Director Michelle on a mokoro in Botswana
Explore and Travel Africa
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2020)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $8,585 to $34,338 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
FI
Email Mirja & Janne and Katja & Jukka | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An excellent travel itinerary and a smooth overall experience from start to finish
Our trip to South Africa was absolutely unforgettable and perfectly organized from start to finish. The travel itinerary was excellent—we drove approximately 1,500 km along the stunning Garden Route, passing through several beautiful, clean towns and staying in lovely hotels along the way.
From there, we flew to Kruger National Park, where the safari experiences exceeded all expectations. We were fortunate enough to see incredible wildlife, including leopards, elephants, giraffes, and hippos in their natural habitat—truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The journey continued to Zimbabwe, where we visited the breathtaking Victoria Falls, which were simply spectacular and a perfect finale to our trip.
The hotels throughout the journey offered great value for money, and the food was consistently excellent and very reasonably priced. A special thank you goes to Michele, who provided prompt and helpful support whenever we had questions or needed assistance during the trip—her service was truly outstanding.
This was an amazing journey that completely captivated our group. South Africa exceeded all our expectations, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. Highly recommended!
Email Brooke & Matt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Michelle was knowledgeble, asked excellent questions and guided us resulting in the perfect safari!
This trip could not have been more perfect. We arrived in Johannesburg and stayed at the Intercontinental and headed back to the airport to jump on a plane to Zimbabwe the following morning. We had lunch at the Look Out Cafe which overlooked the mighty Zambezi River and then headed to Victoria Falls for a private tour. The falls were gorgeous and our guide provided an excellent overview. We then headed to the Royal Livingstone in Zambia where we were greeted by zebra and giraffe on property. While checking in, we were provided with wine and the staff catered to us and all guests around the clock. We were celebrating my birthday and came back from dinner one evening to find a bottle of wine and a birthday cake. We must give a shout out to Edward. He was amazing! The next day we took a jetti boat up the river to the Elephant Cafe which is an elephant sanctuary. We spent time with 3 of the elephants on property and their trainers. The interactions were incredible! We were then greeted by the staff and chefs who walked through every course we would be having for lunch. I have severe food allergies and the chefs could not have been more attentive in altering the menu for me. We would highly recommend you visit this cafe. Our last day in Zambia was relaxing and included a sunset cruise on the river. The sunset was heavenly. We then headed to Cape Town and hiked Lions Head, did a tour of the Peninsula and also spent a day in the Stellenbosch wine country doing tastings. The views and wine were spectacular. We didn't want to leave. Antony was our guide both days. He was incredibly friendly and informative! We then concluded the trip with a safari and stayed at Shumbalala Game Lodge. Words can't describe this experience. Our room was spacious and upon request, the staff would light a fire in our room every evening. The room was stocked with insect repellent, sunscreen, we had heavy jackets for morning game drives, blankets and also water babies to keep us warm. Elephants daily drinking not just from the watering hole but also from the plunge pools. Danielle and her staff were remarkable. Each evening, we rotated where we ate dinner so outside overlooking the watering hole, inside, in the wine cellar and then to our surprise, they moved a table into our room and we had a romantic, candlelight dinner the last evening. A warm bubble bath was also drawn with rose petals and candles surrounding it. This lodge sleeps 14 people max and I highly recommend it as the experience is so intimate. Calvin (our driver) and Tony (our tracker) became like family. The animal viewing was spectacular. We saw elephant, lions, leopard, buffalo, rhinos, giraffe and the list goes on! We took morning and evening game drive breaks that involved pastries, juices, snacks and cocktails. Everything was top notch. Calvin and Tony also spent a good amount of time educating us on the animals. These guys have taken classes and continue to study animal behaviors, tracks, etc. We can't wait to go back and introduce our children to this lodge and this amazing experience which we have Michelle to thank for. I've worked with travel agents who are opinionated and push you in one direction and Michelle was the anthesis of this. She asked questions, listened and gave excellent advice. We have immense appreciation for all she did to create a long lasting memory for us. Thank you, Michelle!
Email Ron and Sally | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Michelle is a really professional and knowledgeable operator who overdelivered on our expectations
We decided to use Michelle, as a local South African-based travel agent who had first-hand experience, rather than an Australian agent operating from a desk and screen, and we were not disappointed. In fact, Michelle far exceeded our expectations in every way.
We gave her an outline of where we wanted to go and suggested that five-star experiences is what we wanted, without going over the top. Her communication was outstanding, including a couple of phone calls, and her suggestions and attention to detail, particularly with tour, driver, accommodation and meal options.
The itinerary and tours that she planned was amazing:
We arrived in Cape Town, from London and stayed at the beautiful Victoria and Albert hotel at the Waterfront - so convenient to everything. We did wine and Cape Peninsular tours, along with Robben Island and Table Mountain and we even squeezed in a rugby game.
At Victoria Falls, we had superb accommodation at Ilala Lodge, where we could see the mist from the falls. A Zambezi River cruise, with dinner after. The helicopter ride over the falls and upstream and downstream was spectacular. A guided tour of both sides of the falls and a walk across the bridge was followed by lunch at The Lookout Cafe, downstream from the Falls and then to a the amazing Dusty Road Township Restaurant for dinner. Then a day tour to Chobe, including a boat cruise and game drive and a lunch at a local hotel.
We then flew to Kruger and overnighted at Oliver's, a beautiful boutique hotel located on the White River Country Estate, where we wished we could have stayed longer to at play the renowned golf course.
The two game lodges we stayed at were sensational with amazing accommodation, meals and, best of all, great guides - we saw not only the big Five of Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalos and Leopards but also Cheetahs and Wild Dogs to make the Super 7, plus Giraffes, Zebra, Impala, Hippos, Monkeys and amazing birdlife.
At Inyati Game Lodge, in Sabi Sand, we had a beautiful chalet near the river, with monkeys and Impala wandering through, great food and twice daily game drives. Our day two post on Facebook: Walk to the Giraffes, a pair of Leopards (mating), Lions resting after a kill and more elephants - a cute baby that got startled when our guide started the engine and it gave out a trumpet and charged three metres at us as we slowly drove off. He looked quite proud of himself and will dine out on the story for years.
After three nights, it was a three-hour drive to another of the private game parks in the Kruger, Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp in the private Timbavati Nature reserve, for three nights. Wow. This was Luxury personified, with only four rooms. Our "tent" was absolutely stunning, just metres from the dam. We arrived in time for tea, before the evening game drive, to be greeted by a herd of 25 elephants, of which many also come for tea at the dam every day, much to the annoyance of the resident Hippos and two Egyptian geese.
Our, too short, tour ended with a flight to Johannesburg and then back to Sydney.
Thanks, Michelle for a real "Bucket list" experience.
Email Mary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Cape Town - Victoria Falls - Botswana Safaris
We started out in Cape Town staying at the Victoria & Albert Hotel. Visited the local market on Saturday and then spent the next three days touring with a guide: (1) Table Mountain (2) Cape Peninsula; and (3) Winelands. Food, accommodations and service were excellent. Tours were interesting and guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Fly to Victoria Falls and lunch at the Lookout Cafe followed by a tour of the falls from the Zimbabwe side. Traveled by van to the Zambia side of the falls with a two-night stay at the Royal Livingston Hotel. Walked from hotel to see the falls. Wear sandals and shorts with rain gear and umbrella when visiting the falls. It's wet! Giraffes and zebras roam the hotel grounds, providing a glimpse of what is to come on safari. We traveled to Botswana and spent three nights in four separate safari camps. We started with Chobe Game Lodge on the Chobe River. Safari by boat and jeep twice a day. Lots of elephants, impala, baboons, giraffes. A nice transition into the safari daily routine and staying in the park cut down on drive time. Next stop, Wilderness Savuti, a tented camp in the Linyanti Concession followed by Little Vumbura and finished up with Wilderness Qorokwe. We were assigned a guide for each tented camp stay. Guides were knowledgeable about animals, plants, birds and the local community. Accommodations were nice and staff were polite, friendly and helpful. Food was good! Lots and lots of animals and birds. We were gone for three weeks but it went by fast! Explore & Travel Africa made this the easiest and best trip we have taken. The Travelkey app they use is great; no paper to carry around. And once you are in the safari camps, they take care of your schedule and daily needs, including laundry! Pack light.
Email Richard | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well-planned 2 lodge safari without a hitch
My wife and I have been on 9 safaris. The most recent safari was organized by Michelle at Explore and Travel Africa. We have used three different operators for our safaris since we are always looking for high quality tour operators when dealing with Africa. Traveling to Africa is complex and you need to rely on someone with a lot of experience to organize the camps, the transfers and all the little bits and pieces that go into having trouble-free safari. During our last safari we stayed at 2 lodges. Since we have traveled a lot, we are quite experienced at doing research on different lodges and travel issues related to going on safari, but we still rely on travel experts for their advice in planning a nice safari. Michelle did an excellent job. She was responsive to all the questions we had. Because we are experienced and detail oriented, we may have bugged her more than the average client. But she weathered the storm and did a nice job. We had no problems with the safari everything went smoothly without any issues.
We have already organized another safari using Michelle. Michelle has done an excellent job on two safaris for us by answering all our detailed questions. She has been flexible since we have been known to change plans or switch the lodges we wish to stay at prior to completing our final safari plans. We are probably not the easiest clients, and we are quite happy with the work that Michelle from Explore and Travel Africa has done for us.
Email Sherri | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime
Thank you Michelle for putting our trip of a life time together for us. It was perfect. From the places we stayed to the food we ate and the people we met, we could not have been more pleased. The 4 camps were above and beyond all expectations. I can't believe how close we were to the wildlife and how much we experienced. I especially liked all the baby animals on Mothers Day. Celebrating our anniversary of 20 years was beautiful. We will not hesitate refering more friends and family through you so they too can enjoy Africa in style.
Professional service and excellent attention offered by Michelle Astbury
I would definitely use the services of Explore & Travel Africa and would recommend Michelle Astbury and her outstanding services to friends and family.
IL
Email Ditza | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An unforgettable Okavango safari – truly a dream experience
Our safari to the Okavango Delta, organized through Safari and Desert, was nothing short of extraordinary. These were nine days of absolute heaven, beautifully planned and flawlessly executed from start to finish.
We stayed at Xugana, Camp Xakanaxa, and Savute, and each camp offered an exceptional and unique experience. Xugana was especially magical, the new lodge is stunning, set in breathtaking surroundings. The walking safaris and water-based excursions were highlights, and the sense of tranquility and exclusivity was remarkable. At times, it felt almost like a private retreat, with an incredibly attentive team caring for just us and one other couple.
Our guide at Xugana, Pound, was outstanding, highly experienced, dynamic, and deeply knowledgeable. His enthusiasm and professionalism truly elevated the entire safari.
The lodge team at Xakanaxa was equally warm and welcoming. Even on a stormy day when a safari had to be canceled and water entered the room, the experience remained positive thanks to the exceptional care and atmosphere created by the staff.
Savute was another highlight. The lodge was excellent, and just across the dining area there was a beautiful water basin where animals came to drink and bathe, a postcard-perfect African scene. Wildlife sightings exceeded all expectations, and the guiding by K.T. was superb. He made a special effort each day to track and find rare animals that are often difficult to spot, which made every game drive exciting and rewarding. We were thrilled to see an extraordinary variety of animals and birds, so much so that we managed to check off nearly everything listed in our Okavango guidebook.
Beyond the wildlife and lodges, we were deeply impressed by Safari and Desert as a company. It was clear that staff members are treated with respect and pride in their work, and this translated into the warm, genuine hospitality we experienced everywhere. We were particularly moved to see women in leadership positions, with female directors at both Savute and Xugana.
Overall, this was a once-in-a-lifetime safari experience, thoughtfully curated, deeply immersive, and truly unforgettable. We wholeheartedly recommend Michelle Astbury the director of Explore & Travel Africa to anyone considering a safari in Botswana and would return without hesitation.
Email Kevin Tierney | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful People, Beautiful Country
My wife and I decided to visit South Africa and enjoy a safari experience. We contacted Michelle of Explore and Travel Africa and she set out to design the precise trip we were looking for. We had no idea what to expect, but loved the entire experience. We spent our time in Kruger National Park, Thornybush Reserve, Sabi Sands Reserve, and Cape Town. Our first stop was at Hippo Hollow Lodge in Hazyview, where we stayed for two nights. We enjoyed a full day of birding in Kruger National Park and saw more than 70 different species of birds as well as many species of animals. The experience was everything we hoped for as our guide was knowledgeable and thoughtful, stopping to let us get pictures and enjoy the experience. We lunched at the golf course in Kruger where the food was great and the views were fantastic.
Leaving Hippo Hollow, we headed to Shimungwe Lodge in the Thornybush Reserve. We stayed there four nights and had an incredible experience. We did safaris twice a day and saw an amazing assortment of creatures. We viewed the "big five" within the first two days in addition to hyenas, hippos, impalas, kudus, nyala, many birds, hares, giraffes, zebras, and more. Lucan was a terrific guide and his brother, Dani was an amazing tracker. They were patient, kind, and always willing to answer our questions and help us to see all we hoped for. The Shimungwe Lodge has only four guest rooms and provides an intimate lodging and dining experience. It was our favorite lodge for this reason and we sincerely hope to return one day, as the experience there was second to none.
From Shimungwe we ventured to Elephant Plains Lodge in the Sabi Sands Reserve. This lodge was not as intimate as Shimungwe, but they provided great hospitality and a tremendous safari experience. Our guide Armand, made sure we once again saw the "big five," and gave us a fantastic viewing experience. Animals we saw here that we didn't see at Thornybush included jackals, duiker, and waterbuck. Food at the lodge was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed out stay.
Following our stay at Elephant Plains we flew to Cape Town to finish our our trip at the Winchester Boutique Hotel, where hospitality and service reign supreme. We did some birding in the Eastern Cape and a Cape Point tour, both of which were fabulous.
Michelle communicated with us throughout our trip and even made small changes at our request. She was amazing and we will always be grateful for her efforts to design the perfect trip to satisfy our bucket list. We have incredible shared memories from our experiences and we thank Michelle for her patience, willingness to listen to our requests, and her tremendous follow through in making our vacation absolutely perfect. Should we have the opportunity to return to South Africa, we will definitely call Michelle and ask for her assistance again.
Email Monique | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top quality service and we will not hesitate to get Michelle to organise our next trip.
Michelle pulled together an amazing two weeks for us and our two daughters. Arrangements were seamless and the accommodation selections were just what we wanted. Thanks Michelle.