Most Inspirational Moment
Inspiring moments happen every day
Thoughts on Group Leader
Head and shoulders above my expectations
Advice for Potential Travellers
Go for it!
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!
Haven’t posted your review yet? Here’s how to do it…
Once you return from your Exodus adventure holiday, you will be emailed a link to add your review. Any feedback collected is posted onto our website, totally unedited.
Alternatively you can navigate to the relevant trip page and add your review via the Reviews tab.
Select a trip specific review:
Reviews
Captivating Kerala
Surprisingly beautiful, challenging and hospitable.
Real India on wheels
Our first cycling adventure with Exodus (after a great various activity tour to Vietnam last year) and this tour was just perfect for my husband and I as we love being active. However we still enjoyed the free days to explore and the sightseeing too. We had a great group and excellent guides. It was also our first trip to India and we felt as though we saw the real India, especially in the first week. The people were so friendly and they never stopped smiling and waving at us. The bikes were very good quality and suited to the mixed terrain. The hotels were generally of a good standard although a couple not so much but appreciate that it’s not always easy to find suitable accommodation in certain areas.
Most Inspirational Moment
For both of us it would be the impromptu visit to a junior school. The staff and children were so happy and made us very welcome. My husband would say the cycle up Ooty was his favourite ride but mine was the ride across the rolling Nilgiri Hills and the dramatic descent through the hills and tea-covered slopes of the Western Ghats and tropical rainforest on day 6. Also seeing a tiger in Bandipur National Park.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi our group leader along with Vineeth and Arun were all excellent guides. They kept us safe through some busy areas and fed and watered to keep up our energy levels, as well as being friendly and spoke excellent English. We enjoyed the food at all the cafes and restaurants safi took us too and my favourite was the seafood one by the sea on our last ride.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Some of the road surfaces and speed bumps are horrendous, traffic manic in the cities and the heat makes even the flat rides tiring but keep hydrated, follow the guide, take care and you will love it.
A Feast for the Senses
This trip is certainly an insight into real India, we definitely felt we were in at the deep-end! We’ve previously cycled in Vietnam and Sri Lanka with Exodus and this trip was very different. Our previous holidays included a lot of information about the abundant flora, fauna and history of the countries, this trip not so much. However, it is very interesting to cycle through the villages and towns to see how the people are living and the people were very friendly towards us.
Don’t under-estimate he climb up Ooty Hill, it’s an unrelenting slog, but well worth the pain for the sense of pride at the top and the lovely stop at the Highland Cafe.
Some people in the group had asked for electric bikes and 2 of them were small-wheeled and, in my opinion, looked quite poor and not up to the job. However, our non-electric bikes were absolutely fine.
The roads are very busy and we had some sections cycling on the highway so I would say that this isn’t cycling for the faint-hearted. However, our guide was excellent at keeping the group together through the ‘dodgy’ bits! The cycling for the first few days does include a fair few hills so don’t expect it to be flat! Also, some of the road surfaces can be a bit rough, or even non-existent in some places, so don’t forget your padded cycling shorts!
Eating out is very cheap in the south and we had some delicious food. Also as far as I’m aware no-one in our group suffered with any tummy upsets.
In the main, the hotels were good. We had a couple which were a bit basic, but our guide explained that this was because there wasn’t anything else in the area, but other hotels were excellent so it’s swings and roundabouts.
All in all, a very good trip and we definitely feel like we’ve seen real, incredible, India.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing a tiger in Bandipur National Park! One day our guide asked if we'd like to visit a little school and we had such a lovely visit. The children were absolutely delightful. Getting to the top of Ooty Hill!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi was a great leader and dealt with all this trip threw at him magnificently. Unfortunately, there were a few accidents which caused him to have to think on his feet but he never faltered and everything worked out very smoothly. He certainly earned his money on this trip! Vineeth and Arun also deserve a mention because they too were brilliant. The three of them worked tirelessly to ensure we were looked after extremely well.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The roads are busy and rough in places. The weather is hot. Don't under-estimate the hills!
Exciting Introduction to India
India is an over-the-top experience for all the senses, bright colours, constant noise, strong flavours, heat and cold. The cycle routes provided a wonderful opportunity to explore a wide variety of landscapes and lifestyles — farmland, plantations, villages and small cities. We experienced the busyness of the traffic and the quiet of the beaches. Shibu was a wonderful guide who answered all our questions and explained the economic activities of the backwaters of Kerala. The challenges of this route include the heat and humidity combined with the long distances in the coastal section of the trip, and the demands of intense traffic conditions and poor roads on some days. The climb up Ooti is challenging, but accounts for only 90 minutes of one day. I used an e-bike for the first time on this trip and it would have been helpful except that it was so poorly fitted.
Most Inspirational Moment
The long descent from the hills to the coast, dropping 2000 metres through tea plantations, eucalyptus plantations, jungle, and bamboo forest (elephant crossing zone!!) with outstanding vistas at every turn was absolutely exhilarating! The circle ride around the backwaters to see how the locals live was really interesting.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Shibu was very helpful and personable. Rintu, the assistant guide and Shihan, the driver were also great.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The driving style in India is very different from North America or European practices. Be prepared for noise and apparent chaos.
WOW what a great vacation
I loved every minute of the trip it was exactly what I hoped for
Most Inspirational Moment
The way everyone in India was friendly ,the churches, the beaches everything
Thoughts on Group Leader
he was most informative on the region
Exodus alway met expectation
Have done the trip during last Christmas/new year time. Totally enjoyed. I made a video for the trip: https://youtu.be/7xvF7soVxfw?si=4SniSHVWDryz8NLN
for those who is interested.
Most Inspirational Moment
There is some big hills to attack
Thoughts on Group Leader
5 stars
India cycling
This was an excellent trip with 14 other people I did not know who are now friends, we had three guides Safi, Sandeep and Dipkin, Safi was our cycle leader, Dipkin cycle as well and bike mechanic and Sandeep our van driver and water man. We had daily briefings and how to navigate roads where to eat, our guides were knowledgable with local envionmental information such as trees, fruits and temples overall a really good trip, with some challneging cycling which was great
Most Inspirational Moment
Climbing Hooty cycling and completing this as well as the back waters boat and good distances covered as well as teh safari I saw a tiger and other fab wildife teh only thing was the safari guides good have made it more interesting with some commentary but overall good it was lovely to see animals being protected and the echo emaphisis although India has a long way to go they have states taht are plastic free and look after the wildife its a sjhame about teh street dogs as there is a problem with that as dogs are pregant and no way to stop this but India and this trip has been fab
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi was very good he gave us a daily briefing the only thing I would say is taht he needed to be a bit clearer with instructions, and keep up with the female members to check welfare as a few times men would come close to us on mopeds, which he needed to be more aware abaout, apart from taht he was excellent friendly nice and had local knowldge the trip was brillent thanks to Safi and his team
Advice for Potential Travellers
Book this trip if you like a challenge cycling and also to see hardly any tourists you see the real india with teh villages and friendly people I havve not been to India before and will definatley book another trip the accommodation was good teh food teh cycling and you had time to socialise and shop for gifts etc with our leader telling us what a good price would be for tuc tuks and shops etc in a nutshell I loved this trip
A trip offering a rich variety of experiences
Was quite nervous about going as it was my first trip to India. Once we arrived, I realised my nerves were unfounded. Our leader Safi and his two assistants Dipin and Sanjeed were all amazing. Everything was organised beautifully. They led the rides expertly, and made sure that we had a varied and authentic experience of India. The Indian people were fantastic – friendly, curious, helpful. And the children … wow! Lovely.
Most Inspirational Moment
Getting to the top of the hairpins at Ooty on a bike was a major personal achievement. However, there was so much to choose from - temples, holy rivers, stunning landscapes, amazing food, the warm ocean, three states, all very different, tuk tuk rides, seeing elephants and a leopard in Bandipur. Seeing a monitor lizard. And the backwaters cruise is stunning.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi was amazing, as were Dipin and Sanjeed. They were brilliant. Can't praise them enough.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't count on the ATMs, they don't always work and are only available in the bigger places. Safer to take cash to exchange as this gives you more options. Take plenty of hand sanitiser and use it. Only drink filtered or bottled water and drink in cans or bottles. We took chlorine tablets just in case, but only used them to keep our water bottles clean overnight.
So colourful!
I did this trip in Nov 2019 and did a review but cannot see any reviews from our trip for some reason. This was an amazing trip, so much to see, stop, photograph and take in the views and scenery. Tamil Nadu, tiger reserve (only saw elephants but that was great) we had a great guides and a fab group. I was definitely taken with the whole cycle trips to see more of the real country and life going on. Ooty hill was an amazing achievement for me though a lot of swear words kept me going! The Ooty train trip was great too. The colours, smells, madness of the traffic all terrific memories. Eating a typical Karelian meal from banana leaves in a local house was the best food. Vegetarians very well catered for and I wasn’t ill like many of the others in the group.
Most Inspirational Moment
Loved it all but cycling up Ooty hill I guess. Also loved the overnight boat trip.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fantastic, couldn’t be more helpful
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do it!
Tropical India
I loved the holiday, the people, the food, the adventures however, I think whoever put the description of the holiday together needs to go on the tour and rename it. There is a lot more cycling on main roads and highways than I expected. We didn’t get to experience the tea plantations. We simply sped past them. The Tropical bit didn’t occur until the final few days.
Most Inspirational Moment
Definitely seeing a tiger stalking a baby elephant. We watched it for about an hour. The Granny and mummy elephants were so close to us and it was amazing to watch them protect their baby. Getting a Tuk Tuk to drive us round Kochin. The Jewish quarter is just lovely. The houseboat experience was fun. Loved sitting back playing Name that Tune with our new cycling buddies and chilling out.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Safi was great. Always there with a big smile and he was brilliant at keeping us together which is not an easy task in India! And of course, Dipin with his very positive encouragement at the back and Sandeep who didn’t say a lot but always turned up with the van in time for us to top up our water bottles.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be aware, the traffic and noise is crazy. If there is a gap in the traffic, it will soon be filled with scooters! You will acclimatise but it is so different from the western world!