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.
This trip was suggested to me by a friend, but as an 83 year-old who ‘peaked’ more than 10 years ago I had some reservations about going on it. However, my fears were put to rest when I saw that the same hotel was used before and after the most challenging stage – the 14-mile final stretch of the northern trail, including the crossing of Mount Pantokrater. But in the event, although the terrain is hilly with some steep climbs I didn’t find any of the walking particularly difficult. It helped that a lot of the journey was on shady woodland tracks. Mt Pantokrator was quite an easy climb, the only challenge being the length of the day and the distance.
Not having visited Corfu before I found it a fascinating place, and have many vivid memories of the trip. We were fortunate to have, in Spiros, a leader who was very knowledgeable about local history, politics and wildlife. He worked very hard to make the holiday enjoyable for us, including leading us on a beautiful coastal walk to Kassiopi on the free day. I only wish I had discovered the island earlier so that I could walk the southern section as well.
Walking tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Very good trip. In Siam Riep, it would have been good to have some free time and maybe some trips other than to temples (e.g. land mine rats). Otherwise, a very good trip overall.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Siem Reap, Vientiane, Halong Bay
Siem Reap, Vientiane, Halong Bay, Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue, Hoi An, Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels, Phnom Penh, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Hanoi
Oliver was an amazing and attentive tour guide. He was able to swap around our itinerary to ensure that we didn't miss out on attractions after string winds caused the Govt to close buildings fir 2 days of our trip.
The Great Wall is SO impressive and photos do not do it justice! On this trip you visit parts of the wall where you have it to yourself for most of the day. This was a major highlight!
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Guest House
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Beijing, Xian, Forbidden City, S
Beijing, Xian, Forbidden City, Shanhaiguan, Panjiakou, Huangyaguan, Gubeikou, Simatai
Very intensive trip but so well worth it. Our tour leader and his assistant were excellent and went the extra mile. Some the hotels were good and some were average
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Good trip, wonderful scenary. Really good infrastructure for walking in the trails. It should have been a walk at the Fiordland National Park (close to Wilford Sound) We just did a really small portion towards Marian Lake. It would have been different from the other trails that we did
AdventureActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Hut, Lodge, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Auckland, Christchurch, Franz Jo
Auckland, Christchurch, Franz Josef, Wanaka, Queenstown, Te Anau, Twizel, Mount Cook National Park, Akaroa, Rotorua, Tongariro National Park, Wellington, Picton, Nelson, Punakaiki
Looking back at our photos now we've returned to the UK we can't believe the amount we saw and the amazing experiences we had on this tour. Sri Lanka is an amazing beautiful country with some much going on - we only scratched the surface. Our tour leader Cham worked so hard to make sure that we had everything we needed, resolving our problems and sorting out food for our fussy son! His knowledge about Sri Lankan history and wildlife was immense. He even found the best place to buy genuine Sri Lanka cricket shirts for the sporty members of our group. The only thing we'd change was the pace of the second half of the Sri Lanka leg of the trip. The first half gave us time to chill and bond as a group, as well as hang out in the pool at Giritale and play cricket. The second half we moved every night and covered a massive distance, though interesting, this was quite tiring (especially for the kids), so we'd suggest that a two night stop in the middle of this element would resolve this issue easily. This was clear in the notes, however, as was the high chance of not getting the train. The pace did slow considerably for the Maldives element, with a lot of time on our boats travelling between reefs. The snorkelling was quite frankly mind-blowing, and even the more nervous swimmers loved it. The crew were fantastic, and the food was delicious. The guide knew his stuff, and made sure we had great snorkelling experiences. Our only criticism of this part of the trip was that splitting the group when we'd got to know each other and were getting on really well was disappointing. There were larger boats, and we'd have preferred to be on a single boat given how long we spent travelling separately. The crew did what they could to mitigate this by tying the boats together when we moored for snorkels, meals and overnight and that was great. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable trip, and with a few very small tweaks it'd be perfect!
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Really excellent trip - we saw and experienced so many things. Only downside is it meant a lot of travelling on the bus and only one night in every hotel.
Highlights were the Safari - seeing the elephants especially. Climbing Lions Rock at 6am and the delightful food we had along the way.
Our guide, Chamodi was very enthusiastic and friendly. She was especially good with the children.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Our trip leader Samantha was outsanding and went above and beyond in making sure everyone had a great time and everyone's needs were taken care of. She was attentive, energetic, caring, knowledgeable and funny! She really made our trip that much more amazing!
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Hut, Guest House
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Johannesburg, Addo Elephant Nati
Johannesburg, Addo Elephant National Park, Drakensberg Mountains, Cape Town, Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch, Hermanus, Cape Agulhas, Swellendam, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma National Park, Port Elizabeth Airport, St. Lucia, Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, Eswatini, Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Kruger National Park, Graskop
It's been an incredible experience. There was nothing missing from this trip: great company, incredible places, the challenge of hiking at high altitude, loads of food. Thanks to Rolo for being such an amazing guide.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This is the 10th Explore holiday, we have covered places like Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, India and this just covers 5 holidays.
These are not for everyone, as some are very full on, but the two Balkan trips were easy, although some of this group had not read the itinerary properly and this was a bit too much for them!
The Cuba and South America were what I call, sanitised back packing, as sleeping out in the open and you can have very early starts, around 4 am and late finishes.
However, you really see the place and interact with the local people. This is why we love Explore tours.
If you want total comfort and not really interact, then Saga or like is for you, as you do have to rough it on some trips.
One trip in particular was India, two days going up the Ganges on a wooded raft, inches from the water and sleeping on the bank at night with the snakes and wild dogs, just an amazing experience, and you know you are alive!
Another was in the jungle of Cuba, no tent, just under the stars, but I did get attacked by the smallest ants in the night, but still a fantastic experience, one I won’t forget!
Our tour guides have all been very good, but on this trip, Constantin went beyond the norm.
The only criticism on this trip was no local experts and Constantin had to do it all, which makes it very difficult for him to become an expert in every area, town etc.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Guest House, Hotel, Villa
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Regi
Bucharest, Sofia, Black Sea Region, Kaliakra, Transylvania, Sibiu, Belgrade