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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14510 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Deborah Smith

Reviewed April 2016

Galapagos - March 2016

The wildlife was amazing,especially the snorkelling where we got to see penguins,white tipped reef sharks,green turtles,eagle rays and numerous colourful fish and rays.
The crew of the cachalote and guide Christina were all very good and the food was great
The only gripe i have,is that exodus flew us to quito on the return journey where we had anight in quito and flew home the next day.we left the ship early and our return flight from galapagos stopped at guayaquil before going on to quito. most passengers got out at guayaquil and connected to flights home that day, but we went on to quito,only to board a plane the next day that stopped at guayaquil,where we had to get off the plane for an hour and then fly back in the direction quito for amsterdam! this resulted in at least one days wasted holiday day,extra flight time and the price of meals and accommodation at quito.Suggest in future,passengers fly into quito at start hol and then fly home via guayaquil.

Most Inspirational Moment

snorkelling with apenguin chasing fish next to me. the penguin then swam under my legs

Thoughts on Group Leader

group leader was very good

Advice for Potential Travellers

take a neckerchief and sun hat,the sun is very hot. wear t shirt snorkelling so don't burn Mke sure you know how to stop the flash going off on your camera,since use flash is not allowed

Reply from Exodus

We are glad that Deborah found the wildlife to be amazing during her trip, but we are sorry that she was disappointed with the flight arrangements during her inbound journey. We appreciate that there is a significant amount of travel involved in getting to and from the Galapagos Islands and we endeavour to forewarn clients of this in our trip notes. We start and end our Galapagos tours in Quito as this gives more airline options to clients booking their own flights and gives all clients greater flexibility in terms of accommodation choices, extensions and onward travel plans. It can also be cheaper and easier to book international flights which fly into and out of the same destination (i.e. flying in and out of Quito rather than flying into Quito and out of Guayaquil), but we appreciate that touching down in Guayaquil on numerous occasions can be frustrating. It is a situation we are aware of and are considering all of the available options, but at the moment we do not feel there is a clear solution which could be implemented across the board to improve all our clients’ experiences.

Vicky Boughton – product manager for the Galapagos

Daphne Dorman-Smith

Reviewed April 2016

Superb Trip

A fabulous 2 weeks cycling the backroads of beautiful Sri Lanka in excellent company and with a superb tour guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many...... Getting to the top of the "hill" on the day of the big climb; bombing downhill on other days; waving back at the very excited children we passed every day; seeing local life as we passed through villages; the incredible bird and animal life we saw along the way....

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding. Suresh created a great group dynamic, ensured everyone was included and felt part of the team and added so many extra touches to ensure all of us had an exceptional holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

An amazing holiday. Get cycle fit and go for it. I brought a (cheap) padded cycle cover which worked well. Sunscreen (and lots of it) is essential.

Carol Koehli

Reviewed April 2016

Cuban Highlights cycling

Well constructed itinerary exploring many interesting facets of Cuba’s latter day existence.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pros First view cycling alongside the turquoise ocean...........Cycling into Trinidad........Old town Havana.......Fifties American cars Cons The Russian built hotel by the lake

Thoughts on Group Leader

Laz made the tour. He was helpful, happy and informative. His communication of the recent history of Cuba was first rate giving a fascinating insight to how it shaped the island into what we saw on this tour. Thanks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was a great trip these are just thing to bear in mind. Its difficult to generalise but due to the unseasonal heat (35C) and headwinds the cycling was not particularly leisurely! As Laz said the tour was a cycling tour not a 'gourmet' tour and he was right. Accommodation was perfectly good.

Caroline Davies

Reviewed April 2016

Cycling Cuba - AWESOME!

This was my first EXODUS holiday and the first group tour I have done and it exceeded my expectations. What an amazing country; the people, the scenery, the architecture, the music the history, the cycling and of course, the mojito’s made this a fascinating and really enjoyable trip! The cycling was on well maintained hybrid bikes and was well paced with regular stops for fruit, fudge and to replenish our water. There were 18 of us of varying ages and cycling abilities but everyone was very supportive of each other and as one of the slower (and older) cyclists I felt challenged but comfortable with the pace and distances. The support from the group leader and the bus drivers was faultless. The hotels are of varying quality, with the boom in tourism in Cuba there is a shortage of hotel rooms and therefore in a few places we had to stay on the outskirts of the town, which was a pity.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many; Cycling into the mountains, staying at the eco-lodge and walking to the local village. Swimming with tropical fish in the Caribbean The old Spanish colonial towns Being in a country with no advertising billboards, just revolutionary posters everywhere. I could continue......

Thoughts on Group Leader

Freddy must be the best tour leader in Cuba. His kindness, knowledge, humour, organisation and excellent communication made this a seamless trip. He was attentive to everyone's needs and interests and fascinating to talk to about a huge range of subjects.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! Make sure you are comfortable with the distances before you go, so that you enjoy the cycling. I took my own saddle, which was great, as I knew it was comfortable. Remember Cuba is a poor country, so standards of accommodation, food and service vary quite a bit but this is all part of the adventure, so just relax and enjoy. In fact, I found the food in most places very good - far better than I had expected

Carol Kovari

Reviewed April 2016

Walking the Amalfi coast

This is the first time I have been on an Exodus walking holiday and it was excellent from start to finish. We were looked after very well by our group leader and all the staff in the hotel in Bomerano who went the extra mile to make sure we got the most out of our stay. The week was a perfect mix of walking and sight seeing. Special thanks must go to Antonio and his homemade Prosecco who was a most generous host.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking out onto the Terrace of Infinity at the Villa Cimbrone and seeing the breath taking view. And Taking the chairlift to the top of Capri - pure bliss

Thoughts on Group Leader

Emily was superb. She put 100% effort in to make sure we all had a really great week.

Advice for Potential Travellers

For travellers who are not regular hill walkers or have dodgy knees walking poles are a must. There are many, many uneven steps that wind steeply uphill and down plus some walking on scree.

Tracey Rodger

Reviewed April 2016

Japan - in nearly full bloom!

Whistle-stop tour of Japan’s best bits – people have asked if I’d go back – well of course I would if someone was paying my fare! Fantastic country full of culture, contrast and contradiction.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hiroshima Memorial Park, and seeing Mt Fuji fully exposed from the train.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Yuri was so organised! I loved that she'd say 'we'll meet in the lobby at 830, the train is at 838....' Japanese efficiency has to be seen to be believed as the trains mostly run to the second, and stop exactly where expected on the platform, awesome. We even synchronised watches at the start of the trip, which gave us all an indication of just how serious she viewed lateness!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Save up before you go! With almost no meals included it feels expensive out there - I'd looked at the Exodus budget, thought we shouldn't need that much per day, but had spent a lot more first couple of days. There's loads of shopping opportunities if you want to go crazy, but people watching more fun for me as 'anything goes' out there. Take loads of layers of clothes too - temperature can vary wildly during a day during Spring - am sure it was nearly 20c at 3 pm, and 4c by 8 with a biting wind as well.

Paul England

Reviewed April 2016

Cycle Namibia, the good, the bad and the not so ugly

Some stunning landscapes and some fairly mundane cycling, but some really worthwhile experiences make this holiday a mix of average to great experiences

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Dune 40 to see the sunrise. Note we avoided Dune 45, said to be the biggest, on the advice of the group leaders recommendation, this was good advice as we avoided the crowds but still saw a great sunrise. The trip to Etosha reserve is also a great experience, though we didn't see leopards or cheetah and only a single elephant.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Shane very friendly and personable, got on well with everyone and tried hard to keep the group on the same page when it came to cycling.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the small print on the trip notes - a sleeping bag is essential but this is only mentioned once on page 7 after the cycling essentials. Three of us had to buy sleeping bags at the destination and these aren't easy to find, the temperature really drops at night in March and will be colder in later months! Take a bandanna to cover your face when cycling, some of the roads are very rough and dusty and passing 4x4's at speed set the dust flying. Due to the daytime heat we finished cycling by 12:00 so very often had early starts, rising at 6:30-7:00 most days. Camping is described as full service, this means you get a tent and a sleeping mat and nothing else. Aside from the sleeping bag take something as a pillow and don't forget a towel! The campsites don't have any illumination so you'll need a head torch and spare batteries. Away from Windhoek and Swakopmund there are no shops to buy basic essentials Over the nine days cycling we averaged 30 miles per day, always finishing before lunch. The support bus is on hand with water and snacks, but our support cyclist wasn't up to the task, being a new starter on a bike. Cycling conditions are not easy - I've experienced a few Exodus cycling holidays and whilst there aren't any real hills on this holiday the cycling can be hard, so if you're not sure about your fitness, cycling in heat and on rough roads this holiday is probably not for you.

Stephen Low

Reviewed April 2016

Great walking in the Andalucian countryside!

A lovely holiday in relaxed accommodation with good food, nice walks and a day visit to Seville!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in the countryside with its undulating hills, whitewashed villages and local relaxed bars provided an authentic experience of this part of Spain!