Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
A great and affordable trip with excellent opportunities for spotting a range of animals and birds.
Some quite long drives but with a good range of visits - glass makers, candle factory, Raukes Drift.
Incision of Eswatini was very worthwhile.
ExplorerActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hut, Guest House, Hotel
Age Range
16-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Johannesburg, Drakensberg Mounta
Johannesburg, Drakensberg Mountains, St. Lucia, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, Eswatini, Mlilwane, Kruger National Park, Graskop
The trip itinerary certainly gave a wide range view of different areas of Southern India and their way of life. Busy bustling Chennai, then to the coastal resort of Pondicherry with a French flavour, followed by the temples and palace of Madurai. Then on to the hills hitting the tea plantations, spices and backwaters of Kerela for a sail along the river. Kochi, a busy town, with lots to see - Palace, museums, churches, synagogue and chinese fishing nets to name a few. A highlight was the toy train to Ooty. Lots to see in bustling Mysore from the Palace, statues, temples, markets and everything on the road together buses, cars, TukTuks, motorbikes, cows, sheep and goats and people! Fun to watch. Another variety of travel is the overnight train back to Chennai, ending with a leisurely day at Mamallapram. A bit of everything - recommended.
Cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Chennai, Bangalore, Mamallapuram
Chennai, Bangalore, Mamallapuram, Bandipur National Park, Mysore, Pondicherry, Meenakshi Temple, Thekkady, Kerala Backwaters, Kochi, Coimbatore
This was a most amazing and unforgettable experience which for some of the group will probably be life changing. We were fortunate to be in a friendly, supportive and cohesive group which was led by the wonderful Wit. Wit was the catalyst to the group bonding so well but he was more than just a guide and leader. He organised our tour seamlessly and supported every member of the group when required over and above what could be expected. We were so privileged to know him and to have him as our guide and mentor. The tour is stated to be "full on" and it certainly matches that description so don't expect a restful holiday but be prepared to be on the move with early starts and time spent in a minibus which was necessary to complete such an intensive itinerary. If asked to chose a highlight I wouldn't be able to as there were so many highlights throughout the tour. I have so many great memories and been very fortunate to be included in such a fine group but also to be blessed with Wit as our very special leader.
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This long weekend trip packs in a lot without feeling rushed or overwhelming. It's a good combination of town and country, with a touch of good fun tourism included in the trip to Bran Castle. Accommodation was as described and very comfortable. Romania has a fascinating history and the food is great. Our guide was brilliant and we had a terrific time. Highly recommended.
Wildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Great trip. Full on pace, would have to skip activities to slow down! A cultural and nature trip. Guatemala was my favourite country; the Mayan history and culture. The archeological site at Copan adds to the diversity of experiences on this trip. As well the more recent history of regime change in Nicaragua. The Spanish colonial architecture was highlighted at all destinations, quaint hotels. Nature’s beauty and wild life was showcased throughout. Overall, a diversity of experiences filled the two weeks!
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Assan our tour guide was excellent, his knowledge of the bird species was incredible, how he managed to distinguish the birds from such a distant was beyond me. We were very lucky and saw quite a lot of rare species. This trip is very much geared towards spotting birds and our days on the water were excellent. There are some long days travelling in the bus and currently I feel that the itinerary could be changed to spend longer in The Gambia. You don’t really need to spend a night on Goree, that island was wonderful and thought provoking but you don’t necessarily need to spend the night there. Currently there is no need to visit The Pink Lake, it’s not pink anymore so really that was a wasted day that could have been spent in The Gambia and maybe heading further west exploring that part of The Gambia. Add the Pink Lake to the itinerary again, if and when it’s pink again! Some hotels are basic, with no hot water and electricity but that is part of the charm in visiting these places. Take a swimming costume as there are opportunities to swim at some of the hotels. The Senegalese and The Gambia people are very friendly but be prepared for them to sometimes ask you to purchase goods and not leave you alone. You’ll have to ignore the rubbish everywhere, sadly it is a blight on the landscape.
Active and outdoorCruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Fantastic trip. Lots of variety - sightseeing, walking and a safari at the end. Hotels were all good - a mixture of local and more modern and 2 nights in most worked really well. Food was good, locals are friendly and our guide Udaya made sure we had everything we needed and provided loads of info on everything we saw. Great safari at the end with brilliant sightings of deer and rhinos. Sadly no tigers but you cant have everything. Only down side is the roads which are currently truly awful whilst they convert the main highway to a dual carrigeway. Dirt surface in a lot of places.
Active and outdoorRafting
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
A very interesting tour covering a lot in just two weeks. Made particularly successful by excellent leadership from local leader and support staff.
Every effort was made to ensure we got the most from our experience and that our particular needs were met.
WildlifeArt and architecture
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
An excellent 3 weeks with 2 excellent guides. Sri Lanka section was well organised by our guide Nala. he tweaked the itinerary so that we got the very best out of our time and imparted so much information about every aspect of Sri Lanka. He kept us on time fitting extra stops in if we were passing something to see like a banana market and fishermen hauling nets in on the beach. Accommodation was exactly as described and the usual Explore authentic assortment of comfortable and more rustic.
There were lots of English style plug sockets in the hotels, but i would take an adaptor as well just in case.
Highlights were climbing Adams Peak starting at 2am, and passing some very elderly people making the pilgrimage to the temple at the top. A unique experience. Also the train journey over 9 arch bridge. Great fun.
Maldives- again we had a superb guide- Moosa. Extremely knowledgeable about the ocean and also gave us a lot of fascinating history and politics background of the Maldives. Island visits provided an insight into the real country.
The boat was spacious clean and comfortable. Didn't expect the hotel like room services - bed making and towel changing! Food on the boat was amazing. Plentiful and a variety of dishes inc freshly caught fish. Had 2 snorkels a day building up the length and difficulty of them. So many colourful fish, it was like swimming in a tropical fish tank. Also saw turtles, moray eels, sharks and rays including a manta. The tender was always out with us keeping an eye on us whilst snorkelling.
Overall a fabulous itinerary and guides on land and sea
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers