and companion Charlie was, always smiling and willing to help us.This was a n inspirational team.Glenda will go far in the industry and will be head of tourism in costa rica one day.

Most Inspirational Moment

The guide Glenda and driver Charlie.BRILLIANT!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Exceptional

Advice for Potential Travellers

If Glenda and Charlie are involved you will have an exceptionally well organised ,informative and above all safe and happy trip.

Stephen Fawcett

Reviewed December 2022

Accurate description of the trip

An excellent holiday with variety of landscape and culture and very enjoyable cycling

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Cape of Good Hope

Thoughts on Group Leader

All 3 guides, Rochelle, Tallis and Ernest were excellent and imparted a lot of knowledge to the group as well as organising and leading

Advice for Potential Travellers

The cycling route is really enjoyable but not for the faint hearted. There are a number of challenging climbs but the views make it all worthwhile. If in doubt-go for an ebike

Channa Saman

Reviewed December 2022

VISA and road conditions

India – Visa – until India changes the visa process for UK citzens to that of the rest of the world – DO NOT GO – problems wrong details delays and excessive costs – Indian government obviously does not want British Tourists. Our trip was due to have 12 people only 6 managed to get the visa in time. If the indian Government says they fixed it do not believe it, there should be no difference in the visa application to that of the rest of the Europe, America Australia etc Nepal – if your trip involves a lot of long drives – do not go, as the country has excessive road works going on at the moment, understandable given earthquake damages – a 200km journey took 10 hours – we had 3 journeys which each took most of the day to travel which eats into the holiday. I suggest waiting 3 years at least till the works substantially finished Taj Mahal and Everest are both stunning – but really not worth the hassel till they fix the visa situation and the roads

Most Inspirational Moment

Taj Mahal is as beautiful as imagined - and only things you notice when you actually see it in person. In a different way everest is just as beautiful

Advice for Potential Travellers

India - Visa - until India changes the visa process for UK citzens to that of the rest of the world - DO NOT GO - problems wrong details delays and excessive costs - Indian government obviously does not want British Tourists. Our trip was due to have 12 people only 6 managed to get the visa in time. If the indian Government says they fixed it do not believe it, there should be no difference in the visa application to that of the rest of the Europe, America Australia etc Nepal - if your trip involves a lot of long drives - do not go, as the country has excessive road works going on at the moment, understandable given earthquake damages - a 200km journey took 10 hours - we had 3 journeys which each took most of the day to travel which eats into the holiday. I suggest waiting 3 years at least till the works substantially finished

Wendy Fairhurst

Reviewed December 2022

Fantastic trip

Wonderful cycling amidst fantastic scenery . The roads were smooth and quiet , some challenging ascents and wonderful descents. Accomodation was often basic but always comfortable and clean. Food was often cooked by our guides – this was a real positive, both were good cooks and this allowed us to stay in some remote and beautiful places. The whole trip was a real adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to mention , the remote beauty of the Drakensberg, the final day cycling along the Blyde river canyon, the amazing wildlife in Kruger where we ate under the stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adonia , our guide was great, we were a group with a wide range of ages and abilities and he ensured that everyone was looked after and had a great time. Evans our driver was great also , a guide in his own right , he was a mine of information. Both gave us interesting insights into the history , culture and wildlife of the region. Both were excellent cooks, had great senses of humour and were responsive to our needs. We were a group of 12 , an extra person would have been useful at times , in particular a bike mechanic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is graded 4 and it often felt like it. You need a good level of cycle fitness to fully enjoy this trip. The altitude ( we clocked 7000 ft on the first day) took its toll at first as did the baking heat. Be prepared for a hard first day ( although beautiful and awe inspiring) The first few nights in the Drakensberg were cool , even though the days had been warm so take some warm clothing. We also encountered some thunderstorms so waterproofs a must. There are very few shops , cafes and restaurants so if you like shopping, and fine dining this is not the trip for you. You don't need a lot of smart clothes.

Cathy Kilgarriff

Reviewed December 2022

Jordan

Our tour guide Sami was the best. The Olive Branch Hotel in Jerash was terrible. Cold shower,no hot water til way too late when one of us requested it be turned on and it had to heat through. Hotel looked abandoned, broken doors and windows. Breakfast was white bread and processed cheese, nothing fresh.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra, the whole site and Wadi Rum.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sami was fantastic, best tour guide in Jordan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a puffa jacket and bed socks for Wadi Rum.

John Coppock

Reviewed December 2022

We had a Pharoah time!

A superb holiday that packs in the highlights of Egypt in a week, with four nights on a Nile riverboat. It starts with the Pyramids and takes in the Cairo Museum and other sights before a short flight to the riverboat at Luxor. For those who haven’t sailes down the Nile, this is an adventure in itself. There are stops to visit the valley of the Kings to see the amazing hyieroglyphics in the pharaonic tombs and Tutankhamun’s resting place, plus the famous temples at Karnak, Edfu and Kom Ombo, and an optional trip to Abu Simbel. It ends at the amazing Aswan Dam and includes a fun felucca ride. The food and company were great and Andrew the guide was amazing. Highly recommended!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Pyramids and going inside the main one up to the burial chamber. A long-time bucket list must-do.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrew was brilliant - an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Egyptian gods, pharoahs, temples and history and extremely good at advising us of what to do (and not do) at the various sights. Friendly, helpful and efficient - a real star.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The persistent hawkers can become a bit wearisome after a while - just keep your cool. You're better off shopping at the organised stands where you can browse and they don't hassle you.

Jennifer Rock

Reviewed December 2022

Adventures in Jordan

This was my first adventure with Exodus Travels (though I have traveled multiple times with a similar small group adventure travel company) and overall I was quite happy with everything. I chose this tour over other tours of Jordan offered by other companies for a few key reasons. Firstly, the premium accommodations used, secondly, that it had two days in Petra, and lastly, that it visited Aqaba. I have some feedback related to these points. Though I was quite satisfied with most of the hotels, I and most of the group were quite disappointed with the rooms at Old Village Petra and felt we’d been duped. The picture of the room shown on the website in no way reflects the actual rooms we stayed in which were much more basic. And a little research found that there is only one such room at the resort so a group of 16 would never be able to all have such a room. Please change the picture advertised to reflect the true accommodation provided. As for Aqaba, I was disappointed to hear from our leader that there would be nothing to see if we snorkelled off the beach at our hotel. That was the one thing I wanted to do in Aqaba, snorkel in the Red Sea. Muayad told us about a beach south of Aqaba we could go to independently that had excellent snorkelling just off the beach. Those of us that chose to go were so happy he told us about it and wished we could have gone back the next day. I also found I would have loved to have had more time in Aqaba to walk around the city and enjoy the hotel. I think this could be facilitated by going from Petra to Wadi Rum to Aqaba rather than Petra to Aqaba to Wadi Rum then back via Aqaba to reach the Dead Sea. It would result in more time in Wadi Rum, more time in Aqaba and more time in Dead Sea. That might be my one real criticism of the tour is that it felt rushed and besides Petra, just not enough time in each destination.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wonder of Petra. The vastness of Wadi Rum. The warmth and hospitality of the Jordanian people.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Muayad was a great leader, extremely knowledgeable, organized, generous, helpful, and even organized a couple delicious and memorable group meals. A homemade meal at a local family's home in Wadi Musa and a Mansaf and Kunafa meal at a restaurant in Aqaba. He kept saying "hospitality is our middle name". I think it might be his first.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a fast paced week. Be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing to fully explore Petra. It's an exhausting couple days but so worth it! Eat as much Jordanian food as you possibly can.

Michelle Zuther

Reviewed December 2022

Amazing country but...

This was my third cycling trip with Exodus (April 2022). As always, it is a great way to experience a country. The sight, the smells, the noises. You can’t beat it. Jordan is a must see. The cycling itself is not challenging. The rides are quite short and a couple of steep hills but that is it. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the tour because of the guide. Who has ever heard of a tour leader not cycling!?!?! His rules for cycling (everyone must be single file – always, you can’t stop for photos, you must cycle at the same pace and with minimal distance between each cyclist) was frustrating and at times dangerous. People have their own pace and to cycle out of this especially up and down hills can be downright dangerous. It was a shame because the group were fun and the itinerary was interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader must be a cyclist. It is just insanity not to have someone who understands cycling leading the tour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Find out who the tour leader is first on this one! Normally, the group leaders are amazing...

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Michelle for her review and are glad that she found Jordan to be a worthwhile visit, though we are sorry that her experience with our tour leader was not as positive as she has come to expect with Exodus. On this trip, our groups are accompanied by a two-man cycling team, led by an expert cycling guide, as well as a tour leader, who provides expertise in the culture and history of Jordan, and we find that this setup generally gets great feedback and allows our customers to get the most out of their holiday. We are so sorry, though, that Yolanda’s leader on this occasion, back in April, was somewhat inflexible in allowing group members to cycling at their own pace. Yolanda’s leader no longer accompanies our cycling trips, and we would mention that we haven’t had similar feedback to Yolanda’s since this trip, which makes us confident that our leaders and cycling guides are providing a really enjoyable experience for each Exodus group.

Thomas Manchester, Product Manager

Yolanda Harris

Reviewed December 2022

A Good Trip although you must be a keen walker

6 days of walking. After the first 3 valleys they start to look the same (how many pigeon holes do you need to see?) but the group was great, and the guide was enthusiastic and patient, managing the fast walkers at the front, and the ones at the back who took lots of photos. He was very good at finding different places to eat, and it was great that food was all included so you just paid for extra drinks. Water was always available on the minibus so plastic waste much reduced. If you are vegetarian expect a lot of vegetable stew and eggplant! There are some lovely churches to visit in the rocks (as in small places of worship with the remains of old frescoes dating back several hundred years, not churches as tend to be build here)

Most Inspirational Moment

The churches I visited in the Ilhara valley, and the cathedral we visited on the final day (not one building, again a collection of beautifully decorated rock spaces with Christian wall paintings)

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was patient, with a good sense of humour. He occasionally cam across as a little impatient and on one walk I rarely saw him as I was at the back taking photos and he stayed at the front. Every time I was nearing to catch up he set off again. He was probably on a time schedule and was frustrated. He was very good at sorting out everyone's requirements - ATM visits, people wanting to stop at pharmacies, tracking down the lost luggage of one of the group, and keeping us all informed (often having to repeat the same information 3 or 4 times) and answering all our questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be sure you want to walk for 6 days (or you can always miss a day and relax by the pool at the hotel!). Be prepared to get dusty. Do the balloon flight!

Reply from Exodus

We are grateful that Yolanda has taken the time to leave a review and are glad she had a good holiday, although we’re sorry that the star rating she has given does not reflect the usual positive experience our customers have on this trip. We’re confident that the information we give in the trip notes makes it clear that this is a dedicated walking trip, and believe that the stunning and unique scenery of Cappadocia, which we hope we show off in the ‘Gallery’ page for this trip, is one of the main draws of hiking here. However, there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and to engage with local Turkish culture; and as Yolanda says, our clients are welcome to take a day off to relax by the pool if they’d like.

Vivien Urban, Product Manager

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