Sri Lanka in Depth + Maldive Dhoni Cruise

Sri Lanka - excellent trip but a few too many temples Adams peak - sunrise good but not worth the effort if not good at walking up or steps Maldives - mainly a snorkelling trip. Didn't like the locations where other tourist were feeding the sharks and Rays. Un and forces a change in behaviour of wildlife

A great trip on board the well equipped dhoni, Kheti visiting different locations guided expertly by Moussah to see so much marine wildlife. Swimming with sharks and rays!! We were really well looked after by the crew and the food was excellent. Luckily the snorkelling helped keep the weight in check.

The overall trip was very good and the Leader dealt with the few emergencies very well. The jeep safari in Wilpattu National Park on Monday 17th was the least satisfactory of the three jeep safaris that we did. The ride was very uncomfortable and we saw little of interest. Lunch on Wednesday 19th in the vegetable garden was very good and the location quite magical. Thursday 20th the optional jeep safari was well worth doing, we saw lots of elephants, including babies. Adams Peak was fascinating even though I didn't climb to the summit. The train journey was not enjoyable. We were told we had 2nd class tickets but no reserved seats. We ended up in 3rd class with many of the group standing. The train was so crowded that it was difficult to see out of the windows. I met another family group who had done the same journey a few days previously, they had reserved seats in 2nd class, booked for them by an agent in the UK. Why couldn't we have those, you know the numbers in plenty of time. Athgira River Camp was a delight. On the drive to Colombo we stopped at a lace shop with a minimal demonstration of lace making, this was a waste of time. We also stopped at a moonstone mine where we saw nothing new, we had visited a jam shop in Kandy where we were shown how the jets were mined, and it was our second demonstration of how cinnamon bark is removed from the branches. I would have preferred to spend more time in Colombo, we did not have a lot of time there. The chaos when we arrived in Male, confusion about which hotel we were staying in was unacceptable. However the rest of the cruise went very well with the wreck swim and swimming with sharks being highlights.

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.

Our Explore leader George, was without doubt, the best leader / guide we have ever had on any trip! His knowledge, kindness, professionalism would be hard to beat anywhere. Added to that, his sense of humour was awesome, he got us every time, and we all loved it! He went way and above any guide we have ever had. He is a real credit to your company.

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

Excellent trip with fantastic group leader

The trip to Sri Lanka followed by the dhoni cruise in the Maldives was absolutely amazing. So many different experiences and so much variety. I absolutely loved all of it, from temples and elephants to swimming with sharks. The 2 different tour leaders on the 2 parts of the tour were both excellent as were their support staff. They went out of their way to give us a fantastic experience.

Both parts of this trip wee amazing but the tour leader, Nala, for the Sri Lankan part was amazing. We were seeing and doing so much of Sri Lanka but his efficiency and effectiveness at keeping us all informed and inspired throughout was seamless. He was knowledgeable, fun, and thoughtful with all of our group. He was careful to make sure everyone was happy and felt part of the group, and was aware of everyone's particular interests. Nala made sure that we all knew what to expect in the day's itinerary but also added in extra activities if there was time, or the opportunity arose for example, a large banana market where the cooperative owners were happy to hear our questions and have phottaken. We would thoroughly recommend Nala as a tour guide- everything he did was designed to keep us all happy and he was exceptional in this.

This trip was a perfect Christmas treat - lots to see and do in Sri Lanka followed by a chilled float around the Maldives. Thank you

A thoroughly enjoyable holiday with two very different experiences. No hesitation in recommending this trip.