See the 'big five' on an Africa safari holiday

A safari holiday watching big-game in six countries across south-east Africa is among the safari tours offered by Explore in 2006.

The 30-day safari holiday takes in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana, as well as exploring remote areas of Mozambique and Malawi.

The South Africa leg of the trip focuses on the Kruger National Park, with opportunities to watch the so-called 'big five' - cape buffalos, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinos.

Seeing the Victoria Falls and rafting down the Zambezi river are among the other highlights of the trip, which costs £2,325 per person including flights, transfers and accommodation.

Explore has doubled its range of safari holidays during the past five years and now offers more than 20 small groups safari tours across 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

It also offers family safari holidays, which combine big-game viewing with family-friendly activities

For holidaymakers with less time on their hands, Explore's adventure breaks programme includes a six-day Gorilla Getaway, tracking Gorillas through the Ugandan rainforest, and the three-day Maasi Mara Wild Weekend.

"Our unique local knowledge enables passengers to travel beyond the crowded game reserves to find the best wildlife watching opportunities," said Derek Moore, founding director of Explore.

Watching cheetahs in Namibia, cycling game trails in Transvaal, South Africa, and trekking the heights of Kilimanjaro and the game lands of Serengeti are among the other tours on offer.

For a copy of one of Explore's six specialist brochures - Worldwide, On Foot, Family Adventures, Cycle, Adventure Breaks and Beyond, call 0870 333 4001 or go to www.explore.co.uk XXX