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 New Premium Trips Polar Walking & Trekking Wildlife Holidays Winter Holidays
All months
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
Review Centre
Review Centre

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

Everything hoped for

What you see on a trip such as this is always dependent on being in the right place at the right time. However the hard work and depth of knowledge of the expedition guides made for a memorable experience. They were always up, (if they ever went to bed), scanning the land and sea and sea ice, out early in the morning in zodiacs looking for the best opportunities to see wildlife, and using their experience to take us to amazing places. As a result we had good encounters with five polar bears over three days, saw hundreds of Walrus, thousands of sea birds, whales, seals and dolphin. Although not seemingly planned, the captain and expedition leader decided a complete circumnavigation of Svalbard was possible, so that’s what we did. It felt like a true expedition and that we were in the hands of experts. If anyone tells me that we were lucky to see and do so much, I would reply that one definition of luck is preparation meeting opportunity and the efforts of the guides and leader ensured we were prepared to take advantage of every opportunity that arose.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was inspirational and it is difficult to isolate particular moments: looking at a tundra landscape of flowering alpines was just as meaningful as watching a Polar bear from a zodiac walking along the shore and going about it’s business unconcerned by our presence. Being surrounded by perhaps 30 Beluga Whales in a glacial Bay and turning off the engine to listen to them blowing and chattering to each other was pretty special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader, Woody, worked phenomenally hard, and took a personal interest in ensuring that everybody on board was getting the most out of the trip that they could. His knowledge and experience, and direction of the expedition guides was faultless, and his seemingly effortless control of the whole trip and enthusiasm made us wake up each day looking forward to a new adventure.

Advice for Potential Travellers

At the end of the trip the option to pay shipboard gratuities by MasterCard was offered. However the ship we were on, Ocean Adventurer, did not have a card reader leading to my suspicious bank immediately blocking my card when they tried to put it through remotely and a bit of a struggle to get it unblocked. If I had thought about it I would have brought enough dollars to pay the gratuities in cash, and thereby avoiding embarrassment.

Free in nature after two years delay

This expedition on Quark’s ship the Ultramarine was delayed from July 2020, and the original booking was for another ship, but then this new one was available, and has dedicated single cabins.
Because of the pandemic we had to take tests before flying to Oslo, and there another antigen test for Quark. All negative persons were allowed to board the charter flight up north, where we met our ship. Because of said pandemic the staff had their own bubble and would not mingle with the travellers,and inside masks were compulsory.So we met the staff only on the zodiac trips and when ashore.Meals were also a lonely affair, as distances were to be kept, buffets had personnel with masks and gloves put on your plate what you asked for and showed, all behind glass
So only the outside, zodiac cruises and walks ashore, were really free, the nature is beautiful, animals free too and showed up to pose for picture, including a group of 3 polar bears who had their meals already caught, and were close to shore. So all zodiacs passed in silence close to the shore, and made rounds number of times, to give us a long and great view of them.
We were the first trip where the ship could circumference Spitsbergen island, even though we had to break some ice and were in a long foggy day. but it all added to the special nature of that area.
Lectures given in the evenings by the staff had different topics, from the animals we saw to their personal adventures(close contacts with bears, kayak circumference trip of Spitsbergen,)And history of course.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing polar bears so close up, without danger, and really doing their thing. Seeing the mountains with fresh snow, the endless sea with ice flows.And so many glaciers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The expedition leader was Solan, very experienced and he led us together with the captain on a very special trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Even though the trip is close to Spitsbergen, there were moments of a rougher sea, so take motion sickness medication. If not, the doctor on board can also help, but better to take what you are used to. You need fully water proof pants, it can get really wet, and I'd advise to take at least two pairs of those pants. Otherwise, layered clothing, no need for anything fancy.And waterproof gloves, several pairs too. Come with an open mind: nothing is guaranteed, except that you'll have a great time.What will fill that time is a surprise.