Reviews

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

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14479 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Michael John

Reviewed November 2017

Mike

To be honest its a bit of a task to sum up everything that we experienced on this one. We did and saw so much. And there really were no dull moments.
We were told that we were the first group to try out the all new “Trekking Borneo & Beyond” trip and I reckon that none of it really needs any tweaking for future trips. It was all good. In fact better than good at moments.

Most Inspirational Moment

The street food tour of KL gave a little flavour of the clash between the old and the new, of one of the fastest growing economies and cities in the world. Love that or hate it, KL is a wonderfully fascinating place. The jungle treks. In between moments of deep concentration, whilst scrambling over roots and humps, you could not help but realise that… “Yes.! I really am in the jungle.” Buzzing - literally - with life. Plants, trees and vegetation like you have never seen. I didn’t think that I would, but I actually began to really like the humidity. It kinda just went so well with the environment somehow. Then there was the amazing sight and experience of walking across the other worldly plateau that sits just below the summit on Kinabalu. It really was like… well, walking on another world actually.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two separate group leaders for this trip. They were both really good, but it has to be said that Jeremy really did go the extra mile whilst we were over on the Malaysian Peninsula.

Ross Bishop

Reviewed November 2017

Hike, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

A varied and challenging week of mountain waking that was a perfect escape from cold and wet weather in the winter months in a beautiful corner of Spain that couldn’t be more different than nearby Benidorm. The accommodation up in the hills was very comfortable and the food was outstanding and plentiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The 5 included day walks were all good in their own right. I particularly enjoyed the lofty views on the Serrella and Aitana ridges. The real highlight though was the near perfect weather for walking - temperatures in the mid teens and hardly a cloud in the sky every day, a real treat in the month of November.

Thoughts on Group Leader

José is an experienced mountain leader who knows the area like the back of his hand. He has a great sense of humour and speaks immaculate English.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the free day, some of the group chose to go to Altea on the coast. This was easily arranged for €15 return and well worth the visit. Personally, I did a self guided walk from Altea to the cliffs of Sierra Heleda - the route was very easy to follow and the coastal views were excellent.

Mark Billington

Reviewed November 2017

The holiday of a lifetime

If you’re looking forward a holiday with a nice mixture of everything then I can’t recommend this trip highly enough. We enjoyed the best part of two days and nights in the bustling and lively capital Kuala Lumpur where we sampled lots and I mean LOTS of different food and drink, Opium restaurant was delicious and the Sky Bar contained stunning views of the city at night. Elsewhere on the peninsula we explored the Cameron Highlands with its nearby tea plantations, even calling in for Tea and Scones, the weather was much cooler in the Highlands and nice and refreshing after the heat of Kuala Lumpur. We also spent 3 nights in Taman Negara in the jungle, the treks here were fun, especially the swinging canopy walkway one.

Our second week was spent on the Island of Borneo, which contained the two highlights of the holiday for me. The Orangutan sanctuary at Sepilok was a fantastic experience, so much so I went twice in one day, it was just so fantastic to see these apes in their natural habitats. Towards the end of the trip the trek up Mt Kinabulu is a demanding one but a thoroughly rewarding one, we were lucky enough to see a glorious sunset at Laban Rata hut the night before and got the all important sunrise at the summit of Mt Kinabulu, ending the holiday at a beach resort for two days is the perfect tonic, beach, pool, sunshine and RELAX.
The perfect holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Summiting Mt Kinabulu, this was a new height for me and to share the moment with new friends was awesome.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two....Jeremy on the Peninsula and Rony in Borneo. Both were very good, and exactly what you'd want from a tour leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't forget your swimwear, lots of opportunities for swimming in rivers, swimming pools and in the sea.

Jane and John Taylor

Reviewed November 2017

A Wonderful Introduction to South Africa

We have just returned from Cape Town and the Garden Route and what a reluctant return it was. We are both “Senior Citizens”, had never been in Africa before and had few pre- conceived ideas of what to expect.
The whole trip was amazing from being met at Port Elizabeth by our guide JP and then our mini bus driver Jerome. They both did everything they could to ensure that we were enjoying ourselves, JP was full of suggestions as to any extra excursions, and then booked them for us. We were very glad that we had budgeted for such trips as the extra game Drive ( a truly wonderful experience), the Tsitsikamma Zip Lining and the boat based whale watching at Hermanus.
The accommodation was all clean and comfortable if somewhat basic in a couple of places, the jewel of accommodation was Housemartin Guest Lodge in De Rust. Most of the accommodation had views to die for.
JP was full of knowledge about history, the animals, birds, flora and fauna etc and was happy to talk about it all. At Storms River cabins he took some of us on a walk along part of the Otter Trail, strenuous it was and not for the unfit, but the waterfall we ended up at was worth it. It was things like this that we would have missed out on if it wasn’t for him.
On our final night in Cape Town JP suggested that we all go to Marcos African Restaurant with him and he would make the booking. If you like African music and dance don’t miss this place. To us it was simply the very ultimate in special nights out and a superb ending to a superb trip. By the way, we are vegetarians and we ate very well indeed everywhere on the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

On the extra game Drive our jeep stopped just as a Buffalo came round a corner and stood and stared at us for about 5 minutes. Being up close to the Whales. Watching a dung beetle push a huge lump up a path at Hermanus. Visiting Masiphumelee Township on a cycle tour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We thought he was excellent, very enthusiastic about his country and wanting to share as much as possible. We feel that we got far more out of this trip due to his character than we may have otherwise.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Keep an open mind and pack some good walking shoes. Join in. Have a go.

Anne-Marie Bennett

Reviewed November 2017

The highlight was Provence

Excellent hikes in beautiful countryside and scenic villages, lovely food, and a great group of like-minded and good humoured travellers made this trip special. But it was our joyful and good humoured guide Isabelle who ensured our journey flowed everyday, offering generous food and restaurant tips, extensive knowledge of each village, combined with a generosity of spirit which enabled us to immerse ourselves in the gems around every corner that Provence has to offer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiking up above the village of Moustiers Sainte Marie and looking back towards the village.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Isabelle was great. She ensured our journey flowed everyday, offered generous food and restaurant tips, extensive knowledge of each village, combined with a generosity of spirit which enabled us to immerse ourselves in the gems around every corner that Provence has to offer.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great and diverse trip for people who like to have a base and do day trips. The diversity of the area really lends itself to centre based trips.

LIz Bissett

Reviewed November 2017

A fabulous trip!

We enjoyed the variety of the trip – completely different, magnificent scenery every day, comfortable hotels, good food (we’re veggies and it can be a bit of a struggle in some countries), a really lovely group of fellow cyclists, a great leader, some challenging hills and lots of amazing descents. The bikes were excellent, safety was always stressed and the back-up team were great. There are always interesting situations in a developing country and these were solved efficiently – the most serious one on our trip was crossing a bridge that had collapsed five days before….. it all came well in the end.
We’ve already booked our next Exodus trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling 100 kms in one day - the furthest we'd ever cycled. Seeing lemurs on several occasions. Some of the long descents were absolutely wonderful. The warm welcome we received in every small village, with children keen to wave and greet us. A surprise visit to a village house for coffee.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was extremely good natured and efficient. Getting checked into each hotel was smooth and organised very quickly. He was at ease with everyone in the group (we ranged in age from early twenties to late sixties). He was encouraging and friendly and was happyfor us to cycle at our own pace. Everything on the trip ran very efficiently - a lot of thought and previous experience went into things such as ordering our meals a couple of hours early so that the small kitchens could cope. Suggesting and organising a group kitty for snacks en route and to pay tips in the hotels was really helpful. He emphasised safety regularly, particularly in damp weather and when the roads were steep with sharp bends.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're cycling, a gel saddle cover or your own saddle is useful. Don't expect to see lemurs in the wild - we saw plenty, but only in National Parks. Don't expect great wi-fi! Do expect to see a lot of cloud/rain in the rainforest.

Fred Thurbin

Reviewed November 2017

Inexperienced travellers review

I have no idea who to summarise something that had so many unique experiences and so much variety.
It’s like being asked to summarise a kaleidoscope.
Firstly, if you enjoy trekking then yes. Book it.
The street food in KL was great, Chuck – the guide for the day – was enthusiastic to share knowledge of the area and as much food as we could eat. Jeremy our guide for the peninsula was also a big foodie and food is definitely an abiding memory.
So to is Jason our guide in the Cameron Highlands, a lovely and interesting guy and the Highlands are picturesque rolling hills and the sports bar there is were team bonding started.
The rainforest was tiring hiking and challenging but in a way that left you feeling all the richer for the experience and the fact you step out of your lodge and there’s monkeys in your face… was rather fun.
In Borneo the urang utan and sun bears sanctuary was incredible. As was the probiscus monkey visit.
This is one of Those experiences. One that you’ll take away with you.
The trek to the mangrove is a pleasant easy stroll before the big one.
Kinabalu.
Wow, stairs.
Relentless, but take a steady pace and you’ll survive. And it is worth it.
But wow. Stairs.
The ending is a wonderful beech hotel and totally worth it.
It’s a holiday that was epic.

Most Inspirational Moment

The monkey, apes and sun bears. Incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The two leaders were brilliant. Very different but perfect for the areas they cover.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't sweat the leeches. They don't hurt. Take toilet paper, there's plenty of loos just not paper. Good boots and socks. Breathe, there's a lot of walking but absolutely no rush.

Gill Hoare

Reviewed November 2017

An Excellent Adventure

Myself aged 61 and my husband aged 58 decided to tick this item off our bucket list. We trained reasonably hard for the trip giventhe lack of mountains in Dorset. We set off for Nepal with a degree of trepidation. After surviving the chaos of Kathmandu airport we were met by Nirmal our tour guide from that point we were so well looked after all our fears were allayed. We met our fellow travellers And the next morning set of for Lukla to begin our trek. After a 24 hour delay we arrived in Lukla where we met our guides. The trek was very hard in places but the excellent advice given to us my Nirmal “outside suicide” and the guides together with the pace that was set meant that we never felt out of our depth if frequently out of breath. The standard of accommodation food and plumbing exceeded expectations while at the same time being basic. It was an amazing adventure tough at times but so worth it for the spectacular scenery the wonderful Nepalese people and the sense of accomplishment when we reached base camp.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Everest for the first time

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nirmal was excellent. He had a large and at times rowdy group to deal with but despite some difiificult times mostly to do with delays at Lukla he kept us all in order and got us all to base camp and back without incident. By the end of the trek we all thought of him as a friend. His insights into Nepalese culture and life added to the enjoyment of the trip. His advice was essential in making sure we all stayed healthy and achieved our objective not only achieved it but enjoyed it too. A special mention for our guides too their pacing and insights added greatly to the trip

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't worry about packing snacks they are freely available and reasonably priced if a little dearer than at home and do increase in price as you go higher. Make sure you have warm gloves and possibly hand warmers if you suffer from cold hands there are a few early starts when it will be very cold. Follow the tour leaders advice they know what they are doing !! DONT WAIT GO KNOW ITS AWESOME !!! If you are worried about fitness don't I managed it at 61 with my only fitness regime being walking up as many hills as possible as fast as I could.

John Taylor

Reviewed November 2017

Patagonia at its best

This was a great non-stop trip with Xavier, who was a wonderful guide. The trip exceeded our expectations because of Xavier’s in depth knowledge.

Most Inspirational Moment

The mountain days, the included glacier visit and the guided walk in Tierra del Fuego were all equally inspiring, and the tango show made a great finale.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Xavier was the best tour guide we have been on holiday with. He was permanently cheerful, enthusiastic, responsive to the whole group’s and individual needs and great fun to be with. Xavier also had excellent relationships with the local guides, who were all equally enthusiastic about their specialisms.

Advice for Potential Travellers

These are the things which are described very accurately in the trip notes. We did experience four seasons in a day: snow, sun, torrential rain, high winds, calm etc, so you need lots of adaptable clothing and waterproofs. The two day walks and the additional day walk the group did were long with step sections over rocky paths (all the walks were 20km long). The travel days by bus were very long. Everything on the whole trip, except wine, was on a par with London prices (this is not a cheap destination). Add about 10% to the guide prices given in the trip notes. You can complete the trip with dollars, with no problems then with non-functioning ATMs or restaurants which won’t take credit cards. The downside of this means travelling with large amounts of cash. (There is no need to take Chilean pesos.) We travelled out a day earlier to enjoy Buenos Aires; we wished we had taken two extra days because there is so much to do in Buenos Aires.

Cynthia Konkin

Reviewed November 2017

Carpathian Walking and Bears

This was a great trip with lots of gentle hiking in incredible scenery. The guesthouse is amazing with great food, beautiful views and a wonderful passionate owner who also accompanied us on some excursions. Magura is a beautiful, remote, rural and peaceful village. It is like going back in time. Go now before things change!

Most Inspirational Moment

All the mountain scenery and of course, viewing the brown bears from a cache in the woods.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Thomas was knowledgeable and efficient but sometimes seemed not very enthused or maybe distracted and quiet. Katharina who owns the guesthouse was absolutely passionate and spent a lot of time telling us about the area, the wildlife, the history and life in Magura. She also went to the bear sanctuary with us and took us bird watching.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The elevation gains on the hikes were generally very gradual. We worried about some of them but really didn't need to. It is an extremely peaceful place but, there are dogs that do bark at night sometimes so you might want earplugs if that is going to bother you. Go soon. This is a magical place that is bound to change eventually.

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