Europe Wildlife safaris and game drives Trips

Our tour leader Lucas was fantastic, he was very knowledgeable about the country and tailored the walks to every member of the group, he also provided us all relevant information on the local area and took us to personaI restaurants he recommended all of which were fantastic. I cannot emphasise enough how enjoyable he made the trip. The walks themselves took place all over Andorra really giving you a feel for the landscape with some absolutely stunning views. The accommodation was clean and comfy and the staff friendly, the safe in the rooms was complicated to try and work however that is my only criticism of the accommodation. The optional rest day provided a great opportunity to do some shopping in the local towns. While the group was large (the full 16 people) it didnt stop a good sense of friendship among the group. The first week of September provided a good mix of warmth while also keeping cool in the mountains. I would book with Explore again!

I had a wonderful week in the rural wilderness of Rodopi. This was my first hiking trip and I found the walks to be very enjoyable and manageable. The pace was leisurely with lots of wildlife stops whilst still covering a good distance each day. The trip notes are very accurate, although accommodation is basic, it's clean, comfortable and exactly what is described and had wonderful staff and great home cooked food. The guide Julian was fantastic, very passionate and a great leader and wildlife expert.

We thoroughly enjoyed our cycling holiday in Romania. The tour was fully in line with the sales pitch on the Explore website. We really got to discover the country: sleepy rural villages, to historic fortified town, sweeping landscapes, rugged mountains. Our guide, Raz, was full of knowledge about history, culture, religion and nature, and throughout the trip helped us to pull together a rich insight into the country of Romania. The cycling was good fun. The accomodation was comfortable (the odd dog barking at night, but given that we were in the countryside to be expected).

Wonderful scenery & an excellent tour leader who was friendly & approachable, with a variety of ideas on options to take on the rest day. Good variety of food options too.

Outstanding Guide and great walking routes with things to see. La Calela tapas bar near the hotel in Soldeu has excellent food for a very good price and is the only eating venue we ate at that I would recommend. The hotel is quite basic with almost no hanging space in the rooms, and nothing suitable for drying wet clothes - a shortcoming for walkers and skiers alike. Don’t request a double bed room - they are all tiny! The twin beds can be put together in larger rooms however. Very good shower pressure and room make up service. If you are expecting interesting bread, fruits and locally made yogurt for breakfast in the hotel restaurant (typical of other mountain venues) you will be disappointed. But at least you can order eggs. I was disappointed that the owner showed off baskets of porcini mushrooms he had picked locally, but failed to add them to the hotel menu: He said he would eat them himself! Some foreign members of hotel staff were smiling and charming, but the locals less so. There is a convenient supermarket across the road (where you can even buy hangers!). We joined a very good group which made it fun. Excellent local swimming pool in Canillo.

This was my first ever trip of this kind and I am so glad I did it! Being a solo female traveller, my prime concern was being safe when abroad. Explore went above and beyond this expectation. The trip to Romania covered a lot of ground and was full on, but my goodness do you see some amazing sights! Although not guaranteed, seeing bears in the wild was definitely a highlight of the tour and was remarkable. But for me, it was staying in a cute romanian guest house in the mountains that was the most enjoyable part. It was a truly authentic experience and we were made to feel very welcome. If I was to change anything about the trip, I think a bit longer for lunch / coffee breaks would be nice, however I am also aware that this is not the purpose behind it.