I've been to Portugal before, and was looking forward to experiencing another aspect of this country. This was my first trip with Exodus, and it was very impressive, start to finish. The daily outings, meals together, hotel choices, etc. were A+. Each island was unique and physically beautiful. The walks took us to places off the beaten path, which was exactly why I selected this trip.
Explore is getting worse and worse regarding customer service. If it wasn't for trips offered and mostly excellent tour leaders, would never recommend to friends. One option to better relationship would be to refund single supplement to anyone who is obviously not going to be paired off on a tour where all couples or different sex. Explore should be more considerate considering the profit margin on solo travel.
My trip to the Azores was fantastic! We saw so much in a short period of time and enjoyed a variety of activities. Our leader, Vera, was outstanding. She was very organized, friendly, fun, and thoughtful. Vera helped create a cohesive and congenial group.