Staff Blogs

Michelle Laverick is Commercial Development Manager here at Explore and is a veteran of adventure travel. However, she's recently travelled on her first Explore Family Adventure, read about her experiences in India below.

I have just returned from my first family tour with Explore and it was such an amazing trip it is going to be difficult to put it into words.  I have always been into Adventure travel, I even met my husband whilst trekking in Nepal, but this was a first time with the family in tow.  We travelled with our two girls, Lily (nearly 7) and Ruby (5 whilst on tour) and we all had a truly brilliant experience.

The tour itself captures the main highlights of Delhi and Rajasthan, and took us from the sights, sounds and smells of Delhi to the awesome Taj Mahal, onto the animals on safari in Rathambore National Park, to the pink city of Jaipur, to village life in Pachewar and finally onto Pushkar.

To me not only was India an amazing country, it was the group itself that made the holiday even more special. We had a complete mix of families, couples with one child, families with two kids, couples with three kids and we also had a grandma with her grandson, and even though we all came from different walks of life, we all got on really well, not to mention the kids.

I was a little worried that the kids ranged from nearly 5 to 15, which was quite an age spread, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. At every meal time it was like them and us, all the kids ate together at one end of the table and we were at the other. On the bus, all the kids sat at the back and all the ‘grown ups’ sat at the front. From their perspective, they had their independence from us and we could have ‘grown up’ conversations about Take That concerts. What also amazed us was that they were also so well behaved and we never even had to say anything to them.

I have to mention the food here too. I was really worried about taking my nearly 5 year old to India, mainly because she is a fussy eater and certainly would not look to eat a curry. So I packed my bags with a few packets of biscuits just to keep her going. The amazing this was, we brought lots of biscuits home with us. The food was great – even for the fussiest of eaters, and it was always possible to order something more familiar when necessary for the kids – including chicken burger and fries. There was also a McDonalds in Delhi and Jaipur if needed. However, the influence from the rest of the kids on the tour encouraged Ruby to try many different foods that she now really loves and she asks for rice and garlic & cheese naan bread every night.

Our tour would not have been complete without our brilliant local tour guide. He took the hassle out of every stage of the tour. We effortlessly travelled on different train journeys during our tour. We went to the movies in Jaipur. He filled us with insights into the way of life in India. He tailored our time to what we all wanted to do, and if we didn’t want to go to the carpet factory, we didn’t have to go. He also had a brilliant sense of humour and all the kids loved him.

India itself was also truly amazing and although we did not see a tiger in Rathambore National Park, we saw so many other animals that the kids forgot all about the tigers. For me the Taj Mahal was a little disappointing however the elephant ride up to the Amber Fort was certainly a highlight for me. The kids talked endlessly about elephant poo after that for hours. The Village tour in Pachewar was humbling when you realise that the biggest smiles were on the local kids faces – and they had very few possessions to talk about. The train journeys were also an amazing way to travel to really see the countryside, the local way of life and the incredible sights of India that the kids will have never seen before. It was a great education for all the family.

All in all the whole family really enjoyed the tour in many different ways. The kids made some great new friends – whilst still enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and animals of India. I loved being able to experience adventure travel again – this time with my kids – getting to see everything I wanted to see all in one tour without the hassle. It was also the most relaxing, whilst being action packed, holiday I have been on with the family. India was more than I could ever have asked for and I loved Amber Fort, Rathambore National Park, seeing my 5 year old climbing up to Savitri Temple in Pushkar and listening to the endless laughter from all the kids (and adults) during everything we did.

To see the tour Michelle and her family travelled on in more detail, visit Taj, Tigers and Palaces.

Richard Beal was the winner of Explore’s 2010 Tour Leader Awards – here he tells us the charity he chose to donate his £500 prize money to and what it means to him.

I have long been looking for a charity to support in Tibet as with Explore I have always loved the way in which we put back into a local community when we are fortunate enough to take so many happy memories out of it. So when I found Dickey’s I was pleased and humbled to have the opportunity to help this project.

People are always surprised by the name – it’s actually a combination of two Tibetan words meaning ‘happiness’ and ‘fine’. The orphanage itself was set up in 2002 by a lady called Dhadon. Her story alone is great let alone the work she has now done with the orphanage.

Dhadon started to sell cigarettes and alcohol to the many frequent visitors to Lhasa at first starting on a small scale but as business progressed buying more stock and selling more, but then after a period of time she became aware of the street children consuming some of her products. She then felt was unacceptable so she put her money into running a tea house, being again lucky in business and getting a great location near to the great Jokhang temple. But still the issue of the street children bothered her, and she looked to her own son who was fortunate enough by this stage to have a successful mother and a good up bringing. She then decided she would try to offer some of the local orphans the same opportunity. So on the 10th of September 2002 she opened Dickey’s, at first only looking after four children, but she sold her jewellery and put most of the profits from the tea house into the orphanage securing a premises on the outskirts of Lhasa.

It has now grown through public donations into an orphanage which homes 72 children. On average most are around 9 yrs old the youngest being 9 months. 21 of these children were abandoned at birth with 4 handicapped. 34 are boys and the rest girls. They have a bank account opened in each of their names and have money put in place for when they are older. There are class rooms on site which are staffed by teachers from around China and abroad on a voluntary basis. Just recently they were very proud as 2 children achieved scholarship on a national level to enter universities in ChongQing. The Children being orphans have no known birth date so a common birthday is celebrated on the founding day the 10th of September.

I went to the orphanage to give them the money and before I got through the door I was met by a very emotional founder and her son. My words and feelings are a little difficult to put to paper but, for me, giving that money was one of the best feelings I have ever had - so thank you.

The founders asked me where we would like it spent. I said as long as it goes to some good for the children we are not too worried and they decided to buy some winter clothes for the children.

If anyone travelling to the region with Explore would like to donate to Dickey’s then food, shoes, clothes etc are always welcomed, especially in the winter when it is cold. But like all charities cash is paramount to the survival. I feel they have done so well to bring the orphanage to this level but need more.

The runners-up in the 2010 Tour Leader Awards also donated money to charities of their choice. Sudarshan KC chose the Helpless Children’s Protection Home in Kathmandu in order to help talented children continue with their studies; Vicky Sotriffer donated to CRAM, a marine charity concerned with the conservation of turtles and other marine life in the Mediterranean and Mohamed Atta chose Nour el Islam in Luxor, Egypt who help widows start their own businesses and provide for orphaned children.

To find out more about Dickey’s and how you can help visit their website.

And the landscape – I had never been to Africa before – the sheer enormity of it is breathtaking.  Vast spaces, in places you drive for an hour or more without seeing another vehicle or human … but there is a whole host of creatures out there getting on with their lives.

The major highlights for me were the animals in Etosha, the sand dunes at Sossusvlei, and the Dolphin cruise in Walvis Bay. I learnt – eventually – that there is no point trying to get the perfect leaping dolphin photo, certainly not with a digital camera with a one second delay.  Just sit back and watch - not through a camera lens!

Aside from the highlights there were a few pleasant surprises:

1. They drive on the left in Namibia!
2. How clean and tidy the towns were, compared to such other Third World countries as I have visited.
3. The food. The picnic lunches made by the tour leader were amazing.  Plentiful, lots of choice, and different every day, including 3 hot lunches.  The 4 veggies in the group could not believe how well he catered for them
4. The tour staff. Not really a surprise but still worth mentioning - our Tour Leader Malven was absolutely excellent. Very efficient organiser, full of information and advice, vastly knowledgeable about Namibia, its people, landscapes, animals, birds, insects and plants.  Prepared great food every day for lunch, as mentioned above the veggies were hugely impressed with what he provided for them. He was endlessly enthusiastic, even more excited than us when we saw a leopard on the last day as we left Etosha!

What I really liked about the tour is the fact that this is not just a safari; the scenery is amazing, and can change completely when you go round a corner.

The variety: from 46° in the desert to a chilly stroll by the sea; you can do a dolphin cruise in the morning and a desert tour in the same afternoon
The drives may be long, but there are so many things to see along the way, and short stops to see amazing trees/birds/insects/plants/views etc

Ok, this is Africa, and not everything is going to be perfect but, as our tour leader said:  If things run to time and don’t go wrong, you are not getting the true Africa experience! Myself and the group I travelled with all really enjoyed the tour, so much so that one group member was in tears at the end because he said it was the best holiday he had ever had and he couldn’t imagine ever having such a good one again.  Nobody else actually cried, but most were totally ecstatic over all they had seen and done, me included!

Experience the Namibia Lodge Safari tour for yourself or find out about more of our safaris in Africa.

Tailormade Sales Manager Emily Bailey Chose a tour of Vietnam & Cambodia for her Honeymoon - read about the special moments that made this a trip of a lifetime...

“So where are you going on honeymoon?” a question you will hear time and again leading up to your wedding. Vietnam and Cambodia often got a response of “Oh – interesting” it may not sound like the “traditional” honeymoon destination but if sitting on the beach is not on the agenda then make your honeymoon a trip of a lifetime!

Welcome to Vietnam! We landed in Hanoi on the 1000 year anniversary of the cities birth and it was crazy!  We had stumbled upon the event of the year, light shows on the lake and musical shows where everywhere. Hustle and bustle are complete understatements. Our hotel was a moment of calm – once a Chinese merchants house the Maison d’Hanoi is now a fabulous boutique hotel in the heart of the city. After a few days we knew this was a city we would never forget!

What we really needed was a bit of relaxation so we headed into the countryside, we were heading to Mai Chau, a little known area home to Thai hilltribes. The Mai Chau lodge was our base for the next few days, located on the edge of the village surrounded by rice paddies and views of typical Vietnamese scenery. The lodge offered a mixture of relaxation, culture and activities. On bike rides and walks we met locals, watched them work in the rice paddies, played football with their children and, during a tropical downpour, we were even invited in to their homes to have the local rice wine, well it would have been rude to say no!

Now fully chilled out, we moved on to the majestic Ha Long Bay. As we sailed into the bay of 1000? Islands we felt like the pirates of the South China Sea.  We spent the afternoon on sea kayaks paddling  through the calm warms waters surrounded by limestone castes as the sun set we headed back to the junk. The evening meal was course after course of fresh local fish, a perfect end to a wonderful day.

So northern Vietnam was done and we headed south, first stop – shopping! The destination – Hoi An.  Here, every other shop is a tailors and 6 hours later we have two ball gowns, two suites, two pairs of trousers and two shirts all made to measure -  now that’s what I call service!
Hoi An isn’t all about the tailors, it has great colonial feel with French influenced architecture,   and a cafe culture combined with Chinese temples and, a short bike ride away, white sandy beaches. And best of all – no mopeds! As a UNESCO World Heritage Site the old town is being preserved so you can wander through the quiet streets at a wonderfully relaxed pace.

Next stop the capital – Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon. A name that conjures up visions of French colonial times and images of recent wars. My husband is into his war history so we had to include the Chi Chi Tunnels .  And what an interesting place it was  - we went into tunnels that the Vieng Cong spent years burrowed away from the American, saw the weapons that they designed to fend off the enemy and saw craters where B52’s had dropped their bombs. Not something most people do on their honeymoon but now I was intrigued and wanted to know more about the atrocities of the 1960’s.

So the next day we wandered through Saigon, first stop the Reunification Palace – the tanks that liberated the palace still sit on the lawn. A knowledgeable local guide takes us round the state rooms and describes how it would have been before the day that made history. Another must visit is the War Remants Museum, whilst inside is moving and has many images and stories of the atrocities the courtyard is home to the American armies abandoned helicopters, jets and tanks.  The day was educational and I have learnt so much about the Vietnam War. Although a sombre day the many pit stops at French influenced cafes and bars made it bearable!

Now back to the present and the Mekong Delta, a day trip sees us bargaining some crisps and chocolate and bought us a watermelon at a floating market. Our private boat cruised through down the mighty Mekong and through its tributaries and canals. We see how this delta gives great trade to the area making popcorn and rice paper in abundance.

Now I need some beach time! Three hours from Saigon and we arrive and the Cham Villas at Phan Thiet, a wonderful resort. With just a handful of bungalows all set in lush gardens, each bungalow feels private and has a day- bed on the veranda, bliss! We have a few days to play in the sea and lie on a beach.  And the restaurant has some of the best food of the trip so far!

So after three days on the beach we are ready to move on and Cambodia is the next destination. Whilst we were in the area we wanted to see Angkor Wat. We explore the fabulous Angkor temples, all so diverse and intriguing in their own way. We watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat and as the hoards head back to their hotels for breakfast we head into a near deserted temple. Our local guide produces the issue of National Geographic  featuring the Angkor dynasty and Tim has a new best friend! We learn the stories of the bas reliefs and get into the centre of the temple and climb the steep stairs to the top, here there are views of the jungle that hide these awesome temples.

Now to Angkor Thom (better known as the Tomb Raider temple), in stark contrast the temple is still entwined with the trees that dragged it back into the jungle until recently discovered. Our guide has timed our visit so it is fairly empty – a theme that goes through the whole day.

We return late in the afternoon to the FCC Angkor, our base for our stay in Cambodia, a contemporary hotel that was once the Foreign Correspondence Club. The pool is sheer luxury after the steam of the jungle and the colonial feel means a gin and tonic on the veranda is a necessity.

And that was how our time in South East Asia ended, next morning we are on a plane homeward bound and the trip of a lifetime is done! My abiding memories of the trip will be that it felt like we were away for months, a few days in each place made the excitement of a new destination last for 3 weeks. So if sitting on a beach in a luxury hotel isn’t your thing then consider a trip like mine!"

Emily went on an Explore Tailormade honeymoon like the Tailormade Vietnam & Cambodia holiday. If you would like us to plan a tailor made honeymoon, please contact us.