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

16 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Steven Elliot

Reviewed June 2024

I’m still breathless

We’ve been cycling with Exodus for 10 years or so and the last couple of trips have disappointed but this one restored my faith. It’s pretty full on, with a varied program, and we were pretty exhausted by the end, but happily so. Bali has a reputation as the Aussies’ Blackpool and certainly the areas around the airport and Ubud are choked with traffic and full of tourist tat. The great thing about this trip was that we ventured into areas where westerners rarely go – the central mountains and the north coast were particularly quiet and gorgeous.
The east of Java was, possibly, even lovelier.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the day climbing up to Batur’s caldera and then descending down to the crater floor where we crossed an old lava flow. The snorkeling was also awesome. I even enjoyed the night at the homestay near Ijen, though don’t forget to bring a sense of humour in view of the paper thin walls

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira is probably the best leader I’ve met on Exodus trips. Very calm, very organized. He was aided by his crew- I’m not sure how many of them there were but we always had three guys marshaling us on the rides and we also had our own chef who provided some super picnic lunches. Nice guys particularly Aan who always had a smile and learnt our names instantly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Another review has mentioned the traffic. Most of the time we rode quiet lanes but there certainly were some busy stretches. Indonesian drivers are a more tolerant bunch than their equivalent in the UK. There were no two finger salutes or obscene hand gestures or verbal abuse. Stick close to the left side of the road and you will be fine

Stephen Fawcett

Reviewed May 2024

We only cycled on Bali and Java

A very interesting and varied country and culture but too much traffic for comfortable cycling

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling up Ijen volcano

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira was a really attentive and well organised leader with a safety conscious approach

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that cycling may not be as relaxed as on some other Exodus cycling trips

Kate Thompson

Reviewed June 2023

Fabulous holiday, lovely country and people!

A great holiday. I’m not a sit-on-the-beach type and this trip was anything but that (though the beaches are beautiful!) It was all so interesting. Huge variety – cycling through villages and coffee plantations, snorkeling, camping, temples, rice paddies, mountains, volcanoes, craters, old colonial homes… Exodus packs a lot into this trip! And such friendly people. Yes, there are a couple of really big hills, but if you’re reasonably fit, they’re doable. We had plenty of breaks and went at the pace of the group. (Please see my note below on trip rating.) One thing I really liked was that the distances weren’t as long as on some Exodus trips I’ve done. That meant a more relaxing start (7am breakfast not 7am start!) And we generally got to the hotel at the end of the day in time to read a book or go for a swim. Made for the perfect holiday.

Most Inspirational Moment

Can I have three? Cycling through the villages on both Bali and Java - marigold offerings at the gates in Bali, the call to prayer on Java. The snorkeling (Nemos, turtles, fish of every colour...) Camping at the beach and the great dinner the team put on.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira is a fantastic guide. Organised (things ran like clockwork), helpful, friendly. Great sense of humour. Patiently answered all my questions about his lovely country. Wayan, our #2 guide, was great fun and super-helpful too. And the rest of the crew couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. Lovely people.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light but not too light! The humidity makes it hard to get washing dry. Having done several Exodus trips ranked moderate/challenging, I'd say this was harder than those more challenging trips. The distances were shorter, but the hills were bigger! If, like me, you don't eat red meat or chicken, Indonesia is your place. Excellent vege food and great fish. If you like gold and silver jewellery, you won't find better than at the first hotel in Ubud (where they make their own).

Niall Campbell

Reviewed May 2023

A trip to remember

Fantastic trip and a great experience. The guides were excellent and great ambassadors for Indonesia. We’ve all heard of the country but perhaps no little about it so it’s a great way to improve your knowledge and understanding about its geography, history and people. Food was also excellent and whilst rice is very common at meals there are other options available.

Most Inspirational Moment

The scenery and the friendly people. Bali and Java are incredibly beautiful and blessed with some fine scenery. The opportunity to go snorkeling for the first time was mind blowing with a huge variety of tropical fish to see. Each day we passed a number of villages and whilst perhaps it was unusual to see cyclists, the people, particularly the youngsters, were very friendly so always remember to wave back!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira was an excellent guide, always willing to share his knowledge about Indonesia and always on the ball with his briefings about the day's cycling. He also has a great sense of humour and kept us motivated throughout the trip. He's also got aspirations as a singer - as you'll find out on the night when you camp! The size of our group also warranted a second person to help with the cycling and in this respect Wayan was also fantastic. Always cheerful and definitely kept us all motivated, even on the days when the cycling was fairly tough.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't underestimate the cycling even if the trip is graded moderate. A couple of days require some significant gain in altitude so do some training beforehand. There's always a support vehicle if you don't feel up to it of course but the challenge of getting to the top is always rewarding. You'll also need to cope with the temperatures but as long as you keep your fluids up you'll be fine. Whilst a bloke I'd over-packed when it came to evening clothes so I wouldn't worry too much about having lots of different outfits to wear as you mainly eat in the hotel or a nearby restaurant. Whilst cycling you'll definitely get very sweaty but just accept it as everyone else is the same! There are one or two opportunities for laundry during the trip but you'll likely need to do it by hand half-way through as you won't spend sufficient time to get it laundered before leaving the hotel the next day. There's more opportunities though nearer the end of the trip if you get desperate for clean clothes! As regards money the trip notes are slightly out of kilt. The $100 mentioned covers both a kitty for misc. expenses plus the tips for the support crew including the second cycling guide. The tip for the leader of course is your discretion but as our one was excellent we each gave 1m rupiahs (approx £55).

Krisztina Forrai

Reviewed October 2022

Amazing time in Bali and Java

Another brilliant trip with Exodus visiting the beautiful islands of Bali and Java. Breath-taking views, welcoming locals, delicious food and sometimes breath-taking climbs were the highlights of the two weeks. The fantastic support team made this already amazing adventure truly unforgettable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of the highest climb in Java

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira and his team did an amazing job. Everything was perfectly organised for us all the time, we felt spoilt by the support team's attentiveness while they all made their hard work look so effortless and fun. Wira thought of everything, briefed us all the time on the next segment, the next program, the next day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do this trip! And pack enough spare clothes so won't need to rely on washing/drying opportunities as they are scares due to the schedule and the humid weather

Neil Douglas

Reviewed August 2022

Great downhills

Cycling the hills – both up and down – was a thrill. And the last two days the flat village riding was charming. Traffic was a too heavy to properly enjoy the connecting sections. Accommodation was varied. Some lovely hotels. One rather damp and unpleasant hotel ( acknowledged as a fudge after covid closures). The homestay however was dire. Only 2 hours sleep after inconsiderate guests partied until 2 and then from 4 for an early start. Even without them however the homestay was going to to cause problems. Walls were quant but thin bamboo and the the whole place was seriously delapidated but still offering ~ 25 rooms.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the caldera rim on day 2.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira was keen, helpful and very efficient. Very personable. The whole team was too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I hope you like rice! Vegetarians well catered for - I was nearly converted! Easy to avoid or indulge in chilli and spice.

Janet Young

Reviewed September 2019

Great memories of a fascinating country

Cycling Indonesia was a brilliantly organised trip which offered a glimpse into a good cross section of Indonesian, from the quiet East Javanese beaches to the bustling cultural centre of Ubud. The countryside was wonderful and the traffic did not pose a problem as they seemed to navigate around us. The terrain was hilly but none of the climbs were extreme and all in our group made it up both volcanoes in their own time. The local people were so welcoming and friendly and our guide and his crew were equally outstanding.

Most Inspirational Moment

The best moment for me was camping on the beach in East Java - so quiet and remote considering we were on one of the most populous Islands in the world. I also loved the quiet achievement of cycling up the volcanoes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira, our guide was exceptional. He was patient, looked after all our needs and was always keen to answer any questions we had. He was a good cyclist and encouraged us to ride at our own pace which made for an enjoyable cycling experience. We could go as fast or as slow as we wanted. The rest of the Exodus team were equally efficient, making sure we always had refreshments, a hearty lunch and a well stoked supply of my favourite Beng Beng chocolate bars.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is the engagement with the people and the culture that is the standout and produce the strongest memories. Take time to look around and learn as much as possible. I would also advise to do some cycle training beforehand as there are quite a few hills.

Mojgan N.A.

Reviewed May 2019

Beautiful trip

I really enjoyed this trip. Wira (our guide) and the support team worked very hard and ensured it all went smoothly. I had little knowledge about Indonesia and I feel that this trip has opened a new world to me. I learned a lot about the culture, history and customs of this beautiful country and Wira contributed a lot to this. Bali is covered with temples and statues and for me it felt like an open museum. Another interesting point that caught my eyes were the architecture of the mosques in East Java. It has influences of temples and shows that the two cultures have been integrated which was very interesting to see.
Everywhere we went people were very friendly and smiling and greeting us.
There were some tough rides, a few nasty uphills, some very steep and rough downhills and off roads which made this trip even more interesting. Wira explained the detail of the route and what to look out for which was very helpful.
The hiking up the Ijen volcano and watching how the sulphur miners work was the highlight of the trip for me. The other activities such as hot spring, snorkelling and swimming (pool and the sea) were all very enjoyable. Most hotels had a swimming pool so swimming after a hard cycling day under a hot humid condition felt like heaven! 🙂

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the Ijen volcano. The landscape was beautiful and the view of the lake from the top was simply stunning. Seeing the sulphur mine workers carrying such heavy loads on their shoulders up that steep route was simply an eye opener. Riding on the old lava field (very rough off-road) was quite amazing too.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira was an excellent leader. He was always calm, friendly and carried a beautiful smile. He was very knowledgeable and explained to us about people/farmer's lifestyle and customs. Every day he explained to us how the route would be in terms of points of interests as well as the challenging parts. The support teams also contributed to the success of the trip. They were very helpful and every little detail was taken care of, eg every time we had a break, they would fill up our water bottles without us even noticing it which was a nice touch.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you do your homework ie training! :) There are some tough uphills as well as very steep downhills with sharp corners and also some quite rough off-roads.

Alexandrina Duncan

Reviewed October 2018

Unique

An amazing and varied cycling adventure spent with a really lovely group and a fantastic local support team. This trip is filled with cycling challenges while riding both up and downhill on various terrain, cultural stops at temples and through villages as well as well deserved downtime by beautiful beaches. Wholeheartedly recommended to the adventurous curious minded cyclist.

Most Inspirational Moment

Making it to the top of Mt Ijen, camping under the starry skies

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira is calm, knowledgeable, organised, always motivating and giving us notice before treacherous or difficult stretches. His team were perfect, worked very well together, cooking delicious lunches, preparing refreshments, fixing bikes and catering for our needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train before this trip and expect to cycle in temperatures of 30-35C on a daily basis. The accommodation was very good standard, however be prepared for very basic facilities at camping and homestay sites.

Kay Rutherford

Reviewed October 2018

One of my favourite trips

This cycling trip is up there as one of my favourites. There are some challenging sections of cycling but you are rewarded by great views as you cycle up volcanoes, through coffee plantations, past rice fields, and watch farmers harvest spices with the pungent smell of cloves as they are dried on the roadside. The mix of other activities makes the trip a real holiday adventure. Snorkelling off Mengangan Island was fantastic, with the colours and variety of fish breathtaking. We even were lucky enough to see a turtle. The.camping on the beach at Rajewesi Beach was a highlight, watching the sun set and rise over the beach was magical.
Wira and his team were extremely well organised, cooked lovely food, very encouraging on the tougher sections and nothing’s too much trouble for them. Their love of their country is very evident.

Most Inspirational Moment

Sun rise over Rajewesi beach

Thoughts on Group Leader

Wira is an excellent leader. Organised, knowledgeable, handles whatever incidents thrown at him with expertise and sensitivity. He also makes the trip great fun.be

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for basic facilities at the beach and coffee plantation home stay but their locations more than make up for it.

1 2 Next