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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14521 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Tony Lloyd

Reviewed August 2018

Memorable trip, huge variety, breathless scenery, superb guide.

Ecuador is a very interesting country, much of it at significant altitude. In March, on day one, on the equator the temperature in Quito at over 2000 metres was only about 20 degrees C but I got quite badly sunburned in just an hour without a hat. The variety of environment was , as indicated by the name of the trip, extreme from canoe trips in the Amazon rain forest to wearing most of my clothes at nearly 5000 metres on Chimborazu.. In the past we have shied away from group trips after some bad experiences but this time it was the people that we were with that helped make the trip more enjoyable. However what really made the trip memorable was our excellent guide Fabien who took us to places that we would never have dreamed of going to and introduced us to fascinating people that again we would never have met without his help. Other than Guayaquil this was one of the best holidays we can remember.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a full size crocodile launch itself into the river in the Mangrove swamps - too quick to get a photo. I had no idea that crocs existed in South America.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was excellent. Despite being under stress from both vehicle issues. (We had to abandon the first minibus after just two days) and domestic issues (his flat in Quito had caught fire because of a defective refrigerator) he remained calm and made sure that we were all comfortable, well informed and well fed. Specifically he took us to fascinating markets, through doors into extraordinary buildings and into roadside sugar processing plants. He had a wicked sense of humour but showed great compassion when one of our party had to return home early because of an unexpected bereavement and when my wife struggled with the altitude.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Erik Griffioen

Reviewed August 2018

Mont Blanc C'est magnifique

Generally it was a fun trekking trip.
Everyone in the group were pleasant and enjoyable to be with. However, there was a large discrepancy in hiking fitness level so daily hikes were rather slow and sometimes shortened as a result.
Food was excellent.
Accommodation was comfortable and spacious. Only negative was location which was far out from town centre Chamonix. Wasn’t feasible to just go to town for an hour or so before dinner.
Public transport in Chamonix over-crowded as the bus/train service was insufficient.

Most Inspirational Moment

Views were amazing. Fun banter with the group

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jenn was a good leader and tried her best to accomodate all the people of varying fitness and hiking ability

Demelza Higginson

Reviewed August 2018

Amazing 10 days

This is a busy trip but gives you the highlights of this beautiful country. We went to the cities and the countryside. We enjoyed some fabulous food and the people were really friendly.

Most Inspirational Moment

This is really difficult as there were lots of inspirational moments. But Halong Bay and Hoi An were 2 of them. The trip to the tunnels and the war museum was thought provoking and made you realise the impact of the war and that it is really still very recent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hung was brilliant - very knowledge, organised but flexible. He was great fun and led our group well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is busy trip so be prepared for some busy days and lack of sleep especially at the start of the trip.

Peter Whittle

Reviewed August 2018

Family Adventure

This was an excellent family holiday to a magnificent and inspirational country full of adventure opportunities and wonderful wildlife. Our tour guide, Hector, was excellent and very knowledgeable.
There was a lot of travelling, but the destinations were worth the time spent travelling. It was the wet season, but the rain didn’t cause any real difficulties or stop the planned activities.
Accommodation was good, mainly in lodges, and the food everywhere was better than expected from the guide books.
The wildlife is amazing and generally so close to hand.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably the turtles laying eggs at night time, although the scenery, the oceans and the wildlife are all inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour guide, Hector, was excellent, very knowledgeable, good English, gave us options to consider, and dealt with the few problems that arose very well. He made sure that we did as much as we wanted, gave good commentaries and has very good knowledge of the birds, animals and insects. He was very patient with the children. The two drivers we had were also professional and drove safely.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A great family holiday, the children of various ages all got on well together, but the humidity can make drying clothes almost impossible. However the laundry services offered by the hotels were generally cheap and quick.

Alex Burgess

Reviewed August 2018

Amazing Albania!

This trip is a perfect introduction to the beauty and culture of Albania combining the cultural highlights of Tirana and Berat as well as the walking in the Albanian Alps.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking through the wild flower meadows around Valbone and seeing the wide array of colours as well as bufferflies, wild orchids and reaching the snow level!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ed was brilliant! He was clearly passionate about his country and wanted to impart the history, culture, food and drink and all other aspects of Albanian life on us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be open-minded. Albania felt incredibly safe, it's people friendly and countryside delightful. Try the local Raki. Each area produces it's own variety but beware it's very strong!

Emma Cowen

Reviewed August 2018

Picturesque places, lush landscape and beautiful bears.

A great way to spend the week, walking in the countryside, seeing many sites with fantastic architecture and cute bears doing their thing in the wild.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the bears in the wild from our bear hide and seeing how they play, eat and look out for each other. Also the visit to sanctuary was interesting, but sad to hear how those bears had been treat in their earlier years before being rescued from their previous owners. I also enjoyed the long walk along the canyon and the visit to Dracula's castle.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly and always had an answer for every question asked. He also made sure every one's needs were catered for. He also knows the area very well. His assistant Sebi was also helpful and friendly and knows the area well too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have a good pair of walking boots, plenty of water and waterproof gear.

Sarah Lambert

Reviewed August 2018

An amazing adventure!

Wow – we packed so much in – three holidays in one; the Amazon, Inca Trail and Lake Titicaca including incredible wildlife, landscapes, culture and history. The itinerary was full on but we were expertly guided by Smithy who looked after our group so well. The icing on the cake was the group we were with – what a wonderful bunch of people we shared this amazing adventure with!
The kit list is a good guide and a battery for charging your electronics is a must.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to pick one - for me reaching the top of Dead Woman's Pass - it was quite a climb and of course getting to the Sun Gate and our first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Another 'moment' would be stopping in a lay-by en route to Puno and being invited to dance with the locals as they celebrated opening up a new roadside market - a breathless encounter at 4335m! So many beautiful sunrises and sunsets in beautiful landscapes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Smithy, was outstanding and he is one of the reasons our trip was so amazing. He was attentive, knowledgeable, caring and nothing was too much trouble, all with a wonderful sense of humour. He instilled confidence in us all and we all felt reassured that 'Smithy would sort it' when things did not go to plan!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes and then be prepared to enjoy the adventure.

Angela Hague

Reviewed August 2018

Mountains, woodland, meadows

I was surprised how green “Green Spain” is. On landing I thought it looked more like Austria, and this resemblance persisted. It had been rainy before we went and the woodland paths were quite muddy. There are brown cows with cow bells (very docile) and a lot of goats (very friendly).
Our week was hot and humid so on the last day we set off at 8am instead of the normal 9am.
The area is very peaceful, but there are few way-marked trails so it was useful to have a guide.
On the free day we chose to go to the coast. The beach at Poo (yes it is called Poo) is stunning – lovely soft golden sand and restaurants overlooking the beach. We were less impressed with Llanes – it is OK and the icecreams from the van the group are picked up at are superb (and huge! – save room for one) but given how nice the beach at Poo is we would probably spend more time there if it is a nice day.
The hotel has a nice garden to sit out in with stunning views of the mountains (sometimes hidden in mist, sometimes clear against blue sky). The hotel staff are very organised. The bar is a nice place to hang out after walks or before dinner.
The food is very tasty. There is a small appetiser, a soup, a main and a pudding. Our only thought to improve this would be more vegetables with some of the main courses (e.g. the pork is the best ever – it is so tender – but it was served up with just one carrot along with Dauphinoise potatoes). Cutting out the appetisers would save a lot of work serving and washing up for what is a small thing. The beef curry bomb was very popular with the group – highly recommended! The prawn curry was a bit too fancy with a couple of whole prawns and my husband would have preferred a proper big bowl of prawn curry and rice rather than have to mess about dissecting his dinner. The hake with little clams on the last day was excellent. Every meal was very tasty and well cooked.

Most Inspirational Moment

The peaks and views have to be the highlight for me, and being above the clouds is always lovely.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nacho was kind and gentle, and I enjoyed his sense of humour. He was very patient and made sure everyone had a good time. He was a good coach when it came to learning some basic scrambling on the last day, and all the tougher bits were optional.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack insect repellent and Anthisan, or similar. Some of our group got bitten by horseflies because of the humidity. You might want to take an umbrella to use as a sunshade - our guide Nacho used one most days. Nacho recommended "Aquarius" - a rehydration drink I had not heard of before. it is very refreshing.

David Thomson

Reviewed August 2018

From the mountains to the sea - a thouroughly enjoyable trip

This was our first time doing any sort of cycling holiday and I chose Exodus based on the reviews of other people and it didn’t disappoint.

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery was amazing, from the Mountains and Lakes in the north, down to the canals of Venice. Also it was great to see the camaraderie grow within the group, from total strangers at the beginning of the trip to good friends at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Martino, was excellent. He has a huge knowledge of the region and always gave us an extra little tour around any of our destinations. He also offered the chance to do some extra miles with a couple of early morning rides before breakfast. They were certainly worth doing as you saw things that were not on the normal itinerary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip was rated as moderate and I would agree with this. Just be prepared for some days to be both moderately easy and moderately hard in places.

Pauline Patterson

Reviewed August 2018

Stunning snow topped Andes

Peru is a wonderful country with its varied landscapes and diverse cultures. Nothing can quite prepare you for the stunning vistas in the Andes and the once in a lifetime experience of the Inca trail, culminating at the Sun Gate and that first view of Machu Picchu. All this led by our outstanding guide Bobby and shared with a lovely group of people. A BIG thank you.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly that first view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate after 4 strenuous but amazing days on the Inca trail. It was quite an emotional experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

What a legend Bobby is! THE most fantastic guide, who shared his passion and knowledge of his country and immersed us into its heart and cultures throughout the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Read the trip notes carefully 2. Get yourself physically fit for the trek which I personally believe is higher than the moderate level 3 graded by Exodus. 3. Altitude will have an affect! 4. There are long drives but the scenery is always extraordinary and do help you acclimatise to the altitude. 5. Days were pleasantly warm but the nights very cold particularly on the trek and in Cusco, so layers are essential.. 6. It is worth taking the optional extra flight over the Nazca lines to fully appreciate the extent of the carvings.

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