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’!
Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!
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14477 Reviews
4.7 out of
5
Reviews
Gillian Hart
Reviewed February 2018
Spectacular trip!
A great escape from everyday life with the opportunity to try out many different snow activities plus free time to relax or experience optional activities. We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on 4 of our 7 nights 18-25 February 2018. Very tasty food and plenty of it. Comfortable rooms with underfloor heating. Overall a wonderful holiday.
Most Inspirational Moment
The beauty of the landscape and the wonderful Finnish people. We really enjoyed the dogsledding and it was well worth booking the full-day dogsledding optional activity as the scenery was absolutely amazing. A must if you are a dog lover as the huskies are so friendly and love a fuss.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Anna was superb and went the extra mile to ensure everyone was happy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Travel light as you only need clothes for the evenings. The water is so soft that you don't need skincare products and oil based lotions are advised against due to the extreme cold. We took our own thermal base layers and all other outdoor gear provided is sufficient to keep you warm during the day. Don't miss out on the sauna and outside hot tub!
Mark Springthorpe
Reviewed February 2018
Some lovely rides and not too strenuous
There are many great points about this trip;
– This trip combines riding in busy city traffic (which is mental, but exciting and often safer than in UK), with lovely rides through beautiful scenery (e.g. little villages, forest, coast) – much of it fairly flat and easy cycling. We went in Feb and the temperature is hot (30-35C).
– Food was a huge surprise in the fact that many of the hotels had great selection and great quality, and the meals in people’s homes were delightful and delicious – only the breakfasts were disappointing, but lunch/dinner was great. However, it is all Indian food, so don’t expect Western choices.
– Most of the hotels were in great locations, and of great quality (comfortable, modern, clean).
– The rides weren’t exceptionally long (20-25 miles, with a couple around 50), but in the 30-35C heat many of these were done in the morning and were more than long enough to see great things.
– With these rides being slightly shorter than on other trips we’ve done, there was lots of free time (e.g. afternoons) and a couple of free days which allowed us to experience far more of Kerala than on just a bike – a good mix of riding and free time.
– Minimal bus transfers (only 2 I recall), so most rides were door to door.
– The boat trip on the backwaters was delightful, and the photo opportunities are great.
The are 2 rides that are worth being aware of;
– The ride to Ooty is a gruelling ride of 17 miles up a 1,400 meter climb – the road is a constant gradient of 10-15% so it’s hard work. Even though you start the climb around 07:30, it doesn’t take long for the heat to kick in. However, there’s no pressure on how quickly you get up there, and you can opt out and take the bus if it’s too much for you.
– The descent down from Ooty is pretty much 20 miles all down hill, but the road is often poor (pot holes, poor surface, traffic on wrong side)) so riding fast is tempting but dangerous, so you need to watch what you are doing – but it’s a lovely ride through Eucalyptus forest and tea plantations.
We felt this trip was really enjoyable, and highly recommend it.
Most Inspirational Moment
Sitting on the beach at Sunset on Sunday evening in Fort Cochin - there were hundreds of Indian families (locals, holiday makers) all having fun, and the atmosphere was special.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader was Safi Hyder, and he was great - he made sure things went smoothly and that the trip was enjoyable. His support team were great too.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Beware if you fly into Mumbai (from UK) as the time needed to sort out your visa, collect baggage, go through customs and re-checking baggage can be very slow (2-3 hours) so make sure you have enough transfer time between flights (we missed our connection because of this issues).
Steve Roberts
Reviewed February 2018
Fantastic
This was my first time on the type of holiday but from the moment we left the airport , I knew I had made the right choice in booking this holiday. The hotel was great, and the views spectacular. As someone who often walks alone I was worried that a group holiday wouldn’t be my thing, but there were plenty of opportunities to break away from the group if you wanted. I never felt rushed if wanted to take photos, or just admire the view. It turned out walking as a group was a lot of fun.
If I was to be really fussy I would say I would have prefered the evening meals to be a bit more basic, but there were options on the menu if you weren’t happy with the main menu. Breakfast provided a good selection, and I normally made a right pig of myself.
Most Inspirational Moment
To stand on the snow covered plateau and soak up the 360 degree views
Thoughts on Group Leader
OMG. This women (Sarah) is inspirational.
Sarah is an fantastic guide. She went far beyond what I expected, to ensure we all had a great holiday.
She provided loads of information on the area and its history, whilst also making time to speak to every individual in the group. Nothing was to much trouble for her, even assisting the group in arranging activities for the rest day.
Not only did she have great stories of her own to enjoy, but listened to others stories as well.
Helen Burrell
Reviewed February 2018
Tropical South - An Adventure
Our visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu was a busy and enjoyable experience. There are several long journeys, but our bus was very comfortable (there were only 9 of us so we could spread out!) and there was so much to see on the way, the colourful towns, the traffic! the busyness of India. Cochin was a lovely start ; we arrived a day early. A tuk tuk driver gave us a grand tour of 2 hours for 100 rupees! The drive to Munnar was lovely through the mountains, but to describe Munnar as a beautiful hill station is stretching it – we thought it a most unattractive town. However the trek through the tea plantations and hills was wonderful. It is quite a strenuous climb and good grip shoes are essential. The picnic at the top was memorable. The rest of the trip unfolded with some visits not on the itinerary, a visit to a family brick making enterprise, heavy work in incredible heat, a school, a lovely temple on the roadside.
Most Inspirational Moment
The trek in Munnar
The early morning walk around the markets in Madurai. It's early, but don't miss this!
The early morning jungle walk in Periyar. Some climbing to spot a wild elephant!
The homestay with lovely home cooked food.
The houseboat, peaceful, so much bird life to see, people living on the banks, fishing, washing clothes and themselves in the river. Boats carrying various cargoes, fruit, shopping, canoe ferries transporting families and schoolchildren across the river, even small boats carrying bricks and stones.
Kovalam, much nicer than we expected, lovely shops, good beach, friendly people.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Manoj was an extremely efficient, informative and friendly guide. He set high standards everywhere we went, hotels, restaurants and trips. He advised us on menu choices so that we had a full appreciation of local food. No matter how early we got up, he was there! He gave us an insight into Indian culture that no guidebook can give. We were very impressed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Southern India is hot and extremely humid in the evenings. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat. The sun is very strong and sunburn can happen in minutes. Mosquitos are pretty well everywhere so spray well! I got a more natural spray in our health food shop called Incognito. It worked just as well. Bring tissues everywhere, there's never any loo paper on coffee/lunch stops! And hand gel, often no soap . The masala chai is lovely, I had it at every stop.
David Collins
Reviewed February 2018
A week in Jordan
An interesting week with plenty of cultural experiences and great scenery. Our guide Zahair was full of local knowledge and a great ambassador of Jordan. The highlight was definitly the two full days in Petra. Early wind and rain had resulted in Petra being closed until late morning with a warning of flash floods. In the end all was well and our group enjoyed seeing the monastery, the high point of sacrifice, the Siq and lots of tombs and caves. Wadi rum was great but the Bedouin camp was a bit of an ordeal but rescued by the great evening meal. Lack of sleeping bags and vertually no running water made for a primitive and unpleasant wake up call in the morning. Aqaba was warm, the Red Sea had good snorkelling too. The visit to the Dead Sea and seeing Jordan’s Grand Canyon was not to be missed.
Most Inspirational Moment
The two days in Petra, especially the walk on the second day.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Zahair was attentive full of stories and had great local knowledge and a great ambassador for Jordan.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The week in Jordan was very interesting, varied and well worth a visit. However some of the accommodation was very poor and should not be part of the itinerary. Out hotel La Maisson in Petra was one of the worst ones I have stayed in for many a year. The shower cubicle was tiny, it completely flooded the floor when we showered. We had to mop the water up with the hand and bath towels each time. The breakfast was a matter of first come first served. The food was not replenished, tables not cleaned and no clean cutlery. Staff simply disappeared when perople asked them for anything. Our group were all put in the basement underneath the dining room. The noise from scrapping chairs, stamping feet and clanking cutlery began very early and was deafening and annoying.
The coach we had all week was very old, pretty smelly and grimy. It broke down on the motorway 50 miles from Petra. The driver tried to fix it but to no avail. We waited 90 plus minutes for a replacement bus. Our driver was left overnight with the old bus. We endured a white knuckle ride to Petra along winding roads and hairpin bends eventually arriving at La Maisson at 9.30pm. Our old bus was repaired and we used it for the remainder of our stay.
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank David for his feedback, although we are sorry that he was disappointed with the accommodation in Petra and the vehicle used for some of the trip. Many parts of La Maison Hotel have now been completely renovated and refurbished since David stayed there. We have spoken to staff at the hotel and reiterated the standards and quality of service that we expect, and we will continue to closely monitor all client feedback we receive about the accommodation and food to ensure that it meeting our expectations. We also regret that one of the vehicles was of a poor standard and broke down on the way to Petra. We have now switched to a different bus supplier and we are making weekly vehicle checks at the new supplier’s depot to ensure this situation does not reoccur. We hope this shows we have taken David’s feedback seriously.
Monica Princic – Product Manager for Jordan
Eileen Phillips
Reviewed February 2018
Cycle the Backroads of Sri Lanka
An amazing experience with Exodus & Suresh as tour leader.
Most Inspirational Moment
The challenging ride to Nuwara Eliya & feeling a great sense of achievement.
Visiting the impressive rock cut Buddha statues at Buduruvagela.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Suresh is a Legend. His deep passion for his country & wealth of knowledge ( historically & geographically) made the trip a memorable experience. Suresh greeted us every morning with a broad Sri Lankan smile & would give a short briefing before guiding us safely through the back roads to the next overnight stop. With Suresh's expert guidance we also visited World Heritage sites, spotted animals on Safari & was delighted by his culinary skills in the kitchen. During the trip any requests were dealt with immediately- organising massages, early morning runs, bird watching at dawn, to name a few. Nothing was too much trouble. Suresh is one in a million & a first class Tour Leader for Exodus in Sri Lanka.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A good fitness level is definitely required.
Emma Dart
Reviewed February 2018
Great way to see the nature of south Sri Lanka
This was a fantastic trip which gave great opportunities to see the diverse wildlife and landscapes of Sri Lanka. It was hot / humid when we went so the air con on the bus and the majority of the hotels was welcome. It was nice to have a couple of nights in most hotels. The stay in the rainforest lodge was incredible, and the rooms in the Talalla hotel were unusual and enjoyable. The bus journeys between accommodations were not too long, and the scenery was very enjoyable. There is so much birdlife and wildlife to see here.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing a blue whale. We also loved seeing the fireflies in the rainforest and at Tallala. There is not much light pollution there so the stars were incredible.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Dilshan was fantastic. He was so engaging, knowledgeable and well organised. The naturalist on the trip, Devaka, was enthusiastic and highly skilled.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Many of the plug sockets accommodate do UK plugs. Where they did not, we were glad to have purchased an adaptor as our multi adaptor did not cater for Sri Lanka plug sockets. We did not see many mosquitoes, but were careful with using deet and covering up. The sun is very strong as well. The rainforest lodge provided leech socks, which seemed to work very well. There were only a couple of times where we encountered small leeches and the guide removed them easily.
Catherine Ellwood
Reviewed February 2018
Like going on holiday to Narnia!
An amazing holiday in a beautiful landscape. It was like being in a Christmas card.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. On our free day, I walked the Little Bear trail with another member of the group and it was a great day.
The huskies are beautiful, and I enjoyed snowmobiling. The evening snowshoe across the silent, dark frozen lake was amazing. Building the quinzee was fun, although hard work!
For me, there was just enough taster of all the activities, and the option to do more of them if you wanted to.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Elina was lovely. She explained everything to us really well, made sure we were OK and knew what we were doing. She is so enthusiastic about her job, nature and country and shared it all with us.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I had been thinking of doing this holiday for a while and it was fab. So do it.
Martin coles
Reviewed February 2018
Strenuous
Beautiful scenery, decent but not outstanding hotel, very professional guide, but be aware that the walking is very strenuous with a lot of extended uphill sections, and not, as advertised, moderate.
Most Inspirational Moment
The day of rest!
Wendy Pillar
Reviewed February 2018
Introduction to cross-country skiing
Dobiacco is a really beautiful place and there is lots to do outside the skiing. The skiing tuition is very good, and flexible, as on the level 1/2 week you can move between groups if necessary. Although the loipes feel remote, they are mostly not far from a bus route, so you can stop early if you have really had enough.
Most Inspirational Moment
Day 2 of skiing it came together and I felt I could actually do it, it was a beautiful sunny day and we were skiing through a gorgeous valley through the mountains, and it was magical.
The free day was also pretty special, with snoeshowing and riding the ski gondola to the top of the mountains for a 360 degree view
Thoughts on Group Leader
Liz was a very enthusiastic and good instructor, who made sure everyone made a lot of progress, even a ski skiver like me! She was very good at balancing the needs of the different abilities, and always full of information.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Cross-country skiing is hard! Don't assume it is easier than alpine, there is quite a lot of technique to learn before it really starts to flow, and quite a lot of falling over on the first day. You need decent fitness, and strength in upper body and core as well as legs helps. Doing some work on your balance before coming would pay dividends. You'll definitely go home fitter!
Alpine ski clothes are too warm. You need a lighter coat and lots of layers, as the variation in temperature between waiting for a bus and skiing up a long hill is considerable.
