Natallie was an amazing lead, she was wonderful during the entire journey, the hotels that we stayed at were nice as well. Overall a very good experience.
I was going to give this trip 4 stars but to be honest I couldn't think of any reason why it doesn't deserve 5 stars as it was an amazing holiday.
This was my first holiday of this type and it really was ace, I was lucky enough to be there with 7 other guests that were pretty awesome, we all got on pretty well and had a bit of friendly banter between us all.
I basiically put this down as a holiday of a lifetime and I will be doing more exodus trips based on how much fun I had on this one.
My second amazing G Adventures tour. I thought it would be hard to top the staff in Nepal, but Adolf and the G team in Tanzania were just as amazing. You can definitely tell the porters and staff are happier at G than some of the other groups. Overall well done, well executed, and friendly/caring staff. The food was also amazing, considering it was prepared fresh on the mountain!
Mixture of hotels as per say with Explore, from full electricity to an African Hut lit by candle light. Please note accommodation is very basic compared to Western standards which Assan stressed to the group on the first day of the trip.
As mentioned in the itinerary there is a heavy emphasis on the bird life and the majority of trips are geared towards the birds. If birds are your thing then this is a trip for you.
The guide Assan is an excellent & enthusiastic birder with a comprehensive knowledge of the birds from The Gambia & Senegal.
Assan is a very open and honest guide & will relay his personal experiences of his own village life in The Gambia.
Driver Cering was excellent & ensured we were all safe & comfy on the long journeys on the bumpy African roads.
Bottled was provided on the bus along with regular local fruits.
Food wise, a lot of enthesis on fish cooked and served whole.
I am a vegetarian non fish eating and with help from Assan I never went hungry.
Local children enjoyed the sweets the group brought from the U.K.
Another excellent trip with Explore. Fascinating itinerary which helped us discover many parts of both Togo and Benin. The tour leaders, Oscar and Edmund were both excellent and gave us a great insight into these fascinating countries. Some hotels were better than others, but that is to be expected in more remote regions.
You are exceptionally lucky to have Andrew K as your guide on this trip. The trip is made by him. He is totally professional and goes well out of his way to deliver well above quality experiences. He is knowledgeable and passionate about his country. He is humorous and kind and always delivers his best.
The long drive from Drackensburg mountains to St Lucia, via Battlefields is too long and should take place over two days.
Mlilwane camp is a bit inauthentic.
A safari that lived up to and exceeded expectations. Our guide KK was very experienced and knowledgeable. Quote from another traveller on their 3rd safari... "don't bother with another safari Joyce; you will be disappointed". Lying in our tent at night listening to hyenas, elephants and other non-identified animals is something we will never forget, nor will we forget watching lions moving into the shade of our vehicle as we watched them walking in the sand. The lovely lodges that were also part of the package and two nights on the Okovango River made for a fabulous diversified experience. Thank you Explore!
The trip was well organized. We got to see a great swath of Morocco and it was a nice mix of organized excursions and free time. Hassan was a great guide with a lot of insight into many aspects of Moroccan life. Hotel accommodations were better than we expected and our group size of 10 people was perfect for moving from place to place.
Very enjoyable holiday. A couple of long days of driving but they were well broken up and the stunning scenery was worth it. Excellent guide in Hassan, for whom it was his first time as an Explore leader. Please ensure he is employed again, he was lovely - helpful, informative and with a great eye for detail. Highlight is definitely the Bedouin camp, breakfast was amazing and the camel ride is not to be missed but the whole experience was unforgettable, it is a well put together tour.
Ines, Fatima and Koffi tried really hard under very difficult circumstances to make this trip a success. Very fulfilling trip with many interesting sites and experiences. I highly recommend it.
The accommodations were variable, always clean and with hot water but some places were tired and in need of updating. Air conditioning was a must as it was hot and humid, however most were noisy and not good for a light sleeper.
The staff were always helpful and friendly.
Food in the hotels and restaurants was plentiful and there was always fish or chicken for those less adventurous, accompanied by mountains of rice or pasta.
We were able to meet the locals, often visiting their homes, and learn about their cultures and beliefs. Also how they lived off the land and produced most of the food they need for the villages and to sell at the market stalls. We were able to try our hand at weaving, dying cloth and making garments. All extremely interesting and an education.
We experienced Kayaking, canoeing, climbing through the tree canopies in the forest along rope bridges plus lots of other activities. All under the guidance and care of our very informative tour guide Oscar and driver Prince.
Our tours through the castles was quite daunting, learning how the slave trade treated people was shocking.
All in all our holiday was an exceptional experience, if not quite exhausting. We were disappointed with the lack of wildlife but was not through lack of exciting safari drives trying to find the animals, with so much else going on our cameras were never idol.
Jan and Arthur
