Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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152 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Marian Sears-Carter

Reviewed May 2015

Essential Peru

The trip is very busy with long days and several early starts but it is worth it. You see so much of Peru and each region has its own personality.

Most Inspirational Moment

The mountains. The drive to Cuzco was especially moving what with the mountains bracketing the roadway towering up into the sky above.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Cesar was excellent! He was detail oriented and attentive to everyone's requests.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The altitude takes getting used to. I was focused on the altitude effects at Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca but didn't pay proper attention to the altitude effects from the journey to Cuzco, where you are over 12,000 feet ASL for two days and over 15,000 feet ASL for a day. It takes approximately 6-7 days to get used to the altitude and you need to manage your body. The viewing platform at the Nazca lines does not provide sufficient scope to truly experience them. My wife and I paid the USD125.00 for the airplane ride over the Nazca lines and this vastly improved our appreciation of them. However, since we went in early afternoon, when the sun was strongest, it was sometimes difficult to see the lines in the light colored sand. If possible, take the flight either early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun's rays are not as direct.

Helen Shead

Reviewed April 2015

Just amazing Essential Peru!

This trip covered a lot of ground (mostly by aircon bus with a loo) allowing a taste of the different environments Peru has to offer. Coastal wildlife (sealions and penguins) desert mysteries (Nazca), mountain/ cloud forest civilisation (Machu Picchu) and Lake living (Titicaca). With a bit of ‘city’ life and shopping thrown it to tempt. The scenery never disappoints and changes by the hour.. and we had amazing weather too! A well planned route to help with altitude acclimatisation.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the spectacle of Machu Picchu in both glorious sunshine and being enveloped by the clouds was quite something... I know I'm very lucky to have experienced both. You really do need to be there to marvel at the sheer ingenuity of the builders and inhabitants..... Seeing the Nazca lines for real after 'doing them' at school many years ago was quite special too... also seeing penguins in the wild for the first time ...and meeting our lovely family for the home stay. . Their Spanish was no better than mine but we managed just fine!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Aleks was lovely- experienced, knowledgeable, reassuring. His passion and enthusiasm for sharing his country rubbed off on the group who appreciated his gentle humorous approach the schedule management! Nothing was too big an ask or too stupid a question. I got the impression that he genuinely wanted us each to have a truly brilliant holiday and get the most put or each day. If you get Aleks as your leader you are very lucky!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long coach journeys and some early starts. Do things slowly... The altitude does strange things to people. Pack layers for all weather's.

Daryl c

Reviewed November 2014

Spectacular Peru

For anybody who wishes to see the sights of southern Peru this trip covers it all

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many highlights but the day that stood out the most was the day we left Nasca and made our way through the Andes. The changing scenery and amazing views were something to behold.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Leo the legend. Leo is a very good tour leader, speaks very good english, is very knowledgable about the areas that we visited, is very efficcient in his organisation, willing to participate with the group but was not obtrusive.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Two quite long days on the tour but take them in your stride and treat these days as just part of the adventure. Plenty of opportunity to take care of laundry when you arrive in Cusco.

Reviewed November 2014

Essential Peru

AMAZING! This has been a fabulous trip encompassing all of the best parts of Southern Peru in a great order, giving time to acclimatise to the altitude. It was a hectic, tiring but exciting whirlwind of a trip as we did so much in two weeks, particularly the first week and everything was well organised. We even managed a few nights out! After initial nervousness about going on my first group adventure on my own and my first Exodus trip, I would definitely go again – right now!

Most Inspirational Moment

I chose this trip to see Machu Picchu as I have always wanted to go and regarded the rest a bonus. However having now been, it was all amazing, the constantly changing dramatic scenery, flying over the Nazca lines, dune buggying, volcanoes, condors, Cusco and of course Machu Picchu - which didn't disappoint at all. I have been to some amazing places in the world and this is definitely one of the best of them.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group Leader (Leo) was great. His English, range of vocabulary, knowledge and support throughout the trip was brilliant. We had a couple of other local guides, one on Amantani Island and the other in the Colca Canyon, but he could easily have covered everything himself.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go, it's fabulous! We even experienced an earthquake, 5.1.. Have plenty of rest before you go as once you arrive, there was no time to get over the jet-lag! It's straight into it for a full-on whirlwind of a trip, I loved it. (A little more time in Lima at the end of the trip would have been good though). The notes are correct there are several long drives but you don't even notice them as the scenery is so majestic, different and seemed to change every 30mins, and several stops are made. We did pay one or two additional entrance fees which I wasn't expecting, but everything is pretty cheap. Different to the advice in the notes, I just took Nuevo soles and no dollars with me and spent about the equivalent of Â£450-500 over the two weeks including the Nazca flight (being a girl I did buy lots of bits and bobs along the way though....) The only time dollars were requested was for the Nazca flight but you could still use soles. There are a few 'essential items' I would add to the list for this trip; lip balm, lots of tissues for the toilet stops, baby wipes, thin light waterproof trousers, anti bacterial hand gel, lots of face moisturiser, hair dryer, cold and flu tablets and a thin light packable down jacket (and thin light packable shell waterproof) were invaluable. Packing clothes for this trip wasn't easy but take several thin, light layers, such as, jeans, walking trousers, short sleeved T-shirts, fleece, thin wool tops, thin down jacket, thin light waterproof, light walking boots/shoes, pumps and flip flops. In my opinion these were the basic items. No one 'dressed up' there really, maybe just a nicer top for an evening. A wheeled bag or suitcase was best too.

Reviewed November 2014

Essential Peru

This holiday covered all the main visitor attractions of Peru. It was very well organised and the guide (Aleks) was excellent. It was all that the brochure said it would be (apart from the Condors not showing themselves at Colca Canyon – but it was a very cold morning, they were probably waiting for thermals, or weren't hungry!!) We had been very fortunate in seeing Condors in the wild a few days before.

Most Inspirational Moment

The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu; the wildlife, particularly seeing the Condors in the wild. The textiles. The people, especially in the mountains. The Home Stay, our hosts were such wonderfully warm people. The spectacular scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Aleks was very professional, kind and attentive. He was very well organised and good humoured, especially when briefing us about the next day and the early start! He was very careful in advising us about personal care, especially keeping hydrated, using sunblock, sunglasses and wearing a hat, especially at altitude. Also dressing for "four seasons" as he put it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes, read the travel notes carefully and take note of their contents; follow the advice of your Guide. All the members of our party had consulted the internet regarding expected temperatures but it was much hotter than we had expected, so pack with a view to wearing layers, especially when in the mountains.

Reviewed November 2014

Essential Peru with Amazon Extension

This trip is good for seeing a lot of highlights within a limited time scale.
It gives you a taster of the country and it’s incredible diversity of landscape.

Most Inspirational Moment

Several - Machu Picchu is awesome - just like the in the pictures. Definitely worth staying until the crowds have gone, or doing the early rise if you can get up in time. The home stay was my personal favourite. Our host was so lovely, we helped out with what we could and it was a humbling experience. Travelling should broaden the mind and things like the home-stay certainly do that. Scooping water from the well rather than turning on the tap make you appreciate the reality of life for so many. I loved the variety of the landscape. Cusco - fascinating place to wander around. I would recommend the Amazon extension. Far less daunting than I had expected. Yes the rooms had only 3 walls and were open to the sounds of the rainforest but we had experienced more biting insects in Southern Europe! The sounds and and scale of the tress are fabulous. The Convent in Arequipa. We should have half an hour after the to just to BE in this place.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I really liked him for interesting conversation at dinner and for learning about his life and views on growing up in Lima. His command of the language was exemplary and he had a lovely dry sense of humour. However as a tour guide he really needed to address the group more often during the long drives with information about the landscape, history and political background to the country. We did ask him too and he was happy to answer specific questions but seemed unwilling to take on the more traditional tour guide role. Having said that I am not sure that the coaches had microphones. He seemed more comfortable talking to smaller groups on specifics than addressing the whole group with general background info. Last year in India we had the Legend that is Mahindra, and that is a very tough act to follow. He should be cloned! Raoul did cope very calmly with the booking error when we got back to Lima at the end of the maind trip and found our hotel rooms had not been booked! It was sorted smoothly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for very long days in the coach. Make sure you stock up with food and water for these. Buy travel bands ( pressure point ones for wrists) if you might get queasy. Altitude is very challenging. Many took Diamox but not all Doctors are happy to prescribe it. Take the advise regarding drinking water and eating lots of high carb foods. Take it steady. Many of our party felt poorly at some point. Be prepared.

Reviewed October 2014

Essential Peru

This tour gave me a fantastic insight into a very beautiful and diverse country. From the wildlife to the dessert and the lakes to the mountains, each day was different with new things to see and do.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day was interesting in its own way, but the first view of Machu Picchu has to be the highlight. We were lucky enough to see it with the sun shining and spent around 5 hours there. It gave us plenty of time to take the 2 hour guided tour as well as walk around the site and also hike to the sun gate. Highlights also included the wildlife on the Belestas Islands, The Nasca lines and driving through the Andes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sebastian was great. He was very attentive and gave us a thorough briefing each evening about the following day. Everything was effortlessly organised from luggage porterage to boxes of water on the bus to refill our bottles during our days at altitude. He was always available and didn't overload us with too much information. There were also local guides used who were also very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If this is your first visit to Peru and you want an alternative to the Inca trail then this is a fabulous tour. It gives a large variety of sights and experiences that you would not see if you were trying to do this yourself. The drive from Lima to Cusco via the Nasca lines gave us the advantage of climbing through the mountains to a higher altitude gradually rather than flying direct to Cusco, I found adapting to the higher altitude much easier this way. Most days had an early start, this meant that we were on the road when it was cooler and reaching many sites before they were busy, we would arrive in most cases in the afternoon at the next destination, giving you a bit of relaxation time before dinner. A lot of the day is spent in the bus, but I still believe that I saw much more of the country this way and it was a relaxing way to travel with the scenery always changing. The boat ride across Lake Titicaca in the afternoon was a little rough and I would recommend taking travel medication to Peru with you if you think it may be a problem. The hot springs during the Colca canyon part of the trip is a must do. It was 15 soles entrance (about Â£3). Nowhere in Peru accepts US dollars. The only trip you can pay for in USD is the flight over the Nasca lines. My suggestion to you is to take Soles with you. I took a mixture of both soles and dollars and found that I didn't need to US at all. food is around 20 - 40 soles for a main course and we very rarely had a lunch stop, other than to buy snacks (eg crackers, bread, crisps, soft drinks) I budgeted for around 70 soles a day but often didn't spend anywhere near that amount. At Lake Titicaca it gets very cold in the evening, take a hat, scarf and gloves with you. If you forget then you can buy them very cheaply in Peru from one of the numerous market stalls.

Reviewed October 2014

Essential Peru

Essential Peru features an excellent itinerary and is well carried out on a comfortable bus with ample comfort and food stops. The gradual ascent into the highlands enables one to gradually get used to the altitude. There were more than a few early departures, but the rewards were great! Exodus fulfilled all its’ promises. Airport pickup and drop off were accomplished with no inconvenience. The hotels used on the trip were well beyond the bare bones that I was expecting. It was a wonderful experience!

Most Inspirational Moment

The night sky at Lake Titicaca was overwhelming. I kept getting up in the middle of the night to look again. I was surprised by the beauty of Colca Canyon and seeing the majestic condors rise out of the depths was very special. The Sacred Valley sites were a perfect lead in to the time at Macchu Picchu, which lived up to all the hype.!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alex was superb! He made the trip work, successfully handling the needs of a diverse group and helping us to bond very nicely. On Day 1, when rough conditions cancelled our boat ride, he improvised a great backup plan. He advised on food, culture and alternatives. He thought of little things to make things more convenient, such large water containers on the bus and in the hotel so we each wouldn't have to keep buying bottles of water. I think we were lucky to have had him as our leader!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Expect to rise early and to be tired at the end of the day. In September the days were pleasant and the very cold nights in the highland didn't materialize, but layers of clothing is a good idea. Be open to new food experiences. Peru has a wonderful cuisine!

Amandeep Manget

Reviewed October 2014

Highly recommended (but be prepared for the long journeys!)

All of the reviews of this trip are consistent in one thing – you will spend a lot of time on the road, but Peru is huge country and there is a lot to see so this shouldn’t come as a surprise! I loved this trip – its varied, with a great mix of town and country and plenty to see and do. I personally found the altitude to be challenging at times but due to the mix of going high and coming down lower found this became easier as the trip progressed. The coaches used were very comfortable and the hotels were clean, comfortable and when in the cities well appointed for the town centres. Those in more rural areas were beautifully appointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

Undoubtedly Machu Picchu which was the whole reason for me going, it lived up to my expectations and more. The home stay on Amantani Island was lovely, its a beautiful untouched island and our hosts were so friendly and welcoming, and the visit to the floating islands was eye-opening. An additional highlight was the visit to see Juanita the Ice Mummy in Arequipa, not part of the itinerary but should be. But my favourite memory is of the unscheduled stop at the local school where our guide distributed his childrens' unwanted toys and clothing, those kids were amazing and so delighted to see us it was a very special morning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alex is amazing, truly one of the best Exodus guides that I have encountered. His knowledge is impressive, nothing was too much trouble and he appears to know everyone in Peru which came in handy at times. He has a great sense of humour (which was needed for the early starts) and the ability to read the crowd to know when he was "losing" us as well as the ability to make you feel like a life long friend. If you're lucky enough to have him as your tour guide do follow his recommendations on where/what to eat - he never got it wrong (he'll be delighted to hear) and do ask to meet his wife and kids on the last day in Lima (who are lovely) he'll be chuffed to bits (but don't ask him to wet his whistle - it means something entirely different in Peru!). We also used some local guides (Bruce, Alex, Heidi & a local guide at Machu Picchu whose name escapes me) and again they all were all very knowledgeable on their local area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Light layers are recommended as the weather changes frequently & the early mornings/late evenings can be cold. A personal supply of toilet roll will come in useful for the "Inca" toilet stops, take your valuables with you to the homestay, (I left my kindle in my luggage which was left in the hotel in Puno overnight and someone decided to "relieve" me of it), drink plenty of water as it really helps with the altitude sickness and if possible get some altitude tablets before you go, not everyone was affected but some people had it bad...Don't got to the hot springs at Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) as full of dirty trekkers but do go to those as Chivay as they are lovely (although in fairness there's not a whole lot else to do there). Do try the cactus ice-cream and Alapaca steak.

Stephanie Coghlan

Reviewed September 2014

Essential Peru

This trip covers a huge amount in a short space of time. The scenery through the Andes is breathtaking and other highlights included Cusco, Macchu Picchu and the homestay on Amantani Island-basic but adequate. There were a significant number of early starts and long bus journeys. Some of the toilets were undesirable and it was difficult to obtain lunch-best to organise a packed lunch before leaving. I would recommend about $1000 American for meals and daily expenses. At times the tour guide gave insufficient information. On the whole a truly unique and memorable experience.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Macchu Picchu and Amantani Island.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant in Nasca, but failed to bring the group together. Had a tendency to speak to a few of us and could have been more informative during the long bus rides. Occasionally put his interests first.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for early starts and long bus rides. Bring clothes that can be layered as there is a wide range of temperatures. Snacks and your own toilet roll are very handy.

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