India Guided Tours

We had a great leader, tacking us to restaurants to eat with the locals. He was good at explaining things to us and went out of his way to help us. When the cyclone hit and our flights were cancelled he helped us with alternate flights and accommodation we would have struggled on our own. My only suggestion for the tour that could be different would be exploring the backwaters canals in small boats.

This was my first time to India and I decided I wanted to start in the south because I heard it was a bit more beginner friendly and I was traveling with my daughter in her late teens for our first time just the two of us. I was blown away by the warm hospitality, the scenery, the food and how well organized this trip was. The itinerary is varied and really includes a bit of everything you need to see in Kerala and Tamil Nadu: verdant tea plantations, historical architecture and incredible access to temples, welcoming and warm connection with local people and guides, spice gardens, wildlife preserves, drifting down the backwaters in a houseboat with your own cook and captain, I still can't believe we did and saw so much. We ate a huge meal one night with a local family and then toured a village and learned about traditional crafts with another family, we got beach and pool time and watched thunderstorms out over the Arabian Sea as we enjoyed dinner as a group. Just truly an unforgettable experience every step of the way.

We loved this trip. Yes, some of the hotels were pretty average, yes a few didn't have hot water, and yes some had extremely inefficient staff, but that's not what you are going for. We got to visit the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati which should be on the itinerary. Each place we visited throughout the trip was very much worth the time and effort to get there. Even on the long drive days the stops didn't feel like just fillers that you might get somewhere else. Kaziranga National Park was a lovely day and we saw a lot of elephant and dozens of rhino. So much more than we thought we might, and at a lot closer quarter too. The trek down to the root bridges at Cherrapunjee was another highlight. It is a big effort as described in the notes and in other reviews, but worth every step. They are remarkable. We walk a lot, but never previously used walking poles, however, we did on this day and I'd highly using them. The hotel there is lovely with great views over the Sylhet plains into Bangladesh. Hornbill Festival was incredible and a massive highlight. Our guide, Pema, got us to the festival nice and early and we were able to experience all the tribal groups entering the arena to take their places, all singing, chanting, drumming. Absolutely wonderful and an experience we will remember for a long time. And a second day to fully absorb it. Amazing, loved it! The Majuli Island stay was another totally different environment. The ferry to and from is a great experience. The temple visits were beautiful and a contrast to the full on craziness of Hornbill Festival. It was also really lovely to be able to walk through small villages and meet local people. The day at Longwa village was another extraordinary time. Meeting the ex headhunters, a wander through the hilltop border village, a great lunch in a longhouse. So different from anywhere else we've been. And the last night in a lovely old colonial tea bungalow and time meeting the ladies picking leaves on the plantation was a lovely treat. Things don't work in this part of the world as you may be accustomed to, but just go with it and this trip will reward you with some extraordinary experiences.

This was an amazing tour, that was well organised and varied. The tour leader Indu (Inder) was excellent , very knowledgeable and helpful , as were the team on the bus Ali and Rakesh. We have come home with lots of wonderful Memories and will definitely be back to explore more of India.

Another great holiday with Explore. Inder was a brilliant leader, very knowledgeable and always helpful. The itinerary was well balanced between history, nature and religion with some great local experience.

Had a fabulous trip - thanks to Explore for the full and varied itinerary and to Inder for being our superb tour leader. He guided us with great skill and went above and beyond to help make the holiday so special. He had great patience and was constantly checking that no-one was left behind after each opportunity to take photos of the amazing architecture. He took us to many good (and inexpensive) restaurants and although we packed in many different experiences we never felt rushed. We were also lucky to have an excellent driver Ali, and Rakesh helped look after us on the minibus. As a result of this trip, I hope to experience many more Explore holidays.