Last Minute Mediterranean Tours and New Year 2026

As advertised, this trip is hectic. Little time to stop and reflect Not all the locations are equally appealing, or necessary it seems to me eg Puerto Montt. Even so my trip was an extremely well organised whizz through a spectacular country. The landscapes in Atacama and the Paine national park are astounding. For those who like birds and wildlife it is wonderful. The Andes are a sight to behold. So it you are content to take the travel pain for the sake of a glimpse of a spectacular country, then go for it. I was. Despite drawbacks I don't regret it.

Great trip with Raj… excellent caring guide… great itinerary and experiencing trains, tuktuks and pleasant minibus drivers…. India is just incredible.. I’m so happy I did this trip… learnt so much more about this amazing country.. don’t try to understand it but absorb it and learn 🙏

New to solo travel and my first trip with Explore I was anxious ahead of departure about navigating my way in ‘free time’ and there being meals not included and whether I’d been left on my own. None of these worries manifested. Help, guidance and support at these times were confidence building for future travel opportunities as was the chance to chat with more accomplished travellers. There was a mixed age range and spread of solo travellers and couples. Our friendly and engaging driver Riyaan was waiting at the gate to do transfers, after an over night flight, his presence and smile reassuring from the outset. Riyaan and tour guide Bee complimented each other and worked as a team to present their country in an insightful and engaging way. We were always safe and given boundaries as to when circumstances demanded that we should be more cautious. Bee has boundless patience, energy and presence to manage expectations and an eclectic mix of travellers. An experienced, knowledgeable guide who has set comfortable boundaries and developed excellent strategies for managing group dynamics. Bee responded with empathy and compassion to situations arising for individuals in the group . Both she and Riyaan are passionate about their country and the poorer in their society and encouraged us to respond in small practical ways. A keen walker and swimmer I could participate in both activities. Both hikes were demanding and involved some rock scrambles and short sections of terrain that needed your full attention. I loved them both and the rewards in terms of views were worthwhile. Being so close to the sea I would have liked a few more opportunities to swim. Location, time within the itinerary and threats from sealife meant there were constraints and I acknowledge those. This trip gave a good overview of the country and my preconceived general assumptions were clearly misinformed. South Africa is beautiful with an abundance of wildlife so different to the UK. An early riser I was free at times to wander outside the constraints of the hotel enjoying the scents of early morning flowers before the heat of the day intensified. The people were so friendly and eager to please. On a practical level the hotel rooms all provided kettles and drink making facilities, I took my own Earl Grey teabags. Rooms often had good sized fridges and air conditioning. Some had pools, mostly for dipping and cooling off, rather than serious swimming. Food and drink is very reasonably priced. There was always bottled water available in hotels and minibus to top up personal water bottles. A really great trip I can heartily recommend.

Bee was an amazing tour guide. With a large group, she made sure we were well taken care of and truly made this trip wonderful. She went above and beyond to make sure those that wanted additional excursions secured bookings, and those with special dietary restrictions were accommodated. She truly made what would have been an ordinary trip, extraordinary.

The Explore leader was amazing and always went the extra mile in giving us information as well as extra cultural experiences. She is a natural leader who is well respected amongst her colleagues. We were in capable hands.

Our 15 day trip to Nepal in November met all our expectations. The group of 16 was led by Su, who was not only caring and attentive but knowledgable on every aspect of his country. The trip was full on and involved city walks as well as peaceful treks through the countryside and hilltop pretty villages with spectacular views of the Himalayas. Su ensured we had the opportunity of seeing beautiful sunsets and regularly gave us the option of rising early to enjoy the sunset from the rooftop of our accommodation. Visiting Chitwan National Park was a highlight at the end of our trip where we saw one-horned rhinos, elephants as well as other animals and birds. The bus journeys were comfortable and restful as we passed through villages and saw day to day life of the local people. We made regular stops for bathroom breaks, coffee or just stretch our legs. I would thoroughly recommend this trip for those with a moderate to good level of fitness who would like to enjoy all aspects of Nepal.