Reviews

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

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177 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

Reviewed April 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

This was quite probably the best holiday of my life so far. The countries were so beautiful and interesting, even more so than I’d hoped, and the people were wonderful too and really made the trip. The whole trip was incredibly well-organised and while expensive, worth every penny.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many amazing and inspirational moments, but for me the standout moment was visiting a school that Exodus supported in a rural village in Cambodia. The community had so little materially but it was amazing to meet the children and the man trying to help them learn against all of the odds.It was also very special and a real privilege to be shown around the temples of Angkor Wat by our wonderful guide, who had lost his father and other family members under the Khmer Rouge regime. He gave us a true sense of the bloody history of Cambodia but also demonstrated a huge pride in the wonderful country that it is, and the capacity of the Cambodians to forgive and move on into the future.Other standout moments including racing on wonderful roads in Thailand in 38 degree heat and enoying competing with other people in the trip. I loved it!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Nee was really great. She was a real discplinarian but with 16 or 17 people all wanting to do things their own way, that was definitely needed. She whipped us all into shape in terms of timekeeping and was really good at working out what worked for different people in the group. She was funny and interesting and I would definitely recommend her. The other team leaders were also fantastic, in particular Fila, who was team leader in Cambodia. Again he was really knowledgeable, passionate about his country and ensuring that we all learnt more about it, but in a really accessible, fun and entertaining way. I think Exodus has chosen some really brilliant team leaders on this particular trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just be open to the new experiences you are going to have and don't presume anything. It is good to try everything - though maybe not the fried tarantulas in Cambodia! - and just to enjoy every moment. In retrospect, I would have taken more snacks and pencils etc to give to the children in Cambodia. Also stick to dollars rather than worrying about other currencies, each of the countries accepts dollars and it saves you wandering around with pockets stuffed with huge amounts of foreign currency worth about 30pence.Other than that, use lots of sunscreen, take lots of pictures and just have an amazing time.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

Well organised trip, loved the three countries, although I found Thailand a bit dull, Cambodia was great the food very tasty, lots to see and impressive, Vietnam was great again lots to take in, loved the homestay very friendly great food. I think we definiately made the local laugh on the many ferry crossing one day as we were the only ones in life jackets (was it really necessary). Only one restaurant in vietnam I have to complain about, but thats me being picky. The accommodation was more than adequate. Overall a fab holiday and highly recommended.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cambodia is an awesome place Siem Reap was my best moments there.Saigon is motorbike city a leap of faith just crossing the roads, but brill again.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Siam was brillant and fun helped me out when my bags didn't arrive when I did.Digger Cambodian guide was brill too, couldn't do enough for you.Lingh Vietnan guide again brill liked to sing lots kept us entertained, very safety conscious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't need rabbies injection, had no trouble at all with dogs. Even in end Feb it was quite hot, so if your not used to the heat make sure your fit enough to cope with 3 long days of cycling in the heat, even though we stopped every 10k to cool down. After that the cycling is easy. The so called hilly day they tease you about is nothing to worry about, they obviously have no idea of what mountain climb looks like, even though they are around you, they clearly stay away from them.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

Great Holiday with like minded people

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise, it was well worth getting up at 5am.This should be the time to start the tour of Ankgor Wat as later in the afternoon the heat becomes unbearable also there are a milion other Tourists.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Leader Siam was brilliant even though he had just ridden with us 10-15k when we stopped for a break he was around the group making sure we all had drinks, snacks and answered endless question with a big smile on his face.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are at least a little bit fit and you will enjoy it much more, don't bother taking energy drinks or bars are the kitty provide plenty of them.

Reviewed March 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

A wonderful adventure with a variety of memorable experiences and scenery to excite and sometimes heighten the senses and awaken the spirit. There was also some brilliant cycling. The temperatures and sun were much hotter than I expected.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was all amazing. I loved the food from all countries. I loved swimming in the reservoir meeting the children on the road and at the schools. Seeing the people at work was humbling and fascinating. Crossing the boarder from Thailand to Cambodia was exciting. The temples were amazing as was the trip to the floating island. The visits to local families was welcoming and rich with memories and culinary experiences. Too much to mention every day got better with a surprise around every corner.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nee nicknamed Mama Nee took care of us professionally and with tenderness from beginning to end. We knew we were safe in her hands

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't be worried that visiting 3 countries will be too much it was like 3 holidays fit into 2 weeks.Do take sun cream and don't bother taking sterling unless you plan to change it when you get there

Reviewed February 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

This was a fantastic trip – well organised and supported; a great introduction to culture and landscapes of three countries; easy-moderate cycling and a wonderful group of people for company. If you are thinking trying to get a feel for this part of the world in a short time, I’d recommend this trip – you even get exercise to burn off some of those rice and noodles!

Most Inspirational Moment

It's not possible to select one - every day there was something new and exciting! Seeing the everyday life of Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese people - along the roadsides, on the rivers, in Temples, in rural villages and teeming cities - and having the chance to visit homes through the kindness of our guides' families was a stimulating (and humbling) experience. Learning to cross the road in Ho Chi Minh City (with your eyes closed) has to be a bonus! Visits to temples, palaces, and markets as well as war-related sites, all contributed to my introduction to these countries. Not to mention tarantulas, hornbills and catfish! And seeing everyone in the group achieve their cycling and travel goals was a great ending!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Leaders - Nee, Dykka, Lam and the support teams in each country were all excellent - as were the local guides. Well-organised, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Mr Black's photos are awesome!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light - you spend a lot of time in bike clothes so don't need many different day/evening things. The laundry in Siem Reap is excellent/cheap. Padded bike pants are essential - and do take your own saddle/pedals if you are a regular cyclist. Getting them on/off bikes is no problem at all thanks to great support.Take - small bottle hand sanitiser (most comfort stops are fine but just occasionally....); US$$ for Cambodia and Viet Nam in small denominations - almost everything costs $1 and any note over $20 is difficult to change; pens, pencils, small notebooks as gifts for children - you spend a lot of this trip feeling privileged, and so often you want to give something and these are much better than sweets; go for the single room option - I had a great room-mate but this is a non-stop holiday and if you like some quiet time, a single room could give that.Odds and ends: insurance - you will be asked if you are covered for helicopter evacuation - most of us didn't know, so you might want to check that out before you leave. Wifi - every hotel we stayed in had free Wifi - so contact home is possible daily (as long as things work!). Cycling snacks - huge amounts of wonderful fruit, iced water, electrolytes were provided by support team so you may not need as many from home as you think.The trip description/notes are accurate in relation to cycling times, conditions etc - slightly over estimate difficulty, hills, if anything, for a regular cyclist. But try to do some practice/cycling in preparation - if you are saddle-fit it makes the cycling easy and you will enjoy the holiday so much more.

Reviewed February 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

A great sunny cycling trip whilst the snow was falling back home.

Most Inspirational Moment

The locations of the hotels are so well chosen that when our visit coincided with the funeral of the King of Cambodia we were just one block from the security cordon and 2 blocks from the crematorium. Similarly in Ho Chi Minh City we were just a block from "Flower Street" expecially decked out for the New Year.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nee our leader very soon felt like part of the group, but at the same time quietly ensureing that the needs of everyone in the group were being met. She is an inspirational lady going running every morning before cycling - just to keep fit. She was very much in control of the fairly complicated logistics with three support teams and two border crossings.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a handlebar bag, to carry the small things you want to have with you like camera, sunscreen, repellant, money Unfortunately Exodus do not provide small panniers. Whilst you of course can have a bag on the bus which follows, but the bus is normally never just there when you want it! Bum bags and day sacks are too sweaty and inconvenient.

Reviewed January 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

Two weeks cycling through 3 amazing countries, getting a glimpse of the culture, seeing some wonderful sights and tasting delicious food.

Most Inspirational Moment

The temple complexes at Angkor Wat. My favourite temple which you don’t hear much about or see many pictures of is the Bayon temple with lots of gigantic 4 faced stone heads. It is truly amazing and so difficult to capture on camera.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nee did a fantastic job looking after the whole group, making sure we were OK, that we hadn’t forgotten anything, getting the food orders right in the restaurants, etc. She always had a smile on her face and was always willing to help with whatever problems or questions you might have. She was a great cyclist too and was happy to lead at the front or accompany some of the slower riders (like me). Also the fruits and snacks provided during the breaks were exceptional. I had the best mango I’ve ever tasted and I’m glad a tried all the other exotic fruit I’d never seen before. My personal favourite was the dragon fruit. Yum!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Whilst crossing the borders by bike is quite exciting, it is also very bureaucratic and takes quite a long time. Think hours not minutes. The mattresses on the beds are REALLY hard.There is a long wait at KL airport for the retun flight to London but there is a reasonable amount of places to shop, eat, drink, sit, etc.

Reviewed January 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

Great trip, with loads to see and do. As others haven mentioned, it’s a little front-loaded with the cycling. The Thailand part is mostly cycling, which is great. It was very hot when we went – over 40c, but the cycling is flat so the distances aren’t too taxing. Of course you don’t have to cycle all of every day and at any given point, there was someone taking the van option on our trip. The stops during the cycling were a little too frequent and a little too long for me, but other opinions are available!The Cambodia section is split between the Angkor temples and Phnom Penh, with not a lot of cycling anywhere. The temples are exceptional – I would maybe have a liked a little more time at some of them, but you can’t have everything. Our group opted for the Tonle Sap Lake trip over cycling. In hindsight I would definitely go the for the cycling – the floating village is not nice and the later trip in Vietnam to the floating market is a much better experience. The Phnom Penh section is a chance to relax a little, but I would have liked a little cycling – outside the capital maybe? (Phnom Penh is very busy on the roads!).Vietnam is awesome and the cycling superb. Village life is the highlight and the homestay is also excellent. Many (but not all) people on our trip only took their anti-materials for the few days we were cycling the Mekong, rather than the entire 2 weeks plus. I had some fairly funky dreams in the run up to this part, which I put down to my Malarials!

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlights for me were the temples of Angkor and the rural cycling in Vietnam.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good. We had two leaders for the Thailand and Cambodia sections, then exchanged our Cambodian leader for a Vietnamese one when we crossed the border. All of them were excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Only two bits of advice really... be prepared (mentally as much as anything) for a) the heat and b) The front loaded cycling. Oh, and I’d opt for the cycling in Cambodia over the lake trip.

Reviewed January 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

Cycling is a nice way to discover these 3 countries.The highlights are Angkor Vat and the delta of the mekong river.

Most Inspirational Moment

Angkor Vat is such an amazing place

Thoughts on Group Leader

All of our group leaders were amazing, they all had a very good knowledge about their countries

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the heat and humidity

Reviewed January 2013

CYCLE INDOCHINA & ANGKOR

A great way to see Indochina and it was a holiday I will not forget. In fact, I will now do more tours this way.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the sun rise over Angkor Wat was probably the one of the main highlights. This wasn't really part of the tour, but suggested by the guides as optional, who then organized to have a 'taxi' waiting at 5 am. It was INCREDIBLE!! But all the time we spent in Angkor Wat was amazing. Definitely is one of the 7 wonders of the world.Going to see the students at the School for underprivileged children in Cambodia was very insightful. Great kids! The Mekong home-stay was really fun as well as the riding around the Delta... would have liked that to last 2 nights it was so good! The family were lovely.The local people, especially the kids that would rush out and say HELLO and wave when you could cycle past...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Al was with us all the way from Bangkok. Always ready and willing to help and full of knowledge about history, food, where to get odd and ends etc... Always with calm, with a smile and made sure you didn't have to worry about anything.Fila, our Cambodian guide was GREAT especially with the tours around the temples in Angkor Wat. He is passionate about his country and for its future. He was keen that we tried all the specialities of the Cambodian cuisine and I am pleased that he did. There is some great food! Or Vietnamese guide was good too, but after Fila, he had big shoes to step into...

Advice for Potential Travellers

This tour is set up for all levels... you just do what you can at your speed. There is no stress if you aren't very fast and the speedy ones race ahead, but always waiting at the next stop.There are regular breaks and the support teams always ready with food and drinks waiting for us. The support teams in each country made sure that the bike was ready for you in the morning and at the end of the day packed it up for you. As well as loading and unloading your luggage at the hotels. You almost didn't have to lift a finger to do anything... Apart from the cycling it was a relaxing holiday as you are so well looked after by the guides and teams.You are in Asia and it will rain... get used to it. It cools you down, and then you get dry in the warmth. I would not say that it was a down point... It is a change from the heat and sweat.Make sure you wear padded pants.

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