About Us

eXplore Plus Travel and Tours

eXplore Plus Travel & Tours started in 2004 when Mariska Griffin and Rika Groenewald were sitting on a beach on Zanzibar, after climbing Kilimanjaro and decided, as they love travelling so much, why not start their own company. They began by selling Zanzibar and very soon they became one of the top 5 sellers to Zanzibar.

As they both grew up on farms in South Africa, they have always had a deep love for the bush. This naturally led them to focus more and more on African safaris and destinations. They soon realised there was a need for high quality itineraries based on in-depth knowledge, complemented by strong attention to detail.

Over the years, eXplore Plus Travel & Tours has evolved into a vibrant, thriving company always aiming to deliver excellent service, on par with the highest international standards. The company is now a reputable, established company and leader in ground-breaking African travel.

They created a travel company which combine excellent service and knowledge and of the highest international standards; establishing eXplore Plus Travel & Tours as a leader in ground-breaking African travel. Not only do they share 50 years of industry experience, but they have also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro 11 times, including the other four highest mountains in Africa!

This goes to show how adventurous and passionate they truly are! With extensive first-hand knowledge of the destinations on offer and their respected reputation in the market, Mariska and Rika design tailor-made African holidays. They can provide trustworthy suggestions according to each client’s specific requirements. They have built leading industry relations which provide them with great contacts who offer excellent service, quality, hospitality and charm.

They keep updated with all the destinations they promote by regularly visiting old favourites and exploring new options. They use every possible opportunity to discover more hidden secrets in each country and discover off-the-beaten-track destinations.

The two of them are still involved on a day to day basis running the company and have recruited around them a team of smart, dedicated, patient safari consultants who love Travel as much as them.

Rika Groenewald

Rika is passionate about sharing all that Africa has to offer. Her career in tourism started in 1996, specialising in trips to Mount Kilimanjaro from where her true passion for African tourism only grew and expanded. On a beach, in Zanzibar, a dream to develop a specialist African safari travel company was born, and in 2004 that dream came true when Rika became the co-founder of eXplore Plus Travel & Tours. Rika was born in South Africa and has 20 years of travel experience, with many more years to come.
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Rika
Groenewald

Owner &
Team Leader

Rika is passionate about sharing all that Africa has to offer. Her career in tourism started in 1996, specialising in trips to Mount Kilimanjaro and fuelling her intense passion for African tourism. Her dream to develop a specialist African safari travel company was born on a beach in Zanzibar. It became a reality in 2004 when she became the co-founder of eXplore Plus Travel & Tours. She is a South African with 23 years of travel experience and many more to come.

Mariska is a South African born entrepreneur with a true passion for Africa, especially for Africa's wildlife. She has more than 18 years’ experience in the African tourism industry and before establishing eXplore Plus Travel & Tours she spent a couple of years in the hospitality industry, managing game lodges in Southern Africa. Mariska is exceptionally passionate about all Africa has to offer, which also lead her to complete her FGASA field guide training.
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Mariska
Griffin

Owner &
Marketing Manager

Mariska is a South African born entrepreneur with a deep love for Africa, especially its wildlife. She has more than 21 years’ experience in the African tourism industry. Before establishing eXplore Plus Travel & Tours she spent a couple of years in the hospitality industry, managing game lodges in Southern Africa. Mariska is exceptionally passionate about all Africa has to offer, which also led her to complete her FGASA field guide training.

Annemarie loves the bush, and she likes to think of herself as a people’s person. The travel industry has a lot of challenges, and she loves to excel in the challenges presented to her. Before starting her adventure at eXplore Plus Travel & Tours, she used to be in the restaurant business and after that worked as a travel consultant for tours to Mozambique. She started working full-time in the travel industry in 2009.
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Naomi

Vermeulen

Safari &

Expedition Specialist

Naomi started her career in 2005 as a leisure and corporate travel consultant.

Her passion is to travel and experience all the different wonders and beauty the world has to offer, along with experiencing all the unique traditions and cultures.

She loves the fact that she can sell dreams to her clients and be part of their travel journey.

Sanel is passionate about Travel and learning about different culture backgrounds. She studied tourism and started working full time as a travel agent since 2012. Her real passion for travel started from the first moment she travelled abroad to the Netherlands. Sharing her own experience and putting a personal touch on planning her clients dream holiday is of importance to her.
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Sanel
Volschenk

Safari &

Expedition Specialist

Sanel is passionate about travelling and educating herself about different cultures. She studied tourism and started her career as a travel agent in 2012. Her passion intensified after a trip to the Netherlands as she was inspired to use her own experience and personal touch to help clients realise their dream holidays.

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Abegail

Shitlabane

Safari &
Expedition Specialist

Abegail is a nature lover. She studied Travel & Tourism and worked 13 years as a Cabin Crew Member for an Airline. She loves to travel, have new adventures, and learn new things. She recently joined eXplore Plus Travel & Tours. Her expertise and passion for Africa make her an invaluable asset to our team and a trusted advisor for those seeking a memorable African adventure.

Social

Although it has been many years since the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 killed up to one million Tutsi’s, for many survivors the crisis continues. With so many traumatised people (many had suffered rape or witnessed the killing of family members), the journey of reconstruction, healing and reconciliation is an ongoing process. After visiting Rwanda, Rika and Mariska decided to get involved and play their humble role in making lives better, by supporting Ellel Ministries.

Financial

eXplore Plus Travel & Tours is a bonded member of SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association) - member number 2353. SATSA membership require annual renewal and stringent compliance with their exacting standards of quality, financial health, insurance and service delivery.

Furthermore our accommodation, transport and activity suppliers we deal with meet strict quality controls. Should any supplier become insolvent and fail to provide the accommodation, transport or activity we booked for you, our supplier default insurance protects the money you paid for that service.

Our

SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE AFRICAN EXPERIENCES:

Climbing the 5 highest mountains in Africa:

Mount Kilimanjaro (between Rika and Mariska they have climbed Kilimanjaro 11 times)
Mount Kenya
The Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda
Mount Meru in Tanzania
Simien Mountains in Ethiopia
Climbing Mount Nyiragonga in DR Congo

Every step of discovering our destinations has been and still is a highlight to us!

Tanzania Highlights

Standing on top of Mount Kilimanjaro for the first time.
Summiting Mount Meru on a beautiful clear day and watching the sun rise behind Mount Kilimanjaro.
Exploring the rugged Ruaha National Park and its thousands and thousands of baobab trees in bloom.
Eating nyama choma (local barbeque meat) with our safari guides.
Diving in the crystal-clear water of Mafia Island.
Enjoying a glass of wine on top of the light house on Chumbe Island, near Zanzibar and seeing coconut crabs for the first time.
Being awed by witnessing your first wildebeest migration river crossing.
Seeing the big tuskers of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Watching wild dogs in the Selous Game Reserve.

Kenya Highlights

The privilege of seeing Lake Nakuru covered in pink – before the flamingos moved to other areas due to the raising water levels.
Seeing the last two northern white rhinos on the planet.
Spotting the Northern 5 of Samburu - Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, long-necked gerenuk and the Somali ostrich with its blue legs.
Enjoying lunch at the trout restaurant near Mount Kenya.
Visiting the Karen Blixen area in Nairobi to see her house, visit the giraffe centre, the elephant orphans of the David Sheldrick Rehabilitation Centre and meet the ladies who make the beautiful Kazuri beads.
Doing a game drive in Amboseli where we saw twin elephants (a rarity last seen 35 years ago) and seeing Tim, the last remaining big tusker of Amboseli, who passed away in December 2019.
Going to the movies in Nairobi. Once everyone is settled and ready to dive into their popcorn and drinks, the national anthem is played before the movie starts.
Standing on top of Mount Kenya!

Botswana Highlights

Floating in a houseboat on the Chobe River.
Sleeping in a tent in the Okavango Delta.
Taking a mokoro ride as you weave your way through waterlily clad ponds and lush papyrus fringed waterways.
Enjoying a walking safari on Chief island.
Sitting back with a G&T and experiencing one of Africa’s most beautiful sunsets over the Chobe River.
Coming across the renowned Kalahari lions, known for their majestic size and beautiful manes.
Flying with a small aircraft over the Okavango Delta.
Catching our first tiger fish on the Chobe River.

Rwanda Highlights

The ultimate highlight, seeing a mountain gorilla face to face the first time.
Visiting the genocide museum in Kigali and getting some insight about the ordeals the citizens went through.
A road trip though the rural areas of Rwanda and being welcomed with abundant smiles!
Hiking to the Diane Fossey grave site where Digit (her favourite gorilla) and other gorillas were buried next to her.
Exploring the beautiful Nyungwe Forest on foot.

Uganda Highlights

Seeing shoebill storks is a “wow” moment as it is really an exceptional, once in a lifetime opportunity.
Hiking the most beautiful mountain in Africa, Mount Rwenzori. It is the most difficult hike of all the mountains that we have climbed and the most beautiful as well.
Trekking chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest.
Enjoying a sunset cruise on Lake Albert in Queen Elizabeth National Park with thousands of birds surrounding you.
Coming face to face with a mountain gorilla in Bwindi National Park.
Seeing the Jackson's chameleon, sometimes called the three-horned chameleon.
Taking a photo at the equator.
Swimming in one of the fresh water lakes of Uganda.

Other Highlights in Africa

Canoeing on the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia.
River rafting near Victoria Falls.
Seeing dugongs (a rare and elusive sea creature) near Bazaruto Island in Mozambique. With an estimate of 300 left on the East Coast of Africa.
Quad biking on the beach and through local villages in Inhambane.
Visiting Deadvlei and the dunes of Sossusvlei.
Experience a 'living desert' tour at Swakopmund.
Staying on Mumbo Island, Malawi, in an eco-chalet.
Hiking Mt Nyiragongo in DR Congo and to look down onto the larges active lava lake in the world.
Visiting the rock churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia.
Standing at the summit of the Simien Mountains – Ethiopia.
Enjoying a local lunch – Injera - in a village in the Simian Mountains.
Diving & snorkelling in the Red Sea.
Trying out local dishes in Egypt like koshari and Egyptian flatbread.
Taking a local taxi in Cairo (you so grateful you survived the ride!!).
Enjoying a balloon ride in Luxor and seeing Egypt's biggest open-air museum from above.
See the most beautiful sunset you can dream of near Hurghada in the desert!