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.

Reviews

Reviewed May 2013

CYCLING CUBA

Cuba is a facinting time warp experience. There is live acoustic music in every bar and on every street corner. The Spanish colonial architecture is delightful. Dancing in the moonlight on the steps of the town squrae in Trinidad was great fun. Visiting the ration shops, cigar making factory and local peoples' hoses was quite revalatory.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling the mountain stages. The Che Guevara mausoleum. Swimming in the Caribean.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Not much.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Insist that the torur is run with the wind and not against it!

Reply from Exodus

Many thanks for writing a review of your cycling holiday in Cuba, I’m glad to hear that you had a wonderful time on this trip. The mechanic is only meant to spend the first couple of days with the group to ensure that everyone is comfortable with their bikes and after this time the drivers (who are also trained in basic mechanics) take over. I’m sorry to hear that you had some problems with the suspension on your bike. I’ve passed this comment over to our bike fleet manager who will double check everything and ensure replacement parts or bikes are ordered if necessary.

Vicky – Product Manager for Cuba

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Reviewed February 2013

CYCLING CUBA

I would have liked a more relaxed pace with more sight seeing opportunities. Patriotic day in Santiago was not to anyones liking and more of the city would have been good to explore. Another day in Trinidad would have been good as there was no opportunity to see this if you went on the Catamaran trip. Snorkelling opportunities would have been good, and a days rest at the sea would have been a bonus

Most Inspirational Moment

Snorkelling on the Catamaran trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent guide with a lot of encouragement and good humour. He had a difficult situation with a member of the group who had severe mental health issues, and did the best he could to help her and help us having to deal with the problems. He was very inclusive and mindful of a member who had a hearing deficit. Very professional and very proud of his country. His sense of humour and grasp of the english language was commendable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Protein bars would have been advisable. In the information provided it said bring snacks, but energy bars would have helped with the tough days, and the somewhat bland food.

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Reviewed February 2013

CYCLING CUBA

an interesting country, well organised trip, friendly locals.

Most Inspirational Moment

The friendly locals

Thoughts on Group Leader

knowledgeable, patriotic, good organiser

Advice for Potential Travellers

get some cycling in beforehand, some days are tough. lots of sunscreen!

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Reviewed February 2013

CYCLING CUBA

An action packed wirlwind tour of Cuba and its treasures. 

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved Havana most of all, but enjoyed Trinidad very much as well.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good and gave 99 per cent

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared

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Reviewed January 2013

CYCLING CUBA

This trip is a mix of cycling and culture where you will see quite a variety of places, sights and cycling.

Most Inspirational Moment

Day 9 where you cycle for the whole day from Bayamo into the Sierra Maestra. This was the best cycling of the whole trip.The final stretch on a dirt track into the jungle was rewarded with a super location for a hotel by a plunge pool and waterfall.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was very good - well informed and very proud of his country. We got plenty of "education time" from him!He oversaw the cycling well and ensured the group had plenty of rest breaks and were safe on some of the busier stretches of road.  He was a bit over cautious on day 5 when it rained a lot - being British cyclists some of us were used to getting wet and would have prefered to be back on the bike instead of in the bus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not just a cycling holiday - it is also a cultural tour of Cuba. If you are going just for the cycling, some of the first week is rather tedious and boring roads, with long straight stretches. But the second week picks up with more variety in the routes. There are plenty of rest breaks and refreshments and snacks  - and rum drinks as welcome drinks at the hotels! Do not expect to loose any weight on this trip - even though you cover about 600k on the bike during the two weeks.

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Reviewed January 2013

CYCLING CUBA

A country full of surprises and idiosyncracies, the architecture is a delight, the roads relatively traffic free and the people warm and friendly. I don’t think I have ever been made to feel so welcome.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think the ride to the remote region of Sierra Maestra; the location of the hotel was as described and we were priveleged to walk in the forests and meet with locals who rarely receive visits from tourists, made you feel like a real explorer. Although living in what we would consider to be poor conditions they are pleased to meet you and share their modest provisions.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

One of the best group leaders I have met on my travels, extremely knowledgeable about his country and willing to talk at great length on a wide variety of topics. He was eager to discuss topics ranging from politics and economics through to flora and fauna and everything in between, a really sociable amusing and interesting person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't go to bed too early the night life is good and if you enjoy music you will discover amazing bands especially in Trinidad and Habana. 

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Reviewed January 2013

CYCLING CUBA

An amazing country, but not sure cycling is the best way to see it

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the poverty vs the aging spleandour of some of the buildings in Havanna. The atmosphere in Trinidad.the sheer number of crabs when cycling through the woods Seeing how the locals spend Friday nights, partying out on the streets, and how much a safe feeling family affair it is.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Great, very helpful and enthusiastic. Knowledgable about his country, and told us interesting facts when they were relevant.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dont be afraid to duck out of the group meals. There are a lot of hotel buffets on the trip, whilst some places, particularly Havanna and Trinidad have some great little restaurants if you do a bit of research

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Reviewed January 2013

CYCLING CUBA

This was probably one of the most memorable trips for all the wrong reasons – however Exodus dealt with no less than 3 accidents on during the trip very well.

Most Inspirational Moment

The lodge in the mountains with the waterfall was wonderful - even in the rain!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Razel had a difficult time dealing with accidents, including his own, yet coped very well. He was big enough to apologise to the group when he said he made wrong decisions - however I beg to differ with his analysis that concentrating on the needs of an injured party member at the expense of the needs of the rest of the group was wrong!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cycling is not a dangerous activity, but it does has its risks. Always concentrate when riding and ride within your limits.

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Reviewed December 2012

CYCLING CUBA

The combination of a facinating new culture, cycling and new friends made this my best vacation every. 

Most Inspirational Moment

The cuban people. Always smiling and waving when you cycled past them. Was following a bus with school kids and they went absolutely banas when I pedaled as fast as I could to keep up.  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gladys was the perfect group leader. She made everything like a walk in the park. I loved the way she said "you may now go on you own free willing". She had an infectious smile and always a good story to tell about the places we stoped. Even the in advance dreaded long transfer day in the end went by in a flash because of Gladys. Mixing cubra libre and mojito was one of the many highlights of the trip. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind :)Bring clip on pedles, cycling shorts and shirt, small camera that fits in the shirt and lots of suncream and moscito replant since it is difficult to get hold of in Cuba.November was a nice month to travel. Warm but not to warm and horrible weather at home :) 

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Reviewed December 2012

CYCLING CUBA

Step into Cuba and step into Dr Who’s TARDIS. Your senses will be bombarded by such a variety of experiences that you sometimes won’t know when you are, never mind where you are!  18th century colonial Spain? Early 20th century American mafia? 1950s American cars?  A sprinkling (thankfully) of 1970s Russia?  Or out in the countryside are you in 19th century anywhere, where the main form of personal transport is by horse and cart, and ox-driven ploughs still work the fields?  One thing you can be sure about is that it will keep changing as you keep travelling.

Most Inspirational Moment

Learning about the history and culture of Cuba is just fascinating because there's probably now nowhere on earth like it.  "Viva le Revolution" say the signs, but wasn't that all over 50 years ago?  Well maybe, but it's still the driving force behind the country.  Cuba is in a whole series of time-warps which leave you constantly thinking about where it's coming from and where it's going.  However it is changing, with some small-scale private B&Bs and restaurants knocking spots off the state-owned ones.  Havana might just be the coolest city in the world to hang out in - and we aren't "hangers-out".  You really can spend all day in the squares drinking fabulous coffee, watching the world go by and enjoying all the street entertainment.  Then there are all those amazing Spanish colonial cities, not to mention the Bay of Pigs!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic.  He was well-organised, educated, friendly, helpful, flexible and willing to talk about anything we wanted to.  Like, we suspect, many Cubans, he was both proud of his country's many achievements yet frustrated by the limits on personal aspiration.  People like him will be the driving force behind the new Cuba.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just don't expect too much from this developing country, and don't forget to take your sense of humour with you.  If your hotel room has both hot water and lights that work then you've probably hit the jackpot.  If not then there's little point complaining because it won't change anything!  Accept the country as it is and drink in the experiences you have while you can still have them.  After all you could have gone to any Caribbean island, so you chose Cuba for a reason.

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