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Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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115 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviews

LAND OF THE TIGER

This trip was exciting, well organised and inspirational, and exceeded my expectations. It is difficult to find the right words to sum up the whole experience that is India – immense, overwhelming, cultural, basic, ancient , modern, friendly, diverse, colourful, busy, noisy, smelly! and so much more. You have to go and experience it to know exactly what I mean.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hearing our guide say quietly ' tiger coming ' as we sat in our jeep parked on a dirt road followed by the sound of rustling in the undergrowth. Spotted deer exploding across the track fearful for their lives and the quiet appearance of a tigress and three, definitely not cuddly, cubs in front of us - magic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

'Bali' ( or Balvinder Singh to give him his proper name ) was exceptional. His whole philosophy was to do everything he could to make this holiday a sucess for everyone. His organisational skills were epic - especially when it came to getting all of us plus our luggage onto the sleeper then making sure we were all together by persuading people to change berths! He gave us an insight into Indian culture and geography, explained the food we were eating and so obviously enjoyed his job that his good nature rubbed off on everyone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do some research on India before you go so as to appreciate things to the full. As a woman remember that India is a very male orientated society and dress appropriately.

LAND OF THE TIGER

An excellent trip, with superb accommodation and food. Itinerary was perfect, with not too much travelling involved. Tigers seen by everybody in the group, though personally, only twice out of fourteen game drives. Each sighting was of a female with three grown cubs in Kanha and Bandhavgarh, the latter being very close. Perfect finale to the trip with a visit to the Taj Mahal – unforgettable!

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly, seeing tigers close-up in their natural environment, but so sad to think that their future remains endangered. The visit to the Taj Mahal - absolutely stunning! So hard to believe that this magnificent building was completed almost 350 years ago. The familiar postcard images fail to show the amount of fine detail of the semi-precious stones within the marble that seemingly fills every square inch.

Thoughts on Group Leader

'Bali' (Balvinder Singh):  From pick-up to departure, 'Bali' just never stopped working to ensure that everything was as it should be. We had no major problems, thanks to his exceptional organisational skills. Inevitably, a few very minor problems arose, but none was too small for him to rectify. At mealtimes he guided us through the wide range of Indian food on offer, before settling down to his own meal. Single-handed, he virtually nursed us through the expected chaos of the overnight train, keeping personal charge of the porters and our luggage as it was loaded. The train journey was a breeze! As well as being a superb tour guide, he was a lovely person and an excellent travelling companion, keeping us entertained with his experiences as an Exodus leader, his enthusiasm and love for his country, his personal life as a Sikh, and not forgetting his skill as an amateur magician!!  I have never experienced such an emotional farewell. You just might be lucky to get a leader as good as Bali, but you simply couldn't wish for one that's better.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for 5am starts and cool mornings in the Parks. Opt for as many optional extra drives as you can, though the afternoon game drives are less productive - the parks close at 6.15 pm when the tigers are only just becoming active. Above all - be patient!

LAND OF THE TIGER

This trip was just what I had waited the best part of my life for – to see a tiger in its natural surroundings.  As usual, it was well organised and went without a hitch despite the "jobs worth" game reserve officials.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger for the first time and the adrenalin rush it gives.  It comes out of the blue and you are so focussed on what the tiger is doing that taking photos is the last thing on your mind and then when you do you are shaking so much it takes time to focus.  As seeing tigers was the main reason for booking this trip, visiting the Taj Mahal and Red Fort at Agra was like a separate weekend break!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna had been dropped on us at the last minute as the original leader was taken ill two days before we arrived in India.  He was passionate and dealt with the disappointment of not being able to join us on the game drives with true professionalism.  As his name and details was not on the original booking he was not allowed to accompany us even though an official letter giving the details for the change was not accepted.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money - unless you arrive in India before joining the trip there is nowhere to change your money other than at Mumbai airport where the exchange rate is not very good.  It would pay you to arrange to change your money back at a bank in Delhi on the last day - keeping enough of course for your last meal out that evening.Take a sink plug - in all of the accommodation there are signs saying save water, but none of the sinks has plugs, so while washing/shaving, etc the water just goes down the drain.Sightings - don't be too disappointed if you don't see a tiger.  On the 14 game drives the maximum number of sightings overall by our group were four, some only had 2 and it is very hard to keep going out, not seeing any and then coming back at the end of the drive to find that others in your group had wonderful sightings.  Of course there is plenty of other wild ife to see including spotted deer, monkeys, peacocks, bird life, etc and by your last game drive you'll say to yourself "and another spotted deer"!Food - enjoy the indian food because it's better than any you will get at home.

LAND OF THE TIGER

This holiday exceeded all expectations. What can you say when you go on holiday hoping to see a tiger and you have the privilige of seeing ten tigers in three National Parke on twelve occasions.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching a large male tiger for more than half an hour, walking along a track, scent marking and not perturbed by us at all. You just can,t beat that.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish Kumar is certainly among the best tour leaders that I have ever travelled with. His local knowledge was invaluable and his organisational skills superb. Couple that with his wildlife experience what more could you ask for.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it. There is so much to see and enjoy.

LAND OF THE TIGER

Disappointing as regards tiger sightings – I was one of the lucky ones but still saw only three, albeit all special encounters.  It is not a good time at present to visit tiger parks.  The new (controversial) regulations imposed by the Indian Government mean that the park authorities have been forced to cut the number of tourist jeeps permitted to enter and constrict the areas where they are allowed to drive and there are now no opportunities for additional game drives or elephant rides.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly the first early morning game drive in Bandhavgarh when a magnificent male tiger padded out of the bamboo and crossed the road a few feet behind our jeep - magical.  But India is a destination like no other and the whole trip was an unforgettable experience, shared with a good bunch of fellow travellers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Hemal Dey.  Hemal is a very likeable, kind man with good knowledge of India and its history and customs and a bird specialist.  He did his very best for us in often testing circumstances:(1) The late addition to our group of three people whose original-choice holiday trips were cancelled  caused problems with game drives and Hemal was constantly trying to manage the situation to be fair to all.  Exodus had flagged the problem in an e-mail sent shortly before departure saying that at Kanha and Bandhavgarh game drives would need to be 5 people per jeep but this did not happen on the ground and at all the parks our 10-strong group (plus Hemal) was spread across three jeeps and only rarely did all three together gain acess to the premium zones.(2) Because there were no additional game drives on offer we had several days featuring hours of "leisure" time and Hemal arranged village visits and "birding" walks for us.(3) Our schedule for Agra and Delhi at the end of the trip had to be abandoned because extensive fog caused the train from Katni to Agra to run 12 hours late and instead of arriving in the early hours of Thursday morning we reached our hotel in Agra after dark in the evening.  In fact Katni Railway Station (including the "first class" waiting room) and the sleeper train are experiences I will never forget - with Hemal producing brunch (toasted bread sandwiches and boiled eggs) when we had gone almost 24 hours without food.(4) As the Taj Mahal is not open on Fridays, after visiting Agra Fort (well worthwhile) Hemal took us to a vantage point behind the Taj Mahal where we could just about see it in the distance looming out of the mist.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My resume of each park and the accommodation provided:Pench Jungle Camp had the best facilities (including a pool) and the park offers the best game viewing.  It has a huge variety of animals and birds which are easy to see through the teak forest.  But none of our group saw a tiger (Hemal had warned us that a tiger sighting here would be unlikely).Wild Chalet at Kanha had the best location (overlooking a river) although it was extremely cold evenings and mornings and game drives away from the premium zones were practically a waste of time - dense sal forest making game viewing very difficult.  But I had my first tiger sighting at Kanha - our jeep spent some time watching a female on the edge of the forest a hundred yards from the road stalking a spotted deer.Nature Heritage Resort at Bandhavgarh is close to Tala gate and this is the park where, across the group, we saw several tigers.  However, most sightings were "manufactured" - the park authorities use elephants to find tigers and shepherd them to where jeeps are waiting.  Bandhavgarh is the most beautiful of the parks we visited with spectacular landscapes.The staff at the lodges made us most welcome, service was excellent and the food was always good - plentiful and tasty, mostly vegetable curries of all sorts but with one meat option and all the usual Indian meal extras.The park roads are all extremely dusty and everything gets covered with a reddish film.  The evening shower back at the lodge was always a highlight of the day for me!

LAND OF THE TIGER

This was a last minute booking, which absolutely came up to my expectations.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a couple of inspirational moments, firstly arriving in Mumbai, a domestic flight to Napur and then travelling by road to Pench National Park, this was my first taste of India - WOW. At Kanha NP we had a sighting of Leopard and some distant glimpses of Tiger and a female dragging a carcass. (There had been reports of the kill the previous evening and she had cubs to feed). Then on to Bandhavgarh NP where our group of 4 were privileged to experience a very close encounter with an 8 year old male Tiger, once he had passed our jeep we all felt extremely emotional. I know we will all remember that moment for ever!!! The following day for almost an hour we watched a young Tiger, once joined by his brother, lying on the road, cleaning, relaxing and generally showing off for us. Our guides knew their business, gained us a prime viewing position and we felt completely safe.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader, Harish Kumar worked continually to make this a most memorable holiday. His photography skills and advice were gratefully received.  Thankyou Harish.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you love wildlife and feel obliged to see the Taj (which is wonderful) just book this fantastic trip. You will not regret it.

LAND OF THE TIGER

A truly memorable trip offering the opportunity to see and hear a wide variety of bird and wildlife in three of India’s National Parks. Excellent opportunities to see the main drawcard – tigers!

Most Inspirational Moment

Witnessing a tiger approach a small water hole along a dry river bed and then drinking from it only metres from our jeep. Then followed by a second tiger minutes later! Only 4 or 5 jeeps present making the experience even more magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was an excellent group leader: professional, knowledgeable and patient at all times. He brought so much more to the trip through his knowledge and love of his native country, enriching the tour with details of society, religion and food and drink as well as an incomparable knowledge of bird and wilidlife.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the experience! It's a privilege to experience these animals at close quarters and worth taking some time away from the frenzy of getting the perfect shot to simply enjoy the presence of the tigers.

LAND OF THE TIGER

Brilliant trip, everything we wanted and more. Lots of tigers and other wildlife, an enthusiastic and knowledgable guide, great accomodation and great food. And despite being wildelife focused we felt we got a taste of life in India too.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many! The tigers were a big highlight - seeing the biggest tiger in Bandhavgarh stroll towards you and getting six feet away is unforgettable! And washing the elephant in the river! Oh, and driving through the chaos of Old Delhi's market on a Rickshaw! And of course, the Taj!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish was fantastic. He made our trip very enjoyable and went out of his way to make sure we had a brilliant time. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to see tigers go in March or April - we were told this is the best time. This isn't roughing it - we thought the food, the accomodation and transport were all more than adequate.  Take your swimming costume for the pool!Take footballs and tennis balls for the children - the footballs went down particularly well.   Game drives can be quite windy and a little cooler, a few jumpers would also be a good idea (and conditioner for tangled hair!) 

LAND OF THE TIGER

This is a truly special trip. I’ve done a fair few of these and my advice to you is – Just book it!

Most Inspirational Moment

1. Getting the nod that we'd found the elusive blue eyed tiger, seeing our leader coming towards us stood up in his jeep yelling for us to shift and our driver putting his foot down to get there. When we pulled up, a magnificent male tiger was sat in a watering hole calmin drinking and chilling in the sun - magic!2. Following a huge male along a track with 10 or so jeeps all jostling for position, torn between taking a picture and simply watching him swagger down the road without a care in the world. His tummy was full of his recent kill and he didn't care that he was being chased by papparazzi! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Harish Kumar was totally brilliant. He couldn't do enough to make our trip unforgettable. His passion for the worldlife and tigers inparticular coupled with his realtionship with the local staff guarantees you some great sightings. I've done a trip like this before and he made the difference.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My advice would be to do every single optional game drive you can - you never know what you'll see.

LAND OF THE TIGER

This holiday, whilst enjoyable, can be quite hard work with many very early starts.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our first sighting of a tiger at Pench. The park was nearly closing and we had seen this tiger lying in the undergrowth a few hundred metres away for a number of hours when it decided to get up and walk towards us. It crossed the road in front of the jeep turned left alongside the jeep and sauntered of into the jungle. Magical. We had several other close encounters at the other parks both in jeeps and on elephants but the first was the most memorable. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Harish Kumar, was absolutely brilliant. His interest in wildlifeand photography along with his knowledge of the workings of the parks and his rapport with the staff enabled him to negotiate the best time slots and routes within the parks to maximise the potential for us to see tigers. His enthusiasm made the early starts worthwhile. When we were at Aggra my wife had a bad back and couldn't walk very fast and Harish made sure that she was ok and pointed out places where she could rest and wait for the other members of the group so that she didn't feel left out. His knowledge, experience, style, compassion, understanding and sense of humour made the trip.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

You need to be aware of the number of additional game drives that are available at each reserve as these can add considerable cost to the trip. I would have taken twice as much money as I did had I known. ATMs are very thin on the ground and the one we stopped at refused to accept my debit card. My bank being overcautious more than the fault of the ATM but its something to think about. The other thing is if you don't go on the additional game drives there is nothing else to do. Two of the lodges we stayed at had swimming pools. My wife and I missed one of the drives and used the time to relax and read which was ok but not something we could do more than once. There is also time to relax between the morning an afternoon game drives. Also going on the additional drives increases your chances of seeing tigers which is, after all, the object of the trip.