This long weekend trip packs in a lot without feeling rushed or overwhelming. It's a good combination of town and country, with a touch of good fun tourism included in the trip to Bran Castle. Accommodation was as described and very comfortable. Romania has a fascinating history and the food is great. Our guide was brilliant and we had a terrific time. Highly recommended.
Wildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Great trip. Full on pace, would have to skip activities to slow down! A cultural and nature trip. Guatemala was my favourite country; the Mayan history and culture. The archeological site at Copan adds to the diversity of experiences on this trip. As well the more recent history of regime change in Nicaragua. The Spanish colonial architecture was highlighted at all destinations, quaint hotels. Nature’s beauty and wild life was showcased throughout. Overall, a diversity of experiences filled the two weeks!
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Assan our tour guide was excellent, his knowledge of the bird species was incredible, how he managed to distinguish the birds from such a distant was beyond me. We were very lucky and saw quite a lot of rare species. This trip is very much geared towards spotting birds and our days on the water were excellent. There are some long days travelling in the bus and currently I feel that the itinerary could be changed to spend longer in The Gambia. You don’t really need to spend a night on Goree, that island was wonderful and thought provoking but you don’t necessarily need to spend the night there. Currently there is no need to visit The Pink Lake, it’s not pink anymore so really that was a wasted day that could have been spent in The Gambia and maybe heading further west exploring that part of The Gambia. Add the Pink Lake to the itinerary again, if and when it’s pink again! Some hotels are basic, with no hot water and electricity but that is part of the charm in visiting these places. Take a swimming costume as there are opportunities to swim at some of the hotels. The Senegalese and The Gambia people are very friendly but be prepared for them to sometimes ask you to purchase goods and not leave you alone. You’ll have to ignore the rubbish everywhere, sadly it is a blight on the landscape.
Active and outdoorCruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Fantastic trip. Lots of variety - sightseeing, walking and a safari at the end. Hotels were all good - a mixture of local and more modern and 2 nights in most worked really well. Food was good, locals are friendly and our guide Udaya made sure we had everything we needed and provided loads of info on everything we saw. Great safari at the end with brilliant sightings of deer and rhinos. Sadly no tigers but you cant have everything. Only down side is the roads which are currently truly awful whilst they convert the main highway to a dual carrigeway. Dirt surface in a lot of places.
Active and outdoorRafting
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
A very interesting tour covering a lot in just two weeks. Made particularly successful by excellent leadership from local leader and support staff.
Every effort was made to ensure we got the most from our experience and that our particular needs were met.
WildlifeArt and architecture
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
An excellent 3 weeks with 2 excellent guides. Sri Lanka section was well organised by our guide Nala. he tweaked the itinerary so that we got the very best out of our time and imparted so much information about every aspect of Sri Lanka. He kept us on time fitting extra stops in if we were passing something to see like a banana market and fishermen hauling nets in on the beach. Accommodation was exactly as described and the usual Explore authentic assortment of comfortable and more rustic.
There were lots of English style plug sockets in the hotels, but i would take an adaptor as well just in case.
Highlights were climbing Adams Peak starting at 2am, and passing some very elderly people making the pilgrimage to the temple at the top. A unique experience. Also the train journey over 9 arch bridge. Great fun.
Maldives- again we had a superb guide- Moosa. Extremely knowledgeable about the ocean and also gave us a lot of fascinating history and politics background of the Maldives. Island visits provided an insight into the real country.
The boat was spacious clean and comfortable. Didn't expect the hotel like room services - bed making and towel changing! Food on the boat was amazing. Plentiful and a variety of dishes inc freshly caught fish. Had 2 snorkels a day building up the length and difficulty of them. So many colourful fish, it was like swimming in a tropical fish tank. Also saw turtles, moray eels, sharks and rays including a manta. The tender was always out with us keeping an eye on us whilst snorkelling.
Overall a fabulous itinerary and guides on land and sea
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Walking, wildlife, food and culture: this tour ticked a lot of boxes for me. It is true that the poor visibility at this time of year (March) meant that the Annupurna mountains weren't visible during much of the trek, but the landscape with its flora, fauna and small farms still made the walking interesting and enjoyable. A special highlight was seeing the one-horned rhinoceros at the Chitwan National Park, and the cultural events staged at the Green Chwadi Retreat at Chitwan were an unexpected bonus. There was a wealth of birds to see throughout the tour, and our tour leader, Su, was very knowledgeable in identifying them. As someone who is unable to eat gluten, I had been worried about how I would cope with the food; and I am extremely grateful to Su for helping me to navigate this, as well as ensuring that there were always things available for me to eat.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Fantastic trip, one of the best I have been on. Beautiful country, amazing landscapes, lovely friendly people. Plus we had a fun group and an excellent guide, Marcelo. And we were lucky with the weather too.
Yes, it’s expensive but worth it. Spend the extra to do the optional activities to make the most of it. Loved the walking with penguins, the zodiac trip on Rio Serrano and both the big walks.
The days are very long but you can always sleep on the bus/back at home!
Contrary to previous reviews I thought the hotels were all fine and the breakfasts were great and a good start to each day. The tango show we went to was in a small venue and great. Wish I’d added more time in Buenos Aires before the trip as it’s a lovely city and there’s a lot to see and do there - I will be back.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers