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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44 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Jane Heslop

Reviewed April 2022

Fantastic Trip

What a wonderful holiday. Costa Rica is glorious and the trip leader Roberto and his colleagues Paul and Lois were great. Lots of fun and encouraging on the tough bits.
A great balance between cycling and enjoying the awesome Costa Rican wildlife and plant life.
My fellow travellers were really friendly and interesting which is lovely when you are travelling on your own. I can’t wait to take another trip to cycle in Central America

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the Botanical Gardens and the wonderful accommodation there Swimming in the Caribbean and Pacific was a treat as was our visit to Tortgero

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was brilliant Excellent leadership . Really well informed and great communicator

Advice for Potential Travellers

Relax and enjoy The group leader and his colleagues will support you if any of the cycling gets tough and the organisation allows you to let go of any stress Plenty of sun cream is needed !!

Suggestions

Had a lovely lovely invigorating holiday. Lots of fun Thank you Roberto Paul and Louis

Carolyn Price

Reviewed April 2022

You too can see a toucan, and sloths and monkeys from your bike

This is a fantastic trip. In fact, its so fantastic that this was the second time I have been on it. I have also been on the Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama trip (again organized by the Costa Rican team). My experiences have been uniformly excellent. The trips have been well organized with knowledgeable and super helpful leaders, mechanics and drivers. The bikes have always been well-maintained. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with varied scenery and the Coast-to-Coast ride is carefully planned to allow you to experience the highlights. You will see spectacular birds and animals, hike in the rainforest, visit the lowlands and the mountains, check out Pacific and Caribbean beaches and of course, you will have fabulous cycling.

Lord David John Bushnell

Reviewed March 2022

Slothful, but not in that way.

A trip designed to show the diversity of Costa Rica whilst incorporating many good cycling days, and a range of activities. Busy, but there was a lot to squeeze in.

Most Inspirational Moment

I just love hummingbirds, so an otherwise ordinary lunch stop turned in to a huge photo opportunity as the restaurant had feeders just outside the window to attract dozens of the tweety little things. Other than that, taking a boat to our Tortuguera hotel, relaxing in volcanic hot springs (with a bar), passing and smelling (eeuw) a palm oil factory, learning about tiny honey bees, not running off the road on a ferocious tarmac downhill and meeting a lovely bunch of like minded "cyclists" and crew.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I've been on many guided cycling trips with various companies including several with Exodus, and have always been thankful for the input of the guide. On this trip, our guide, Roberto, surpassed them all. There was nothing which was too much trouble, and no issue which he could not effortlessly resolve. Friendly, understanding and able to keep the group together in such a way that there never seemed to be any element of competition. A sense of humour. Information supplied along the way - tested by a challenging quiz on the last day where everyone won a prize!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can, arrive a few days before as your sleep patterns will need a few days to adjust. Having said that, the few that arrived within hours of the start coped heroically. Better than me in fact, who had 5 days to acclimatise. Expect some early starts. If you have to fit in a boat ride before breakfast, some cycling, a few hours in the transport, lunch, more cycling and still have time to relax in the pool before evening meal, you'll understand.

Suggestions

Must mention the driver, and mechanic/peloton-shepherd. Both outstanding in their roles. Driver combined speed with safety, could guide the vehicle through the tiniest gaps and remain calm when other less careful road users got themselves in very sticky situations. Our mechanic was invisibly keeping all the bikes in perfect order, but on the road, came out of nowhere to offer support or encouragement. He fist-bumped all, even the (ahem) slowest of us.

Claire Holloway

Reviewed March 2022

If a toucan can so can you

This is a full-on roller coaster of a trip – early starts, fabulous wildlife, intense heat, torrential downpours, great food, expert guides, friendly people and the best pineapple you’ll find anywhere in the world – all in the very safe hands of Roberto and his fantastic team. And there toucans!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's a tour made up of lots of moments - a two toed sloth with her baby; a three toed sloth; tiny scarlet poison dart frogs and multi coloured crabs; watching two crocs mate (blimey that was quick); cocktails overlooking the Caribbean; the first decent photo of a toucan - and of course the first two cans of Imperial at the end of every day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We've done many of these tours and I can honestly say that Roberto is one of the best tour leaders that we've ever had. Nothing is too much trouble - knowledgeable, friendly, willing to flex the trip to accommodate the group and doing everything he can to give the best experience of Costa Rica. Along with Paul (guide, fixer of punctures and hoover-upper up of the back markers) and Luis (excellent driver and gatherer of best pineapple, papaya, mangos and melons for snacks) this is a dream team!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you can spare an extra day or two, get out a bit early and get over your jet lag before the tour starts. And with no rest days, packing cubes are a godsend. Other than that, do whatever Roberto asks, grab every experience on offer and sleep it all off on your overnight flight home!

Suggestions

Costa Rica relies heavily on tourism and suffered badly from the pandemic - so go as soon as you can (two can?)

Sharon LOWE

Reviewed March 2022

Cycling Costa Rica

Amazing trip! The wildlife, from monster crocs, toucans ( group joke!!) Sloths and turtles and the flora is just out of this world! March is hot! Roberto, Paul and Luis were a brilliant team. Go there to pedal hard, have great fun with the group and just take it all in!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many! I loved the biological research station as I'm mad about plants! But the boat trips were great, the guided walks, the wildlife ( I never got the sloth thing, now I do!!) Swimming in the Pacific and Carribean. And pedalling every inch of the trip!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is just lovely! His enthusiasm and knowledge about his country is infectious. He's also very good at keeping a group focused , as in herding cats! Couldn't ask for a better team leader. Shout out to Paul our other rider and mechanic. The most lovely, smiliest and helpful guy and Luis our driver. Totally unflappable and finder of the best fruit!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy every moment!! It really helps to be cycling fit as it got to 43°C on several days! Take a decent camera, a phone just doesn't do the closeups, was so glad I did. Learn a few Spanish words! Mozzies weren't really an issue. Sunscreen is a must! I was glad I had a helmet with a visor! Your washing doesn't dry outside, it's too humid! Do it when you have a room with aircon! I took way too much luggage. Take half what you think you'll need. Meals were not quite as expensive as the Exodus trip notes suggest. Roberto paid for all lunches then billed us at the end. So much easier than faffing about individually and saved a lot of time. The first couple of days are really hard. Jetlag, acclimatising to the heat and a lot of busy roads. However, the traffic is totally bike friendly and you do get used to the heat fairly quickly!

Suggestions

Do it!!

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.

Suggestions

I agree with a previous reviewer re the first 2-3 days riding on the Pacific highway. This was frankly not great - we saw very little apart from open road and big trucks from the hard shoulder - really not what we expected at all. Could the trip have started elsewhere avoiding this highway ? Maybe we could have spent more time on the coasts enjoying beaches as well as cycling - we only had one ocean swim on Pacific side and one opportunity on Caribbean but it was cool and rainy. A couple of 2 night stays would also have been very welcome. There were 2 poor quality hotels located centrally where we were left in the early afternoon with literally nothing to do. One hotel had no water supply until mid evening and no pool. At the other the highlight was literally a walk to the ATM machine ! We would have loved to have had a mid-morning coffee stop on our rides and the lunch at a bus station didn't impress. I think there is a real need for changing these elements of the itinerary.

Trish England

Reviewed February 2022

What a fantastic way to see the country and its wildlife

If you’ve not visited Central America and not sure what to expect, wow this country is amazing. Climate, scenery, wildlife, people, bikes, tour guide Roberto, his team of Paul and Luis all make this a must place to visit and if you enjoy cycling that makes it an even better experience!

Most Inspirational Moment

It’s difficult to pick as we had so many outstanding experiences. From river safaris, guided walks in National parks, swimming in Pacific, cycling through the highlands away from traffic on excellent roads but one which does stand out for me is the amazing number of colourful birds not only on our guided tours but just in the gardens and car parks where we stayed each night. I shouldn’t miss out that we also saw sloths, iguanas, monkeys, crocs too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was very professional, kind, nothing was too much trouble and he made sure everyone had the best experience possible. He was well organised, one of the days we had rain and couldn’t do to walk in the afternoon but he worked hard to fill the rest of the day with offering us other options so we didn’t miss out. His passion for his country was shown in his commentary on and off the bike and bus. His team of Paul the mechanic and Luis the driver made the whole trip run like clock work.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just book it! It’s a full on trip as with all Exodus trips and if you’re going for the first time read the trip notes and reviews it will help with being organised as you have new accommodation every night.

Suggestions

Food was good, lunchtimes usually stopping off at canteen style places and evening a good mix of restaurants, all reasonably priced.

Colin England

Reviewed February 2022

Excellent Trip

Excellent trip, great cycling, great tour leader, terrific birds and wildlife, fantastic group of cyclists. All accommodation was a good standard

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing all the wildlife and colourful birds. The enthusiasm of the local staff and their knowledge of their country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was a fantastic group leader who went out of his way to make sure all members of the group were happy. He worked very hard throughout the trip to ensure everything ran smoothly

Advice for Potential Travellers

It gets very hot when cycling especially up some of the hills. Take a buff you can soak in water to put round your neck to keep cool. Take a camera and binoculars and maybe even a book of birds of Costa Rica.

Suggestions

Some of the hills are long and it gets very hot, do a little training before you go. There is no problem though as the team are happy to put your cycle on the van at any time, if you want you could just ride the downhills!!!

Carol Merritt

Reviewed February 2022

Absolutely brilliant

Fantastic trip. The best of Costa Rica. Having previously cycled the Nicagura/Costa Rica/Panama trip with Exodus, my husband and I were keen to return to cycle Costa Rica coast to coast to see this beautiful country and its wildlife properly.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip was fantastic and offered a variety of places and activities not repeated from previous trip. Three river safaris, staying the rainforest, experiencing contrast of the Pacific and Caribbean coast were great. I feel as if I've seen this magnificent country in full and loved every moment of the itinerary.

Thoughts on Group Leader

On arrival I was thrilled to see Roberto as our guide once again. An absolutely outstanding guide. Roberto attended to everyone's individual requests from enthusiastic bird watchers, priority of some keen cyclists, wildlife lovers, a great balance which suited everyone in our group. Roberto is excellent in demonstrating our routes on a map, went out of his way to not only ensure each individual personally got what they wanted from this trip, safety came first, created Whatsapp group to unite all members of our team, nothing was too much trouble, his knowledge and history of Costa Rica was superb. I can't rate Roberto highly enough and he will have my vote as Guide of the Year. Paul, Roberto's assistant and mechanic was also a huge credit to the team, going out of his way to support all levels of cyclists.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't hesitate, just book.

Suggestions

If you have already cycled Nicagura/Costa Rica/Panama, I also recommend this trip to see Costa Rica properly.

Sean Anderson

Reviewed February 2022

Just do It!

320 miles of outstanding cycling, scenery, wildlife , inside a delicious Country. Friendly faces, surprisingly good food, cold beer, and night noises to sooth you to sleep – Costa Rica was super surprising, every day different, from the Central Highlands, Pacific and Caribbean Coasts, Rain Forests, and Volcanic Landscapes.

Costa Rican road quality was far superior to anything you’ll find in the UK, and so refreshing not to have one eye open for pot holes and lunatic drivers , that said there are occasionally some very big American Trucks around but there driving was of the higher order and are no cause for concern.

So as the title suggests “ Just Do It “ you will not be disappointed!

Most Inspirational Moment

Central Highlands gets a big thumbs up, as did the area around Fortuna , simply stunning. You keep thinking that you Wow that is outstanding reaction tank will fill up but it simply doesn’t. Tortuguero both coastal and up the river should not be missed , the same applies to the Manuel Antonio National Park, and after you reached the top of Death Mountain sipping a Coffee and watching Humingbirds fly around is a bit magical. To many good moments to single out , go and make your own!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto, simply the best ever, a shining star in the Exodus World. Roberto knows his stuff intimately, proud of his country, he exudes warmth, charm, humour, and nothing no problems attitude. He will push you as hard as you want to go but equally as chilled to let you find your own pace - its not a race it’s your holiday. Frustratingly he’s also a pretty able cyclist, as is Paul who works alongside Roberto and kept our bikes in top condition, and your man at the wheel Is Luis - super safe and a little legend with his knife and soft fruits at breaks. Great team all around - I hope you get all three!

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s hot and humid . Clothes struggle to dry out after washing so bear this in mind and pack with this in mind. Sun Screen is unbelievable expensive in Costa so make sure you take enough, insects not such a problem but pack something preventative. Bikes are Scott Mountain Bikes and well maintained and in good condition - bring your saddle if you want but we didn’t find the standard saddle a problem. They are super low geared and will get you up anything you are likely to encounter hill wise , terrain is what they term “undulating “ but there are a few long accents and potentially fast descents if you choose to give your bike it’s head . That said our group which was fab got around intact and had no issues.

Suggestions

We had a great group with a great team which made the trip super fantastic. Hadn’t laughed so much for a long time and we even smashed a spontaneous Karaoke in a local bar . Animal life is abundant - you will not be disappointed !

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