Asia National parks Trips

Anjana was an excellent Tour Leader and made our experience of Sri Lanka a very memorable and enjoyable one. I only have two items of feedback. Be prepared to walk in bare feet/socks once you enter the grounds of a temple; not at the actual door, as you'd expect. This means you could be walking on hot stones, pathways, gravel, sand, dirt and for some time. Take socks that you are prepared to sacrifice at the end of the holiday! If you have problems with your feet, then this holiday may not be for you. In Dalhousie, Adam's Peak location, the hotel is on 4 x floors and the rooms with the view are located away from the main building and up 262 steps - and that is not just 'a series of steps' (per the Trip Notes) - that's a lot! The porters will take your luggage, but you have to walk up/down yourself. If you have bad knees or hips, you may want to consider a room in the main building. (But you still have to get up at least 2 x floors.) Thoroughly recommend this holiday. It was my favourite EXPLORE tour so far!

Japan cycle with EXplore was excellent . The Leader was very efficient, the sights , descriptions and knowledge were very good . I would say getting us 12 riders from A to B , on bullet trains, buses and bikes was exceptional. The whole team of the 5 support personnel were very good. Japan is diverse so we had to contend with some built up areas , which were compensated by incredible mountain descents and Sado Island coastal riding . The bikes were great , perfect for this tour . We found that most hotels did not have a common bar area to socialise after the rides , but when there was we made up for it !

Positives: Sri Lanka and its people are beautiful and I felt very welcome here. Our guide (Ash) shared his expert knowledge with us in a very considerate way, always providing a well timed and appropriate level of detail but without information overload. I found him to be very calm, caring and mindful of individual interests across the group. I felt that he gave us an immersive experience of his county and culture as well as a guided tour. Our driver and helper were also great. My most memorable highlight was climbing Lion Rock to see the sunrise. I also enjoyed the food and authentic cooking demonstrations. Most accommodations were very good and overall I was very glad to have taken this tour. Room for improvement: Transport - our minibus was very uncomfortable for long journeys. Adam’s Peak - only 4 of our group of 12 did the climb and the accommodation was awful with over 300 external stone steps to climb to our room. Quite treacherous after heavy rain and fallen leaves. No soap provided in the ladies’ loo by the dining area. For me, this is a red flag on hygiene standards. I suggest offering Adam’s peak as an optional tour rather than part of the core itinerary. Offer other options - e.g. we were 5 mins drive from our next hotel before heading past to a mediocre food court and the tea factory. I felt that a hotel drop could have been offered for anyone wanting to spend the afternoon there to enjoy the spa, pool etc. instead. Safari - I didn’t enjoy the first one. We spent 3 hours bumping around on a dusty track in the afternoon heat and saw one elephant and a few water buffalo in the far distance. The other two safaris were also scheduled in the afternoon heat so I chose not to join them although fellow travellers said that both were better than the first. Consider whether safaris could be scheduled for early morning.

This was an excellent trip into rural India and the magnificent wildlife parks. Veeru was an enthusiastic and entertaining leader who was able to sort out any issues without fuss. On safari you are split into different jeeps, 3 or 4 to a jeep and the drivers go separate ways...you may not, therefore, have the same sightings and experiences as everyone else. We were a lucky group, I saw 12 tigers, 2 leopards and a multitude of deer, jackals etc and so many colourful birds..bring a book on Indian birds if that's your thing. Accommodation was good throughout and the food was delicious.

The Sri Lanka in Depth trip was really enjoyable. We visited a great mix of places seeing temples, ancient capital ruins, beautiful countryside filled with tea plantations, beaches and cities. The trip was packed with activities however you always had enough time to see what you wanted at each place. The trip was well run and one I would recommend.

The tour was very good. Ash our leader was excellent, as were our driver and assistant. The wildlife safaris were a highlight, and the Elephant Orphanage, but unfortunately we did not see any leopards. I enjoyed the optional whale watching cruise but did not see any blue whales. I did not like the side trip to Adam’s Peak. Only four of the group climbed the mountain and the rest of us just had to wait in the hotel, which was of a very poor standard. I would have preferred a safari in Yala National Park instead. The other hotels were pretty good, especially Kandy.