India was INCREDIBLE! The safari, markets, forts, temples & food were all outstanding (especially the Taj Mahal). Ethan & Yoni were great leaders and looked after us so much the whole way! Our local guide was also outstanding and had so much cultural knowledge for us. 10/10 tour and cannot wait to do another!
A wonderful mix of culture, wildlife and relaxation in the beautiful tropical South of India. led by an excellent guide.
Would definitely recommd this trip.
This was my first trip as a single person and I had a fabulous time. The group of 12 (four couples and four singles) really gelled and were very friendly, supportive and fun. The itinerary was very good, with at least one specific thing to do, see or visit each day. The high points were the tea plantation, the spice farm, the cookery evening, the wonderful scenery and the houseboat . The accommodation was generally very good, but the homestay was too basic to be an enjoyable experience. It didn't feel as though we were guests in someone's home, it felt more like a commercial exercise (eg the host talked of building a hotel next year to accommodate more guests). The food was excellent in most places with some well-chosen restaurants/snack bars, and plenty of choice for vegetarians, but I was a little disappointment at the street food experience, which was just selecting one cold, precooked snack (such as samosa, vada or fritter.) I was anticipating some freshly cooked food (while we looked on) such as rice and dahl or pani puri. Also, I thought that the purpose of visiting the market was to select spices and vegetables to use later in our cookery evening, but there wasn't an obvious link. Our guide, Sree, was flexible, knowledgeable and very accommodating of all our needs.
Overall a really great experience with a great group of people. Will definitely use Explore again for another adventurous trip.
Old and new, color and chaos, sticky cities and luscious mountain ranges… India is a wonderful cacophony that blazes a trail in your memory long after you get home. Ready to have your senses awakened, your imagination brought to life and your perception of the world changed forever? This is officially the trip for you.
I loved this tour. It was definitely full on with some long travel days, but in between we saw some magical sites, the Taj Mahal at sunrise in the soft early morning light was breathtaking. The heritage hotels we stayed in were amazing too, several former palaces and a hunting lodge, beautiful buildings, stunning settings. Our guide was brilliant too, everything ran very smoothly and nothing was too much trouble, with ocassionally members of our group doing separate things which he happilly accomodated.
