How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Excellent,he was very professional in the way he dealt with a couple who were persistantly late and attention seeking. He treated the local people fairly and with respect. He made the whole trip enjoyable and memorable.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Be prepared for a busy but amazing 17 days. An excellent way to get a taste for India & Nepal.

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Pradeep was a gentleman, took a while to get used to the group and in the beginning treated us all as school children on a day trip - unable to be out of his sight and called by clicking fingers.. also having to listen to his information rather than reading and viewing ourselves which many preferred to do.  But he did relax by end of the second week and we felt less restricted.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Everywhere you go and every service you use there is the reminder ‘tip tip ‘, although a recognised part of life the constant tipping becomes overbearing. Restaurant and bar prices need to be carefully viewed with the 10% service, the 13.5% government tax added to each bill thereby adding almost 25% to every price.
Smells from the unpleasant though every sensory range – sewage on the roadside, the waste floating in the sacred Ganges as the locals washed their clothing and themselves and some local washroom facilities to the wafts of incense and the fabulous spices and aromas of each different curry being cooked.
Seeing the burning funeral ghats at night at Varanasi and again at Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal during the day gave mixed emotions."

Do you have anything else to add?

"Some of the tastiest food was served from the small kitchen boat as we ‘sailed’ down the Ganges, how the chef made meals delicately spiced and unique with rice and roti or nan from a two ring burner.  The scariest auto rickshaw ride I have ever taken from the Amber Fort through rush hour – was more hair raising than any rollercoaster, I must have lost at least 3 lives [a companion even asked if there was a Hindu God of Transport], didn’t think the Indian continent had road rage until our driver was ‘cut up by a local bus and chased him until he finally got back in front....  On a more positive note the skill of our minibus drivers was second to none, from the drive from Varanasi  to the Nepalese border and from Chitwan through the mountain roads to Kathmandu."

Immediately on arrival we were immersed in the sights, sounds ,smells  and colours of India together with the contrasts and contradictions. Not only this, practically all forms of transport known to man were commandeered along the way, air, coach, overnight sleeper train, hairy coach over high pass into Nepal, 2 days rowing boat on the Ganges, canoeing, bullock cart and elephant safari. There were the iconic sights, religious experiences, laughter, amazing characters, cricket fanaticism and more photo opportunities than any of us could cope with - being first through the gates of the Taj Mahal as it opened at dawn, the peace of the Ganges, only marred by a reenactment of the Boat Race Indian style....the mayhem of Veranase, the photogenic Nepalese, my husband being given a shave by a roadside barber as our coach had its tyre changed, and becoming an overnight local celebrity. We were entranced by it all - as someone once said - we'll be back...(DKT - 9th March 2011)

After hearing all the comments about India - the poverty, the dirtiness, - I knew that my visit would be an experience I would never forget.  I didn't know that it would be a FANTASTIC experience though!  I fell in love with India. The vibrant colours, the sights, the smells - both good and bad, - the friendly people, the excellent food, and the wide array of forms of transport have found a special place in my heart.  I can't wait to go back there. The Delhi to Kathmandu tour was nicely paced, and although in every place we visited we said we could have stayed a little longer, there was nowhere we would have given up to make the time. Memorable moments:- dickering with tuc-tuc drivers as we tried to make our own way across Delhi, befriending one of the train station dogs as we waited for our overdue train at 2 in the morning, chasing through the secret passages of Amber Fort, the Taj - of course, floating silently down the Ganges on our six-man sailboats, then tying up with the other boats to be served a fantastic hot lunch from our "kitchen" boat, navigating the crowded streets of Varanasi, telling stories around the fire in our jungle lodge at Chitwan, and exploring the maze of stupas and temples in Durbar Square, Kathmandu. A truly unforgettable experience!  Thank you, Explore! (DK - 20th October 2010)

I loved the mosques and Taj Mahal in India; the sail on the Ganges and elephant safari in Nepal.  I thoroughly enjoyed the various modes of transportation, especially the Tuk Tuks!  I had a wonderful time but was disappointed to see all the litter in India (not a reflection of the tour). (DK -26th November 2009)

Loved the variety of things we saw and did, especially the elephant safari and sailing on the Ganges, as well as visiting the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and so many other historic sights! This was a wonderful and exciting trip, and I'm already planning another trip with Explore, this one to Egypt and Jordan. I also traveled with Explore to Turkey a few years ago. (DK- 11th october 2009)