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’!

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24 Reviews

5 out of 5

Robert King

Reviewed September 2023

Fantastic adventure

An amazing adventure holiday that the whole family loved. It was a perfect balance of wildlife adventure and opportunity for my 9 year old to play at the hotel pools and beaches. she enjoyed the wildlife adventure part just as much as the pools and beach. I thought we managed to get so many things into two weeks including a few of the options. We all thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and would recommend it to anyone interested in nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

We loved seeing all the wildlife in their natural habitat, especially the sloths, Toucans, scarlet macaws, iguanas and monkeys. The night time green turtle trip was amazing and the boat trips in Tortuguero stand out. It was also great to hear that tourism is contributing to protecting the wildlife as it give income to people as well as the banning of single use plastics in the national parks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alejandro was brilliant, very knowledgeable and always happy to go out of his way to help and organise things. Chico the driver was also excellent, often spotting wildlife and stopping the bus so we could see and take photos.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to take photos then at least a 100-400mm lens is recommended. I got some amazing photos using this. If you only want a compact camera then 20x optical zoom or would be good. Dollars are widely taken and often prices are quoted in dollars. Colons are easily available from ATM and a lot of ATM will give dollars or Colons. Visa and Mastercard also very widely taken. (check if your bank charges a fee, mine doesn’t) Take an insulated water bottle, I appreciated having cold water during the day having filled it from the hotel water cooler.

Helena Doucas

Reviewed September 2023

Costa Rica Adventure Family Holiday

Incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. We saw such a lot- mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. The experience of being in the rainforest is unique and totally different to anything we had experienced before.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close up views of wildlife. We loved the zip lining and the hot springs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent. Organised, extraordinarily good English and a mine of information on all sorts of topics. He also shared some fabulous wildlife photographs with us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The wet season is really really wet so be prepared. It doesn’t necessarily rain every day but is overcast most of the time and there are days when the rain is absolutely relentless for the entire day. Nothing will dry so bring a spare pair of trainers or walking shoes.

James Gray

Reviewed January 2023

Absolutely brilliant family Christmas trip

We went on this trip as a family of four with children aged 12 and 14, over Christmas 2022. We had an absolutely brilliant time and the memories will stay with us forever. Costa Rica just has everything- amazing wildlife, great weather, beautiful scenery, beaches, friendly people, felt very safe and just a wonderful and easy place to be. Without exception the activities were all brilliant especially the hot springs and rafting. Johnny and Victor looked after us incredibly well and really went the extra mile to make sure we had a great time. Johnny clearly has a genuine love for his country and is exceptionally knowledgeable regarding the wildlife. The travelling was all very pleasant and the only bad thing was that the trip had to end! Cannot recommend this trip highly enough if you want a great experience with loads of amazing wildlife, fun and adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching our children’s reaction (they’ve never been further from the UK than France!) to all the amazing things we saw, especially the wildlife

Thoughts on Group Leader

Johnny was an absolute star- caring, witty, exceptionally knowledgeable and just great fun to be around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!! You won’t regret it.

colin stanley

Reviewed January 2023

dec 22 trip

The whole family loved the trip and everyday even the travel days there was something to look fwd to.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the wildlife we saw especially the sloths, snakes and all the birds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent great to get someone who is a great people person who is an expert in Costa Rica wildlife

Advice for Potential Travellers

Great trip for all aged kids and teanagers

Mark Searle

Reviewed August 2022

Perfect Costa Rica Family Adventure

An amazing adventure that exceeding expectations. The travel guide, Johnny and driver Wilbur were superb and made the holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

Loved every moment. Seeing the Green Turtles giving birth and Hump back Whale babies jumping was amazing but the thousand little things easily matched

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely Perfect. Love and enthusiasm for Costa Rica was Superb

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy. Traveled in early August and needed no warm gear. T-shirt and umbrella was ideal for all areas. If you have never explored Costa Rica would 100% recommend.

Mike Crook

Reviewed May 2020

Exceeded Every Expectation

From the moment our amazing adventure started we did not want it to end. Now 5 months later we still don’t want it to end. Sadly it did back in January (so many tears when it was time to go home) but the memories we have are secure and will last a lifetime.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many highlights with not a moment wasted. Here's a few... The night walk over vertigo inducing hanging bridges in the tree canopy and coming face to face with a mother sloth cradling her baby hanging off said bridge. We never thought we'd get that close! The James Bond style speedboat race over rivers so wide you couldn't see both sides. The zip lining above a rain forest. I mean, what's more to say! The white water rafting. Awesome! Sloths. Toucans. Frogs. A snake. Etc. Etc. And, everything else too!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alejandro was the perfect guide engaging with adults and children alike with the enthusiasm necessary to keep interest high (especially on the long journeys between destinations). The supplementary knowledge of a native Costa Rican added the local insights we wanted to lear about and we're sure we wouldn't have experienced many aspects of Costa Rican life (e.g. local dining) without Alejandro there to support us. Nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the advice provided by Exodus. It's all pretty useful and relevant. Heed the warnings of rain. For the first half of our trip in December/January it rained a lot (perhaps more than expected). We found that swimming clothes and ponchos was a better option in many situations (not the jungle) than going for full waterproofs. Less to dry out because drying stuff out takes days in the humid environment. The rain is always warm.

Helen Cordery

Reviewed September 2019

Great adventure - our expectations were blown!

A fantastic, safe but action-packed way to explore a totally new country. The wildlife was amazing (the crocodile eating a howler monkey was a ‘highlight’), as was the white water rafting. A wonderful way for a family to connect to each other and to nature.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many, it's impossible to choose! But I think the Costa Rican wildlife in all its glory was the highlight. Seeing a baby humpbacked whale swim alongside our boat will stay with me forever, as will the crocodile eating a monkey - but in a different way. Our driver spotting a group of scarlet macaws as we drove along the highway, and then spending several minutes watching them with our mouths open was another highlight. On another level, the white water rafting was exhilarating and such fun. But the whole country and its people was inspirational too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gio was amazing - his wealth of knowledge about Costa Rica, its history, geography and nature was amazing, as was his engagement with the group (kids and adults). His lovely last speech as Roberto was driving us to the airport brought tears to my eyes! He was always very mindful of our safety, which was so important when you factor in the excitable kids (and adults) who could potentially forget themselves and make unsafe decisions. I am also extremely grateful to him for just ignoring my travel-related migraine (and vomiting) within minutes of meeting him at the airport!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you, like us, want a real adventure, but are nervous about how to do this when you're not that confident travelling, this is a definite trip to consider. This was our first trip abroad as a family, but has set the bar very high for future trips!

Richard Bowman

Reviewed January 2019

Amazing wildlife adventure

What an incredible trip!
Costa Rica is everything that we had hoped for and more. The wildlife and scenery was spectacular, and the tour gave us a great experience of all of the different areas of the country. Each day felt like it couldn’t be topped only for the next to be even better.
We had a magical Christmas in Tortuguero and New year in La Fortuna.
Exodus had thought of everything to make the holiday special and our guide was simply awesome and really made the holiday.
The hotels were in some great settings and grounds, were comfortable (more than adequate) but not luxurious.
We would highly recommend for families that love nature, the outdoors and new experiences, and like to meet new people.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's really difficult to highlight a best bit as the whole trip was incredible. The boat rides on Christmas day in Tortuguero and seeing all of the amazing wildlife is hard to beat, being so up close, felt like being in a wild life documentary. Rafting was incredible fun and the guide was very funny. The beaches and warm sea were just gorgeous, especially when you thought of home! We really enjoyed sharing the experience and getting to know the other families. Relaxing at the end in Dominical and seeing the stunning pacific sunset. Our guide was very passionate about his country and we learnt so much not just about nature, but about the geography, history and government of Costa Rica. It was fascinating and not something you would necessarily know if you traveled independently.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our trip guide, Jonny, was simply fantastic. He'd won the award the previous year for exodus' best guide and it was easy to see why. As a guide he was incredibly attentive to the groups mood and needs and was always planning ahead so that our trip went as smoothly as possible and that we got the most out of our time. He was also a great ambassador for Costa Rica, using the journeys to tell us about the country's history and the lands we were traveling through. Above all he was a incredibly passionate and knowledgeable naturalist, helping us to spot some amazing wild life and learn a little of this fantastic country's eco-systems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I packed walking boots which were heavy, trainers are fine. You do need a waterproof as the weather can literally change in minutes! Be prepared to be up and out around 6/7am on trip days - this sounds early but the sunrise is 5.30am and everyone is up and about (also this is when you see the best nature and the UK time zone helps!). Your routine just adapts, early rise and early bedtime! Wifi was available in all hotels but signal patchy. A travel washing line is useful - we did do a laundry load in La Fortuna which was reasonable but hotels are not cheap. Food is generally not cheap. Budget as exodus advises and you'll be along the right lines.

Natalie Charles

Reviewed August 2018

Amazing Adventure with Teens

A wonderful couple of weeks focusing principally on the wildlife of Costa Rica. We went at the start of the rainy season and were lucky with the weather, but don’t think you’ll be suthbathing (much) as Exodus keep you moving!

Most Inspirational Moment

My thirteen year old son told me that the Pacific coast beach we visited was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Gio has an exceptionally calm, professional and efficient manner. He's also incredibly knowledgeable and endlessly enthusiastic about his country. On top of that, he understands the importance of group dynamics and ensured that we formed a happy group. I really don't think we could have asked for a more thoughtful, organised and all-round nice guy to lead our holiday!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Two things - 1. If you're travelling in the rainy season, ignore the advice to travel light as you cannot dry clothes (everything is constantly damp) 2. Ignore Exodus's terrible and costly advice to take dollars. You need enough dollars to get you to a cash machine, then withdraw local Colones and use them everywhere - otherwise you will be ripped off by terrible dollar exchange rates offered in shops and restaurants.

Caroline Richardson

Reviewed August 2018

Wow, wow, wow!!!

Costa Rica is a fabulous country and well worth the long flight. We went as a family of 5, parents of nearly 50, my mum in her early 70s and 2 girls aged 10 and 12. We were looking for a change from the usual pool / beach holiday and gosh, it was different!!!
The wildlife is nothing short of phenomenal. We saw spiders, snakes, macaws, crocodiles, lizards, fantastic birds, frogs etc…… the list just goes on. The plantlife was great – plants we have at home in pots in the house growing tens of feet high in their natural habitat – it was quite something to see.
It was also very educational, not just seeing plants and animals in their natural environment, but also other experiences such as the trips to the chocolate / cacao plantation and the sloth sanctuary. And it was great fun, especially the white water rafting and the zipwiring in Arenal.
It was however, quite exhausting. I must admit we were not quite prepared for the pace, the early mornings and the long coach trips, but, in retrospect, they were all for a reason and all worth it for the sights and sounds and experiences in each location.
And of course, I must mention our guide Glenda and our driver Mauricio who were quite simply, marvellous. Their professionalism, efficiency and enthusiasm for their country made the holiday very special for us.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think we all enjoyed the quiet boat trip in Tortuguero - how Glenda managed to find a waterway all to ourselves given the amount of traffic on the main river I will never know. But the chance to see turtles, crocodiles, various birds including toucans and macaws, monkeys, lizards etc in their natural habitat with the added highlight of the 2 dolphins was marvellous. The white water rafting and zip wiring were such fun and we all enjoyed the adrenalin rush! And seeing something new almost at every turn was great. Traipsing back to our room one afternoon we came across an armadillo, seeing a coati in the grounds of the hotel, howler monkeys moving across in the trees above the swimming pool... etc. I could go on.......

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nothing short of fabulous. Glenda was so knowledgeable and her telescope managed to pick out things that we could not even see with the naked eye. Mauricio was always there incase anyone wanted to finish a walk early and his keen eye also spotted other treats hidden in the trees. Glenda's enthusiasm for her country and her willingness to share this with us was much appreciated. Our experience of Costa Rica would not have been half as good without her...

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is hot and humid in August and clothes all get very damp. Anything that gets wet, stays wet. So pack clothes in ziplock bags and keep them zipped wherever possible. Dry-wicking clothes are perfect and do not bring anything that cannot dry easily. A ball or something for the kids to play with in the pools is a great idea. And test your waterproofs before you travel. These need to be industrial strength as when it rains I mean it really rains!! Stand in the shower for 15 minutes on full blast and check those seams!!! If your kids are remotely travel sick - think about travel bands on their wrists as the roads are windy and bumpy. Connecting or family rooms are rare however if you have young kids the rooms normally have 2 double beds so you could all sleep together although it might be quite tight! A zoom camera is a must and maybe, as we did, another soft bag to throw in the washing and / or hiking boots when these are not being worn will keep the suitcases relatively clean and organised.

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