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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14462 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Nigel Turner

Reviewed March 2022

A great little break

This was our first group holiday since Covid and first walking group holiday – we’ve been more into cycling but are now converted!

The walking was very comfortable – nice distances and nothing too taxing although there was the odd boulder to scramble over or around on one walk. Everybody coped fine. The walks were generally high up in the mountains and the views were great. Each walk had something of interest linked to it, e.g. an abbey, a castle, a monastery. The sight-seeing day going to Famagusta was great. On every day there was plenty to interest keen photographers.

We had a nice group of 13 people. The hotel was great – in this trip, because the distances are small, once you’re there, there’s no repacking until the end. The staff were friendly. Breakfast was pretty good once you’ve worked out what everything is and what you like. The only disappointing thing is the coffee – nescafe rather than a decent machine or good local coffee. The hotel is about 10 mins walk to the harbour. There are plenty of restaurants near by for the three evenings when we don’t eat as a group.

Our trip was in late February. It was a bit like April here in the UK. Warm during the day, cold at night. A couple of hardy people did swim in the hotel pool and in the sea – but that wasn’t for us. Bring a good jump for the evenings!

Most Inspirational Moment

Up at the St Hilarion Castle in the mountains - super views. Also visiting the 'ghost town' of Varosha. I was reading 'The Sunrise' by Victoria Hislop, a great novel about Cyprus in 1974. It's set there and everything came even more to life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gizer is great. He's very experienced and professional, good fun and informative. He coped and helped well with the issues thrown up by some lost luggage and flight disruption. Everything in his control went pretty smoothly! One of the drivers on the journey from the airport to the hotel was poor and my wife ended up with car sickness - Gizer ensured that he wasn't one of our regulars and there was no recurrence of any nausea on our trips. We learnt a lot about Cyprus and the north from him. He made a good choice of restaurants and there was a nice mix between 'group time' and 'individual time'. The final day could be a bit of a let down as the flight home is late afternoon and there's nothing in the Exodus itinerary. But Gizer arranges an optional / additional trip to the Turkish side of Nicosia which is pretty interesting and if you do that you're already part of the way to Larnaca airport.

Advice for Potential Travellers

- Once we cross into North Cyprus, Gizer stops at an ATM. There are plenty of them in Kyrenia. We lost money by buying Turkish lira at LHR - it was a very poor rate and there was no need to buy there. - Read 'The Sunnise' by Victora Hislop on or before the trip - see above

Jules Beasley

Reviewed March 2022

A week in wonderful Oman

A really full week exploring so much of beautiful Oman. It’s not too strenuous but there are some early starts in order to fit in all the sites. A very clean country and littering equals jail! Beaches, mountains and deserts, it has it all.

Most Inspirational Moment

This has to be watching a beautiful green turtle laying and burying her eggs on the beach. It was just magical and something that I will never forget. The desert camp was wonderful too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zubair was great, really well organised and good fun. Seamless hotel changes and clear instructions to us all to allow easy departures each day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you like a drink then I’d hugely recommend that you take duty free with you. There are no shops selling alcohol in Oman. Some hotels have bars but they are very expensive. Remember to take t shirts with sleeves and long trousers.

Catherine Hurst

Reviewed March 2022

Outstanding trip to Jordan

I had high expectations for this trip and they were surpassed. The trip is a real adventure and I enjoyed every minute of it, walking in the desert and feeling immersed in the incredible place that is Wadi Rum. The scenery is amazing, our guide was fantastic and the desert team looked after us well, creating great meals three times a day.
Petra takes your breath away.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a number of great moments - watching the sun set in the desert, camping in different places - each one special; climbing up to Burdah Bridge (way outside my comfort zone, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world); and finishing with a visit to Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide and leader was Abdallah Marashdeh. He was superb in every way. Informative, knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, kind and with a great sense of humour. He could not have been better.

Bill Thornton

Reviewed March 2022

Lot's of fun!

This is a different slant to the other guided trips I have done where you get some instruction on snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and then practice on your own to some extent. This allows you to progress at your own pace and explore on your own. All the other activities are with the group with leaders or guides.
The frozen lake, nearby forests and the rivers are all fantastic to be around, nature at its best. It feels remote and very untouched. Lovely atmosphere when you are out walking on your own.
The accommodation is ideal for the trip, warm, clean, functional and quiet too! There was a light room clean and towel change mid-week.
The communal eating area works well with all the food freshly prepared and plenty of it too. Drinks available all day if you are around. Staff always there to help if needed. Alcoholic drinks available in the evening to buy.
All the clothing and footwear is supplied along with any equipment needed for the activities and whenever outdoors.. This includes a rucksack and flask, even a seat pad to sit on in the snow.
Dog sledging and reindeer farm are great visits, nice to be close to these animals.
We had great weather and this made for a most memorable trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Easy to say what was most fun, dog sledging and 'qiinzee' building but for inspiration for me it was the Little Bear walk which we did on our own on snowshoes. Just great scenery with amazing views of waterfalls, frozen water and sunlight through the trees. Just being here away from the rat-race and it was so peaceful and clean. I think overall you feel closer to nature in these moments and appreciate what these places offer. Having been hunkered down during the pandemic it was great to have this release at last!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Elina was just brilliant. Apart from the usual organising and day-job role she was also really funny, interacted really well with everyone on the trip and nothing was too much trouble. You felt you were an individual as well. Elina was encouraging and supportive as well as being patient when needed! All the leaders and their assistants mucked in to support the chef and kitchen staff. A real team effort!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light, you could put all you luggage into a carry-on bag easily and save money if you are travelling independently. Basecamp provide all the clothing for the daytime and some of the evening activities as well. So apart from your travelling clothes you hardly need anything else, just something for the evenings in the dining room, some just wore the provided thin layers. Use your down time to take advantage of the time to do your own walks and ski practice. Take a walk outside when its dark to see the stars and maybe even get in the hot-tub! This trip is easy to do as long as you are reasonably fit and can walk a few miles in snowshoes. Nothing was too arduous or complicated.

Andrew Longden

Reviewed March 2022

A great out of season week in Italy

This is a deservedly popular Exodus holiday with a lot of activity packed in to a week. The walking is not especially difficult and has a downhill bias, with many steps to encounter. The Amalfi coast is very scenic and photogenic. Vesuvius dominates the landscape of the Bay of Naples and visits to Pompeii and Vesuvius are naturally included, although we think that a better pairing would be Vesuvius and Herculaneum, the latter being arguably (even) more interesting than Pompeii.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walking is a necessary part of the holiday to offset the copious quantity of excellent Italian food, wine, gelato etc!! But this holiday also includes trips to Pompeii and Vesuvius which are "must see" sights for those even remotely interested in archeology and history. It was perhaps a pity that the trip to Pompeii was so short (barely 2 hours) but in fairness it was an extremely cold day. The optional trip to Herculaneum was also outstanding - it's a difficult choice to make about whether to do that or go to Capri. I also really enjoyed the visit to the paper factory in Amalfi - a most unusual experience for anyone interested in the early manufacturing processes of paper. No review of an Exodus holiday is complete without mentioning that we shared the holiday with a lovely group of people - our thanks to all for the company and friendship.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vania was an excellent leader - attentive, sociable, highly personable and clearly popular with hotel staff and others. Her walking style was relaxed, and she allowed people to walk at their own pace whilst still keeping the group together.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great out-of-season holiday - I suspect walking over the very hot summer months could be very tiring. Also, the tourist venues of Pompeii and Herculaneum are so much quieter. However, it can get very cold in Bomerano (snow on the hills), so bring hats, gloves and down jackets in the winter or early Spring weeks.

Ilse Haag

Reviewed March 2022

Narnia! (without the witch and other scary beings)

Finnish Wilderness Week exceeded our (my daughter’s and my) expectations! Our incredible guide, Martti, established an amazing group culture, taught us a ton, and kept us safe all week. There were many different ability levels in our group, and Martti made sure each person was challenged, engaged and having fun.

Our 1st-class accommodation, Basecamp Oulanka, and it’s attentive staff, definitely exuded a vibe—totally chill. Every meal was comfort food (Finnish style), delicious and plentiful, with all dinners and desserts made from-scratch. And of course, there was a sauna!

We snowshoed through snow-covered fir trees, we skied on a frozen lake, and we drank hot tea from a thermos at the summit of a mountain, overlooking a lake. Everywhere was so silent!

When we visited the dog-sledding and reindeer farms, we experienced first-hand how the owners of each organization “walk the talk”, and are true stewards of their animals. I, personally, overcame a huge fear of mine, when I was coached, entrusted and encouraged to drive a team of dogs!

Another personal challenge I met, as a claustrophobe, was squeezing through the opening of the quinzee we built, then committing to spending the night in it. And when we turned off our headlamps to call it a night—lo and behold, the Northern Lights began to shimmer!

But my favorite and most memorable travel adventures are the ones where I end each day sitting around a table with new-found friends, eating and drinking together, and sharing stories—this week had that in spades! This adventure is another Exodus home run—challenges, comfort, fraternity.

Debra .

Reviewed March 2022

A Dream Come True

Visiting the Galapagos Islands had been at the top of my wish list for as long as I can remember and this trip was everything I’d dreamt of. Every day brought special, close-up encounters with magnificent animals – male frigatebirds displaying their bright red chests, sea lions stretched out on the beach nursing their young pups or cheekily hitching a ride on the back of our boat and pairs of blue-footed boobies engaged in a courtship dance. The Archipel 1 is modern, spotlessly clean, spacious and comfortable with a friendly, hard-working and efficient crew. The food is excellent in quality, quantity and variety. The boat has the capacity for 16 guests, which enables everyone to get to know one another.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many, but looking into the eyes of a 130 year old giant tortoise was a particularly special moment for me, as was lying on the top deck of the boat and watching a dozen or so frigatebirds flying just three metres above us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our naturalist guide, Marvi, was born in the Galapagos and is a real expert on the islands. He is engaging, enthusiastic, organised and friendly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a pair of sturdy shoes, such as walking boots or trainers. The terrain on some of the islands can be difficult, involving clambering over large, uneven and occasionally loose boulders. A water bottle and a sealable bag to keep your camera dry and free of sand are also essential.

Rachel Swinscoe

Reviewed March 2022

Snowshoeing in the Catalan Pyrenees

A great week snowshoeing with Miquel as our guide. The hotel in Rialp was very comfortable and really friendly owners.

Most Inspirational Moment

The snowshoeing at Vall D'Aran had amazing views. Some great climbs and forest walks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel was a very informative leader who made sure that we enjoyed snowshoeing by taking us to areas he knew had snow. Miguel spent time with the party giving us interesting talks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take layers as the weather alters day to day.

Janet N

Reviewed March 2022

Ups & Downs !

Overall enjoyed seeing Costa Rica and its amazing wildlife, rivers and jungles. As ‘newbies’ to Exodus and this kind of cycling holiday, there were some disappointments for me that coloured the enjoyment of the trip somewhat.

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved Tortugero boat trips and generally the nature tours whether walking or on boat were the highlights. Staying in jungle environment, open to nature was great. Our 'twitchers' in the group rewarded us all with their expert bird spotting and in fact the group overall was great fun and we all got on well together. There was a scenic ridge ride with Costa Rica on one side and Panama on the other plus some great downhill runs and nice runs through villages in the second week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was excellent in his guiding and knowledge.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for heat and humidity. We were frequently riding in over 30 degrees C and it reached 39 degrees at one point. We were riding frequently in full sun. Don't bother with too many clothing items for cooler temperatures. And keep it simple, you're living out of a case or bag, changing hotels every day so you never unpack.

Grachina Hanlon

Reviewed March 2022

Costa Rica

This was a retirement present to myself and was certainly worth the two year wait. A great group of people, diverse locations, amazing wildlife, all brought together by our amazing guide ,Andreas.

Most Inspirational Moment

Having the courage to Zipline through the rainforest and experience the Tarzan swing. A very memorable activity with a group of equally terrified group members. An experience not to be missed. The guides are patient and take great care with your safety. Would thoroughly recommend.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andreas was a charming and knowledgeable guide. He made great efforts to ensure we knew what was happening every day and always had our safety in mind. Without his expertise we would have missed much of the wildlife(he had eyes like a hawk!) He personally went the extra mile helping me to exchange old currency that was obsolete. He made sure we had time by ourselves if we wished and also made sure that nobody felt left out. A very capable and passionate leader. It was his discreet organisation that ensured the trip ran so smoothly. Thanks

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light, take plenty of repellent. I found a mixture of colons, dollars and cards proved useful.

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