How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Our leader, Rafeeq, was excellent. His organisation was top class and he really looked after us well. Great social skills.

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

Take binoculars for the wildlife. Also, take a head torch. This is useful for some of the early rises and also for the palace at Kerauli.

Do you have anything else to add?

This trip is about as good as it gets; a succession of memorable highlights.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

He was exceptional.  I would definately put him in my top four (out of 23).  He worked 24/7 to ensure that the trip went smoothly.  He listened to our individual needs and always gave us the opportunities to achieve them

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

Just enjoy

Do you have anything else to add?

One of my top ever Explore trips

A great insight into India for first time travellers or just a week away. Each day we had a great experience, from the Jama Masid in Delhi, the Taj Mahal, to the unexpected surprise of the City Palace in Karauli which was stunning. Comfort varied at hotels from modern style to heritage style which were all unique in their own way, and what better way to relax after a day touring than a nice relaxing massage!   Our tour leader Rafeeq was excellent, very friendly and was always ready to answer any questions we had.  Would recommend not relying on your ATM card all time as they can be blocked by your bank, so remember to carry some emergency cash to change up incase you have any poblems - otherwise it can cause some unwanted panic to yourself.

We went as a family of 4 and had a just fantastic holiday. Our guilde Anil was discreet and knowledgable and was even able to answer questions that the resident expert at the Jaipur observatory was unable to answer. The hotels and food were good.     Advice: Check the internet prices before trying to log on. Check bedside lamp wiring before you turn out or you might get a shock! Avoid salads and ice cubes but still take plenty of imodium.    Don't let my advisory notes put you off. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and very well organised and executed. I have no hesitation in recommending Explore and will certainly use them again.    Some of our photos: http://photos.orange.co.uk/album/755455183 (MG - 16th April 2011)  

An excellent trip for somebody new to India, or on limited time.  The Taj Mahal was magnificent (as expected) but, for me, the highlights were Bharatpur (the National Park) and Karauli.  Puja, our Tour Leader, was excellent.  The noise, vibrancy and intensity of India is to be experienced to be believed.  Don't go expecting a relaxing holiday but do go expecting to enjoy yourself! (MG - 12th March 2011)

We had an amazing time, it was our honeymoon, there were so many highlights, Jami Masjid in Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri's picturesque beauty, Karauli was historical and the camel ride thoughly enjoyable, Jaipur was amazing and the surprise highlight of our trip, Agra was beautiful and the Taj Mahal and the Mini Taj were magical views. We were fascinated by the Moghul history and visited so many attractions including Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur and we took 300+ pictures and loads of videos over the trip as there was plenty so see throughout. We visited a cinema in Jaipur to watch a Bollywood movie which wasn't part of the intinery but was fantastic for Explore to let us do. All the hotels we stayed in we're terrific especially Delhi, Agra, Jaipur the food was delicious with good choice. Although the limited choice for dinner and breakfast at Karauli was average but the hotel was very adequate athough not up to the same standards as the bigger cities we stayed in. Our advice for people wanting to travel to India would be expect to discover alot of history and wonderful food and alot of humid heat so only take light clothes. The negative aspects of the trip were the bus trip to Karauli which was uncomfortable and some of the expensive shopping malls our tour leader took us to. We would highly recommend this trip, we will hopefully like to do this trip again sometime in later life with Explore with the Rajastan tour as well. (MG - 15th August 2010)

Highlight was seeing Old Delhi and the Taj Mahal.  Low lights were the train journey and being sick on return (probably food on plane). (MG - 31st November 2010)

I enjoyed the holiday very much but being my first time in India it was essentially an education in how this part of India functions.  So the noise, smells, chaotic traffic, shanty shops, most things broken and unfinished, being overwhelmed by hawkers at times were a culture shock.  Our tour guide, Anil, was really good and did his best to give us an overall experience eg using the bus and the metro in Delhi, as well as being a wealth of knowledge and determined that we saw the mughal highlights in the tour title.  We saw wonderful heritage sites, of which the Taj Mahal was one.  We rode camel carts to a palace and coming back in the dark was so good because it was Divali and there were candles and fireworks and excited people everywhere.  The hotels we stayed in were very nice and I especially liked the one in Jaipur.  A tip for first time travellers to India is to not buy anything until you are about to get back onto the bus when some real bargains are to be had, but not to forget that sometimes we are haggling about a few pence which means nothing to us but may mean a lot to the local sellers.  All in all another really good Explore holiday and I will certainly be doing another one next year. (MG - 31st October 2010)

The bus pulled up at the side of the road and we entered a small courtyard. On each side were small dwellings built of mud and straw. A bison lazily chewed the grass, chickens pecked around, cats stretched out in the sun and children played at our feet. The family greeted us shyly, but, without language, they managed to convey their warmth, acceptance and interest. Our guide pointed out the stone where the women ground spices and the subterranean oven. The women were keen for us to take their photos and even to test out our cameras themselves. One woman pulled back the folds of her sari to reveal a small baby, born, maybe a few days earlier in one of these dwellings. Back on the bus, the group fell silent, touched by this human contact with the real India. Each of us was reflecting, perhaps, on the generous spirit of these people, and the world of difference between their lives and ours, with our gadgets, our health care and our so-called 'financial crisis'.(MG -30th January 2010)

It was a wonderful tour for seeing the North India highlights. The accommodation was very nice, from a lovely hotel in Delhi to an beautiful old mansions in Karauli. We really tried a lot of different transports on the way; the "camel truck" was the highlight of these. After the tour I went on my own for 5 days to Varanasi - that was a fantastic experience also. My best recommendations for the MG tour. (MG- 9th February 2010)