Most Inspirational Moment
Beautiful colourful birds, whales and dolphins
Thoughts on Group Leader
Brilliant, enthusiastic and so knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Relax and enjoy!
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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Reviews
Costa Rica Adventure
A brilliant trip, travelling from the East Coast and the rainforest to the West Coast and the sea. Fantastic birds, monkeys, crocodile, caiman, sloths, humpback whales, dolphins, great flora and fauna. Also lots of activities such as zip lining, horse riding, tubing, hanging bridges to name but a few.
lack of snow but still good!
There was no fresh snow for my two weeks but we still managed to have extremely enjoyable days skiing.
Most Inspirational Moment
Skiing down the Fischleintal on perfect tracks.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both group leaders Michele and Alex really good as usual.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you read the guidance regarding grades and ask to speak to an expert if you are unsure. Three people on my second week did not and it could have made it difficult for some other guests and the group leaders.
Trails of NZ
This was an excellent holiday. There were some physically demanding elements but this was balanced by time to rest and relax. We saw lots of the regions of NZ. Jef, our guide, was excellent adapting the programme to meet our needs and the weather. He has a great deal of knowledge about NZ and Maori culture which he shared willingly.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hike in foothills of Mt Cook.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jef was excellent. He readily shared his extensive knowledge of the history and culture of NZ. He shared many aspects of Maori culture. At all times he was good humoured and patient.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be aware that there are some demanding hikes. These are optional but worth it.
Brilliant- highly recommended!
I’d always wanted to visit Kerala. This trip exceeded my expectations. The sheer variety and planning that went into this trip is mind boggling. I loved the people, the food, the countryside, the wildlife, the culture…I loved it all!
Most Inspirational Moment
The mountains and waterways are breathtaking. Travelling to see tea and spice and then plunging down the mountains (all well driven in a comfy coach) to see reservoirs, lakes and canals- I think we did four different types of boat trip! And just seeing everyday Kerala life going on around us- the traffic, the shops, the temples, the families, the school children, the animals. Being able to see ambitious cities, bubbling towns and quiet villages gave us a unique and valuable perspective. I felt more like a traveller than a tourist.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Biju Kumar is a great Amassador for India, for Kerala and for Exodus. He deserves a pay rise and a trip to the UK at the least! He MADE this trip- his professionalism, knowledge, humour, patience and humanity- he was the beating heart that pushed this trip from great to out of this world.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Relax! If you can just relax into Kerala- it will love you back. India and Kerala have a proud and noble history and a bright future. Particularly as a British person, it’s wise to bring your humility and gratitude to this great nation.
Kerala and The Western Ghats were fantastic - with a few changes, this trip could be a 5-Star trip
For us the highlights of the trip were very clear – the Western Ghats (Munnar, Thekkady, Periyar), the Backwaters of Alleppey, the beaches of Kovalam at the end of the trip and, of course, Biju and Vinod looking after us!
The “areas for improvement” were also clearcut –
a) the choice of hotel in Kochi – while the Abad Atrium is ok, it’s in completely the wrong place! We all wanted to be located actually in Fort Kochi, to avoid the several hours in the bus and the heavy traffic, getting to and from Fort Kochi
b) we felt that the Homestay in Erattupetta was a wasted night – the welcome felt begrudging and the rooms are tatty; we would have much preferred an extra night up in the hills (Munnar or Thekkady) or on the Houseboat in Alleppey (SO relaxing!)
c) the conclusion to a tiring fortnight turned out to be staying up until half-past midnight, for a transfer to the airport and then a flight at 04.30 – ghastly; this ensured we had an exhausting day of travel home. We would have liked to at least been offered the option of the Etihad flight out the next morning (at about 10.00 am)
Most Inspirational Moment
The early-morning nature walk in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Thoughts on Group Leader
Biju was an outstanding leader and guide for the group; he worked really hard to maximise our enjoyment, understanding and pleasure; whatever you pay him is not enough! And don’t forget the driver, who so often is the “unsung hero” of such trips; Vinod navigated the long and often “challenging” drives with great skill and composure; he managed the luggage without a hitch and kept the bus spotlessly clean.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. Consider other options for flying home; the Emirates flight at 04.30 almost guarantees that you get NO sleep that night 2. You don’t need a mosquito net (at least not in January) at the Homestay or on the Houseboat 3. There’s no need to take US dollars - we exchanged sterling at a good rate and used those rupees for all our costs, including the excursions 4. Don’t worry about some reviews of the final hotel (Soma Palmshore) -it’s not luxury, for sure, but the staff were great and the location is perfect; as well as a pool, it effectively has a private beach below it!
Good
Inspirational, beautiful, very well supported and organised, wonderful lodgings, good healthy food and moderate to challenging for active multi-sport persons. Highly recommend.
Most Inspirational Moment
Achieving the Andes crossing to puerto blest and cycling camino de Los siete Lagos and in Conguillio national park
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tai was super professional, very informative, fun to be with, supportive and conscientious and always in a good mood.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take good quality hot, wet and cool gear even if like us you are super lucky and don’t have to face torrential rain or strong wind. Prepare to swim in cool unspoilt lakes.
Did not meet my expectations at all!
Trip notes are totally out of order: too much driving in bus to do the proposed activities.
Most Inspirational Moment
Not really any; New Zealand is a very beautiful country, but it misses culture, fine dining and good accommodation. Trip is far to expensive of what it actually had to offer. Some accommodations were below standard and really dirty.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Bad; only interested in what he wanted to do, not following the trip notes at all
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do not go there!!!
Reply from Exodus
We would like to thank you for taking the time to review your Exodus trip to New Zealand, Els, although we were incredibly regretful to learn that it didn’t meet your expectations in several areas. You will be aware, having travelled with us many times, of the role our leaders play in elevating our groups’ experiences in destination, so we are sorry you found yours to be so poor. Exodus requires all tour leaders to complete our online induction module and read our leader manual to ensure they understand the expectations of both Exodus and our customers, and our local operators supplement this with their own extensive training programmes. We can assure you that your leader completed all the relevant training ahead of your tour and we had every confidence in him to deliver your tour to a high standard. We are pleased to observe in other reviews that he was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and organised, although we remain apologetic that this is not reflective of your experience. We are further regretful that you felt your tour failed to capture New Zealand’s culture, food and quality accommodation, as this is not the type of feedback we expect to receive. As you may be aware, New Zealand is a particularly expensive country, with high operational costs, although we still feel our tour represents value for money due to the variety of activities it incorporates. In terms of fine dining, whilst this is available in the major cities, the hospitality industry in rural areas has been much slower to bounce back after the pandemic, which means that restaurant options are very limited. Though we recognise that not all the hotels will suit all our customers’ preferences, we are not aware of previous feedback regarding properties being unclean, so we were surprised to hear this. Nevertheless, we have shared your comments with the hotels directly to ensure any issues are rectified immediately. We realise this response cannot change the disappointing experience you had, but we do hope it shows that we have listened to your concerns.
Kelly Reid, Product Manager
An Enjoyable Journey of Discovery
I knew very little about Vietnam before taking this trip, but I feel that it has given me a good understanding of the country, as well as an enjoyable experience. It helped that our fellow travellers were a group of likeable, diverse & interesting people, and our guide and his support team did a first-class job of looking after us.
Most Inspirational Moment
I find it hard to identify a single most inspiring moment , but the overall experience certainly was inspiring. Some beautiful scenery, friendly people, great food, some challenging cycling (and some fun descents), plus insights into the history, economy and the everyday lives of Vietnamese people.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nam Nguyen was great! Each day would typically start with him saying "xin chào, xin chào, story time!" followed by an explanation of the day's itinerary and insights into Vietnamese life. He was friendly, organised and kept us safe and happy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1) Pack light - there were opportunities to get clothes laundered at reasonable prices whenever we stayed more than 1 night in the same place and we also successfully hand-washed our own cycle kit in hotel washbasins and it dried OK after rolling in a towel and being left in front of the air conditioning. We took far too much stuff with us, which was a nuisance when travelling on the sleeper train and when lugging it through the airports. 2) Choose flights carefully - we preferred to fly from a regional airport rather than Heathrow. Exodus offered us a few alternatives and we opted for night flights which we hoped would minimise jet-lag (they did). The downside, which we hadn't thought through properly, was that we arrived after the rest of the group and departed before them, thus missing out on time to explore the cities of Saigon and Hanoi. 3) Cycling in high heat and humidity can be hard going - quite a few of our group thought that the cycling was harder than the official "moderate" rating of this tour might suggest. Heat and humidity affects people differently, but I think a decent level of fitness is needed for this tour. If in any doubt, you could opt for an e-bike.
Spectacular scenery
We had a friendly group and a hard working, knowledgeable guide. It was a great holiday. The distances travelled caused some tiring days but the places we visited were worth it every time.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking long the coast in the Abel Tasman National Park then sailing back on the catamaran. Stopping off for a swim and then being accompanied by a school of dolphins too. Perfect.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Jef was hard working and knowledgeable. He dealt with any problems promptly and efficiently to give us the best of times. He broke up the long journeys with plenty of short stops at places of interest or of great beauty. He amended schedules to take into account the weather to ensure we had optimum conditions for the activities planned. He sharedhis knowledge of Maori history and culture which was most interesting.
Advice for Potential Travellers
In areas where sandflies are endemic ensure you use an effect insect repellent or be prepared to cope with intense itching from the bites that can last for a week or so.
The Tropical South of India
A wonderfully varied and well paced two weeks in beautiful, vibrant Kerala and Madurai. Something for everyone: hustle and bustle in Kochi and Madurai; temples and palaces; local cuisine; boat trips; tea plantations; bird life; walk in national park; beaches; and insight into Indian culture, religion, history and day to day life. Plenty of optional excursions to enjoy, but no pressure to take part if in need of some r&r. The people of Kerala are amazingly friendly and engaging. Would wholeheartedly recommend this trip – you will not regret a minute.
Most Inspirational Moment
As the trip covers distinctly different experiences, it is impossible to name one highlight. For me there were many - a walk in the tea plantations in Munnar (such beautiful scenery); kathakali dance performance; early morning stroll through Madurai seeing the city waking up; jungle trek in Periyar on the trail of an elusive elephant; peaceful overnight stay on a beautiful houseboat on the backwaters ; many convivial meals with other members of group; tasting exotic fruits, sampling spices - the list could go on forever.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Biju Kumar is an exceptional group leader. The superlatives could go on for ever. Excellent communicator. Perfect English. Nothing was too much trouble. He looked after us all in a very inclusive way, making sure there were suitable options for meal venues, helping with ordering food and making menu choices. His enthusiasm for his country was inspiring and infectious and we learnt so much from him regarding local customs, religion, history, geography and current affairs, etc. His explanations and instructions were always clear - very important when organising a large group. He was always cheerful, polite and patient. From my experience of 15 Exodus trips and their group leaders, Biju is definitely A***. Thanks and commendation should also be made to Vinod - our fabulous (safe) driver for the whole of the trip. He too went beyond expectation. For example, during our stay in Madurai a festival was taking place which wasn’t part of the itinerary. So we could witness the celebration, Vinod dropped us off and miraculously picked us up. No mean feat in the total madness of crowds and traffic.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would recommend taking advantage of the optional excursion on the last day of trip to the tip of India. We stopped at a beautiful and peaceful palace (very different from anything else we’d seen previously) and a temple where we were able to feel part of the pomp and ceremony and saw an amazingly huge monkey god. Paddling at the meeting point of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea will be an everlasting memory. Do take at least one fleece/jumper/pashmina - the air con on coach was welcome but sometimes a bit fierce. Generally away from air con, it is very hot and humid - especially on the coast. Sun screen essential. Mosquito repellent recommended. I didn’t get bitten but I did take precautions. The walk in tea plantation does end in a bit of a scramble up a steep slope. There are opportunities to turn round a couple of times before then if unsure of capability. Don’t be put off going. No need for walking boots - trainers ok. Good internet connection in most hotels. We took sterling with us which was easy to change with Biju’s guidance. Eating out is incredibly cheap so don’t overestimate the amount of rupees you’ll need. Nice shops in Thekaddy for souvenirs. Lovely men’s cotton shirts for sale at Srishti.