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.

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229 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Kristen Whitla

Reviewed October 2024

Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean!

This action-packed cultural trip ticked every box imaginable for me. We saw incredible wildlife including leopards, water buffaloes and caimans on game drives in Yala National Park. We got the chance to taste the famous tea in lush tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya and find out more about the process from leaf to cup. The group also got to see fire-dancing performances in Kandy one evening, which gave us a real insight into the country’s fascinating customs and traditions. The hotels on this trip are also incredible – we were lucky enough to have unobstructed views of Sigiriya Rock from Hotel Sigiriya and breathtaking sunset views overlooking the lush islands in Giritale. The last hotel, Hotel Cinnamon Red, also had a brilliant affinity pool – taking in the skyscrappers of Colombo! For the adventurous, this itinerary doesn’t disappoint either as you can go on whitewater rafting excursions, rural cycling trips and whale watching (in season). Visits to colourful temples, fresh fruit markets and the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home were other cultural pitstops that gave you a real flavour of what the country was like. Once I arrived home, I wanted to do it all over again. It was an incredible trip with a great group of people that I’ll treasure forever.

Most Inspirational Moment

It had to be when we arrived at the Giritale Hotel - the views blew me away. The open-air lounge was the perfect place for a sundowner. The group got together to watch the sunset with a couple of lion beers and we got the pleasure of watching purple-faced langurs running around with their babies clinging to their bellies as they rummaged through the shrubbery a stone's throw away from where we were sitting. It was incredible watching the sun go down behind the lush islands, and watching the monkeys scurry around - I've never been in a hotel like it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was an incredible leader - he's worked for over 20 years as an Exodus expert guide, so his local knowledge and experience was second to none! He was approachable, friendly and informative - everything a great leader should be, I couldn't recommend him enough. He really enhanced the group's experience and it was such a great trip that we'll all remember forever - thanks for everything Roshan!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring temple socks for hot days, when you need to remove your shoes to walk around the temples - they were really useful!

Jane Cousins

Reviewed September 2024

Discover Sri Lanka

Just back from this trip, it was our first trip to Sri Lanka and our second trip with Exodus. It was a really great trip, really varied, we saw so much and yet the pace was just perfect. A beautiful country and very friendly and safe.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many highlights but seeing the elephants on safari and at the transit home will stay with me forever.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was simply the best leader! He had fantastic knowledge, stories on the bus were so interesting, he had a great sense of humour and we loved spending time with him. Nothing was too much trouble, a genuinely lovely person. Roshan is a credit to Sri Lanka and to the Exodus company. Our driver Abey and driver assistant Samit, deserve a shout out too, always smiling!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes carefully and listen to your guide, Roshan gave us all the tips we needed. Visit Sri Lanka, you won't be disappointed!

Bob Stephenson

Reviewed August 2024

Varied tour in a beautiful and friendly country

We enjoyed a wide range of experiences – very much as described in the trip description. Many years ago a friend who cycled through many many countries came back and declared Sri Lanka to be the most beautiful place he had visited. Indeed he was right – the parts of Sri Lanka we visited were really lovely and also very friendly. We would have like more extended opportunities for walking and cycling but there’s no doubt we packed in a lot (sometimes I felt we were a little rushed on eg at Lion’s Rock). Hotels were of a good standard and generally very friendly. Highly recommend a visit to Sri Lanka whether on this trip or independently.

Most Inspirational Moment

Great to climb Lion's Rock and see the volcano rim surrounding us.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was very knowledgeable and interacted well with the group. He was particularly good at seeing wildlife and when we had to change a day of the trip explained the alternatives clearly. We are vegan and he asked the chefs at the hotels to show us which parts of the buffets were vegan.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip notes and reviews we read gave a very accurate view of the experience. Definitely go to Sri Lanka, your experience will be defined by the time of year you go. We enjoyed getting out of (most of) the hotels when we could.

FIONA JUBY

Reviewed August 2024

Stunningly beautiful country with fascinating history

My first Exodus trip and what a wonderful trip it was. Such a great insight into this wonderful country which has stunning scenery, amazing historical sites, wildlife, interesting fauna and flora, beautiful beaches and above all very friendly people who are desperate for tourists to return. As a single female traveller I always felt safe, and never felt hassled or threatened when having free time on my own.
The tour gives you a real mixture of scenery, temples, wildlife, activities, interaction with some local families, free time, beach days – although we covered about 1500 km in 2 weeks it never felt like we were in the bus too much – and there was so much to view outside. A couple of long days were nicely broken up with different activities.
Several of the hotels had stunning views and nice swimming pools – perfect for an early morning or late afternoon swim.
All in all a fabulous trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

Having lunch with a local family in their garden after a wonderfully peaceful cycle ride through the beautiful local countryside.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our local guide Roshan was wonderful - so knowledgeable about everything. He brought the country and its people to life in an engaging and entertaining way so I came away with a real understanding of his country. His great sense of humour went down well with our group ! Nothing was too much trouble for him

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for hotel buffets ... but its 90% Sri Lankan food so a good chance to try numerous things and far quicker than a la carte (can take 90 mins from ordering!) Take trainer socks for your feet in the temples as the ground is very hot Remember a good sized water bottle with large opening - the bus had huge water containers at the back with a pump system so we could refill whenever we wanted rather than buying loads of small bottles of water. A fleece needed for Nuwara Eilya as its much cooler - we had rain and it was actually cold up there

Sharon Livermore

Reviewed May 2024

Amazing Sri Lanka

Amazing places, scenery, people and activities

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Lion Rock and the amazing sunsets

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was incredibly knowledgeable with a great sense of fun

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for tge heat and humidity. Also be aware that Worlds End may not be possible if there is low cloud and it is wet. An alternative will be given and the alternative will mean that you will see/pass through Ella Gap during daylight hours

Rhianna Rawlins

Reviewed April 2024

Great overview of Sri Lanka

This was a great overview of Sri Lanka showing what the country has to offer on culture, landscapes and wildlife. Hotels were generally of a good standard and some had spectacular views. There were some long days involved but these were broken with stops and lunches.

Most Inspirational Moment

Probably getting to the top of Sigirya and understanding all the history around it.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was a brilliant leader, nothing was ever too much trouble, he was very well organised, knowledgeable and passionate about his country. I felt he was very much part of the group and made every effort to make sure the trip went well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take socks for the temples as they can be very hot on the feet! Do the additional game drive as we saw elephants there but not Yala.

Paul Hunt

Reviewed April 2024

Everything Sri Lanka

A beautiful country with contrasting scenery from white sand beaches to green tea plantations and jungle and plains.
The tour was a great mix of history and temples with wildlife and scenery.
Welcoming, hospitably people with a rich and diverse culture
A range of hotels from satisfactory to good, expect buffet meals with some a la carte, but be prepared to wait.

Most Inspirational Moment

Unexpectedly releasing baby turtles into the Indian Ocean Climbing Lion Rock and exploring Lovers Leap waterfall

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan presented his country with great enthusiasm and knowledge. Always taking care of the group and making small amendments to the schedule to ensure we had the best of everything.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's quite a full on trip with some early starts and long drives but go with the flow and enjoy. Don't expect many dining out opportunities as hotels tend to be slightly out of town and even in the towns options are limited. Expect it to be hot and humid

jeanette hambrey

Reviewed April 2024

Truly discovered Sri Lanka!

What a brilliant trip, the itinerary is well put together, the first week we were doing towns and temples, and the second week was a bit more relaxed in scenery and nature. I was very impressed with all of the hotels used, most had swimming pools and all the rooms were modern and spacious . The last one in Colombo with a roof top bar !

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing lion Rock, I didn't make it to the top but got to the lions claws and waited for the others. I also really liked meeting the village farmers, we played games and had a good laugh!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was a really knowledgeable chap, friendly and patient, with a wicked sense of humour. He did a great job!

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need adapters if you're English as all hotels were 3 pin. Take an umbrella, it's too hot to wear a waterproof! And take socks to the temples, we burnt our feet on the cobbles even running haha Take a good water container and you can get it filled as many times as you need on the bus. Take clothes to cover arms and knees for the temple, or a pashmina to go over your shoulders. I changed money at the airport, I initially changed £300 but needed slightly more so I used the ATM which you get to every other day or so.

Hazel Dunning

Reviewed March 2024

Amazing holiday

Had a brilliant time with varied activities, lovely hotels, excellent driver and most importantly one of the best guides I have ever had.

Most Inspirational Moment

None

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding!

Yvonne Wensley

Reviewed March 2024

So much to absorb,fulfilled expectations and mores

This 15 day trip is described as easy/moderate however it is quite full on with so much packed into the time. Sri Lanka is a diverse and interesting country and we were very lucky to have such a knowledgeable and interesting guide, Roshan who brought not only the presenting experience but the history to life. All eyes and ears on him from everyone when we were discussing the day to come. I would add he had the patience of a Saint and witty and entertaining flow to keep us all engaged. The variety of walking, wildlife, history, belief systems, culture, flora, fauna, whale watching and even cycling which I sucked at gave perspective .so lovely to mix with local families on occasion and have such a variety of places and settings with something amazing around each corner. Our driver was remarkable, treating any road challenge like a confident puzzler and kept us safe in some interesting situations.for me the natural beauty of Sri Lanka left me in awe with such a variety of landscapes to explore. There were a couple of very early starts but totally reasonable to catch the hidden gems and avoid the worst of the heat. Dont underestimate the humidity. Hotels were all well placed for what we were visiting each day though if you like to shop or visit a village or town every day that’s not an option. There are days where the shoppers can get their fix along the way. Alot of food is buffet style but with great variety and always fresh fruit. Wonderful tea but no real milk to go with it, not alot of dairy produce at all and powdered creamer offered instead. Lovely to have a swimming pool or ocean opportunity to swim and chill out on the days with more free time or after a long day. All the hotels were of a reasonable standard, some more quirky than others but not your generic corporate cloned/squeeze everyone into soul less spaces , mostly fitting the environment they were in. Be prepared to take a variety of clothing, flip flops to walking shoes, vest tops to sweat shirts,shorts to walking trousers. I used my umbrella once. Options to get laundry done along the way. Read the brochure carefully so you know your likely daily spend and added trip costs. Roshan kindly worked costings out in local currency, dollars and sterling which helped on days away from atms.

Most Inspirational Moment

Everyone has their own personal wish for what they hope to get from a visit to Srilanka. I found some of the temples both Buddhist and Hindu and the craftsmanship and art work of such antiquity and some cases purity and simplicity quite moving. Other s hugely complex and thought provoking. The walk in Horton plains beautiful for its range, a bit scrambly on river beds. I think though the people and their demeanour , friendliness and positive response to visitors is inspiring.technically in terms of civil construction how water is managed to support agriculture and life is quite mind-blowing considering when it developed processes still working today.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was a joy, a real encouragement and support, open to trying to offer answers to every question and to make the travel experience interesting and fun. What a wide range of knowledge , actually a funny guy, full of humour but patience ,a real catalyst to enable the jumble of folk travelling together to build real camaraderie and ensure every need met if it were possible. He kept us learning, curious and safe , a positive leader with such warmth and respect and understanding for the chequered history SriLanka has experienced, great to get the non eurocentric take on it all, literally we grew to comfortably trust him with our lives...to make the experience a great one.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Insect repellant, earplugs if you need air conditioning on at night, it's very hot but the units to keep you cool are noisy. Change money at the airport, have a card for ATMs. Drink water at every opportunity. Be open minded to those travelling with you .

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