Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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14505 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Paul Clifton

Reviewed April 2018

Trails of Vietnam 1st - 14th April 2018

Overall, this was a very enjoyable and active trip which enabled us to get a good undersanding of the different areas and lifestyles of the people from the hill-tribe villages in the north down to the islands and floating market traders in the Mekong Delta.
Unfortunately, we were all disapointed when we were told that we would not be allowed to stay on our boat in Halong Bay overnight and would not be able to enjoy the planned kayaking around the islands. We had not made aware that this could happen.
Following on from this we had a full day in Hue when it rained the whole day, whilst we did visit the Imperial Citadel and Thien Mu Pagoda (in the rain) it prevented us cycling to other planned places of interest.
Once we had flown south to Ho Chi Minh City and the weather improved (+35C) our moral was restored and we enjoyed a very active and varied 2nd half of the tour.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the two hilltribe settlements of Sung Village and Đá Bia village in Hoa Binh Province. and meeting the Dzau Tien and Muong people. So welcoming, uncommercial, natural and friendly.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Phi Hoang. Very nice guy, very knowledgeable and passionate about his country and culture. A minor criticism would be that he could have provided more information on interesting buildings and points of interest during the many long and tedious bus journeys we undertook. I suppose to him they are just everyday buildings but to us tourists they are all very interesting pieces of architecture and culture. Also, as I have noticed on my previous trip to Cambodia the guides always seem to take the tourists to the more upmarket, European, trendy and very expensive restaurants (by local standards). Personally, I would prefer to try the more authentic, local cuisine and more "street food". On one occasion, our guide wanted to take us to a restaurant by taxi which we could have walked to faster. When he called taxis to take us back to our hotel after our meal, we refused and said that we wanted to walk a little after our meal. We are all grown adults and do not need to be chaperoned.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would advise potential travellers to try to add a couple of days onto the start and end of the trip if at all possible as this gives the traveler a little time to acclimatise and to get over some of the jet lag before starting a fairly intensive travell programme. On this particular trip, I would advise travelers to ensure they take something warm to wear on the overnight train journey with the Reunification Express from Hanoi down to Hue. The air conditioning is absolutely freezing and cannot be controlled from the cabins. The four people in our cabin froze and struggled to get any sleep.

Margaret Baker

Reviewed April 2018

Magical Morocco and the Sahara

This was a great trip as a taster for what Morocco offers. There was a lot of travelling in the minibus but it was worth it for the variety of experiences we had.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to say really but the camel ride and the night in the nomad camp in the desert was really special. Some of us slept outside under the stars which was amazing. It was mid April but it was not cold although I kept many clothes on and slept in my 4 season sleeping bag. A 4 season bag was not suggested or necessary but it was my only one. Some even took just a sleeping bag inner which was fine on this occasion as blankets and pillows were available and the temperature didn’t drop too low. Didn’t meet any beasties or scorpions.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Abdul was excellent and very knowledgeable and great fun although his idea of “just next door” or “it’s an hour’s walk” didn’t always match ours! He shared a lot about himself and his life in Morocco and enjoyed learning about ours without being intrusive. It all added to the enjoyment of the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Towel and shampoo essential for the hammam visit, and a sense of humour and adventure will also help! The optional morning trek from the gite was significantly longer than advertised. Check the exact itinerary and time before you set off. Our 3-4 hour walk was 5 1/2 hours. Good walkers only should tackle this one. It appeared much harder than suggested in the trip notes. An optional 1 1/2 hour walk around the village took 2 hours. However, time that day was relaxed and everyone who did the walks enjoyed them. I was in a small group who took the third option of staying put and relaxing on the balcony of the gite!

Maureen Lamb

Reviewed April 2018

Wishing I was back in China

I loved this holiday. I’m missing being outside all day, walking surrounded by great scenery, lovely company, apricot blossom, learning about a culture I knew very little about, the food….. I hadn’t travelled with Exodus before, but would definitely do so again. I’m really glad that I was able to do the Xi’an extension. After walking the wall and sightseeing in Beijing I really wanted to see more, and was not disappointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved all of the walking, even in the rain. Seeing the local guides look as though they were out for an afternoon stroll while we were puffing and panting was certainly impressive. I found the wall and the Terracotta Warriors to be on a scale I had not been able to imagine. Cycling around the city walls of Xi'an as the sun went down was delightful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Jerry Wu was excellent. We benefited not only from his knowledge patience and enthusiasm but his local contacts and friendships. Jerry clearly felt a real responsibility for us, even writing potentially useful questions in Chinese and English for our journey to Xi'an. These did in fact help us. He ensured we had as good a holiday as possible, and stayed safe. In addition he has a wonderful sense of humour. Michelle our guide in Xi'an was also knowledgeable and really helpful. She took us off the tourist track for a meal after our visit to the Terracotta warriors. I never knew noodles could taste so good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be fooled by the apparently low number of miles walked, as the video clip on the exodus website shows, the walk is steep up and steep down, my calf muscles certainly knew about it. I wondered whether to take walking poles, as I hadn't used them previously. Took them but didn't use them, I did however use my hands and knees. I packed a woolly hat, gloves, a sun hat and sun cream and used them all - the woolly hat and gloves to sleep in one night! The weather certainly changed quickly. I took a sleeping bag liner, which was well worth packing. If rain is a possibility a rain cover for your day rucksack looks helpful. I imagine if you love coffee it would be worth taking your own supply. I really enjoyed the additional activities - Tai Chi, the Kung Fu show, the Acrobat show, all great fun.

James (Jim) Clarke

Reviewed April 2018

Greek Island Wanderer

A well balanced trip that gives a taste of 3 contrasting islands. Travelling in April proved to be an ideal opportunity to see a different side to Greece – quieter, greener and a comfortable temperature for walking.

Most Inspirational Moment

The walks in Naxos and Paros were excellent, offering the opportunity to not only experience the pace of genuine Island life but also to enjoy the many varieties of herbs and flowers that abound at this time of year. Santorini was an impressive spectacle which even the general busyness of the town could not detract from.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have experienced many group leaders and would rate Thanos as being amongst the best of them; he anticipated the needs of individuals in the group and ensured everyone was included. It was a joy to listen to his obvious passion for all things Greek and his wish to share them, his breadth of general knowledge ensured he answered all questions and could participate in any discussions. A friendly, efficient leader who is a credit to Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light using layers rather than bulky clothing in April and prepare for mosquitoes in Paros, even in April. When on Santorini do make the effort to visit both the ancient buried site of Akrotiri (easily done by public bus which leaves from close to the hotel) and the New Prehistoric Museum (also close to the hotel) to help make sense of the Bronze Age settlement of Santorini which can easily be done in a morning and offers the bonus of seeing more of the Island.

Jo Griffiths

Reviewed April 2018

Everest Base Camp Trek

Hiking amidst the most awe-inspiring scenery, a not to be missed, truly outstanding trip! I have travelled with Exodus on many occasions, and this trip is so finely tuned it is impossible to find fault. Perfect pacing, acclimatisation, itinerary and physical challenge. Challenge is also present in some of the Tea Houses, but the trip notes give ample notice about how basic they can be, and I found this added to the whole experience. Some were terrific, and some were simply a place to rest and refuel before another day enjoying the magnificent mountains. Having said this, the food served in all the Tea Houses was always great; I enjoyed a whole range of local food, including Dhal Bhat and Sherpa soup, but also couldn’t resist the odd plate of egg and chips!

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Kala Patthar. I hadn’t really paid attention at the briefing, I just thought it would be a nice optional trek up a mountain to see sunrise over Everest. We set off at 4.30 am, within 10 minutes my water bottle had frozen and I’d lost all feeling in my fingers (despite wearing 3 pairs of gloves!). Panic started to set in when I realised that the ice I was slipping on going up, would be 10 times worse coming down; the headache and nausea didn’t help either. However, the sense of achievement getting to the top, and getting the best views of Everest with a sunrise to boot were worth every second of hardship. Glorious! Special mention also for all the Porters, Yaks, Dzos, and Mules. It was both inspirational and humbling to see the vast range of products they carry on a daily basis to enable hikers to complete the trek with some degree of comfort.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ajay is a superb Tour Leader, ably assisted by the two guides on this trek, Suresh and Mingmar and Kumar, our Yak Man. The service we received from this awesome team was outstanding; they couldn’t do enough for us. No task too big or too small, and always with a smile. Daily health checks and constant reminders to drink water and eat well helped us all to stay safe and healthy. Our last night in Lukla, when we had a lovely meal with the whole team, a few celebratory beers and a dance, it really demonstrated the special bond that tour leaders can foster in the groups they lead.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes, in particular the information about buying bottled water. I took a Steripen and it worked perfectly, some others on the trip took purification tablets; they also worked. It was disheartening to see so many bottles of water being purchased when Exodus are working so hard to ‘Ban the Bottle’. Avoid the very long queues at Kathmandu and buy your Visa before you travel. Take really good gloves/mittens. The food is reasonably priced in the Tea Houses, so if you can live with showers and WiFi you won't need excessive amounts of money. It can be tricky changing it back to Sterling if you do underspend. `

Anne Brown

Reviewed April 2018

Annapurna and Chitwan in Luxury

A wonderfully varied holiday, with city visits, trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas and a jungle safari to see the rhino.

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up and having breakfast in the garden of the mountain lodges while watching the sun come up on the mountain tops. Bathing the elephants in the river. Trekking through mountain villages, enjoying the beautiful scenery and learning about the villagers' way of life.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gum was such a professional guide, so thoughtful and attentive to the individual needs of each member of the group. We learnt so much from him about his country's customs and way of life and nothing was too much trouble for him to ensure that we had the most enjoyable holiday possible - a lovely man!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Watch out for leeches in the wooded areas of the mountains!!

Nick Rushworth

Reviewed April 2018

2 holidays in one

A great holiday or rather two in one. The first week was getting close to nature – basic accommodation but that’s what you need if you want wildlife on your doorstep. The second week was a good mix of different cities.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing truly wild Orangutan that had never been in in a sanctuary as we cruised from out river lodge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Best ever - great sense of humour, totally committed to making our holiday truly memorable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Think twice before you sign up - we loved it but one of our trip didn't like the idea of bugs and "roughing it" in slightly lower standard accommodation near the nature parks. If you want to get close to nature expect nature to get close to you!

Vittoria Doyle

Reviewed April 2018

Comprehensive look at Albania

We travelled around most of Albania learning its history and seeing its wonderful scenery, eating the foods and meeting the people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Berat as we drove in. Just beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ed was amazing. His knowledge was exceptional. His enthiusiasm for his country took you along with it. Would love to travel with Ed again.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its quite a tiring trip purely in terms of the fact that you have only one night in every place. But bus journeys are not exceptionally long. Maybe go a day beforehand, as some of our group did and see a bit more of Tirana.

Penelope Phillips

Reviewed April 2018

Brilliant

We had 10 people in our group. We all got in well together marking a good start. The experience of the different places we visited gave us a good understanding of Morocco.

Most Inspirational Moment

The camel ride. A bit hairy but not to be mist

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdul really should us his love for his country. He lissend to our interest and took us to extra places of intrest.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When we were in the in the High Atlas it was cold. They said it was the coldest in 12 years make sure you have a jumper. The walks we did were good I was glad I had my poles with me.

Eve M

Reviewed April 2018

Fabulous trip

It’s over ten years ago since I did a walking trip and this is the first one in Europe.
I found the walking to be as described in the notes. The only thing that they don’t tell you is that ‘lactic acid city’ is going to hit those muscles for a few days unless one has done enough hill walking, especially after the 2,000 plus steps down to Amalfi.
Do take at least one walking pole as it definitely helps to support limbs and steady one’s descent where the path is uneven and rocky.
Our tour guide, Vania di Paoli, was a lovely guide. She was caring, patient, efficient and organised and she was always there to brief us on the day’s walk, in the evening, before dinner. She set a very nice pace for the group and found us some interesting spots to eat our lunch.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many moments that inspired me but the walk to, and around the top of Vesuvius inspired me the most. It was a cloudy, moody day and perfect conditions for walking up.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I liked my group leader very much and would be very happy to travel with her again. She had to deal with one or two challenges and handled them calmly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As above; do some preparation before the trip. Make sure that you have a Camelbak, or equivalent, and drink plenty of water so that you do not become dehydrated.

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