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’!

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125 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Ivor Smith-Davenport

Reviewed March 2016

Rongai Route Kilimanjaro Ivor & Brenda

Exodus say that they do everything they can to make it possible for you to achieve your aim of getting to the summit, and they lived up to their word. The local guides and porters work tirelessly to make everyday a success, their good humour is infectious and the feeling of standing at the summit is wonderful beyond words.

Most Inspirational Moment

Summit day is a long slow slog in the dark, the final approach as the sun broke through and the realisation that nothing could now prevent standing at the peak was an uplifting moment. We had a great group and all bar one made it. The guides worked hard to get amongst those flagging and was something we noted and praised once we finished the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Makaike was well organised and briefed well. He was surrounded by a strong team and at no point did we feel unsupported or unsure as the days passed. He was good humoured and considerate to the individual needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The exodus travel notes are superb - the detail is all there. The only thing I would recommend is that, unless they have very good sleeping mats, hire Exodus ones as the ground is quite rough and a good nights sleep is more likely on a comfy mat.

Suggestions

We were surprised at the standard of the food/ dining, very good indeed. Chef did a great job. Overall the trip exceeded our expectations, both my wife and I reached the summit and have no doubt that the method and organisation of Exodus made that possible.

Wayne Seddon

Reviewed November 2015

Wine Rooney

A very hard and very rewarding trek to a place beyond the clouds. A once in a lifetime experience. Great group and guides, always positive. Thankyou.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching summit and seeing sun arriving also as if to welcome us at the top of Africa. Stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charles. Legend. All the other guides were fantastic and a special thanks to all the porters also who helped me get my backside to the top. Without them, no way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be as fit as you can. See it as a challenge and dont leave it too late in life. Dig deep and achieve.

Suggestions

Make sure your boots fit well. It is a big, big walk. Loved it. Feel proud to have made it. Just before my 50th phew! Literally.

Paul Tanner

Reviewed November 2015

Tiger's Tanzanian adventure

I couldn’t believe how a short period of time can change your life.

Most Inspirational Moment

Interacting with the guides and porters and seeing how hard they work, inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Charles is an amazing man, when he talks you listen.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be flexible and social!

Suggestions

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Dawn Edgerton

Reviewed November 2015

Kilimanjaro Rongai Route October 2015

Amazing trip. Well organised, porters and guides fantastic. Great group of people. Food was good and plentiful. Altitude sickness/ exhaustion very hard on final summit. Views spectacular at the top, totally worth it. Descent on summit day very hard! An unforgettable once in a lifetime experience!

Most Inspirational Moment

Finally making the summit. Hardest thing I have ever done.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing. Total trust in them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be prepared for summit day! Hardest day ever.

Suggestions

Well organised excellent trip.

Lucy Woods

Reviewed September 2015

Kilimanjaro Rongai Route

Wow, this trip was amazing!

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit! It was the toughest challenge I've ever experienced, but it was absolutely worth it to stand at the highest point in Africa. The memories will last a lifetime.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Makeke was great, and he was supported by an incredible team. I really don't think I would have made the summit without them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was a very demanding trip. Training in the run-up is essential. Be prepared for a huge amount of walking on summit night/day with very little rest.

Suggestions

Our group of 11 was supported by a team of 43 guides and porters. They were simply amazing. Especially James the Chef who created three courses at breakfast, lunch and dinner on most days (we had a couple of packed lunches). The food was delicious. As we set out each day, the porters overtook loaded with all our gear. When we arrived at camp, everything was set up and ready to go, with popcorn and hot drinks waiting in the mess tent. My only negative point about the itinerary is that we only had 45 mins to rest at base camp having returned from 12 hours of ascent/descent. We then had to walk for another 3 hours to our next camp. This was tough. I was completely exhausted. I must admit all my focus was on summit night and hadn't considered the walk afterwards. A longer rest would have been most welcome. But, hey, we did it! Finally, I just like to say that as well as having a great team to support us, we also had the most amazing group. We had lots of laughs (and a few tears), and we all encouraged each other. It was the most amazing experience of my life!

David Smith

Reviewed September 2015

Rongai route to Uhuru - Aug 2015

This trip was execellent and we couldn’t have been taken care of any better by the team, almost felt a little criminal how pampered we where. The guides (Henry, James, Sarafin and ) had great knowledge and kept a very watchful eye on the whole party to monitor how everyone was coping, they adapted walks and talks to ensure everyone’s needs where met. At all times they where positive and encouraging whilst also pushing us along to ensure we achieved the summit.

Personally I’ve never been so well fed on a trip like this, it was 3 course breakfast, lunch and dinner with a Menu that Milton our Cook was only to happy to change at our request.

The porters are amazing, carrying heavy loads and flying off ahead of us from the start, shouting Jambo as they pass. The camp was always ready for us when we arrived which for a few was a god send as they flopped into their beds after a trek.

Our whole group made it onto the top of Kilimanjaro which is a great credit to the support provided by the team.

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up in the morning, sitting in my tent door drinking tea whilst looking out over the top of the clouds a sight I've only previously seen from plane windows.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henry was knowledgeable, watchful, friendly and approachable. He run a tight ship with everything in camp being well managed. He provided lots of advice and support throughout the trek and constantly checked that everyone was ok. His briefings in the evenings where corehensive and he was able to answer all our questions

Advice for Potential Travellers

Drink lots and lots of water hydration is key, eat as much as possible (even when you don't want to) as you really burn through the calories. Make sure you strengthen your legs before the trip as I saw a lot of people struggling with the steep climb on the main day

Christian Wheeler

Reviewed April 2015

Climbing Kilimanajro Rongai Route-April 2015

I really enjoyed the experience of trekking to the top of Kilimanjaro and successfully reaching the top of Africa’s highest mountain

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the ascent and decent of the peak itself as it was a real challenge

Thoughts on Group Leader

I found John to be an outstanding guide and leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have a warm sleeping back and the correct gear for the whole trip. If your not fit then don't do it as i saw lots of people struggling on the final day

Suggestions

I didn't think the travel arrangement via the airport to be really professional and it made the trip a lot less appealing

Hasti Sardashti

Reviewed February 2015

For me : A very special achievement!

Well for detailed summery of my trip you better check the reviews of my two fellow travellers (Garry Ward and Julia Porter). I have been intending to write this review since my return in August 2014 but as you see although it stayed on my mind i haven’t managed to get it down till today (25.02.2015)!

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment was for me managing the last bit, my hands were frozen, I was absolutely exhausted, but thinking even if my body is going to give up I will make sure that my soul reaches the summit (Uhuro Peak)!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our chief group leader Mussa is an exceptional human being, he is intelligent, psychologically minded, very funny mit lots of positive energy. He figured out very fast what our group needs, pushed us smartly towards it and supported us all through. The assistant leader John I am personally grateful to, if it wouldn't him encouraging my frozen body and brain to carry on towards the Gilman's point, I would have never had manage it to the end. The assistant leader Raphael supported us all through with his warmth and holy smile. Assistant leader Diglan was rather proud and quite but did a good job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes ! take the advice on the trip notes regarding appropriate clothing seriously! I really regretted my own ignorance though. By the time of the trip I was working in Germany, having had a very cold and long winter 2012/2013 behind me with -25 degrees, I didn't take the info of the temperatures of -8 as serious threat! My hands were completely frozen with the gloves i took with me! Hence -8 C in Kilimanjaro>>>>>>-25C in Germany don't forget!

Suggestions

I really enjoyed our group. Some how this achievement became as a very important and symbolic experience in my life, on which I get frequently reminded particulary in times I am doubting my strength. So like to say thank you to every one who has been a part of it!

Reviewed November 2014

Kilimanjaro

I know there’s almost an obligation to describe this type of bucket-list expedition as life-changing, but I can genuinely say that it is one of the most incredible, emotional and uplifting things I’ve ever done. Our group have so many great memories: the singing porters, the great scenery, the emotion of reaching the summit, tea and popcorn in the mess tent every evening, the monkeys in the rainforest, even the rain on the second day

Most Inspirational Moment

Sunrise just shy of the Gilman's Point summit. The surface of Kilimanjaro looked like more like the planet Mars, the porters were singing and you could see the head torches and hear all of the shouts of other climbers further down the mountain. It was genuinely moving and also very strange.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our team leader, Meke, was a really calm, relaxed presence on the trip. He shared all of his wisdom to get us to the top and was a really likeable and decent guy. The proof of his skills is the fact that most 10 out of 13 of our group made it to the top. 'Poly poly'

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take Diamox - it will allow you to enjoy the higher altitudes although you will want to go to the toilet more than usual. Drink plenty of water and take a few packs of energy tablets with you- there aren't many opportunities to eat on the final ascent, so you need something to keep you going. Also make sure you tip the porters generously at the end of the expedition

Suggestions

I'd recommend the Rongai route. It wasn't too crowded, the scenery was incredible and it gave us more of chance to acclimatise and reach the summit

Reviewed October 2014

Tiring.........

The important thing to bear in mind with this trek is that, with the exception of the summit day, the walking is pretty dull. I’ve trekked extensively in Nepal, Europe and the UK and the scenery on Kili is less interesting and less varied than pretty much anywhere else I’ve been. If you took away the summit, no one would be that interested in walking there. Yes, the scenery does change from day to day – you start off in forest, then that becomes scrubland as you get higher – but there isn’t the interest of variety which is present in other places. Therefore, I look at this trek as a challenge, rather than something to do for the sake of enjoyment.

The summit day is very, very, very tough – six hours of steep climbing on gravel/scree, with an ascent of around 1200m, not much in the way of oxygen and in the dark, with the temperature comfortably below freezing. It’s not so much about personal fitness as how well you cope with the altitude and how mentally tough you are. If you follow the advice from the guides, it’ll certainly help though.

The contribution of the guides to the success of our group cannot be underestimated – they were fantastic, particularly on the summit day.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sunrise from the top

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only do this if you want a challenge where the satisfaction comes after the event. Judging by the comments of my group, this isn't one you'll enjoy while you're doing it. If you aren't used to sleeping in tents, I'd suggest you practice before this trip - you need to be as refreshed as possible, and that means lots of sleep.

Suggestions

Most in the group found the tipping culture and the idea of a tipping ceremony somewhat uncomfortable. Five hours in transit in Addis Ababa airport on the return journey is not at all pleasant.

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