We had an excellent trek around Manaslu. It was an amazing experience to climb from the jungle to 5000 meters above sea level. Our guides helped us with everything. We received a lot of advice about food. During the trek, we also got a glimpse of the local culture through our conversations. This trek will remain an unforgettable experience for me.
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
We reached out to several operators but chose to work with Lahiru due to his honesty and straightforwardness. We provided him with a list of our desired activities and accommodations for our 15-day trip, and Lahiru responded with an excellent itinerary and fantastic hotel recommendations. The price was reasonable, and the all-inclusive package meant we didn’t have to worry about any additional services.
The hotels we stayed at was great, excellent food and amazing hospitality. The van was in good condition, equipped with air conditioning, and our driver, Asanka, skillfully navigated Sri Lanka's challenging roads. Lahiru, who also served as our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and kind, making our experience even more enjoyable.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best tour operators in Sri Lanka.
Thank you,
Linda and John
Adventure
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-80 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Anurad
Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Galle, Ella, Yala National Park, Colombo, Tissamaharama
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
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
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.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
My EBC trip was perfectly planned. First of all, I want to thank Mr. Gokul, my guide Kali, and Amita from operations a million times. The guesthouses I stayed in were warm and clean. My guide Kali was always kind and supportive. I’m very excited for my ABC trip this year—hope to see you again soon!
Trekking and HikingAdventure
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
10-79 yrs
Operated in
english, nepali
Destinations
Everest Base Camp trek, Kathmand
Everest Base Camp trek, Kathmandu, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Namche Bazar, Lukla, Phakding, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche
Lahiru was fantastic to work with! He was incredibly responsive and provided us with the trip of a lifetime in Sri Lanka. We enjoyed the extra experiences that were so unique and felt like we truly experienced the best of Sri Lanka, even though we were only there for a week. We always appreciate trips that inspire us to return! Without a doubt, we would gladly choose this tour operator again in the future!