The trip itinerary certainly gave a wide range view of different areas of Southern India and their way of life. Busy bustling Chennai, then to the coastal resort of Pondicherry with a French flavour, followed by the temples and palace of Madurai. Then on to the hills hitting the tea plantations, spices and backwaters of Kerela for a sail along the river. Kochi, a busy town, with lots to see - Palace, museums, churches, synagogue and chinese fishing nets to name a few. A highlight was the toy train to Ooty. Lots to see in bustling Mysore from the Palace, statues, temples, markets and everything on the road together buses, cars, TukTuks, motorbikes, cows, sheep and goats and people! Fun to watch. Another variety of travel is the overnight train back to Chennai, ending with a leisurely day at Mamallapram. A bit of everything - recommended.
Cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Chennai, Bangalore, Mamallapuram
Chennai, Bangalore, Mamallapuram, Bandipur National Park, Mysore, Pondicherry, Meenakshi Temple, Thekkady, Kerala Backwaters, Kochi, Coimbatore
Fantastic trip. Lots of variety - sightseeing, walking and a safari at the end. Hotels were all good - a mixture of local and more modern and 2 nights in most worked really well. Food was good, locals are friendly and our guide Udaya made sure we had everything we needed and provided loads of info on everything we saw. Great safari at the end with brilliant sightings of deer and rhinos. Sadly no tigers but you cant have everything. Only down side is the roads which are currently truly awful whilst they convert the main highway to a dual carrigeway. Dirt surface in a lot of places.
Active and outdoorRafting
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
I really enjoyed this trip and seeing some more of India. Highlights include the Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Shimla and temple at Amritsar. I travelled with a really nice group and the tour leader made sure we were perfectly looked after. The food was good. Warm clothes are needed for Shimla in the winter months.
I would highly recommend the trip.
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, Sleeper Train, Lodge
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Amritsar, Kolkata, Shimla, Bodh
Amritsar, Kolkata, Shimla, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Agra, New Delhi
The tour was a very enjoyable and relaxing way to end 2024 (7-15 December). Our tour leader Mohamed Hailami (High) and the crew of Gulfaam were excellent - nothing was too much trouble and they worked hard to make it a memorable holiday. The food on the dhoni was very good - plentiful and varied. The snorkelling catered to all abilities and covered a variety of environments - particular highlights were the sunken boat and swimming with nurse sharks and cuttlefish. Through coaching and feedback from High and the captain I learned how to duck dive, make better use of my GoPro and fish with a line. The latter was with limited success but considerable pleasure - failing to catch any fish while sitting in the tender in the middle of the sea under the stars is one of my favourite memories of the week. Thanks to High and the crew for a great trip.
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
We recently did the Langtang Valley trek with this tour operator. Our guide was Mr. Pasang Sherpa, who was incredibly knowledgeable about the local flora, fauna, and culture of Nepal. His stories and insights made the trek even more enjoyable. We learned so much about the history of the region and were amazed by his ability to spot rare wildlife along the trail. Mr. Pasang's passion for the mountains and his genuine care for our group made us feel safe and well taken care of throughout the entire trek. We are already planning our next adventure and can't wait to have Mr. Pasang as our guide again.
Trekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
14-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kathmandu, Tamang Heritage trek
Kathmandu, Tamang Heritage trek, Syabrubesi, Lama Hotel, Langtang Valley, Kyanjin Gompa, Tserko Ri
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
As described the tour is full on but its so worth it to see so much. This tour really throws you into Indian history and witnessing day-to-day life was fascinating. You cover a lot of ground with some very long travel days but the sites around Rajasthan make up for it with stops always providing interest.
The hotels were great with a good mix between heritage properties and the modern facilities. Gajner Palace hotel was a particular highlight and the setting is incredible.
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
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ajmer
New Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jojawar, Bikaner
A very interesting tour covering a lot in just two weeks. Made particularly successful by excellent leadership from local leader and support staff.
Every effort was made to ensure we got the most from our experience and that our particular needs were met.
WildlifeArt and architecture
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
