South Africa Cultural, religious and historic sites Trips

This was a fantastic trip - well-organised and run by our brilliant guide Samantha. It gave us a chance to see parts of South Africa that would be difficult to reach by public transport and plenty of opportunities for wildlife spotting on game drives and walks. Highlights were Kruger National Park, where we were lucky enough to have four leopard sightings, and even see a lion kill; and St Lucia with game drives in the day and night, and the full day at Cape Vidal with a BBQ on the beach. The accommodation was all of a good standard, and staying in the beehive huts in Mlilwane was a real experience. The bus was also clean and comfortable, which was good as there’s a lot of driving on this trip. With the game drives on top be prepared for plenty of sitting, but the itinerary has opportunities for hikes and walks as well. The star of the show was our guide Samantha, who had boundless energy and enthusiasm. She even went out of her way to make sure that we were catered for being vegan. We brought some food with us as Explore recommended but always found options (in some places just one option!) thanks to Sam. This is a brilliant trip and being able to see the Big 5 and experience South Africa’s beauty was incredible.

Sam was an absolute driving force making the most out of every day. She was extremely knowledgeable and made the holiday a truly fabulous experience. We enjoyed every day of the holiday and would happily book another Explore holiday in the future.

Great trip with good mixture of activities and wildlife. The weather was perfect for an August trip - warm during day, cooler at night, and fortunately only 10 minutes of rain in 2 weeks. Well looked after by our guide Bianca. Food was very good value. Expect some flexibility in the itinerary - we couldn’t sea kayak due to choppy sea but alternative hike was great. Highlights were climbing Table Mountain (2-3h strenuous hike), surfing lesson, optional Whale Watching boat trip, Addo Elephant National Park and optional Schotia Private Game Reserve drive on the morning of departure.

This experience was something I have wanted to for a long time and it hit every metric I was looking for. The age group was perfect, the CEO's were incredible and I don't think I could have fit anymore in than I did. It was just such an amazing time that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Excellent trip for the family. Some long traveling days, but the travel enabled us to explore & experience the amazing scenery & wildlife South Africa has to offer. Great trip and an excellent guide. (Wern).

This tour was well paced and a great introduction to South Africa, especially for travelers who enjoy exploring the world and finding the unexpected. One of the biggest surprises was the food. The cuisine was so unique and, as our guide advised us, plentiful. Paired with excellent South African wine, you are completely spoiled. Don't hesitate to try new things such as Bobotie or ostrich. All of the areas we visited were beautiful. I particularly loved Hermanus with its charming vibe and a spectacular whale watch, and I will dream of Tsitsikamma for a long time. Gazing into tide pools and spotting a beautiful octopus was incredible. Of course, a big part of Africa is the wildlife and this tour gives you plenty of exposure to many of the animals you hope to see. The elephants at Addo felt like something out of a movie. Cape Town is also fascinating. I had no idea the Cape of Good Hope was so vast. The beauty cannot be surpassed. We were lucky enough to have a perfect view at the top of Table Mountain, as well. The people are incredibly kind and friendly wherever you go and it we enjoyed experiencing the mixture of cultures. The accommodations on this tour vary, but we enjoyed them all. The guesthouse in De Rust was so special as the hosts cooked incredible meals for us each night and treated us like special friends. All in all, the time in South Africa was something I will never forget. The people, the scenery, the animals, the food...all of it was so much more than what I expected.