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.
My food restrictions were a challenge, but Andy would stay to help explain to waiters for me.
We loved the random stops on the road, to visit local food huts markets. I really enjoyed the bicycle ride to the temple ruin and through the park. The elephants were super fun and cute - a very authentic experience.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
35-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kanchanabur
Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Phitsanulok, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle
We really enjoyed this comprehensive tour of Vietnam. Including time in more rural areas as well as the well known cities and sites, it gave us a great insight into local culture and there was plenty of opportunity to meet the locals who were incredibly friendly. The trip ran seemlesly in the extremely capable hands of our tour leader Diem, one of the best we've had (this was our 6th family holiday with Explore). Highlights would include all of the bike rides, exploring Tam Coc caves by boat, Saigon by cyclo, the amazing food, so fresh and plentiful, and the kids loved haggling for bargains in the markets and shops (especially Hoi An). Accommodation and transport were both of a great standard. Well done Explore!
An amazing adventure through Laos and Cambodia. Expert, friendly and knowledgeable guides make each adventure memorable. Seamless organisation with everything running smoothly. I would highly recommend this to everyone!
Bicycle tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This tour felt like a crash course in Southeast Asia, but in a good way. I wasn’t sure how much ground we could realistically cover in just over a week but this trip proved you don’t need a month to experience something meaningful. Everything was well-organized. What stood out most to me was how different Vietnam and Cambodia felt, even though they’re neighbors.
Hanoi was buzzing with life..scooters zipping by, food stalls everywhere, and this mix of modern and old that was fascinating to watch. Our guide helped us navigate the chaos in a way that made it feel approachable rather than overwhelming. Then, just when things felt fast-paced we got a breather on the Ha Long Bay cruise. Being out on the water was peaceful, the views were unreal.
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat was the big draw, and yes, it was absolutely worth it. But what I didn’t expect was how much I enjoyed the in-between moments.
And while there’s always a lot of walking on these kinds of trips, the pace felt doable, even for those of us who aren’t exactly as young as me (53 :p)
Would I do it again? Definitely. The trip left me feeling like I got a true taste of two cultures.
Excellent family adventure. So much fun and excellent guide. Kids will talk about it for a long time. We had 3 families with 6 teenagers who were all impressed.
Active and outdoorWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We did see a lot of wildlife, though not as much as expected given the advertising for what we would see (we understand this is nature, but Borneo has definitely suffered from the palm oil plantations, the lack of birdlife was evident). The trip notes need updating - the Malaysian Rhino is extinct. Some improvement suggestions is that the tour group was too big (we had 15) for the types of activities and level of fitness needed. One less night in Kuching and instead have a night in Baku National Park would have been better. The park doesn't open til 8-9am so we missed seeing a lot of wildlife at dawn as by the time we got there it was already hot and sunny. It would have been good to know that we were changing guides half way through the tour. We found out it's because they can't work in the other state of Malaysia, (Sarawak and Sabah need different visas) but it would have been nice to know before the trip. If there was a way we could keep the same guide that would be ideal. At least if the first guide had even experienced the whole trip end to end so he could talk about what the second leg involved would have been beneficial. Other than that, we loved the holiday and the accommodation and meals were all of a high standard.
National parksWildlife
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel, Lodge, Resort, Home-stay
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Sukau, T
Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Sukau, Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sandakan, Bako National Park, Mulu National Park, Kinabalu Park, Sepilok
Every detail of our trip worked perfectly. The numerous drivers we used throughout the trip were always on time,
the hotels were very nice and our tour guide was fantastic! We enjoyed the Mekong Delta and Halong Bay. All activities planned by our travel exprt,
we’re done incredibly well.
Local culture
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
The guide was really knowledgeable and was able to tell us about the history of all the places we visited. The itinerary was good and we were able to see many sights and places that we would not normally see if we had booked on our own. The bus was also super comfortable and the driver was helpful and excellent on the road. The hotels that we stayed in were 4 stars and I would highly recommend this tour
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-75 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kanchanabur
Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Phitsanulok, Chiang Rai
Overall, the trip was amazing! I had the luxury of having two trip managers (one for North Thailand and one for South Thailand) and both and were awesome. Kind, organised and went out of their way to make sure people were safe and having a good time. helped arranged extra activities such as a cabaret show and muay thai fight and being Thai knew all the good spots in town to hit. The trip is fast paced and you pack a lot in during 2 weeks but it was a great way to see Thailand North-South. Highlights included Chiang Mai, the elephant sanctuary and both the river raft stays which were both very picturesque and serene. All together I had a great time!
Beach
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Resort
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Phuket, Bangkok, Khao Sok, Krabi
Phuket, Bangkok, Khao Sok, Krabi, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai, Pai, Surat Thani