Most Inspirational Moment
Abba Museum visit
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Enjoy the trip
Reviews
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Reviews
Excellent trip
Excellent tour, guide Lina and local city guides. Thoroughly enjoyed
India's Golden Triangle
I had a great holiday and felt well supported from booking, right through the whole trip.
Most Inspirational Moment
Taj Mahal visit, the cookery lesson and the Christmas morning experience (Hindu temple, flower market, street food, observatory).
Thoughts on Group Leader
Naveen was an excellent leader. He gelled with everyone in the group and made us feel welcome, safe and looked after for the whole duration. He explained what was happening at every stage of the trip, ensuring we have the right information at the right time. He was flexible in his approach, always ensuring we had the best possible experience. He provided a range of helpful advice and guidance, and became a friend to everyone.
Enjoyable introduction to India
This was my first trip to India, and Kerala was the ideal place to start – relatively compact, affluent, clean, and accessible, with incredibly friendly, helpful locals, and a wide variety of sights to see.
The pace of the trip was perfect, moving on to a new destination every other day, normally on the road for 3-4 hours, with plenty of comfort breaks and additional sights along the way. I feel like we saw as much as was comfortably possible in 12 days.
The one area for improvement would be a little more free time to explore independently. In Cochin, in particular, we had a very busy morning visiting several churches, a palace and a synagogue, only stopping for a late lunch, and it seemed a missed opportunity to spend some time wandering through the narrow streets of the old quarter for tea, chats with locals, and a bit of shopping. This would have helped with orientation too, as it was our first full day after the long journey from the UK.
Most Inspirational Moment
The day spent exploring the backwaters stands out. In a small boat, visiting local households in the morning, and on a houseboat from lunchtime for the night. I found the insight into the local way of life fascinating, and the slower pace very relaxing. The accommodation and food on the houseboat was the highest standard of the whole trip, and as our group was divided between 4 boats, it felt luxuriously peaceful. I loved it ❤️
Thoughts on Group Leader
Shine was a history lecturer, so very knowledgeable about the monuments visited. He could answer any question, which was great, however, sometimes there was an overload of information, impossible to focus on when standing in the heat. Shine was also excellent at spotting wildlife, and often stopped the bus to point out monkeys, bats, or birds in the trees. He also seemed to be able to identify every tree, plant and flower. We learned a lot about nature from him. He was also extremely caring, and showed genuine concern for anyone feeling unwell, or falling behind on treks. Our driver, Vinod, deserves a mention too. He was very skilled at navigating packed cities, hairpin bends on mountain roads, and pot-holed highways, and the bus was always spotlessly clean and fresh-smelling. He showed constant concern for our wellbeing, and was always pleasant and smiley. Lovely.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Some things I wish I'd done: - Packed lighter. It's very warm and humid, so loose cotton/linen dresses are best + a straw hat or umbrella to keep the sun off. - Packed older/cheaper clothes. India is very dusty & dirty, and the food stains, so good quality/expensive items get ruined. - Taken binoculars, to better see the incredible birds and wildlife. - Bought more! Clothing, pyjamas, robes, throws, rugs, fabrics, oil-based perfumes, incense cones/sticks & beautiful holders, brass, silver, gold, gems, spices, and art, are all good quality and cheap to buy. It's an excellent way to support artisans and independent traders, and give something back. The experience can be a bit hassly, as traders keep showing you ever more items, but if you can persuade them to let you browse, it's a hugely rewarding experience. - Spoken to more locals. Most speak English, and are happy to chat...about anything!
Walking the Mountains & Villages of Evia
The guide made the trip very successful – he was very well-organised, extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. As mentioned, the itinerary and the food were good and the staff in the hotel were most efficient.
Most Inspirational Moment
The day spent visiting the marble pillars - a very good walk and an extremely interesting you place to visit. The variety of restaurants visited in the evenings and an extremely pleasant group.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The best leader I have travelled with - nothing was too much trouble for him and his knowledge was excellent.
Discover Sri Lanka
Well organised. Informative local guides and support team. Takes in the main sight seeing alongside rustic homestays and less tourist spots. Reasonably good standard of hotel and a manageable group size.
Most Inspirational Moment
Lions Rock climb, whale watching as saw a blue whale and cycling to lunch at a local home.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Definitely in my top 3 guides. Very informative, organised, detailed and yet quite firm. He was observante of everything from when on the bus, walking or in hotel. He assisted all the group at some point Only guide I've known to share how he spent the money
India's Golden Triangle
Excellent itinerary developed locally by experienced knowledgeable guides. Good hotels and friendly guides with excellent knowledge and skills to keep us safe
Most Inspirational Moment
Spice market; Taj Mahal; Seikh Temple; Hindu Temple; Flower market, Prince’s homestay:
Thoughts on Group Leader
Naveen is an excellent guide. He is organised and totally on top of things at all times. He exudes an air of confidence which he instils in the group in the apparent 'chaos' of India to a first time visitor. He has excellent knowledge of India and the region and was ever helpful and attendant
Discover Sri Lanka
As long as you have done your research properly, and know exactly what to expect from an Exodus trip, then I believe that we crammed so many varied experiences into our two weeks that it was superb value. The opportunity to learn about the country from the local guide was the icing on the cake.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing elephants in Kaudulla National Park. Sigiriya fortress. Having a really fun group of like-minded fellow travelers. Best of all our guide Ruwan who was humble, kind, and conveyed such love for his country that it was impossible not to fall in love with Sri Lanka too!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Ruwan was excellent. We've done similar trips with other companies before and he was by far the best guide we have had. Very personable, excellent English and with a wicked sense of humour. He hit exactly the right note of how much information to provide and whilst I know he was constantly working in the background and making calls to ensure everything ran like clockwork, he always had time to chat and answer our endless questions!
Vietnam Adventure
Great choice of tours and fantastic experience right throughout the whole booking process
Most Inspirational Moment
Ha Long bay, mekong delta, very friendly people, terrific food, to name but a few!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Huy was not only a fantastic tour guide but a wonderful person as well, always willing to go the extra mile to ensure everyone in the group had the best holiday possible and ensured the health and safety of each individual too which was extremely gratifying.
Cycling Vietnam
The cycle trip was a great experience with a fantastic tour leader and great like minded people
Most Inspirational Moment
There were many highlights on this trip including Our leader and support crew, the homestead lunches with Vietnamese families, Whale Island, Halong Bay boat, Hoi an, passing through Vietnamese villages.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tung went above and beyond in all aspects of managing our trip so we got the best enjoyment from the experience. He also led his team with mutual respect. He is an asset any company would want in their values and culture
An Indepth Journey of Japan
Itinerary
The trip was really great–I loved the diversity of going to smaller, traditional places as well as the modern cities. There were times when I thought we would have more free time than we did–Kyoto (tour activities ended at approx. 3:30), Kobe (arrived 1 hr before the gardens closed so didn’t go), and Hiroshima (tour activities ended at approx 4 pm). I loved all of the places that we went too–in retrospect I would have added additional days in Kyoto (I arrived a day in advance) and benefitted greatly from my flight home being delayed giving me a full extra day in Toyko that I hadn’t planned for. The tour is very fast pace and you do walk alot–so just bring a really good pair of running shoes with you!
Hotels
All were good–my favourite was Hotel Toyko in Takayama. I rented a private onsen for an hour which was very nice and enjoyed the unique art they had on each floor. I really appreciated the washer/dryer in the hotel room–while I had enough clothes it was nice to wash them and be able to go out for dinner at the same time and not feel in a rush to get back to the room (it was free and they did provide soap if you don’t have any). The hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo were nice as well–the first modern and the last traditional. All of the hotels were really clean, provided great breakfasts, and had toiletries if you forget any (and if you wanted pjs to wear).
Transportation
The bullet trains were very cool as were all of the trains. They are very prompt! The subway system is easy to manoever–I used Google Maps to tell me what stop to get off and where to walk and never got lost (even in Toyko). The trains are very quiet and clean–getting onto and off public transit is done in lines so there never is a rush and in most cases the train/subway cars were empty. The bus system in Kyoto makes getting between places slow so factor that in. Also, the connection from Osaka to Kyoto was pretty easy to do but made harder with getting off a transatlantic flight. Doing this again, I would fly direct into Tokyo and then get to Kyoto the next day. Felt very safe and comfortable walking around by myself–even in the evening. The locals are very helpful if you want to confirm directions.
Food
I am normally a very fussy eater and I didn’t have a problem finding things to eat. In fact, I wish I had more time in Kyoto in the traditional area to have some of the different food options the shops offered. I also didn’t have time to get a hot drink from a dispensing machine! I found breakfast made me full and then we would go somewhere at dinner that would fill me up (I often had noodle dishes). I would have been ok finding my own dinner in Takayama instead of group meals–the different styles of eating were good to experience. While I liked going out to eat with the group, it was tough having to have the bill together–it would have been easier to be able to pay for my own food.
Most Inspirational Moment
My favourite place was Takayama--the scale of the City was really manageable. I loved wandering in the historic centre, going into the craft galleries to purchase one-of-a-kind pieces, and doing the Higashimya Walking Course. Kyoto- Nijo Castle had a really interesting and beautiful interior. I really enjoyed going there. While I liked seeing Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), it wasn't my most favourite experience as you follow a set path with a lot of people. Ryoan-ji temple had a simple rock garden with a lot of meaning--I liked the surrounding landscape. Seeing Fushinmi Inari Taisha in the late afternoon/early evening was a cool experience. While we saw 4 geisha standing at a corner in Gion it wasn't my favourite experience as we didn't really get to experience the area. I'd suggest doing the historic areas on your own during the day to actually see and do more. My favourite Kyoto experiences I did myself-- a tea ceremony adjacent to a traditional garden, Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) had an amazing garden, the Philosopher's Walk with temples along the way, and the other temples/shrines I went into. I bought a Goshuin book at my first shrine and for the remainder of the trip would get it filled with the 'stamps' from the shrines/temples that I visited which is fun and a great souvenir. Nara- The Buddha in the Todai-ji temple is huge! It was really cool to see. I also liked the walk through the woods, with the many deer, to Kasuga Shinto shrine. We saw quite a few kids in kimonos celebrating their age year which was a nice cultural experience. The shrine itself was very interesting with all the lanterns. Miyajimma Island- The Torii gate was nice to see upon approach by ferry but more so from the beach while walking to the Itsukumshima Shrine. The Shrine itself was different as it is built overtop the water. It was quite busy! We went to the gardens on the island which were nice to walk through with the fall leaves. Hiroshima-The walk around the Atomic Bomb memorial was very moving. I wish we could have talked to the survivor that was nearby. After going through the musuem which was rather crowded, I went into a few smaller buildings on the site that had exhibits on peace talks and foundations from the site. In particular, I liked walking the whole of the park--seeing the different memorials, the burial mound, and areas of paper cranes that were off the path of many. We spent about 2 hours at the museum and park complex--which was enough time but didn't allow for time for other activities in the City. Kobe-We got into Kobe rather late in the afternoon so after eating dinner a small group of us walked along the harbour which is nice and then though the street(s) that was China town located beside the hotel. It did look like it would be an interesting place to visit--but with not a lot of time the stop wasn't monumental. Kanawaza- The gardens are very beautiful and very manageable in scale. The best was seeing the fall foligage at night when it was illuminated--it is very crowded but worth seeing. The adjacent Castle was a quick visit. During our day walking tour, I enjoyed going to the Samarai house and garden, having silver/gold foil ice cream, walking the Samarai and Geisha districts (I saw one), and the Omicho (fish) market. I did a separate cooking course in the evening where I learnt how to make sushi and other Japanese food which was a lot of fun--and we got to eat the food. It was a great experience. I also went with a small group to the Ninja temple which was very very cool! They provide you with an English write up as you do the tour but as you can see all the trap doors, etc. it's still very engaging. The art gallery did look really interesting--I only went into the shop as it wasn't open late and I went to the garden at night instead. Shirakawa-go- This was an interesting village. I went into 2 of the buildings--the temple/museum was really interesting and the house/farm offered insight into the way they lived and worked (silk farming) in the area. The visit did seem a bit rushed but I think it's because our group walked to the top and then it took awhile for the group photo. Takayama- Hida no Sato Open-Air Museum was really interesting. It felt rushed as we went at the very end of the day--I think at least 2- 2 1/2 hours likely is needed here. It was a really manageable site with quite a few old buildings you can go into. In addition, there were artisans (only the wood carver when we were there) that you could watch do traditional crafts. The market and walk in the historic area was nice--this was a City I could have had an entire free day to myself though. I went to the Government House which was really interesting and enjoyed the walk along the Higashiyama (literally a temple/shrine every few metres along the 1/2 hr walk--the short version). The walk was nice as there were very few people doing it so you had the sites to yourself. I enjoyed going into a few shops of artisans--I did go into the Festival Float museum but it wasn't a highlight though seeing the floats was cool. I would have liked another full day here and it is a place I'd go back to. Our group did a tea ceremony but it didn't have the atmosphere of the one I did separately--still nice but more 'commercial' feeling. Matsumoto- Walking the interior of the Castle was a different experience than your typical Castle in Europe. With the exception of artefacts and displays, it is empty and you go up narrow stairs into smaller rooms as you go higher in the building. I am glad to have done it. I also went to the Art Museum--enjoying both traditional art and the Yayoi Kusama exhibits. I found Nawate and Nakamachi Shopping streets interesting--Nakamachi had really nice craft/art gallaries and shops as well as restaurants. I went back to see the castle at night after a dinner of fried chicken and noodles and it was very attractive. Kawaguchi-Oishi Park and the walk from Itchiku Kobata Art Museum offered great views of Mt. Fuji (it was a clear day!). The Art Museum offered beautiful kimonos to look at. It was a pretty small musuem with somewhat larger gift shop areas (offering a lot of scarfs). The garden outside was really nice and the architecture is Gaudi inspired. Toyko- Going to see Senjo-ji temple at night was amazing--the shops that line it have a lot of traditional food, wood prints, and a 100 yr old pet store (for those who like me have to shop for their puppy). We spent a lot of time in Ueno Park--there were interesting temples/shrines to see but I was expecting more places that we were going to go that day so it was a bit of a surprise. On the free days, I went to see Senjo-ji temple during the day as well as nearby shrines, I visited Meiji Shrine which is very cool (there was a wedding, baptism, celebration of the Emperor/Empress, and harvest festival), Shibuya crossing at night, and then Skytree the next morning (with another great view of Mt. Fuji...at 9:30 there are no crowds either). I also had arranged to make chopsticks which was a lot of fun, experience teamlabs Borderless (the tea room was very cool), and went to a Sumo Festival (where I did sumo and learnt about the sport). While I saw a lot (and filled my goshuin book with stamps), there was so much more that Japan offers that I would love to do and see!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was very good--he kept us organized and on time for all our train/subway/ferry journeys and was very knowledgeable on the history and culture of the places we visited. For several days, we had a trainee tour leader who also joined us that was a treat as she provided us with a lot of additional information on Japanese culture. It was nice to have two leaders for several days of the trip. Our group leader was very dedicated to our group--he stayed until the very last day in spite of having a family emergency/health matter. He made sure that we were comfortable and knew Exodus was having a new tour leader meet us at the hotel on the last day to assist with flights/getting to airport if needed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book extra days in Kyoto and Toyko if possible. Look into additional activities (especially cultural) that are offered in the places you are going--I booked on days that I knew I would have free time or in the evening so to not conflict with the trip. They were among my favourite memories. Travel with cash--many places (i.e. shops, restaurants, temples/shrines) do not take credit card/debit. You can get cash easily if needed. Travel with extra power source for your cell phone if you use it to take photos & for directions, etc. There aren't chargers/power outlets available (I did hear that tourist bureaus have them). Pack light especially for days that you have to carry your own bag--I got a backpack that was large enough to do so which made it easy to go in train stations and to hotels. If I had known there was going to be in-room laundry in Takayama I would have packed less overall in my large suitcase. There is great food in department stores/train stations which are similiar to food courts you would find in Europe. The grocery stores have great selection of food. Even Seven-11 Food was good and cheap. The food at restaurants was very filling and not expensive (compared to Europe). Bring comfortable shoes--you walk at least 15 000 steps a day. And bring a bag for garbage as there are no garbage bins on streets--though you eat at establishments instead of out. If you need to throw something out it does help to have a small bag to carry in your day bag. Expect to take a lot of photos. Always go out with full battery power--and have back up. Japan uses the same plugs as North America so you don't need to travel with universal plugs/converters. Good wifi is handy to get around Cities easily (aka google maps). Taxi and public transportation are cheap, fast, and reliable.