As one of the busiest years at Expat Explore comes to an end, our team finds ourselves reminiscing about our top travel experiences and memorable travel moments of 2024. From discovering new destinations to revisiting old favourites, our tour leaders and office team made incredible memories on the road with friends, family and colleagues.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the 16,000+ travellers who chose to make memories with Expat Explore this year! Our ever-growing travel family has greatly contributed to many of our team’s top memories of the year. Thank you to these travellers from all corners of the globe for reminding us why we do what we do!
Related: These were our team’s favourite travel moments of 2023.
From Europe to South America and Africa, here are some of the Expat Explore family’s favourite 2024 travel memories:
Carl Cronje, Co-Founder & CEO
I think one of my favourite moments of the year was getting to spend some time doing what I really love, product design. I created the original Highlights of Japan tour for Expat Explore in 2022, after doing a lot of research in Japan in 2019. Then, this year, I redid the itinerary to further improve it for 2025. We’ve grown the tour from 11 to 13 days, and those extra days boast truly amazing new destinations and attractions such as Kanazawa and the Shinkansen bullet train!
Otherwise, I didn’t travel too much this year. As CEO and co-founder, I love spending time with our travellers and tour leaders. I also try to do some slower-paced, personal travel every year and for me, this means more time in a single destination. And in 2024, this was a full week in New York City! Spending more time here meant discovering so much more than usual.
Related: Enjoy three nights in New York when you join our USA & Canada Escape tour!
Ege Ertaş, Tour Leader of the Year 2024
2024 was a year to remember! I was so busy with leading my Highlights of Turkey tours. At the end of July, I had some time off in between tours, so I went back to my hometown to pick up my mom and drove us all the way to the spectacular Black Sea region, where she grew up. We really appreciated the time we had to talk and enjoyed precious moments over those 3,604 km!
After I dropped my mom off at her sister’s place, I drove to the Kaçkar mountains where I had a wonderful day and night camping in the woods. It was a long drive over those couple of days but totally worth it!
Related: Learn more about Ege, his life as a tour leader and his insatiable passion for camping.
Ananda Heyl, Managing Director
My favourite travel moment this year was not my own but my brother’s. My brother is a farmer and as such has very little room to move when it comes to being away from “the land”. He is 50 years old and up until March 2024 had never been on a plane.
I have always found this so challenging to deal with as I know how enriching travel is. However, my brother and his wife finally jumped on a plane to visit me in Cape Town, South Africa! It was so exciting to act as their “tour leader” for those few days and to show them this beautiful city.
Related: Discover the unmatched beauty of the Western Cape on our Cape Town & the Garden Route tour!
Victoria Messer, Tour Leader Manager
One of my favourite travel moments from 2024 included spending two weeks based in Switzerland meeting the tour leaders and drivers as they came through on tours. Being able to breathe the fresh mountain air and go hiking in the mountains after work while seeing the alpine region at its most beautiful with all the herbs and flowers in bloom was an incredible experience.
I also always love my annual trip to Turkey for sailing the Mediterranean, relaxing after a busy season and eating fresh seafood. An amazing meal in Rome with one of our suppliers was also a highlight, as was visiting the Burgundy region in France with my two work besties Leticia and Helena!
Michalina Grzonkowska, Tour Leader
I have two favourite travel memories from this year. The first one is the Europe Taster that I ran at the end of April. The group was very diverse in terms of age and nationality. The youngest guest was a 10-year-old boy travelling with his family. In the group, we had 9 different nationalities including people from Costa Rica as well as Trinidad and Tobago. Everyone got along so well and had a lot of fun despite not always having great weather. They didn’t want to leave the coach in London on our last day (after a group karaoke session on our way back from Dover)!
The second one was a short trip to Cyprus after the end of the season with other tour leaders – Ken, Peter and Hans. That was a great opportunity to hang out together, exchange experiences and laugh about all the funny things that happened during the season. We caught some amazing sunsets and also enriched our knowledge. In Cyprus, you can find remains of palaces that belonged to Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods which made this trip even more interesting.
Jemma Greenhalgh, Tour Leader
One of my favourite moments from this year’s season was when we went to Venice at the start of May on my Classic Europe tour. We were taken by surprise with the flooding and they hadn’t put the scaffold boards out for us to walk on because it was labour day. There was no possible way around the flooding (that we could see) so most of us just took our shoes off and embraced it! We laughed and took great photos.
My catchphrase in Italy is always “embrace the chaos” and we really did! It was a lot of fun and Venice remains one of my absolute favourite cities in Europe.
Related: Make the most of your Venice vacation with this travel guide.
Fernando Miranda, Tour Leader
This year, I had the most memorable trip of my career as a tour guide. It was my last group of the year on the Sacred Peru tour. Everyone was very dedicated on the tour. We went through many difficult moments, battling altitude and long distances, but at the end of the tour, everyone was very grateful for the experience.
At our farewell dinner, everyone thanked me by singing to me and said such kind words about the tour. Their words made me cry because this was the most gratitude I had ever felt from a group for my work as a tour leader. I felt loved by each and every one of them. I will always be grateful for them and I will never forget any of them. Thank you Expat Explore for giving me the opportunity to continue growing professionally!
Roxana Pogan, Tour Leader
My highlight of the year was being able to go back to my happy place, Innsbruck, Austria, since the pandemic. When I’m in Innsbruck, it doesn’t matter what else is going on in my life because as soon as I step into this city, I feel true happiness.
Walking in the Old Town feels like walking into a fairytale, a place that time will never impact. From the colourful buildings to the surrounding mountains, this city could make anyone fall in love with its atmosphere. The best surprise was to see it with the Christmas markets all around!
Related: Experience Innsbruck on our Central Europe in Low Season tour!
Tania Slabbert, Tour Leader
It’s nearly impossible to pick just one or two favourite travel memories – there are so many! But, if I had to narrow it down, here are my top three experiences, chosen out of a potential 300 (give or take a few!):
Switzerland is a must-see for anyone who loves natural beauty and unforgettable adventures. The experience of ascending Jungfrau and Pilatus is nothing short of magical. It’s not just the breathtaking views – it’s the journey itself. Every moment feels like stepping into a postcard. Whether it’s snowball fights at the top of Jungfrau or soaking in Lake Lucerne views from Pilatus, the Swiss Alps leave an impression like no other.
Paris has a charm that’s impossible to ignore. From iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre to the quaint side-street cafés, Paris is a city of contrasts and surprises. And let’s not forget the food! Escargot, anyone? Venice, Italy is chaotic, crowded, and utterly captivating. It’s a place you can’t just describe, you have to feel it. The gondolas gliding through canals, the labyrinth of alleys, and the lively buzz of Piazza San Marco, all create a unique energy that stays with you. As a tour leader, there’s always a fun surprise waiting, like bumping into colleagues while navigating this extraordinary city!
Related: These are the best outdoor activities in Switzerland.
A Few Magical Moments in Morocco
Something Expat Explore will never forget about 2024 was launching our Highlights of Morocco tour! A few members of the Expat Explore team joined passengers on a discovery tour in May. Here’s why it’s their top travel memory of 2024.
Luke Watson, Tour Leader of the Year 2023
My most memorable travel moment of 2024 was definitely being a part of Expat Explore’s first-ever tour to Morocco. This is a destination that I’ve been passionate about for years and to finally be able to share it with our family of fellow travellers felt truly incredible.
There were so many magic moments along the way but our night in the Sahara Desert was spectacular. As far as travel experiences go, it really doesn’t get much better than watching the sunset on the back of a camel!
Jakes Maritz, Co-Founder
My favourite travel memory of 2024 was my first time in Morocco on our inaugural Expat Explore tour. As someone who’s had the privilege of seeing many places, Morocco surprised me immensely. The diversity blew my mind. From a Mediterranean coastline that feels like a combination of Italy and Spain, to awe-inspiring, dramatic mountains and the deserts that Morocco is renowned for, it felt like the best of many worlds in one.
The people were friendly, welcoming and incredibly proud of their rich culture and country, which made for a truly enriching experience. I’d love to go back, as I’ve only scratched the surface of this wonderful country.
Related: Read more about Jakes and Luke’s Moroccan adventure in our Q&A!
Vereethia Jefthas, Customer Service Manager
This year, one of my most cherished travel memories was exploring Morocco on our new tour. This dream destination is a vibrant melting pot of culture, history, and breathtaking beauty. From the moment we arrived, Morocco’s energy was intoxicating and left me in awe. Wandering through the maze-like streets of Marrakech’s medina was like walking through a living storybook. Driving through the winding roads of the Atlas Mountains felt like a journey through time, each twist and turn revealing hidden Berber villages that seemed untouched by the modern world.
And then, the Sahara. Spending a night under its vast, star-studded sky was nothing short of magical. Surrounded by golden dunes, we shared stories of kings and legends by the glow of the campfire. We immersed ourselves in Morocco’s treasures, savouring rich tagines, bargaining in bustling souks, and getting lost in the charm of its cities. As I look ahead to 2025, I can’t wait to make more memories like these, moments that remind me why I love to travel and explore. Morocco, you’ve captured my heart.
Related: Tick these tours off your 2025 bucket list!
As we head into the festive season and start preparing for the 2025 travel season, the Expat Explore team wishes you, our treasured travel family, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May it be full of even more memorable travel moments and bucket-list adventures.
Join our team and enjoy many magical moments in 2025 on an Expat Explore tour! Book now for the best possible rates.