We noticed you are browsing from

Request Your Free Brochure For Adventure Inspiration. Order Now

All activities
No results found
Select all activities Culture Cycling Family Mixed-Activity Multi-Country Holidays Polar Walking & Trekking Wildlife Holidays Winter Holidays
All months
October 2024 November 2024 December 2024 January 2025 February 2025 March 2025 April 2025 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 October 2025 November 2025 December 2025
Ask a Question
Turtle, Ecuador

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!

Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…

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.

Reviews

Amazing Vietnam

We had not done an adventure family holiday before and were unsure as to what to expect. Any anxieties were very quickly dispelled and we had a memorable 14 days discovering Vietnam from north to south. The schedule was paced so that we had time to recover from flights and travelling. The heat took some getting used to. Our tour guide said that Vietnam has two types of weather, hot and hotter, so don’t pack a jumper! There were five other families on the tour and we all got along really well. Our tour guide Huyen Nguyen made sure everything went smoothly and imparted her in depth knowledge of Vietnam giving us context and descriptions of her beautiful country. The tour was a mix of activities from rickshaws in Hanoi, Cooking classes in Hoi An and relaxing at Whale island. We didn’t really get into the history of the “American War” until late into the tour which was good, because Vietnam is so much more than its history! The Vietnamese people were warm, welcoming and generous. It is also helpful that English is spoken widely and quite well, which is useful as the Vietnamese language is very difficult to understand. The food was really tasty and we enjoyed the Ban-mi in particular. One final note, the Hotels were really good, particularly the Sincerity Hotel in Hoi An which has a very good swimming pool.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to choose from! Hanoi and Hoi were beautiful cities which retain their exotic charm and heritage, with Saigon being a bit more metropolitan. Standing in front of the Presidential Palace felt like a moment in history, however snorkelling amongst the Coral on Whale Island has to be the best memory.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Huyen was an amazing group leader who ensured we were well briefed on what was coming and gave really

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't pack clothes for cold weather - you won't need them. Laundry service was available at Hanoi, Saigon and Hoi An at cheap prices. There were cashpoints around but Vietnam seemed quite safe and we carried cash around without any issues. VISA payments were available in most places.

Fabulous Holiday!

This was such a brilliant holiday – amazing scenery, fabulous food, fun activities, culture and history. We shared it with 5 other families, who all got on fabulously (adults and children) – there was always someone to chat to and share the experiences with. Having a tour guide really helps you get the most from the holiday – especially reserving tables for us all at some of the best eateries – and also takes the stress out of any aspect of the holiday.
We saw so much of this beautiful country in such a short space of time, but still had time to relax and chill out!

Most Inspirational Moment

What an amazing country - we loved all the places we visited and really enjoyed all the activities! Hoi An was probably our favourite - cycling past rice fields with a water buffalo lazing about is an iconic image of Vietnam (and the town is spectacular at night).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Huyen is a wonderful ambassador for Vietnam - her knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for her country were infectious. We learnt so much about her country and culture, and would never have known a quarter this if we had attempted this trip independently. She was incredible with the children and her organisational skills were faultless. She is also not bad at karaoke!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are worried about the 'homestay' don't - it is relatively basic, but the rooms are individual (per family) and even had en-suite bathrooms (albeit Mekong-style). The food is also amazing! Although no air-con, many of the families wish they could have stayed longer (though we thought that about all the places we visited). Most people had a sleeping bag liner for the overnight train - and probably worth taking some toilet roll (just in case).

The best adventure ever!

A fantastic trip start to finish immersing us in the culture, cuisine, history and natural environment of Vietnam.
This trip has a great pace and fits so much into two weeks but with sufficient relaxation time too. Our highlights were Hoi An, Halong Bay and Whale Island.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sharing this two week adventure with my 16 year old daughter! The views from Whale Island beach were breath-taking and we loved swimming until dusk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Duc was an exceptional group leader who looked out for everyone and made sure our every needs were accommodated for. Duc was passionate about sharing the history of his country and made everything go so smoothly. The best tour leader!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This tour is aimed at 13-16 year old and think this is the right age for the amount of travelling and variety of activities.

Absolutely fabulous

The trip exceeded all expectations. It was full of fun, colour and culture. We saw so much of the country in two weeks. We had amazing experiences- cycling through pretty villages, snorkelling in turquoise sea, kayaking through spectacular scenery, cooking and eating delicious food and relaxing on a tropical island. My son had the holiday of a lifetime and had great adventures with new friends. Also we had the most wonderful tour guide who was sweet, sensitive, capable, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her country. I can not recommend this trip highly enough. Oh and amazing value for money too.

Most Inspirational Moment

Kayaking in Ha Long bay, then being taken to a secret beautiful beach to swim. We were all so delighted, and stayed for ages in the beautiful water chatting and getting to know one another.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely excellent. As I said above - Ashley was sweet, caring, capable, funny, knowledgeable helpful and enthusiastic. We all loved her. I particularly appreciated the fact that I could eat a whole variety of delicious food despite my severe nut allergy. Ashley explained it to chefs everywhere we went. In other countries I have accepted that I need to just eat plain, boring food. But everywhere we went, the cooks made special nut-free delicious food after Ashley had explained.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You have to go - it’s a beautiful country and an extremely well organised trip. Also, I worried about mosquitoes, but we hardly saw any.

Excellent Holidays

Travelled with my 16 and 18 year old for last holiday before University- had a wonderful 2 weeks and made new friends. Everyone was friendly, relaxed ,happy and pleased to socialise. Kids ranged from 11 to 18years but gelled well together. Always some one to talk to. Full on trip but variable in activities. But opportunities to be alone if all too much. Loved it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The Meekong Valley was beautiful , a chance to unwind, relax with the group. Very peaceful, great food, staff were friendly. Would have liked a couple of nights there. Vegetarian restaurant in Hoi Chin Ming City- fantastic

Thoughts on Group Leader

Doan made our holiday very special. Looked after all of our group, a joy with the kids, very knowledgeable about the places. Pre-empted our requests and coped with our demands. Took us to wonderful places to eat. We wanted to take her home with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Arrive a day earlier to get over the jet lag and do some of your own exploring of Hanoi. Take tea bags and cups on the train overnight and sheet sleeping bags. Take lots of sun cream as easy to get burnt when snorkelling or swimming in Whale Island. If you get burnt use aftersun NOT oil or cream. Watch out for the Urchins. Take rain macs as when it rains it pours.

Holiday to remember

Lots of activities and visits throughout. Vietnam worth visiting and the trip enabled us to see the real Vietnam as well as the tourist Vietnam. Most of the children fully engaged with the spirit of the holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

One of the children singing ‘all star’ on the bus. It livened up one of the lengthy bus trips. Halong Bay was picturesque. The weather was excellent which resulted in good swimming and kayaking not to mention the photographs from the glorious sunset. Whale Island was beautiful though the weather was windy owing to a nearby typhoon which brought in a lots of debris to the island. Walks around the island are well signed and worth exploring.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ngoc personality and sense of humour drove the trip. He was flexible and understanding and handled all group members diplomatically. He also explained clearly Vietnam’s geopolitical and environmental challenges, the religious and cultural diversity, and the population pressures particularly on housing and incomes. He got the balance right and occasionally fooled parents / children on elements of the trip - in particular the homestay!!

Forget "coconuts". This one's much more about "chopsticks"!

Two week family trip going north to south through Vietnam. It’s graded 1 for effort, but it moves at a brisk pace and manages to cram in a whole lot of places and activities. There is some ‘free time’ but this tour gets you up early and gets you out and about. Combining this with the humid and hot weather it can be surprisingly tiring. It is a family trip so we had beach days, canoe-ing, cycling, snorkelling and a trip to a water-park, which were really good fun for everyone.

FOOD!!!!. Vietnam is a country with a cuisine (excellent) and food figured prominently in the tour. We ate and drank well and are now very proficient with the aforementioned chopsticks!

It is also a country with a complex and troubled history and this was not glossed over. We left with a real feel for the place and its people. It is an amazing place full of very warm and friendly people.

Most Inspirational Moment

A trip to the War Remnants Museum in HCMC. This provided a graphic account of events during the Vietnam war. The viewpoint given is not particularly balanced as atrocious acts were known to have been carried out by both sides in this conflict. That being said, the factual information provided and the photographic records displayed give a sobering account of a very dark moment in time. Some of the material exhibited is quite upsetting and this museum is not really a good one for young children. What is particularly inspirational is the contrast between the events of the war and moving forward 40 years to the Vietnam of today. Modern Vietnam seems to have come through it all and is in a pretty good place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Duy Nguyen was an excellent group leader and the tour was a great success. He clearly knows his job well and gets things organised. He has a degree in history and tourism and is a font of information about his country. No question is ignored and he has considerable patience answering the same series of enquiries from different families! We learned a lot about modern Communist Vietnam as well as its ancient history, colonial conflicts and all things in between. Best of all, he is very good with children. All of the kids on our tour really liked Duy, and he clearly very much enjoyed their company which made the holiday even better than anticipated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We were advised to consider an extra day at the beginning of the trip to help get over jet lag. We followed the advice - the extra time was nice to get in a bit of extra sight seeing, but we feel that it is really not that necessary. Just turn up Day 1 and get into it!

Fantastic family trip to Vietnam

I have just returned from the family ‘chopsticks and coconuts ‘ trip to Vietnam .The trip was excellent in every way ..The itinerary was well thought out .We started the trip in Hanoi and ended it in Ho Chi Min city using a variety of transport including an overnight train journey and 2 internal flights

Most Inspirational Moment

Halong bay by boat was stunning .We all loved the old town of Hoi An and enjoyed our Vietnamese cookery lesson there .The Cu Chi tunnels were fascinating .

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Tam was truly outstanding .He worked tirelessly to ensure that we all had a fabulous time .He helped the group to bond and took us to fantastic restaurants to eat .He showed great humour and patience and his local knowledge and English were superb .

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a busy and varied itinerary with not much free time to laze by the pool but we all loved it .

Great Full On Tour of Vietnam

Just returned from Chopsticks and Coconuts.

It’s a great, full on tour of Vietnam from North to South. We would never have fitted in so much if we had organised it ourselves. Our guide Tring was excellent at all times.

Highlights: For me, yoga by the lake in Hanoi at 5am with hundreds of locals doing T’ai Chi. The Mekong delta’s big skies and homestay. For my son (14), the Dam Sen Waterpark in HCMC and Hoi An time.

Areas that we wouldn’t have missed were Nha Trang as it is mass market tourism there.

I’d recommend this trip wholeheartedly. Take lots of bug spray and a whole lot of energy, every day is full on, there’s very very little time for rest at all – and when it comes it is really appreciated.

Most Inspirational Moment

Mekong delta's big skies and slow pace of life. You can only go at the speed of the river!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, excellent, excellent with both adults and children alike.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of bug spray Vietnamese Dong, not dollars are more widely used

Trip of a lifetime

A fantastically varied trip that highlights the best that Vietnam has to offer. The hotels are great on the whole (special mention to Silk Village in Hoi An), the food is delicious and the people incredibly welcoming. If you have small children, be prepared for them to be patted, kissed, lifted up and posed for hundreds of photos! The pace is quite hectic at times with a few early starts and some long road trips, but the activities more than compensate for this. I would do it again tomorrow!

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling with my 6-year old twins for the first time in open water in Nha Trang. An amazing homestay in the Mekong, where we were the only guests. Our kids helped to cook the evening meal and the wonderful guide Chinh entertained our kids all evening.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He organised everything, picked some great restaurants that we would not have found ourselves and went out of his way to find some Tiger balm for us in Saigon. We even met his family. Occasionally maybe did not make enough allowances for the extra time required for organising travelling with small children.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If your kids are not great at getting up early without complaint, travelling long distances and moving on frequently, this is probably not the trip for you. The War Remnants Museum in Saigon, although a highlight of the trip and a must-see exhibition, shows graphic pictures of death, mutilation and deformity and in our opinion was definitely not suitable for young children. Other than that, just book it!