The itinerary is good, but full-on. Explore and all the other similar companies seem to compete by how many places they can fit into a trip, which is good if you want a taster, but not-so-good if you want to spend a bit of time in your preferred locations. However, the only disappointing part was the houseboat; the backwaters are full of them....not very idyllic. Our guide and driver were amazing; they took care of everything so it was relaxing despite the schedule.