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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14518 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

GRAHAM CLARKE

Reviewed February 2018

ETHIOPIA IN DEPTH

Kipling wrote of Burma to the effect that it was like no other country you have seen. Had he visited Ethiopia, and there is no evidence that he did, he might well have come to a similar conclusion; I did.
Overall we had a very comprehensive insight into the country; taking in the fabulous and varied scenery, the religious settlements, the wildlife, food, markets and the way people live.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was a WOW factor to most days even the 12 hour drive between Mekele and Lalibela which was punctuated with stops for photos and a visit to a camel market. We passed through some fabulous scenery at 11,500 feet. The trip on Lake Tana to visit monasteries, the walk amongst baboons in the Simiens. The rock churches of Lalibela were just amazing particularly when you consider when they were done and how. The mule trek up to Ashatan Maryam. We were a happy group: everyone got on with everyone else.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gabre was excellent. A font of knowledge. He was communicative, patient, very much a people's person. Not forgetting our bus driver. I don't remember his name, but in addition to his excellent and safe driving skills ( he took the bus to places I would think twice about in a 4x4 ) he was similarly cheerful and communicative.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get your visa either before you set off: the queues were long an slow. Do your homework. Read up as much as you can before you go on the various rock churches and other places of interest, you may find it difficult to absorb so much new information. I did and was glad I did. Take home some coffee.

Suzanne Thorne

Reviewed February 2018

Ethiopia in depth

This was the most amazing holiday. Our guide Gabre was excellent. Scenery was beautiful. We had a very good driver who negotiated some terrible roads with great care. Hotels were good considering it is such a poor country,pot luck sometimes . People were so friendly, which made the holiday for us.
It is cool in the evening, jacket needed.Good strong trainers or walking shoes for very uneven surfaces around churches. Ethiopian airways were excellent. Ethiopian food is an acquired taste. !! One of our most memorable holidays.

Most Inspirational Moment

The camel market ,the churches, the galada baboons and many more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have all jabs. Protect yourself against food Bourne illnesses. Take good shoes a WALKING stick. Jacket for the evening.

Rebecca Horsley

Reviewed February 2018

Highlands of sri lanka

A totally encompassing experience. Sujee the guide shared many different aspects of such a wonderful country. Not always easy =as in walking in the rain with leeches(leech socks were invaluable!). We saw many beautiful and diverse places, animals and met very friendly and hospitable people.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was great to see the wildlife in their natural habitat. Elephants and blue whales to monkeys and colourful birds. The people were so kind. Landscape/scenery varied and beautiful throughout.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. Kind. Knowledgeable. Sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take leech socks, deet, waterproofs, umbrella.

Lizzy Hannah

Reviewed February 2018

An awesome experience!

I was so excited about this trip and was not disappointed as I thought it was outstanding. The pace was good, the scenery very varied, there were a lot of new experiences especially viewing the wildlife, and every day was different. The accommodation also varied but never disappointed. I loved the feeling that we were often away from the main tourist routes, even when we weren’t, however there are a lot of long driving days with breaks to stretch our legs and take photos. The accommodation was very comfortable and every place we stayed was different, sometimes even with a fridge and kettle or occasionally a swimming pool. It was exciting arriving at each new place to explore what was special and different.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many moments it is hard to pick one. I woke up in a tented camp one morning to loud birdsong and heard a rustling beside me. It was a pair of zebras grazing. Seeing a snake eat a huge toad was exciting, and seeing a family of hyenas on the road in the Kruger National Park. Later we saw a pair of lions mating. I also loved the penguin colony at Betty's Bay and the seals lying about by the fish market in Cape Town. The view from our cottage looking out of the Drakensberg Mountains was stunning as well, especially watching a storm brewing up and then clearing later.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two group leaders and they were both great. They had so much knowledge about everything, the wildlife, the scenery, things of interest, bits of history. They were so dependable and good to be with, making sure everything went smoothly for everyone and keeping us well informed about what was going to happen day by day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is a lot of travelling and I was pleased I had plenty of audiobooks so I could listen and look at the scenery at the same time. I was also glad I took my hiking shoes as some of the hikes were on rough ground and they were more sturdy in wet conditions too.

Sarah Hamer

Reviewed February 2018

Backroads of Sri Lanka - cycle

To see Sri Lanka on two wheels was just the most amazing experience for us. Cycling through tea plantations, rice paddies, local villages and wildlife sanctuaries. A stunning country with the friendliest of people. Being part of a group made the holiday like one big party with friendly banter from breakfast through to lights out in the evening. Early starts met with the usual groan but what a way to spend the day flying along the roads enjoying all the sights along the way. A well organised trip with an excellent leader in Suresh. Nothing is too much trouble. A must do for the those out there thinking about your next Exodus adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the sunset and the sunrise the next morning in Ella listening to the call to prayer across the valley with the mist swirling around the mountains. Peaceful and just magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

How many words can we use. Suresh. Amazing. Witty. Helpful. Great listener. Entertainer. Historian. Super fit. Playful. Comedian. Kind. Considerate. Our group were 16 who became one large family all of us chatting and having the best time with Suresh being the party organiser. A great trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book it and ask for Suresh as your tour leader. Nothing is stopping you. This has to be the only way to see this beautiful country. Get out there and see it.

Sonia Newman

Reviewed February 2018

Snowshoeing in the Catalan Pyrenees

This was a wonderful trip to the Catalan Pyrenees. The snow conditions were excellent – too much if anything, making some of the snowshoeing hard work. The food and drink at the hotels was great, allowing us to try local Catalan food. Our guide Miguel went out of his way to provide an interesting experience and impart his knowledge of the local area.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking up through trees on day three in the cold, snow everywhere, with the sun shining and with glimpses of high peaks was magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader was excellent - an experienced mountain guide. He was very friendly and had a good knowledge of the history of the local area, taking us to interesting sites as well as the snowshoeing. He also arranged samplings of local produce and organised a night at a tapas bar on the rest day, which was fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, the walking is up and down mountains and they will enjoy it more if they are fit and have experience of hillwalking.

Andy LEWIS

Reviewed February 2018

Fantastic first snowshoeing trip - snow, scenery, and guide all top notch. Loved it.

This was my first snowshoeing trip and I enjoyed it immensely. The huge amount of fresh snow and mountainous terrain made it hard work at times but it was exactly what I was looking for. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. Gorgeous scenery, great hotels and food, an excellent and engaging guide, and sociable and entertaining fellow snowshoers all made for a great trip. The walking routes and attractions visited (e.g. cheese maker in a mountain village, the civil war destroyed village of Tirvia) were well-chosen for variety and to show some of the history and current way of life in this part of Catalunya. Miguel our guide was a mine of information, clearly passionate about the region, and an excellent tour leader.

Beware: Before deciding to book this type of trip you need to be sure that you’re fit enough. It’s far from a walk in the Surrey Hills in summertime. The Pyrenees are high, steep, cold, and (thankfully when I was there) deep in snow, and the hikes quite long. One or two in the group didn’t seem to be aware of this and our guide had to make the difficult decision to arrange some less demanding walks for them.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in thigh-deep snow and seeing the sun come out and the clouds part and the high mountains of the Pyrenees come into view. Magic!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel our guide was a mine of information on the history and socio-economic aspects of the area, clearly passionate about the region, engaging and sociable, extremely well-organized, and generally an excellent tour leader. Beware: Before deciding to book this type of trip you need to be sure that you're fit enough. It's far from a walk in the Surrey Hills in summertime. The Pyrenees are high, steep, cold, and (thankfully when I was there) deep in snow, and the hikes quite long. One or two in the group didn't seem to be aware of this and were not sufficiently fit, so our guide had to make the difficult decision to arrange some less demanding walks for them. This caused some friction in the group, but I, and others in the group, fully supported him in this.

Advice for Potential Travellers

See above about fitness level required.

hanna woskoboinik

Reviewed February 2018

Ethiopia

the trip was well organize and the tour leader was very good. I understand that u contract a local tour operator and I wished u would have checked the hotel before. I understand it is not a luxury trip and this is my 4 trip with Exodus but i must say theta i was very disappointed with the some of the accommodation. Lake Tana is beautiful but the hotel is the worst I ever stay and I travel the world. the hotel had mold wholes in the walls could not wait to get out of the place. you should check the hotels before u accept a tour operator. even in Ethiopia there are better hotels. some of the hotel did not have hot water like in Gondar and when i complain the Luke warm water was for them hot water after a day of travelling one wants a shower not a cold one.
I wish u would have given the option to fly to lailibela as it was a waist of a day in horrible conditions.

i will have to think hard if i will take another trip with Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

the churches

Thoughts on Group Leader

excellent

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Hanna for her feedback, however we regret that she was disappointed with the accommodation in Ethiopia. We do mention in the trip notes that Ethiopia is a developing country and that there may occasionally be no hot water. While we endeavour to manage expectations that the accommodation may be basic in places on this tour, at the beginning of each season we use client and staff feedback to review each property with our local manager; if any concerns are raised by clients throughout the year these will be addressed and dealt with accordingly. We have discussed Hanna’s concerns with our local manager and will keep an eye on feedback.

John Penge – Product Manager for Ethiopia

Alan Key

Reviewed February 2018

Cost Rica for the third time.

There was a lot of hours travelling, however that is acceptable as the country’s road system to the places we were going to do not allow shorter journey times, and some of the scenery was superb. Our drivers throughout were excellent as was our guide Glenda who worked hard to ensure we all had an enjoyable tour.
We were slightly disappointed with Tortequero as the boat safaris could have been longer and we did not really go as far into the jungle as we expected, a lot of time was lost queuing up for entrance tickets and the last morning it would have been possible to do an additional safari and depart the lodge a bit later to return to the jetty. We actually saw more on the 2 1/2 hour boat safari in Cano Negro than we did in the whole time in Tortequero. The Monte Verde part was good but again more time could have been spent in the actual jungle than having nearly an hour to have coffee and shop at the information centre.

Most Inspirational Moment

The time spent on the Rio Frio in Cano Negro where we saw lots of birds and all three species of monkey to be found here with a great showing of white faced capuchin very close to the boat feeding. In Monte Verde actually finding a male Resplendent Quetzal a very rare bird was enjoyed by all, the bird life at the accommodation was also well appreciated (note we are not specifically birders).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Glenda was escorting her very first trip and worked hard to ensure we all got the best out of the trip, She was very knowledgeable about the country, fauna and flora and the country's wildlife and birds and if anything was asked and she did not know she endeavoured to find the answers. Although she was lacking in experience which will come obviously, she made up for it with enthusiasm and in time will be a very good escort.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Costa Rica is a great place to visit and not just for the wildlife. It was our third visit having done the national parks on both coastlines on our previous visits and now the interior. If it is on your list of places to go then go, its worth it.

curtis wierenga

Reviewed February 2018

loved cycling in rajasthan

This trip was great! The cycling wasn’t overly difficult. The trip offers a wide range of sites to please everyone. Our guides and crew were excellent, the bikes were great as was the support vehicle. We always had drinking water and snacks while we cycled. They took great care of us.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through some of the small villages on our last day of cycling. There is no better way to be immersed in the Indian culture.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Manu was fantastic, very professional but also alot of fun at the same time. Great sense of humour! We have travelled many years in many countries with many guides and Manu ranks right at the top!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy! Don't be afraid of the food or drinking water or the sheer number of people. It is fantastic

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