Unfortunately I cannot recommend using Exodus to visit this incredible part of the world. Here’s 10 reasons why.
ITINERARY
1. Exodus have recently changed this itinerary, shortening the time spent in Kyrguzstan and Kazakhstan and adding an extension to Khiva. The first half of the new itinerary is abso-****ing-lutely stupid in these time scales, and the second half (likely due to timetable changes beyond Exodus’ control) invloves stupid logistics every single time you move between destinations. There are FIVE days where some form of overnight train travel/a pre-5am start or post-midnight arrival are included, and guests are expected to do a full day of sightseeing without the chance to catch up on rest. I’m energetic, in my late 30s and used to fast travel, but this was thoroughly unpleasant
2. Amount of travel time for first week was grossly mis-described by sales rep: first week was 6-8 hours every day on the bus (except one day which was only two hours), and the rep told me it was about half that. There’s no way I would have booked this trip knowing how much of it was on a bus
3. Doing the border crossing from Kazakhstan to Uzebekistan on foot rather than getting the through train between countries is stupid. If that through train has been cancelled it would make much more sense to fly between the two countries, rather than expecting guests to do an overnight train, get up at something stupid like 4am to drive to the border, engage in a 2-hour scrum fight to cross the border, and then take a 3 hour bus at the other side
4. Uzbek guide spent 1-4 hours every day (average 2 hours per day) taking the group to vendors where he clearly gets a kickback. I booked a cultural trip, not a shopping trip, and this infuriated me.
EXODUS COMPETENCE
5. Sales rep LIED – a bare faced, out-and-out lie – about the reason for the itinerary change. When I asked about it (and I pressed at length) she insisted the reason for speeding up the first week and adding on Khiva was because people were so keen on Khiva. Turns out that is completely untrue; it’s simply because Bukhara airport became inconvenient for Exodus to use. The previous itinerary seems like it would have been much more sensibly paced, and wouldn’t have involved a 3am start and a 6-hour night train to Khiva – and as usual, following little to no sleep, the group were expected to do a full day of sightseeing
6. Exodus were very slow (2 days) to confirm whether there would be an itinerary change following an airport closure, which meant it was impossible for me to sort out my own travel arrangements in a sensible timeframe. This was one week before travel, and I was left with literally a 2-hour window to make changes after Exodus had finalised their own plans. Even worse, they were slow and not proactive in communicating about what was going on. The trip support guy was lovely when I called and he tried to be helpful, but Exodus’ logistics team weren’t anywhere near fast enough so his hands were tied
FOOD, ACCOMMODATION AND VALUE FOR MONEY
7. This trip represents poor value for money, given how cheap hotels we stayed in were to book direct
8. Location of most (about two thirds) of the hotels was poor
9. Quality of most of the hotels was mediocre vs. the trip price
It’s a real shame, because I loved the countries and the first guide.
All in all, everything about this trip felt like it was designed to maximise Exodus’ profits at the expense of guests’ comfort, sanity, and level of sleep. No way on earth I would consider doing this trip or any other with them – I’m sure there are better operators and better itineraries available.
