India Local boat rides Trips

Shelley (Solo traveller) December 2025 I have wanted to go to India for years and am so glad that I finally did it with Explore, it enabled me to see and do so much in a short time. India is such an incredible country, rich in culture, religion, scenery etc, I was fascinated by all the places we visited and had an absolutely amazing time. The group were really nice, friendly and fun. The trip was quite busy with early starts but very exciting. It was great travelling on the Explore bus as you could watch everyday life and scenery out the window, the journeys didn't seem that long and we stopped for coffee/toilet/lunch etc. We were taken to great places to eat and the food was amazing. (none of the group were ever sick/diarrhoea etc) Indu (Inder) our guide was amazing, such a friendly, helpful, caring, informative guide with a great sense of humour! He often went out of his way to help us and make sure we were happy. I felt really looked after! : ) The bus driver and assistant, Ali and Rakesh were also great. Thank you for the best trip ever, I'll definitely be going on the Explore South India trip in the future and have already booked another Explore trip. Take a winter coat/hat/gloves for the cold early morning starts (no heating on bus). Jumpers are also good for early mornings/evenings. I took pounds with me and the guide arranged someone to come to hotel and exchange which was handy, otherwise he would show/tell us where the ATM's were. One thing that I thought would improve the trip- if the guide wore a brightly coloured top/jacket or hat so that they could be seen easily. It was often difficult to see the guide amongst the crowds, especially when we were moving around quite quickly.

We had an amazing trip to Northen India, with the best guide, Kartike. There were so many highlights from out trip. Visiting the Taj Mahal at sunrise was magical, seeing such an iconic building in real life was a really special moment. The forts and palaces we visited were huge, something you don’t realise until you are in these special places. In Ranthambore National Park we were lucky enough to see a tiger, leopard and sloth bear on our safari and when we were in Chambal Sanctury we saw pink river dolphins , memories of these moments will stay with us forever. Pushcar city had a great market to explore and the lake was beautiful, we felt like we had stepped into traditional Indian life. Varanasi was like stepping back in time and experience we will never forget.

This was an absolutely incredible trip and two weeks away felt like a month due to the immersive nature of the holiday and the fullness and variety of the itinerary and accommodation. India is an amazing country and to cycle through it with Explore is the best and most fun way to see it. The weather was perfect, as was the food-lovely to have so much choice as a vegetarian! Local people were very friendly and it felt safe. Our guide Sam worked hard to spot extra adventures for us, and one of the most special was stopping the coach to see an elephant being washed, dressed and paraded as part of a Hindu festival. This trip was graded as leisurely to moderate, but was definitely more on the leisurely side with some painfully slow cycling days and some very short cycles. So if you’re a seasoned cyclist, do manage your expectations. Nonetheless, we did still get a better pace and some good hills in on some days. This holiday wouldn’t be suitable for anyone who is nervous cycling around potholes or busy traffic and roads.

The trip was as described. Kerala is beautiful and varied. Good mix of settings and activity: treks (2), ambles, houseboat mini-cruise, cookery class, dance performance, bit of sightseeing and shopping time. It was a good group: they always are. The food was great. Tour leader was excellent, hardworking and fun and he project-managed a complex roster of guides, cooks, drivers and hosts. One or two glitches e.g. accommodation were quickly sorted.

A fabulous trip with some truly spectacular scenery on the hikes. The camping was superb, a real highlight, as were the hotels and itinerary. My only 2 critiques would be that the 3rd and 4th hikes were classed as moderate, but at altitude and in the heat, they were quite challenging - although totally worth it! Also, the houseboat was a little grubby and the delicious Keralan cuisine a little watered down in terms of spice to cater for a more international palette! Kerala is a dream and thank you to Tinu for keeping our large group in check and showing off his beautiful home state to us all. We had a fabulous trip, our love affair with India continues and we can’t wait for our next adventure with Explore!

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.