Most Inspirational Moment
The food. The Vietnam portion of the trip was fantastic
Thoughts on Group Leader
No was so friendly. Helpful and arranged some great activities. Maled was also good and arranged some lovely meals on an evening
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Cycle Southeast Asia
Because we enjoyed the trip. The exodus staff we met were all excellent. The organisation was very good and the vehicles (minibuses) were great. The hotels were as described in the brochure and were all comfortable. Also the extra activities were all great
Cycle Southeast Asia
The recent cylcing for I joined which was the 14 day Indo China tour from Bamgkok to Saigon waqs fanbtastic. The tour leader Maled, and all the support teams in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam were absolutely fantastic. Maled was tireless in ensuring we had a seamless tour and was always available to support us and make wonderful suggestions for our free time. The quality of bikes was more than adequate and all were either new or nearly new with excellent mechanical support. The qualoity of the busses and support vehicles were excellent and the snacks provided by the nteam were first class. The hotels were as described in the trip notes and in m ost cases were upo to me expectations or better.
Most Inspirational Moment
The entrire trip was excellent. impossible to choose the best but if pushed it would be cycling through small villages.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Maled was fantastic throughout, we could not have asked for a better leader. He was always friendly and helpful and available to support us as needed. His suggestions of activities for our free times were brilliant as was his choice of restaurants
Cycle Southeast Asia
This was a very well organised tour with an excellent tour leader and excellent local guides and back up teams who all helped us negotiate our travels and learn more about the different countries and their histories, customs , agriculture etc
Most Inspirational Moment
Honestly it was all great - particular highlights were riding through the countryside and up to the Kuhn dan Prakan Chon Dam, cycling round Angkor Wat and hearing the history of all the inscriptions, cycling out to Tah prom, the Banteay Srei temple, the boat trip to the floating villages on Lake Tonle Sap, Sambour, the Genocide museum, the royal palace of Phnom Penh (even in the rain) and particularly the home stay in Vietnam
Thoughts on Group Leader
Maled was absolutely fantastic and made the whole trip very special with is hard work, enthusiasm, knowledge ( of the countries and the food )and organisation
Nervous traveller cured!
First trip of a lifetime – it won’t be the last
Most Inspirational Moment
I spent months fretting about the logistics of this trip but it honestly turned out to be the best travel experience of my life. I'm a bit of a stresshead when it comes to long haul travel so the logistics of packing, buying air tickets, fear of forgetting bike kit were all very real. But from the second my wife and I landed at Bangkok to be met by our Tour Leader, Seen, my fears slowly evaporated so that by the end of the fortnight I was ready to book next year's adventure as a season cycling traveller (maybe). Who knows where that will take us? If I had to pick an inspirational moment it was when most of the 15-strong group met up for the first time in the hotel bar and I quickly realised they were all different and all lovely… a viewpoint confirmed slightly more with every day we spent with each other. By the end there were a lot of sad goodbyes - hopefully au revoirs – as everyone headed their separate ways. Proof that people, just as much if not more than places, make the greatest memories. The places were incredible too, but perhaps the highlight was cycling through small Vietnamese villages to be greeted by chorus of "hellos" from the small children who ran to the roadside whether at school or their man-made homes. They had very little but gave us everything in terms of a welcome. A lesson for the materialistic west. Perhaps the real beauty of the trip was how different each country felt. From the unfussy charm of Thailand and its wonderful cuisine to the roadside monkeys and insect (tarantula deep fried if you want to know) takeaway stalls of Cambodia as well as breathtaking temples which photography couldn't truly capture. Then on to a 'homestay' plus mozzie nets on Vietnam's Mekong Delta with rice paper making, snake wine for lead in your pencil and some of the most beautiful palm tree laden hamlets you'll ever experience. Most inspiring moment really is an impossible question. The trip was like a memory montage of views, interactions and laughter - lots of laughter – as we saw 'different world' situations that just don't happen in boring Blighty. Pub Street in Siem Reap with its countless bars and a particularly wonderful restaurant our Tour Guide took us to – we ate as a group almost every night, a testament to how close-knit we were – karaoke venues that weren't, bars that weren't (use your 'made our excuses and left' imagination), wonderful lunches for £3 a head, sundowners on our hotel's rooftop bar in Phnom Penh, a meal in Cambodia with the noisest chairs you'll ever hear, street markets where one of our number considered taking crabs back to the UK (and by all accounts tried)… and if fish farms are your thing, you'll die happy here (possibly). On the flip side, the Killing Fields and S-21 prison were sobering reminders of man's inhumanity to man, brought even more startlingly to life at the end of the torture centre tour when we were introduced to one of the child survivors now an elderly man with memories of the wrong kind. The Cu Chi Tunnels and Vietnam War Museum at our final destination of Saigon merely emphasised the contrast between the horrors that this part of SE Asia has witnessed and the jaw-dropping beauty of the place. Great to see that the former hasn't tarnished forever or broken the spirit of its wonderful and special people. If I had to pick a single moment it would probably be seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat. I had the pictures to prove it although sadly my camera wiped them. In reality bed was too attractive a proposition after a string of 7-8am starts, but our oldest friends Mark and Sian who braved it, said it was a wonderful experience. Being facetious aside, I'd honestly say the warm welcome almost everywhere we went was my highlight among a constellation of memories.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I don't really know where to start in describing Seen other than to say he was absolutely incredible from start to finish of our tour. Seen is a credit not only to himself but also as an ambassador for your company and was – I don't think this is overegging it – loved by all 15 members of our group. This was my first time on a trip like this so I was nervous and apprehensive before arriving, but had I known how it would all go under the watchful eye of Seen I needn't have worried. He met my wife and I at the airport with a wonderful smile and I knew instantly that he would provide us with the reassurance we needed. He didn't disappoint on that front. By the time we arrived in Vietnam he was effectively considered one of the group, but always maintained a professional stance while remaining friendly and - most importantly - fun throughout. He was the go-to man in all three countries to the extent that when the local guides stepped in some of the group joked "they're great but they're not our real dad". Seen was kind and attentive and extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the heritage, history and religion of all three countries - and above all he was constantly calm, putting the satisfaction of our group ahead of his own needs all day, every day. Even when the local tour guides took centre stage he was always there, attentively looking after our every need. Importantly he also 'got' the sometimes dry and sometimes satirical sense of humour of the group. He had a great understanding of British sarcasm and chipped on when it was right. A real skill that showed empathy and understanding of his audience. When we all got home many people left messages on the Whatsapp group saying they'd been out for a ride but had found it difficult… without Seen. He made a great trip unforgettable and I and the rest of the group still miss him, but intend to struggle through to next March and try to get the band together again - as long as he's our leader.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book an Exodus trip. Based on my initial nervousness, I'd say: Absolutely everything was taken care of from the communications at the start to amazing snack stops and a support vehicle was a constant reassurance. I took my own pedals which I found quite handy - I just needed to switch into trainers for temple stops which was easy. Some people took gel seats for their bike and said they were worth their weight in gold but I used standard bib shorts and didn't have any issues. US dollars are pretty much all you need apart from say £40 in Thai Baht and £30 in Dong PLUS a Revolut card. Last piece of advice - if you're thinking about it, don't. Just do it. Life's too short.
fabulous cycle adventure
Had a wonderful time riding with an exceptional team from Exodus.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Seen did an awesome job keeping us entertained and informed.
Another excellent trip
Just cam back from the Indochina trip, really enjoyed it. Made a video about it, if the future travellers want to know what to expect. https://youtu.be/wxvuuzrSLDE?si=H0rPRX3B_j199x1N
Would be nice if we had extra day in Bangkok. And the free day in Saigon could be a bit more organised.
Most Inspirational Moment
Angkor Wat was amasing. Would love to spend more time there
Thoughts on Group Leader
Maled was great leader and fun. He went over and beyond to make everyone happy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Road is very flat. Be aware of hot weather. Bring some electrolytes
Excellent sights, cycling could be improved
This was a good adventure through three countries, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Starting with Thailand, the first day’s cycling had a mix of temples to see as well as cycling but I felt that day 2 and 3 we were just cycling to get out of Thailand with not much to see and was a bit boring. Cambodia was amazing with not just the amazing Angkor complex, but also the more sombre sights of Phnom Penh, S-21 and the Killing Fields, where our local guide’s personal stories really made you think. Vietnam was different again, with much better scenery for cycling and a lovely stay in the Mekong Delta. Saigon, you are left to explore on your own. I visited the War Remnants museum and the Independence Palace, which both were an interesting visit. The local teams who organised the cycling, were well organised with a special shout out to the Vietnam team, though their roads were the bumpiest.
Most Inspirational Moment
Out of all the temples, I felt that the jungle covered Ta Prohm was the best.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Seen was the overall leader from Thailand . Due to the rules for Cambodia and Vietnam, he does have to defer to the local guides there. But overall, from an organisational perspective, he did alright, getting us all over the borders effectively.
Advice for Potential Travellers
There's no time in Bangkok. I regret not getting there a couple of days earlier to have a look around. Also, if cycling in June like me, expect very hot and humid conditions which makes even light exercise tough, let alone the 50 mile plus days in Thailand, so do prepare yourself for that.
Ground staff great, UK support poor
We booked 2 trips to run together. Booking them intialyy was difficult as the agent couldn’t grasp what we were trying to do and kept quoting the wrong direction and got confused over airports. As a result we ended up flying from London as it was easiest for him to understand. Questions were left unansweredand at no time was it acknowldged that we were doing the 2 trips as one. The final hotel of this trip was supposed to be the same as the first of the next but infact we had to move to a different hotel. Overall an excellent trip was let down by the UK support team.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Angkor Wat
Thoughts on Group Leader
Absolutely brilliant. Rit could not be faulted. He was caring, funny and knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book your own flights
Does what it says on the tin
A lot of cycling with some very long routes
Most Inspirational Moment
It was all inspiring, even Ankor Watt was just one of many temples.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Rit was furst class, a very good group leader
Advice for Potential Travellers
Keep a eye on you money, I had about £200 stolen from my bum bag, most likely from my room in one of the longer stay hotels. As it wasn't my daily money so I didn't find out until unpacking at home.
Cycle Indochina
Mostly flat, although the long days are very hot and you feel the undulations! 3 different bikes, countries and cultures! Covering a lot of distance both in the van and cycling!
Most Inspirational Moment
Sunrise Ankhor Wat and cycling into the vibrant celebration of Vietnamese Lunar New Year!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Seen was an excellent guide, watching over us and the team all the time. Encouraged us to try crispy tarantula!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Have a day or so In Bangkok at the start to allow to adjust for time difference and see the city.