Upgraded - Discover Sri Lanka

We had a fantastic trip with Mimi as our tour leader. The quality of the hotels was great (particularly at Kandalama and Galle) and Mimi was a great guide providing the right amount of information needed and answering questions comprehensively. We loved the itinerary but would have welcomed an extra day in both Nuwara Eliya and Galle to give a bit more relaxation time and also a change to see more of these places. We loved all the extra stops now mentioned in the trip notes and felt well looked after throughout. Thank you so much for a great trip.

While our guide was helpful, sometimes she seemed a bit off and impatient with us. It got better as the trip went on, but maybe it was because the trip was coming to an end. Sometimes more information might have been helpful in terms of what to expect. For example, the jeep tour in Colombo, while that was fun, it went on for hours, and we didn't really know how long it was going on for and when it would end. We seemed to go around the city in circles and saw places we'd already seen. The glamping - it was also fun, but I don't think this can be classified as "premium" glamping, in line with the tour being advertised and costed as a premium tour. Obviously you do not expect hotel style accommodation, but the tent was pretty basic. Some of the hotels were very lovely and definately 5 star, others classified as 5 star were probably more like 4 star. But they were fine, this is not a complaint. Just an observation that they should be classified correctly.

Wow! I love being an explorer. When on tour, with Explore, I feel I'm part of the landscape, intermingled with the culture and mixing authenticly with the indigenous people. This whistle stop tour was made even better by a planned itinerary that wasn't rigerously imposed but gently revealed and a guide that new her country. We were specially taken to the wonders of Sri Lanka with a informed hand that kept in giving throughout the trip. I enjoyed the way the delights of Sri Lanka were revealed in the moment and the surprise you have when opening a present. What a gift!

We had a great time on the Sri Lanka Upgraded tour in Feb 2025. The itinerary was great but there were some long, full days with early starts even though it was rated as a moderate trip. We stayed in some really lovely hotels although sometimes we didn't really have much time to enjoy them as we arrived late (sometimes in the dark) and left early the next morning. It’s worth noting that the hotels are often located out of town so you are not in the centre of things This means that eating in the hotel is sometimes the only option which might not suit everyone and you are a Tuk Tuk ride away from any other restaurants or shops. The highlights for me were the elephant safari (an optional extra but very well worth it), walking on the Horton Plain, swimming in the infinity pool in Kandalama Dambulla overlooking the lake. We also went to the Hill Club in Dambulla as this had been recommended in the trip notes but for us it really wasn’t worth it - poor food, poor service, poor atmosphere and definitely not worth packing a posh outfit for. But overall, Sri Lanka is a wonderful place to visit - good food, friendly people and we really enjoyed our Explore trip.

Overall it was very enjoyable although more free time would have been better for us to enjoy the amenities of the accommodation. One place we never found the swimming pool due to lack of time. The two walks one after the other were a bit too much - a day in between would have been better. The safari was very disappointing (not within their control because of the weather) but should have been cancelled as you can see birds anytime. We would have been better put into a hotel as we could hardly see what we were eating because of the lack of light - walking to our tent was also an adventure! We were not very impressed with Sri Lankan Airlines as you did not or could not book our seats and as a party of 3 proved difficult to get them together. Previous holidays booked through an agent have always had seats booked even if we had to pay for them for advance booking. We have never heard of a "lottery" to bag an upgraded seat before! The jeep ride around Colombo was very enjoyable and the Spice garden was very informative and we would recommend both of them. The Guide (Mr Morell) was very obliging and arranged for my wife (and 2 others) to "opt out" of some part of the 2nd walk ensuring that they were transported to a nice place for coffee and then picked up to meet with the group again. Some of the hotels were exceptional and all the staff were very helpful. Overall we had a good time. Thankyou

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.