Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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108 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

Reviewed April 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

This trip is well worth doing if you want to try and see tigers in the wild where they belong. We didn’t see any tigers for the first few game drives, but keep looking…..there is no guarantee but I saw a tiger cub 4 months old, an adult male asleep in the grass, a female adult in another park, then the last drive was the absolute best, 3 tigers cubs 15 to 18 months old about 10 metres from our jeep the most awe inspiring part of my trip and made it all worthwhile. But the trip as a whole is wonderful. Sightseeing tour in Delhi was great and so interesting.

Most Inspirational Moment

Well seeing wild tigers is the only thing I can say here, truly amazing experience, gives me goosebumps thinking about it! The Rickshaw ride was really good fun as was the Tuc Tuc ride too. Seeing the Taj Mahal was brilliant.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish was a rather lovely tour leader, smiley, funny, made everything go smoothly, looked after us and got us medicine when required. Worked really hard making sure we were all having the best trip we could, he worked so hard behind the scenes. Nothing was too much trouble, he always kept us informed of the next days goings on etc. brilliant I would say and we were lucky to have him as our tour leader. Fact !

Advice for Potential Travellers

The game drives are so dusty so take something to cover your face when needed. After the game drives our hair was full of dust but we didnt care it was all fun ! The food is really good and if you are careful you can avoid Delhi belly like I did. Everyday up really early and you don't really catch up on the sleep but its an adventure so enjoy it all. The sun is hotter than hot, almost unbearable at times, a good hat with uv protection is best. Take some pens and pencils etc for the children at the school, I took a fair bit and they loved them all. Take plenty mosquito spray I took 2 and used it all, ants in the room here and there but that's to be expected when you're next to the forest, soon got rid of them though. Take a few snacks for in between meals, I took cereal bars and was glad of them. The overnight train was better than I expected and it went quite quickly, it was clean and tidy.

Reviewed April 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

What an excellent trip. The holiday was made perfect by being in the company of an exceptional group of like-minded people, Tigers were seen by all of our group although they were very elusive. Accommodation and food were of a high standard. To experience the busy chaotic streets of India teeming with noise and colour is something I will never forget.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all brilliant, although that first Tiger sighting was just out of this world, seeing a tiger just yards away cross in in front of our jeep sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted to watch, I wanted to capture the moment and take photos, my hands were shaking it was incredible!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Bali (Balvinder Singh) was just the best guide a group could have. His wicked sense of humour, his charm, his friendliness, his love and passion for his Country inspired us as a group. He was always around to smooth the way, nothing was too much trouble. Bali made me want to return to India one day to experience much more....

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for cold early starts. Tigers are elusive, enjoy the beautiful birds and other wildlife. Take a scarf the drives can be very dusty.

Reviewed April 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

The trip was well thought out, with plenty of variety, and although we didn’t get much ‘tiger action’ in Pench or Kanha, there was much to entertain – especially the langurs, which were enchanting. The overnight train journey was a revelation – clean, comfortable and quiet. I loved it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly seeing three huge cubs at Bandhavargh - they were astonishing and I can hardly believe I've seen them and photographed them!

Thoughts on Group Leader

What Harish doesn't know about his country and its wildlife isn't worth knowing. He was always approachable and kind, was ready to answer questions however silly and dealt sympathetically and practically with those who were 'under the weather'. He organised things behind the scenes - transport, porters etc., so we never had to worry about anything. A wonderful leader and the best we could have had.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take toilet roll with you at all times, especially for the train.Make sure you get plenty of Rupees at Mumbai as there is nowhere to change money till you get to Agra.

Reviewed April 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

This trip was exciting, well organised and inspirational, and exceeded my expectations. It is difficult to find the right words to sum up the whole experience that is India – immense, overwhelming, cultural, basic, ancient , modern, friendly, diverse, colourful, busy, noisy, smelly! and so much more. You have to go and experience it to know exactly what I mean.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hearing our guide say quietly ' tiger coming ' as we sat in our jeep parked on a dirt road followed by the sound of rustling in the undergrowth. Spotted deer exploding across the track fearful for their lives and the quiet appearance of a tigress and three, definitely not cuddly, cubs in front of us - magic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

'Bali' ( or Balvinder Singh to give him his proper name ) was exceptional. His whole philosophy was to do everything he could to make this holiday a sucess for everyone. His organisational skills were epic - especially when it came to getting all of us plus our luggage onto the sleeper then making sure we were all together by persuading people to change berths! He gave us an insight into Indian culture and geography, explained the food we were eating and so obviously enjoyed his job that his good nature rubbed off on everyone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do some research on India before you go so as to appreciate things to the full. As a woman remember that India is a very male orientated society and dress appropriately.

Reviewed April 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

An excellent trip, with superb accommodation and food. Itinerary was perfect, with not too much travelling involved. Tigers seen by everybody in the group, though personally, only twice out of fourteen game drives. Each sighting was of a female with three grown cubs in Kanha and Bandhavgarh, the latter being very close. Perfect finale to the trip with a visit to the Taj Mahal – unforgettable!

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly, seeing tigers close-up in their natural environment, but so sad to think that their future remains endangered. The visit to the Taj Mahal - absolutely stunning! So hard to believe that this magnificent building was completed almost 350 years ago. The familiar postcard images fail to show the amount of fine detail of the semi-precious stones within the marble that seemingly fills every square inch.

Thoughts on Group Leader

'Bali' (Balvinder Singh): From pick-up to departure, 'Bali' just never stopped working to ensure that everything was as it should be. We had no major problems, thanks to his exceptional organisational skills. Inevitably, a few very minor problems arose, but none was too small for him to rectify. At mealtimes he guided us through the wide range of Indian food on offer, before settling down to his own meal. Single-handed, he virtually nursed us through the expected chaos of the overnight train, keeping personal charge of the porters and our luggage as it was loaded. The train journey was a breeze! As well as being a superb tour guide, he was a lovely person and an excellent travelling companion, keeping us entertained with his experiences as an Exodus leader, his enthusiasm and love for his country, his personal life as a Sikh, and not forgetting his skill as an amateur magician!! I have never experienced such an emotional farewell. You just might be lucky to get a leader as good as Bali, but you simply couldn't wish for one that's better.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for 5am starts and cool mornings in the Parks. Opt for as many optional extra drives as you can, though the afternoon game drives are less productive - the parks close at 6.15 pm when the tigers are only just becoming active. Above all - be patient!

Reviewed March 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

This trip was just what I had waited the best part of my life for – to see a tiger in its natural surroundings. As usual, it was well organised and went without a hitch despite the "jobs worth" game reserve officials.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a tiger for the first time and the adrenalin rush it gives. It comes out of the blue and you are so focussed on what the tiger is doing that taking photos is the last thing on your mind and then when you do you are shaking so much it takes time to focus. As seeing tigers was the main reason for booking this trip, visiting the Taj Mahal and Red Fort at Agra was like a separate weekend break!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna had been dropped on us at the last minute as the original leader was taken ill two days before we arrived in India. He was passionate and dealt with the disappointment of not being able to join us on the game drives with true professionalism. As his name and details was not on the original booking he was not allowed to accompany us even though an official letter giving the details for the change was not accepted.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Money - unless you arrive in India before joining the trip there is nowhere to change your money other than at Mumbai airport where the exchange rate is not very good. It would pay you to arrange to change your money back at a bank in Delhi on the last day - keeping enough of course for your last meal out that evening.Take a sink plug - in all of the accommodation there are signs saying save water, but none of the sinks has plugs, so while washing/shaving, etc the water just goes down the drain.Sightings - don't be too disappointed if you don't see a tiger. On the 14 game drives the maximum number of sightings overall by our group were four, some only had 2 and it is very hard to keep going out, not seeing any and then coming back at the end of the drive to find that others in your group had wonderful sightings. Of course there is plenty of other wild ife to see including spotted deer, monkeys, peacocks, bird life, etc and by your last game drive you'll say to yourself "and another spotted deer"!Food - enjoy the indian food because it's better than any you will get at home.

Reviewed February 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

This holiday exceeded all expectations. What can you say when you go on holiday hoping to see a tiger and you have the privilige of seeing ten tigers in three National Parke on twelve occasions.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching a large male tiger for more than half an hour, walking along a track, scent marking and not perturbed by us at all. You just can,t beat that.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Harish Kumar is certainly among the best tour leaders that I have ever travelled with. His local knowledge was invaluable and his organisational skills superb. Couple that with his wildlife experience what more could you ask for.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it. There is so much to see and enjoy.

Reviewed January 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

Disappointing as regards tiger sightings – I was one of the lucky ones but still saw only three, albeit all special encounters. It is not a good time at present to visit tiger parks. The new (controversial) regulations imposed by the Indian Government mean that the park authorities have been forced to cut the number of tourist jeeps permitted to enter and constrict the areas where they are allowed to drive and there are now no opportunities for additional game drives or elephant rides.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly the first early morning game drive in Bandhavgarh when a magnificent male tiger padded out of the bamboo and crossed the road a few feet behind our jeep - magical. But India is a destination like no other and the whole trip was an unforgettable experience, shared with a good bunch of fellow travellers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was Hemal Dey. Hemal is a very likeable, kind man with good knowledge of India and its history and customs and a bird specialist. He did his very best for us in often testing circumstances:(1) The late addition to our group of three people whose original-choice holiday trips were cancelled caused problems with game drives and Hemal was constantly trying to manage the situation to be fair to all. Exodus had flagged the problem in an e-mail sent shortly before departure saying that at Kanha and Bandhavgarh game drives would need to be 5 people per jeep but this did not happen on the ground and at all the parks our 10-strong group (plus Hemal) was spread across three jeeps and only rarely did all three together gain acess to the premium zones.(2) Because there were no additional game drives on offer we had several days featuring hours of "leisure" time and Hemal arranged village visits and "birding" walks for us.(3) Our schedule for Agra and Delhi at the end of the trip had to be abandoned because extensive fog caused the train from Katni to Agra to run 12 hours late and instead of arriving in the early hours of Thursday morning we reached our hotel in Agra after dark in the evening. In fact Katni Railway Station (including the "first class" waiting room) and the sleeper train are experiences I will never forget - with Hemal producing brunch (toasted bread sandwiches and boiled eggs) when we had gone almost 24 hours without food.(4) As the Taj Mahal is not open on Fridays, after visiting Agra Fort (well worthwhile) Hemal took us to a vantage point behind the Taj Mahal where we could just about see it in the distance looming out of the mist.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My resume of each park and the accommodation provided:Pench Jungle Camp had the best facilities (including a pool) and the park offers the best game viewing. It has a huge variety of animals and birds which are easy to see through the teak forest. But none of our group saw a tiger (Hemal had warned us that a tiger sighting here would be unlikely).Wild Chalet at Kanha had the best location (overlooking a river) although it was extremely cold evenings and mornings and game drives away from the premium zones were practically a waste of time - dense sal forest making game viewing very difficult. But I had my first tiger sighting at Kanha - our jeep spent some time watching a female on the edge of the forest a hundred yards from the road stalking a spotted deer.Nature Heritage Resort at Bandhavgarh is close to Tala gate and this is the park where, across the group, we saw several tigers. However, most sightings were "manufactured" - the park authorities use elephants to find tigers and shepherd them to where jeeps are waiting. Bandhavgarh is the most beautiful of the parks we visited with spectacular landscapes.The staff at the lodges made us most welcome, service was excellent and the food was always good - plentiful and tasty, mostly vegetable curries of all sorts but with one meat option and all the usual Indian meal extras.The park roads are all extremely dusty and everything gets covered with a reddish film. The evening shower back at the lodge was always a highlight of the day for me!

Reviewed January 2013

LAND OF THE TIGER

This was a last minute booking, which absolutely came up to my expectations.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a couple of inspirational moments, firstly arriving in Mumbai, a domestic flight to Napur and then travelling by road to Pench National Park, this was my first taste of India - WOW. At Kanha NP we had a sighting of Leopard and some distant glimpses of Tiger and a female dragging a carcass. (There had been reports of the kill the previous evening and she had cubs to feed). Then on to Bandhavgarh NP where our group of 4 were privileged to experience a very close encounter with an 8 year old male Tiger, once he had passed our jeep we all felt extremely emotional. I know we will all remember that moment for ever!!! The following day for almost an hour we watched a young Tiger, once joined by his brother, lying on the road, cleaning, relaxing and generally showing off for us. Our guides knew their business, gained us a prime viewing position and we felt completely safe.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader, Harish Kumar worked continually to make this a most memorable holiday. His photography skills and advice were gratefully received. Thankyou Harish.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you love wildlife and feel obliged to see the Taj (which is wonderful) just book this fantastic trip. You will not regret it.

Reviewed May 2012

LAND OF THE TIGER

A truly memorable trip offering the opportunity to see and hear a wide variety of bird and wildlife in three of India’s National Parks. Excellent opportunities to see the main drawcard – tigers!

Most Inspirational Moment

Witnessing a tiger approach a small water hole along a dry river bed and then drinking from it only metres from our jeep. Then followed by a second tiger minutes later! Only 4 or 5 jeeps present making the experience even more magical.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Krishna was an excellent group leader: professional, knowledgeable and patient at all times. He brought so much more to the trip through his knowledge and love of his native country, enriching the tour with details of society, religion and food and drink as well as an incomparable knowledge of bird and wilidlife.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy the experience! It's a privilege to experience these animals at close quarters and worth taking some time away from the frenzy of getting the perfect shot to simply enjoy the presence of the tigers.

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