Explore Tour Leader Awards

Each year we honour our top tour leaders, nominated by our customers and chosen by an expert panel.

Recognising dedication and passion

Explore Tour Leaders are the best in the business. We like to show our amazing tour leaders that we know they're crucial to the success of each individual trip we run and we simply couldn't function without them. The Explore Tour Leader Awards recognise those tour leaders who have made your adventure extra special.

Although there are no individual categories, there are four main criteria the judges use when making their decisions:

1. Local knowledge
2. People skills
3. Organisational skills
4. Respect for local people, culture and the environment

Have you had an outstanding Explore tour leader that you feel has displayed all of these qualities? Nominate them for the Explore Tour Leader Awards to help us reward their talent and dedication by completing your CSQ (Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire) upon return from your next trip.

2025 Tour Leader Awards winners

Our tour leader of the year is...Ester Galindo!

Congratulations to our overall Tour Leader of the Year winner, Ester, who leads Explore tours in Spain and Portugal.

Ester wins £1500, plus a travel fund of £2000 so that she can travel on an Explore tour. We're also donating £500 to an Explore Foundation project of Ester's choosing.

"Ester was actually a runner-up last year, so this is excellence across a long period! You'll find multiple 5-star reviews raving about her on our Spain and Portugal tours. Equally at home on cultural and trekking tours, Ester is regularly praised for going the extra mile to ensure everyone’s experience is as good as it can be. The words her groups use most often to describe her are a perfect summary : positive, good energy, really experienced, thoughtful and funny." - Explore Product Manager, Tom.

Customer comments:
"Ester is honestly the BEST tour guide I have ever known, she was incredible - caring, patient, funny, organised and so knowledgeable."

"This is the second tour I have done with Ester & she is without a doubt the best I have ever had. Her enthusiasm & passion for what she does is such a large part of what makes the tours great. You could not ask for a more amazing person to lead you."

"Ester was a fantastic guide. She was extremely helpful, well organised, knowledgeable about the area and looked after us very well."

"Ester was the best guide that I've had on any tour. She took great care that everyone was accommodated and included each day. She has a lovely personality and communicated very well with the group."

Runners up

Congratulations to our three runners up, who each win £750.

Assan Saine (Senegal and The Gambia)

"Assan throws everything into his job as a tour leader, balancing being warm and friendly with the highest levels of professionalism. His passion for birdwatching is infectious – impressing not just the twitcher community with his encyclopaedic knowledge of bird species in Senegal and The Gambia but also inspiring those not massively into birdwatching. It’s hard not to get excited by Assan’s enthusiasm when he spots a rare breed of bird!" - Explore Product Manager, Antony.

More about Assan

Carlos Tomas Morales (Central America)

“Carlos leads one of Explore’s longest and more complex itineraries, a 25-day journey featuring six land border crossings and he does this with remarkable expertise and composure. Despite the challenges this itinerary brings, he maintains an impeccable record of feedback, with consistent 5 out of 5 scores. Carlos is a tremendous asset to Explore and is thoroughly deserving of this recognition.” Explore Product Manager, Izzy

More about Carlos

Peter Myers (Amalfi and Mont Blanc)

“Peter is a real standout leader, consistently earning fantastic feedback. His deep knowledge shines through and is often mentioned, along with the care and attention he puts into every detail to make sure everyone has an amazing trip. He brings a great sense of fun and energy to each holiday, helping create a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere for the group. At the same time, he’s always highly focused on safety, giving guests confidence that they’re in very capable hands.” – Explore Product Manager, Ali

More about Peter

NEW for 2025: Tour Leader Impact Award

We're excited to introduce a new category in our Tour Leader Awards - the Impact Award. This award recognises leaders who go above and beyond to create positive climate, community and biodiversity impact through their day‑to‑day actions. Whether through championing local producers, reducing environmental footprint, protecting natural habitats or inspiring Explore travellers, this award honours leaders who leave destinations better than they found them.

Tour Leader Impact Award winner - Spiros Apergis

Congratulations to our inaugural winner of our Impact Award, Spiros, who leads Explore tours in Corfu.

Spiros wins £1000, and we'll be donating £500 to an Explore Foundation project of his choosing.

Customer comments:
"His commitment to the environment is outstanding."

"Spiros is passionate about the Corfu trail, maintaining it and looking after it, as well as making our tour an absolute delight."

"Nothing was too much trouble. He deeply cares about Corfu. So passionate it certainly rubbed off on me."

"Passionate about promoting sustainable tourism in Corfu."

More about Spiros