Johannesburg Explorer Trips

This was a fantastic tour encompassing lots of incredible landscapes, national parks, and wildlife. Although we were on the move a lot the holiday was incredibly relaxing and we learnt so much about the history, culture, and flora & fauna of the areas. We were lucky enough to see all of the big 5 across the holiday, with our time in St Lucia being a highlight. Our tour guide Werner was brilliant - he was incredibly knowledgeable, insightful, and made the whole trip very smooth and enjoyable.

This is a great trip if you are interested in seeing wildlife. A large part of the trip is spent on safari, whether it be in the Kruger Park or St Lucia. We were lucky enough to get several leopard sightings, and numerous close encounters with elephants. We saw plenty of hippos, zebra, giraffe and antelope, and large variety of birds. The trip covered a lot of ground, so there were inevitably some long bus journeys, but it was worth it. There was also some stunning mountain scenery too in the Drakensberg and Eswatini. The accommodation was on the whole good, mainly staying in simple eco lodges, which I felt was in keeping with the nature of the trip. It could get cold in the evening, depending on what time of year you are travelling, and the lighting was never good when it got dark. The accommodation at the Kruger, I felt could have been better, particularly at the Phabeni Sleepover, where I thought the barbecue they provided was expensive for what they offered, and the takeaway breakfast not great. Overall, I hugely enjoyed the trip. Good company, good guide. It was tiring with a lot of early morning starts, but worth it. In some places I felt it was a bit rushed – barely 30 minutes at the Talana Museum, and 30 minutes at Rourke’s Drift, so it was difficult to assimilate anything much. I would have been quite happy for the trip to be a day or 2 longer, even though it would be more expensive, so it wouldn’t feel quite so rushed.

A full on trip which maximised our time in South Africa. A really good balance of cultural insights, scenery and wildlife. This wouldn't have been possible without our super guide Christian. He knew how to keep us safe, was resolutely positive and energetic, and made the trip. There was a lot of driving which we knew about when we booked. If we had more annual leave available, we would have booked an extra night in Capetown at the end. This would have enabled us to book both a Robben Island excursion, and a Cape of Good Hope trip. We are very glad that we booked this trip.

This was a fantastic trip - well-organised and run by our brilliant guide Samantha. It gave us a chance to see parts of South Africa that would be difficult to reach by public transport and plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting on game drives and walks. Highlights were Kruger National Park, where we were lucky enough to have four leopard sightings, and even see a lion kill; and St Lucia with game drives in the day and night, and the full day at Cape Vidal with a BBQ on the beach. The accommodation was all of a good standard, and staying in the beehive huts in Mlilwane was a real experience. The bus was also clean and comfortable, which was good as there’s a lot of driving on this trip. With the game drives on top be prepared for plenty of sitting, but the itinerary has opportunities for hikes and walks as well. The star of the show was our guide Samantha, who had boundless energy and enthusiasm. She even went out of her way to make sure that we were catered for being vegan. We brought some food with us as Explore recommended but always found options (in some places just one option!) thanks to Sam. This is a brilliant trip and being able to see the Big 5 and experience South Africa’s beauty was incredible.

A wonderful experience in seeing South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Although the travel time is long due to the distance covered, the sites and activities are great. The CEOs and driver add to the experience because of the positive and smiling attitude and their knowledge about the region.

Sam was an absolute driving force making the most out of every day. She was extremely knowledgeable and made the holiday a truly fabulous experience. We enjoyed every day of the holiday and would happily book another Explore holiday in the future.