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
I warmly recommend this travel specialist for international travelers who want to visit India safely with the best experience. The tour was very well designed and the hotels chosen were great. The sights were amazing. Our driver Shankar was very safe and reliable. A great experience!
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
2-90 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Rantham
New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ranthambore National Park, Old Delhi, Bharatpur, Ranthambhore National Park
On the whole a great itinerary. I would drop the Sunderbans though, since the chance of seeing any wildlife while sailing for hours up and down the middle of the river is unlikely, especially since the animals are behind a fence. We had an excellent tour leader, Kiran who is warm, very informed and energetic and who certainly went that extra mile in solving problems and caring for everyone. The local guides who travelled with us were also great, as were the drivers. The hotels in India were the Summit hotels, an Indian chain. They are clean and quite well organised. However since those in Sikkim were out of town we were forced to eat dinner in the hotels which produced the identical menu. It would have been better to have spent the bits of free time we had in Sikkim in the towns themselves.
City sightseeingWildlifeCruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
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
A real insight into Sri Lanka’s culture and heritage together with its diverse landscape. The guides wonderful positivity and knowledge really enhanced the trip experience.
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, Tent
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Colombo, Negombo, Puerto RĂo Tra
Colombo, Negombo, Puerto RĂo Tranquilo, Bentota, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains National Park, Ella, Yala National Park
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
Our 20-day tailor-made trip to Sri Lanka was truly unforgettable, largely thanks to our wonderful guide Lahiru. We had the pleasure of visiting some of the country's most famous national parks, including Wilpattu and Yala, and Lahiru's extensive knowledge of the wildlife, regions, and local cultures made the experience all the more enriching. He went above and beyond to ensure that our trip was a success, and we couldn't have asked for a more helpful and accommodating guide.
Throughout the planning process, Lahiru was extremely communicative and clear in his explanations of everything from airport pickup to lodging to costs. The lunches provided were delicious, with a warm lunch on the first day and quintessential 'boxed' lunches on subsequent days. The dinners were all buffet-style, but with plenty of options, including vegetarian.
Overall, we feel that our trip was worth every penny and would jump at the chance to do it all over again. Thank you, Lahiru, for an incredible Safari adventure!
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Eco Lodge, Hotel, Lodge, Resort
Age Range
18-80 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Negombo, Sigiriya, Mirissa, Anur
Negombo, Sigiriya, Mirissa, Anuradhapura, Galle, Ella, Yala National Park, Horton Plains National Park, Sinharaja, Wilpattu National Park, Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park, Nuwara Eliya