Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
Sri Lanka Time Tour via Aitken Spence. We met our driver and guided Sanka in Negombo for a 10 day tour of Sri Lanka. As soon as we met Sanka we knew we had made a very good decision, he was very friendly and welcoming us to continue our tour with the first events, he was prompt and very knowledgeable, and very proud of his country. Driving in Sri Lanka is crazy but Sanka was very experienced and we never felt unsafe. Safety throughout Sri Lanka is a high priority, but we never feel unsafe anywhere and encourage visitors to carry on while the tourism industry suffers. The hotels we stayed in were excellent and the staff were always friendly and very helpful. The tour is very busy with some long days, but we end with a six day break in the Maldives to recover. A truly memorable holiday with lots of laughs and banter with Sanka who made the tour so enjoyable.
Art and architecture
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Villa
Age Range
6-99 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Colombo, Negombo, Sigiriya, Kand
Colombo, Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Yala National Park
Im coming to the end of my Sri Lanka tour and I couldnt recommend it highly enough. The tour is well organised and we got to see so many beautiful places along the journey. Our group leader, Penn, has been absolutely wonderful and so helpful in every aspect. She is highly knowledgeable about Sri Lanka and clearly cares a lot about her job. Everything from accommodation to food to the activities has been brilliant. I would recommend this tour to everyone!
Surfing, kitesurfing etc.
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-55 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Negombo, Mirissa, Dambulla, Sigi
Negombo, Mirissa, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Udawalawe National Park, Tallala
Immerse yourself in the kaleidoscopic world of Rajasthan with this 15-day "Classic Rajasthan" tour, perfect for travelers eager to experience India’s grand forts, opulent palaces, and bustling markets. Start and end in New Delhi, weaving through Jaipur, Pushkar, and shimmering lakeside towns with the guidance of a local expert.
Dive into the stories of Maharajahs, search for elusive Bengal tigers, and enjoy a shared meal with a family in Pushkar. Spend a night under the desert stars and soak up the vibrant colors and sounds of everyday life. A highlight for many is ticking off a Wonder of the World, all while traveling with a small, like-minded group.
The USP? This tour package is designed for deep immersion—blending architectural marvels, wildlife encounters, and authentic local interactions. For those seeking India’s rich history and living culture in one seamless adventure, Rajasthan awaits.
Art and architecture
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Tent
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
New Delhi, Bijaipur, Rajasthan
New Delhi, Bijaipur, Rajasthan, Udaipur, Pushkar, Agra, Madhogarh, Rajasthan, Jaipur, Ranthambhore National Park, Bundi, Paangarh, Rajasthan
Excellent trip variety of places visited and gained a wonderful insight into Sri Lanka. Group was good company and the guide made sure we all enjoyed our holiday being very knowledgeable and helpful.
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, Hostel, Guest House
Age Range
16-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Colombo, Negombo, Demodara, Udaw
Colombo, Negombo, Demodara, Udawalawe, Koggala, Wilpattu National Park, Mihintale, Giritale, Sigiriya, Kandy, Adam's Peak, Nuwara Eliya
An excellent 3 weeks with 2 excellent guides. Sri Lanka section was well organised by our guide Nala. he tweaked the itinerary so that we got the very best out of our time and imparted so much information about every aspect of Sri Lanka. He kept us on time fitting extra stops in if we were passing something to see like a banana market and fishermen hauling nets in on the beach. Accommodation was exactly as described and the usual Explore authentic assortment of comfortable and more rustic.
There were lots of English style plug sockets in the hotels, but i would take an adaptor as well just in case.
Highlights were climbing Adams Peak starting at 2am, and passing some very elderly people making the pilgrimage to the temple at the top. A unique experience. Also the train journey over 9 arch bridge. Great fun.
Maldives- again we had a superb guide- Moosa. Extremely knowledgeable about the ocean and also gave us a lot of fascinating history and politics background of the Maldives. Island visits provided an insight into the real country.
The boat was spacious clean and comfortable. Didn't expect the hotel like room services - bed making and towel changing! Food on the boat was amazing. Plentiful and a variety of dishes inc freshly caught fish. Had 2 snorkels a day building up the length and difficulty of them. So many colourful fish, it was like swimming in a tropical fish tank. Also saw turtles, moray eels, sharks and rays including a manta. The tender was always out with us keeping an eye on us whilst snorkelling.
Overall a fabulous itinerary and guides on land and sea
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
The tour was absolutely amazing from Day 1 to the very end! The entire team did a fantastic job in making our experience smooth, enjoyable, and unforgettable. We highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore India with comfort and confidence
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Lodge
Age Range
5-80 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra
New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Udaipur, Pushkar, Ranthambore National Park, Sambhar, Sardargarh, Deogarh
We have just returned from a great family holiday in India. Our Explore tour leader, Virender (Veeru) Singh was excellent. His depth of knowledge was outstanding and his unwavering enthusiasm really made our holiday. He was good company at meal times and always keen to know what he could do to make our trip even better. There were some lengthy bus trips to get to our destinations and he pointed out interesting things along the way to keep us engaged and entertained. He was really good with our twins too who sometimes got a bit tired and was very accommodating and helpful with whatever they needed to enjoy the trip. He took us to places we wouldn't have found on our own and every step of the way the organisation of our transport, tickets and luggage was seamless. Our driver was also excellent on what was sometimes challenging driving driving conditions and long distances.
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!
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers