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.

Simply use the selector below to search our trip reviews and start reading real feedback from real Exodus travellers who have ‘been there and done that’!

Lots of our clients also like to post handy tips and advice about their travels. It’s great to know what to expect on an Exodus adventure before you go, so make the most of their experience and you’ll make the most of yours!

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Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.

Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.

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14484 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Alison Jones

Reviewed December 2015

cycling in Vietnam

An excellent holiday with a good blend of cycling, relaxing and covering much of the length of Vietnam. The leader, Thenth went above and beyond his duties and should certainly be considered for the leadership awards. very efficient, friendly, caring, knowledgeable, kept his own team together well and introduced us to some great local places to eat. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cycling and is comfortable pedalling for 50 miles. Lovely group of people we had too, mixed ages, who mixed well.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard one to answer - maybe seeing a very strange creature when snorkelling - yet to be identified. also the children, as we cycled through villages, jumping up and down, shouting Hello, sin chao....so friendly walking into a hotel, in smelly cycling clothes, where a wedding reception was going on and we had to pass beside the greeting party, ....not what they had planned, I'm sure. a cooking class in Hoi Ann very early morning, standing alone on the deck of the boat on Halong Bay....and the food on the boat

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent - see above Also to be commended are the mechanic, Su, for his skills, his patience and support as back rider and his maintenance of the bikes. Also for their friendliness the bus driver and the van driver, who stood patiently at intersections to make sure that no-one got lost.......and provided great, regular drinks and snacks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a proper water bottle to fit bike bottle holders - they aren't easy to source over there. when it rains....the rain is warm, so you don't really need to put a waterproof on. the hired bikes were great - don't bother taking your own when crossing the roads....its 1.2..3 and walk. Don't stop - they really don't want to kill you. Its just a different code of behaviour. a bottle of sloe gin went down very well on the overnight train! - shared, of course

Carolyn Thompson

Reviewed December 2015

Caz T

The trip was a fantastic introduction to South Africa. The scenery and wildlife was excellent. The trip was very well organised and ticked all the boxes for me.

Most Inspirational Moment

The variety of wildlife and the opportunity to view it up close. The varied scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin, the tour leader was excellent. He was friendly and accomodating. He was knowledgeable and had a very good knowledge of wildlife. Fiona consistently magicked up lovely food, wherever we were.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Prepare for variable weather.

Nicola Handcock

Reviewed December 2015

Discover Sri Lanka

This was a very varied trip, with lots of travelling and lots of activities. We stayed in mainly good hotels and we had a good range of culture and nature, with a bit of beach and exercise thrown in. We cycled, walked, climbed to the top of huge rock palaces, marvelled at temples and ancient sites, white water rafted, went on safari, rode the local trains, visited a gem factory and a tea factory, walked round botanical gardens, braved the crazy traffic in tuk tuks, went whale watching and drank cocktails in old colonial hotels. It seemed the only thing not on the agenda was relaxing!

Most Inspirational Moment

The two safaris, where we saw elephants but not leopards, but particularly the moment when a family of elephants complete with young babies, came right up to our open jeep, passing so close that we could have reached out and touched them. It's hard to say whether we or the elephants were more awed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Sujan, was very good at organisation and logistics, clearly loved his country, and always did his best for us to get the most out of every day. Very precise on time management, he didn't appreciate people being late!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Always expect rain, even if it's warm! Don't expect your food to come quickly in restaurants, or even to arrive in the right order!

Matthew Haikin

Reviewed December 2015

Great team, great location, shame the single supplement is a scam...

The local team (Joseph, Rintu and Shibu) were great – helpful, friendly, knowledgeable. Kerala is beautiful and the earlier parts of the trip in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were really interesting. Great food too. And equal parts exciting and tranquil cycling on high quality Specialized bikes (if – like some of the reviewers on here – you can’t handle cycling with traffic and potholes. why on earth are you going to India!). My only criticism is about Exodus not the local team – they charged me £450 for a single supplement, which is over double what it should have been – I’ve checked the rack-prices of everywhere we stayed, and they have been stubborn and unhelpful about dealing with this. A real shame as it marred the end of the trip and made me feel like I was being ripped off.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling is fun... it isn't inspirational! Weird question! ;-)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Joseph was really helpful - even intervening when I had trouble convincing one of the hotel staff that they might have double sheets I could use!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read up on India. The south is much less hectic than the North but still if you're expecting European standards and British type courtesy... You're in for a shock! Go with the flow.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Matthew for his review; we are pleased that he had a great trip overall, but we are sorry that he found our single supplement to be rather expensive. Unfortunately the rates advertised online and at properties are often not the prices Exodus is charged as tax (which regularly amounts to over 25% in India) is frequently not included in the rates and we have to book accommodation months in advance so are held to prices even if properties lower their rates to encourage bookings. We have been in touch with Matthew on an individual basis about his concerns.

Megan Devenish – Product Manager for cycling trips in India

David T

Reviewed December 2015

Laos cycling

A well organised trip exploring the outer reaches of Laos. Rather too many long bus transfers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Drifting along the Mekong River in a traditional boat which we had all to ourselves.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rit & 'Mr La' were always enthusiastic but rather rigid in their asherence to the set programme.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do not go to the 'Complimentary' meal/ evening in Chiang Mai. It is the crystallisation of why Exodus cutomers do not go with other tour Companies - awful food, a 'theme park' style of entertainment all in the environment where there are hundreds of other long suffering tourists. Do not assume that because it is South Asia it will always be warm.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank David for his review and we have taken his feedback on board; as of January 2016 some of the trip has been re-routed to help reduce transfer times and this is detailed in the trip notes. Although previous feedback regarding the meal in Chiang Mai had been positive, we have decided to use a smaller, local restaurant going forward which we hope our clients will enjoy.

Megan Devenish – Trip Manager for Thailand and Laos

Peter Jones

Reviewed December 2015

Cycling in Rajasthan

A fantastic experience that lets you get up close to the real India with all its sights, smells and sounds. A great way to have an active holiday whilst a packed itinerary allows you to see many of the iconic sights of India.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding through the villages where all the children would come out to line the streets and wave. Wherever we stopped a crowd would gather round to inspect both us and the bikes. I guess strangers, and especially European strangers are a very rare sight in some of these places. Whilst it does take a bit of getting used to, everyone was always really friendly.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Everything worked like clockwork, which given my previous experience of India was probably a minor miracle and a testament to the efficiency of our group leaders. Nice guys, always accommodating, flexible and willing to help.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It can be smoggy in Delhi (they appear to have a real problem with this these days) and it can be dusty in places on the road so do ensure you have something to cover your mouth. A buff kept round my neck worked well for me. Cycling in the cities is not for the fainthearted. Whilst there is a notional drive on the left rule, Indian traffic, people and animals come at you from all directions, and it can be very busy, although generally slow moving. Some element of confidence on a bike will help greatly.

Kirit

Reviewed December 2015

Newzealand trekking ( TLZ)

Excellent trip with varied iteniary with amazing landscapes

Most Inspirational Moment

lots...trek in Tongariro national park, Milford Sounds, Mt Cook trek, Helicopter and jet boat rides , etc

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both island leaders were good. But Justine in south Island was exceptional . As an Ex Ranger who had also trekked extensively in his young age , he was full of knowledge as well as being very practical.

Advice for Potential Travellers

JUST DO IT as they say in the advert ! Dont take excess clothes as opportunity to dress smart for evenings is limited since itenary is packed so most of us just wore our clean trekking gear. Also will need larger backpack for the couple of camping days because will need to carry spare clothes,sleeping bag and tent, and some food for cooking.

Elise Wortley

Reviewed December 2015

Amazing Cycling Adventure

This trip was incredible – what a way to see Cuba!

Most Inspirational Moment

The most inspirational moment of my trip was completing the most challenging day through the Sierra Maestra. The scenery was absolutely spectacular and it was such an achievement conquering the final climb!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was absolutely fantastic. His knowledge was outstanding and he really helped the group to bond. He was also incredibly funny and kept everyone smiling for the entire trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

maae sure you take lots of energy filled snacks for the longer days, and remember to drink plenty of water.

Gayle Lindsay

Reviewed December 2015

3 countries...2 wheels...1 amazing trip through Central America!

A very well organised trip with a great group of people and stunning scenery! This was my first time in Central America but it definitely won’t be my last. It exceeded all of my expectations and cycling proved to be a great way to see each country. There was a good mix between challenging cycles, sightseeing and time to relax. It was nice to get up in the morning and know you had a full day of activities ahead of you but not have to worry about organising any of them – you just have to turn up with a positive attitude and enjoy!

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the tough hills and enjoying the breathtaking views that made all of the huffing and puffing worthwhile!

Thoughts on Group Leader

From the moment we stepped off the plane, Memo was standing waiting to greet us with his trademark big smile that never seemed to leave his face! He educated us on the history of each country, informed us of the different political and economic circumstances and pointed out various fauna and wildlife along the way. He worked tirelessly to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime and I truly did have the trip of a lifetime!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring US dollars in small denominations (as you can generally pay in US but change is usually given in local currency). I appreciated my padded shorts and gel seat and would recommend having both. Do some cycling preparation beforehand - you'll be thankful when you hit those hills.

Antony Wilson

Reviewed December 2015

Fantastic Private Trip

My wife and I had a fantastic holiday on an Exodus Private Tour as the group tour was already full. Our guide, Krishna, has been doing these tours for about 14 years and made the whole time very easy and enjoyable for us. In the national parks, he quite often spotted animals and birds before the official guides. He also tried to ensure that we had drivers that he had worked with before which was also very valuable. The official guides in the parks are very much hit and miss. Some of them are just starting and didn’t know what all of the animals were called; others were very knowledgable (one even had his own guide books in which he pointed out the flora and fauna). As the trip notes states, it can be cold in the mornings and a substantial fleece is needed. However, as soon as the sun comes up, the temperature was very nice. During the 15 game drives, we had 5 tiger sighting (one mother and two-year old cub; one male; one rear end of a male; one mother and four young cubs; and a tigress sunbathing on the road). Apart from all of the deer and different birds, we also saw a leopard; a sloth bear; a jungle cat; jackals; and wild dogs.
The food was served buffet style and was very good everywhere that we stayed. The accommodation was also quite good although one of the rooms smelled very musty but leaving the windows open mostly sorted out. Everywhere that we stayed, the staff were very friendly and helpful and as soon as we asked for anything, it was quickly sorted out.
The train was ok but not very comfortable and, if you can’t handle bad smells, Indian railway stations are going to be an unforgettable experience.
Unfortunately, it was a bit misty when we got to Agra so didn’t get a perfect view of the Taj Mahal. However, Krishna had already been in contact with the local guide (who was also excellent) and we had decided that going there at either sunrise or sunset was going to be a waste of time. We went mid-morning and then on to Agra’s red fort afterwards.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip and I would very happily recommend it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to say but possible when we went around a corner on our very last game drive and found a tigress sunbathing on the track in front of us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was excellent and definitely made the trip very enjoyable. As he has been doing it for so long, he is better than nearly all of the local guides used for the game drives. He also knows the staff at the various national parks and hotels which is very useful if there are any problems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a warm fleece for the morning game drives as it can be quite cold. Also, do not expect too much from the local guides in the national parks. They are hired from the local population so that they have a vested interest in making sure that the tigers survive. However, this means that they may not speak any English - they are fluent in their native language.

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