I just arrived home from a wonderful trip to Sri Lanka. The Tour Guide, Richard, was excellent! All the hotels were 4 or 5 stars centrally located and all the employees with an effective and efficient customer service oriented! The Marriott Weligama Hotel was 5 stars with all the rooms facing the ocean!! The meals included were excellent with a variety of food! It was an adventure trip with climbing, safaris, train trip, etc.! Thanks Gate 1 Discovery Tours for this unforgettable trip!!!

It was wonderful. Sanjay was a fabulous guide, sights were varied and interesting, had enough free time. We highly recommend this trip

Our experience with Gate 1 travels was absolutely amazing. We booked the 9-day golden triangle tour which brought us to New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra in India. All of the services including the hotels, staff, driver, helper, bus, etc were all excellent! The organization and cleanliness were top tier. Our tour guide, Parikshit was absolutely fantastic. He was kind, friendly, caring, calm, funny, and deeply knowledgeable of all the monuments, sights, culture, history, and everything. He provided us with abundant information about the each and every place we visited and had such a warm and welcoming personality that made this trip very enjoyable and engaging. He was kind to every single person on this tour and always made sure to include everyone all the time and made everyone feel welcomed and valued in the group. His jokes and bright smile always lightened the mood and started the day off with a good atmosphere. He always went out of his way to help everyone in need and answer all of our questions. He made every second of the tour enjoyable and no one ever got bored even on long bus rides. He made this trip very memorable and unforgettable. It was very hard to say goodbye. We are deeply grateful to have had such a great tour guide on this trip and it made a really big difference. We will definitely be looking forward to booking more trips with Gate 1 after this excellent experience!

Our experience with Gate 1 travels was absolutely amazing. We booked the 9-day golden triangle tour which brought us to New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra in India. All of the services including the hotels, staff, driver, helper, bus, etc were all excellent! The organization and cleanliness were top tier. Our tour guide, Parikshit, was absolutely fantastic. He was kind, friendly, caring, calm, funny, and deeply knowledgeable of all the monuments, sights, culture, history, and everything. He provided us with abundant information about the each and every place we visited and had such a warm and welcoming personality that made this trip very enjoyable and engaging. He was kind to every single person on this tour and always made sure to include everyone all the time and made everyone feel welcomed and valued in the group. His jokes and bright smile always lightened the mood and started the day off with a good atmosphere. He always went out of his way to help everyone in need and answer all of our questions. He made every second of the tour enjoyable and no one ever got bored even on long bus rides. He made this trip very memorable and unforgettable. It was very hard to say goodbye. We are deeply grateful to have had such a great tour guide on this trip and it made a really big difference. We will definitely be looking forward to booking more trips with Gate 1 after this excellent experience!

My trip was GREAT. Our guide was fantastic, very personable, helpful, and insightful into culture, etc.

We love Gate 1 and have taken over 20 trips, and we are amazed at the quality of guides you have. Bhanu was exceptional, as all the others. His knowledge, professionalism and friendliness was exceptional. The guides make all our experiences wonderful.

Bhanu was an outstanding tour guide and one of the best we have had while on Gate 1 travels. Bhanu spoke very clearly, had interesting cultural stories to share, was knowledgeable about the region's visited and overall excellent at managing the tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

This trip was beyond our expectations. We visited many wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Temples, and mosques. The hotels we stayed in were nice and clean, the food was delicious. Both the hotels and Gate 1 provided us with sufficient bottled water. The Tour Manager Bhanu is knowledgeable and capable, and people from different states of the US are nice and friendly.

Small Group Discovery Tours in Sri Lanka. The trip was wonderful, and I invite everyone to put this tour on your bucket list. Mr. Hesh, our tour manager, was outstanding in managing the tour with his wealth of knowledge about his country. He did an outstanding job of explaining what we could expect on tour that day. Our driver was outstanding in driving the bus he was assigned and always took great caution while driving. Our assistant did an outstanding job each morning, he would give us flowers, which made our day especially as we started our morning tour. They work very well together they make such a great team. The hotels were all outstanding, very clean and the workers were always so helpful to assist us and were always very friendly. The food was outstanding at each hotel and the tours places that we visited was outstanding, especially going to the Yala National Park and saw wonderful animals. The country was very safe, and we didn't have any problem while walking in the city and during our free time during the tours.

On my March walking tour of Nepal, I felt I got impressive value. The airline tickets, accommodations, meals, and site entrance fees seemed like they should add up to much more than I paid. I was especially impressed with our guide Deepak, whose care, friendliness, and knowledge really made the trip great. We were in good hands with the local arrangements team, too, and Raj was a particular favorite. As long as you exercise regularly and train before with Stairmaster or similar incline simulation, you'll be fine for the hikes. Nepal is a stunningly beautiful country, not to be missed.

Kapok was an exceptional tour guide. On a scale of 1-10 he's a 20! Knowledgeable, friendly, good sense of humor, treated everyone of as a special guest of his country. The Gate 1 info didn't prepare me for the magic of India, or what a special trip this was going to be. It seemed KP had a surprise for us every time we turned around.

I have already submitted my survey, but wanted to add a few words about our amazing Tour Guide, Viney. From the day before the tour officially started, Viney was there for us, going above and beyond in so many ways. Viney always made sure we had the necessary info for the day ahead, so we knew what to wear what to being along with us. He made sure, that even on days when lunch or dinner was not included, that we had viable options for food, and one time he even ordered sandwiches for us and they were delivered to location we were we at! After every excursion, or meal, Viney always checked in with everyone to see if they enjoyed the food, if it was too spicy, or if anyone had any issues with anything. After we checked into our hotel rooms, Viney also checked in with everyone to ensure there were no issues with the rooms. Anytime things may not have gone exactly according to plan, such as heavier than normal traffic, or pre-election protests, Viney rolled with it and did everything within his power to get us back on our path. Even though this my 8th Gate 1 trip, Viney managed to surprise us on a daily basis - and it was so much fun!! Viney's relationship with our first set of bus driver/assistant teams was nothing short of magical. They were like a finely tuned machine. They all took such good care of us. Viney would always double check places we were just at, gathering any forgotten items and ensuring we got them back - not least of which was my glasses!! I left them on a table, and would have been very sad if I had lost them!! Once on the bus, Viney would roll out a list of items to ensure no one left anything in the hotel. I work in consumer affairs, and I appreciate what a tough job it is to be a tour guide for Gate 1, and how high the standard is. They are available to us 24/7 and have to deal with all sorts of entitled personalities, quite a bit of surprising ignorance, and answer all sorts of bizarre questions - all while keeping harmony within the group. Could not have asked for a kinder, better tour guide. than Viney!!!! Thank you for listening!

I certainly enjoyed this 12-day tour of India and Nepal led by Manager Alok and Local Guide Sanjay in Nepal! Both used their impressive knowledge of their countries' histories and sites visited to convey important facts in a well-organized manner, and they ensured that all questions were answered. Most importantly, they kept us safe, healthy and on schedule while making it a fun experience. Their drivers and assistants made valuable contributions to the success of our timely travel. Finally, the hotel rooms, food and staffs were first class, comfortable and in great locations. I am pleased that I took this tour and will recommend it to others.

It was great! Just like all of my previous Gate 1 trips. Mansi, our Tour Manager was outstanding and kept us interested learning the history and culture of the country. From the time we stepped off the plane Gate 1 was there to take care of us. The bus driver Sumeer was amazing; driving in India is not for the faint hearted. Ratik, the assistant kept us hydrated and was very attentive to all the travelers. Of course, highlights consisted of visiting historical World UNESCO Heritage sites, but what I remember most about India, is visiting the Sheik kitchen, feeding thousands of people daily and visiting a startup school where cheery students welcomed us as we visited classrooms. I will continue traveling with Gate 1 in the future.

My trip to India / golden triangle was amazing. I've been traveling with gate 1 for a while now and always the experience has been priceless!!! Jimmy, our tour manager is been an wonderful person to travel with. He is the epidemic of laughter, knowledge, authentic, thoughtful, intelligent and caring. By the second day in our trip we felt already a family! Accommodations were great, the tour team: bus driver and his assistant all were great.

Srini is the best guide ever and that is said after every gate 1 guide was very excellent. Srini still stands out as he used no local guides and is qualified to do all he did. He is a proficient manager of people and brought the group into balance by the second day. Srini went out of his way to find weddings and elephants plus all manner of interesting goings on. The group itself was also excellent as all were seasoned travelers, on time and stayed healthy for the duration. The contrast between northern and southern India is fascinating. Thank you, Gate 1, for our sixth memorable trip with you!

This was our first trip with Gate 1. My husband and I had a wonderful time in India. The tour guide Mr. Sheilandra was very knowledgeable and kept us interested learning the history and culture of the country. The bus driver Sumeer was amazing; driving in India is not for wimps. Sunil, the assistant kept us hydrated and was very attentive to all the travelers. The places chosen for lunches were very clean and the food was delicious. The staff made our trip safe, comfortable and memorable. We enjoyed our trip, highly recommend Gate 1, and we are looking forward to many more travels with Gate 1.

We're back home safely from our trip to India and Nepal. It was a wonderful trip...one of our very best. Manu, our Tour Manager was outstanding! He was so calm and knowledgeable and he expertly managed our group allowing all of us to have a fun and unforgettable experience. Unfortunately we were not able to complete the Mt Everest Experience. We got to the airport, boarded our flight and then as we waited on the flight line, got the word from the captain that Everest was socked in...no flights today. We were disappointed but the mountain always has the final say. Manu was waiting for us when we got back to the hotel and led us through a great tour of Kathmandu...it was a wonderful day despite the disappointment. It's Tour Managers like Manu and your expertly designed itineraries that keep us coming back to Gate 1. You are the best and we tell our friends this all the time. Keep up the good work. We have two more Gate 1 trips already booked and will be booking a third one this week! All the best to Gate1. Keep us traveling.

It was a very moving and spiritual experience for our 37th gate 1 tour. This is the first discovery tour we have done and we are pleased with the size of the group. In 2 weeks time, we got to know everyone and felt like a new extended family. We enjoyed all the temples and sites we visited and our tour manager, Jay, was excellent. Overall another truly memorable gate 1 trip. Many thanks for this opportunity to travel the world for less.

16 Day Southern India, A Spiritual Culture was a wonderful tour. It was action packed, with many temples to see & the Indian culture to explore. Gate 1 provided us with truly spectacular hotels in the most interesting environments. Our guide, Srini, was the most accommodating of guides. He was helpful, informative, gracious and a true problem solver for our minor traveling concerns. This was a great trip. Thanks, Gate 1.

I wanted to give a very heartfelt thank you to Gate 1 for once again giving us an exceptional tour guide for our recent India with Rathambore 15 day tour. Parvikshit was so gifted in handling the management, group dynamics, and tourist/intellectual needs of a very diverse group of people aged 30s to 80s. His obvious skills in knowing the various individual needs of each person was not only recognized by the group early on, but copied by the group members to create a bonded group of positive and helpful members for the whole trip. He went out of his way to do all kinds of special things: getting the photographers what they needed, checking on the safety of the elders, making sure the open evenings had plenty of excursions to choose from. His mini-lectures on history, culture, religions, and politics were deep enough to scratch the surface and make us want more....without putting us to sleep. I especially appreciated his book recommendations. Thank you for a wonderful tour.

India was my BEST TRIP EVER! It truly was Incredible India! Many thanks to our very exceptional guide, Kapil, for making our trip so special for everyone. He guided us safely through the country, educating us and ensuring we didn't miss any experiences. His vast knowledge enabled him to weave the cultural and historical tidbits together in a lovely story that built day by day. Kapil easily navigated any challenge whether it was luggage lost for days, weather, missed connections etc. Our group was very harmonious because of his leadership, people skills and keen sense of humor. Nothing flustered him and he was always thinking ahead to navigate any issues. Our trip-mates also agreed Kapil was a masterful guide. Thank you for making this such a wonderful trip that some of us want to come to India again next year! ?? Keep up the great work!!

It was great! Just like all of my previous Gate 1 trips. Excellent tour guide. Fabulous hotels and I learned so much about the culture of southern India. I loved the food and all the information that I was given. There was lots of variety to this tour. Can't wait to plan my next destination.

This was my first Gate1 trip. I absolutely loved it. Your staff in India deserve raises. Everyone that works for Gate1 in India worked ABOVE AND BEYOND with superb service. Everybody was friendly, helpful, smart, punctual. I was extremely impressed. I was especially impressed with our tour guide, Seema, and our driver and driver assist. The traffic in India is a NIGHTMARE, so a bus driver that can maneuver 6 days of driving in this chaos deserves TOP PAY. You need to keep this driver, so you need to compensate him above average because his skills are ABOVE AVERAGE! Seema was a delight. She knows so much about Indian history, Indian culture, and also how to be a diplomat and fabulous host. I would travel anywhere with her. I have been telling all my friends and family to try Gate1 for future travel adventures. This trip really sold me on your company. The customer care at the airports, the great hotel accommodations, the food, the timeliness (I appreciate the wake up calls), the Whispers (so smart!), and all the lovely details of our trip. Thank you!!

My trip was fantastic. Nepal is such a beautiful country and this trip was perfect. The busy city of Kathmandu with its beautiful stupas and temples, the Rhinos at Chitwan National Park, the charming town of Bandipur, the lake at Pokhara, and the view from Nargakot all added together to make this trip very special. The people of Nepal were the friendliest and truly made us feel very welcome. To top everything off, you also have an amazing view of the Hymalayas. The icing on the cake was our tour manager, Anup. He was the best. His knowledge and love of Nepal along with his helpfulness and concern for all made this trip special. I encourage anyone with a sense of adventure to visit Nepal. You will not be disappointed.

I am very thankful that I joined this trip. Sri Lanka is super beautiful especially so the people are extremely nice, friendly, honest and grateful, respectful. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka, especially the beautiful natural sceneries.....the green, verdant hills and mountains, clean fresh air, the moist air that the nearby Indian ocean gives, the safari that we went to OMG. On top of that, our tour guide, director SHYAM did an excellent job, the driver Mr. Asholea and the assistant tour guide Mr. Ara did their job as well.

I have been on 16 Gate! trips and clocked in many hours of travel over the past few years. The 10 day Himalayan walking tour was the best travel experience I have every had. The exotic location, hiking through the mountains of Nepal, the food and the chemistry with our guide Deepak and the members of our group Deepak was our group tour guide, but also lead the group on some amazing hikes that very people will every have the opportunity to see. His professionalism, knowledge of the mountains, but most of all outgoing personality made this a trip I will never forget. I have had many excellent guides on my Gate1 trips, but Deepak is the best one, far above all others. Gate1 is very fortunate to have him.

Thank you so much for such an excellent service. The hotels were top notch, the transportation service was all superb, the optional excursion were well chosen and the meals were fantastic. Seema was very kind, knowledgeable and attentive to all the group. Our assistant on the bus and the driver were also so attentive to watch over all our needs. I felt very safe and even pampered on the whole trip. There were so many extra surprises that made our trip with Gate1 so enjoyable. The snacks the guide team got for us to taste some of the local treats, the sampling of the Indian rum, the water chestnuts were just a few that come to mind. We loved the fun spontaneity too of the turbans for the men and scarfs for the women, when we had the special evening to see the Bollywood dancing. That night was more than we all expected with the drinks, short eats, the different artists from the traditional dancing to Bollywood dancing and the Henna artist. Gate1 certainly lives up to the motto: more for less. This is my second Gate1 trip and we're already booked for the next one in March. Truly this is a wonderful experience and I have been spreading the word among my friends about Gate1. Keep up the great work! Thank you!!!!

There truly aren't enough words to describe how incredible our trip was. Sameer was simply an EXCEPTIONAL tour guide, friend, and teacher. He really made the experience so, so memorable for everyone. My husband and I have been fortunate enough to travel to 23 countries together and this was by far the best trip we've ever had. It honestly exceeded our wildest expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed our guide Anil in Nepal as well. All the drivers and drivers assistants were also super professional and friendly. Sameer and Anil are so talented, well-read, funny, organized, patient, and always went above and beyond every single day. They're very in tune to the little things that the group may need or want without anyone in the group ever needing to tell them. Throughout the trip, Sameer recognized opportunities to give us extra experiences and help us notice additional things we would have otherwise missed- his enthusiasm for his country was contagious, and made the rest of us excited about India as well. We absolutely loved everything about the trip: the hotels, the food, the pace, the optional excursions, etc. I hope Sameer and Anil are recognized for their hard work. We are SO grateful to have had them as our guides- we feel very lucky. We're looking forward to booking another Gate 1 trip soon! THANK YOU!!

Have had many tour Directors visiting over 25 countries with my wife, and I can unequivocally state, none have been any better than Sam. His knowledge, storytelling, sense of humor, and ability for complete strangers become so close friends, is not a trait I have witnessed with any other tour Directors Sometimes, it is not the big events that wow us, but the little things, creating everlasting memories. Sam presented us with so many little things, from the time we set foot in the New Delhi hotel, immersing ourselves in Indian/Nepali culture, buying us turbans and scarves, samosas . crossing the insane roads to the bazaar having us taste cultural foods, entertainment and even dancing with Bollywood dancers. So many little surprises, feel so blessed Driving through India's Golden Triangle was truly unlike any experience, I have witnessed in my many years of travels. Drivers routinely turned 3 lanes into 5. Motorcycles filled the landscape not only with their bikes, but their horns. Fortunately, Sam talked incessantly, filling the bus with laughter, storytelling, and knowledge, distracting us from our surrounding aggressive Indian drivers Sam started as a director/teacher and ended up a close friend. In the 10 days we shared with Sam, returned home knowing a lot about the 2023 ICC World Cricket games, as I was not familiar with the sport of Cricket. Felt honored to participate in Sam's 401 visit to Taj Mahal. Of course, highlights consisted of visiting historical World UNESCO Heritage sites, but what I remember most about India, is visiting the Sheik kitchen, feeding thousands of people daily and visiting a startup school where cheery students welcomed us as we visited classrooms. Students were honored to have our presence, as they sat on the floor for their daily learning, as desks were nonexistent. The children politely shared M&Ms candies and Macadamia nuts, so inspirational watching the smiles of these kids meeting foreigners from another land Thanks Sam, for bringing so many strangers together, and opening our eyes to a cultural bliss. As we get older material items come and go, but no one can take away these beautiful memories

Sam the tour manager on this Golden Triangle was outstanding ! The Best tour director I ever had and I have traveled extensively throughout the world the past twenty years. Sameers knowledge of his countries historical importance and his passion for teaching permeates the group in every aspect of the journey. India and Nepal were amazing and having Sam as iur tour director priceless!!! See the world for less should be See the world with SAM!!

Sri Lanka changed my life for the better! Richard, our tour manager, is the best tour manager I have ever had the pleasure of touring with. He is remarkably intelligent, hilarious, thoughtful, organized, proactive, patient, creative, understanding, authentic, adventurous, considerate, and made the trip so enriching. All of the accommodations were beautiful, the friendly bus driver and assistant put safety first and were always quick to lend a helping hand. The bus driver drove us through Sri Lanka will incredible skill among all the traffic and windy turns and heights we encountered. Everyone I encountered was friendly and gentle. I miss Sri Lanka so much already and need to return!

To say that Deepak was superb is an understatement. As I understand it, Deepak was involved in creating the route, and his knowledge of the trek was evident. He was knowledgeable regarding all aspects of the trip. He is a personable human being, and he was able to impart a treasure trove of information about everything Nepal. I was also happy that you sent pre-trip materials that prepared us for the trek. I am 80 and workout five days a week. However, I live in a flat area and some of the suggestions made in the workout regimen were extremely helpful. I think all of us were able to enjoy the treks instead of worrying about whether or not we would complete the walks. You cannot stress that enough in your pre-trip suggestions. Additionally, Deepak was always considerate about our safety. He and his main support person, Krishna, were very helpful when we encountered tricky situations, such as slippery, steep steps. Hey, you can't get around the environment sometimes, eh? You just have to be diligent. One final note re: Deepak. He is well known throughout Nepal as an explorer and adventurer, but he is very modest about it. One of the highlights of the trip was had at the final dinner, i.e., the last supper that we always have on all tours. Deepak invited Pertemba Sherpa, one of the five individuals who first successfully ascended the most difficult southwest face of Everest in 1975. What an honor. As you can tell, I was thrilled with the trip. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. However, I have a bit more of the world to explore.

My trip was FANTASTIC!!!! Kudos to Sandeep, the best tour manager ever!And Reyman was such a great assistant. Our bus driver was awesome, too! What an unforgettable experience for me....going to my dream destination with the most capable tour group. Thanks for a thrilling ride...can't wait to go back!

We had a wonderful trip to Nepal. Out tour guide, Deepak and assistant/trainee Randwa were 10s. All the hotels and food were great. I believe we were the first group on the Nepal walking tour. We survived and had a memorable experience. Thank you for arranging it.

This was our ninth GATE1 trip, and one of the very best!!! Sri Lanka has such an array of history, culture, scenery, cuisine, and shopping to offer, and GATE1 offered it all to us in spades!!! Our group of nineteen were so lucky to have the incredible Shyam as our trip leader, with Paul and Nimal as our driver and assistant!!! All were class acts and displayed daily the best of Sri Lankan warmth and hospitality!!! The hotels were all top notch, the meals varied and delicious. This is a fast paced trip, and one of the most strenuous we have been on, but everyone was always so willing to lend a hand and lift each other up!!! Shyam, on his fortieth trip experience was a wealth of knowledge and an incredible facilitator of any extracurricular activities requested, including additional safaris, cultural dances in Kandy, restaurant recommendations, shopping highlights, and so much more!!! Each day brought incredible highlights, and they just kept building on one another!!! I am sure this is a trip that will get better and better as we have time to reflect on, and savor all of the richness we were blessed to experience. Hats off to a spectacular group of fellow travelers who brought such joy and life experiences to each day!!!

I think this is one of the best tours we had. I love the fact that every tour or so , was included. Our guide Mr. Shay was awesome, I do very much congratulate you for having him as your local representative. I love the hotels, the support team, and the care they took of us. Very much recommended. LOVE you GATE ONE ;)

I recently returned from the Golden triangle India tour and I must to take time to praise Davinder our tour manager. I have traveled on gate 1 tours before but never felt so protected and had so much fun! He is a beacon of light and Gate1travel is very lucky to have him and his driver and helper as employees! They genuinely try their utmost to make this trip a once in a lifetime experience. His goal constantly is your wonderful experience. He went out of his way to make sure the entire group was having the time of their lives. Compared to most Davinder is a prince! Kind, generous, genuine, intelligent and so knowledgeable. He radiates love for his career and life! Thank you Gate1travel.... give this man a bonus!

Our trip to India/Nepal was outstanding. This was my fifth G1 trip, my daughter's fourth, my husband's second and my son's first! I must have a tremendous amount of faith in a company to trust them with my family in a far-away place. As always, G1 took excellent care of us. Our guide, Bhanu, is truly exceptional. He is the best guide we have ever had. Bhanu's knowledge, humor and organizational skills are unsurpassed. He brought our whole group together and treated us like family. My son especially enjoyed working out with Bhanu in the hotel gyms. Bhanu even arranged for a surprise birthday celebration for our daughter's 23rd birthday! We loved every hotel and every excursion and the food was fantastic. I don't know how G1 continues to offer these amazing trips at affordable prices with outstanding guides. But as long as you do, we will keep taking them. In fact, I have recruited 10 additional family members (not including the four of us) to go on G1 tours this summer. We always especially appreciate the little surprises that are built in along the way (Bollywood dancing, Greek cooking classes, Irish whiskey tastings...etc, etc, etc)! Each trip is unique and special and I am so grateful to G1 for allowing a nurse (me) and a teacher (husband) to be able to afford to see the world.

It was the most AMAZING trip - thanks mostly to our tour manager, Sameer! We have been to nearly 50 countries and have taken a dozen tours and Sameer was the best tour manager we have ever had. He is incredibly schooled on the history of every stop we made as well Indian history, culture, and beliefs. He shared so much interesting information with us that the long bus rides seemed short. It was a seven-day trip, but we felt as if we had spent a month learning about India. He was very organized and prepared and the tour was well-managed. He always had recommendation for activities during our unscheduled time. With 33 travelers we had a few difficult people, but Sameer kept harmony in the group throughout the trip. His people skills are tremendous. We feel very blessed that Sameer was the manager of our tour of India. THANKS SAMEER!!!

I would like to give extra comment on our guide, Boom. She was such a friendly, capable person as well as guide. We are elderly travelers (though still able and energetic), and she made sure that we were always treated kindly, capably, and with an extra special touch. I'm sure that all in the group, not just us, felt considered in all ways, including safety. She is definitely a wonderful asset to Gate1.

Gate 1 Discovery Tours continued to exceed all expectations in our trip to Sri Lanka. Our tour leader, Indika, was exceptional in his knowledge of places visited, his humorous stories of Sri Lankan culture, and his care for our safety and enjoyment of challenging venues in caves and mountain sites. As he walked us through temples, archaeological sites, tea estates, animal parks, and up Sigiriya Rock, he was a font of delightful information. We engaged with locals in markets, in their homes, and at solemn sites, such as the Tsunami Memorials. Our tour leader Indika knew all the best places to stop for a cultural experience or a great photo opportunity. The Gate 1 Discovery Tour of Sri Lanka was all-encompassing, well paced, and a memorable experience. Our only constructive comment is that we would have enjoyed a few days longer on the tour to include Anuradhapura. . The hotels were amazing, living up to Gate 1's motto of more of the world for less. Though we are repeat travelers to Sri Lanka, we found Gate 1 delivered value, enhancing our travel experience. We were so well served by the team of the tour leader, bus driver, and driver's assistant. Our driver's assistant greeted each of us, each day, with a flower bouquet. Thank you to Indika and Gate 1 for building lasting travel memories in Sri Lanka.

We just wanted to complement Alok Tiwari and Gate1 for providing such an excellent experience on our recent trip to India. We have previously traveled with Gate1 in Morocco, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Egypt. Alok was very knowledgeable and greeted us everyday with an abundance of enthusiasm and his excellent sense of humor. He managed to mold all of us fellow travelers into a group of friends. He had just the right touch of detail in his explanations which served our journey very well. His smile was always warm and inviting. His concern for our well being and enjoyment was very much appreciated. Alok certainly stands out among the other excellent tour guides we have experienced. We wish Alok and Gate1 every blessing and thank him, and everyone at Gate 1, for a fine vacation!

Last month my boyfriend and I traveled to Sri Lanka. It was a fabulous experience overall. The itinerary was a perfect blend of culture, temples, nature, mountains and beaches. The food was excellent! The majority of the accommodations exceeded our expectations. What made the trip even better was the EXCELLENT service of Mr. Richard. His enthusiasm and smile never faded, despite how long a travel day may have been. I have been fortunate to usually have good guides, but Richard is hands down the best guide we have ever had. He went above and beyond to make the trip memorable and went out of his way to ensure we all had our needs met. He was understanding with all guests, patiently repeated instructions, got to know everyone and did small things to show personalized interest and meet individual needs throughout the trip. Beyond his role of hospitality, managing the itinerary, multiple personalities and general travel details, the information he shared during our journey was incredible. Richard's passion for and knowledge of Sri Lanka is apparent. It was like having a university professor accompany us--he had comprehensive knowledge of history, culture, religion, etc. that he shared in a well-paced manner throughout the trip in context and in a relatable, meaningful way. Additionally he was knowledgeable about current events, literature, art and even knew a great deal about science, wildlife and a wide variety of topics. He is personable, politely assertive when necessary and kept our diverse group focused and happy. I wish all guides were like him. He made our trip spectacular! Finally, kudos to our driver, Mr. Sudeepa who was safe, skillful and also so courteous and friendly. At one point in Kandy, there was a traffic jam on a narrow road on the way to the hotel...it took us nearly an hour to travel a quarter mile as cars were trying to travel in both directions on a road designed for one way. I wouldn't have been able to do that in my compact car--I am amazed he did it in a bus full of passengers. He was safe, cautious and would go out of his way to find places to stop for pictures. Even with some guests unjustifiably critiquing and being "back seat drivers" he never lost his cool or focus on safety as he drove, even on windy, mountainous roads. His assistant was also helpful and courteous. This is my third trip with Gate 1 and I am overall pleased with the quality, service and trip details.

Aparna was amazing and went beyond what was detailed in the trip brochure to show us and have us feel and understand India. Because of Aparna this trip was transformative. As she said being a tour guide is not a profession but a personality. I would add that a guide needs an incredible amount of knowledge which she has and shared willingly. But Aparana was not just a knowledgeable tour guide. She added an appropriate amount of humor at the right times and accepted our good-natured teasing. Additionally, I appreciated how she answered all our questions in an open and nonjudgmental manner. I felt like we could ask her anything and she knew we just wanted to comprehend the Indian culture. In summary Aparana's knowledge, openness, and personal qualities- a strong and thoughtful woman brought us, 10 strangers, together and made us a community even if only for a short time. I will always remember this trip and Arapana.