The scenic and energetic northern state of Rajasthan is awash with all the colours of India. On this 15-day journey, you’ll learn the history of massive forts, witness the opulence of Maharajahs' palaces and stroll through local markets, all with a local leader by your side to give you the inside scoop. Search for the elusive Bengal tiger, enjoy a shared meal with a family in Pushkar, spend a night in the desert, soak up the natural beauty of vast, shimmering lakes and tick a Wonder of the World off your bucket list – starting and ending in thriving Delhi.
Its not often that I ever write a review for anything. Felt compelled to do so for this holiday! We were the 1st group to do this trip.....
This holiday was excellent on every level! Perfect combination of the sea, snorkelling 2-3 times every day in the azure sea, truly unbelievable that I managed to snorkel alongside a giant whale shark (about 6 metres long & 15 tons) within touching distance for about 15minutes!
My overall experience was very good. The trip was well organized and our CEO was resourceful, helpful, and entertaining, I think that the information provided gave a relatively accurate description of the trip and its level of difficulty and comfort and the level of fitness required. Most importantly, I learned a great deal about the peoples, customs and places we visited, things I did not know at all prior to the trip,. Our exposure to apes, monkeys, and elephants was outstanding!
Looking back at our photos now we've returned to the UK we can't believe the amount we saw and the amazing experiences we had on this tour. Sri Lanka is an amazing beautiful country with some much going on - we only scratched the surface. Our tour leader Cham worked so hard to make sure that we had everything we needed, resolving our problems and sorting out food for our fussy son! His knowledge about Sri Lankan history and wildlife was immense. He even found the best place to buy genuine Sri Lanka cricket shirts for the sporty members of our group. The only thing we'd change was the pace of the second half of the Sri Lanka leg of the trip. The first half gave us time to chill and bond as a group, as well as hang out in the pool at Giritale and play cricket. The second half we moved every night and covered a massive distance, though interesting, this was quite tiring (especially for the kids), so we'd suggest that a two night stop in the middle of this element would resolve this issue easily. This was clear in the notes, however, as was the high chance of not getting the train. The pace did slow considerably for the Maldives element, with a lot of time on our boats travelling between reefs. The snorkelling was quite frankly mind-blowing, and even the more nervous swimmers loved it. The crew were fantastic, and the food was delicious. The guide knew his stuff, and made sure we had great snorkelling experiences. Our only criticism of this part of the trip was that splitting the group when we'd got to know each other and were getting on really well was disappointing. There were larger boats, and we'd have preferred to be on a single boat given how long we spent travelling separately. The crew did what they could to mitigate this by tying the boats together when we moored for snorkels, meals and overnight and that was great. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable trip, and with a few very small tweaks it'd be perfect!
Both parts of this trip wee amazing but the tour leader, Nala, for the Sri Lankan part was amazing. We were seeing and doing so much of Sri Lanka but his efficiency and effectiveness at keeping us all informed and inspired throughout was seamless. He was knowledgeable, fun, and thoughtful with all of our group. He was careful to make sure everyone was happy and felt part of the group, and was aware of everyone's particular interests.
Nala made sure that we all knew what to expect in the day's itinerary but also added in extra activities if there was time, or the opportunity arose for example, a large banana market where the cooperative owners were happy to hear our questions and have phottaken.
We would thoroughly recommend Nala as a tour guide- everything he did was designed to keep us all happy and he was exceptional in this.
Uncover the magic of Sri Lanka on this 8-day adventure, starting and ending in Colombo. Step back in time at the cave temples of Dambulla and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Climb the striking Sigiriya Rock Fortress and enjoy a village-style cookery demo in Kayanwala. In Kandy, visit the revered Temple of the Tooth and a local tea factory before a scenic train journey winds through lush plantations to Nuwara Eliya. Spot elephants and other wildlife on safari in Udawalawe National Park, then round off the trip with a lively tour of Colombo’s colonial landmarks and colourful city streets.
The trip was amazing. The crew were outstanding and we were extremely well looked after and all our needs catered for and more. Exceptional trip in every aspect.
