Southern Africa Small Group Trips

A trip which included historical sites, beautiful landscapes and wildlife opportunities. There were many highlights, and a couple of downsides. Because we visited Sarajevo on Sunday afternoon and Monday many of the museums and sights were closed, so a fascinating city was partly unexplored. While we were aware that lifts would not be available, we didn’t know just how many places had many many steps, in particular the Küstendorff resort. But a very enjoyable trip. Already considering the next one

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.

We were only 4 explorers, and we had an amazing time with our lovely guide and driver. The country is so green and beautiful . I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of accommodation and food. I would highly recommend this trip.

Excellent 14 day tour of Turkey from Istanbul through Ankara and Cappadocia then onto Antalya and Kaş before moving onto Pammuckale, Selcuk and Cannakale. The tour guide was knowledgeable and you could tell his love for Turkey. He was inclusive in activities. The only thing was that he set a fast pace when walking and didn’t really stop or slow during these walks until he got to where he wanted to be to talk about an item or historical event. I’ve not encountered this on any other tour I’ve been on. You could quite easily get left behind and he wouldn’t know where you were. Besides that this jam packed tour was great, although I’m sure you’ve already been told before that more than one night in Antalya would be better considering you don’t arrive there till the evening on this tour

It was a wonderful experience. I wouldn't change a thing. I was part of a group of seven led by an awesome tour leader (Lucas). From start to finish, the trip exceeded my expectations. The itinerary was the perfect pace. Accommodation was all lovely. It was an ideal balance of walking, cultural experiences, group revelry, and reflection time. I highly recommend this tour and look forward to traveling with Explore again.

First, the Picos de Europa are stunning mountains, with beautiful beech forests on the lower slopes. But the logistics of walking are complicated because there are very few roads. The great thing about this tour is that the itinerary is designed to overcome those logistical challenges. The tour guide has been leading tours for 35 years and is passionate about the mountains and the paths. He and his family run the small hotel where the tour is based. The hotel is clean and simple, and the food is very good. The guide's detailed knowledge of the mountains meant that he was able to make rapid adjustments if the weather required it. Some of the walks are demanding, but all of them present awesome vistas. I thoroughly enjoyed the week and would definitely recommend it.