Africa Tours in Winter

The itinerary was varied and fairly full on but we had sufficient free time to relax.Everything we saw was simply amazing .The over night train trip was fun and quite an experience.It was basic but clean.The food on the train was good and delivered by a very cheery conductor.For what we paid the accommodation was good. The trip down the Nile was very scenic and relaxing and again the food was good. However I was stunned to see how many other boats were doing the same trip, probably about 80. As a result we were all following the same itinerary taking the same stops. On these occasions the crowds of tourists were overwhelming and spoilt the experience.In general the whole area was heavily over touristed which isn’t surprising considering the attractions. On reflection although I enjoyed the Nile trip I think it may have been better to have travelled by road.In this way we could have avoided following the hoards of cruise boats. This was our 5th trip with Explore.Unfortunately the guide wasn’t up to the standard that we had come to expect.He was surly, very negative and bad tempered.Although he knew his history well he failed to deliver any information about anything else.I felt that to ask him certain questions I had to wait for the right moment which wasn’t ideal..On a more positive note he made good use of time at lunchtime by avoiding long stops at restaurants and buying takeaways that we ate on the bus. As usual my travelling companions were great company and we all got on well.

Greatly enjoyed this tour. Tony, our tour manager, was outstanding! His knowledge and ability to communicate about the history and monuments we saw was wonderful. We had a great time and saw many things we will never forget. All the pictures of pyramids and monuments turned into reality. And the people were all friendly and welcoming.

This trip is packed with so many amazing experiences. At the beginning of the week we were walking in amongst giraffe, middle of the week trekking to see gorillas and searching for pangolins. By the end of the week, walking amongst golden monkeys. We had two guides, Robert and Umar, both were safe drivers and great at spotting the wildlife as we drove along. Along the way, we stopped at various organisations working to either save the wildlife or to support women in work - so make sure you have space in your case and to take some extra money as I am sure there will be something to tempt you. Weather is a bit hit and miss, you do a lot of time in rain forests and as such, gaiters are probably a good idea - I didn't have them and had a boot full of mud by the end of the day. Be prepared for some long drives, though they will be broken up with plenty of stops. The locals are extremely friendly and do enjoy when you join in with activities such as dancing, so make sure to have your dancing shoes at the ready. Overall an epic adventure that I struggle to put into words!

We had such a great time on this trip. Some brilliant sites and our guide Mego was so knowledgeable. He was very helpful at recommending restaurants and arranging reservations and transport. All the accommodation was to a good standard and the food was amazing. Would definitely recommend this trip and the guide.

This trip absolutely exceeded our expectations. Our tour leader, Maged, had everything under control the whole time which made moving from place to place seamless. Maged's suggestion to get up early, meant we got to the sights before they got crowded or too hot, and left us time to relax in the afternoons. Restaurant suggestions were also fantastic.. The different accommodation styles (hotels, home stay and felucca) and different transportation (minibus, sleeper train and felucca) gave a really varied experience. The home stay felt authentic rather than ‘set up’ and the children enjoyed playing football together. Maged’s knowledge of the ancient history made every tomb/temple visit engaging for both adults and kids. Ending the holiday with some time at the Red Sea really topped it off, with some fabulous snorkelling. Being in a small group was brilliant, not feeling like we were being herded around sites and there was freedom to explore each site on our own after Maged’s tour. Each family member has a different highlight, although it’s really hard to pick a favourite, which shows the itinerary really caters for everyone. The trip is full on, which suits us as a family, but with the full itinerary and some long travel times this might not be a trip that would suit families with younger children (our children were 11 and 13 on this trip).

We are on the old side for the holiday and did find it quite tiring but that is not Explore's fault. Our only criticism would be the way we were shown Marrakesh. The local guide was not good. I am sure the part of the tour showing us the soul could have been made much more interesting. Boubker was excellent and could not have done more for us.