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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62 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

David Senior

Reviewed November 2018

Nile/

An exceptional tour well put together.
There were early starts but it was cooler and less crowded when you arrived at the site. Usually was time to relax later in the day.

Most Inspirational Moment

For myself it was standing at the base of Kufu's pyramid and being amazed at the enormity of the structure, no amount of reading and photographs can prepare you for the scale

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Tarek who was fantastic. He was so relaxed and easy going. It was obvious his love for the history of the Egyptians and his country. He really brought to life the time of the Pharoes and their achievements.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not waste time going online to sort the visas out, there are no end of scam sites and the official one is hopeless. When you arrive in Egypt you can purchase the visa before going through passport control.

Suggestions

This was our first time using Exodus and I would highly recommend them, very professional.

Ruth Adams

Reviewed November 2018

Excellent trip to Egypt- lots of history, culture and wonderful weather

A wonderful trip with some leisurely days along with early starts to beat the heat. October was a perfect time to go- not too hot, blue skies against which the sand and pyramids/ temples contrasted wonderfully.

Our guide was very helpful; it was wonderful to have water available both on the bus and the ship…..

One caveat- it would be helpful if in the trip notes if somewhere it mentioned that one must pay extra to take photographs in some of the temples…….not a problem for myself, but some travellers came with minimal cash, and so hadn’t factored that into the equation. A minor point overall though.

Highly recommend!

Most Inspirational Moment

Truly for me it was hearing the call to prayer while floating down the Nile......as the sun was setting.......drinking a glass of white wine. Second most inspirational moment was Abu Simbel and the entire history involved from ancient and modern times.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very helpful and extremely knowledgeable about all things Egyptian.......

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go......very safe. Inspirational in so many ways.......the history is overwhelming......

Charlotte Chamberlain

Reviewed November 2018

Nile cruise

Excellent
Enjoyable
Interesting

Most Inspirational Moment

Great pyramids

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, funny, kind, helpful

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take more money for tips than you think

Suggestions

There are many many added costs for excursions but most unusually for taking photographs. This should be mentioned in notes

Graham Ritchie

Reviewed June 2018

postscript

Sorry, I meant to add that Exodus should perhaps delete the reference to the “library” on the cruise from the Trip Notes. The library consisted of 16 dog-eared books left behind by previous travellers. Only one was in English.

Most Inspirational Moment

n/a

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Graham for his feedback. We are, however, sorry to learn of his disappointment with the selection of books on the cruise. Our local operator has advised us that there are usually more books available, but sometimes a number of books end up in clients’ rooms and in other areas of the boat, such as the sun deck. Our local operator has also confirmed that they plan to add more books to the library, in order for clients to have a greater selection. John Penge – Product Manager for Africa

Jane Lee

Reviewed May 2018

History in the Heat

I’ve always been interested in Egyptian history and when friends suggested joining this holiday I booked straight away. And it didn’t disappoint. Seeing & being able to touch stones & hieroglyphics that were put there thousands of years old was magical. Watching the scenery change as we cruised south on the Nile was also really good.
Overall the tour was seamlessly organised and managed by our excellent guide, Sayed Mansour, who always made sure everyone was clear on timings and locations. He has an encycolopedic knowledge of both the country’s history and also its modern day affairs.
On the negative side, this trip is described as ‘leisurely’ which our group would dispute: we had 3 ultra-early wake up calls (2am & 3am twice) to catch planes and for the 300km coach drive to Abu Simbel. And there were early starts all other mornings too to beat the heat. This & the temps made it very sapping. The temps were much hotter (in mid to high 40sC) than usual as Egypt was having a heatwave, so drinking lots & loose clothing were musts. Thank goodness for air con on the coach & in our rooms!

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding an Arabian stallion round the Pyramids with hardly anyone about. This was something I arranged privately because on Day 1 I opted out of the tour to visit an equine charity I support which helps the working horses in Giza

Thoughts on Group Leader

See above. Sayed Mansour was an excellent guide

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take £ notes as you can pay for the entry visa & all the extra trips with these (or dollars or local notes) & just change a small amount of Egyptian pounds A hat or scarf is a must. And don't wear hot pants-type shorts as your legs will burn & it offends the locals. Be prepared for the traders to hassle you endlessly, which can be intimidating

Annette McCormack

Reviewed May 2018

Nile Cruise

This was a wonderful trip – I enjoyed it enormously.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visit to the temples at Karnak & Luxor

Thoughts on Group Leader

Khaled Lotfy was an excellent & inspirational group leader. He shepherded us around keeping a close eye on all our needs. His knowledge of the history & archaeology of Egypt was impressive. I feel enriched having spent a week in Egypt in his company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for lots of early mornings!

Suggestions

I thought the evening's entertainment on the boat was questionable. Whirling dervish as circus act?!

Donna Sanders

Reviewed February 2018

Nile Cruise

I do not have a very long ‘bucket list’, in fact Egypt is the only destination on it and this holiday did not disappoint. From the flight to Cairo to the flight home everything went without a hitch. The hotels and Nile Cruiser were very good and Sayed our Tour Leader was excellent. Thank you Exodus.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Nile Cruise was so relaxing. Being able to take time to look at the scenery and enjoy the life on the river banks as we gently moved up the Nile was magical. Abu Simbel cannot be described in words as there are none that will do it justice, truly awe inspiring. The Valley of The Kings was a surprise as it was much more compact than I had thought it would be and therefore much more impressive as there were so many tombs so close together.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sayed Mansour our group leader was excellent. He calmly and quietly organised the week so that we had no worries and were able to concentrate on the trips. His knowledge, stamina, humour and versatility were outstanding. He was friendly but not overly so and always made sure that individual needs were catered for.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Our trip was in the Egyptian winter and we did need a warm jacket and waterproof - yes it did rain in Aswan. You do not need a great deal of sending money as buying things is very reasonable. Once outside Cairo finding an ATM became a bit more difficult, mainly because of the itinerary. Change some of your money at the airport. Getting the visa at the airport was trouble free but there were queues. Lots of bottled water is provided by Exodus.

Suggestions

Our group was not very happy with the captive crocodiles in the Nubian Village. We could have missed out visiting the house where they were kept for tourists and spent more time in the village itself.

Lynn Woods

Reviewed December 2017

Nile Cruise and Pyramids

This was a wonderful trip. It was very exciting to get our first glimpse of the Pyramids which were only a short ride from the airport. There was a few early morning starts which you should be prepared for and lots of optional tours so make sure you have budgeted extra for these. As you have to pay at the local toilets it would be handy to have some small change with you (which isn’t easy to get) otherwise you will have some very expensive pees 🙂 I felt very secure the whole time we were there. There is security at all the hotels and museums.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the pyramids for the first time was amazing. It was a good time to go as tourism is only just getting busy again and when we went to the pyramids we were able to get photos without hundreds of people being in the background.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Randa was wonderful. She was very passionate about everything and made the time to answer all questions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take/obtain small change. You can use US dollars. Be prepared for early morning starts. Be nice to the traders. You do not have to buy from them but be polite.

Suggestions

Even though this is a cruise clothing is very casual. When visiting the mosque on the second day make sure you have long trousers and a scarf to cover you head, otherwise there are no clothes restrictions but dress sensibly.

Nigel Haizelden

Reviewed December 2017

Egypt - Truly a Wonder of the Wordl

I have always dreamt of visiting Egypt and seeing for my self the many ancient wonders going back to the dawn of history. This trip was a dream come true. Having been back a few days I find it hard to believe I have seen and learnt much about so many awe-inspiring ancient monuments, the life of the Pharoahs, and experienced this wonderful diverse country with its friendly welcoming population.
Yes there were many traders selling their wares at most places we visited, but this did not detract from the beauty and the history. Most were very polite and, bearing in mind the average salary is only 7000 Egyptian pounds per month (a little under £300 at the current exchange rate of 23.6) who can blame them for trying to extract the tourist dollar the economy depends so much on. They have some wonderful souvenirs at mainly very cheap prices too.
This trip packed in so much – it is not for the infirm or feint hearted – although there is plenty of opportunity to opt out and rest if required. Personally I felt obliged to make the most of the trip and see and learn as much as possible. The Cruise upon our boat Mirage I was sublime with stunning sunsets and amazing views as we chugged up the great Nile to Aswan. The crew were friendly and helpful and a good variety of delicious freshly cooked food – and plenty of it.
Overall a dream come true and an amazing experience shared with a great bunch of people on this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlight of the trip was the recently reopened Seti I tomb in the valley of the kings - the brightly painted burial chamber being simply breath taking - WELL worth paying the extra 1000 Egyptian pounds for entry. In fact I did not regret any of the optional extras I paid for on this trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The other highlight was our SUPERB ever-smiling tour leader Ronda who worked tirelessly to keep us to schedule, sort out everyone's problems (including arranging for clothes and medication to be provided when my bag failed to reach the Cairo on the way out), and endless information on all that we saw - putting it into context and showing her very great knowledge and passion for her country and her former profession as an archaeologist. I cannot thank her enough for being such a fantastic guide!

Advice for Potential Travellers

My advice to others taking this trip would be to: Make the most of every opportunity to see the wonderful sights! Ensure you have essentials and spare clothes in your hand luggage just in case you bag takes a different route! Try early on to get small bill Egyptian dollars for things like toilet tips water etc - a small tip can make a big difference to lives of people there. Cash points are never far away and easy to use but will give big denomination bills unless ask for creative amounts (180 will get you a 100, 50, 20, 10 or 3 x 10) Drink plenty of water - it is easy to forget and be carried away with the sights and get dehydrated. Get at least a litre or two on board every day! Sun screen and hats to avoid getting burnt and sunstroke. Take spare camera batteries or if using a phone for pictures charging sticks - dont let lack of juice stop you capturing those memories!

Suggestions

Thank you Exodus for a great experience and for all your back up when things went wrong with baggage - airline fail not the tour company. Couldnt have been more helpful to try and find the bag and assist with getting esentials. (bag finally found on on way back as I write.

Judy Groome

Reviewed November 2017

Nile Cruise Premium

I have always wanted to visit Egypt to see the antiquities, but because of the political instability I thought it would be unlikely. So when I saw this trip advertised I jumped at the opportunity. I felt safe thoughout the trip.

The first day was a whirlwind visit to the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Museum in Cairo, the mosque and the bazaar. We then flew to Luxor, visiting the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor and later boarding the Mirage 1, our cruise boat. This was a great experience, partly because of the wonderful group of people on the trip (19 of us in total), partly because of the comfort on board, the trips and also because the boat had only 40% occupancy so we almost had the boat to ourselves. I think we were all sorry to leave the boat after the 4 nights on board, but the next hotel in Aswan was very comfortable.
In spite of visiting many temples and tombs, I never tired of hearing about the Egyptian gods and Pharaohs and looking at the wonderful carvings and art.

Most Inspirational Moment

This was a trip I will never forget. So many memories, including "Dress up like an Egyptian" evening on the boat, trips in the horse drawn carriages (poor horses), the felucca rides on the Nile, the sharp contrast between the fertile Nile valley and the desert, the very pushy and persistent vendors, sunsets and sunrises on the Nile, the "towel sculptures" that greeted us when we went into our cabins, not to mention the great group of people! But for me, the highlight of the trip was a visit to Abu Simbel. This was an extra excursion and I opted to travel by road rather than fly - 300 km through flat, sandy, relentless, nothing-grows-here desert, which in its own way was beautiful, especially the sunrise and the mirages. Abu Simbel was probably the most amazing site of the whole trip (I actually think it more wonderful than the Taj Mahal!).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Fouad, was great. He was extremely knowledgable and we learned so much from him. Throughout the trip he managed to take us to places at times when most other visitors had not yet arrived, or had left, so we often had almost exclusive access.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go now before the crowds descent on Egypt once again.

Suggestions

The trip thoroughly lived up to my expectations, my only criticisms being that I would have preferred longer in Cairo/Giza, and the fact that many of the essential trips were add-ons rather than included in the holiday.

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