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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3 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Ian Jack

Reviewed April 2024

Accurate

Mayan ruins and the reef off the coast of Belize

Most Inspirational Moment

Tikal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. The night before we returned to Belize from Guatemala, our guide, Jorge, suggested an early start to make sure we could get to the crossing point early and not join a huge queue (we'd seen it on the way in). We duly got up for an early start with our packed breakfasts provided by the hotel and made it to the crossing point for it to open. By the time we got to the front the queue was well over double the length and the day already starting to get hot. A brilliant move on our guides part. Additionally, very knowledgeable on the bird life and generally keen to show us his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware the humidity, take very lightweight clothing, including some with long sleeves. Keep drinking the water. You will need more than you realize.

Kim Smith

Reviewed April 2024

Belize

It didn’t get off to a good start as the prearranged taxi that I paid £114 for wasn’t at the airport I waited for about 20mins then thought I should get a local taxi which quoted me $50 for the ride to Crooked Tree which was about 20km So I think Exodus ripped me off charging so much for a poor service The arranged taxi did eventually turn up and said he’d been there all the time which was a lie as it’s a v small airport and I would have seen him
The trip itself was great with a lot packed in and an excellent guide Jorge who was unfailingly good humoured and v helpful and kind He even offered to lend me his glasses when I lost mine! The accommodations and food were all good The Jungle Lodge in Guatemala didn’t offer any drinking water except in plastic bottles which rather goes against Exodus policy The ATM caves were interested but I felt were a health and safety hazard as there would have been limited access for rescue services or evacuation Also the ancient artefacts were on the ground just taped off so could easily have been damaged by visitors and some already have been. I felt the administering authority should have taken better care eg providing walkways,emergency exits etc Finally I felt Caye Caulker was marred by a lot of plastic pollution bottles etc along the shoreline and the corals out at the reef were bleached I know that’s not an Exodus issue but maybe you feed back to the resort how to improve the tourist experience

Most Inspirational Moment

Dawn at East temple Tikal

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent Really considerate to improve the tourist experience eg setting off early to avoid the queue at the Guatemala border

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t go with Exodus taxi if you’re not in the group transfer

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Kim for her feedback. We were pleased to learn that she enjoyed her holiday and felt that her tour leader, Jorge, added value to the trip, but we’re sorry that she had difficulty at the start regards to her arrival transfer.
We request that our drivers are at the airport 15 – 30 minutes before the customers arrival time as we don’t want our customers worrying that they have no-one waiting for them in a new country. There are 2 exits at the airport, one of which leads outside where all drivers wait with their respective signs. The driver mentioned that he walked around with his sign looking for Kim until he eventually reached her, so this may possibly be the reason she was unable to locate him at first.
We’re regret that Kim feels overcharged regarding her transfer costs, however, it is possible that the taxi thought she wanted to visit the Bird’s Isle Restaurant in Belize City instead, as this is about 18km away from the airport and correlates more with the price that she was quoted. The distance to Bird’s Eye View lodge is 46.3km from the airport and we believe that this would have reflected closely to what she was initially charged.
We appreciate Kim’s comments regarding safety at the ATM caves. The guides undergo specialized training before being granted their license to the ATM cave, including rescue training. They are required to carry a backpack with all the necessary rescue equipment and the cave management has a set procedure for emergency rescues. Due to the mineral formations of the cave it’s not possible to create another entrance or build additional walkways as the idea is to preserve the natural integrity of the cave. A lot of the artifacts are within guests’ reach and the tape is meant to serve as a buffer between the artifact and guests, as well as a marker to guide guests on where to walk. To further protect the artifacts, cameras and phones are not allowed as the guide would have explained before entering the cave and generally visitors are respectful and abide by the rules.
Regarding her comments on the use of plastic bottles, we do request that customers bring along a refillable bottle as outlined in our trip notes. We also offer them a reusable bottle at the beginning of the trip. We will pass on her comment to the hotel; however, this is how they serve water at the restaurant. Whilst we appreciate that we are not going to be able to dramatically change local circumstances through tourism, we assure Kim that we continuously engage with our supplier partners, sharing best practices on environmental initiatives such as eliminating sing-use plastics.
We’re grateful for the time she took to leave a review and hope that we can welcome her on future trips with us!
– Emma Cambers, Product Manager

Mary Duggan

Reviewed March 2024

Daily delights

A new trip that exceeded expectations. Early starts for birds and sunrises and fascinating insights ( and climbs!) into Mayan culture, finishing with Caribbean laid back vibe and a day swimming with nurse sharks and rays!

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day brought memorable moments, from sunset boat trip at Bird's Eye View, listening to and watching Howler Monkeys, the sunrise from Temple IV at Tikal and snorkeling with nurse sharks and rays, and seeing a manatee.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jorge was great. Shared his knowledge and passion for Belize, history, culture, and his expert knowledge of birds and the flora and fauna of Belize. We loved his sunrise birding walks. He also gave us a guided tour of Cathal Pech and a market tour on our free day. You couldn't ask for a more helpful, supportive, knowledgeable guide. Luis Fillippe, our guide in Tikal was superb, bringing Mayan culture to life and a great bird spotter too. Keldon, our driver was careful and we felt relaxed on the bus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes which were helpful. If on the group flight to Houston be careful boarding the correct Hotel bus...there is a North and South Hotel and the bus is not clearly marked..we ended up at the wrong hotel late at night! United Airlines include Belize departure tax in the ticket. Purified Water was available on the minibus and hotels to refill water bottles, no problem. Our 'Keen' closed toe sandals ideal for walking to Caves Branch Rover tubing and Rio waterfalls wading through rivers. Sunscreen ( reef safe) and insect repellent a must. US dollars accepted everywhere in Belize and we used our credit card in hotels. Credit card also in Guatemala although money changers came onto bus at the border to change dollars to Quetzales if needed.

Suggestions

This trip exceeded our expectations. Early starts and early to bed , often surrounded by birdsong or the call of howler monkeys. We would highly recommend this trip.