Arturo was a fantastic leader and guide. Knowledgable, helpful, caring, experienced and amusing. This was my 11th Explore holiday and Arturo is up there with the best guides. The porters and cooks are heroes - we were very happy to tip them generously. The itinerary was perfect, though no one should underestimate the challenge of around ten hours walking on day three. Cusco hotel staff were fine but the layout around a central atrium means the rooms are very noisy. The hotel near Machu Picchu was lovely but the staff were rude, unhelpful and disinterested. Overall I’d fully recommend this trip - but be sure to get into shape beforehand and consider your kit carefully.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Vietnam was an amazing and varied place and Explores itinerary managed to pack in a huge variety of scenery, activities and education including places and people I wouldn't have managed to find alone. Long's leadership was brilliant keeping the teenagers engaged and encouraged to try new experiences and food.
An excellent way to explore Central America on two wheels—what a ride! I loved every segment of the tour. Just a heads-up: you’ll need more than basic cycling skills… and a truckload of grit. Some of the dirt roads, especially the downhills, are the kind that make you suddenly remember every loved one you’ve ever had. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
About the hotels: a few of the one-night stays were… let’s say “character-building.” The stop in Turrialba in particular did not meet even basic standards. Explore, you can do better—please save future cyclists from that experience.
Now, about our tour leader, Mike. After ~15 tours across ~20 countries, I’ve finally had a tour led by a real pro athlete. And wow—what a difference. Mike’s professionalism, enthusiasm, ocean-level patience, and that trademark toothy smile made even the toughest (undualating😄)climbs feel manageable. He set the bar so high that my future tours may need oxygen just to reach it.
Absolutely recommended. And if you’re lucky enough to get Mike, prepare to have your expectations ruined—in the best possible way.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We had a great time on this trip. The itinerary has a lot of variety -- city/cultural tours plus hiking and rafting in beautiful scenery. Our guide, Csilla, was outstanding -- very patient, upbeat, and calm. She also gave us so much information on the history of the three countries. The wine tasting experience was terrific because we got to interact with old-time, traditional wine makers from the countryside. We've experienced posh wine-tastings at art galleries and hotels in the past, and although they weren't horrible experiences, they felt much more pretentious and much less authentic. Having read some of the previous reviews that were less positive, our comments are: 1) if you want luxury travel, don't book this trip -- when you order a glass of house wine, it will be just that, and no more. It's fine to be a wine snob or a coffee snob or a hotel snob, but don't book a relatively low-priced tour and then be disappointed when you aren't given luxury treatment. Some of the hotel rooms are small and won't accommodate a queen size bed, so there will be two twins. If going for a week without a queen bed is the end of the world for you, find a luxury tour company and pay the additional cost to travel that way. Also, with respect to the hike, the description in the itinerary was totally fine and a reasonable assessment of the difficulty. It would be advisable to have appropriate shoes -- we wore hiking boots and were fine. But any time there is a hike on the itinerary, you should plan ahead and have a fitness routine at home (before departure) to prepare adequately. It is unreasonable to book this trip when you cannot even do the city walks.
RaftingActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
My first cycling trip was a great experience ! All the accommodations were top notch. The sites visited and routes taken were fantastic. Riding level was challenging but never excessive... enough coffee and strudel breaks to keep you energized ! The tour leader made this trip so good, as did the diverse group of cyclists all sharing this common interest!
Bicycle tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Hut
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Venice, Mestre, Merano, Bolzano
Venice, Mestre, Merano, Bolzano, Trento, Torbole, Lake Garda, Verona
My quibbles with this trip are very minor and I've told explore (update the itinerary please!) but fundamentally I loved this trip. Met lovely people. Saw amazing places and scenery. Food a bit meh but that's not why you go to either Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan. I loved the differences between the countries. Kyrgyzstan was unbelievably beautiful and Uzbekistan had amazing buildings.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Hut, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Os
Tashkent, Bishkek, Arslanbob, Osh, Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara, Yangikasgan, Karakol, Samarkand, Kochkor, Song Kul Lake, Suusamyr Valley, Toktogul Resevoir, Djalal-Abad
What an amazing trip, couldnt fault a thing! From start to finish, it was organised so well and our tour guide was so knowledgeable. A gentle introduction to Brazilian life on the beautiful island of Marajo with its golden beaches and buffalo was a great idea.
The public ferry was pretty basic but gave a glimpse of river life, relaxing on a hammock as we sailed up the Amazon. Yes, the food was plain and a bit repetitive but it was freshly cooked, tasty and plenty of it.
Santarem was a delight, just like a seaside resort. The jungle hike there was a bit tough (but so worth it!) with a local guide showing us all the ways the plants and trees are used by the local people, and a swim in a cool stream was most welcome.
The private boat trip was fabulous; sleeping on deck listening to the sounds of the night-time jungle, canoe rides to see the wildlife, fishing for piranha and another hike were exciting. The food on the boat was superb!
TV programmes on the Amazon just don't cover the scale and magnificence of the river and jungle so if you're looking for adventure, maybe a little outside your comfort zone, then go for it. For me, this was the trip of a lifetime!
WildlifeActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Rio de Janeiro, Belém, Manaus, R
Rio de Janeiro, Belém, Manaus, Rio Negro, Marajo Island, Santarem, Alter Do Chao
Doni was an excellent tour guide and is very knowledgeable about the areas we visited.
We were only a small group and through his leadership we immediately felt like a family.
The only feedback I would like to leave is that it should be included that participants in this tour will be expected to walk 12000 steps on a daily basis, and not always on flat ground. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but may have reconsidered it due to my health issues.
Active and outdoorExplorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers