East Africa Wildlife safaris and game drives Trips

A very full on, amazing experience with leader Bibi. Wild camping, luxurious lodges as respite, a lovely if small houseboat. More animal sightings than anyone could imagine. Bibi made sure all ran smoothly, from bush tea/coffee picnic stops to the inevitable bush loo break. He seems to have a 6th sense when it comes to locating eg leopards and hyenas. As for Victoria Falls..just wow, the noise, the spray. It was enough for me just to be there so I didn't do the helicopter ride. Pack your spirit of adventure alongside the bug repellent and book this wonderful tour!

An excellent trip. The tour leader, Tarik, was exceptional. He ensured that everyone in the group bonded well and enjoyed themselves. The itinerary is diverse with plenty of optional activities. Highlights for me were the several Mayan sites, spotting manatees, sunrise at Tikal with the birdsong and howler monkeys, and the wonderful snorkeling from Caye Caulker.

This was the experience of a lifetime for me and definitely the highlight of my month-long trip to Central and South America. I joined this one the day I finished my Yucatan Peninsula cycling trip with Explore, my first with the company. The recommendations and reviews I'd received beforehand were justified. I was the only Australian on both trips. It didn't matter, as there was great camaraderie within the group and the leader, Allan, was top-notch. Our driver, Ronald, was also professional as well as being obviously very big-hearted and concerned about our comfort, welfare and safety. When a trip relies on being at the right place and time, the driver and vehicle are the most important elements of the trip. Allan's knowledge and passion for Costa Rica and its natural environment are obvious and he was very effective in helping us learn and love it as well. The detail and frequency of his communication was ideal and his attention to detail excellent. We were very fortunate to have both Allan and Ronald look after us, as well as the bonus of having Issy, an Explore senior exec, along for most of the trip, doing QC and checking out hotel options. Good to see the company checking its services! The accommodation was very good and matched the expectations Explore provided in its pre-trip information. As always, some places are better than others. When a place had some minor deficiency it was offset by being in a great location. My favourites were in the rainforest and mountains. The itinerary is right for a 2-week wildlife tour, plenty of time for varied photography, physical activity options and unstructured time for R&R and doing your own thing. Whitewater rafting, ziplining, sea kayaking and of course walking are all easily able to be included. Allan and some of the group are excellent wildlife spotters and photographers. I learnt so much and am keen to improve my own skills. I am so happy I chose to go on this trip and have been recommending it often since it concluded.

An excellent tour of Belize, with relatively short driving distances compared to many Explore tours. We went on the 23 November departure and it was still the back end of the rainy season so we had rain most days and sites were muddy. The tour leader was excellent and gave us a great introduction to the country. We chose options which gave us more time at Mayan ruins.

The holiday was brilliant. Well paced with plenty to keep you occupied but enough down time. We saw the highlights of the country and the quality of the hotels was much better than they used to be. The tented camp really wasn't a tented camp and I disliked this place but luckily we were only there for 1 night. We were there during a cyclone which meant we had a lot of rain and we had to miss the Highlands because the roads were washed away and it was impossible to get to. We were looked after extremely well and kept safe and up to date with the situation. The guide and his team were brilliant. Mimi, the guide, Douglas, the driver and Ishan, his assistant were all lovely and brilliant at their jobs. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and this tour allows you to see that.

Good combination of two very different weeks. Good food and interesting and varied sights in Sri Lanka. Well organised and led, in very difficult circumstances during severe flooding and landslides! The boat tour of the Maldives was excellent, by far the best way of seeing this country. The boat was comfortable with great food and attentive crew. The main activity is snorkelling so if this is your thing you will love it!