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.

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!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

Select a trip specific review:

Select

14484 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Karen White

Reviewed September 2017

Walking the Amalfi Coast

A fantastic holiday from start to finish.
The hotel was comfortable, food was great and the staff very friendly.
Our guide, Enrico was extremely knowledgeable and took us on some fantastic walks.
View were absolutely stunning.
I would definitely recommend this holiday although you do need to be fit for all the hills and steps!

Most Inspirational Moment

Just about every stunning view was inspirational! Have to admit I didn't expect to enjoy the visit to Pompey as much as I did - it was fascinating. Walking around the crater of Vesuvius was surreal. The walk to Ravello was my favourite walk. It's difficult to choose a best bit as it was all brilliant!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Enrico was very friendly and continually made sure everyone was OK. His knowledge of the area, the plants, the culture etc was exceptional. He was extremely likeable and we were very lucky to have him as a guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes! I would not rate this holiday as easy to moderate. I would rate it moderate. I am reasonably fit but even I struggled on the last day with even more steps. The walking is in beautiful countryside and coastline but there really are thousands of steps to climb up and if you are not fit, you may struggle. Having said that our leader Enrico always had a "Plan B" and for those that were struggling, there was always the option of a bus for the second half of the walk so that no-one completely missed out. Proper walking shoes are also a must. Several of our group also found that their walking poles helped on some of the walks. Take a good camera - the views are stunning!

Annette Jorgensen

Reviewed September 2017

Great cycling holiday in Romania

Just back from a 8 days cycling trip in Romania and really loved this trip because here you get the chance of experience the real country life in Romania.

Most Inspirational Moment

The people of Romania was just so friendly and welcoming everywhere we went in the country and seeing their simple but laid back life was a true inspiration for all of us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The 2 guides Radu and Liviu is by no doubt some of the best guides I have ever had. So experienced and laid back and nothing was too much trouble for them. Also always ready for a party and to take the group out a night so just had so much fun with these guys.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not expect 5 star accommodation but expect something very different every night and to get close to the real people in Romania.

Julia Ingall

Reviewed September 2017

Interesting overview of China's highlights

This trip covered many of the highlights of China from the Great Wall to Shanghai and did it very well. Although it was rated as ‘leisurely’ it was very busy and perhaps Exodus could introduce a new range of ratings to reflect how busy they are as well as the physical effort required.

China is an interesting country going through massive change and urbanisation, I had not expected the huge amount of building work and high rise blocks built and being built and the sheer enormity of the cities visited.

Most Inspirational Moment

I particularly enjoyed the visit to the Panda Breeding Programme in Chengdu and seeing the baby pandas -such a conservation success story.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader Alan - Liu Bin was excellent, my only criticism was that he only seemed to have one speed which was fast, I prefer to amble and take in my surroundings particularly in a country with a different culture and this was not possible when trying to keep up with Alan. Alan gave us a very interesting and informative session on China's take on disputed territories which presented a different viewpoint from that we have been given in the West. Alan was very organised and full of information, he worked constantly but still maintained a good sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are not happy to use squat toilets I found that the disabled cubicle usually contained a 'potty' style. Coffee was not generally provided in hotel rooms so some sachets are useful.

Vicky Lewis

Reviewed September 2017

Fantastic experience, wonderful people

This was something I’ve been wanting to do for so long…. it was the most difficult but rewarding trip. What really made the experience magical was the guides and porters who were superheroes! Thank you for making my dream of climbing Kilimanjaro a reality!

Most Inspirational Moment

Apart from getting to the top, the guides and Porters... they were constantly cheerful, so helpful and even made me a birthday cake!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wonderfully friendly and helpful... dedicated and insightful

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do whatever your guide tells you! Bring ear plugs and baby wipes!

Rob Alleway

Reviewed September 2017

Stunning South Africa

This was our first trip to South Africa which we found was a stunning introduction. The pace of the trip was perfect, and we visited memorable and beautiful locations every day. The flora and fauna were amazing, the excursions should not be missed. The route is scenic and interesting

Most Inspirational Moment

We can't find a best moment as there were so many. The game drives close up to wildlife were perhaps what we enjoyed most, but seeing whales close up was just amazing. The penguins, ostriches all added to the flavour of the trip along with a sobering tour of Robben Island.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The trip would not have been so spectacular without our guide Justin. This guy is passionate about his country and has an encyclopeadic knowledge of flora and fauna as well as a local knowledge which takes you to the best vantage points on any trip. He went well beyond what we could have expected of our guide. He was engaging, humorous and attentive to everyone on the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The excursions should not be missed, make sure you have a large memory card for your camera, and buy a local sim card for your phone.

Dorian Moss

Reviewed September 2017

Two wonderful weeks of high cols

My second Exodus trek in the Alps, and the Haute Route deserves the challenging grade, definitely tougher than TMB. Very well organised by Exodus, excellent leader and camp manager, and a great bunch of 12 trekkers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of the third col of the day between Mont Fort and Prafleuri mountain refuges, the Col de Prafleuri (almost 3000m). This day 5 of the walk stayed over 2500m all day, we were fortunate to have a fine day for it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

John is a natural leader, highly skilled in mountain technique but also very sensitive to the different abilities and interests of group members. He quickly gauged the correct pace, and knows when to give extra support to people who need it, e.g. with tricky parts of a steep descent. He kept our spirits up on the days with poor weather, and on fine days allowed the fastest members of the group to go ahead (but then wait at junctions). He has an excellent knowledge of Alpine geography and trees, which he was ready to share. Having been led by John on TMB in 2014, I was delighted to meet him again on arrival at Geneva.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is not for those who lack fitness and stamina. Several days wth 1000m or more ascent and descent, one after another: there is no rest day until after 6 days walking. Do this trip if ready for a challenge, otherwise consider the Tour du Mont Blanc TMB.

Diane Leaver

Reviewed September 2017

Chilled week in beautiful Tuscany

Just returned from a really enjoyable trip. Stunning scenery, picturesque hillside towns, delicious food and wine and a great group of travelling companions. Mark our group leader was a lovely guy, whose ‘can do’ approach, knowledge and personality added to the overall enjoyment.

Most Inspirational Moment

The vista over Florence from the arrival point was stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mark was a really efficient and knowledgeable leader with a great personality. I felt that he'd handle difficult situations well, although thankfully there weren't any!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The accommodation is in the hills and it can be a bit chilly up there in the mornings and evenings. Although the pace of the trip was chilled, we still packed a lot in, so you will probably welcome the free day.

Joanne Offer

Reviewed September 2017

Fabulous wildlife

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The amount of wildlife that we saw was simply unbelievable – from sloths and whales, to scarlet macaws, toucans and 4 types of monkeys. We even saw animals that I’d never even heard of before. (Agouti and coati.)
Tortuguero is simply magical – waking up to the sounds of the rainforest and then seeing turtles on the beach at the other end of the day.
I couldn’t believe the number of beautifully colourful birds we saw in the cloud forest. By the end of it, we were saying, “Oh, it’s just another hummingbird.”
And our time on the peninsula was just spectacular. Plodging through a stream in the rainforest and swimming near a mini-waterfall were great experiences. Never mind being able to spot humpback whales while standing on the beach having a picnic lunch!

Most Inspirational Moment

Spending my birthday whale-watching: we had 4 different sightings in just that 1 day. The guides were as excited as we were when a baby humpback pretty much swam under the boat!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andreas was extremely patient and highly knowledgeable about Costa Rica's wildlife. He spotted animals that we would have walked straight past, and always made sure we had all the information we needed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring water shoes - something you can wear snorkelling or getting on/off a boat. My cheap ponchos bought from Poundland were the best bargain of the trip - they kept me and my rucksack (largely) dry. It really does chuck it down in the rainforest. Yes, the accommodation in Cahuita isn't up to the same standard as everywhere else, but it was clean and situated right on the beach. Did the job. And the cocktails in town more than made up for any shortcomings. When flying in hurricane season, it might be worth trying to fly direct to San Jose so you reduce the risk of flight disruption - our connecting flight via Houston was cancelled, although Exodus helped us to sort alternatives.

Dave Renvoize

Reviewed September 2017

Hectic but very rewarding trip

This trip fits a lot in to the two weeks but delivers some very special experiences with both the orangutans and the komodo dragons so it is well worth the hardship of some early starts and long travel days. The accommodation is generally good although the boat is rather basic, but this is a small price to pay for the excellent snorkelling and komodo dragon sightings that the boat makes possible. The food on the boat is both tasty and plentiful and the crew very obliging.
Overall this is an excellent trip and a rare opportunity to see both orangutans and komodo dragons as well as experiencing life in three areas of Indonesia.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first sighting of the orangutans was soon after we started our first jungle trek and was a special moment, especially as they seemed so comfortable with us being so close. This was just the beginning of our trek and was followed by many more sightings including some very playful infants and an impressive mature male. The komodo dragons were no less impressive and watching a female dragon who was guarding her nest full of eggs erupt in to action to chase off another dragon who was looking to eat the eggs is a moment that I will not forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Elly was an excellent leader. Good company, very professional and a capable problem solver as well as being around when ever she was needed, including some late nights when the group went on from the evening meal for some music and beers and Elly made sure we all got home safely!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its generally hot and humid and we had nightly heavy rain when in the Sumatra jungle so a light weight waterproof jacket/poncho is useful. Pack light and get laundry done half way through the trip in Sanur, the Swastika bungalows did a good job with our laundry (24 hour turn around) for very small cost. Take a t shirt or rash vest for the snorkelling to avoid sun burnt shoulders and a torch or head lamp for the boat at night (generator off at night by group decision to enjoy the silence) and in case of power cuts in the other hotels.

Kevin Grewcock

Reviewed September 2017

Canadian Rockies Wilderness Walks

Generally a nice holiday, in spectacular scenery. The food was varied and very plentiful (although having 10 females in the party of 12, plus 2 male guides might have had a bearing on this). Assorted dietary restrictions were catered for.

The sites were fine, with the exception of the “last” one near Waterton Park (Waterton Springs Campground) which, in all honesty, was unacceptable for a holiday costing in excess of £3,000 for 11 days camping. We had a 1km walk to get hot water for anything, the toilet facilities near our tents were basic and only just about acceptable (if you ignore the lack of hot water) and the sinks for washing up in were disgusting. They had a large number (40-50) of RVs on site, all situated next to the office and all facilities. We were put as far away from there as was possible on the site (presumably so that a “noisy” group wouldn’t disturb their main source of income – the RVs). There may have been another 5-6 people in tents while we were there. We were unfortunate in that, due to fires, Waterton Park was closed the day after we arrived and then totally evacuated, so I cannot comment on the walks there. This was a shame as I had visited there for 2 days last year and really loved it – there is what looked to be a reasonable site in Waterton Park itself, beautifully situated next to the village, although I can’t comment on its facilities as I was in a hotel. In fact, returning there was a major factor in me choosing to go on this holiday. On the plus side, we only stayed at the poor site for one night. The tour company arranged a new site, well away from the fires (a 500km drive in fact), in a much nicer site, at very short notice.

Most Inspirational Moment

I didn't find anything "inspirational", but I am generally not one for strong emotions.

Thoughts on Group Leader

On the whole, good. At times he did almost seem to be showing off how good a "walker" he was - fast and very agile - but not to the point of doing anything dangerous. It did seem to take us a long while to have breakfast and out on the walk at times. Due to a combination of circumstances, the group naturally split into a faster and a slower group. The two guides handled this well, I thought. Even suggesting some alternative, shorter, routes for the slower group (which included me) on some days so that we didn't feel that we were holding up the faster group all the time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

To enjoy this holiday to the full, you don't just need a good level of fitness, a good level of experience of exercise (walking, running) in hilly terrain is almost a must. I run 3/4 times a week, up to an hour at a time, but there are not many hills near me. The first 2 days left me with very achy muscles from the amount of continuous, uphill walking - often steep and often more than an hour at a time. I sat out day 3 to recover. Although I could have done the walk, I may well have then had to rest for more than a day. If you do not travel light, you might want to pay to have a tent to yourself. Although there were 2 men in the group, the other one was with his wife, so I got a tent to myself. I found this a benefit, apart from putting up and taking down the tent. However that was pretty straightforward, even for one person. I took a 4 seasons sleeping bag, but was too hot every night. However, others were cold on some nights. The overnight temperature (Aug 28 to Sept 7) didn't drop below 10°C in my tent. Personally I think that a 3 seasons bag plus a light blanket would be a better recommendation than a 4 seasons bag.

Prev 1 … 677 678 679 680 681 … 1,449 Next