A fantastic trip which far exceeded my expectations. I was hoping for some good snorkelling but the close (sometimes VERY) close encounters with sting rays, green and hawksbill turtles, and sharks will remain in the memory for a long, long time.
Fed like kings (how on earth the chef managed to dish up some sumptuous feasts from a small galley!) with an ever friendly and helpful crew, and one of the best (and enthusiastic) tour leaders.
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Sri Lanka tour, a great way to see Sri Lanka with a mix of culture and wildlife.
Dhoni cruise, boat was basic but clean. Food amazing, staff great. A great way to see The Maldives, uninhabited islands and small local islands. Snorkeling at least twice a day, seeing Turtles, coral, fish and Nurse Sharks. Plenty of time to relax after a busy 2 weeks in Sri Lanka.
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We had an absolutely wonderful week with Explore in Sri Lanka. Our tour was packed with amazing locations and fascinating experiences, but our tour guide, Sudesh, still managed to fit in a few extras requested by the group.
Our only regret at the end of the trip was that the wild elephants had evaded us, but that was just bad luck!
For us, this trip was the perfect way to experience a very different country and culture with the insight and knowledge that comes from an excellent local guide.
Active and outdoorWildlife
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
Colombo, Negombo, Wilpattu Natio
Colombo, Negombo, Wilpattu National Park, Mihintale, Kandy, Koggala
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.
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
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
An excellent tour of Nepal. Trekking through the jungle was a great experience and views of the mountains - simply amazing! I was very impressed with the guides. They were gracious, knowledgeable and pleasure to trek with!!! In addition, the breadth and depth of knowledge the guide has is phenomenal, he made sure everything ran to plan while maintaining a cheerful deposition at all times. 10/10 to the company and the trip!!
Trekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel
Age Range
10-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Poonhill trek, Pokhara, Kathmand
Poonhill trek, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan National Park, Tikhedhunga, Ghorepani, Tadapani
My time in Nepal was amazing. as i arived in Kathmandu i was little bit scared. the company ACE has received me on the airport of kathmandu and brougt me to my hotel. everything was perfectly organizes. specially my guide Pasang Sherpa and Bombo Sherpa. both of this extremly helpfull and friendly persons helps me to get my dream coms true. thanks a lot my friends. i hope you are well
Trekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort, Guest House
Age Range
5-80 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan Nati
Pokhara, Kathmandu, Chitwan National Park, Lumbini, Ghorepani, Tadapani, Ghandruk, Chitwan, Palpa, Tikhedhunga