Most Inspirational Moment
The most inspirational moment was the last day cycling back to Cape Town along the coast beside the famous apostles in glorious sunshine.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He was fine as a group leader but not as cycling guide. He was never prepared for punctures or bike malfunctions. It was obvious that he had done this cycling tour for three months. He knew the route and where to go for evening meals but I had had enough of supermarket lunches.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Firstly there is a lot of time being transported from A to B. The Bikes are old and need to be replaced. How they can justify an extra £250 for an eBike baffles me. Beware that South Africa is a dangerous place so ask if it safe to go out on your for a walk or run. You stay in some fabulous places. The down day in Hermanus is a waste when there are no Whales to see. As always with these trips the last day is the best depending on the weather
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Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank David for taking the time to submit a review and were pleased to read that he enjoyed South Africa in general. On the other hand, we were genuinely sorry to hear that he was disappointed by the leadership and several other aspects of his tour. The leader assigned to this departure has been working with Exodus for 6 years, during which time he has led 25 trips and amassed a lot of positive feedback from our clients. Whilst we expect leaders to be familiar with the equipment, they are mostly focused on the general logistics of the tour, which is why our cycling tours feature mechanics who are on-hand to address any issues with the bikes and inspect them after every ride. We understand that your mechanic doubled up as your driver and we can confirm that he has vast experience working in these roles for Exodus and other tour operators. We find that this arrangement works well, although we are sorry if you felt your leader could have offered more support. We regret that David was also disappointed with the quality of the bikes, particularly as the bikes allocated to his group were just 2 years old at the time and had only been used on 3 tours. These bikes were checked by our local manager before being distributed to your group and he has assured us that they were in pristine condition. In terms of the cost of the e-bikes, these are extremely expensive to purchase and maintain and we can confirm that the prices we charge for this option are reflective of the costs we incur to use them. To cover as much of this large country as possible and avoid cycling on busy roads, this trip involves some transfer time in a vehicle, however, almost half of the total distance is spent on the bikes along quieter, more scenic routes. We find that many clients enjoy the transition between bikes and vehicle, as it allows people to recover, whilst still taking in the views, although we are sorry that this was not David’s experience. We would not wish for any of our clients to feel unsafe on our trips so we were concerned to read David’s comments about his time in South Africa. Whilst we advise clients to take caution in all the countries we operate trips in, our local manager, who has resided in South Africa for many decades, has assured us that all the places visited on this itinerary are safe to walk around. This trip’s average rating of 4.5/5* suggests that most of our clients enjoy it, which we find reassuring, although we would not wish to downplay David’s disappointment on this occasion. We sincerely hope that he affords us another chance on a future trip.
John Penge, Product Manager
