Tailor-made diving and adventure holidays to the world’s most remarkable places

Great Escapes Diving Holidays is a UK based Tour Operator, run by a team of professionals with over 45 years combined experience in the dive and travel industry. We are passionate divers and travellers and we have first-hand knowledge of many of the destinations we feature, so please do contact us for impartial and expert advice.

We can take care of all aspects of your holiday, including flights, transfers, diving, guided land tours and city stopovers. We are ATOL Licensed, giving you full financial protection when booking with us.

The adventure travel experts

Since launching in 1981 with only six tours in a four-page brochure, Explore has grown to offer over 500 trips; from classic ‘discovery’ group tours, solo traveller holidays and active family adventures, to walking holidays, cycling trips and even self-guided options. Choose from over 120 countries and explore cultures, landscapes, wildlife and communities from Asia to Africa, the Arctic to the Americas.

Read on to find out why people travel with us again and again.

1. Unforgettable experiences

On our trips you’ll see a mix of famous sights and hidden gems that others miss, or don’t even know about. As travellers, we want to experience a country, not merely observe it. We’ll take you closer to the country, its culture and people, often in unscripted, spontaneous, impossible-to-replicate ways. You’ll come home having seen and experienced the country in a way that other travellers might never have.

2. Expert local guides

As your resident expert, your guide (or tour leader) will use their insider knowledge and local connections to make the most of unexpected opportunities. You might be invited to watch the sunrise from a lighthouse or to join family Diwali celebrations. They’ll be on hand to make sure your trip goes smoothly, taking care of logstics. Our tour leaders are all hand-picked and trained by our experienced team to ensure consistently high standards.

3. Small groups

Our average group size is just 12; big enough to meet like-minded people but small enough to get to the heart of a destination.  All sorts of people travel on our trips; groups are usually a mix of solos, couples and friends. What unites everyone is an adventurous spirit, sense of fun and a desire for real travel experiences. Call us to learn more about the group already booked on a particular trip (age range, solos vs couples etc).

4. Carbon neutral travel

We’re carbon offsetting all trips booked with us from 1 January 2020. We recognise it’s not perfect, but believe that carbon offsetting is the most effective way of addressing carbon emissions in the short-to-medium term.

By working with ClimateCare, a Gold Standard provider, we will offset the transport, accommodation and flights booked with us. This is part of a bigger project to reduce carbon, as part of our long-standing commitment to sustainable travel.

Where Adventure Holidays Begin

45 years experience of taking people on extraordinary adventures.

At Exodus, we love adventure travel and always have. There’s something about the feeling of visiting a new country, culture or environment – whether that’s a mountain range, desert or jungle – that just can’t be beaten. We first took a group of travellers to the Himalaya 45 years ago, and have since expanded to offer more than 500 itineraries across more than 90 countries. So, if you’re looking for an adventure holiday, or are in need of some travel inspiration for your next activity holiday, you’ve come to the right place.

Our trips include walking and cycling tours that take in awe-inspiring scenery and breathtaking wildlife encounters. And we have adventure holidays designed specifically for families, mixed-activity holidays and seasonal getaways, perfect for those interested in winter sports. There are unforgettable experiences in top destinations the world over. From your own African odyssey, to a journey of discovery in Central America and pioneering expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, with Exodus these are just some of the memories waiting to be made. We’ve also launched a collection of new adventure holidays for 30s and 40s to help busy professionals maximise their annual leave. Join us now for the adventure holiday of a life time.

As one of the last unexplored corners of the world, Papua New Guinea lies in the centre of the Coral Triangle and offers some of the finest diving on earth. You can also extend your trip with an excursion into the heart of the land to experience unique cultures, communities and festivals.
3 recommended trips. Our trip ideas are offered to inspire you and can be tailored to suit your requirements.

Dive and Discover PNG

Uncover the magic of Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s last remaining frontiers, on this adventure to two exceptional diving areas – both renowned for macro life and pelagic encounters on vibrant coral reefs.
•    When to go: Apr-Jun, Sep-Dec
•    Duration inc. flights: 17 days
•    Price inc. flights: From £4,995 pp
•    Trip type: Tailor-made trip idea

Explore Tufi & Walindi

Dive two famous locations in Papua New Guinea. Both Tufi and Walindi offer pristine reefs, unique dive sites and untouched WWll wrecks. You’ll need a macro and wide angle lens here, the biodiversity is amazing.

Adventure in Tufi

The undiscovered Tufi region is blessed with stunning marine diversity and pristine WWII dive sites, as well as majestic fjords, perfect for kayaking. This trip also offers a fascinating insight into PNG’s indigenous culture.

Photos Courtesy of www.ethostravel.co.uk

Ethos Travel was founded in 2007 by two young, enthusiastic South East Asian experts in Sam Collins & Tim Willcox who were convinced that service-led specialists would overcome the ‘race to the bottom’ in service and standards we were witnessing amongst online travel companies at the time.

And we believe we were right! Seven tough and educational years later we retain the passion for South East Asia and take great pride that over 40% of our clients are repeat or recommendations – for which we owe you a great big thank you for trusting your dream holiday or honeymoon to us.

The New Guinea Encounter allows the traveler with limited time the opportunity to visit remote villages and gain an insight into life as it has been for thousands of years. It gives the opportunity to encounter ancient cultures of the Karawari and Melpa Peoples. An extremely rich diversity of plants and bird life in both areas is sure to give the nature enthusiast a taste of this amazing and exotic country. This program is suitable for international flight connections to Cairns and Brisbane.

THE JULES VERNE DIFFERENCE

That sense of adventure to discover the world is at the heart of Jules Verne. Established in 1978, our innovative small group escorted tours offer authentic travel with a twist for people who love to see the world. Packed with special touches and little extras, our expert guides will show you the true character of each destination and take you beyond the norm, whether your chosen destination is closer to home or far-flung. Fully ABTA and ATOL bonded and winner of many travel awards, our expert staff organise every detail so you can book in complete confidence.

• Inspiring tours to all seven continents
• Small groups and privately guided tours
• Knowledgeable local guides
• Expertly planned and organised

Jules Verne Sightseeing

This most important of Key Features indicates that sightseeing is tailored just for our group, taking into account your preferences and our experience over many years and not combining with other visitors. Sightseeing is undertaken by expert local guides and escorts who we consider to be the best source of information. A few programmes such as cruise or rail programmes will show ‘Excursions Included’, indicating that sightseeing may be shared with non-Jules Verne guests.

Special Events

To enhance the experience of Jules Verne travellers, we arrange exclusive and memorable special events, illuminating the country and peoples you are visiting. Attend a special ceremony, performance, meal or drinks party at characteristic and spectacular locations; learn about cooking and the local way of life; discover less-visited corners or special locations not normally open to the public.

New Tour/Improved Itinerary

Following our customers’ feedback from our questionnaires and other sources, we improve itineraries and introduce new tours, taking into account special opportunities and changed accessibility.

ABOUT US
PELORUS puts the focus on the experience, designing individual itineraries according to the client’s brief. We work exclusively with a network of industry leaders, who allow us to consider areas and experiences that most travel companies do not give a second thought. We pride ourselves on attention to detail, creativity and due diligence, designing extraordinary experiences for those seeking something truly different. We’ve even won awards for our exceptional, boundary-pushing ideas.

WHAT IS A ‘PELORUS’?
A pelorus was the navigational tool used to maintain the bearing of a sea vessel back in the golden era of travel and discovery – it is responsible for mapping much of the world as we know it today. In a similar vein, PELORUS is on a mission to become the world’s leading experiential travel and yacht expedition specialist.

TRAVELLING RESPONSIBLY
At Pelorus we wholeheartedly encourage travelling responsibly, promoting and supporting in sustainability efforts and pioneering research across the globe whenever we can. We work closely with specific organisations and charities, which help us gain access to the most unique and biodiverse regions in the world, working alongside them to continue protecting these environments.

Ornitholidays is the longest established birding company in the world, having started in 1965.

It has grown gradually over this period to offering around 70 tours a year. From 2018 Ornitholidays will be managed by SKUA Nature Group s.n.c., an Italian company that has collaborated with the old Ornitholidays managers for years.

The new management, as the old one, is perfectly able to guarantee the best safeguards for your money.

Tours

Our tours range from short breaks in Europe to 3 weeks holidays further afield.

To enjoy these holidays to the full, all you need is a love of birds and wildlife and the desire to travel.

The vast majority of our holidays are run at a relaxed pace, anyway you will find a big variety of proposals: from the most adventurous ones – as the tour to Kyrgyzstan – to the most easy ones – as the Portugal tour at leisure; from birdwatching and wildwatching tours to specially-organized wildlife photography expeditions; from holidays that combines birds and culture – as Birds&Wine tour in Italy – to short breaks to focus on specific species – as the Kerkini tour for Pelicans.

Is Ornitholidays Right For Me?

There are a large number of factors that have to be considered when booking an escorted holiday, especially one that Involves birdwatching or wildlife photography

Tour leaders

Our tours are escorted, so your leader is a very important ingredient of the holiday.

There are many companies offering escorted holidays, but few use full-time leaders. Ornitholidays has a group of professional guides, expert birders who spend their whole year taking birding parties around the world – most of them have led over 150 tours and some over 250.  Their job is to make sure you enjoy your holiday and see the wildlife.They are not taking their annual holiday, but are well paid, highly motivated and dedicated leaders who are there for you and you alone. Most of our tour leader are exellent all-round naturalists, having a very deep knowledge about other groups of animals too (insects, reptiles, etc.) that add an important plus to the tour itself.

Not to mention our local guides in some destinations, the best experts on their land, among which we mention editors of Birding and Wildlife guides.

When booking a holiday consider the advantages of being led by such a leader – there is no choice really! On many holidays we also employ local guides to accompany the group, providing valuable insight into their country, its history and traditions, as well as its birds and wildlife.

Prices

What about the cost of the holiday – why are some companies cheaper than others for a similar itinerary? When you compare holidays think about what each company is providing.The accommodation we use is often the best available, our tour leaders have years of experience and a very deep knowledge on the destinations and their fauna.

Wildlife Expeditions: a new section for Ornitholidays

The new management, apart from offering new exciting birding tours, added a new specialised selection of tours to the 2019 brochure: wildlife photography expeditions.

Thanks to our other SKUA’ big project, the INNATE Network, we manages several private and public (with entrance restrictions) estates specially developed for nature tourism, with a special focus on wildlife photography.

Estates are located in several countries of the World and are now destinations of our photo expeditions. In addition to those we also offer short breaks photo tours for people that haven’t so much time free from the job but do not want to loose opportunities to fulfill their passion.

Our leaders for the photographic session are skilled photographers, able to help you getting the best out of your photographic holiday.

In conclusion…

We have been organising holidays for a long time, so we know the best ground agents to use and the best areas to visit. How many other companies can boast they have been visiting many destinations for over 53 years?

Jacada was founded in 2008 by Alex Malcolm, who wanted to show people the side of a country that not everyone gets to see.  While working in Brazil, he was lucky enough to travel the country with local friends who took him to places and shared things he would never have experienced on his own. He felt there was a space to create these unique travel experiences with a personal, human touch for others – and flew back to the UK to start his own company. Though we started out just selling trips to Brazil, Jacada has now grown into an international travel company, selling trips around the world; and despite our growth, Alex’s vision still remains. Personal is how we began, and that’s how we continue to be.

Jacada travel provides three tour packages to Papua New Guinea;

• The Coast
• The Highlands
• The Islands

Specialists in real adventure travel

Here at KE, we’ve been creating real adventures for more than 35 years.

We’re all about sharing our experiences. It’s how we started, back in the 80s in the heart of the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan, and it’s how we operate worldwide today. Originally running expedition-style trips, we now also offer walking, trekking, cycling and family adventures in over 80 countries. All of our trips have an element of physical activity, so whether you’re exploring Europe’s most breath-taking destinations on foot or taking on a two-week trek in some of the world’s greatest mountain ranges, we guarantee we’ll get you moving. We are a fun, friendly and caring bunch, from our passionate team in the UK to our expert leaders worldwide, with a wealth of experience in all aspects of adventure travel and the outdoors.