In our opinion, March until April is the best time for tigers in India because it’s hotter and therefore easier to them lying in the shade or next to water sources. November after the wet season is also great if you’re looking for a cooler time of the year – and super green vegetation.
In Botswana - the most popular time to visit is May through to October; the delta is at maximum flow by August - that said outside of these times are also good, November is very arid - with excellent game viewing opportunities as a result. Feb and March are the opposite - very green, birdlife is amazing - it can be harder to spot more elusive wildlife. We don't operate Dec to mid Feb due to the rains.
Costa Rica is a year-round destination. It all depends on what you’d like to see. July/August are perfect turtle watching months, as well as whale watching. It's the 'rainy season' but only short tropical afternoon downpours which make the rainforest come alive. You will also have less people visiting during this time. Typically, the dry season (December to April) has less rainfall but can be much busier, particularly in the peak months January and February.
It's a real balance with group tours as there are lots of different interests among the groups. For our wildlife tours we have fantastic wildlife guides who help everyone get the best from the tour. I'd recommend chatting to your tour leader and guides on tour to let them know what especially interests you - they then use that info to make sure everyone in the group has a brilliant experience. Our guides are wonderful for adjusting the pace of the tour for the group, especially if you want to get that money shot!
We don't have any photography specific tours on sale now, however we do encourage groups of friends with the same interest to book a departure together which could work for a photography specific departure.
The bugs are almost non-existent in the cooler months for India.
In Botswana we would suggest you have some mosquito spray handy when you’re close to water sources (e.g. when on the houseboat on the river).
In Costa Rica it’s a good idea to bring insect repellent, the wet season is more likely to have biting insects.
Yes, we do have specific family trips if you would like to travel with kids up to 17 (kids from 18 onwards are free to join the adult tours). Our Costa Rica family trip is very popular. We also have a brilliant Family Botswana and Zimbabwe Safari Adventure. The India Tiger safari is not yet set up for families, but we do have a family India trip (the Family India Golden Triangle Adventure) that visits Ranthambore National Park with several safaris.
In India we've paced the trip so that the longest transfer time is around 5 hours. The roads in Madhya Pradesh are much improved which has made transfers between lodges easier than they used to be.
In Costa Rica, the longest journey is from Arenal to Manuel Antonio at around 4.5 hours, but the other journeys are between 2-3 hours.
In Botswana there is one long transfer drive that takes 11 hours, when we are crossing from Botswana into Namibia, drive down the Caprivi strip to then get back to Vic Falls in Zimbabwe. Any other transfers take about 3-4 hours but are game drives at the same time, so don’t seem like regular transfers at all.
We can cater for most dietary requirements in all destinations, but we'll always reach out to our local partners with the details of what we need to be in place to make sure it's possible.
Indian food is so varied and plenty of people aren't too fond of very spicy food! There are always options for all tastes and the country is great for anyone looking for vegetarian and even vegan options - plenty of wonderful dishes as often lots of sharing dishes can be ordered. I'd always suggest chatting to your tour leader and letting them know what you really enjoy, they are used to sharing their love of food with the groups and making sure there are things to suit everyone’s tastes. In the north of India, the dishes tend to be a little spicier, in the south they often feature coconut milk which makes them lovely and cooling. There really is something for everyone.
When camping and on the houseboat in Botswana there will always be a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option available. If you have any other specific dietary requirements, we do recommend for you to get in touch with us, as we may be able to organise tailored meals for you.
We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free dietary requirements in Costa Rica. Please advise us of any specific dietary requirements and our local partners will make sure this is accommodated.
That’s the million-dollar question. We can’t guarantee it, but it is incredibly likely that you will have multiple sightings on your trip. You’d have to be very unlucky not to see one.
It is very easy these days to get money changed and there isn't a huge difference. India's ATM network is impressive, so you could also consider a foreign currency card like Monzo or Chase which are widely accepted and offer good rates.
Nothing compulsory, but we recommend protection against Tetanus, Infectious Hepatitis, Typhoid and Polio. Please consult your travel clinic for the latest advice on Malaria, Dengue and Zika Virus and check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure. Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed by you before traveling.
You will be spoilt in India for sure - not just for the wildlife but the colors and light too! In terms of distances, it really depends. The guides are very good and will generally stick to the tracks and keep their distance, but you may get lucky where a tiger might cross right in front of the vehicle. In general, though, I would say a 300mm focal length would get you close enough to most wildlife. If you are prepared for carrying the size and weight of the kit you could bring a longer lens, then even better.
Lightweight clothing is best, and in pale, muted colors so as not to stand out to the wildlife. Take a couple of warm layers for the early mornings and evenings - it can get surprisingly chilly. It's worth taking comfy clothes for the evening when you'll be relaxing in the lodges and chatting about all the amazing things you've seen in the day, plus a sunhat and sunglasses are a must. Footwear should be closed toe shoes for walks during the day and take some comfy sandals or flip flips for the downtime.
There will be charging options at all the accommodation, but taking a small solar power bank is a great idea to ensure you never run out – especially when camping.
When camping in Chobe, Moremi, and Savuti you are in open camps. So once everyone else leaves the park, you will be able to stay in the park and get to enjoy the sights and sounds of all times of the day. The camp crew rotate to keep watch so no unwelcome visitors will come to the camp.
The vehicle has open sides, so there aren’t any windows that would reflect and block you from any views. The front row has 2 seats, and all the other rows have 3 seats. The views are great, no matter what seat you are on and usually people tend to switch it up and sit in on different seats during the different game drives. The middles seat offers the advantage of you being able to get the best views from both sides but don’t worry, our guides will make sure to change the angle of the car, so the ‘window’ seats also get an uninterrupted view.
You will be able to leave the safari vehicle (but stay close) during lunch or toilet breaks and when the guide sees fit but will be asked to stay in the car during the game drives as it is dangerous to leave the vehicle.
You can absolutely do both. We include a day for rafting, while zip wiring is optional but there's time in the itinerary to do that plus lots of other different activities.
If you do the rafting, you need to be able to swim, but otherwise it's not necessary. The boats up to Tortuguero are small motorboats and they have lifejackets aboard.
Costa Rica trip is "moderate" this means that there will be early starts but also early finishes, so you have time to recover or keep exploring.
Most of the guests on our small group tours are traveling solo. All our tours have an optional single supplement to upgrade to a single room (visible on the website), but you will have a twin share room with another solo traveler with no additional cost.
We have a maximum group size of 16 on most of our tours, but some (such as the Botswana trip) are lower due to vehicle sizes. In Botswana we take a maximum of 12.
Our groups are a mix of solos, couples, friends traveling together - no group is the same but around 60% of our customers are traveling solo. The age range is equally varied, and we welcome everyone to our groups, the average age is around 55 and typically ranges from 40 - 70 and plenty either side.
We offer the Loyalty Switch option to join our loyalty scheme. We really want you to try our trips, so say you've completed 5 trips with a competitor you'll join us as a Gold Explorer giving you a 7% discount.
You can read more here.
We can book flights from any of the UK airports, give us a quick call and we can chat through options from your preferred airport.
Transfers are always included with Explore if you're joining on the first day of the trip, so we'll pick you up from the airport no matter if you've booked your flights with us or not. That gives you some piece of mind at the airport on arrival.