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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14479 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Heike Vehling

Reviewed November 2018

Fascinating wildlife on land and in the sea

Loved this island hopping adventure exploring the Galapagos on land and by sea. Going snorkling for the first time I was apprehensive but ended up loving it. This is not a trip to rush around, you truly get to appreciate the animals by taking your time and studying the differences or simply soaking up the colours and their playfulness.

Most Inspirational Moment

Each island and activity on this trip was well worth doing. Snorkling with sea lions, sea turtles, the many colourful fish and underwater landscape - especially Kicker Rock and La Loberia beach. Strolling along the beach in Isabella seeing blue footed boobies and pelicans diving to feed on a shoal of fish was one of many highlights. The panorama walk along the volcano crater on Isabella.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pablo looked after us well and made sure everything ran smoothly. He had good knowledge of all the areas visited and ensured the best local operators were used for boat trips etc. In addition we used local guides as required by the National Park.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of sun cream - it's very expensive to buy in Ecuador. The weather in October is mild to hot (20-30degC) and remains warm overnight (~20degC) but if you go on the wild camping trip on Isabella then overnight is likely to be much colder! If you don't want to buy a wet suit investing in a rash vest is a good idea as this gives you your own clothes under wet suit and makes taking it on/off easier + you will be warmer. You will spend ~1 hour snorkling at a time and being cold is not much fun. Depending where you sit you can get quite wet on some of the boat trips.

Marion Perkins

Reviewed November 2018

The title was a good description if the trip content. The grading was slightly out...we felt this should have been moderate not leisurely/moderate.

It was a great holiday which I have already recommended to a couple of friends.

Most Inspirational Moment

The climb to the rim of Vesuvius...The guide Stefan was excellent. He knew his stuff and led us well. The view from the top was breathtaking. Also The Path of the gods...a wonderful walk even in November..

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martina was second to none. She was everything you could hope for in a leader; efficient, well organised, confident but also caring, light hearted and great fun. She was very knowledgeable about the area and enjoyed imparting that knowledge to us. She obviously loves her job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have the right gear which should definitely include at least one walking pole and shoes with good grip. Be aware also that the word leisurely applies rather to the pace of the walks than the type. Some are quite demanding.

wendy pomfrett

Reviewed November 2018

what an adventure

I am absolutely not a camping person so this holiday was a challenge for me but the lack of luxury was well worth the up close and personal experience with the wild life. Our leader, Anton, and his amazingly efficient and friendly crew worked miracles under difficult conditions to make our lives as comfortable as possible. The food was varied and plentiful – quite remarkable given that most of it was cooked on an open fire. If you want to really see Africa, forego the comfort of the lodges and do it this way!

Most Inspirational Moment

The moment when a pride of lions appeared from the bush and marched single file past our vehicle. The whole delta experience in the first few days.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very professional and knowledgeable. He had excellent leadership skills which meant that the whole team worked efficiently and were at all times upbeat and happy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is wild Africa - do not expect comfort so every little thing - a bush shower, a cold drink - will be a bonus. There is necessarily quite a lot of free time in the baking middle of the day so take a pack of cards or a travel game......and LOTS of wet wipes The vehicle is perfect for watching wild life but, if you are in any way incapacitated, it is not easy to get into it. Also be prepared for a long and very windy drive one day for which the vehicle is not best suited so take a scarf or buff to cover your mouth.

Els Draper

Reviewed November 2018

Wonderful autumn cycling trip

Just returned from really great cycling trip. Lovely route – we chose this trip over ones with other companies because of the route, mix of the mountains and time on coast in Essaouria. This was our first trip with Exodus and my husband Graham and I were very impressed. Fantastic tour leader in Liz, she managed every aspect of the tour superbly – logistics with the support vehicles – during rides never more than 10k away from drinks etc and sweeper support at rear in case of incidents. On the route there are lots of long ascents and Liz described what to expect extremely well in terms of the uphills and downhills, no-one got into the van on any of the rides and I believe this was due in large part to Everyone having confidence in Liz’s descriptions and timing of stops etc. Coming over the high pass on day 3 we encountered very heavy mist, Liz managed the descent extremely well with everyone feeling safe and comfortable with the ride down. Fantastic fun group of people to ride with, everyone gelled and mixed in together really quickly and whilst there was of course a range of fitness and technical cycling ability, it was relatively modest and at stops it was on average 15mins between first and last of the group arriving. Due to nature of the trip, lunches are roadside picnics every day, these were simple but fresh and filling. Accommodation is also simple but clean, in the first couple of places in the mountains there was some issues with lack of hot water, but to be honest whilst this isn’t ideal I think you need to accept that this type of issue can happen when travelling in a large group in the mountains in Morocco. We were fortunate that weather was kind to us every day, if we’d arrived cold and wet lack of hot water would have been more of an issue. Support team with Liz were v friendly and helpful as well. Really recommend trip

Most Inspirational Moment

The cycling each day was varied and the scenery stunning. Whilst we had some very long ascents, the gradient was always manageable and rideable. The long sweeping descents are fantatsic fun, because of the quiet roads would say they were the best I have ever ridden

Thoughts on Group Leader

Liz is an outstanding tour leader, knowledgeable, experienced, calm and organised! Everyone on the trip had full confidence in Liz. She described the rides every day really clearly, setting everyone up well for the ascents and descents - We adapated to Lizs definition of an “undulation” very quickly 😀 it was a full trip with 15 riders and liz maintained control at all times but didn’t mollycoddle or nanny us, giving more experienced fitter riders freedom to stretch out etc. We did experience extreme heavy mix on the steepest longest descent of the week and I thought Lizs management of this was superb. She positioned the support vehicles to protect us at the front and back and ensured we all maintained a controlled pace down. During rides Liz quietly but continually moves through the group from front to back checking everyone is ok Liz was also brilliant at keeping on top of bike maintenance, sorting out any tweaks needed quickly etc Finally each day Liz gave us background and historical context of places we were riding through / staying at. Couldn’t ask for more from a tour leader

Advice for Potential Travellers

Really recommend Morocco for late autumn cycling and exodus trip was great itinerary. But come in knowledge that this isn’t a trip with long leisurely lunches / cafe stops or the comfiest hotels at the end of the days. It’s an opportunity to get away from it all in beautiful scenery experiencing local life in a lovely country

Tory Bygrave

Reviewed November 2018

Gokyo Lakes

What can I say, it really has been a trip of a life time!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Two very different experiences stand out for me; the first being the day we crossed the Cho La Pass. An early start and steep climb led to fantastic views and sense of achievement at the pass. This was followed by a decent over the glacier and stunning walk into the next valley. The second was the opportunity to meet Mr Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving team member of the 1953 Everest expedition and listen to his memories, arranged by and translated by our guide. Another once in a life time experience provided by this trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our lead guide, Tsering Dorgee Sherpa, met us from the plane and and looked after us until departure. His experience and knowledge ensured the whole group gained as much as possible from the trip and stayed safe. He along with our other guides Uwa and Nima were always professional but still made the trek entertaining and had a great sense of humor. I really felt the group were lucky to have been guided by this team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't under estimate the trek, its tough but worth it. If you are going in the cooler season then prepare for the cold on the earlier starts, it really will make a difference to your trip. The Tea house accommodation was, on the whole, a lot better than expected and the food was always good. I took plenty of snacks, didn't need them all but glad I did. If you do take snacks make sure its food you really enjoy, peanut M&Ms were a great idea for me. If you are undecided between this and the normal EBC trek I would go for this without a doubt. Gokyo is stunning and Cho La pass an adventure.

Lynne Bateman

Reviewed November 2018

Best. holiday. ever

Best. Holiday. Ever.
I cannot recommend enough.

CB is bloody amazing as a leader and guide. He’s one guide I will always remember – most guides on adventure holidays are great but instantly forgettable. But his humour and patience meant I felt like he was a friend! Great knowledge and communication skills.

A really well organised trip. Group size perfect too. Tents and mattresses perfect. Plenty of water and fruit.
We were pleased that upon arrival we didn’t hop directly in the canoes – we stayed at the mainland campsite (sunrise! Honking hippos!). This was fab because there is a shower block there and you are hot and dusty from the transfer/flight.

The canoeing is awesome. The campsites were perfect. The food brilliant (I’m veggie).

But the animals! My god! So many incredible experiences. I don’t know if we struck lucky but every day got more amazing than the last. It’s so much better to see animals from a canoe than from a Dusty 4×4.

Lastly- the group were brilliant!!

Tips:
We got a kaza visa online, no drama – but you only need this is you are travelling after to Zimbabwe. You need a sticker in your passport not just a stamp! (Our first mistake).

By the way, Livingstone is well worth a visit and CB organised a local bus for us.

You need minimum kit – we washed in the river every day. As suggested, carry your canoe stuff ready to go in hand luggage.
Bring a red light torch (for bugs) gloves (just in case) and definitely binoculars (We were so stupid!) And a zoom lens. And a bottle of rum?!
We took a 10 litre dry bag each for clothes and another for the sleeping bag and then shared a camera bag.

Most Inspirational Moment

The animals!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was just wonderful.

Philip Atkinson

Reviewed November 2018

Fantastic trip through Moghul India

This was a great trip to be on, saw amazing sights; buildings, landscape, wildlife as well as having a chance to see and interact with local people. We cycled through some varied and interesting landscape as well as some that was dull. The roads were quite a mix, some better than the guides remembered from their last trip, others much worse. The heat was relentless on a few days due to lack of shade and start times being later due to coach transfers, this did cause problems and maybe needs more thought. I have to say that, after a few days cycling, most of us improved but the 34km extenI think the trip will be a five in future but it needs some tweaking of itinerary and trip notes to get there. sion on day eight seemed to be wasted as the countryside was probably the worst we came across, uninspiring. Overall a great trip though with a few adjustments to trip notes and tweaking of itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a few, sorry! 1) The forts and palaces generally, especially at Jaipur and Udaipur 2) cycle up to Kumbhalgarh and visit to the fort 3) Morning guided heritage cycle around Jaipur, everyone thought that was fantastic 4) Ride through Sariskar NP buffer zone on day 10 5) Day 13 cycle through backroads to Fatehpur Sikri 6) And finally, the visit to the Taj Mahal, amazing

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two tour leaders who shared duties, Sanjay who was the most senior and Tapesh. I thought they were a good mix and ensured we had the chance to meet locals, especially in impromptu situations. They looked after everyone on the rides and catered for the varying levels of fitness and determination. Socially they were good fun as were the cycle rides. They made the trip in my opinion.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t underestimate the heat and it’s impact on performance. Drinking plenty is difficult when the water in your bottle is 40C so try and mix with other drinks or take some squash or similar. Travel light, a bar bag is a useful thing to take rather than rucksack. Have camera handy for photos as you pass through small villages and chai shops.

Francis Sandbach

Reviewed November 2018

COSTA RICA

The group size of 14 was ideal with plenty of different personalities. The locations selected were a good combination of places which illustrated the diversity of wildlife habitats. The real bonus to the holiday was the guide (Katia) and driver (Chico). Katia was the real deal. Her English was good, she was very knowledgeable about wildlife, and she went out of her way to help and try to meet everyone’s needs. Katia was a very professional guide indeed. We were also fortunate to have Chico who was always happy and helpful. He would often stop to let us see something he had spotted. The guide and driver always considered our safety not only when stopping to take in the view, but also in pointing out any potential dangers such as pickpockets, rip currents when bathing, etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

The boat trips from Tortuguero were wonderful. So many birds and other animals were pointed out to us with the Green Iguanas in the trees being particularly inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be very hot and humid in the tropical rain forest but also cooler in the mountains. Casualwear is definetly what you need.

Francis Sandbach

Reviewed November 2018

COSTA RICA

Most Inspirational Moment

The boat trips from Tortuguero were wonderful. So many birds and other animals were pointed out to us with the Green Iguanas in the trees being particularly inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be very hot and humid in the tropical rain forest but also cooler in the mountains. Casualwear is definetly what you need.

Jane Sinclair

Reviewed November 2018

Epic trip !

This trip surpassed all my expectations. There were 15 of us in total ranging from age 26 to 65 and all strangers. Within a couple of days we were like a team of old friends laughing and teasing each other and being supportive and kind to each other. The scenery was spectacular and we enjoyed sunrises , sunsets, swimming in a rock pool, picnicking at the highest peak, strenuous walking , we saw nomads and a few villagers but not a single other tourist the whole trip. The children came out to meet us and to chat and play if we walked through villages and it often felt like we were witnessing life from a bygone age. The tents were sound and kept the wind out on the first 2 nights . Once we camped in the valleys the wind dropped.

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment was walking down a mountain glimpsing the camp and the rock pools beckoning to us in the distance. As we walked a herd of over 300 sheep rams and newborn lambs moved towards us led by a nomad in vividly coloured clothing which contrasted starkly with the grey rocks and stones. The sound of the the animals hooves on the rocks sounded like the pitter patter of raindrops echoing through the mountain air. In the distance a young Berber who looked about 12 years old was skipping effortlessly across the rocks dressed in bright magenta and red tunic. It was truly an ethereal sight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader Lasan was professional organised calm extremely kind and great fun. Nothing was ever to much trouble for him. He encouraged me up the mountains, made sure we had enough to eat and constantly filled up our water bottles. The team of cooks and porters looked after us so well that really all we needed to do was walk , have fun , eat and sleep. They put up the tents , prepared all the delicious food and served lunches fit for a king on top of mountains. I always felt safe and was able to fully appreciate the isolation of the mountains as a result.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take woolly hat and gloves as it was cold on a couple of evenings. The group leader provided bottled water in huge containers so we didn't need our water filter bottles or chlorine tablets so save your money and don't bother buying them. I would advise anyone considering doing this trip to go for it. The hotel on the first night was clean and comfortable ( unfortunately i cant remember the name) but ask for a room at the back of the hotel as the saturday night disco/club was at the front of the hotel and our room overlooked it and was very noisy until 3pm in the morning.

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