Reviews

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

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17 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Patricia Little

Reviewed September 2022

Whales and Bears of British Columbia

A wonderful trip with some long days of driving but these were mostly broken by regular stops, including some quirky lunch spots. Vancouver and Vancouver Island in particular are stunningly beautiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The full day trip to see Humpback Whales and Grizzly bears. A whole day in a day of dramatic scenery and whale sitings on the journeys to and from the bear observation site. Climbing to the top of Chinese Mountain on Quadra Island while others in the group kayaked. Incredible views from the top. The other was an add on after staying on in Vancouver. My travelling companion and I took a seaplane flight on the mail run. 2 hours of flying with 4 take offs and landings.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Claude managed very well considering he had led the tour before and many things were new to him. He was alert to the needs of the group and kept us on schedule when timings were tight.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Stay on for a few extra days in Vancouver. There is loads to do. Not necessarily the obvious things. We didn't go up Grouse Mountain or to the Capilano suspension bridge. We did get the bus to the University area - easy on the bus, to go to the Museum of Anthropology and Nitobe Garden. We went back for an evening in Kitsilano for a great night at Rogue Folk Club after checking out the events listings. Saw Mamas Broke and The Burying Ground. Again, easy on the bus. Check out the Cathedral, Bill Reid Gallery and the art deco Marine Building. On a clear day get a float plane. Worth the expense.

Suzanne Rosser

Reviewed August 2019

Whales & Bears

This trip combines the highlights of the Canada’s landscape in particular Vancouver Island with wild life both on land and in the sea. All in all I had a lovely experience with a really nice group of people.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wildlife was the highlight for me. Two encounters specifically: Firstly a large male Grizzly wandered along the shoreline, weaving between the trees and the river’s edge. Slowly, it approached us as we stood as a group shoulder to shoulder (forming one large object). It continued aware of us, until it was 20m away, and then passed by and headed further up the road. Also, on returning from the bear trip we meet a pod of Orcas - maybe five or six. The large male had a dorsal fin approximately six foot tall! We watched them for maybe 25 minutes keeping the required distance of at least 200m. Then they disappeared. Suddenly, they appeared just off the bow of the boat like dolphins do surfing in the bow wave (maybe 10ft away). Quickly, we turned the engine off and watched in awe as they disappeared again off into the distance

Thoughts on Group Leader

Eric our group leader was in my opinion not as knowledge, friendly and enthusiastic as previous leaders. He did however manage to organise additional trips for our groups as and when requested and taxied the group about making sure we were at the correct destination at the correct time.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This, as far as I know, is this first time this trip has run as early as it did. We left on the 19th August. Although the salmon ran early last year that was not the case this year. If possible I would recommend to travel a little later maybe mid September - in order to maximise the chances of seeing the grizzlies fishing in the river. We did nevertheless still manage to see all the wildlife.

Stephen Clements

Reviewed October 2018

Amazing Canada

An exciting trip around the island of Vancouver. We couldn’t believe the amazing wildlife encounters we experienced, and enjoyed the hospitality of our cheerful Canadian hosts.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Grizzly bears feed on the spawning salmon with their cubs on the Orford river . it was great to be hosted by the Homalco people in their ancestral home.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Marie- Helen was always upbeat and cheerful. She was resourceful , giving us lots of alternatives. She was dedicated to making sure our holiday was a trip to remember. We couldn’t help getting swept up in her enthusiasm.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Waterproof trousers and a woolly hat are useful for the changeable weather and chilly boat rides. Have a go and enjoy the country.

Craig Caldicott

Reviewed September 2018

Whales and bears

Very good trip . Just prepare for the rain . Saw lots of wild life . Would recommend the trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing orcas , whales and bears

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a great guide . Very knowledgeable and keen .

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some rain gear

Glenn Russell

Reviewed October 2017

Alexandra the Great !

You have to be lucky to have a great holiday. We were lucky to pick this great tour, lucky to travel with a good group and very lucky to have Alex as our guide!This amazing young lady really made the trip – and even altered the itinerary a little so that we would get the best out of every day irrespective of the weather. Although a native french Canadian , she knew everything about Vancouver and chatted animatedly with everyone , answering every question that was sent her way.
There are always things that go a little wrong -our room at Ucluelet was very dark -but she immediately fixed a change with the hotel. She also knew great places to eat and varied it as much as possible.
The highlight of the trip was a day long visit to see grizzly bears feeding on Salmon migrating up the river. On the way we got close to a large humpback whale . With the boat engines stopped we could hear every breath of the whale and managed to get some great pictures – a magical moment.
The zodiac trips to see whales were fun, but our boat skipper kept a very long distance (much greater than the mandatory 100 yards) from the whales even when invited to approach by other boat captains. Considering we had travelled many thousands of miles to see the whales this was disappointing.
The penultimate day was spent in Victoria. We had tasted “beaver tails” -a cinnamon doughnut – in Ottawa many years ago and wanted to repeat the experience. Alex , once again, made it possible and found a local source of this delightful sweet!
As we said our goodbyes to our new friends on the final day, Alex was on hand again to make sure all went well. We hope she continues as a guide – any other have a hard act to follow!

Most Inspirational Moment

The grizzly bear trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

See above -outstanding. 'merveilleuse !

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a really great trip and our first holiday with a group we had not met before. It will not be our last !

Dan Heap

Reviewed September 2016

Whales, Bears and WOW

A brilliant trip, with chance to see huge amounts of the stunning British Columbia Landscapes and lots of wildlife. We were very lucky with the weather, a great group, a top tour leader and wildlife that wanted to show off all of the time.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to choose from. A humpback whale breaching on the way back from seeing 18 bears racing through the emerald green waters of the Orford river catching salmon, to a grey whale who came within 5 metres of the zodiac (too close for some :-) or the Black Bears turning over rocks on the shoreline and a cub up the tree, or the first pod of Orcas, or the Deer swimming between Islands in fairly rough seas, or the fish and chips at Dicks fish and chips in Campbell river, or the Sea Otters, or the Salmon BBQ on the beach, with whales just off the coast, or the laughs with the group, or the rapids and whirlpools in the Bute Inlet.... or many many more

Thoughts on Group Leader

Top Class. Mac was chilled out, good fun and found the right balance on food for the group.. Granted, it’s a limited number I’ve experienced, but he’s presently the best Salmon Barbeque Chef in Canada. He was also on the ball in organising extra trips and experiences, and ensuring you could fit as much in as you wanted to do.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is lots packed in at times, BUT there’s also a fair amount of free time. I was there for the wildlife, so managed to get out on 2 extra whale watching trips in Tofino, 1 long trip in Campbell River and even 1 in Victoria (although this was much more commercial and touristy than Tofino or Campbell River). Be decisive though, especially in Tofino. The weather changes it’s mind more often than you could imagine, if there’s a nice gap in the weather get out and do something - anything, you will have plenty of options, be it Whale Watching, Surfing, Kayaking, Sea Plane Flight, Hot Springs or anything else. In Campbell river the extra Whale Watching Tour is worth doing - it was the first time we saw Orcas, and we got to see lots of the different currents and inlets. Victoria is a lovely place, the nicest city - well worth getting up early to maximise time there. I went to take photographs, and a few tips in that space 1) The bears at Orford River can be a good way away. If you’re taking photos, you’re likely to need for some shots at least 600mm reach (I took 300mm with 2* extender). Although, we also had plenty of opportunities to photograph with a 70-200mm. When we went, the light was very bright, so ensure you take lens hoods and any filters you want. For those not photographing, good binoculars are a must. For those taking camera gear a good dry bag (at least 30 litres) is very useful for out on the zodiacs, as are a couple of towels. We had a group of 8, which was a very nice number for the bus. It allowed space for bags and to spread out a bit. With more people in, it could have got a bit tight. Hotels in Vancouver, Nanaimo, and Tofino are functional, but all had dark rooms, good beds and powerful showers - so suited my needs perfectly. Painters Lodge / April Point are more luxurious and very nice.

Barry Tylee

Reviewed September 2016

Whales & Bears of British Colombia

What an absolutely fantastic wildlife experience. Can you imagine how wonderful it is to witness, Gray Whales, Humpback Whales, diving and blowing and Orca (Killer) Whales. To watch a pod of Orcas breaching, a acrobatic performance which would win a Gold medal in any ones games.To stand and watch wild bears feasting on huge Salmon, oblivious to us viewing. (Well, most of the time!!). This is a wildlife and photographic trip not to be missed. You can add, sightings of Bald Eagles, the list is almost endless.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me, watching the pod of Orcas performing, Tail slapping the water, followed by a giant leaps out of the water. Closely followed by the majestic performance of the Humpback Whales, Blowing, Diving, followed by the famous Tail lift as it submerges, only to rise again. Tremendous photo opportunities. These are things that you don't forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader "Mac". Mac was also our driver. Felt very safe during the sometimes long drives. A good organiser and full of information. Nothing was too much trouble for him. A great cook, we had several Bar-B. Q's and he delivered good cuisine in great settings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

September is at the end of summer, so it can be quite cold, wet and foggy. So be prepared for the elements. "Dress" in layers, with a waterproof handy.

Jackie Moys

Reviewed November 2015

Amazing British Columbia

This was my first holiday with Exodus and also my first small group holiday. I need not have worried on either account. From beginning to end the organisation was first class thanks to our amazing Group leader Heather and a more diverse and relaxed group of fellow travellers would have been hard to find. My concerns about my age, (there were several older than my 65 years) and the amount of walking involved were quickly dispelled and I was able to opt out of híkes to sketch and paint instead.

Most Inspirational Moment

The wildlife was truly amazing. We saw Grizzlies and Black bears catching salmon, Orca whales hunting seal and a sea otter family playing on the jetty near our hotel. No oportunity was missed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Heather was exceptional in every respect. She was a first class driver, knew how to pace out the day, and joined in with us for dinners and excursions with genuine pleasure. When any kind of incident occured she dealt with it swiftly and efficiently.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Wildlife is not guaranteed on this trip. We were very lucky with the abundance of wildlife that we saw and also with the weather.

Reviewed October 2013

WHALES & BEARS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

A wonderful holiday that really delivered on the wildlife sightings. We saw whales (grey, humpback and orca) and bears – close up – but also sea otters, seals, sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, bald eagles, and even a river otter. The scenery was beautiful too, and we were lucky enough to find ourselves among a lovely group of people who we were really pleased to have met.

Most Inspirational Moment

Quite a few inspirational moments to choose from on this magical trip, but my favourite moment was when we came alongside a pod of orcas during the Campbell River grizzly bear boat trip - our guide, Jack, cut the motor, and as the orcas swam around us we could hear them breathing in the silence.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jo was terrific, and her practical skills, knowledge, friendliness and flexibility made the difference between a good holiday and a great one. The lunch-time picnics she organized were wonderful (and always in beautiful locations), she made dinner reservations for us in great restaurants each evening, and most importantly she was tremendous fun, but at the same time very restful to be with. Full marks!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be put off if you're not sure whether a group tour is for you - we really enjoyed the company, and were amazed at how much could be packed into a 10-day trip.

Reviewed October 2013

WHALES & BEARS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Keep this trip. It’s new but it’s a corker. Great wildlife in a really beautiful part of the world. Whales – tick! Bears – tick! Does what it says so more than happy.

Most Inspirational Moment

Not so much as a moment as a whole day. Rose in the earlyish morning and cruised through inlets reflecting like mirrors the surrounding misty mountains and forests to our Grizzly Bear excursion. Never did I imagine we'd be able to get so close but there were the Grizzlies, only some shallow water and about 10m between them and us. Such beautiful animals- we saw a mum and two cubs, a lighter coloured mother and elder cub and then spent ages watching a lone male swim and fish and eat. Magical. After a nice lunch still full of excitement at the bear encounters we then cruised back to Campbell river and en route passed a colony of sealions, a pod of dolphins then best of all 6 Orca who we stayed and watched for a while. Amazing day. The Humpback breaching three times showing off to us was also pretty special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jo was great. Informative, fun and flexible enough to allow us to go do our own thing and forget the trip notes when we wanted to try again to see whales and when rain stopped the chance of sea kayaking. She also organized lovely picnics in pretty spots. She also surprised me with a yummy birthday cake!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Advice to Exodus: put the initial whale watch and bear watch on the same day so there is time to do the whales again in the unlikely event of no sightings, or just to allow a second expedition in a different area with different scenery and whale possibilities. Advice to other travellers? Be prepared and be patient and realise wildlife is wild and nothing is guaranteed. The weather that time of year can be wet so something that protects valuable electrical equipment is worth investing in. The bus isn't the most comfortable ride so be prepared to swap places if fellow travellers are suffering. Don't worry about being a single on this group - go for the picnic option and then Jo sorts out all meals so you don't need to cope or eat alone except maybe the first day in Vancouver. Listen to the bear etiquette guide and behave appropriately around these magnificent animals. I also recommend the cave tour. It's not hard, there's some really interesting stuff to see, it's great fun and you have to go a long long way (the bottom of the ocean or a blackhole as I learnt on this mini adventure) to experience true 100% darkness, or you can see what it's like in this cave!Try a Nanaimo bar - they are yummy!!

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