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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14451 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Michelle Carter

Reviewed August 2019

Moonstone Trek

I chose to do the Moonstone Trek – a remote and quiet Inca trail reaching the dizzying heights of just under 4700 m. I was the only person doing the trek and had my own guide, chef and 2 horsemen. I thoroughly enjoyed the trek, beautiful scenery, remote small communities and Inca sites en route. My guide was very knowledgable and i learnt about about the history of the area en route. I was looked after extremely well: fantastic food and hot tea and water in the morning. I highly recommend this trek and Exodus, it is a once in a lifetime experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Accoccasa and reaching the top to experience the view - it was breathtaking (aside from the effects of altitude i mean!) and i felt a real sense of achievement. Having a few minutes at the top gave me time to reflect and offered me a refreshed perspective. Sorry a bit deep!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Smithy was very amenable and knowledgable. He was on hand to sort out every little issue and make sure we were aware of the options for activities (outside the trek) and then organise it for us. Having someone local made a real difference to our experience as we were able to eat at amazing restaurants and experience the best of what Peru can offer.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It says in the trip notes that poles are optional - my view is that they should be deemed essential. I do not normally use poles when hiking in the UK but i took them with me and i am so glad i did. There can be difficult terrain to navigate and i experienced snow on the 3rd day which made the trail very slippery. They really helped going up hill when you are struggling to breath and your legs are like lead weights! The temperature ranges from zero to mid 20's. So bring lots of layers. Yes you need a sunhat & sunblock AND a winter coat and thermals!

SF Ho

Reviewed August 2019

Madagascar

“Madagascan Discoverer” was a truly wonderful, very enjoyable, multi-faceted trip with a really excellent guide, Rija. I am writing this review to inform future customers about 1 less-than-good aspect because it might be a safety issue for some people booking this holiday. In addition, Exodus has failed to respond to the comments I made in my on-line post-holiday evaluation about this, so I do not know if Exodus has read the evaluation and is going to do anything to improve the situation. My criticism relates to the harnesses provided for the walk in the Grands Tsingy. Mine was too big for me, even when the smallest harness the company had was adjusted to the smallest possible size. This same problem also affected another person in the group. Both of us are slimmer than most other British adults. Fortunately, neither of us fell and came to any harm. If we had fallen and had had to rely on the harnesses to keep us safe, there would have been the potential for an accident or injury. If you are slim or if you have children who are intending to do the Via Ferrata in the Grands Tsingy, please consider bringing your or their own harness(es) that fits you/them. A harness that does not fit the wearer is of little use. I climb regularly and know how important this piece of equipment is and how a proper fit is necessary for safety. This deficiency on the part of Exodus is made worse because I had actually queried with Exodus BEFORE the trip whether I should bring my own harness to Madagascar. The reply that the Exodus rep gave me was that we would not be doing Via Ferrata and there was no need for the harness. This reveals that the Exodus representative does not know her product: we definitely did a Via Ferrata and we used climbing equipment. Other than this failing, and one or two things which were beyond the control of Exodus, the holiday was very good, hugely interesting and varied and I had a great time. I fully recommend this holiday and in particular, commend Rija for her excellent guiding.

Most Inspirational Moment

See above.

Jodie Boldy

Reviewed August 2019

Great trip if limited amount of time

Great trip to do with a limited amount of time, but due to limited amount of time you have a pretty gruelling day on day 2 of the walk

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of course

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was nice and informative, perhaps a little serious, I love a bit of banter but a great guide all the same

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can do the longer Toubkal trip I would. Day 2 of the walk was really long and tiring, coming down is hard work with the loose scree and as we came in July due to a milestone birthday,it was absolutly baking hot

William Pearce

Reviewed August 2019

Summit fever!wonderful

Wonderful feeling on reaching the summit after a midnight start !

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit! Watching and joining in with the African team final celebrations.

Thoughts on Group Leader

JT(Justin) was great.more cheer leader than group leader. An inspirational guy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Better to hire a jacket , sleeping bag and ground sheet.our trip was very dry and dusty and gaiters were very useful.

Victoria Gibbs

Reviewed August 2019

A brilliant experience

An amazing trip which I’ll always remember. My personal highlights were seeing the orangutans and other wildlife in the rainforest. I highly recommend the ‘optional’ boat trip at the end – we saw proboscis monkeys, hornbills, and then sparkly trees full of fireflys under the twinkling stars.
I also really enjoyed having a day in Kuala-Lumpur and having a nice glass of prosecco on the roof of the heli-bar to celebrate the start of the holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Falling in love with the hilarious orangutans but on the way to seeing them seeing the EXTENSIVE palm plantations and our destruction of their habitat. Never have I been so motivated to only use products with sustainable palm oil and donate to rainforest conservation charities.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wan in Malaysia was fantastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes - the hikes are much more technically challenging than suggested on the trip notes. Quite a bit of clambering, scrambling (especially on day 1 hike) and hauling yourself up with ropes. You definitely need gloves for hand protection. And a head for heights for the final summit day.

Michael Walker

Reviewed August 2019

Epic views, rainforest wildlife and tropical paradise adventure

A truly memorable adventure, filled with activities, sights, tastes and sounds of the jungle. Starting in KL city, the food tour was a fascinating way to see the city and sample the local delicacies. Our guide Wan took us to the best haunts, showed us hidden sights and shared his knowledge of the city and culture. The section in Cameron Highlands was a bit more laid back, with one hike and plenty spare time, which we spent perusing the shops, enjoying a refreshment at the bar, or using the hotel’s excellent facilities. Then on to Taman Negara, which was my favourite part of the mainland peninsula, deep in tropical equatorial rainforest, staying in wooden cabins and getting up close to the monkeys, wild pigs, lizards and insects. The hikes here were great and the river cruise absolute bliss. Then onto Borneo itself, where we found my favourite restaurant of the trip (The White House with 10 ringgit wine!) and our accommodation at Sepilok, a short walk from the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. There were plenty opportunities to see the Orangutans (and Sun Bears) and it was so beautiful to see them playing and feeding, and see the intelligence at work behind their soulful eyes. Although sad to leave Sepilok behind, the escape from the heat and humidity was a welcome relief as we arrived at Kinabalu park and prepared for the climb. Here the accommodation is more basic but still perfectly comfortable – the hike was hard and technical (particularly the second day) and it feels like much more of an achievement than any previous mountain I’ve hiked. The mountain’s prominence over the valley and surrounding peaks below lends to some incredible views from above the clouds. The final days at the beach resort were the perfect way to recover, and we treated ourselves to a river cruise to see Proboscis monkeys and fireflies – bring the insect repellent to this one though!

Most Inspirational Moment

In a sad way, seeing the sheer volume of Oil Palm plantations and how these are encroaching on the last vestiges of remaining rainforest in Malaysia and Borneo. It made it all the more precious to see the Orangutans while we still can, and really brought home to me the importance of sourcing sustainable palm oil goods and cutting back on consumption in general where we can in order to do our part to save the rainforests, and the last habitats of the orangutan before it is too late.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wan on the Malayan Peninsula, and Manuel in Borneo were both fantastic guides, happy to help and share knowledge of their country. They both went the extra mile to ensure that everyone on the trip had a great time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be ready for the heat and humidity - regular water consumption is essential. It's not a boozy holiday by any means, and while food is extremely cheap, alcohol is not. Be ready for some technical sections on some of the walks (which means scrambling, steep inclines and limited handholds in places), and the final walk was a test of fitness for most of the group. The food available is great, but choices are limited, particularly for vegetarians. If you have any snacks you can't live without, bring them with you

Sarah Wellburn

Reviewed July 2019

Splendid mountains

A reasonably strenuous walk through extremely beautiful mountain scenery in a relatively little known area, often delightfully off the beaten track. Still lovely wildflowers in mid-late July this year.

Most Inspirational Moment

Departing on Day 11 from established walking routes to pick our way cross-country between valleys, over high places with the most-inspiring mountain views: Feeling for a few hours as free and alive and happy as I can..

Advice for Potential Travellers

All the shepherds huts and guest houses are very clean and provide mattresses with quilts and pillows. It would be probably suffice to take some thermals for the occasional cold night rather than lugging a sleeping bag with you, by mid/late July at least. The water was absolutely fine for drinking throughout the trip, be it on walks or in the overnight stays. Since during the first section of the trip no fruit was provided, dried fruit (apple, apricots, etc) would be good to bring as a supplement to the packed lunches or for snacking. Beware that the hotel pool cited at Boge may be closed. In mid-late July there were horseflies - don’t forget your anthisan cream.

Andrew Davies

Reviewed July 2019

Great Experience but too full on at times

Bolivia is stunning and the salt flats and Lake Titicaca did not disappoint. It was incredibly cold despite thermals and down jacket etc so be prepared. Accommodation was outstanding in some cases (Palace of Salt and Lake Titicaca) and in others the best available eg in the desert it was basic but the only one available. Very rushed with a lot of early starts and not time to get bored! Would have preferred more time to explore La Paz and felt rushed at times. Great food and as a vegetarian I was pleasantly surprised. Melanie was a fantastic guide who worked her socks off to make the trip work with a big group and diverse dietary requirements. Go with a sense of adventure and expect to have flights delayed and itinerary changes which are an inevitable part of travelling in Bolivia. Overall an awesome but exhausting experience. Thanks Melanie and Trehan from Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

Salt flats and Lake Titicaca. Do the trek on the island if you can - exhausting at altitude but so rewarding too. Buying a stick of dynamite to give the miners at Potosoi! Seeing vacuna and lamas flamingos and an Andean fox.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Exceptional. Melanie was so kind and helpful with our large group of very experienced travellers. Wise head on young shoulders. Mel made the trip for me. Always smiling and laughing even with crises that seem to be inevitable in travelling in Bolivia. She deserves a medal!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take care regarding the advice on the cold and altitude. This is a totally full on trip rather than a relaxed holiday! Expect to be exhausted at times but repaid with stunning scenery.

Catriona Griffin

Reviewed July 2019

The Baltics

If you are after some easy cycling in three very interesting countries, this is the trip for you. It is a good mix of each country’s scenery, rich history and lovely capital cities. The cycling is relatively easy with most days cycling on flat, quiet roads and bike paths. There are a couple of undulating hills here and there but nothing too taxing so this trip is well within the capabilities of a new cyclist or someone wanting a relaxed trip. Each day is well paced with plenty of rest stops. The bikes were solid and comfortable and we were provided with pannier bags for carrying essentials.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to experience the history of the three countries was really the highlight for me. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been through a lot in the past centuries and you get to see and hear about all the invasions, rulers and quirky beliefs in each country. In Lithuania we got to visit the Hill of Crosses (Christian protests) and the Hill of Witches (pagan legends) which were both interesting in different ways. My favourite country was Estonia and the couple of days cycling in Lahemaa National Park were brilliant. It was also enjoyable seeing the capital cities. Fairy tale Tallinn (get up early and go for a wander before the crowds appear), Riga is good for souvenir shopping in the little cobbled streets and squares and Vilnius has plenty of churches to see. I even found a beer and music festival in Klaipeda. I really enjoyed wandering the old town in Riga during and after a rain storm which drove most people indoors. Perfect for some moody, uncrowded photos.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lukas was a great guide with infinite patience and a good sense of humour. His knowledge of the local history is endless! He was able to recommend some great restaurants along the way and my favourite meal was a home-smoked salmon lunch that he arranged for us on one of the days in Lahemaa NP. He gave clear instructions each day and was quick with his antiseptic spray on the odd scratch and bump that happened! I have to give a special mention to our Ukrainian driver Anatoli as well who was a very competent chap! He was able to pack the truck each day with precision, got the bikes sorted for us in record time and was an excellent driver. He didnt speak much English but I think it understood more than he let on!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure to add a day or two pre and post tour. There is plenty to see in both Tallinn and Vilnius so well worth extending if you have the time. Be prepared for all sorts of weather. I was there in early July and we got rain, sun and everything in between. A good waterproof jacket is essential as is an umbrella for exploring the cities. You will get rain at some point! Pack light if you can as some of the hotels do not have elevators. All the hotels used are well located within walking distance of town. The only exception to that is the hotel in Palmse which is remote but that in itself is a charm, located in the grounds of an old manor so take some time to explore the gardens here. Also be prepared to eat - a lot! The food was surprisingly good everywhere we went and plenty of local dishes to taste. As was the beer. You can eat reasonably cheaply too. Take some euros with you but credit cards are readily accepted and almost all restaurants split the bills for the group. ATMs are available everywhere too. It is worth waiting til you get to Vilnius if you want to buy any amber jewellery. There are plenty of shops in the old town. Other people have mentioned taking a travel plug for the sinks and I would advise that too if you want to do some handwashing. Dont rely on hotel laundry facilities as the hotels that did offer it were charging ridiculous rates! It's worth handwashing your gear yourself. The hotels are adequate but the rooms are small in some places so expect 2-3 star properties. Breakfasts are included and were very good, particularly in Tartu. Some of the bigger hotels were swamped with German tour groups so breakfast was a bit of a scrum at times!

mark Flaherty

Reviewed July 2019

Mont Blanc camping trek

I did the Mont Blanc camping Hike it late June 2019 with a group of 7. The first day i had doubts i would make it from the uphill climb, it was tough. I got in better shape as the trip progressed, i made it.
110 mile hike, the scenery was incredible, its just awesome. Exodus employees were great. If your in shape you can do this trip, we slept in tents, hike 1000 meters uphill some days. You break camp in the morning and hike to your next destination, the hotel group stayed in the hotel we camped two different trips

Most Inspirational Moment

Finishing the hike at almost 1500 meters uphill. what a great trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Aglier or (AGS) was great really helpful, she made the trip fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get in shape before you go, don't pack to much stuff like i did. Its going to be tough don't complain, expect it. Be very careful when walking i fell 3 times on the snow and mud, but not on the rocks

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