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:
- $500 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, 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
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Email Alexis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Five Star Service - Knowledgeable, Professional and Proactive
We had an incredible experience planning our trip with Michelle, the owner of Explore and Travel Africa. She dedicated a lot of time and had multiple calls with my family and me to understand our goals and tailor the perfect itinerary. From Cape Town and Stellenbosch to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Hazyview, and Kruger National Park, every detail was thoughtfully arranged.
Michelle booked us at fantastic hotels and lodges, and we felt we had the ideal amount of time in each location. Our guides were reliable, knowledgeable, and added a lot of value to our experience. Transportation was seamless and dependable throughout the trip.
Some of the trip highlights included staying at the Wallow Lodge and enjoying a sundowner overlook of the Gorge, spending a day in Chobe National Park, the breathtaking Panorama Tour, and our unforgettable time at Walkers Plains Camp in Kruger.
We especially want to highlight how impressed we were with Michelle when, despite circumstances beyond her control, she went above and beyond to ensure our trip stayed on track. When a Nor’easter was predicted to hit just as our initial flight to Cape Town was scheduled, our family panicked and we moved up our flight and booked the cheapest room at the first hotel she arranged for us. Michelle proactively contacted the hotel to upgrade us to the Junior Suites we were originally booked in, so we didn’t have to change rooms—a thoughtful and calming gesture.
The second situation was when one of the airports we were supposed to fly into grounded all planes and refused landing. Michelle reached out to us beforehand, giving us a heads-up about the possibility of being rerouted and advising us to still fly to that airport as she would handle logistics. Thank goodness she did, because the airline was not transparent and only informed us upon landing that we would be at a different airport. While other passengers were panicked and shocked, we felt reassured knowing Michelle was already working behind the scenes—securing us a private driver and ensuring we arrived at our destination on the same day.
We wholeheartedly recommend Michelle and Explore and Travel Africa to anyone looking for a well-organized, memorable adventure. Her dedication, professionalism, and proactive approach truly made our trip perfect!
Brilliant.
Our safari tour was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. The hotel in Cape Town was in an ideal location, making it easy to explore the city. We visited three different wineries — each unique and fantastic in its own way. Cape of Good Hope and the penguins were a joy to see, and Table Mountain was simply magnificent.
The itinerary was perfectly timed and thoughtfully put together based on what we wanted, and all the accommodation throughout was excellent. Nambu Camp stood out for its incredible hospitality — truly the best I’ve ever experienced. We also stayed at Umkumbe Camp, where we got wonderfully close to wildlife and experienced a different part of Kruger Park, offering a fresh perspective on the animals and scenery.
Victoria Falls was another highlight — absolutely brilliant, with accommodation ideally located near the Vic Falls Bridge. The Panoramic Tour in South Africa was also fantastic. Every tour guide and ranger we met was insightful, friendly, and perfectly suited to us.
Overall, a beautifully organized and unforgettable trip.
Email Matt | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic service from day one until trip
I contacted a few companies re a multi location trip and Explore and Travel Africa were the best response I received and from that moment until my trip the information and options they provided, the service and contact I received and the locations proposed were second to none. The hotel they selected in Cape Town was amazing and had all the other customers on our excursions jealous, the hotel in sari was fab and was a beautiful lodge and the drives were great. The location selected in Thabamati was out of this world.
We also received a lovely touch in our hotel in Cape Town with welcome gifts and the fact I was given their WhatsApp number should there be any issues was amazing service. Everything on the trip ran to plan, the local communication was also great.
I have to say we are looking at potential future trips and I will be using Explore and Travel Africa again for these.
Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent customer service!
Michelle is incredible - she listened to what we wanted and put together a great itinerary with some amazing accommodation . South Africa is a fabulous country to explore with Cape Town a must and safari’s a defo must! Can’t wait to go back!
Michelle is very accommodating to all of the questions and needs from far away travelers.
We absolutely loved the trip. How can one know how to book a 14 day walking safari without the guidance of Michelle? She created a trip of a lifetime and helped with all of the moving parts. We are forever grateful for her services!
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Email Brian | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Frist time Botswana safari
Michelle did a good job arranging our first trip to Africa. I am detailed with a lot of questions. She was personable and patient with all our questions and requests. The trip she arranged, on somewhat short notice, met all our expectations. We stayed in Cape Town before 11 nights in three Botswana camps, two in the Okavango and one in the Kalahari. The trip was what we wanted and went off without a hitch. We would use her services again and recommend her.
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Email Nancy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Michelle was extremely knowledgeable and made all our dream vacation come to life.
We were 4 veterinarians (ranging in age from 66 - 84 years of age). We had carefully researched options before contacting Michelle- we wanted several gorilla treks, a trek to see the golden monkeys, a tour of a chimpanzee refuge plus a visit with their veterinarian, a safari with lion researchers, a discussion with a mongoose researcher, and a visit to a gorilla doctors facility. All these were very specific and she came through with all of them and arranged sedan chairs for the treks for those of us who needed them. Did not know about the habituated gorilla family in Mgahinga and she suggested getting permits for there as well as Bwindi. This certainly was not "an easy canned tour", but Michelle listened carefully and tailored the trip perfectly for us. Michelle checked in with us regularly during the trip to make sure everything was going smoothly. She made all this happen within our budgets - Uganda is a real value for your money. After every adventure we all exclaimed that each one was even better than we had anticipated! Thank you Michelle for a trip of a lifetime!!!
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Email Andrea | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent planning provided a delightful experience!
Michelle planned a wonderful 2-week safari for us. We enjoyed walking safaris in the remote and varied landscapes of Kruger as well as game drives. The service was impeccable, with not a desire left unfulfilled. We were told by our last guide that we had planned the progression of our trip through the Kruger perfectly, and we owe that all to Michelle and her knowledgeable insight. I. I highly recommend Michelle and Travel Africa for planning an unforgettable safari experience.
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Email Suzanne Moore | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very thorough, timely, and open to flexibility on what the client wants
We were more than thrilled with our trip to South Africa and Kruger N.P. and Namibia. Michelle helped us design an amazing experience with the lodges in the private reserves outside Kruger. She gave us the flexibility to design our as well as book our Cape Town experience, but she provided valuable insight into the areas where we should consider staying. We wanted a self driving safari in Namibia and new 8 days was going to be tough to see as much as we could, and Michelle delivered a wonderful itinerary and some amazing lodges for us to call home even for a night. We hope to return to Africa and we will certainly be reaching out to her to help us plan an amazing vacation. We highly recommend reaching out to her to design your adventure whether its a once in a lifetime or your 100th visit to the area.
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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!