Africa Cruise Trips

What an epic adventure! Some of which must be attributed to our excellent tour guide Joe, who was assisted throughout the trip by great and friendly support staff at the camp sites and lodges. The number of animals and diverse birdlife seen totally exceeded expectations. There's a lot of travelling and camping without home comforts, however we felt this was made very clear in the holiday notes and in some ways added to the experience in a positive way. A special mention should also go out to William, Pape & Carlos who some how churned out a succession of really good three course meals just using a camp fire!

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Egypt - thanks to our lovely tour guide Adel who was the best, and our amazing group gelling so well together. It’s a very well put together trip including all the major cultural attractions that you would want to visit and we learned so much due to Adel’s expertise and knowledge. For British groups I think the addition of the Cataract Hotel would enhance the experience - we loved it there. And possibly the home of Howard Carter which we did during time we added at the end. Thank you Explore! 😊

Ramadan was such a knowledgeable Egyptologist. I could not imagine doing this trip without him. Not for someone with mobility issues. Heat as high as 39 degrees makes it challenging even for the fittest. Early starts to get there before the crowds and heat was a great testament to local knowledge. Valley of the Kings was an experience that I will never forget. If you have the time, try to take advantage of the option of attending Alexandria. I have come home with a piece of Egypt in my heart

Joe was a great leader. Keeping us in check, and providing us with a wealth of knowledge in both animal and bird life. His tracking skills were second to none. Camping was basic, but it allowed closer encounters with wildlife. Being sent to sleep with the sounds of lions and hippos was special. The itinerary was really well thought through, providing days of luxury between days of camping. Great food cooked on open fires, with all camp teams helpful and friendly. All in all a great experience. Botswana, you were special. Would recommend.

The first downfall was not being able to tip prior to the trip. I felt like we were tipping every single day, multiple times a day. I would also recommend that as a traveler you always have small bills on you, as you have to pay to use the restroom - EVEN inside of the museums you have already paid to go into. You have to get a Visa when you enter the country - do not stress! You can easily do this at the airport for $25USD. The trip itself was wonderful. I traveled as a single female and never felt uncomfortable. I enjoyed traveling from the North to South of Egypt. I think that the optional trip to Abu Simbel was nice, but defiantly not worth the money and time spent traveling (by multiple planes). The museums, Nile cruise, home visit were all amazing! Egypt is defiantly a country to see!

If you like African wildlife and don't mind the camping, a bit of dust and a bumpy road, this could be the trip for you. Bibi (our tour leader / driver / guide / game tracker / spotter / fountain of wildlife information) was amazingly good. His tracking skills are legendary - on one occasion he even tracked a rental vehicle down that had a puncture in the midst of a game reserve! The driver was clearly unaware and had wrecked the tyre by driving with it. We saw most of the "Big 5" multiple times including 4 different leopards and a pack of wild dogs with playful pups. Lots of other wildlife & birds too. We also saw 5 fresh kills with the predators still close by. Close viewing contact with the wildlife is likely. Be prepared for 2,500km of mainly ungraded dirt and gravel tracks! The accommodation alternates between 'glamping' and camping. This allows you to periodically get properly refreshed. The camp team conjured up fantastic meals in the middle of nowhere. The house boat experience was a bit of let down. The house boat cruise was about 2km along a 50-100m wide river. However we did do a boat trip in narrower channels from it. For me, Moremi was more delta-ish than the house boat area. The (optional) boat trip in Chobe was fantastic. Victoria Falls was a great start & end to the trip. Have lunch at the Victoria Safari Lodge for the feeding of vultures (1pm) rather than the Lookout Restaurant Cafe. Tips - A ski / face mask is advisable for the long transfer days to keep dust & wind out of the eyes. Wrap around sunglasses as a minimum. The vehicle is open sided and is capable of 80+kmph on tarred roads! - A sports bra would make travelling more comfortable for those well endowed. The dirt roads can be rather bouncy. - Apart from the tip kitty, guide tip and Chobe boat trip (do it!), we scarcely spent any cash. Rest was on 'plastic'. - Take a "Pocket Naturalist Guide - South Africa Wildlife" to help ID wildlife and birds.