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.

Select a trip specific review:

Select

55 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviewed October 2011

ANDES TO AMAZON

Ecuador proved to be a very interesting country and was well worth a visit. There is a lot of travelling involved in this holiday, but how else can you get to see so much?

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the rain forest was the most exciting part of the trip for my wife and I, although she did go to bed fully clothed and with a hat on in the sweltering heat due to all the insects (they were mostly outside the hut and not inside but that did not make any difference). The boat ride through the mangrove swamps was excellent as we saw more birds on that day than all the previous days put together, it was amazing. It was also very interesting and moving seeing all the old people in their traditional clothes and in the bustling markets. Every day brought a new experience, including the visit to the nature reserve at over 14,000 feet in the Andes and the four hour road decent down from the summit (yes 4 hours, I've never seen such a long hill) was someting I'll never forget. Interestingly a water bottle I drank empty and sealed up at the top was squashed flat by the increased air pressure by the time we arrived at the bottom!

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader (Fabian) was excellent, very laid back and unflappable, knowledgable and helpful. A good leader. Mention must also be made of the driver (Roberto) who drove us for the full two weeks, he was excellent and we all felt very safe and comfortable in his hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took lots of shorts to wear and hardly wore them at all, it was either too cold (in the high Andes) or the sun was too scorching. Long, cool pants are the best. A wide brimmed hat is a must. As the walks were only billed as short we made the mistake of not taking the right footwear, make sure you take good strong walking trainers or lightweight walking boots.

Reviewed October 2011

ANDES TO AMAZON

The trip surpassed my expectations. An outstanding country with a huge variety of scenery, peoples, culture and experiences. The trip was well paced yet packed with experiences. Great stuff and incredible value for money.Mountains, check. Rainforest, check. Wildlife & Birds, check, Great food, check. Cities, check. Photo opportunities, check. I came away inspired to go back and to see more. Thanks Exodus!

Most Inspirational Moment

It is difficult to pick out one moment on this trip, so I have to resort to two.The first one was the long descent from Quito via the Papallacta Pass down to the Rainforest. A stunning journey with changing landscapes, changing weather and temperatures and changing people as the day went on. The long journey was punctuated by a tasty yet unexpected lunch in the hills and culminated in a transfer to a long boat for a high speed transfer on the brown waters of the Amazon Basin to our rainforest lodge, to be greeted by large groups of monkeys swinging throught the trees. Really made me realise why I love to travel.The second one was provided by one our group. An older gentleman who I spent time talking to and listening to his life and experiences. Made you realise that your life is in your hands and you can do so much with your time to help others and still have a fulfilling life of your own.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Fabian is a real character. Like a loveable rogue and friend, he was full of stories and anecdotes and clearly showed a passion for his country, bringing things to life and painting pictures with his words.He was also full of practical advice and dealt well with the group. Really enjoyed him leading us and he helped to make the trip come alive with his humour and knowledge.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for all weathers and take your walking boots. It will be hot and cold, dry and humid, wet and changeable, so lots of thin layers and waterprrofs plus good footwear.For the rainforest, cover up well, especially on the night walks and have bite cream and bite prevention with you at all times.Take your own plug for sinksUS adapter for electricityTake all of your US dollars in cash - no notes bigger than US$20sTake lots of plastic bags with you, useful for putting damp clothing and mucky boots in Meal portions are generous in general so beware over orderingBe aware of altitude sickness - coca tea and aspirin at the ready - I suffered with this.A bit of basic Spanish will really help, so brush up on your vocabulary

Reviewed July 2011

ANDES TO AMAZON June 2011

This was a fabulous trip which exceeded expectations. Mainland Ecuador tends to go under the radar – definitely a mistake. This trip was full of variety – Ecuador is a diverse country indeed. From jungle to volcanoes to paramos to calderas to markets to World Heritage towns – this trip had a huge variety of activities and sights.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing 4 volcanoes at once. Also the Cajas National Park was simply amazing for its scenery and vegetation. And I loved seeing the scarlet macaws.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Javier was superb. He was very knowledgeable and great fun to be with. We even enjoyed his jokes! He was always looking for ways to improve our experience. His command of English was very good and he gave us a real insight into Ecuadorian life. A wonderful guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure that you take a headlight for the jungle (there is no electricity in the chalets). Also take thick socks - we wore gumboots/wellingtons twice for muddy walks and thick socks made them much more comfortable. Also, make sure you take your hiking boots or good walking shoes/trainers - we did more walking than expected - all optional - I thought the walking greatly added to the experience.

Reviewed July 2011

ANDES TO AMAZON

Overall quite a good trip but in my opinion lacking more time in interesting parts of the country – mainly the rainforest.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the wild places and valleys and mountains plus the volcanoes and the rainforest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

10 out of 10 for knowledge, patience, tolerance and being very easy going.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a diverse selection of environments and places of interest.

Reviewed March 2011

ANDES TO AMAZON

A thoroughly enjoyable tour that encompassed such varied landscapes and people, as Ecuador covers a relatively small area compared to many other South American countries. We travelled from the chilly high Andes to the heat of the jungle and Pacific coast. Our guide (Pablo) was excellent. Our driver (Nelson) was careful and made us feel secure. Distances each day were not too great and most roads were good. Our accommodation and food were also good throughout. A great way to learn about and see Ecuador.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many high points - from the high mountains and snow covered volcanoes, beautiful landscapes, varied agriculture, colourful markets, varied peoples in the local dress and the delightful old towns within Quito and Cuenca. The railway journey on the rebuilt track from Alausi to the Devil's Nose switch back was great fun for everyone (not just for railway fans).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pablo was a professional - knowlegable, helpful and considerate. Cosmopolitan in outlook with excellent English. He made situations work for the benefit of the whole group on many occasions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take varied clothing as it can be cold as well as hot. The 3 night stop on arrival at Pantavi Hacienda was good and helped overcome the effect of the long journey.

Prev 1 … 4 5 6