The trip to Sri Lanka followed by the dhoni cruise in the Maldives was absolutely amazing. So many different experiences and so much variety. I absolutely loved all of it, from temples and elephants to swimming with sharks. The 2 different tour leaders on the 2 parts of the tour were both excellent as were their support staff. They went out of their way to give us a fantastic experience.
Explore leader: for Sri Lanka only satisfactory. Not easy to understand, didn't seem to feel part of the group, didn't join us for meals, a poor communicator (relative to past explore trips)
For the dhoni Maldives cruise: Moosa was excellent in every way.
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!
It was a wonderful adventure full of insights, learnings, fun, beauty and a sensory smorgasbord of experiences. I loved the diversity within the cities and villages, the cultures, the activities offered and the modes of transportation. It was well organised and brilliantly led by Giri.
A holiday full of once in a lifetime experiences. Lovely traditional boat, crew and tour leader worked very hard to make it a great holiday. Food was great and the twice daily snorkelling trips were amazing
Great trip, itinerary and tour leader
Would’ve liked a bit more time in Kandy- having an afternoon on the first day perhaps ? Maybe can streamline the tea plantation and shorten theearlier stop to the gem place.
It is not often after a two week holiday, I am not ready to leave and get home. I went by myself and I could have repeated the holiday easily. George our guide was incredible, full of charm, humour & wit he was totally unflappable and his knowledge of his country was encyclopaedic encompassing politics, economics, flora, fauna, religion and animals. He worked tirelessly to ensure we all made the most of our time. Sri Lanka is an amazing country and the fun, laughter and camaraderie we all experienced will live with me for a long time.
Sudarshan KC, our tour leader was a very kind and thoughtful person. He was very attentive to everyone’s needs. Being the only vegan in the group, he was very helpful to let me know which foods contained animal products. He also explained to the kitchen staff what my needs were. He did his best to talk about his country but sometimes he was hard to understand because of our language barrier and his accent but he tried extra hard to make things clearer. I would definitely recommend him to others who go on this tour or tour with Su.
Walking, wildlife, food and culture: this tour ticked a lot of boxes for me. It is true that the poor visibility at this time of year (March) meant that the Annupurna mountains weren't visible during much of the trek, but the landscape with its flora, fauna and small farms still made the walking interesting and enjoyable. A special highlight was seeing the one-horned rhinoceros at the Chitwan National Park, and the cultural events staged at the Green Chwadi Retreat at Chitwan were an unexpected bonus. There was a wealth of birds to see throughout the tour, and our tour leader, Su, was very knowledgeable in identifying them. As someone who is unable to eat gluten, I had been worried about how I would cope with the food; and I am extremely grateful to Su for helping me to navigate this, as well as ensuring that there were always things available for me to eat.
An excellent trip with a great Bhutanese tour leader and driver. Such a beautiful and peaceful country and a big contrast to hectic, noisy and dirty Kathmandu. A fairly relaxed tour with highlights of the black crane festival, Tiger’s Nest monastery, Punakha and more. Generally good hotels except in Phobjika Valley, which had power cuts, cold rooms and poor food. Food in Bhutan was a bit monotonous- generally very similar buffets. Excellent guide and driver. Recommended.
Langtang's short trek to Kyangin Ri hiking route lies insight into the Langtang National Park, which is one of the most beautiful and least tourist short mountain treks in Nepal. The trek needs 8 days including 2 gorgeous days local drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubashi near to Tibet border and return. The trek route is popular for Tamang Village, Buddhist Culture, Yaks Farm, Flora, and fauna and offers you stunning views of mountain ranges of Mt. Langtang Lirung, Naya Kanga Peak, Ganjala Peak, Lang Shisha Ri, and Yala Peak, Mt. Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Dorje Lakpa and more.
You will walk inside the Langtang National Park on Red panda zone like a local Langtang people. Visit some of the most beautiful villages, monasteries and grab the best view of Himalayas panorama from Tserkuri or Kyangin Ri summit. The snowy peaks and its surroundings will make you feel really peaceful. The view of the great wide range of mountains.
The trek is becoming more popular because it brings you closer to the local Samanism culture as well as the area's rich wildlife. After getting the TIMS permit from Kathmandu, we will drive to Syabrubashi via Trishuli, Dhnuche, and then enjoy a short hike to Langtang Village, where you will get to feel an entirely different way of life on the same day. The adventure trip is not just a trek but also a great way to learn Tibetan culture, Mountain Geography, Wildlife insight the National park, and great fun.