Reviews

Delightful trip to a peaceful place

The remote forests of Finland are a very peaceful place, and tramping through them in snowshoes is an ideal way to immerse yourself in their tranquillity. The trees are laden with snow and you cannot hear a thing. It feels like a scene from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – you half expect to come across a lamppost and a fawn.

The centre is well run, and the guides are absolute enthusiasts and keen to pass one their passion for the trees and the wildlife. At night the stars are bright, and the Northern Lights make an eerie appearance.

All in all, a magical place. The UK seems very busy when you get home.

Cycling Moroccos Great South

This was a fantastic, really very well organised trip. The roads in Morocco are amazing and in really good condition, not at all what I expected. Perfect for cycling.

Fantastic Vietnam Adventure

This trip is well named and proved to be a most enjoyable adventure from north to south Vietnam. We experienced so many different things from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Saigon to the peacefulness of Halong Bay. We walked a lot, climbed to get the best views, we cycled, we travelled by road, rail, boat and aeroplane. We stayed in excellent hotels, a very well run boat and a very welcoming home stay.

Finnish Wilderness Week

Beautiful Oulanka National Park in March, got to see the Northern Lights and experience the basics of snow shoeing and cross country skiing. The activities were very good and the group leaders. Very remote location with just a few people at the Base Camp. Accommodation very basic which lets down the whole experience unfortunately. No comfy chairs or sofas to relax in after a day of activities. To relax you were either bolt upright at a wooden dining table on a hard wooden chair or laying down in a dark wooden lodge. First time an aeroplane seat looked so inviting at the end of the trip. No fresh fruit all week either. Go for an active break, definitely not for rest and relaxation as the accommodation is too basic in the winter to accomodate this.

Trails of New Zealand

This was a wonderful walking holiday. We were fortunately blessed with extremely good weather, so the views were unforgettable.

Cape Town and Garden Route

What a fantastic trip. Lots to see, scenery, views, birds & animals. The food and weather were excellent too. Accommodation was comfortable, minibus occasionally was a bit bumpy but we were busy taking in all the sights to notice.

Mr Colin Prince

The overall content and places visited on the trip was up to the standards expected of an Exodus holiday. The standard of the hotels was average, except when we were in Kochin. There, the home stay room we were given was very poor, the bedding was dirty and the room very small for 2 people. This would have been alright if we only had 1 night there but as we had a down day, I felt it was unacceptable. Our group was split into 2 hotels. It would have been better if we were all kept together. Safi did move us for the second night, but only after I requested it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the tiger in Bhundipur reserve. The animal and bird life was an unexpected pleasure. Going to a family home, meeting the family and doing a cookery course there.

Thoughts on Group Leader

This is my 3rd Exodus trip and I feel that the service that Safi provided was very much below the standards that Exodus had set previously. His knowledge was very poor and his communication skill were lacking. I felt he had lost any enthusiasm for the trip and he did not think about the social aspects of the group. The Kochin hotel as an example. The care that had been shown on previous Exodus rides,mwhen we came to stops on the bikes,bwas lacking e.g., no reminders for hand wash, no welcoming smiling faces and snacks had to be asked for. The driver was very good but not always there. Having said that Safi stepped up to the plate when I needed to go to hospital.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Use plenty of hand wash, apply lots of sun cream and drink plenty of water.

Reply from Exodus

We were sorry to hear that Colin was disappointed with aspects of this trip. This homestay in Cochin is no longer being used by our groups and we hope that people will enjoy their stay at the new homestay. We were disappointed to hear that Colin was underwhelmed with some of the trip’s leadership; Colin’s feedback was followed up on by our local manager and we are pleased to see that Safi has taken this constructively and has received very good feedback since.

Louise Ungless – Product Manager for India

Trip of a lifetime.

An excellent trip, demanding climbs followed by exhilerating descents coupled with stunning scenery all around.

South Africa Cape and winelands

Excellent trip; great guides who went out of their way to keep whole company happy.
Awesome scenery along the route, good food and wine.

Annapurna Circuit Feb 17

This classic trek is not for the faint hearted. Although the distances covered are not great, the fact that much of the trek is above 3000m means that effort required is significant and the day crossing the Throng La Pass at over 5400m is by far the most strenous with a 4am start and 1500m climb – equivalant to climbing Ben Nevis from the summit of Mt Blanc.
The trek has been very well thought out with slack included just in case there are delays on the pass due to weather or sickness.
The mountain views are awesome but there are also stretches of near desert where the going isn’t quite so good.