Kerala & Tamil Nadu Cultural, religious and historic sites Trips

A great experience with stunning scenery at the tea plantations and from the houseboat. The food was amazing. Abhi our guide really made the trip though and was the most attentive and hard working Explore guide I have had (this was Explore trip 36). He was there at every meal, helping with orders and his love of his job and country were obvious. Thanks Abhi - you were outstanding. The hotels were of a very good standard although hot water was not available at the homestay or on the boat (although the boat was very comfortable). It is advisable to have a smaller bag for the boat as it is difficult to move large bags onto or off the boats. Avoid Air India - my flight was cancelled on the day out meaning I missed the first day of the tour, there were also further delays both en route and on return.... Overall though a wonderful experience with a lovely group of fellow travellers. Highly recommended. Do take an umbrella!

This was my first trip as a single person and I had a fabulous time. The group of 12 (four couples and four singles) really gelled and were very friendly, supportive and fun. The itinerary was very good, with at least one specific thing to do, see or visit each day. The high points were the tea plantation, the spice farm, the cookery evening, the wonderful scenery and the houseboat . The accommodation was generally very good, but the homestay was too basic to be an enjoyable experience. It didn't feel as though we were guests in someone's home, it felt more like a commercial exercise (eg the host talked of building a hotel next year to accommodate more guests). The food was excellent in most places with some well-chosen restaurants/snack bars, and plenty of choice for vegetarians, but I was a little disappointment at the street food experience, which was just selecting one cold, precooked snack (such as samosa, vada or fritter.) I was anticipating some freshly cooked food (while we looked on) such as rice and dahl or pani puri. Also, I thought that the purpose of visiting the market was to select spices and vegetables to use later in our cookery evening, but there wasn't an obvious link. Our guide, Sree, was flexible, knowledgeable and very accommodating of all our needs. Overall a really great experience with a great group of people. Will definitely use Explore again for another adventurous trip.

A well organized tour itinerary from their posted website trip to completion of our most amazing South India, Delhi and Agra trip. All personnel were knowledgeable with the ability to adjust for our specific conveniences. Our Tour Guides, Drivers and all local responsible parties were carefully selected for our information, safety and confidence. Hotels, were all very comfortable, with all the necessary amenities. Clean, modern and with sumptuous dining servings. For budget bookings on Air India, it was not short of comfort and security. Thank you for a great tour, once again! We are looking forward to our Extensive Dubai, Holy-land tours and all our future travel plans for 2024, God's willing.

India is a beautiful and wonderful place but we were very fortunate to get guides who made the trip special. Not only did we see sites but our guides helped us understand the people and its culture.

Without the dust in Rajastan India is indeed a great destination not only for Westerners but anyone interested in East Indian cultures and traditions. Food was good but a little too salty for my tastebuds. In southern India food not as salty but also very good. I plan at some later time to revisit India but be a little more prepared to deal with the dust and the northern weather in January.

The services were excellent. Great hotels, the impeccable services from beginning to end and an excellent driver - reliable and very knowledgeable of the area. Bottom line, I was very happy with the services from this company.