Patagonia Small Group Trips

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.

Good variation of walks so we saw very varied terrain, vegetation & views. All walks as described in the trip notes other than the one rainy day when the trip leader very wisely substituted what would have been a very wet walk for something kinder. Excellent trip leader. Accommodation all good.

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.

I enjoyed every moment of the trip. The daily itinerary was very varied and well lead by our guide Tra and his assistant guides in Laos. The hotel's were well chosen and conveniently situated for independent sightseeing. I thoroughly enjoyed the included farewell meal, the best vegetarian food all trip!

This trip is fast paced but provides a very good overview of all six Central American countries within a 25 day timeframe. The itinery is varied covering history, geography, politics, flora and fauna. There is plenty of wildlife and birds. Tommy Morales the tour leader is exceptional making the trip smooth sailing. There are many quirky activities to do like a hot spring spa in the middle of the jungle. This is a trip you will love and will make you want to do more in Central America.

This trip works well. Tenerife has lots of flights and so is very accessible. The ferry to La Gomera takes you away from mass tourism, and the island itself is varied and attractive. We had a great trip with varied walks and some nice meals out in the evening. The group got on well and the group leader/guide was excellent. An added bonus was the transatlantic rowing competition from La Gomera to Anguilla was taking place the following week so we had the opportunity to meet participants.