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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14493 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

diane Mcdermott

Reviewed October 2017

Full on fun!

This was an excellent trip which delivered exactly what it said it would. The main downside is the long days in the bus between stops and the fact that as it stands there is a very limited amount of time to spend in Cusco. However, the scenery over the Andes is spectacular, as is the view of Peruvian life the bus affords.

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely Machu Picchu for me. I was just glad to get there! Spectacularly atmospheric.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bruce was a thoroughly professional tour leader who engaged and considered everyone in the group. He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his subjects and made the tour come to life with his information about Peru, the Incas and the local wildlife. He was extremely kind and caring when I was ill and took active steps to support me. He organised the group well and gave options, but I felt he was hampered by the need to get everyone to the right place at the right time throughout the trip which at times made things feel rushed. Individual down time is limited.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Unfortunately before I left I had to forego the Inca trail owing to a mobility problem. It was definitely the right decision. If you are in anyway unsure of your ability to cope, do the Moonstone Trek which though higher, allows for some support with horses if you are struggling. With the Inca trail, there is much more limited potential for support. Also you MUST have good insurance! I took out Exodus insurance just to be sure that I would be covered for everything I might need. Since I ended up in hospital for 4 days with altitude sickness, this was money well spent. ( Altitude sickness is real, but most people manage to acclimatise. Unfortunately, I didn't, but that is the exception rather than the rule.) The support team at Cusco were superb and I was so grateful for all their assistance since the rest of the group and the group leader were on the trail.

Justine Mole

Reviewed October 2017

Brilliant holiday of a lifetime

I’ve just come back from Peru and for someone who has never done a package holiday before, this one was absolutely fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the Sun Gate after four days of trekking was incredibly emotional, it was hard at times and the altitude does affect you but with the encouragement of our guide/tour leader and the other trekkers we all made it. Getting to know other people on trip and our guide, we formed a close little group and hopefully will remain friends for years.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was wonderful, we couldn't have chosen anyone better for our group, he was very knowledgeable, and interesting, he was kind and had a sense of humour, he knew when to push us and when to hold back and let us go at our own pace, he usually stayed back with those who were struggling.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't ignore advice about altitude, we were all relatively fit but it still affected us in different ways, take it easy on the walk and don't push yourself. You won't lose weight as you can't go fast enough for aerobic exercise and you get fed too well, you get given plenty of snacks so don't really need your own.

Jae Bond

Reviewed October 2017

A fabulous holiday in a lovely country

It’s a full on itinerary so not much chill time, but we saw a lot of a very beautiful country in a short time. This was my first trip to Croatia but I’m pretty sure not my last.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many wonderful moments, the views on the last 2 days walking in Paklenica National Park (especially from the mountain hut at lunch time...), the beauty of the waterfalls in Krka NP - though we were very lucky to be at the end of the season - apparently it is usually very crowded. Also having a beer on the terrace of our hotel - Pansion Andelko - in Starigrad, watching the sunset over the sea just yards away. Lovely wine and some ofthe best sea bass I've had!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Zeljko is an excellent guide, he is fun, knowledgeable, helpful and passionate about Croatia. One of the best guides I've had on Exodus trips

Advice for Potential Travellers

I don't often use walking poles, but I was very glad I had one with me on this trip as it helped a lot on the downhill parts of some of the walks. I would recommend the end of September as a time to go, we were lucky with our weather and it was nicely warm for all our walks and generally it was less crowded than other times of the summer. I would also recommend checking the flight times and think about booking your own. The trip feels very short otherwise as we got to our hotel at 10:30pm on day 1 and left at 5:00am on day 8!

Mark Gilbert

Reviewed October 2017

Petra and wadi rum trek

A great trek thru the wadi rum desert,highlights of seeing Petra are amazing.Tour guide and helpers very friendly,would def recommend trip. Exodus needs to buy new tents,you have to put these up yourself but many were broken which upset some Trekkers,guide said he has relayed this back but doesn’t seem to get heard! Water is suppose to be supplied but we had to buy six bottles each,that’s 78 bottles so not eco friendly exodus? Especially when some of the rubbish is being burnt on campfire!!!!
All in all tho this trip is a big tick off of list and worth a go.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking thru and getting first glimpse of the treasury in Petra.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Was very friendly,socialised with the group and loved to tell camp fire stories at night!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Lots of walking thru sand which can be tiring so be prepared. Also it says that as an option take wet wipes,no no no,you MUST take wet wipes or for three days you will not be washing! Toilet is behind a rock you find and cover in sand after😏 but that's wild camping for you. Plenty of snacks as well.

v Roberts

Reviewed October 2017

Wonderful bears!

Beautiful scenery, fantastic guide. Observing bears was a real highlight.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing mother and cubs at the hide and their interaction with the wild boars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Julian "I'll tell you later" is a charming, knowledgeable, engaging guide. We learned a lot about bears, other fauna and flora, the culture and history. I've done a number of these trips and he's one of the best guides I've ever had.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I found some of the walking quite strenuous - you must be fit. Walking sticks are useful.

Beverly Rietmann

Reviewed September 2017

Wonderful hikes - terrific staff.

It goes without saying that the hikes on the Amalfi Coast are spectacular. My particular favorite was the hike around Vesuvious.
My tour had a very inauspicious start – my luggage did not arrive with me and airport personnel were unable to provide information about where it ended up. Due to the above-and-beyond efforts of my tour leader, the hotel staff and their local contacts I got it back in just one day. Kudos to Exodus for employing such competent and caring people.

Most Inspirational Moment

The moment when my missing luggage was wheeled I to the dining room while our entire group applauded.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Saverio was great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take the term "walking" with a grain salt. That was HIKING, folks!

Beverly Rietmann

Reviewed September 2017

Wonderful hikes - terrific staff.

Most Inspirational Moment

The moment when my missing luggage was wheeled I to the dining room while our entire group applauded.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Saverio was great.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take the term "walking" with a grain salt. That was HIKING, folks!

Amanda Patton

Reviewed September 2017

Amazing trip - Inca Trail, Titicaca and Nazca

Absolutely amazing trip, wonderful guide and brilliant companions. The journeys are long but the scenery is surprisingly varied and the weather/light changes all the time – you would need to view the experience of the travel as a full part of the holiday, and not just a means to arrive – personally I loved it!

The trail is tougher than I’d expected (because of the altitude) – day 2 was hard but the sense of achievement huge as a result and it made reaching Machu Picchu itself a very emotional experience (which I hadn’t expected it to be).

I loved that we saw so much of the country, the Ballestas Islands were beautiful, we saw penguins and sea lions and heaps of other wildlife, including big red crabs! Nazca was stunning, I’m so glad to have seen it and the flight was a great way to do so, while the haunting quality of Lake Titicaca and its extraordinary people made for a lovely quiet and relaxed finish to the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first sight of Machu Picchu mountain from our campsite on the third night of the trail, with sunbeams shining through cloud onto the ruins of Phuyupatamarca below. Utterly beautiful; we sat on a rock (with feet in diy spa bags!) watching the light fade. Watching an eagle for about 20 minutes, swooping and landing right beside us in the mist at the top of Dead Woman's Pass. And corny, I know, but the first sight of Machu Picchu is hard to beat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bruce was amazing - 70% Inca and so proud (rightly) and knowledgeable of his heritage - he absolutely brought to life the stories, the people, the culture and sophisticated building skills of the Inca, along with being equally knowledgeable about the other sites, landscapes, flora and fauna that we saw along the way. Way exceeded anything I would expect of a guide; he was also patient, kind, and a fun travelling companion. He made great recommendations for dinners, even finding a restaurant where we could make our own Pisco sours, and picked up on our personal interests so he could add to them with extras and observations.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It gets much colder once the sun goes down than I had realised and pretty much most days had four seasons - from hot sun to hail! I was able to borrow some extra thermal layers but would recommend at least one long-sleeved merino top for early evening/night time - even with a 3/4 season sleeping bag you needed all your clothes on at night (plus hat and gloves!). Also we all underestimated the effects of altitude and most of us were short of breath at the very least. While the trail is marked as a 'moderate' we all felt - for the second day's climb to Dead Woman's Pass - that it was tougher than this - not because there are a lot (a lot!) of steps but because climbing them at altitude was so much harder than it would be at sea level.

Katy Smith

Reviewed September 2017

Cycling in Madagascar

This trip had everything we expected and so much more! Fantastic scenery which changed day by day, varied terrain from good roads to off road dirt tracks, geysers, waterfalls, natural swimming pools, beautiful coloured mountains, rain forest, savannah, lemurs, chameleons, great company, lovely friendly locals and a wonderful guide! The bikes were of excellent quality and were well maintained both before we started and during the trip. The accommodation was simple, clean and comfortable and the food was good with plenty of choice.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are far too many to single out one but it was lovely to see so many different types of lemurs in their natural habitat, especially the tiny mouse lemur seen at night in the rain forest. The scenery was spectacular and there were many rewarding long descents following hot, slow climbs! Swimming in the natural pools was a fantastic experience and It was also lovely to be greeted in the villages by children running to the road, jumping up and down, waving and cheering!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was a wonderful guide. He was enthusiastic, great fun and very motivational. He was very knowledgeable about his country, its people and culture as well as the wild life. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he looked after us all extremely well. One day our progress was halted due to a collapsed bridge and he worked tirelessly through the night trying to find a way to continue the next day. Thankfully the bridge was repaired in record time and we were able to continue with only a slight reduction in kilometres! He has a great sense of humour and he is truly inspiring. His love of Madagascar and its people shines through! He is definitely one of the best Exodus guides we've had. He makes everyone feel special - including organising 2 birthday parties!

Advice for Potential Travellers

All of the issues mentioned in previous reviews from last year have been addressed and the trip is now running like a well oiled machine. The bikes were of excellent quality and very well maintained both on arrival and during the trip. We had very few mechanical issues en route but those we had were sorted efficiently and effectively. Alain the bike mechanic was great.

Fides Schwartz

Reviewed September 2017