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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14505 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

William Dalzell

Reviewed February 2017

Cycling Cuba

Overall good experience with some interesting cycling towards the end of the tour . Cuba is a big island and a lot is crammed in resulting in the tour having an attritional feel with some tedious transfers and insufficient time to explore places such as Camaguey, Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba and for those not staying extra days, particularly Havana.

Most Inspirational Moment

Time spent in Havana but I thought the most typically West Indian place was El Salton, which was gorgeous.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lismar is excellent, his English impressive and he is a font of information and a strong cyclist, too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be careful of your food and drink - not only what you eat and drink (tummy bugs galore with our group) but what could have become mixed with it _ Rosie found a large piece of broken glass in her glass at the first lunch stop by the wharf in Old Havana( which Lismar took up with management) and more broken glass in her ice cream at the lunch stop at Santa Clara.

Sue Jarvis

Reviewed February 2017

Snowshoeing in the Catalan Pyrenees

The Catalan Pyrenees are beautiful and the small villages are remote and quiet during the winter. On this trip we snowshoed through the valleys and forests with some wonderful views, while staying in very friendly local family-run hotels.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip to the Fogueruix Pass was on a lovely day with fresh snow so the views from the col were beautiful and the descent, contouring along the valley back to Son, gave us panoramas of the day's walk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Miguel is a great ambassador for the Catalan region and is very knowledgeable about the villages and mountains, He was also very pro-active in adjusting the routes to the conditions as we were often walking in quite changeable weather. He worked very hard to introduce us to local produce and people so that we could appreciate the uniqueness of this area of Spain.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The weather is variable as expected in any mountain in winter so lots of layers are needed as well as sun glasses and sun cream. The hotels and villages are quiet in the evenings so lots of opportunities to chat or read. There is very little extra expense once in the Pyrenees apart from the occasional beer or coffee.

Mike Davey

Reviewed February 2017

Cambodian Adventure

Interesting and enjoyable holiday,

Most Inspirational Moment

There were 5, The bamboo railway for man's ingenuity, the killing fields for man's inhumanity, the smaller villages for the hard working local population for low wages. Angkor Wat for being Angkor Wat, and the people on the trip with similar interests and sense of fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good, well up with history of country, religious heritage, honesty when giing information, and organisation, never seemingly to to get flustered.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In their documentation I did not think Exodus make it clear about currency, the Currency of Cambodia may be the Riel, but the currency on the street, shops and used by Exodus for any optional extras is the US dollar, I would advise taking US dollars, do not bother changing any money into Riel, apart from a few traders in remote villages, everyone uses and quotes dollars, in Restaurants your bill will automatically come priced in dollars and Riel give dollars you will get change in dollars, with small amounts in Riel, everywhere prices are marked in Dollars. The hotels happily changed larger bills into smaller notes. If you can get some small dollar bills take them.

Sandra Hounsham

Reviewed February 2017

Fantastic snowshoeing and amazing views

We had a really amazing week in the Dolomites, it was hard work but with huge rewards. Being in the mountains most walks started up, up up and ended down, down, down. But we had some truly amazing views of the Dolomites and Alps and the hospitality in the many Mountain huts was much appreciated.
Hotel Adler was very comfortable and the staff were very accommodating for a variety dietary needs (vegetarians, nut allergies etc)

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the summits of Lutterkopf and Durakopf where we were rewarded with astounding views of the Dolomites and Alps. Snowshoeing down afterwards in near perfect conditions - deep powder snow! Also the final walk was a steep climb up to Rossalmhutte which felt like a real achievement!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara was fantastic and went above and beyond her duty to ensure we all had a great time. As two of the slower walkers we were not made to feel a burden and she spent her time equally with the whole group. Sara made sure everyone was organised for their free day - with bus timetables highlighted etc, she even got hold of maps that showed all the walks we did during the week which was fantastic!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for long walks with steep ups and downs. Clothing - take layers so you can be prepared for heating up on the ascents and then cooling down when descending. If you go to Mexico City Restaurant on your free evening have the pizza not the mexican as the latter is very bland!

Mark Bishop

Reviewed February 2017

Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama

Really enjoyable cycling trip though Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Good group of twelve people who all got along pretty well! Really nice lead guide with an excellent support guide in Nicaragua. Nicaragua was my highlight of the trip as I loved Grenada, Ometepe and San Juan Del Sur. Northern Costa Rica was also excellent especially round Lake Arenal. I was less attracted to southern Costa and the Panamainian island of Bocas Del Toros was my least favourite place as it was just a scruffy hedonist playground on which we didn’t get to take our bikes! The pacific coast of Panama was lovely, the sea was stunning and the hotel was great. Couldn’t get excited about the Panama Canal (yes I know it is a major engineering feat, but watching boats go up and down was like watching paint dry for me!). Loved Panama City old town and the live Panamanian Covers band in the Irish bar next to Holiday Inn on our night was great!

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was the cycling. I absolutely loved the winding steep decent after we crossed the Continental Divide! My wife, who was not a cyclist coped really well and this is a moderate/challenging tour. Seeing the live active Nicaraguan Volcano is a one off thing too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was great, Great sense of humour and saw to the needs of each individual on the trip!! Not over fussy and that suited me fine.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Costa Rica and Panama are much more expensive than you would imagine especially if you are used to India, South Africa etc. The 'Tat' shops are not great - even my tat collecting wife struggled to find anything she would put in her 'Tat' collection. It all seemed really safe so don't worry about the Central America issues. Don't be too uptight about plan changes - in the words of one of our guides 'Shit Happens'

Sally Hall

Reviewed February 2017

Cycling Cuba

I would definitely recommend this fabulous trip! Cycling through Cuba is one of the best ways to see the country and its people along the way. The trip ambitiously covers large distances over a sizeable island but the mixture of cycling and bus transfers just about works. There is a good mixture of accommodation-types from larger, swankier hotels (either modernist government hotels or beautiful colonial-style buildings) to staying in a local’s home (Casas particulares).

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyday starting off from our accommodation on our bikes, as a team, in unison and then finishing the day together. I loved cycling in the mountains near Santiago, the countryside was more interesting and the cycling more challenging. Attending a local dance evening in a 'village hall' and dancing salsa as a group with the locals.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lismar was a very good guide - well organised, engaging, very informative. We learnt lots about the complex history and culture of Cuba.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do take medicines such as Immodium and be cautious - the level of hygiene is not always what we're used to and many of us succumbed to the inevitable!

Anne Bell

Reviewed February 2017

A really lovely trip

I enjoyed this holiday so much. The itinerary was very well balanced with a host of different activities and experiences. It was good to spend at least two nights in each location and have time to appreciate where we were staying. We have been on quite a few Exodus trips before, but this was one of the best. Some of the accommodation was very good indeed, notably the Martin House guest lodge in De Rust and the apartments in Hermanus.

Most Inspirational Moment

Very difficult to choose. I would say the wildlife we saw in the Eastern Cape is hard to beat, but I found the trip to Robben Island, where we were guided round by a former political prisoner so interesting and very moving.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Justin Binns was excellent. His knowledge of the local wildlife, plants, birds, but also culture, history, (plus food and wine) was so good. He engaged really well with the group and made the holiday so enjoyable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of sunscreen and a sunhat! None of the walks in the trip notes are compulsory, but those at Tsitsikamma are in a lovely setting. For some of them you will need trainers at least. I also recommend the cliff top walk to Grotto Beach from Hermanus, which is easy.

Barbara Murphy

Reviewed February 2017

Cape Town and the Garden Route

Excellent

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing an elephant and her calf in the wild. Watching sharks circling the boat In Mossel Bay.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We could not have asked for a better group leader. Justin was knowledgeable, cheerful, patient and with a great sense of humour. He made everyday of our holiday such an enjoyable experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light, and invest in a good sun hat if you go during the summer season.'j

Penelope Kenward

Reviewed February 2017

Snowshoeing in the Dolomites

Mostly walking as January had been too cold for snow

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the beautiful Tyrolean landscape during and after a snow storm

Thoughts on Group Leader

Inspirational . Her genuine love of her work and people and her knowledge of the area were exceptional . In addition our 'stretch ' classes after each days walk were an added bonus. Sara couldn't have been more helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the free day we went to see Otzi the neolithic ice-age man which was very informative and interesting.

Lesley Foote

Reviewed February 2017

Enjoy South India from the comfort of a bike saddle

Described as “moderate/challenging”, this cycling adventure produced everything promised – varied cycling experiences in Indian towns and villages, backwater houseboat cruise, fabulous food and a relaxing beach at the end.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pick just one inspirational moment when there were many, but for me the houseboat trip felt like a privilege: the leisurely pace of the cruise and the photography opportunities as the evening light changed, not to mention the beautiful meals cooked on board for us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Joseph, and together with his team he kept everyone on track and ensured we were well fed, safe and gave us good direction. He let people go off on their own when it was safe to do so, and kept everyone in check and under his wing when cycling through busy urban areas. His management skills ensured that we kept to time, while at the same time allowing us flexibility to visit local homes, tea shops and tourist areas if we wanted. He made staying in Indian hotels easy - no worries about accommodation, food safety or what to tip. He also anticipated some of us needing to know if we could get a beer at the hotels, ensuring we bought in advance if there was going to be a no-alcohol policy at the next hotel.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took my own saddle cover for comfort - not a necessity, but a little luxury for the last day which is the longest cycling and some roads a bit bumpy. Always carry hand wash or soap leaves with you - taps for washing hands were normally available at snack stops, but not always soap. Anti-mosquito spray was needed in the evenings at the National Parks and Verkala. Don't be put off by other road users/traffic in India - Indian drivers are much more sensitive to cyclists than British drivers in my experience. They want you to survive, they take care to avoid you, they beep their horns as a warning that they are there, not to tell you to get out of the way. I felt much safer cycling in India than I do cycling in my own home city - London

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