Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

For me the inspirational moments of the trip were visiting the Taj Mahal, getting close to the Indian one horned rhino in Chitwan national park and the flight to Everest . The Taj Mahal is such an iconic building and to have experienced its beauty and atmosphere at sunrise was inspiring. Our group were so lucky at Chitwan ...we saw about 10 rhino with 7 being distant viewings but 3 were really close to the jeeps. Being a keen photographer of animals this really made my trip !!! Am still wondering how Gaj our " all things can be sorted" guide managed to arrange that !!! Seeing Everest and the Himalayas above the clouds..... not to be missed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gaj was our fantastic leader who looked out for our safety but also ensured that we had a good time. He frequently asked us if our tummies were in order... "because if your tummy isn't in the right place your head isn't going to be in the right place". For the majority, tummies were in the right place for the whole trip and I am sure that this was partly owing to the fact that Gaj knew where to take us to eat. A guide is always worth his money for giving good advice to avoid unhappy occurrences and then if they occur being able to sort things out . Gaj always gave us good tips on things to do or not to do and always knew where we could change money, find a chemist, procure a chain and lock for your suitcase or get passport photos done . Besides all the practical stuff Gaj told us lots about the history and culture of his country and answered all our questions enthusiastically.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for the long drives.. its what you have to do to visit places where some roads are not great. The Nepalese immigration insist on pristine US dollar notes ( no markings and flat) for your visa.

Most Inspirational Moment

Both morning and evening trips on the Ganges were incredible. Not for the faint-hearted, we watched cremations on the banks of the river. We loved Chitwan even though we didn't see the elusive tiger. We went paragliding in Pokhara which was great fun.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ronit was a great leader. We were a very small group, just four of us and Ronit. We got on extremely well and Ronit just made everything easy. He was knowledgable, informative and fun. He made navigating the chaos easy, getting us on to the train for our overnight trip, getting us tuktuks and rickshaws and adding his own experiences that he thought we would enjoy such as taking us to the Sikh temple in Delhi where we made roti, stopping at the brick factory, walking over a suspension bridge on the way to Pokhara and taking us to eat street food at a stall in Agra.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is not a relaxing holiday. It is an adventure. Be prepared for long journeys on terrible roads. There is always something to see but you will spent a lot of time on the road. There are also some early starts. The standard of driving, generally, is not great. It was particularly dusty in Kathmandu. Some of the hotels are quite basic. Be prepared for sights you would not see in the UK. Embrace the chaos and you will have an amazing time!

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed all that we saw and did. We visited a school on request to give pens and paper. Thought seeing sun rise on the Ganges and sending a light down the river very moving. Loved staying at Chitsan another chances to flot on the water and seeing all the animals. Didn't see the tigers though.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gajraj was very good with information and helped us to understand his country. He was full of fun to that helped us all to get on together. Pleased that he fixed for us to visit a school.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Water in Nepal is readily available no need for water purifying stuff. Lot of dust a face mask is a good idea to have if you suffer with a bad chest.

Most Inspirational Moment

the human spectical of Veranasi

Thoughts on Group Leader

simplly the best

Most Inspirational Moment

Being the first people into the Taj Mahal and having no-one in our photos...and then the place being absolutely rammed 10 minutes later. The amazing Hindu ceremony along the river Ganges at sunset where thousands and thousands of people turned up to worship. Trekking fishtail mountain to see the sunrise. Visiting the amazing Buddist and Hindu Temples... and of course Bang Bang Bollywood film!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vivek was amazing. I have been on 3 exodus trips now and he was the best by far. His years of experience shone through as he took care of restaurant bookings, extra trips and basically anything else we could possibly want (and we wanted a lot!). He was extremely caring and protective (which as a solo female traveler was appreciated) without making us worried and made the time every day to have conversations with each of us. As well as this he joined in on almost all of the optional activities despite probably having done them countless times already and we were all sad to say goodbye at our last meal as a group. He also provided never ending cough sweets to the whole group as we each passed a cold back and forth to each other all trip!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is an intense trip - I was not prepared for exactly how busy and loud India would be and add this to the long days and early starts and it is hard work but just make sure you take the opportunity for some down time when you can get it. It's absolutely worth doing. Practical info- wifi is at every hotel you go to and there's about 3 places you can get laundry done too so don't be tempted to over-pack.

Most Inspirational Moment

It is hard to choose one experience from such a brilliant trip. There were a lot of amazing moments. The Ganges at both dawn and dusk, the elephants and the swim with the elephants, the sheer colour and smells and noise of the cities - all absolutely fantastic. But - The 'Diana bench' at the Taj Mahal at dawn was beyond anything that we ever anticipated - it was simply awe-inspiring! We were fortunate to be there during the festival of Holi. This was terrific fun, and it took about a week to get all the dye and paint off after being plastered from head to toe in coloured paints.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant! He was just great. Nothing was too much trouble and he made the whole trip appear effortless. Of course, he was working very hard behind the scenes but he just made everything happen. He didn't even loose anyone in the crowds of Delhi at night!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book this trip - it is not a physically energetic trip, but it is great. We added a week of trekking in Nepal to get the legs moving after eating and drinking far too much in India.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every moment was inspiration from seeing the first tuk tuk in Dehli, visiting the Taj Mahal, the mosques in Jaipur and the amazing times on the Ganges in Varanasi. The sunsets and sunrises where amazing, early mornings but it was so worth it. I loved the peacefulness of Nepal and I loved Chitwan, Pokhara and Kathmandu, each had its own beauty and the mountain ranges and scenery was truly magnificent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pacham was a gem, an amazing person with so much knowledge of the countries and with a friendly smile no matter when you saw him. He was helpful throughout the trip and made the trip more special. We had so many laughs as a group and Pacham definitely had a few good jokes and stories. He deserves an award :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Have a great time as I know that you definitely will!!

Most Inspirational Moment

We had lovely clear skies for a lot of the trip so the sunrises over the different landscapes were incredible. Although seeing the Taj Mahal and Everest will remain with me forever, it was spending time on the ghats and on the water at Varanasi that took my breath away. Drifting along the river in the Chitwan National Park came a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Badam Sing made all of us feel instantly at ease. He shared a lot of information about his life, childhood and religion with us which gave a very personal insight into India. He dealt with schedule changes calmly and efficiently, changed things around to make the best use of our time, and did his best to arrange things to suit the requests of different members of the group. I was really grateful that Badam didn't bombard us with information on the long journeys - allowing us time and peace to watch the scenery as we drove. I really can't praise him highly enough!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do as many of the optional trips as you can. Don't miss the Everest flight. Bring an iPod for the long journeys and several memory cards. january/February was a great time to travel.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's very hard to single out one element of the trip as it was so diverse, however, the following will stay in my memory always. The Red Fort at Jaipour - the majestic elephants with their blood red robes and decorated faces and the Fort itself were amazing.The Taj Mahal in all its serene beauty.The Ganges flower ceremony and the beauty of the river at sunset .Varanasi's Holy Men in their robes.The Monkey Temple at Kathmandu.The people, who were so curious and welcoming.The colours, women working in the fields wearing bright red, green, blue, orange and yellow cloths - stunning.The noise of the horns and chaos of the roads.I could go on and on. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Guide, Badam, was like a teacher, brother and comedian all rolled into one, he made us all feel safe, relaxed and happy.His advise on everything from what to wear (it was decidedly cold a lot of the time) to where and what to eat made me feel confident and I had no tummy problems at allHe is a wonderful ambassador for his country and for Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This was the first time I have done a trip of this nature so I was very apprehensive but it turned out that there was nothing to worry about. There are now 'local' offices where you can get your Indian Visa, I used the one near Heathrow and it was brilliant, no need to go into the centre of town or pay an expensive courior charge.Take a lot of hand sanitizer with you and use it frequently not just at obvious times but also when you handle cash (the lower denomination in particular are really dirty), menue's in restaurents etc.Bring lots of tissues because you will need them for public toiletts. Don't be scared of the overnight train journey, it was quite an adventure and we met sone lovely students from Taiwan who voluntered to take the top bunks which were quite high up. Just make sure your valuables are safe, just in case. Despite the air conditioning it was very warm so don't wear your thermals (like I did!).Don't forget to haggle when you are buying silks, presents etc. It's really not worth arguing over 20 or 30 rupees but in some cases they will settle of half the asking price. Be prepared for some long bus journeys, you do get used to them and when you arive at your destination it's worth every minute. The buses we used were fine but they don't have heating so if you are traveling at this time of year get wrapped up for the early morning starts.I read lots of horror stories about the road travel but they just weren't applicable to our trip at all. Be prepared to see some sad things, like the poverty that some people have to endure and lots of stray dogs, cows, goats etc. It's hard to look at but that's how it is.