South Asia Festivals events Trips

An absolutely magical Switzerland trip - flawlessly organised down to the smallest detail. Our travel director was one in a million: knowledgeable, kind, informative and genuinely exceptional. A superb bus driver who handled Switzerland's mountain roads with total skill and ease - a truly unforgettable experience. I couldn't recommend this trip more highly.

This has been an amazing trip, can't recommend it enough, especially if this is your first trip to India, it's a great introduction to get your bearings. Our trip was nine days and we covered a large geographical area in a relatively short space of time to see the sights in Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthamborne, Agra and Varanasi. To do this we travelled in a private minibus which was really comfortable and also took the public train to Varanasi and Delhi, the train was also really comfortable, spacious and clean , we also had a couple of small boat trips along the Ganges which were really special, so there was a good mix of transport it wasn't all minibus. The sights you see on this trip are stunning, and there are just so many to see. This is a busy trip but that's the beauty of it, you will get to see so much. The hotels we stayed in were of varying standards but mostly very good: Jaipur, Agra, Ranthamborne and Varanasi Hotels were all great and the breakfasts and evening meals in those hotels were really very good indeed. We were taken to some fabulous restaurants to eat in the evenings and the food everywhere we went was delicious and we didn't worry about what we were eating as every place we ate at had been vetted by our excellent tour guide leader. The group we travelled with were so much fun, we all became good friends by the end.

This was my first time to India and I decided I wanted to start in the south because I heard it was a bit more beginner friendly and I was traveling with my daughter in her late teens for our first time just the two of us. I was blown away by the warm hospitality, the scenery, the food and how well organized this trip was. The itinerary is varied and really includes a bit of everything you need to see in Kerala and Tamil Nadu: verdant tea plantations, historical architecture and incredible access to temples, welcoming and warm connection with local people and guides, spice gardens, wildlife preserves, drifting down the backwaters in a houseboat with your own cook and captain, I still can't believe we did and saw so much. We ate a huge meal one night with a local family and then toured a village and learned about traditional crafts with another family, we got beach and pool time and watched thunderstorms out over the Arabian Sea as we enjoyed dinner as a group. Just truly an unforgettable experience every step of the way.

We loved this trip. Yes, some of the hotels were pretty average, yes a few didn't have hot water, and yes some had extremely inefficient staff, but that's not what you are going for. We got to visit the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati which should be on the itinerary. Each place we visited throughout the trip was very much worth the time and effort to get there. Even on the long drive days the stops didn't feel like just fillers that you might get somewhere else. Kaziranga National Park was a lovely day and we saw a lot of elephant and dozens of rhino. So much more than we thought we might, and at a lot closer quarter too. The trek down to the root bridges at Cherrapunjee was another highlight. It is a big effort as described in the notes and in other reviews, but worth every step. They are remarkable. We walk a lot, but never previously used walking poles, however, we did on this day and I'd highly using them. The hotel there is lovely with great views over the Sylhet plains into Bangladesh. Hornbill Festival was incredible and a massive highlight. Our guide, Pema, got us to the festival nice and early and we were able to experience all the tribal groups entering the arena to take their places, all singing, chanting, drumming. Absolutely wonderful and an experience we will remember for a long time. And a second day to fully absorb it. Amazing, loved it! The Majuli Island stay was another totally different environment. The ferry to and from is a great experience. The temple visits were beautiful and a contrast to the full on craziness of Hornbill Festival. It was also really lovely to be able to walk through small villages and meet local people. The day at Longwa village was another extraordinary time. Meeting the ex headhunters, a wander through the hilltop border village, a great lunch in a longhouse. So different from anywhere else we've been. And the last night in a lovely old colonial tea bungalow and time meeting the ladies picking leaves on the plantation was a lovely treat. Things don't work in this part of the world as you may be accustomed to, but just go with it and this trip will reward you with some extraordinary experiences.

This was my first trip to India, and Kerala was the ideal place to start - relatively compact, affluent, clean, and accessible, with incredibly friendly, helpful locals, and a wide variety of sights to see. The pace of the trip was perfect, moving on to a new destination every other day, normally on the road for 3-4 hours, with plenty of comfort breaks and additional sights along the way. I feel like we saw as much as was comfortably possible in 12 days. The one area for improvement would be a little more free time to explore independently. In Cochin, in particular, we had a very busy morning visiting several churches, a palace and a synagogue, only stopping for a late lunch, and it seemed a missed opportunity to spend some time wandering through the narrow streets of the old quarter for tea, chats with locals, and a bit of shopping. This would have helped with orientation too, as it was our first full day after the long journey from the UK.

This truly is an excellent trip, and way to see beautiful Sri Lanka at a good pace. You cover so much in 2 weeks, and every day is different with sightseeing, walking, cycling, wildlife - there really is something for everyone. Sri Lanka is a fantastic country with wonderfully welcoming people. This trip really makes you feel you are benefitting the local communities that you are interacting with - spending time with local families, playing traditional games and getting a deeper understanding day-to-day life and traditions. You get a better understanding for the tougher and sadder side of the history of the country, while gaining a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the joyful people who live there. It really is a wonderful trip, made better by a great group and leader!