A great trip. A lot of ground covered. Tour notes had explained clearly that early starts were common and how much travel time was involved. Our modern, generously sized, coach and regular stops made it very comfortable. Our guide, Alcan Sisli, and driver, Attila, were of the high quality I expect from Explore! trips. Alcan was passionate about his country and extremely knowledgeable about all our points of interest. He took great care to include everyones wishes and needs when making plans and quickly knew us as individuals. He was unfailingly cheerful and looked after us all very competently, even when we perhaps did our own thing! We all got our turn to sit near the front of the coach to ask all those odd questions you might hesitate to ask in the whole group, though as usual the group, 12 in all, was such an interesting mix of backgrounds and personalities that it very soon felt as if we were just one big family. I miss them all now I'm home again! The accommodation was an eclectic mix of small city rooms to surprisingly luxurious bigger ones. All clean and with amazing buffet breakfasts. Food was varied - if sometimes a little solidly based on traditional Turkish meals. Fabulous fresh fish. Interesting 'greasy spoon' cafes with amazing dishes and the chance to try great local specialities. The attractions were as described - but even more spectacular in reality. The Mosques, Cotton Castle terraces, Rock formations and cave dwellings, Greco Romano remains etc were all fantastic and the final visit to Gallipoli was powerfully atmospheric. Our only disappointment was the unusually cold and wet weather during our particular trip dates but it didn't dampen our spirits and the only thing we couldn't do was the optional balloon flight. Another year perhaps. Now just got to sort out the 100s of photos and eat the Turkish Delight.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Istanbul
Istanbul
22% OFF TODAY
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The trip was great, everything was very smooth, and well taken care of. I must also really thank you for helping with the train tickets last minute, you were a great help! I was quite worried haha.
The guide you provided, Lhakdon, was excellent. She is a very warm person, and genuinely helpful. For example, my father broke his spectacles accidentally one night, and I messaged her at 9pm asking if she had super-glue or knew a place to buy new spectacles. The next morning she turned up at 9 am with a tube of super glue, and we were able to fix the spectacles! She really went above and beyond to help us.
She always made sure we were comfortable and taken care of, at restaurants she would stop eating and come over to help us order food, get utensils, get drinks etc. service standard is very high.
Lhakdon also helped us outside of the tour time, brought us to various shops, to look for specific items we wanted. These shops were also cheaper and better in quality than the usual tourist traps. Places where locals would buy from.
The driver Pen Pal was also good, a friendly guy. Though he didn't speak English, we could converse in Mandarin. His driving was very safe, smooth ride all the way. No speeding, no sudden acceleration/braking/swerving. Great driver!
Please express the thanks and appreciation from my Dad and I to Lhakdon and the driver. If my friends or I ever go to Tibet again we will definitely request for them again!
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Camping, Guest House, Hotel, Resort, Tent
Age Range
10-70 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Shigatse, Lhasa, Everest Base Ca
Shigatse, Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, Tibet, Everest Base Camp Tibet
We came as a mother and daughter duo and everything went very smoothly! We didn't have to worry about transportation or hotels. I'd certainly recommend if it's your first time to the country. Halong Bay and the Cu Chi tunnels were the highlights of our trip and are a must.
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
18-90 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Halong Bay, Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hue, My Son Sanctuary
All the accommodation was amazing. Petro, our guide was so knowledgeable and couldn’t do enough for us and the experience was just brilliant.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Lodge, Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Amakh
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Amakhala Game Reserve, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Tsitsikamma National Park, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch
This trip packs a lot in - culture, Mayan sites, eating, seeing local craftsmen at work, and just soaking up the atmosphere in the old Spanish colonial towns. Around and about in Mexico city, beautiful Puebla, San Cristobal and then lots of Mayan sites.
The hotels were all good (had one slight problem in one of them but hopefully Exodus can get that sorted out for future trips).
There are some long travelling days due to the distances which need to be covered, but it's worth it and a lot of the scenery is just amazing to see.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Mexico City, Cancún, San Cristob
Mexico City, Cancún, San Cristobal De Las Casas, Palenque, Campeche, Merida, Chichen Itza, Coyoacan, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tehuantepec
China Highlights was an amazing trip, I enjoyed it from the begining to the end.
I am very happy with this trip, Olly, out tour leader, was great and very helpfull, he took care lf all of us. Thank you for a wonderfull trip.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Beijing, Hong Kong, Victoria Pea
Beijing, Hong Kong, Victoria Peak, Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian
22% OFF TODAY
This deal is valid for limited time. Book now to reserve your seats.
Perfect itinerary for someone with limited time. Each day was well-planned and full of new experiences. The travel team made it easy from start to finish. Thank you team!
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
