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!

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47 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Colin England

Reviewed February 2022

Excellent Trip

Excellent trip, great cycling, great tour leader, terrific birds and wildlife, fantastic group of cyclists. All accommodation was a good standard

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing all the wildlife and colourful birds. The enthusiasm of the local staff and their knowledge of their country.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was a fantastic group leader who went out of his way to make sure all members of the group were happy. He worked very hard throughout the trip to ensure everything ran smoothly

Advice for Potential Travellers

It gets very hot when cycling especially up some of the hills. Take a buff you can soak in water to put round your neck to keep cool. Take a camera and binoculars and maybe even a book of birds of Costa Rica.

Carol Merritt

Reviewed February 2022

Absolutely brilliant

Fantastic trip. The best of Costa Rica. Having previously cycled the Nicagura/Costa Rica/Panama trip with Exodus, my husband and I were keen to return to cycle Costa Rica coast to coast to see this beautiful country and its wildlife properly.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip was fantastic and offered a variety of places and activities not repeated from previous trip. Three river safaris, staying the rainforest, experiencing contrast of the Pacific and Caribbean coast were great. I feel as if I've seen this magnificent country in full and loved every moment of the itinerary.

Thoughts on Group Leader

On arrival I was thrilled to see Roberto as our guide once again. An absolutely outstanding guide. Roberto attended to everyone's individual requests from enthusiastic bird watchers, priority of some keen cyclists, wildlife lovers, a great balance which suited everyone in our group. Roberto is excellent in demonstrating our routes on a map, went out of his way to not only ensure each individual personally got what they wanted from this trip, safety came first, created Whatsapp group to unite all members of our team, nothing was too much trouble, his knowledge and history of Costa Rica was superb. I can't rate Roberto highly enough and he will have my vote as Guide of the Year. Paul, Roberto's assistant and mechanic was also a huge credit to the team, going out of his way to support all levels of cyclists.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't hesitate, just book.

Sean Anderson

Reviewed February 2022

Just do It!

320 miles of outstanding cycling, scenery, wildlife , inside a delicious Country. Friendly faces, surprisingly good food, cold beer, and night noises to sooth you to sleep – Costa Rica was super surprising, every day different, from the Central Highlands, Pacific and Caribbean Coasts, Rain Forests, and Volcanic Landscapes.

Costa Rican road quality was far superior to anything you’ll find in the UK, and so refreshing not to have one eye open for pot holes and lunatic drivers , that said there are occasionally some very big American Trucks around but there driving was of the higher order and are no cause for concern.

So as the title suggests “ Just Do It “ you will not be disappointed!

Most Inspirational Moment

Central Highlands gets a big thumbs up, as did the area around Fortuna , simply stunning. You keep thinking that you Wow that is outstanding reaction tank will fill up but it simply doesn’t. Tortuguero both coastal and up the river should not be missed , the same applies to the Manuel Antonio National Park, and after you reached the top of Death Mountain sipping a Coffee and watching Humingbirds fly around is a bit magical. To many good moments to single out , go and make your own!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto, simply the best ever, a shining star in the Exodus World. Roberto knows his stuff intimately, proud of his country, he exudes warmth, charm, humour, and nothing no problems attitude. He will push you as hard as you want to go but equally as chilled to let you find your own pace - its not a race it’s your holiday. Frustratingly he’s also a pretty able cyclist, as is Paul who works alongside Roberto and kept our bikes in top condition, and your man at the wheel Is Luis - super safe and a little legend with his knife and soft fruits at breaks. Great team all around - I hope you get all three!

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s hot and humid . Clothes struggle to dry out after washing so bear this in mind and pack with this in mind. Sun Screen is unbelievable expensive in Costa so make sure you take enough, insects not such a problem but pack something preventative. Bikes are Scott Mountain Bikes and well maintained and in good condition - bring your saddle if you want but we didn’t find the standard saddle a problem. They are super low geared and will get you up anything you are likely to encounter hill wise , terrain is what they term “undulating “ but there are a few long accents and potentially fast descents if you choose to give your bike it’s head . That said our group which was fab got around intact and had no issues.

John Mitchell

Reviewed February 2022

Fantastic insight into Costa Rica and its wildlife

Our guide Roberto, aided by his highly professional support team of Paul and Luis, created an atmosphere of total fun to add to the terrific cycling, the beautiful scenery and the amazing birdlife.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's difficult to pick one because there were so many outstanding experiences. Swimming in the Pacific and Caribbean on one holiday is pretty amazing. Cycling in the Highlands away from much of the traffic on smooth roller-coaster roads was a different experience entirely from cycling in Britain. For me though the most inspirational aspect was the abundant and colourful birdlife in the gardens surrounding the Highland hotels and lodges and in the national parks; I came back with scores of memorable photographs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is simply outstanding: inclusive, encouraging, challenging, firm, well-organised, flexible, safe, and both passionate and knowledgeable about his country and what it has to offer the rest of the world. After a few days there was a tremendous team spirit in the group (one of the best I have experienced) and in no small measure this was due to Roberto's personal qualities and his fantastic sense of humour and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As there are several transfers between cycling sessions, it's a good idea to have a small bag you can keep on the bus so you can refresh sun cream, change out of cycling shoes for food stops etc. The Pacific part of the ride is incredibly hot: make sure you have more sun cream than you would expect to need, and use it. Don't take dollars: use the local currency, as the informal exchange rate in shops and restaurants for dollars is poor and you get change in local currency anyway.

Sally James

Reviewed February 2022

Fantastic holiday

A fabulous cycling holiday with a great group and an amazing leader, mechanic and driver.
The amount that we packed into the trip was incredible, a beautiful country with lovely friendly locals.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling in the central highlands. There are climbs however everyone could go at their own pace. Stunning views, especially on the descents! There was plenty of time to take lots of photos. Tortuguero National Park was a fabulous experience, loads of bird life, monkeys and iguanas. Loved swimming in both the Pacific and Caribbean Oceans. The variety of scenery that we cycled through and the amount of the country that we covered in 2 weeks was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Outstanding. Roberto is an inspirational leader, with a great sense of humour and exceptional organisational skills. Everything ran like clockwork! He made everyone welcome and nothing was too much trouble. His passion for and knowledge of his country is fantastic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Have a day rucksack or suitable bag for putting a change of clothes, sun tan cream etc in (and sandals if you wear cleats) so that you can keep this handy on the bus to change into for transfers if you want. One of the hotels half way round does laundry if you want.

David and Debbie Haworth

Reviewed February 2022

Wonderful journey!

From start to finish this tour was just fantastic, packed with activities that made us feel like we had been here a month. the tour guide Roberto runs a slick efficient operation with his co-workers Paul an Luis, nothing was a problem whatever you asked.

Most Inspirational Moment

For us there were many, staying at the biological station and visiting the national park of Tortugera, the wildlife was fabulous.if you're a bird enthusiast then your in for a treat!!!I saw more than 20 different exotic species up close, hummingbird,toucans and parrots galore. Sloths, iguanas, monkeys...to name a few All the guides that took us around were knowledgeable about the habitat.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is a very professional,kind, respectful gentleman with an abundance of local knowledge. He's considerate to all the different levels of fitness in the group and nothing was to difficult a problem to solve. He's also has a fantastic sense of humour 😃

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of sun screen as it's hot🥵and it costs a lot of money to buy here.Also bring insect repellent,none of us were bite free You can drink the local water which is a bonus...and it tastes nice. Nobody suffered any upset stomachs.

Nigel Baird

Reviewed January 2022

Generally good with some provisos.

Both the support team and the fellow travelers made this trip plus Costa Rica is a lovely and safe country to travel/cycle.

Most Inspirational Moment

Mountains and Caribbean coast both equally.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto was great as were Paul and Luis in the support team.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's impossible to wash and dry any clothes during the trip due to the humidity. You will get bitten but mainly in the daytime when protection is not as easy as night time, that said it wasn't that bad. The ATM's sometimes run out of dollars and don't work all the time for everyone so make sure you always have enough money in your pocket at all times although most restaurants accept cards.

Vanessa Greenaway

Reviewed April 2020

Trip of a lifetime

Our first trip with Exodus, and first adventure on the bikes. This trip with Roberto and Jeyson guiding and Luis driving exceeded all of our expectations. We are hooked on this type of trip now and cannot believe we haven’t found you before. We packed in so many wonderfully different terrains, views and wildlife experiences, it will be hard to replicate. The bikes were great, the cycling was the perfect amount for reasonably fit older adults. The first cycling stop where the water container was opened and we had the vision of perfectly arranged fresh pineapple and papaya was when I knew we would love it. This was the perfect time of year no rain, occasionally a little too hot but no need to carry excessive cold weather baggage. The tour guides at the national parks were exceptional and our tour guide Roberto had done all the upfront work to make our travel and experience of these phenomenal sites as smooth and streamlined as possible. We are truly grateful for a magnificent experience in difficult times pura vida!

Most Inspirational Moment

There are a few inspirational moments. Firsly finding that we had a great mixed group to share our holiday with. Some couples, singletons, siblings and lifetime friends, many who had been on previous trips and had advice and experiences to share from those. In particular two wonderful 70 old ladies who often headed up the group on our way up the hills gave me hope for another 15 years of these type of holidays. Along with the wildlife which was exquisite and varied I found the vegetation to be awe inspiring. I loved the Wilson Botanical gardens and the rides through the mountains as we descended from that area. Seeing the various different plantations from pineapple to coffee and bananas was fascinating. And finally our beautiful afternoons by the the beach first the Pacific at Agua Dulce and then the Carribean for our impromptu swim, which Roberto realised was a necessary addition to the itinery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roberto is an excellent locally based leader , who is fluent in English, with the skills to manage and rearrange the itinery to suit the group requirements and the ensuing pandemic that we sadly were having to contend with. He was prepared to manage finances for various meals to enable us to get the best out of our time in the country, a truly experienced and skilled leader. He patiently repeated his instructions when asked, and pulled us into line when needed. His knowledge of the country and the wildlife was exceptional and he sets the standard very high for all our future trips. His helper Jeyson was also a delightful young man, who is a valuable addition to the team. With Luis and his exceptional driving they are a formidable group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As we were new to this style of trip, we hadn't thought through how it would work, it did perfectly but here are the things we learnt. Moving accommodation every night was an organisational challenge and being very prepared for this in your packing would help. 'Packing cubes is a recommendation I will take home from another guest'!! We set up early a group whatapp which enabled us to share photos and co-ordinate meeting in a timely manner this was essential. We had a fair degree of bus time and these journeys were made much more fun by having an inclusive group vibe, where everyone was helpful regarding possessions and spotting bathroom opportunities. Each person, couple is looking to get something slightly different out of the experience if everyone in the group is mindful of that it works brilliantly, as it did for us.

Shona Baird

Reviewed February 2020

Lifetime Adventure

This was our first Exodus Holiday, it did not disappoint. Very well organised trip from all the information prior to our trip to all the hard working ground staff in Costa Rica. Nothing was too much trouble.
The scenery ,mountains, beaches, flora, fauna, wildlife all amazing.
My wishes to see sloths, Tucans and green eyed frogs all came true and so much more.
The cycling was varied , very hot some days but the bus was always there to provide refreshing fresh pineapple or watermelon along with energy drinks and water. Some hills , some flatter rides and an 8mile beach cycle.
We had such fun and good laughs with all our group who gelled well together. This was facilitated by our guides and support team . Our guide Guillermo was a wildlife expert and was knowledgeable about all areas of his country, this was delivered in a very witty and humorous style.
Loved it all

Most Inspirational Moment

cycling through banana plantations seeing wildlife in their own habitats

Thoughts on Group Leader

well organized, hard working, extremely knowledgable about his country from history, geography and wildlife. His sense of humour was ace.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Its a full on trip, but well worth the effort

Jayne Cordingley

Reviewed August 2019

Colourful Costa Rica Cycling

A superb holiday in a wonderful country: jaw dropping scenery, brilliant cycle routes, unbelievably beautiful and abundant wildlife, friendly locals and a really professional and dedicated guide and his team.
I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves cycling, nature and great company.
I would not hesitate to go back to this awe-inspiring county.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the Orosi valley with its lush vegetation and beautiful views, along with experiencing fantastic wildlife so close up in its natural habitat, that has inspired me to see and learn more in the future. Not to mention, casually riding or driving by several of the country’ s volcanoes ( Arenal, Poas, Turrialba and Irazu) peeping out of the clouds was stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andres and his crew were always helpful, patient ,informative, had a high regard for safety and were just generally good fun. Andres’ knowledge of wildlife was second to none. He inspired us all. Nothing was ever too much trouble and he always maintained a professional manner at all times. It was no coincidence the group ‘ gelled’ so well together from the first instance - instead that was credit to Andres and his personal and helpful nature. He is an excellent, yet modest cyclist too. He was always encouraging people up the hills and trying to keep the group together at all times.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take more warm clothes for the low season as there was around three much cooler mountain evenings ( not cooler necessary for cycling though in the daytime ) , plus a good few pairs of decent cycling shorts and a hairdryer to dry them off last minute as it’s very humid! Take lots of DEET and a decent camera, SLR or compact. There is no need to take your own snacks or rehydration tablets for cycling as their was always ample supply in the mini bus during frequent stops. Roads are good quality tarmac with few pot holes , there is little traffic on the planned cycle routes and the drivers are courteous often given a friendly ‘pip’ to cheer you on.

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