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Traveler Reviews

• J

  john

  April 28th, 2017
  The trip was very good. The local guide went out of her way to make the tour enjoyable for all. Food was varied and...
  The trip was very good. The local guide went out of her way to make the tour enjoyable for all. Food was varied and adventurous at time. Transport was good. The pace of the tour was good with a few tweaks extras were added which filled the gaps.Show more
  Traveled in April 2017
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  Nikola

  December 3rd, 2011
  There were floods, land slides and numerous issues, but the tour went ahead and it was unforgetable. Our guide P.C....
  There were floods, land slides and numerous issues, but the tour went ahead and it was unforgetable. Our guide P.C. was a "force of nature" sorting everything for us. We saw great natural beauty, enjoyed warm hospitality, fought with mosquitoes and leaches and learned the Chang song [ask about it].This is way people love to travel. Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Stephen

  May 1st, 2010
  Adventure travel reproduced in miniature: So much to do, so many things to see - and never enough time! A very...
  Adventure travel reproduced in miniature: So much to do, so many things to see - and never enough time! A very enjoyable attempt to take a varied and balanced selection of different aspects of Thailand and cram them all into half the time needed. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? For "nspirational" it would have to be the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It is very well maintained and the amount of intricate colourful decoration and gold plating all over most of the buildings is mind boggling What I enjoyed most was watching out for wildlife as we explored Khao Sok NP in the inflatable canoes and on foot with the ranger, and going out and exploring the many different urban and countrryside areas visited on foot just to find out for myself what was there. The elephant ride was good too. I like elephants. What did you think of your group leader? James took great care of us. He was a walking encyclopaedia when it came to showing us round the tourist sites. He was well prepared for the excursions with leaflets for us to look at in advance. When we weren't eating out he made sure I was supplied veggie food without me having to ask. However he mostly didn't do the usual Exodus daily briefings to prepare us for the schedule the next day, and it was sometimes a struggle get him to understand questions. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Advice for vegetarians and vegans: Often it looks like there's nothing vegetarian on the menu, but there are a whole list of dishes with a choice of pork chicken or shrimp to be added when they cook it - ask for one of these with no meat. Watch out with tofu - there seems to be an egg version in Thailand as well as the soya one I knew about. I recommend the "Flight of the Gibbon" excursion (not mentioned in the trip notes) at Chaing Mai - there are too many screaming tourists to see any wildlife but if you've never tried sliding down zip wires this was great fun. The Phi Phi islands boat trip option at the end is also well worth it with lots to see both above and (with a snorkel) below the water. I was worried about going down the river in a canoe as I've never paddled one, but it turned out to be just an inflatable one with two group members in each one and a guide in the back to do all the work. A relaxing time looking out for wildlife and one of the highlights of the trip. I found the hot season is HOT (38 C), and it sounds like the wet season is wet and the cold season is cold - so decide which you prefer before you pick a date to go! I flew Eva Air as the group flight was full - they are amazingly efficient and organised and I highly recommend them The accommodation was all surprisingly good. At the end we stayed in Phu Pha Ao Nang Resort, Krabi, which I gather is a change from earlier dates, and this was one of the best - clean, bright and comfortable. Sleeping in the villages the bamboo matting gives no padding and the mats for hire are a few mm of foam sheet - take a thermarest. Be prepared for cocks crowing all through the night. Be aware that this trip involves a LOT of travelling about! The worst was an hour in a songtheaw, the overnight sleeper, a few hours in an overcrowded local bus then more in a songtheaw at the end. But the sleeper trains are a good idea. They are air conditioned, clean and comfortable and allow you to do the long distance travelling while you sleep keeping the daytime to do stuff. When we went at the end of March, the hilltribe museum in the itinerary was closed until the end of August so don't expect to see that before then. Is there anything else you would like to add? I usually do trekking trips, so the small amount of walking was a disappointment. The 3 day hilltribe trek was 2 and 5 hours respectively on the first two days and no walking on the third day. At Hellfire Pass there's only time to do part of the walk. At Erawan falls you have to choose whether to use the short visit to walk to the top or to take a swim. At a number of places, for me, there was too little time see everything that I would have liked. Overall, though, the trip was packed to bursting with different activities and places and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Pamela

  September 20th, 2009
  Great holiday, an excellent trip which packed in a wide variety of activities and gave you the opportunity to see...
  Great holiday, an excellent trip which packed in a wide variety of activities and gave you the opportunity to see many parts of Thailand in a short space of time. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I had a very simple inspirational moment during the trip which will be a lasting memory. We were on our 2nd day of trekking and half way through the day it started to rain, I'm not talking about your standard UK downpour, this was torrential tropical rain. We were all soaked within minutes however standing there under the trees, dripping wet just watching and listening to the rain was amazing. Traveller's tip.. take a good poncho and have a raincover for your rucksack. What did you think of your group leader? Bandito, was our group leader. He was a very sociable, funny guy who made everyone feel comfortable in the group. His organisational skills were very typical of the Thai culture which for British people who live by time and 9 o'clock means 9 o'clock not 9.30, took a bit of getting used to, but all part of the experience! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is a full on trip, with lots of travelling, you are literally always on the go, except for the last few days in Railay Beach. If you are looking for a relaxing, chilled out holiday then this is not for you. I would recommend adding a few days on at the end of the holiday in Railay Beach, if you can, to give you some extra wind down time. Exodus can sort this out for you and it's not expensive. If the company is still using the Ya Ya Resort, book in somewhere else as you can get a lot better accommodation in a more upmarket resort for £20 a night (B&B, big double room, off season rate).As mentioned if you are going in the wet season take a poncho, a rain cover for your rucksack and plenty of plastic bags. Ear plugs are good for the night trains & an eyemask (keep the one from the plane). Is there anything else you would like to add? Before you book this trip ask your Exodus advisor if the are still using the Ya Ya resort in Railay Beach. This accommodation was the one big disappointment of a great holiday. Awful place, dark, dirty rooms, unfriendly staff, and the resort smelled of sewage. I hope the feedback that we submitted (& the rest of the group) will have resulted in Exodus changing to somewhere better.Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Frances

  May 21st, 2009
  This was a great experience and the information provided by out guide Samart about his country was of great value in...
  This was a great experience and the information provided by out guide Samart about his country was of great value in the overall enjoyment of our trip. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Never having been to Asia before Bangkok was quite different to any other city I have ever visited with the sheer volume of people and traffic. Going on a sleeper train was a new experience for me and my husband and travelling overnight made the best use of our days. The food cooked by our guides and the excellent morning at the cooking school. Sitting on an elephant and also going down river on a raft was something special. A day snorkelling down at Railay Beach was also a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience. What did you think of your group leader? Our leader was an excellent ambassador for his country. He looked after our group and always there to explain about Thai customs, food or any other questions about his country. His humour and sense of fun were always apparent and added to our enjoyment of the holiday. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Dont overload your suitcase as there are always cheap laundries available for washing clothes. A walking stick is not essential but does help with the trekking. Also a cheap pair of canvas shoes for walking in the river or the sea at the end of the holiday. Is there anything else you would like to add? All in all a we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Thailand and would recommend it. We would certainly think of booking another holiday with Exodux based on the experience of this one.Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Kerry

  March 6th, 2008
  This trip exceeded all expectations, I feel I saw the true Thailand in a way that I would not have done without...
  This trip exceeded all expectations, I feel I saw the true Thailand in a way that I would not have done without Exodus. I will be booking another Exodus trip soon! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Staying in the hilltribes outside Chaing Mai is so touching, so intimate and the people so welcoming you feel completely at home on the other side of the world. Exceptional!The opportunities to experience all Thailand has to offer is incredible, swimming in Erawan waterfall, canoeing in Khao Sok National Park and unwinding on a unspoilt and picturesque beach such as Sichon is unmissable! What did you think of your group leader? My group leader was impressive to say the least. He made the trip completely stress free, organisation was perfect, timing was accurate and not once did he show how hard it was for him to make it run so smoothly for us. He was calm and collected and even animated with the group - very thoughtful as to include everyone and make them feel welcome. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be open minded!Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Carol-ann

  March 6th, 2008
  Overall, I loved the pace of this trip. The mix of cultural, physical and free time activities was perfect for me....
  Overall, I loved the pace of this trip. The mix of cultural, physical and free time activities was perfect for me. Although, initially, I was a little wary about the synergy of our group given the ages spanned from 20 to 69 (!), I was pleasantly surprised to see that we chose to spend most of our free time all together...and that says a lot! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Hmm...Tough to pinpoint just ONE, so I will summarize by saying that I most appreciated: (1)any chance I got to get off the tourist path, and mingle with the locals -whether it be the Hilltribes where we camped out or my bicycle ride in the village of Surat Thani, and (2) the visit to the Memorial to the POWs who built the Hellfire Pass, and (3) the breathtaking beauty of the Wats. What did you think of your group leader? Our leader, Mr. Bond, was a hoot! Always ready to answer my 1000 questions and challenging me to ask him something noone else had before in the 7 years since he started. By the way...Never did find out if I had won that challenge or not... Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Travel VERY light because you have to lug your own suitcases and there are plenty steep stairs to climb. Laundry service is fast , very cheap and readily available absolutely everywhere you go.Do not underestimate the need for sunblock lotion even if it appears to be cloudy.Bring a couple sets of GOOD ear plugs, since you don't know who you will get in your group that might snore like a drunken sailor.When in doubt, bring less. Not only is virtually everything less expensive but there are ample opportunities to pick up anything you might realize you needed after all. Is there anything else you would like to add? 2 things:I brought a u-shaped memory foam thingy for the flight that I carried with me everywhere. Saved my night's sleep in those places where the pillows simply did not work for me.I let myself be talked out of using my walking poles on the treck and wished I hadn't. Our Hilltribe guide kindly made me a bamboo replacement, but it just wasn't the same. I had brought them on the trip, I should have used them.Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Emma

  November 28th, 2007
  Is there anything else you would like to add? The tour is great if you have a limited amount of time to see...
  Is there anything else you would like to add? The tour is great if you have a limited amount of time to see thailand- you fit so much into each day and do not have to organise anything.Show more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Keith

  October 4th, 2007
  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? During a holiday that provided a wonderfully eclectic range of...
  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? During a holiday that provided a wonderfully eclectic range of experiences from the bustle of Bangkok to the realtive isolation of the northern hill tribes it wasShow more
  Traveled in August 2016
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  Nicola

  October 4th, 2007
  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Hilltribe trek and bamboo rafting to concludePottering in...
  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Hilltribe trek and bamboo rafting to concludePottering in Chiang MaiShow more
  Traveled in August 2016