Guwahati Tours and Trips

For those who love the Indian experience (and I know the noise, the dust, the chaos and the ......plumbing aren't everyone's cup of tea), this was a trip and a half. Very few western visitors travel to this part of India, and as a result local people were very interested in our group. But its lovely when a group of ladies in gorgeous coloured saris ask you where you're from and if they can take a selfie with you! A quick swap of phones and you have a great photo of yourself surrounded by smiling locals. People were generally very friendly and interested. I really enjoyed finding out more about the states of this part of India, Assam in the floodplain of the great Brahmaputra River, hilly Meghalaya, and remote mountainous Nagaland, where the glorious views make up for some atrocious mountain roads. Dont expect to get anywhere fast! Food in Assam was great, while choices were a bit more limited in Nagaland particularly if you don't eat meat. We had lovely warm sunny weather in the daytime, but I was surprised by how chilly it was at night. And not all the hotels were warm! This is not a part of India to visit if you want a luxurious standard of accommodation, but the views, tribal dances, wildlife, cultural experience and friendly people make up for the lack of luxury!

This was an extremely varied tour with lots of interesting things to see. Highlights for me were the Hornbill Festival, especially the first day - so glad we went to that - the tea plantation near Dibrugarh, and the second safari in the Kaziranga Park. Also, Majuli Island. Hotel accommodation was generally good though rooms were often cold… Excellent food throughout - a real foodie tour! Only one poor evening meal in Kohima. There were long bus journeys but I was bothered less by that than some people. Our guide worked very hard to make everything run as smoothly as possible, which was frustrating for him at times as some hotel staff needed better training. Possibly, at times a bit more information could have been provided but generally we were very happy with the tour and our tour leader. He has been extremely helpful in advising us about our onward travel arrangements and helping us generally. We would definitely recommend this tour to others.

After the first location, a good itinerary. Despite two days in Guwahti, we failed to visit the major temple or colonial buildings and spent much time driving around the outskirts waiting for lunch time. The major activities, the Hornbill festival, the wildlife park and the hiking to the root bridges were excellent. At other times we were left to wander round villages or roadsides without local attractions being pointed out. Driving times were long, as expected, but more short stops on route would have improved the experience. The accommodation was generally poor with some members of the group having very inferior rooms because the hotel could not cope with the numbers (12). Our driver was amazing. We could not ask for better. However, the minibus was only just adequate with improvised seat belts and no overhead shelf for bags so these remained on our laps or on the cramped floor. The food was good.

Very good trip to a less visited part of India. Many long drives but worth it to see so much. The Hornbill Festival was great as were the game drives to see the one horned rhinos. Accommodation was never going to be great and the itinerary does state many hotels are simple. However, half the hotels we stayed in were not per the itinerary because Explore decided to run two trips with only one day separating them. This caused problems with accommodation and so we had to stay in alternative hotels on eight of the sixteen nights. As a result I believe we missed out on some of the more characterful and possibly better valued accommodation. I travel solo so opt to pay the single supplement. I always accept this supplement as being fair and the price I have to pay to have my own room. I have never complained before but the single supplement on this trip is absurd. A total ripoff. How Explore can justify a single supplement of over £50 per night meaning I am paying in effect £100 per night is beyond me and even more so with half the hotels almost certainly being inferior to those listed in the itinerary. Only one hotel, on the penultimate night, would cost anywhere near £100. Most of the other hotels we stayed in would be priced at £25-£40. For anyone thinking of booking this trip consider sharing. The single supplement is disgraceful. Maybe ask to pay a supplement on arrival at the hotel if they have availability. It would work out considerably cheaper than paying Explore up front.