Asia Adventure Trips

The itinerary was nicely balanced. It included the main sights in the places visited along with down time to rest and refresh. If keeping busy was more to your liking, there were many excellent optional tours. The coach was comfortable and kept clean. Loved the hotels. The Galleria 10 in Bangkok was in an excellent location, within walking distance to restaurants, convenience stores, and the sky train. Their 2 for 1 daily Happy Hour was a nice way to unwind after a busy day of sightseeing. Thoroughly enjoyed the other hotels which also offered pools for relaxation - in Kanchanaburi, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. The hotel in Kanchanaburi was within walking distance of the famous Bridge over the river Kwai which was a bonus. The hotel in Chiang Rai was within walking distance to additonal sights not included in the tour as well as to excellent restaurants. All the hotels offered a good selection of options for daily breakfast as well as for the included dinners.

Zachary was a knowledgeable and caring guide, well prepared and organized. I very much enjoyed the itinerary, particularly the backroads parts, walking through the countryside. The food and accommodations added greatly to the enjoyment of the trip. We were lucky to enjoy great weather for the duration of the trip, and the group was easy to be with. Taking public buses and trains between walks added to the experience of the culture. The hiking was more challenging than expected, but quite manageable. I very much recommend Backroads of Japan for anyone wanting a more intimate experience of Japanese culture.

My trip overall was wonderful. Our guide Zachary Kurtz was absolutely phenomenal! He was so attentive to every single detail. His great knowledge of Japanese history & culture and his fluency of the Japanese language, both speaking & writing. He was also excellent at being able to read people, physical ability & congeniality etc.

We are a husband and wife team who joined the over-55 Everest Base Camp 21-day tour and absolutely loved it. We had great weather, very comfortable accommodation, and a pace that was perfectly manageable thanks to our excellent guides. The food was varied and of a very high standard — there was never a shortage of tea or boiled water. The team of guides, porters, and cooks couldn’t do enough to make us feel safe, comfortable, and ready for the next day’s walk. Our leader, Pinout, was incredible — very knowledgeable about the region, history, and culture, and always happy to share his insights. He was caring, supportive, and strong as a leader. When we woke to bad weather at EBC, the team quickly adjusted our itinerary and led us safely down the mountain through the snow. Nothing was ever too much trouble. We also watched as the team supported another guest who needed help — well done to Demish and Pinout for their professionalism and kindness. It was a truly great experience, and we look forward to more adventures with this wonderful company.

The trip was well designed providing time in both cities and smaller towns in the countryside. The walks were well planned and always interesting. Our guide, Zachary, was excellent and made sure we had the best experience possible in Japan.

Inside Vietnam was my first trip to Asia, and I went solo. Explore delivered a fantastic, seamless tour that I literally can't stop raving about. I paid the supplement for a single room which gave me privacy at the end of every day, I highly recommend that. Our tour guide Minh was absolutely fantastic, his knowledge and attentiveness to the group was top notch. All the hotels were of a high quality, the customer service everywhere we went was superb. All the internal transfers flowed effortlessly. I honestly can't praise this tour enough. I've got the bug now! I will definitely use Explore again next year.