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.

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26 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Jim Studer

Reviewed December 2024

Annapurna Circuit (Nov17 - Dec08

An incredible trek during a less crowded time. Drier and cooler at this time of the year though (crossing the pass we started at -5F).

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing in Thorong La pass!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kumar was outstanding. Positive, knowledgeable, and motivated to make our team succeed. The rest of the guides were great as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't bother packing food, can purchase in tea houses. If you wish, can buy most supplies in Kathmandu in the bazaars (except good socks - tougher to find). Bring clothes pins. Layers are good, as can start cold and transition to warm (and vice versa). Can get / purchase water (boiled as well) in most tea houses. Sun screen and good sun glasses!

Christine Slat

Reviewed December 2023

Fantastic Adventure

I wanted to complete the Annapurna Circuit before I reached a landmark birthday (70!). It was amazing! Our leader, Valerie was a font of information, especially relating to the cultural aspects – Tibetan Buddhism and local cultural traditions. The accommodation was basic, but comfortable, and the trip notes made it clear what to expect. There were extra duvets in the beds at higher altitude, so there was no problem with being cold at night. There was plenty of choice regarding the menus – more than I expected. I would certainly recommend this trip to anyone with the required fitness level and a taste for adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting over the Thorong La Pass with no adverse effects, apart from shortage of breath during the ascent. The scenery on the other side, where there were very few trees, but spectacular pinnacles caused by wind erosion.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent! Knowledgeable, friendly, kind. She took particular care of people who were struggling, and made appropriate adjustments, as necessary to ensure that everyone had a positive experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are mountain fit, and be extra careful about hand sanitation before meals.

Craig Mitchell

Reviewed March 2023

Annapurna Circuit – Trip of a Lifetime.

This trip was an arduous but ultimately very fulfilling trek round 158 miles of some of the most beautiful scenery in Nepal. Luckily, we had no rain and most of the time walked in bright and glorious sunshine.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing dawn breaking from the summit of Poon Hill towards the end of the trek. It really took your breath away, both the climb and the views. On the summit the full majesty of the Annapurna massif was gradually revealed in all its splendour.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have been on a few adventure treks over the years and I can honestly say that Sukman Tamang is the best trek leader and guide that I have ever had. I don’t say that lightly, but he is head and shoulders above the rest. Right from the start when he welcomed us all in Kathmandu, his radiant smile and outgoing personality shone through. He made every individual on that trip feel special as well as expertly looking after the group as a whole, whether they were trekkers, assistant guides or Sherpas. He was enthusiastic, likeable and, most importantly, a great communicator. He was able to share his extensive knowledge of Nepal and the Annapurna region in an engaging, interactive and entertaining way. He was able to give us a fascinating insight into Nepal’s rich history and culture. And each evening he was able to deliver an excellent and informative briefing about the following day’s itinerary and everybody knew what to expect. His organisational skills were outstanding, which was no easy feat trying to balance the needs of 16 trekkers and as many guides and Sherpas as well. He kept an eye on everyone’s welfare and I noticed that he checked on everyone in the group on a daily basis. And if anything unexpected happened he remained calm and dealt with the situation in a patient and methodical manner, whether it was someone with a cut on the head, an injured knee or someone forgetting to bring their micro spikes on the Thorong La pass. One of the main reasons that everyone seemed to be enjoying the trip was down to Sukman’s sense of humour. His ready smile and quick wit led to everyone feeling relaxed and comfortable even during the toughest days. Sukman’s hard work and professionalism went a long way towards making the trek for all of us so rewarding and fulfilling. That is what makes him such a great tour guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you were worried about the altitude I would recommend that you consider taking beetroot capsules as a preventative measure. The naturally occurring nitric oxide in beetroot increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and can help reduce the risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at high altitude. I would always seek proper medical advice before taking any supplements, but they certainly worked for me.

Sid Withey

Reviewed December 2022

The best Himalayan trek

A very satisfying trek encircling the Annapurna range. A huge variety of landscapes and climatic zones

Most Inspirational Moment

The villages and the people we ecountered and the grandeur of the mountain landscape.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Probably the best leader I have had on many guided trips. Sukman was superbly orgainised and coped with any issues before they deteriorated. His open friendly manner put everyone at ease, and he conveyed his love of Nepal in his talks about Nepali culture and life. Thanks Sukman, for me you made this trek so special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a buff. It can be dusty when the wind blows. Bring a few pencils and notebooks, as a trip member did, to give to children.

Brian Mumford

Reviewed March 2020

A Fantastic Trek

A great place for a challenging trek. The scenery was amazing and all the people of Nepal, that i met, were friendly and hospitable. The Himalayas really are great cathedrals of nature and were a pleasure to see as the group travelled through the Annapurna Circuit. Our tour leader, Tenzi Sherpa, and lead guide Kaji Sherpa were fantastic and professional at all times during the tour, providing support, words of encouragement and lots of cups of tea. They enhanced the trek with professional service at all times.

Most Inspirational Moment

The crossing of Thorong La pass was amazing and an unforgettable experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A fantastic tour leader who was hard working and inspiring as we trekked around the Annapurna Circuit

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for amazing views of the mountains and friendly locals. Feb/March was cold in the evening and especially at night. A 4 season sleeping bag and liner is essential to a warm nights sleep. Although the menus in the tea houses is simple, the food was wholesome and great portions.

Jonnie Treharne

Reviewed January 2020

Annapurna, Thorong La and Excellent Guide

Completed the Annapurna Circuit in December 19, as I had previously done the EBC trip and was aware of just how great Nepal is. The ACT did not disappoint and I was again amazed by the scenery, wildlife and the friendliness of the local people. The trek uses tea houses for accommodation with hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhora at the start and finish of the trip. All of these provide good accommodation with acceptable amenities and I could not fault the food. 3 weeks in duration, it contains about 17 days of treking. Despite being graded “tough” it is the crossing of the Thorong La pass at 5,416m that gives it this rating. The trek to Gohrepani and Poon hill are less difficult as they are not at altitude. Therefore, it is eminently achievable, even if you are not that experienced at altitude. Most days are between 5-8 hours treking, but the pace is sedate enough to allow you to acclimatise and get the most from the environment. Our guide – Dorjee Sherpa was outstanding. A young man full of enthusiasm and knowledge Who enhanced the entire experience

Most Inspirational Moment

Crossing the Thorong La pass. This is a demanding climb if starting from Thorong Pedi (base camp) and can be made more difficult by the weather conditions. Therefore the sense of achievement in attaining the pass is well deserved. It should be tempered by the realisation you still have 8 hours of treking left to reach Muktinath!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dorjee Sherpa was a very knowledgeable and capable guide. He fostered an excellent relationship with all of the group and also facilitated the development of relationships between the group and porters. He was hard working and ensured the experience of each individual within the group was enhanced. He provided an excellent service at each and every tea house ensuring that the needs of all were met. He imparted his knowledge of the area, fauna/flora, religion and legends and was simply outstanding. He conducted dynamic risk assessments when required and I even witnessed him carry the rucksack of a struggling tourist across the pass! He has a bright future in this field and I cannot sing his praises highly enough. Well done!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring snacks for the long walking days - despite good food and multiple tea stops I could have done with carrying more carbohydrate/energy bars such as H5. I would carry a few travel squashes as you need to drink a lot of water which becomes boring Read the trip notes concerning tipping and allocate the appropriate funds for this - this is only moral and just for the work that has been done to support you. Bladders and tubes will freeze so Nalgene bottles are essential

Euan Stanwix

Reviewed January 2020

Absolutely Amazing Scenery

This was my first trip to the Annapurna region and chosen because I’m not sure what it will look like in even 5 years time with all the road development going on. Yes, there are a couple of days where you’re walking on a dirt road which used to be the trail but the lasting memories are of the spectacular scenery, the fantastic Nepalese people, the great camaraderie in our group and our leaders who were superb organisers and really good fun as well. The first time you catch sight of the Annapurna range is just awe-inspiring as the snow-capped peaks tower above you. You could never tire of that amazing panorama. Other obvious highlights are crossing Thorong La pass at 5,400 metres (it got tough above 5,000 metres!), the sunrise on the top of Poon Hill and the numerous river crossings on suspension bridges. However, I will also take away the warmth of the local people, the great food, the little insights you get into Nepalese village life as you walk through the mountain villages and a better appreciation of the people and their culture. They have far fewer material possessions than people in the UK but seem to smile a lot more – a lesson in there I think. I would recommend this trip to anyone who has a love of mountains and different cultures but don’t wait too long because the ‘development’ of the Annapurna Sanctuary area continues at a pace so the landscape is changing, and not necessarily for the better if you like your trekking without too much traffic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the top of Thorong La pass at 5,400 metres. We got up at 2:30a.m. at around 4,500 metres and set off with head torches for the top of the pass. After a tea stop at 5,000 metres it started to get tough and our group had a collective feeling of relief and achievement when we reached the top of the pass in glorious sunshine. How people climb 8,000 metre peaks without oxygen I do not know. The trek is very well organised inasmuch as you gain altitude slowly in the 8-9 days before Thorong La and so most of the party didn't need Diamox and only had occasional headaches which is quite normal. The sunrise at Poon Hill also deserves a mention as it is absolutely spectacular and not at all arduous compared to Thorong La.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Tsering Dorjee Sherpa. I've been on numerous organised tours with various travel companies and I can say that Dorjee was one of the best leaders I've had teh pleasure of meeting. He was mature beyound his 23 years, extremely well organised, very passionate about Nepal and his Sherpa heritage and went out of his way to ensure the trip ran smoothly and that everyone enjoyed it. He was ably backed up by other guides and a team of porters, all of whom interacted with our group and collectively we had a great experience. If you're lucky enough to have Dorjee as your guide you will have a great trip and will learn a lot about Nepal, it's people and its culture.

Advice for Potential Travellers

(1) Changing money in Kathmandu - the Himalayan bank will give you a much better rate if you bring new £50 notes. Any used £20 notes were scrutinised and any with writing on, slight rips in etc. were not accepted. It's also difficult to change the Rupees back to Sterling in Kathmandu so leave time to go round a few bureau de change. The rates are pretty similar across the bureaux de change (2) Most of the tea houses have power of some description to charge electrical items (USB or Mains) but power banks to charge phones / camera batteries are useful. Take a bag to put all your batteries in and put it in your sleeping bag at night to prevent them losing charge (3) The Exodus sleeping bags / down jackets tend to be on the heavy and bulky side and as weight/bulk is at a premium it's good to bring your own if you can. We had sleeping bags rated down to -2c (comfort) which were fine coupled with merino baselayers at higher altitudes (4) We had a Steripen, as did a number of our group, and they are the best thing for these types of trips as they probably cost the same as all the chlorine dioxide tablets you would need instead but you don't get the nasty aftertaste of tablets. Be sure to bring spare rechargeable batteries and a fast charger to keep the batteries charged. (5) We bought diamox in Kathmandu (£1 compared with £30 for a private prescription in the UK). We didn't need them in the end but we did use Ibuprofen for the occassional headache. Drinking lots of water is essential and a number of the group thought the garlic soup of the trail may have helped alleviate altitude issues

Susan Goodrich

Reviewed May 2019

Amazing adventure

This was the most wonderful trip. Words really can’t describe it. The Himalayas are awesome, the walking wonderful. Going over the tharong la pass was immensely challenging and we all made it. We saw wonderful sights, a baby vulture still with its white down, magnificent mountains, the sun rising over Poon hill, isolated villages where we were welcomed as we walked through, temples and monasteries. The food was freshly cooked throughout. The only down side was that some walking involved going along the road which is being build along the trek. If you’re thinking of going on this trek, I would recommend going sooner rather than later as this road continues to be built. It was lovely walking in the company of like minded people and we had a lot of laughs and supported each other throughout. Gun, our leader and his fellow guides could not have done more. They were kind, supported where needed, acted as nature leaders, made sure we had everything we needed. One final point. This is graded at a level 5 and it feels harder than that. We had 19 days walking, starting usually at 7.30am (usually up by 6.15-30 ….. Gum only let us have an extra 30 mins sleep after crossing the tharong la pass 😀😀) and finishing at 4-5. So in summary. Tough and extraordinarily wonderful !! Go for it.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole thing. Seeing a baby vulture, the mountains, eating a lovely Dahl baht in a mountain village, the wonderful walking, crossing the tharong la pass, the laughs in the group, the fun. I could go on ......

Thoughts on Group Leader

He could not have done more to make the experience better. He was knowledgable, instilled confidence as we were going over the pass, generous with his time, fun. I have nominated him as a guide of the year.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As I said above I think this trek should be rated higher as it is far harder than others I’ve been on, also rated 5. So get fit as you’re walking for 19 days up / along challenging terrain. We crossed the tharong la pass in snow and it took 11 hours. Don’t get too hung up about toiletries, tablets, loo paper. It can be bought most of the way around. There’s plenty of time when you get to Nepal to change money / get permits.

Dorothy Brockway

Reviewed January 2019

Annapurna Circuit in cold December

Wonderful scenery, amazing mountains but this was a lot tougher than a grade 5. (I’ve done an easier 6 than this).
Whilst Exodus does attempt to make the traveller aware of the often primitive conditions of the tea huts, the EXTREME cold encountered on Dec trips is not emphasised enough. Those huts which did have wood burners in the dining area seemed reluctant to Light them other than when we were having our paid meals. Despite requests, we were forced to spend a lot of time in our beds and sleeping bags.
The meals were good but the only prepaid meal, breakfast could have been better. It became apparant most tea huts were offering free accommodation if evening meals were purchased. Most days we were only offered porridge and toast despite eggs etc being available. A little mean of Exodus,

Most Inspirational Moment

The La Thorong Pass and Poon Hill

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely excellent. Prem. And his assistant Hari could not do enough for us. As well as making our safety paramount and doing everything in their power to help us achieve our goals on the mountains, they also paid attention to the smallest details, noticing our every need and trying to fulfil them. Just brilliant.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Respect the cold and perhaps consider a Feb or March departure. (I did The Sanctury in March and It was nowhere near as cold).

Ken Plumb

Reviewed December 2018

Wonderful Trip

A more varied trip than the Everest trips I have done. The whole trip was amazing – great group of trekers – great leadership – wonderful support staff – epic scenery. Every day brought something different – from rice fields to baron high mountain areas – from 25 degrees to minus 12 ! – from high mountain views to flat valley landscapes. So, so glad I did this trip

Most Inspirational Moment

Crossing Thorang La Pass at over 5400m was a wonderful day - long, tiring but epic. A landscape so unlike anything in Europe coupled with the physical effort of walking uphill at high altitude. We all made it thanks to our great Nepali team.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Kumar was a real star. He seemed to anticipate our every need and organised his staff superbly. He looked after people when that has problems during the trip. He was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We were so lucky to have him. A really top class Exodus leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Layers of clothing are the answer form temperatures which varied so much. Take a pillow case - almost no weight and more hygienic than just using the pillows which may not have been cleaned for a while. Steripens are recommended and work very well. Be very careful with your hygiene - many people had a day or 2 with 'issues' but I was fine - hand gel is the key ! Be reasonably fit - you do not have to be superfit. Take antibiotics and Diamox with you in case you need them. Use suncream a lot - the sun burns you at high altitude. Take your time on the trek and enjoy the views - take a good camera. Take a buff for use on the dusty roads you sometimes have to use.

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