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.

Select a trip specific review:

Select

14215 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Bridget Bennett

Reviewed February 2024

A fantastic trip

This trip exceeded all expectations in terms of the iconic wildlife we saw and the spectacular scenery, with a wonderful guide and crew. Also we had a good group of only 7, and being outside peak season camp sites were quiet, and there was less competition between safari vehicles for prime viewing spots.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many - a pride of lions round a recently killed buffalo, a cheetah and later a lion walking beside us (all a few feet away), a leopard with kill in a tree, lions mating

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gathoni was a great guide, working incredibly hard, developing relationships with each of us individually, working really well with the rest of the wonderful crew (Ben, Dan and Godfrey), and always cheerful and funny

Advice for Potential Travellers

Note that yellow fever certificates may be required for entry into Kenya and Tanzania as well as Zanzibar, and as of January 2024 it’s easier to get the Tanzanian visa at the border than online as Exodus don’t provide sufficient information to do so online. Also note that optional activities in Zanzibar can vary in price depending on how many of the group want to participate and where you’re staying. It’s worth also noting that this trip is very full on with very little downtime or opportunity to get any exercise. It’s probably unavoidable given the distances involved, but good to come prepared.

Ruth Townsend

Reviewed February 2024

ALN 240120

Great insight into an amazing country . We covered so much and saw some amazing sights. Some of the days were understandably quite long but unfortunately the transport ( i.e. the minibus) was not the most comfortable, my husband at 6foot 1inch was unable to fit his knees in between the seats and had to travel with his legs in the isle ( not the most comfortable of positions) also the air conditioning was not very efficient.

Most Inspirational Moment

Doing the Tongeriro crossing

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jeff was a great group leader. His knowledge and enthusiasm for New Zealand were second to none. He told us so much of the local culture and history, always making it really interesting. He also managed to try and plan the itinerary around a varied range of peoples abilities, requirements and the changeable weather conditions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for long tiring days and changeable weather, but it is definitely a trip not to be missed

Carol Fagg

Reviewed February 2024

Trip name is a misnomer

Had a brilliant holiday, saw so much, but the trip title is a misnomer.
Not sure what the odds are of seeing the northern lights in 4 nights, but unlikely to be more than 50:50

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking on a glacier

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go expecting to see lots, - but not necessarily the Northern lights. If you get them it's a bonus.

Susan Thackray

Reviewed February 2024

Kenya and Tanzania Adventure

This was my fifth trip to Kenya and my second to Tanzania and it didn’t disappoint. It was a small group of seven and we had a great team to lead us. There were several changes to the itinerary and all enhanced the trip. We camped the first night near Lake Naivasha and had a great boat trip the following morning, seeing hippos, fish eagles and other water birds. When it came to game watching in Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro we couldn’t have done better. We saw a pride of lions devouring the buffalo they’d just taken down, a cheetah and prey, a leopard up a tree with its impala prey as well as vast herds of zebra and wildebeest between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Our two days at Cristal Resort at the end provided a relaxing end to the trip, apart from a noisy first night. We ate very well throughout thanks to our cook, Dan, who provided a wonderful range of freshly cooked meals, many of them vegetarian together with African specialties such as mandazi and ugali. Ben was an excellent driver and he and Godfrey were ever helpful, putting up and taking down our tents most efficiently. Caroline was an excellent tour guide, always cheerful and informative, always striving to improve our experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Several listed above but also the dawn hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara with champagne breakfast in the bush.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Caroline was great throughout and seemed always to provide us with an exciting end to our game drives.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took a self inflating sleeping mat which really wasn’t necessary as those provided were fine. A good pair of binoculars and a camera with a telephoto lens really were very useful.

Jo Ronald

Reviewed February 2024

A trip offering a rich variety of experiences

Was quite nervous about going as it was my first trip to India. Once we arrived, I realised my nerves were unfounded. Our leader Safi and his two assistants Dipin and Sanjeed were all amazing. Everything was organised beautifully. They led the rides expertly, and made sure that we had a varied and authentic experience of India. The Indian people were fantastic – friendly, curious, helpful. And the children … wow! Lovely.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of the hairpins at Ooty on a bike was a major personal achievement. However, there was so much to choose from - temples, holy rivers, stunning landscapes, amazing food, the warm ocean, three states, all very different, tuk tuk rides, seeing elephants and a leopard in Bandipur. Seeing a monitor lizard. And the backwaters cruise is stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Safi was amazing, as were Dipin and Sanjeed. They were brilliant. Can't praise them enough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't count on the ATMs, they don't always work and are only available in the bigger places. Safer to take cash to exchange as this gives you more options. Take plenty of hand sanitiser and use it. Only drink filtered or bottled water and drink in cans or bottles. We took chlorine tablets just in case, but only used them to keep our water bottles clean overnight.

Roderick Ciaran Kilduff

Reviewed February 2024

Walking in Cyprus Feb. 2024

Enjoyable week, weather was warm and pleasant despite it only being early Feb. A little too much sight seeing and not enough walking . However the walking days were very enjoyable .

Most Inspirational Moment

Swim in the sea in February.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ingen was helpful and informative, had an excellent knowledge of the local area and Cyprus as well as and the best restaurants to go to. ( we ate very well every night!) . Sometimes he tended to give too much information so one missed the overview. The driver Omar was very pleasant also and very available even taking us out to dinner by bus so we could get to restaurants out of Kyrenia.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good for pleasant weather in February.

Phil Revell

Reviewed February 2024

NZ24

This was a really good trip to a stunningly beautiful country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to choose, but probably the Mount Cook glacier walk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jeff was a good leader. Adaptable and resourceful with problems, knowledgeable and entertaining about the country and its culture.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take insect protection. NZ's only predator is the sand fly. Think midges on steroids.

Mary Kinoulty

Reviewed February 2024

Action packed holiday

Excellent holiday with Lam as a fantastic experienced guide and 3 other helpers. Log days of cycling and coach journeys, excellent food and good company from around the world

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of Hai Van Pass and the rest of that very varied 100km cycling day

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lam was excellent, incredibly well organised, always cheerful and full of information. He was particularly helpful to a team member who fractured her ankle and spent most of the trip on the bus

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a full on holiday with 12 hr days - breakfast at 6m, 7am start and not finishing til 5/6pm depending on th day. Not for the faint hearted or those who want a lie in. The heat of 34 in Ho Chi Min was a shock and along with the humidity made cycling tough. the temperature dropped as we headed north ad was around 10 in Hanoi.

Julie Furze

Reviewed February 2024

A good and varied tour

A fast paced and busy trip with sensory overload

Most Inspirational Moment

Many great moments throughout the tour (game drives especially). Most inspiring moment was snorkelling with the dolphins at Ponta Do Ouro as I have never done this before. I am quite a nervous ocean swimmer so this was big for me. From launching the boat, cutting through the surf to get out to the deep blue, finding the dolphins and watching them play, to getting into the water with them.... the whole experience was awesome. Dolphin Encounters is an exceptionally professional and respectful organisation doing really important work. We witnessed quite a few wildlife "stories"including rhinos chasing off 2 cheetahs and a pride of lions returning to a buffalo kill and the scavengers trying to sneak a meal. Able to watch the scenes for up to an hour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrew and Paul were great throughout the tour working very hard behind the scenes to make the tour a great experience for us

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great and varied tour and would highly recommend it. However I would add two caveats to that:- 1. Travellers should be aware that the sea at Ponta Do Ouro is quite rough with huge breakers and a large swell once out in the deep blue. You need to be quite fit to anchor yourself into the boat via your feet and to be strong enough to hold onto the edge of the boat (rib Boat) as you cut through the breakers and swell. 2. The game drive vehicles are 9 seater long base trucks (3 x3).We found we were incredibly cramped with virtually no room for daypacks. If we had been 10 then they would have to have used an additional truck. We did ask for an additional truck and to pay any extra cost but it was not forthcoming.

Roger Heward

Reviewed February 2024