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!

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78 Reviews

4.9 out of 5

Louise Straw

Reviewed February 2020

Garden Route - to Cape Town

This was my first time as a solo traveler and I had some reservations. I can honestly say that i had a fantastic time. The whole group were so friendly – we had couples and singles – and everyone was incredibly friendly and inclusive. Our guide, Jan, was excellent and went over and above in ensuring the whole group had a wonderful trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to say what was the most inspirational moment as there were so many different events. The lion looking into my eyes (maybe not quite but it seemed to be), the elephants close by the Land Rover - the fantastic views from Knysna Head - Robben Island - the amazing food - and the friendly people.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I can not praise Jan enough. From first to last he went over and above. What more can i say!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it! Enjoy!

D B

Reviewed December 2019

amazing

A truly stunning tour of an amazing country.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is impossible to select one moment, as the tour is varied from wildlife to scenery. However being so close to lions and elephants , then the dramatic coastline of Titsikamma slightly nudge ahead for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petros, simply the best guide ever! Not only is she the guide, she drives the bus as well, her extensive knowledge of her homeland enhanced the trip. She even coped with the unexpected load shedding of power. I felt completely safe in her hands.... mega thanks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go! Be prepared to put on a few pounds, the food is excellent.

Anita Reddy

Reviewed November 2019

Excellent trip

Fantastic trip; really well organised and lots to do and see. Sadly poor weather stopped us from getting to Robben Island but other than that trip couldn’t be improved!

Most Inspirational Moment

- seeing lions feeding at Schotia - penguins at Boulders beach - climbing to the top of Table Mountain

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jan was fantastic. Very energetic, positive, tried really hard to keep the whole group happy! Not just a leader and driver but also became a friend

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do the optional game drive to Schotia - a highlight of the whole trip for me!

Ian Squire

Reviewed October 2019

Cape Town and Garden Route

Great time with good company. Our guide Petro was excellent; great knowledge, well organised, safe driver etc. but she became a friend rather than just the guide/trip leader.
Great selection of accommodation.
Great scenery, wild life and food.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing approx 100 elephants in Addo N.P.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take cloths for all weathers. Extend your trip and spend a few more days in Cape town / the Cape Peninsula

Sheila Oliver

Reviewed October 2019

A wonderful trip

We have just returned from a lovely holiday. There was so much variety – safaris, whale watching, vineyards, penguins, wonderful natural coastal scenery, desert, mountains, history and so much more. The places we stayed were all lovely and different. Our guide, Petro, worked so hard to make sure the whole group enjoyed the holiday. She organised meals for us, told us when we needed to stock up on shopping and gave us good advice on extra excursions and got us up table mountain on the only day we could see it!

Most Inspirational Moment

It is very difficult to pick out one thing - the safari day on the first day was amazing - especially the optional second one which the whole group went on. Perhaps this should be included in the trip as it was so much better in the safari vehicles than the mini bus.The whale watching was excellent too. In a completely different way so was the township tour and showed something of the country which I don’t think we would have seen otherwise. Then there was all the amazing scenery .....

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petro was excellent. She was responsible for everything for 14 of us - driving the bus, explaining everything, making sure we got where we needed to be, making sure we had somewhere to eat in some really lovely and interesting places. She was very cheerful and always helpful and never complained.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared to be flexible. There is such variety that plans may have to change. Temperatures are also very varied - more jumpers, long sleeved tops and a cosy jacket would have been useful. Although they are optional some of the best experiences were the optional excursions- the extra safari, whale watching, Robben Island, Table mountain, would have all been a shame to miss. Some extra time in Cape Town after the tour was very worthwhile as there is so much to see there.

Joyce Tinsley

Reviewed October 2019

Garden Route tour

The usual well-planned and well-organised Exodus trip. A varied and interesting tour in a beautiful country with amazing flora, fauna and spectacular scenery. The only disappointment for me was that in the trip notes, it stated it would be possible to visit a township on the morning before returning to the UK. The trip leader insisted this was not possible. The visit was arranged on the previous afternoon but by then I had already planned to do something else. This was a minor hiccup as I know from my many previous Exodus trips that a degree of flexibility is to be expected.Perhaps this needs amending in the notes to avoid misunderstandings.

Most Inspirational Moment

Gosh - too many to be able to choose just one but I suppose I did feel there seemed to be a genuine desire from both black and white individuals to make their system work.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petro our group leader was amazing. Hard working, competent and knowledgeable about her wonderful country. Unfailingly cheerful and nothing too much trouble. Just a point, but I think her South African travel agency could have a hands free PA system in the vehicle. Quite alarming to see Petro trying to manoeuvre the minibus around hair-raising bends and mountain roads with one hand while trying to give us as much information as possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and enjoy this wonderful trip.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Joyce for her review and are very pleased to read she had such an enjoyable time in South Africa, with so many inspirational moments. We were concerned to read that she felt the tour leader should have been using a hands-free microphone at times; our local manager has now provided the tour leader with one of these. John Penge – Product Manager

Julie Wood

Reviewed September 2019

Garden Route

I would wholeheartedly echo what Bev Scammel says so eloquently below. This was a fantastic trip with great guides, wonderful scenery, wildlife and we travelled with a lovely group of people. This was our first Exodus trip and I am certain it won’t be our last.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching a Right whale breaching 22 times during our sunrise whale watching trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin and Jan were great, so knowledgable and enthusiastic about their country. Justin looked after us so well, ensuring that we had the best wildlife experiences and amazing food. We really appreciated him sharing the political, economic and social aspects of living in SA today. It was the icing on the cake.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cards are accepted everywhere but consider taking some cash to cover tipping and some trips.

Bev Scammell

Reviewed September 2019

A truly amazing trip with an outstanding guide

We choose this trip due to the variety of activities and differing locations and we were not disappointed. Safaris, wild and rugged coast lines, desert, mountains, varied flora and fauna plus an amazing city to finish with. It has something for everyone. It was a well paced trip which packed in a lot without exhausting yourself. Addo elephant park was brilliant and the additional safari to Schotia was a fantastic extra, well worth taking up. We had a bit of a wild, wet, windy time at Tsitsikamma but this did not detract from its immense beauty nor stop us from taking up the opportunity to walk through the forest and spot baboons. Cango caves, ostriches, Mosel bay, wine tasting and De Rust were delightful and Hermanus was certainly a highlight with breaching whales at sunrise. As for Cape Town….quite outstanding and we can’t believe how much we managed to see in a mere couple of days; Signal Hill, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch gardens, Cape of Good Hope, penguins colony, SimonsTown, Robben island and a township tour plus the waterfront. Totally amazing.

Most Inspirational Moment

We found the whole trip quite inspirational and have fallen in love with South Africa; its people, culture, plants and animals. If we are only allowed one inspirational moment then seeing whales at sunrise is probably it. However, watching a grumpy buffalo eyeball a young elephant, walking through a forest and coming face to face with a group of noisy male baboons, enjoying the tremendous views whilst walking along the Cape of Good Hope, visiting out first ever warm caves whilst listening to the South African national anthem being sung in the most enchanting manner....etc etc etc! There were a wealth of inspirational moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was truly amazing. So much so, that we have just submitted an entry for the 2019 Guide of the Year for him. Justin was exceptional; he has a vast knowledge of his country, its politics, history and culture plus the flora and fauna and is a superb ambassador for South Africa. He was incredibly organised, knew everyone (which meant we as a group were well looked after) was amusing, friendly and very considerate of the needs of everyone. We felt extremely safe in his care and trusted his judgement and advice implicitly, whether it was where to go or what to eat and drink. We also loved his phrases......’cool beans’ ‘Woolworths is just fancy pants Marks and Spencers!’ and some of these will find their way back to England.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take loads of photos to remind you of everything you have done, take binoculars to see views and creatures in more detail, take advantage of all of the trips and opportunities available to you. Layer your clothing.....we went in September and experienced rain, wind and sun and blazing heat all in the same morning. There is an opportunity to have your clothes laundered mid way through the journey so you don’t need to take your entire wardrobe.

Liz Broadhurst

Reviewed April 2019

The amazing Justin Barr - Cool Beans

We chose the trip, our first with Exodus, as we required a sedate pace with not too much walking.
The trip was perfect on both counts.
The balance of the day excursions was a perfect combination to enable the group to see the country

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to see the wildlife in its natural environment Seeing Cape Town from the top of table mountain

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were lucky enough to be guided by the inspirational and passionate Justin Barr. His knowledge of the flora and fauna of his native country was first class. This over spilled into the history of the country, it’s political turmoil and his future aspirations for what he showed us as such a beautiful country. His commentary and his driving experience only added to the trip. Certainly “cool beans” and a 10/10 for Justin He really did make the trip a trip of a life time

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just do it! You won’t be disappointed.

Martin Stanford

Reviewed April 2019

Spectacular varied & educational experience travelling thro the Cape

This trip lived up to all expectations and beyond.

The amazing places visited, the friendliness of the people interacted with in each location (plus my fellow travellers on the bus), quality of the accommodation / food / transport / scheduled & additional trips, awe inspiring landscapes, wow moments up close with the varied wildlife. These were all fantastic and every experience was raised even higher by Justin’s organisation, knowledge, humour, friendliness plus his openness and passion for showing off everything his country has to offer.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting within the Townships and interacting with the local people there was both eye opening and inspiring. It gave a great insight into how South Africa's people are determined to help themselves advance and how they are able to find happiness in simple things that the majority of us easily dismiss or incorrectly feel pity for. Personally - after recovering from a serious ankle injury last year - one of my trip highlights was the day we explored and clambered over parts of the awesome Table Mountain and the Cape Point National Park. With a trip to Boulders beach in between - where three penguins practically tripped over my feet moving from the Ocean to the shade of some nearby trees - it was my wow moment of an amazing trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Justin's organisation, knowledge, humour, friendliness plus his openness and passion for showing off everything his country has to offer was incredible. His driving and advance scouting skills were pretty impressive too!!! :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Say yes to each trip and opportunity. None of these disappointed and really enhanced our experiences. Don't be put off my South Africa's reputation for being unsafe. In our experience, this 'international' rep is definitely undeserved within the Cape region where the usual common sense you should adopt in your own towns and cities, or across any location holidaying in Europe should suffice! Consider travelling our a day early to Port Elizabeth to sit on the beach and recover from the flight, or stay a few extra days in Cape Town - there's so much life to experience there, Some places have European or UK plug points but the majority require the bespoke South African adaptor. Either buy off somewhere like Amazon or Ebay beforehand or purchase at Joburg or Port Elizabeth airports - it keeps you charged up for all those photo opportunities at a small cost!

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