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.
We had the best time on the Greek Caique Cruise. The itinerary was fantastic and Thanos knew everything and everyone. We swam off the boat every day and when we docked in various ports Thanos was able to point us to the best places to go, organise taxis for us if necessary and in the evening recommend the best restaurants.
Active and outdoorCruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This was an amazing trip and a great way to experience a small part of Oman. Marshal our tour leader was fantastic, always polite and professional, he was very happy to share the history and culture of Oman and to show points of interest which we might have otherwise missed. We covered a lot of ground in a week but saw wonderful and very varied scenery, enjoyed good food and had a lot of fun. The drivers we had were fantastic and I particularly enjoyed the drives in the desert and the mountains.
Camping
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Our leader was Pablo Garcia. He was very knowledgeable, skilled and had lots of patience, excellent and timely information and always made sure our needs were met.
Some of the accommodation was basic, but that was okay. Breakfasts were very varied and tasty with plenty of choices. We had a great group of cyclists and Pablo kept the team spirit going. The recommendations for meals were great and we had a lot of local food/ specialty options, which was great.
The itinerary was good, riding through beautiful and vast landscapes with wild life such as flamingos and white horses, small medieval villages and beautiful canals, we would have expected and liked some more roads along the beautiful coast. There was a lot of riding through flat landscape with orchards and agriculture.
The equipment was good, but some of the bikes had some gear and shifting issues.
The support van driver Louis, made awesome picnic lunches with fresh local foods.
All in all a great trip!
Bicycle tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
The captain and expedition team really pushed the limits to ensure that we visited as many interesting places as possible and saw a wide range of scenery and ecosystems. The crew were very friendly and helpful, and the expedition team was extremely knowledgeable and experienced in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The ship was very comfortable with a fantastic library and other good facilities, and our cabin was wonderful - peaceful, comfortable and beautifully furnished.
Cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This was my first trip as a single person and I had a fabulous time. The group of 12 (four couples and four singles) really gelled and were very friendly, supportive and fun. The itinerary was very good, with at least one specific thing to do, see or visit each day. The high points were the tea plantation, the spice farm, the cookery evening, the wonderful scenery and the houseboat . The accommodation was generally very good, but the homestay was too basic to be an enjoyable experience. It didn't feel as though we were guests in someone's home, it felt more like a commercial exercise (eg the host talked of building a hotel next year to accommodate more guests). The food was excellent in most places with some well-chosen restaurants/snack bars, and plenty of choice for vegetarians, but I was a little disappointment at the street food experience, which was just selecting one cold, precooked snack (such as samosa, vada or fritter.) I was anticipating some freshly cooked food (while we looked on) such as rice and dahl or pani puri. Also, I thought that the purpose of visiting the market was to select spices and vegetables to use later in our cookery evening, but there wasn't an obvious link. Our guide, Sree, was flexible, knowledgeable and very accommodating of all our needs.
Overall a really great experience with a great group of people. Will definitely use Explore again for another adventurous trip.
City sightseeingSight
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Awesome, amazing, fantastic … a magical tour. We were very fortunate to have fine clear and sunny skies with no wind for large period of our trip. We did experience whiteouts in the mountains and a little snow. The Northern Lights were better than I hoped for. Erla our guide was superb, enthusiastic to share her knowledge and love for her country with a great itinerary. Thor our driver was also fantastic and safe as there were a few tricky days with whiteouts and ice! Highly recommend this tour. Food was tops too
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
16-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hrisey Isla
Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hrisey Island, Lake Myvatn, Dettifoss, Hofn, Vik, Geysir
Great trip, beautiful walks and interesting guided tours in each place visited. Visiting over mid summer special. Some free time but a pretty packed itinerary. All very enjoyable
City sightseeingWalking
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland - M/V Greg Mortimer GREENLAND, SPITSBERGEN- TRIP CODE GMGI
August 2024
We joined the Greg Mortimer in Svalbard having spent the night in a hotel in Longyearbyen. The ship is modern, clean and bright. Our cabin was on the 6th deck with a balcony accessed by a sliding door with room to sit out so long as we put enough clothes on. It had ample storage space, a wonderful en-suite with a heated floor, sheer luxury! All types of plug were catered for so recharging batteries was easy. The first 3 days were spent round Svalbard looking at the wildlife and scenery. Leaving the ship on the zodiacs was very easy and well thought out. We ended up wearing 5 layers to stay warm. Sitting in the zodiac for a couple of hours could get very cold with out the right gear. The ship itself is well appointed with plenty of observation space, both indoor and outdoor. The lecture theatre is excellent and, if you don’t want to attend, you can watch the proceedings from your cabin on the TV.
The food was very good, Buffet style lunches and a good menu in the evenings.
Crossing the Greenland Sea on the 4th day was a little rough but the ship has stabilisers which worked well. There was a noticeable lack of people in the dining room on the first night though.
Reaching Greenland, the itinerary was adjusted based on the weather and conditions. Each day we generally had two zodiac trips with landings when we could. The supplied Wellington Boots were comfortable and warm although we did supplement them with a thermal sole insert and two pairs of socks.
The landscape is fantastic with towering cliffs and glaciers coming down to the sea. The scale is hard to describe as there is not much to compare it with but some mountains like the Devil’s Castle loom over the ship at some 1100m. Very impressive. Each day was at a different site with the ship moving overnight.
We did get to see a couple of Polar Bears, seals, walruses, musk ox and plenty of birds.
All in all, a wonderful trip full of fantastic scenery and wildlife on a comfortable ship designed for the job. The crew were excellent and always helpful as were the very knowledgeable Expedition staff.
If you want to see a mostly untouched wilderness with stunning views and wildlife, we can recommend this trip.
Polar expeditions and cruise
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
