Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
From the bustling streets of Cape Town to the thundering cascade of Victoria Falls, the 'Amazing Southern Africa' tour offers a sweeping 23-day adventure through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. This trip is perfect for travelers eager to discover the continent’s wild heart with minimal physical demands. You'll traverse the Makgadikgadi Pans, marvel at the shifting sand dunes of Sesriem, and glide through the Okavango Delta by mokoro and houseboat. Highlights include exhilarating game drives, mingling with local communities, and witnessing Victoria Falls up close. Accommodation, transport, and meals are all taken care of on this guided wildlife tour, making it an ideal way to experience Southern Africa’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and wildlife. The true USP? A thoughtfully curated route that seamlessly blends water-based adventures, desert wonders, and cultural immersion for a journey filled with unforgettable surprises.
WildlifeRoad trip
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Sleeper Bus, Lodge
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Damar
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Windhoek, Ghanzi, Okavango Delta, Maun, Makgadikgadi Pans, Chobe National Park, Trawal, Orange River, Fish River Canyon, Sesriem, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund
Travel from Kenya to Cape Town through some of Africa’s most incredible sights on this jaw-dropping 48-day overland journey. Explore Kenya’s bustling capital, keep your eyes open for the Big Five in the vast savannas of the Serengeti, hike through lush mountain terrain and traverse sprawling desert plains in Namibia. Sample unique flavours, meet warm and welcoming local communities, relax beachside in Zanzibar, and prepare for an unforgettable southbound adventure through some of Africa's best.
Road tripWildlife
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Tent, Sleeper Bus, Bungalow
Age Range
15-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Nairobi, Cape Town, Stone Town
Nairobi, Cape Town, Stone Town, Mikumi National Park, Iringa, Chitimba, Lake Malawi, South Luangwa National Park, Mto Wa Mbu, Petauke, Lusaka, Harare, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Serengeti National Park, Bagani, Okavango Delta, Grootfontein, Etosha National Park, Spitzkoppe, Swakopmund, Sesriem, Sossusvlei, Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Usambara Mountains, Dar Es Salaam
Very impressive trip except for the terrible public roads in Kenya and the worse park roads in both countries. It was so rough that one of our group measured 110 minutes of physical exercise on her watch from simply driving in the vehicle. Lodges were great with good food but got sick, probably because of the water. People were friendly, guides very good, especially in Kenya.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Resort
Age Range
5-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Serengeti
Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park, Nairobi National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Naivasha, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Victoria
I loved everything about Madagascar. I have had 4 trips with Explore and feel safe knowing they will look after me. The accommodation was excellent, we stayed in some really luxurious hotels. Our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable. Whatever I asked him to ID (insect, animal, plant) he knew what it was, even giving the Latin name. I recommend this trip and hope to return to visit the north of the Island one day.
Active and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Hut, Guest House, Bungalow, Resort
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Antananarivo, Ifaty, Ambohimanga
Antananarivo, Ifaty, Ambohimanga, Andasibe, Analamazoatra Reserve, Antsirabe, Lake Tritriva, Ranomafana National Park, Isalo National Park
It was my first time on a safari with my wife, I was amazed by how many destinations and experiences were included in the package we paid for. You get all your basis covered, access to the parks wildlife, locals and much more!
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Camping
Age Range
18-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Nairobi, Masai Mara, Tar
Arusha, Nairobi, Masai Mara, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Simba Camp
Our honeymoon also took us to Queen Elizabeth NP, Kibale NP and finally Bwindi NP in southwestern Uganda. Boaz our guide for the trip from Entebbe was an amazing, sharing his extensive knowledge of flora and fauna. We spent a lot of time in the safari vehicle and I am happy that it was comfortable for the bumpy off-roads. Gorillas was really special! When I looked straight in their eyes I could not help but admit that we share common DNA. Accommodation spots were well appointed and perfect.
I would not hesitate to recommend the local travel specialist
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Lodge, Eco Lodge, Hotel, Resort
Age Range
15-85 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Bwindi Impenetrable National Par
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Entebbe, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Forest National Park
This is just one of those trips... if you are considering going then PLEASE do. As a single woman travelling to Africa alone, there were plenty of people that were worried about me coming on this trip. By the time it ended, I was uncontrollably crying that it was over.. I just wanted to start the 11 days all over again. The tour felt very luxurious, all of the food and accomodation was incredible and our guides - for Kenya, and for Tanzania - were the stars of the show. They were so fun, planned everything to the last detail and sat with us for every meal so they just felt like one of the group.
We saw everything we wanted to see and then some - including some very rare sightings from the leopard to the serval cat and porcupine. Our tour guides were true professionals and even put a lot of effort into making sure every animal was shown in the right lighting from a good angle to get the best photo.
I can't recommend this trip highly enough and I hope you have as incredible a time as I did!
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Nairobi, Maasai Mara Gam
Arusha, Nairobi, Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Ngorongoro Crater, Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli, Tarangire, Serengeti
This was an amazing experience. Most of the accommodation was excellent, however, the house boat on the delta was not the one mentioned in our final itinerary, and the rooms were very small, however the staff on board were excellent and looked after us well producing excellent food in a tiny kitchen. The staff at Batonka lodge in Victoria Falls deserve a special mention too. Travel was via an open sided vehicle which was excellent for viewing animals but got very cold and blustery on the two days of long journeys, make sure you bring warm clothing, gloves and a scarf or mask to prevent breathing in dust. There were two long travel days, particularly the day traveling through Namibia, the border crossing took longer than expected due to the introduction of a required visa a few months earlier. An extra night slotted in Namiba would have taken the pressure off. I cannot fault our guide/driver Phenyo, his ability to spot wildlife was extraordinary, he was so knowledgeable about every bird and animal we saw and had an excellent understanding of animal behavior which he passed on. He looked after us from start to finish and was always so positive.
I chose this trip for the wildlife abs it did not disappoint, from a pack of hyenas eating a dead elephant to a leopard resting, multiple lions and what seemed like hundreds of giraffes and elephants to mongooses and even honey badgers. The optional boat trip at Chobe was another highlight. If you like wildlife then this is the trip for you. I loved every minute.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
I thought every single day was the best day of my life... Until the next day came along and overtook it, and then the next day and the next...
The Okavango Delta is pure magic. Easily the best place to see wildlife in Africa (and I have been to most of them on Contiki's). Its remote, there are barely any other tourists on safari out there and it felt like we were truly in Africa, experiencing it for how it should be and not a tourist destination to see wildlife. The camping set up there is awesome, you arrive and everything is set up from your tents and bedding, to a fire place to sit around at night, to a dining tent and chill tent on the river to watch elephants come downt to drink in the middle of the day - right in front of us! On the Game Drives we saw lions and even Wild Dogs (Painted Wolf) pups as well as the adults on the hunt. The safari vehicles had fridges to keep the beers cold, charge ports for our phones and a roof to climb on to watch the sunset over the Delta's waterways while lions were calling in the distance.
The Meerkats at the salt pans were amazing to see go about their day without even giving us a glance as we got close for photos and the sunset on the pans where you can see the horizon 360 degrees around you was extra special.
And Chobe was out of this world... That sunset on the river when everyone had left the park but we stayed in it at Contiki Special Campsite, plus the leopard in the tree... Goosebumps...
And I nearly forgot the adrendline and pure adventure of Victoria Falls. Bungeeing, rafting, heli flights, walking safaris... It has everything to get the heart racing but also some activity from sitting on safari vehicles. I guess some of the activities are pricey, but I felt super safe doing everything and would always rather pay a higher price for safety on the adventurous activities. I'd reccomend them all! The accommodation here felt so fancy with swimming pool, the spray of the falls in the distance, elephants drinking at the waterhole in front and out the back you could safely walk into town to do some shopping or exploring...
A trip I could VERY easily do again and again. Every safari drive is different with varying chances of seeing different animals doing different things (drinking/eating/hunting/playing with babies etc etc). Every drive felt special and unique...
The Africa bug has bitten me hard - I cant wait to go back
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Lodge, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe Nati
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta