Reviews

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

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49 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Linda Stalker

Reviewed September 2024

Good trip but some misgivings

This was a good trip but could have been even better. Highlights were seeing orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants in their natural setting.
On day 2 trip notes state a day trip to Bako NP and we left hotel at 7.45am. Unfortunately we were back at hotel by 1.30pm and this included an hour spent having lunch at Bako. Felt that if Exodus weren’t giving us the day trip promised then they could have added in an optional afternoon trip perhaps to Semenggoh to see orangutans.
On day 5 you fly from Mulu NP to Kota Kinabalu and meet new guide as Exodus have recently changed the trip so that you have different guides in Sarawak and Sabah. This is difficult for both group and guide as you no sooner meet new guide than you have a free day in KK (unless you choose the snorkelling day trip option). Unfortunately the hotel in KK has no outdoor space or swimming pool and Exodus need to upgrade this hotel to make free day more comfortable.
Stay in longhouse on Day 7 is a one-off experience and some on group really didn’t enjoy the basic facilities on offer. Unfortunately day 8 was a Sunday and the tea factory was closed so this spoiled the tea factory visit as there is no atmosphere being shown round an empty factory.
When i booked trip we were meant to get an included lunch on day 8 because the Gomantong Caves were closed to the public. This was outwith Exodus control so this was an acceptable compromise however in July the caves were open to public. Exodus cancelled the “free” lunch on Day 8 but we then had to pay to enter Gomantong caves when we visited on Day 10. Seems a stupid example of penny pinching on a fairly expensive trip.
On the nights of days 10 and 11 we stayed at Nature Lodge on Kinabatangan River. No mosquito nets were provided in the rooms and most of the group were bitten. Food at Lodge was included but was fairly basic and poor quality. Three river cruises were included whilst staying at Nature Lodge but entire group was charged 60MYR a head for the final cruise because they took us upstream in search of pygmy elephants. It seemed unnecessary to charge group this extra £100+ as we had an included cruise, were not out for any longer than we would have been and probably used the same amount of fuel. Also didn’t like that it was compulsory- if entire group didn’t agree then trip to find elephants wouldn’t happen.
Borneo rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley was lovely but unless you opted out of arranged activities it was full on for the entire visit and exhausting.
My main concern on this trip was the amount charged for single supplement. This is not something that you give much thought to until you find yourself travelling solo. On this holiday paying the supplement only gets you your own room for 10 nights as you have to share for 2 nights at Mulu NP and Rainforest Lodge in Danum. The other 10 nights are spent in fairly average hotels and a quick check of prices showed that the entire cost of a room in these hotels was fractionally less than the single supplement. Given that the basic tour cost includes accommodation surely the single supplement should only charge the additional 50% cost of the room. I and other solo travellers on trip definitely felt ripped off by single supplement charged.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing orangutans in the wild

Thoughts on Group Leader

Two group leaders (Nik and Rony) - took a couple of days to get used to change. Both very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty mosquito spray for Kinabatangan River and good waterproofs for Mulu.

Reply from Exodus

Thank you for taking the time to submit a review, Linda, and we were pleased to read that you generally enjoyed your time in Borneo with us, particularly witnessing a variety of wildlife in their natural habitats. On the other hand, we are genuinely sorry thar you were disappointed with several other elements of the tour, which took some of the shine off your holiday. Our product team endeavours to produce the most up-to-date and accurate trip notes possible; all our trip notes are thoroughly checked and signed off by our local manager at the beginning of each season and these are updated throughout the year if any inaccuracies are brought to our attention. It is certainly never our intention to provide misleading information, so we regret that you felt this was true of some of your tour. Regarding day 2’s itinerary, this generally involves a very early start to Bako National Park, lunch, and a mid-afternoon return to the hotel to relax. Though, due to the nature of adventure travel, timings are always flexible, it sounds as though your group completed this activity quicker than usual and we regret if this left you feeling as though you missed out on the opportunity to do an afternoon activity. Next, recent changes to guiding legislation on Borneo has forced our hand into have two leaders on this trip. Whilst this may not be everyone’s preference, it is standard on our other trips in this region and we have found that it generally works very well. We appreciate that clients enjoy comfortable accommodation throughout their trips and we are sorry that the Kota Kinabalu Hotel fell short of your expectations, particularly as you had a free day here. This trip is classified as “classic” according to our comfort ratings and we feel the hotel meets this description, as well as being perfectly located in the centre of town. On the topic of accommodation, we note that some members of your group didn’t particularly enjoy the longhouse; we do specify in our literature that it’s fairly basic, which usually sets our clients’ expectations accordingly, but we feel it is worth doing as it provides an authentically Bornean experience. The Nature Lodge on Kinabatangan River is also rather basic, but we should mention that options in this part of Borneo are extremely limited and it is visited for its prime wildlife viewing opportunities, which we hope you enjoyed. We acknowledge, however, that the food service here could be improved and I can assure you that we are currently discussing this with the management to ensure better culinary experiences for future groups. The Gomantong Caves and day 8 included lunch were removed from our WOH itinerary for 2024 as we were advised they would be closed to the public all year. We understand that the caves were, in fact, open during your trip and you were given the opportunity to visit on day 10 but were disappointed to be asked to cover your entry costs. This is not an official optional activity we advertise and it appears your leader simply offered this at the time; however, as this was entirely optional, we do not feel that you were left short-changed on this occasion. We recognise that value for money is important to our customers and we were, therefore, concerned to receive your feedback about the cost of your single supplement. We negotiate rates with hotels a long time in advance of departure dates and we are held to those rates for a season, even when hotels may lower their own prices for last minute walk-ins, online bookings or other avenues through which guests can make reservations. The hotels we use often charge us the same rates regardless of room type, with no reduction for singles, which further impacts our ability to reduce the single supplement charge. Nevertheless, we endeavour to negotiate rates which are fair and favourable for our clients and we can assure you that the amount you paid for your trip was reflective of its inclusive elements. We would like to thank you, again, for your detailed feedback, as this will allow us to make improvements to this tour for future Exodus customers. We sincerely hope that, despite certain disappointments, you will continue choosing us for your adventure travel plans.

Kelly Reid, Product Manager

Angela Beckwith

Reviewed May 2024

Borneo Wildlife Discoverer

What can I say – what an amazing trip. From start to finish we were incredibly lucky with what we saw and the encounters we had. Starting in Bako NP, we saw wild proboscis monkey and were treated to a rare sighting of a Colugo (flying lemur) taking flight over our heads during the day. On the way back on the boat, we were even treated to a viewing of pink dolphins.

In Mulu, the caves were beautiful and great fun to walk through. Although we were supposedly there during the ‘dry’ season, climate change has made the weather much more unpredictable. We had lovely weather both mornings, but torrential rain in the afternoons and overnight, so much so that the bats stayed inside the cave on the first night. Patience and a willingness to walk in the rain with crossed fingers paid off on the second night, and we were treated to a spectacular bat exodus during sunset. The weather is very changeable in Mulu (and Borneo in general) so even if it looks as though it may be too wet for the bats, I would recommend heading to the viewing area anyway as you never know! Even in the rain, the air temperature is warm and you dry off quickly.

Moving to Sabah, the highlights have to be the Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley. Both were so rich in wildlife and we had such amazing viewings in both locations. The Orangutan and Proboscis monkey sanctuaries are great and do fabulous work, but nothing compares to seeing these animals truly out in the wild. We were incredibly lucky with our sightings and saw not only the Borneo Big 5 (orangutan, proboscis monkey, crocodile, rhinoceros hornbill and pygmy elephant) but a huge array of other primates and birds (long and short tail macaques, gibbons, silver and red leaf monkeys, flying squirrels, owls, civets, slow loris, eagles, deer and many more) . Particularly in Danum Valley, take the opportunity to do as much as possible. There are a couple of places on the track and boardwalk that you can go independently providing the sun is up. A few of us in the group met up at 6am on both mornings in Danum and we were rewarded with a group of gibbons eating and playing in the trees on both mornings – a sight not repeated during the day. Seize every opportunity and just explore and enjoy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the wild mother orangutan with her 1 year old baby up close in Danum Valley. We were the only group on that particular trail at the time and we were able to observe the two eating fruit up in the tree, before coming down and crossing over to a different tree right in front of us. The gentle and relaxed attitude of the mother was such a pleasure to experience and we were able to observe and photograph the two together in their natural habitat for an amazing time. I also personally loved seeing the red leaf monkeys (or maroon langurs). These guys were an incredible flame red and moved through the trees so quickly - such a joy to see. Our guide in Danum (thanks Hairie) did such an amazing time in spotting the wildlife for us, and even managed to find two groups of red leafs on the different days. At Kinabatangan River on our last river safari, we got to see a full herd of pygmy elephants crossing the river right in front of our boat which was just incredible.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had two leaders for the trip - Nizam in Sarawak and J in Sabah. Both were excellent guides and went out of their way to accommodate any requests and ensure that the entire group got the most out of the trip possible. In Sarawak, Nizam was such a lovely, bubbly guide - always looking for things to show us and little extras to do, be it wild swimming in Mulu or going to see the sea stacks (and accidentally finding pink dolphins) in Bako. In Sabah, J took over and quickly learned the group's preferences and desires for the trip. He was excellent at adjusting our schedule or activities to best fit with the group and was able to maximise our wildlife viewings and time spent in nature. I understand that this is the first trip Exodus have operated with the new model of split guide duties. We were lucky that both our guides were amazing, and our group of 7 all gelled really well. It seems to me that it could be difficult for the second guide (and the group) when you switch, having spent the first 5 days bonding and getting into a rhythm with the first guide, only for this to then change on arrival in Sabah. It must be hard for the guide too, to come into an already formed group, but J did a fantastic job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As mentioned in a previous review, you really do not need much in way of long trousers and tops. It is very hot and humid, so quick-dry shorts and t-shirts are the way to go. It is easy to wash these out in the hotels each evening and they dry quickly in the air conditioning. Almost all the places we stayed (the longhouse excluded) had good air-con and so you could wash and dry clothes quickly and easily. Whilst Borneo is a Muslim country, it is not nearly as conservative as some and shorts and t-shirts are generally fine throughout. Even in Danum, most of us had short-sleeves on; although you definitely do need long trousers and socks there for the leeches. Be prepared that it can and will rain with little to no warning, so if you are carrying expensive camera gear or anything you do not want to get wet, ensure you always have a dry bag or something waterproof to wrap your equipment up in if necessary. I found it far too hot and humid to even consider putting on a poncho or raincoat on during the rain, so just accepted I would get wet. Even after a good soaking in Mulu, I was dry within 15 minutes of the rain stopping. Pack light - you are moving around a lot and do not want to be struggling with a large bag.

John Spillare

Reviewed April 2024

Borneo Wildlife Discoverer

great tour leader, nice traveling group, great trip

Most Inspirational Moment

our time in Mulu. The caves, the rain forest, the ambiance of the village we stayed in and the locals.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rony was a great leader, he went out of his way to make sure we got the best experience he could offer. he was so happy that we got to see the big 5 of Borneo. No request was too much to ask for and he went out of his way to make sure that questions and requests were all taken care of.

Advice for Potential Travellers

this is a great trip to take if you are of average fitness or not that young, yet be warned, to be prepared for high temperatures and high humidity, in the 90% range. We have done many trips into 3rd world countries and I must say that this trip was the safest feeling one that I've ever been on.

Niamh Byrne

Reviewed April 2024

Borneo Wildlife Discoverer

This was a very interesting and enjoyable holiday in the tropical rainforest. Monkeys and birds were plentiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing an orangutan mother and baby in the wild and many other monkeys and birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rony enthusiasm and knowledge of wildlife contributed hugely to the success of the holiday. He brought his telescope which allowed us to get very close views of the animals and birds.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Kuching where the tour starts is a very relaxing and interesting place to spend a one/ two extra days.

Diana Terry

Reviewed March 2024

Introduction to the island, its people and the wildlife.

We saw a lot of wildlife due to the skill of our guides. By the end of the holiday we were able to spot the birds and animals ourselves. Kept busy with many activities and group meals. We felt privileged to see such rare animals in their own habitat in disappearing rainforest.

Most Inspirational Moment

On the river Kinabatangan we were able to see the orangutans, horn bills, prob is us monkey and many birds in the wild. It was much better than seeing them at the feeding platforms.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rony was excellent throughout being helpful, sociable and knowledgeable. He had the skill as group leader which meant he included everyone in all the activities. I am profoundly deaf but was able to take part and with support hear the talks. He explained the culture and context of the wildlife as well as the bare facts. We really felt looked after.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was not necessary to have leech socks if you had long socks to tuck your trousers into. It was essential however to have insect repellent and to pack a light suitcase. You are moving regularly and the packing needs to be minimum.

Sue Bowen

Reviewed March 2024

BORNEO WILDLIFE

An excellent introduction into Borneo wildlife. We were a group of 8 and spent a fascinating two weeks discovering the birds and animals of Borneo. Great accommodation and and excellent guide.

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling near KK - beautiful fish and coral plus a large turtle

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roni was great - always informative and incredibly enthusiastic. Took us to lots of interesting places to eat and made sure we saw a huge variety of wildlife.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take two water bottles - it is hot and humid. Walking poles also useful. Be prepared for long and often bumpy rides - the roads outside the cities are not great. While this trip concentrated on wild-life spotting, there is also amazing vegetation with flowers and funghi - don't just look up, there is a lot to see when you look down as well!

Andrew Phipps Newman

Reviewed October 2023

Borneo - A must visit in your Exodus trips list

I would recommend this trip, in fact I would say it’s a must, especially if your interested in wildlife and get a better understanding of the socio-economic reasons why rainforests are being replaced by agriculture. From countless up-close wildlife experiences (I would say guaranteed) deep inside the rain forests to amazing natural geological wonders of the world, this trip just keeps on giving. As always our Exodus leader or guide was just excellent on every level. Jay helped up to understand the natural world and its unique symbiotic relationships and the recent balance and regulation to help protect the remaining rain forests. We always felt safe and often important as Jay was well known as a long standing guide in the area. I’ve come away feeling lucky to experience such a country and keep replying my memories so they become indelible ones.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jay was always thinking of the group. I would go as far to say the reason why the group got on so well was due to Jay and his constant consideration for other, which rubbed off on us all. Jay is a major asset to Exodus and if I could book him again on another trip, I would.

Brian Webber

Reviewed October 2023

Brilliant Borneo

We can thoroughly recommend this tour. The itinerary meant a fair amount of travelling but it was well planned and well supervised by Nostalia our guide. In two weeks we ticked off all the creatures on our pre-tour wish list apart from pigmy elephants, more than compensated by brilliant encounters with bats, orangutans, monkeys, hornbills, and flying squirrels. In between we had time to explore the cities of Kuching and Kota Kinabalu and sample great local food from restaurants and hawker stalls.

Most Inspirational Moment

The first came in Mulu National Park where we witnessed literally millions of bats leave Deer Cave at dusk to begin their evening search for dinner on the wing, twisting and swirling like endless murmurations of starlings. The second came from repeated sightings of orangutans and proboscis monkeys in trees along the Kinabatangan River and in Danum Valley, showing that they can thrive in the wild in areas where their natural habitat is being conserved. A pre-breakfast walk in the Danum Valley lasted less than 100 metres before we encountered orangutans that we joyfully watched for the next 90 minutes as they played and fed in the fruit trees near our lodge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nostalia was an excellent leader throughout our tour. She provided clear briefings with everything we needed to know about timings, where we were going, what we could expect to see, and what to wear on different occasions. As expected from an Exodus leader, she proved very knowledgeable on all wildlife matters . She was also a great source of information in the towns and cities we visited, advising us where the locals go to eat excellent food at very reasonable prices.

Advice for Potential Travellers

From the trip notes, we surmised that we would be clad in long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and boots most of the time. In practice, this proved necessary for only four days (Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley) near the end of the trip. For the rest of the time, shorts, t-shirts and trainers/sandals worked very well as long as our exposed limbs were well treated with insect repellent. On the bird-watching front, we had delightful sightings of hornbills, eagles and kingfishers but the vast majority of Borneo's 300+ species proved elusive. If bird watching is a priority, you probably need to seek a specialist birding tour rather than a general wildlife tour like this one.

Elizabeth Kerley

Reviewed October 2023

Borneo Wildlife Discoverer Trip

Really enjoyed the trip. It was very expensive but was worth it for all the wildlife seen. Saw Orangutans, proboscis monkeys, other monkeys and bats and lots of birds and insects. Really enjoyed Bako National Park, Mulu, the snorkelling, Sepilok and Danum Valley. The accommodation overall was good but the food was amazing at Danum Valley (Borneo Rainforest Lodge) which made up for the food at Kinabatangan which a bit plain. The trip was the correct length as well, wouldn’t want it any shorter.

Most Inspirational Moment

Really enjoyed Danum Valley after a difficult walk with the humidity seeing orangutans close up. Also really enjoyed the snorkelling and got my confidence back after a bad experience on another holiday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roni was a good leader, very organised and he coped very well when one of our group had a fall. Everything was organised properly and I felt he really enjoyed his job.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is a busy trip and you don't get much free time but really thought I got my monies worth. Leeches weren't as bad as I thought, luckily only got 1 bite that I know of and I didn't buy the leech socks.

Tony Burn

Reviewed September 2023

Borneo Wildlife Discoverer

Great opportunity to sees lots of wildlife in the wild Reasonable pace allowing 2 nights at each location Great end to holiday in the Danum Valley Jungle Resort

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the male Orangutan making a nest in the rain and then seeing him make an umbrella out of leaves

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, very helpful with plenty of local insight

Advice for Potential Travellers

Embrace the jungle as much as possible and don't be worried / afraid of insects / malaria etc

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