Most Inspirational Moment
Reaching the summit plateau despite my difficulties
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent leader
Advice for Potential Travellers
No I was very pleased with all the arrangements made for the trip.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Brian Page
Unfortunately for the first time ever I suffered from altitude sickness with reduced my stamina and caused loss of balance and coordination. However, thanks to the professionalism, experience and support of the Exodus staff I was able to reach the summit. I have no hesitation in recommending Exodus for an event of this nature.
All I expected and more
What a fabulous trip. I’d visited Costa Rica before, but this trip truly concentrated on the wildlife and the country has so much to offer. We saw so much and some of it very different – frogs, snakes, spiders, beautiful butterflies, stunning birds, dolphins, humpback whales, I could go on and on. I also thought I’d see a sloth, but we saw so many, it was wonderful.
I had read mixed reviews about some of the accommodation, but I thought it ranged from good to excellent. Where the hotels were merely good, the relative lack of tourists more than made up for it. The food included in the hotels/lodges was also of a very high standard…it would have been difficult to go hungry!
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking around the grounds of the various properties we stayed in, just spotting the animals on the ground and in the trees. Some of the best sights were within close proximity of our accommodation - including a walk along the coast at Cahuita where the sloths were everywhere. Watching humpback whales from the shore - at a time of year when they shouldn't have been there! So many glorious scarlet macaws on the Pacific coast. So many wonderful photo opportunities
Thoughts on Group Leader
Eduardo was very knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife and was obviously a very experienced guide. I liked the fact that he added in quite a few extra optional walks, which were much appreciated after some long days travelling.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Only the obvious, expect rain, even in the dry season...but the sun comes along eventually
Southern india
It was a taste of the real India rather than the usual tourist holidays. We experienced seeing the day to day living which was a real eye opener. The tour through Indian countryside was scenic and interesting. Watching the women harvesting tea and seeing families washing their clothes on rocks in the river, not to mention the monkeys and fruit bats we passed on our travels.
The driving in India is very unlike the UK, but when we expressed our concerns to our guide after day one, he spoke to the driver, who immediately stopped overtaking on blind bends and slowed down to drive in a way that we felt happy. ( the only problem was, other drivers then started to overtake us on blind bends!)
The overnight stay on the houseboat was very relaxing, and the number of kingfishers we saw was unbelievable! The rooms on the houseboat were much bigger and luxurious than we had been expecting, and they all had large en-suite bathrooms.
The main reason I have scored the trip as very good, rather than excellent, is the comfort of the tour bus. It was an old bus, with over 225,000km on the clock. The seats were not very padded or comfortable for the long journeys that we did, and the suspension was not up to scratch. I did however feel that we had a very competent driver, who completely changed his style of driving after he was aware of our concerns early on.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting up at 5.30 to go on a tuc tuc, then a walking tour of the market as the locals were setting up their fruit and veg stalls. The atmosphere, sights, sounds and smells were just spell binding. This was the real India, and it was a privilege to witness and experience it first hand. It’s certainly a morning that I will never forget. I think it should have been promoted more, as half our group decided not to get up early to go on it, but those who did all said they wouldnt have missed it now they knew how fantastic it was! The hike through tea plantations to the top of the mountain was also a fabulous day. The views were spectacular. The peace and tranquility at the top of the mountain, where we had our lovely picnic is also a day which I will always treasure in my memory.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Manoj was brilliant. He is so well suited to his job. Nothing is too much trouble for him. He was very good at getting things organised. He was particularly good at organising the staff in restaurants to get our orders and bills sorted out with as much simplicity as possible. He always listened to our requests, and did his best to accommodate them. He was able to answer the many questions which we had during the tour. He has a great sense of humour, and really joins in with the group. He took a Yoga class at the home stay one morning, which was a lovely touch for the few people who participated. On the final evening of the holiday, my friend became ill with a stomach bug, which would have meant we couldn’t fly home the next morning. But Manoj saved the day! He organised a doctor to come to our room, with 2 nurses. They gave her an injection and set up 2 intravenous drips and said she would be better within 3 hours. Unbelievably, she was better, and could travel home ok. Surprisingly, the medical cost for this fantastic service, was only £50. Manoj stayed up late to make sure we were ok, and that the treatment had worked. He insisted that he wouldn’t go to bed himself until he knew my friend was feeling better. We both feel that he was extremely caring and went the extra mile over this, which just confirms how well suited he is to his role.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you’re unhappy with the driving, feeling that it’s too fast and reckless, say something to the guide early on. Our driver completely changed his style of driving from day 2 onwards. Get up early for the walking tour of the market. It will be a highlight of your holiday, but it’s not marketed or promoted as such, so half of our group missed out.
Cycle Vietnam
While it’s ostensibly a cycling holiday, there was much more to the trip than that. My highlights:
– snorkelling off Whale Island
– the cycling descent from Da Lat, we descended from over 5,000ft to sea level in only a couple of miles
– cycling through Hoi An and Hué
– kayaking in Ha Long Bay
– the food, it was invariably fantastic
– the hotels which were far more luxurious than we had envisaged
– Cu Chi tunnels
– War Remnants museum in Saigon – very harrowing
– cycling up and down the Hai Van pass
– children in the villages and small towns shouting and waving at us
The whole trip was just one massive and immense experience – unforgettable.
Most Inspirational Moment
I couldn’t single anything out, I loved all of it. It’s an amazing country to visit. We always felt like we were on a great adventure, which sounds corny, but it was just such an inspirational and fascinating experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Loc, our guide, was first class, a top man in every way. Tan, Truong and Ly, our cycle support crew were fabulous, they couldn’t do enough for us. Don’t bother bringing snacks for the cycling days, your support crew will NOT let you go hungry!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don’t be nervous about the cycling, it’s really not too hard if you’re reasonably fit. Take part in everything, embrace it all.
Stunning scenery
We took part in this group tour in February 2018. It was the first time we had visited Romania and it was fascinating to learn about its history and experience its wild beauty.
Pros:
Very well organised from start to finish; we felt well looked after.
Food at the hotel was delicious, and we were well catered for as veggies.
Good variety of walking with stunning scenery.
The area is very unspoilt and most days we did not see another person once we got into the mountains.
The country has reasonable prices for food and drink.
Our guide, Holger, plus the staff at the hotel made sure we all got where we needed to go safely.
We were lucky to be in a good group of fellow travellers who we got on very well with.
Flights and transfers were very good.
Cons:
Although the food was delicious be prepared that there is no choice for dinner options (as if often the case in chalet accommodation). At breakfast there is no juice, and the buffet choice is not huge.
Be warned that there are lots of dogs living outside of the houses in the village, and sometimes they bark all night. If you’re a light sleeper, take ear plugs. In room 6 we also had a creaky bed and ended up putting the mattresses on the floor to get a good night’s sleep.
The trip is rated as moderate. I am pretty fit and have completed two Moonwalks (walking marathons), and I found the two longer walks quite challenging. Ice under foot plus the elevation gain made these walks tough, so you’ll need to be fairly fit or a regular walker, not a novice. The yak traks recommended in the packing list are really essential when there is ice under foot.
Most Inspirational Moment
Stunning mountain views in the middle of nowhere.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Holger was very friendly and obviously very knowledgable. He looked after us well. Holger is quite laid back - I don’t think anyone would mind if he was stricter with us about staying together in a group, telling us when and where we need to meet, etc.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take ear plugs and the best yak traks you can afford.
The Tropical South
A very good balanced trip with more activity in the first week and a more relaxed second week. Most of the stays are 2 nights which gives you more time to settle into a place. There are a number of opportunities to experience the frequent Festivals and religious ceremonies which are for the people and are devoid of tourists (apart from us!)
Most Inspirational Moment
We had an evening visit to a Hindu temple standing close to elephants robed in gold with much loud drumming and traditional horns.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Manoj our leader was passionate about his country and its traditions of being welcome to all comers. He found out about any special events happening in the next destination so he was briefed to enable us to visit everyday life in Kerala. He was well organised and speedily sorted any problems with good humour. His talks whilst travelling were very instructive if occasionally too long but reflected his love for his country.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You can travel relatively lightly as most of the hotels have good washing services. Most people thought they had brought too much luggage.
Highlights of Albania
Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Most Inspirational Moment
Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Highlights of Albania
Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
Most Inspirational Moment
Excellent trip, excellent Guide, excellent country!
A Remarkable Combination
This adventure was a rare combination of breath-takingly beautiful snow-shoeing treks—all selected to challenge but not overwhelm—combined with expert group creation and facilitation skills.. Each of us felt truly seen and supported. An unusual feat in my experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
There is nothing quite like walking through virgin snow up the side of an evergreen tree covered mountain with the utter confidence that your guide has your safety totally in hand. Although being a bit disappointed when she once decided that conditions called for us to turn back prior to our original destination, knowing that Sara would err on the side of safety allowed us to confidently and fully engage in what she had planned for us each day.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader was the epitome of adventure guide professionalism: skilled and experienced and knowledgeable in her particular adventure “specialty” and region while also unusually skillful in group dynamics and cohesion-building. I felt personally seen and supported by her, and all the rest of the group reported the same thing. She challenged us without pushing us. Cared for us without smothering us. Educated us without lecturing us. Can’t wait to travel with her again!
Cambodia Adventure
I cannot recommend this trip highly enough. It provided a fascinating glimpse into life in Cambodia. Such a wide variety of experiences: river boat trips, crafts people sharing their life stories with us, being welcomed into the home of one family for dinner, markets, schools, processions, dancing displays, acrobats, musicians, royal palaces and, of course, the world-famous temples at Angkor, Thom etc. Everywhere we went people greeted us with a beaming smile and a generosity of spirit that will live long in the memory. Food was delicious and hotels very good, way beyond my expectations – most even had swimming pools – and staff were always delightful, efficient and extremely helpful.
Most Inspirational Moment
Perhaps it was the resilience of the Cambodian people after such a traumatic recent history - a lesson to us all.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Chana was excellent , not just because of her command of the English language, but also because of her general enthusiasm, her sense of humour and her knowledge of her country's culture and history. She organised everything to perfection - nothing was too much trouble for her.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for some distressing moments at the Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields.