How was your Explore Tour Leader?

The tour leader deserves particular praise for his boundless enthusiasm, indefatigability, expert local knowledge, and going out of his way to help.

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

If you have not visited Singapore before, it is worth extending at the end as there is really no time alloted to the city state if you are on the group flights.

Do you have anything else to add?

The tour is not without its problems. Although this has apparently been pointed out to Explore many times, both by its local operator, and previous clients, the time in the capital is woefully short. It is in effect an afternoon and evening, which results in everything being rushed, leaving next to no time for self-exploration. Why Explore do not change the timings is uncertain, especially when there is flexibility in other parts of the trip, notably the Cameron Highlands which are a huge disappointment (over-commercialisation spoiling the very reason for visiting in the first place), and Tioman Islands which should be offered only as an optional extension given that beach holidays are not really what Explore is about.

This is a great tour for seeing a lot of mainland Malaysia and all its different sides – cities, towns, the highlands, rainforest and a tropical island. For me the main highlight was the couple of days we spent in the rainforest in Taman Negara National Park. Simply getting there was a experience in itself as we took a longboat down the river to get into the heart of the rainforest. From the canopy walk to treks in the rainforest in both day and night, it was a brilliant experience. The time in Singapore was also a great way to end the tour and another highlight was Malacca which is a beautiful Portugese influenced town. In all, Malaysia is a country of varying scenery, lovely people and memorable experiences, would definitely recommend this tour for those wanting to really see the country.(EM - 14th August 2011)

Great, comprehensive tour of the peninsula. 6 days in the country (Highlands, Nat.Park, Tioman) so got some hiking in. Tioman was like paradise with some decent snorkeling.  Enjoyed KL, Melaka, wish we had more time there, as they were both interesting with great restaurants. (Would have prefered more time there, less in Cameron Highlands).  Everywhere is very humid, but I wore pants most of the time and did fine. Our guide was very knowledgeable. I would suggest spending a few extra days in Singapore after the tour. I would say the food was good, but not amazing (I am a very adventurous eater), but most others were more than happy with the basics. Singapore had amazing food. The hotels were all pretty good. (expect the one in KL). Did not do much shopping on this trip, there really was not much to buy. (EM - 23rd August 2010)