South America Adventure Trips

Nicely paced trip with Ilha Grande a break from the cities and Paraty interesting for its history. No words to describe Iguassu Falls, just spectacular. An extra day or 2 in Rio advisable. Two nights at the rainforest lodge, Argentinian side of the Falls , would have been preferable to 2 nights at Taroba Express. Our guide Diego was very knowledgeable both about Argentina and Brazil, and struck the right balance between being professional and efficient and friendly and sociable. I would recommend adding this trip on to North West Argentina which I did before as the dates fitted. The contrasts in landscape were stunning and worth the effort of spending a month travelling.

This was a fabulous trip, our tour leader Diego, was brilliant. He worked tirelessly to ensure we were all safe and got the best out of our time there. I travelled in October the weather was untypical, hot, cold, wet and dry, all extremes of, so I'd recommend taking a full range of clothing. Use the laundries, washing doesn't dry in the humid air. All the hotels were fine, but none had a kettle/coffee making facilities, so if it's important to you, squeeze one in your luggage. A couple of the rooms were quite small, especially for a twin share, but manageable. The travelling between towns was ok. There's lots and lots to see and do in Buenos Aires, including lots of market stalls around the Recoleta area with handmade crafts etc. The hop on/off bus helps sort out your own explorations. And Argentina's reputation for steak is well deserved! Iguazu did not disappoint, both sides were staggering. Be sure to have a waterproof phone cover. Paraty was charming and Ihla Grande a delight sadly a bit too cold for swimming. Traffic into Rio was like the M25. Rio itself is a vibrant place. Loads of places to eat, explore, far too many highlights to fit into the time available. If you can manage an extra day at each end of this trip you won't regret it. Still humming The girl from Ipanema.

An excellent trip on a comfortable boat with a good crew and good food. We saw all of the expected wildlife, and snorkelling with sea lions and turtles amongst the fish was a particular highlight. The boat is not operated by Explore, so on my trip there were other nationalities who had booked through other operators, but it was a good mix. On the afternoon of the first day at the hotel I received a WhatsApp from the cruise operator providing details of the airport transfer (handled by the hotel in my case) and of their representative who met me at the airport to provide my printed boarding pass and Transit Control Card. They also helped with the additional baggage check required before bag drop. The message also includes the flight details if you want to complete the bio-security form at https://declaracion.abgalapagos.gob.ec/ before arriving at the airport. After snorkelling the crew will rinse all your gear and then hang wetsuits to dry (I think it was 80 USD to rent a wetsuit on board for the six days, but masks, snorkels and fins were free). There are lines with clothes pegs on the top deck to dry your swimwear. Remember to take USD cash for tipping the crew and guide at the end of the trip. Two envelopes were left in my cabin for this, but the amount suggested at 15 USD per day for the guide and 25 USD per day for the crew of 11 was about double that in the trip notes.

This really was a trip of a lifetime. Go with an open heart and mind. Manage your expectations of wildlife. It's in the name. It's amazing to see living creatures in their natural habitat with no fear of humans.

This was our 4th trip with Explore and it did not disappoint. It really was the trip of a lifetime and we loved every minute of it. Our guide Diego was absolutely fabulous and really made the trip very enjoyable and educational for us all. The wildlife is astounding!

The tour gave a fantastic opportunity to experience many aspects of Ecuador and the Galapagos, both its culture and its incredible biodiversity. The tour is very well organised by Explore!; we felt safe at all times and our guide, Diego, was exceptional, adding so much more to the tour than just 'guiding' us. His passion for and knowledge of his country was inspirational.