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.
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Etosha National Park, Spitzkoppe, Swakopmund, Namib Desert, Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Cederberg, Kasane, Gweta, Maun, Okavango Delta, Dekar, Windhoek, Waterberg Plateau
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
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
The Tanzania Safari is incredible - we saw such a huge variety of animals so close up, all thanks to the expertise of our guide who went above and beyond to ensure we had the most amazing experience. Particular highlight was also the accommodation in the Serengeti - glamping right in the middle of a national park!
Beer and drinks tasting
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Camping
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Tarangire, Tarangire Nat
Arusha, Tarangire, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro
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
Armond was an amazing leader, with local knowledge a good sense of how to engage us all in what was happening, and life in general in Madagascar. We learned so much. The local tour guides at each national park were super helpful and gave us that individual attention to be able to find the amazing animals. Michele our bus driver was incredible - how we didn't feel bounced around on those super rough roads was testament to his skill.
Being an active tour was really good - not so long in the bus each day and a chance to get a walk in really made a difference.
The challenge of the 4-day hike up a mountain was memorable and felt like a real achievement.
WildlifeActive and outdoor
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Bungalow, Resort, Camping, Eco Lodge, Guest House
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Antananarivo, Isalo National Par
Antananarivo, Isalo National Park, Ifaty, Ambositra, Ranomafana, Ambalavao, Andringitra National Park, Imarivolanitra
Perfect mix of Safari, beaches, adventure and adrenaline. The knowledge and of the trip manager and all the safari guides was exceptional and their passion and love for Africa was contagious.
AdventureNational parks
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Guest House, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Chobe
Cape Town, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Kruger National Park, Johannesburg, Kasane
This was an excellent Safari. The Tour was as described for style and is not for the faint hearted. We observed all of the animals and birdlife you could wish for. This was a real adventure and both my Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The itinery could do with an update although in the grand scheme of things would not have made much difference.
ExplorerWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Lodge
Age Range
18-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Nairobi, Maasai Mara National Re
Nairobi, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Livingstone, Lake Nakuru National Park, Jinja, Eldoret, Arusha, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Bagamoyo, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mikumi National Park, Iringa, Chitimba Beach, Kampala, Kande Beach, Chipata, Lusaka, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Bunyonyi