South Asia Cultural, religious and historic sites 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!

This was my first time with Explore, having been with other group tours in the past. The trip was well organised, with everything going according to plan. The tour leader Ash was exceptional, going out of his way to ensure everyone's needs were met. We saw a lot of Srilanka in a short space of time, which involved many early starts and some long journeys on the bus. We enjoyed the overall experience, but would have liked some more downtime at the hotels (some of which were wonderful, a couple were not) to enjoy the facilities. Lion's Rock was a highlight and worth getting up early for. Adam's Peak was disappointing, only a few climbed and the hotel was very poor with 300 steps up to the rooms. Several of our group were ill after staying here. Overall not worth being included in the itinerary in my opinion. The bus was quite cramped, we only had 12 on our trip, if there had been 16 it would have been very uncomfortable for everyone. I loved all the wildlife particularly the elephant reserve where the orphans are cared for. We had some strong characters in our group, which made it tricky for the leader to deal with, but he never lost patience and tried his best to cope with all the demands ftom some members. I would travel with Explore again but perhaps choose a more relaxed itinerary.

This was an ambitious tour particularly since we added the pre and post tour options. Nevertheless we thoroughly enjoyed the experiences we shared. We would be hard pressed to name one memorable experience because there were many. We particularly appreciated the variation from stop to stop, i.e. city venues to historical forts to game preserves. Ashish was great, knowledgeable and eager to share his insights.

Sujan took us to Annapurna base camp and he was a fantastic guide. Our tour leader truly made this trip to Annapurna Base Camp unforgettable. From the very start, he was incredibly helpful - always making sure everyone felt comfortable, informed, and supported throughout the journey. His organisation and attention to detail meant everything ran smoothly, even in challenging conditions. He brought a great energy to the group, keeping spirits high on long trekking days and creating a great sense of camaraderie among everyone. He was approachable, patient, and always happy to answer questions or share his knowledge about the local culture and mountains. His experience and calm leadership gave us real confidence, especially at higher altitudes, and it was clear he genuinely cared about everyone’s wellbeing. Thanks to him, the whole experience felt safe, enjoyable, and incredibly special. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and he was a huge part of what made this trip so memorable. He bent over backwards to ensure everyone was equally valued. He offered his arm to our slowest walker while arranging an extra trip for the more energetic of us. He even introduced us to a new card game.

This holiday was such an amazing experience we had so much fun. The wildlife/culture/food/locations were exceptional. Our tour guide Mimi was the best!

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.