Indochina Cultural, religious and historic sites Trips

This was my first trip to Asia and I wanted to get an overview, so the highlights of Sri Lanka really achieved that. The trip was well planned with varied activities, to appeal to most travellers. We did have to put up with Cyclone Ditwah, which made some activities more like an endurance, but nobody could plan for that or do anything to change it. Our Sri Lanka tour guide and his team went way beyond my expectations in order to keep up safe and as comfortable as possible, under difficult circumstances. They deserve their Christmas Bonus! Personally, I would have enjoyed more time at the spice garden and I wonder what the value was of the canoe trip to the curry cooking demonstration. Perhaps it would have been fun in sunshine? The Temple of the Tooth would have been interesting when there was no ceremony going on, to better appreciate the details of the buildings etc. I felt we were intruding on a religious occasion that was of huge importance to local people. Would it be better to spend longer at sites in a smaller geographical area and reduce the travelling between sites. Moving on to the Maldives, this week was great and really hit the spot. We needed sunshine and relaxation and the pace of the week was perfect. Again, the tour guide did an excellent job and supplied us with lovely videos and photos from snorkelling trips. The food on the Dhoni Cruise was excellent, considering the kitchen space and although a bit repetitive, there was a good range to suit all palates. The crew did a great job.

A fantastic trip made in large part by a great guide and a well-gelled group of 16 like minded individuals. Yes, it’s largely a bird watching trip but unless you genuinely have zero percent interest in our feathered friends you’ll get a lot out of it. Our guide, Assan, has a genuine passion for birds and caters well to all levels of interest. On day one Assan encouraged us to lower our expectations when it came to hotels, restaurant speed, bush toilets etc but it really wasn’t that bad. Yes, you’ll be tired, there were some early starts, long drives and whilst the tour was graded moderate, it’s pretty close to “full on” – perhaps the fact that (maybe due to the frequencies of flight connections to get to Dakar) the first day and the last day and a half of the titled 14 day trip are free and at a very nice small boutique hotel in Saly and that’s enough to bring that grading down a bit. Food is ok. You wont go hungry but may get a little tired of rice, chicken, fish and veg. And watermelon… There aren’t even many supermarkets to stock up on snacks. Just the occasional petrol station mini marts. But you need small denominations of currency. Hotels were fine. Clean and usually with at least basic wifi and some hot water and air con. The lodge just before the overnight boat trip was probably the most basic but apart from no water in the morning, the odd uninvited member of the insect world (some larger than others) and a few frogs, it was fine. Most people slept ok as we were all pretty tired. In my humble view the large resort hotel we stayed at in Senegambia was the worst, not from an amenities or cleanliness perspective but just, well, because….. Nb: get an esim (Gigsky or equivalent) if connectivity is important to you. The cellular network is pretty reliable and more secure than hotel wifi but use a vpn if you’re doing any work Tips: travel light. If you do need a morning cuppa, bring a mini travel kettle or a flask that the hotel can fill up for you the night before. Bring earplugs to use if you’re sitting at the back of the birding boats near the outboard. Take binoculars. Do try the bissap and wonjo juice. Talking of tips: when we went (late November) you didn’t need a mosquito net but a sleeping bag liner is a good idea. Brush up on your French from school. It helps. We each paid £45 into a kitty that covered a lot of things and perhaps more than on other Explore trips, including daily water and bus snacks supplied by the great driver, Ousman. The only slight surprise was that the kitty didn’t cover the driver’s end-of-trip tip which i’d normally expect it to. So we had to cover his tip individually on top like the guide’s. But he was worth it. Do buy cheap stuff from the street-side ‘shops’, even if you don’t want anything. That said, you probably don’t need as much money as the trip notes imply unless you do want a lot of souvenirs. I got £150 or so equivalent from the airport atm and changed maybe 100 euros later and that lasted me fine. The itinerary worked well and we saw a lot. Yes, lots of birds but lots too of the wider countries. It was my first time in this part of the world so I was surprised by how colourful the place was. The kids especially were a delight. I’m very conscious of and trying really hard not to come across all patronising and white privilege here but the simple life here amongst the poverty, with close knit family values really resonated with me. Also the fact that muslims, christians and other tribal groups were happy living side by side. The people had little but were so very friendly. Show any desire to talk about English football and you’ll be there for hours! Don’t worry about the overnight boat trip. Take an eye mask and earplugs or ear defenders. And a head-torch. It really was a highlight for me just meandering down the river. The other highlight for me was the horse-drawn ride through Fishermen’s Village in st louis. Oh, and the mad dash for the banjul ferry! Assan kept us entertained and informed on the long drives sharing information on the history politics and geography of the region; was careful to tell us when we could and could not take pictures (eg near the many military checkpoints we passed) along with some very personal and moving stories of his own life. Slavery of course is a recurring theme that you meet everywhere and at times very challenging for this Explorer. All these aspects for me at least painted a broader and more vibrant picture of a place that I had my preconceptions of. Its worth saying that Assan also had an occasional pop quiz where points were awarded on a somewhat arbitrary basis (well that’s what I’m saying as I didn’t “win”!) This part of the world isn’t the easiest to be as environmentally responsible as some would perhaps like to be. Theres a lot of rubbish. However, Assan and Ousman were aware of this and we did all try to recycle our water bottles at least. Be aware that generally speaking the horses pulling the carts are treated ok-ish, the donkeys not so much. It varies of course but can be a little upsetting. A few folk had colds of varying severity and a bit of “Banjul Belly” but thankfully nothing too serious and no malaria. Cough sweets useful as colds seemed to get worse due to frequent changes between places with and without air con Nb: you will need to show your yellow fever certificate to get back into Senegal once you’ve finished in the Gambia. I can’t say I’m in a mad rush to go back to this part of the world but so glad I came on this trip and saw what I did with Assan and (as he referred to us) our new extended family. I totally recommend this

My husband and I had a great time in Italy. We enjoyed the great cities, the guided excursions, food, and the tour’s director, whom made the trip easy for us. We would love to have him as our tour director on our next adventure. Thank you for the lovely trip.

Most favorable is our tour director, Huy. He made this trip. I would highly recommend this tour and I would also say anyone who gets Huy as the tour manager is promised a GREAT trip. He is the BEST Tour manager I have ever experienced. I learned so much from him about Vietnam...he was extremely organized, knowledgeable and funny. He cared about each and every one of us on the tour and added such a personal touch to our experience. We were all very sad when he left us in Bangkok to return to his home and family. Because of Huy, I will travel with Collette again soon. Thank you for hiring the BEST. As far as hotels, all were nice. I do think The Muse (Bangkok) was too dark. I need a brighter more contemporary environment. It was difficult to see in the lobby and rooms. The amount of cash required for tipping was way too much. It would be more pleasant if it was all included with an option of giving more if we felt the service was exceptional. (i.e. Huy was exceptional, Chan in Cambodia was also exceptional) The Vespa tour was great fun and a highlight of this trip. I always thought Vietnam was a one and done destination but because of Huy, I hope to travel there again and with Collette someday! I took 1000 photos and met the most wonderful people in our tour. Thank you...

The greatest concern the tour itinerary was going to way too many Hindu temples. It would be greater value to add in different activities or free time in hotels. Highlights for us included the spice planation tour, the national park game drive, and eating in the different restaurants our guide arranged. The Kerala backwaters houseboat was very relaxing.

This was a lovely and varied trip through very beautiful and rural Laos to the amazing temples of the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia. It was a mix of beautiful hilly countryside and jungle, amazing waterfalls, cultural sights, incredible temples, and monasteries and cruises on the Mekong. We visited small remote villages, and cycled around sleepy and picturesque island of Don Khon in the 4000 islands area. Our guide was excellent and accomodation was good and often very well or beautifully located (but not always quite up to Western standards as Laos and Cambodia are developing countries.) It is a full on trip with some very early starts and long bumpy driving days. Also if you have dodgy knees, please be aware that many of the temples and waterfalls require climbing up and down sometimes a couple of hundred and more rough and uneven steps. But the guides do help you and you can take your time, and you can always opt out but still be in beautiful countryside and view from the bottom. Also take roll- on deodorant and insect repellant as you will not be allowed aerosol sprays on the train journey to Vientaine. I would thoroughly recommend this trip.