The trip was an absolutely fabulous way to explore southern Sri Lanka and the northern Maldives atolls. Brilliant CEOs, lovely accommodation and amazing sights. What an experience. I would heartily recommend this tour
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.
The highlights of Sri Lanka and the Dhoni cruise in the Maldives was excellent. The only complaint I have is that I could have spent two weeks on the boat instead of the 8 days. The cruise needs to be longer!
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!
Travelling as as single person i find Explore group holidays a good way of seeing countries and places i wouldn’t go to alone. I enjoy the groups company finding like minded people to share meals and have fun and laughter together.
Darjeeling and Bhutan is a wonderful trip and experience that i strongly recommend.
During July 2019 I visited the Maldives as a solo traveler. The Island Hopper tour was perfect for my intent to experience the real flavor/culture/people of the country and not the artificial environment of resorts. I arrived and was met by Shaffaf who was the perfect guide/host to hotels, ferries, experiences across 5 islands. I love Maldive island life--even more so after the busy arrival city of Male. I especially love the FREEDOM to set my own itinerary on each island after local representatives warmly welcomed me at each island ferry and presented the options of their island. Diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, visiting the homes of locals, beach time and just sharing hours of lazy conversation with the locals was priceless. After returning to the USA, my heart is still in The Maldives!!
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.
Explore lush and tropical Southern India on this 15-day adventure through lush lands and small villages. Beneath the green shade of a coastal paradise, you’ll meet with locals in their fishing villages and tribal homes. Join them in the bazaars, on buses and boats or even on a pilgrimage in Madurai. From cultural sights like the Maharaja's Palace in Mysore to French-influenced Puducherry and the vast landscape of Periyar, Southern India's spirituality, friendly people and wild animal sanctuaries make it fascinating to explore.
I started the tour with some sight seeing in Delhi and continue with Agra and Jaipur tour. It was an amazing trip especially for solo trip and the first timer in India. Mr. Tarun Joshi and Rajesh from Agra both are very professional. They take care of me during my trip and make sure all run smoothly and I enjoy the trip. Mr. Saurav is a very great person, he take cares all of my requests especially visit to Varanasi very professional. If you plan a visit to India don't think twice just contact him and you will enjoy the trip and their service. I will come back again soon to visit another part of India.
Sandwiched between the Arabian Sea in the west and the mighty Western Ghats on the East, the State of Kerala is in every sense of the word, awe inspiring. One of the top 10 destinations in the world, according to National Geographic, Keralais truly the epitome of nature, heritage and hospitality. Experience this incredible region over the course of this tour which includes 5-nights' accommodation and is accompanied by a private guide.
Kerala is a state in south-west India, known as "God's own country" too. According to Hindu mythology, Mahavishnu’s sixth incarnation Parasurama fought back the advancing seas. He threw his axe (paraśu) from Konkan to Kanyakumari and the sea gave way, giving rise to present day Kerala. In recent years the phrase has been adopted as a slogan by the tourism department of the Kerala state government to showcase a land so beautiful whose beauty simply cannot be expressed in words.
So join us on a tour to Kerala, a place that will leave you bewildered and mystified at nature's beauty, a mesmerizing affair that transports your soul into the cradles of paradise.
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.
