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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14479 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Caroline Simmonds

Reviewed March 2016

Snowshoeing in Finland

A fabulous week in a wonderful place. We were lucky enough to have sunshine and clear skies, so good views of the Northern Lights several nights running. The accommodation is warm and cosy and the food almost too good!

Most Inspirational Moment

Two things stick in my mind - the realisation on the first evening that we were actually going to get to see the Northern Lights. That had almost everyone jumping up and down with excitement. And the optional husky sledding on the last day - swooshing along through the beautiful landscape with a team of enthusiastic and friendly dogs. Wonderful!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martti is a great guy with an endearing sense of humour. He spent 15 minutes on the first day earnestly describing how we should behave if we came across a hibernating bear in the forest, only then to confess that he had never actually seen one himself. He also managed to get the whole group hugging trees...! I also felt by the end of the week that I had learned a lot about Finland.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As previous reviewers have mentioned, the physical activity side of this holiday was a little less intensive than we have previously experienced on snowshoeing holidays, so go prepared either to strike out on your own or just chill at Base Camp. Having said that, the walks undertaken were varied and very scenic, so well worthwhile. There are also a number of optional activities (see above re Husky Sledding) that can really be recommended, even though they are on the expensive side!

Paola Cassotti

Reviewed March 2016

Picture perfect

Excellent cross country holiday with so many different routes to choose every day, on the tracks and off. We had amazing weather and looking back at pictures, I still can’t believe I was there. Plenty of good food and good company.

Most Inspirational Moment

Skiing off piste on untouched snow and reaching high spots with breathtaking views. Simply amazing. Every day I thought it could not get better but it did! Thinking already to return next year!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Learned a lot in a week from both leaders. Different teaching styles but both Ilse and Mary clearly have a passion for what they do every day. Contagious!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Follow trip notes. I had everything with me and I was glad! Drinks are not that more expensive and in a week I spent very little as all else is included.

Susan Quinn

Reviewed March 2016

Winter wonderland

Fabulous week at Basecamp, with a great mix of fun, strenuous activities and the comfort of the sauna and the cosy restaurant/bar. Glorious sunshine on the snow every day and clear skies full of the aurora nearly every night.

Most Inspirational Moment

The optional snowshoe trip to Riisituntiri - we were probably the last group of the year to see the snow-covered trees in all their glory, as high winds blew the snow off shortly after, but the walk up the hill among all the strange troll-shapes was fabulous. The full day dogsled was well worth it; the husky farm was so welcoming and well-run, and the lunch provided was absolutely delicious and very welcome on a cold day! And of course the Northern Lights, though the great display meant we never quite got to finish our game of Cluedo...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jukka was a great group leader, very personable and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour, we were all sad to say goodbye to him at the end of the week. All the other lodge staff were also really fun and friendly and had some great stories to tell about their own adventures.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the free day, you can buy a pack of sausages from the kitchen and take some logs and kindling, then cook yourself some lunch at one of the firepits along the woodland trails (there are also logs provided at all the woodland huts, but the ones from Basecamp are drier and more reliable). There are also toilets en route so you don't have to drop your kecks in the arctic wind!

Margaret Ryder-Richardson

Reviewed March 2016

India Tropical South

This was a very well designed itinerary – leisurely it was as described in the brochure. The 7 hills walk was perhaps rather more arduous than described and I was glad I had decided to heed the advice of the local guide, having had a recent knee replacement. Germanus Hotel in Madurai was a bit pretentious on the surface and grubby underneath. Hotels in Kochi and Madurai were a long way from the centre of the towns and it was a great pity not to be able to have longer in Kochi. Boat trip slightly disappointing as it was to be a highlight for me. Drives through Western Ghat mountains and tea plantations were fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

See above

Thoughts on Group Leader

Afshahr was extremely competent with a good command of English and not too heavy an accent. He was very co-operative and interesting and helped well with any individual needs.

Vicki Delany

Reviewed March 2016

Marvellous Trip

I had a wonderful time on the Vietnam adventure. The group was great and our guide, Mao was helpful, charming, and very friendly.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everything was great. The land, the people, the sites. Particularly loved being in Hoi An during the Lantern Festival.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Mao was enthusiastic, friendly, charming, and very knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay were cool. Saigon very hot. So pack accordingly.

John Lowe

Reviewed March 2016

Vietnam Adventure

I am not an unbiased reviewer as I have long been interested in Vietnam and its culture. I was not disappointed. Flying into Hanoi was a full on Asia experience. Loved Ho Chi Minh City with its mixture of cultures. Ha Long Bay beautiful. Mekhong less so but atmospheric and friendly,
Food good, hotels much better than I expected, people friendly and plumbing works. I want to return.

Most Inspirational Moment

Crawling along 25m of the tunnel at Cu Chi complex brought it home to me how difficult this war must have been. No wonder the Vietnamese were able to defeat the mighty US military if they could live in these conditions.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Andrew Grun

Reviewed March 2016

Snowshoeing in the Dolomites

A wonderful challenging holiday spent among jagged snow capped peaks, led by a knowledgable, caring guide, with a great sense of fun.

Most Inspirational Moment

The magnificent high altitude mountain panorama from the Alte Piano plateau, which includes the Drei Zinnen rock towers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara is a very caring, well organised, knowledgable leader, always eager to help any member of the group. She has a great sense of fun and makes every day enjoyable for the whole group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The slopes can be steep and challenging, particularly at high altitude in deep snow, so not rushing helps to avoid getting breathless and tired too early. A slow steady pace will take you to the summits in good time.

Michael Britton

Reviewed March 2016

Discover Chile AAE 08/02/2016

A great ‘over-view ‘ of this facinating and varied country.
Lots of travelling. Almost a continent in one country.
The tour was better than the Trip Notes implied – most of the ‘optional’ trips were actually included!
The pre-travel information (itinerary) was not up to the usual Exodus high standard as far as we were concerned – although some other people on the trip did receive more detailed information (even though we asked for it!)

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Moai (statues) on Easter Island made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck - and I have done a fair bit of travelling. Contrast the Moai with the sight of the Queen Mary II sailing just off shore was a bonus. On the mainland, seeing the smoking volcanoes in the Atacama Desert and the Valley of the Moon from Coyote Rock was amazing. In Patagonia stopping to watch two sets of real gauchos herding sheep and cows (separately) was just what you think of in South America (but don't actually expect to see!) And the golden sunrise through the cloud on the 'horns' in the Torres del Paine National Park from our room in the lovely Hotel Rio Serrano was certainly a highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Helen Kinzl was an excellent leader. She gave us all the information we needed and had a real passion for Chile and its people. She was always there when needed and did her best to sort things out and make the trip run smoothly to give us the best experience possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The tap water is drinkable - but we used bottled water in the desert and on Easter Island (not sure if this was really necessary. There are some long travel days here because of the geography and infrastructure. Hopefully Exodus will choose better internal flights this season than with our trip where there were some unnecessarily early starts and a silly 8 hour stopover in Santiago en route from Calama to Puerto Montt. (Allbeit they did give us a free Wine Lands tour!) Take clothes you can add or subtract in layers. It can go from cold to hot in a few hours. Spend as much time as possible walking about seeing things and don't stay in the hotels too long!

Elizabeth Brunton

Reviewed March 2016

Discover Costa Rica

This was a fabulous trip. Costa Rica is such a beautiful country & our route took in many of the main national parks. The bird watching was brilliant. Our leader was a specialist bird watching guide & was very knowlegeable about birds + very enthusiastic. The accommodation was excellent.