At Expat Explore, we’re well aware of how travel can, quite literally, change a person’s life. Our main goal is to provide all types of travellers with tours that are fun, affordable and life-enriching. There is nothing more rewarding for us than finding out that our travellers’ lives have been positively impacted by a tour.
For Michelle Hunter, a 35-year-old United Airlines flight attendant from Houston, Texas, USA, embarking on her Expat Explore tour changed the course of her life significantly. Recently, she embarked on her 6th tour with Expat Explore in under 6 years! This was the unforgettable South Africa Escape tour which she enjoyed so much she already wants to start planning her next trip to South Africa!
We caught up with Michelle after her most recent tour and found out how Expat Explore, and travelling in general, enriched her life in ways she had never even imagined!
Related: This traveller tells us what it’s like to travel solo in South Africa with Expat Explore.
Read on to find out more about how travel changed Michelle’s life:
What made you decide to choose Expat Explore as your tour operator?
I met someone at my previous job that had just returned from an Expat Explore tour and I could not ask her enough questions! I convinced one of my friends to put a deposit down for the tour with me, and barely got my vacation time approved, but I was sold!
When was your first tour with Expat Explore?
My first trip was the 10-day Europe Highlights tour which took place from April 28th-May 7th, 2018. Towards the end of my tour, I realised that I could not simply return to my stereotypical 9-5 office job that offered only a few weeks of vacation per year. I began brainstorming about a career that would allow me to travel more and started applying for jobs as a flight attendant.
I was hired with a private charter airline the next month. This June will mark 6 years of flying in the aviation industry. Expat Explore quite honestly changed the course of my life. Travelling has now become my way of life, source of income, and joy that I share with so many.
Would you consider yourself to be an explorer at heart, is travelling something you’ve always loved?
Yes! My heart and mind both open themselves most while I am travelling and I am convinced that exploring firsthand is the best way to learn about a destination. My first trip abroad was to Guatemala when I was 19, and South Africa was my 45th country to visit!
Related: These are the top things to do in Cape Town, South Africa.
In what ways would you say travel changes people?
Travel allows you to personally experience customs, cultures, and cuisines that were previously foreign. You begin to grasp how vast the world actually is past the four walls of your typical home-life. It also reveals intricate connections you have with different people you meet along your way.
Why are you passionate about travelling?
I truly enjoy meeting people, relating to them in various ways, learning more about life through their eyes, and then bringing my experiences along with me to share with friends, family, and future connections.
What would you say to someone who’s never travelled before?
Think about a place you have seen in the movies that excites you. Then, think about living out that very moment for yourself. Allow the fantasy to come true by being brave enough to step outside your comfort zone and becoming the star of your own reality!
Let’s find out more about Michelle’s on-tour experiences:
Do you have a favourite tour you’ve done with Expat Explore?
I could not fairly pick a favourite if I tried! #sorrynotsorry
Did you have any preconceived ideas about certain destinations that were challenged by your trips?
I intentionally travel with an open mind and positive outlook on life. This helps me to be present in the moment, embrace what is actually happening, and put aside preconceived notions that society and stereotypes try to filter your perspective with instead of simply discovering the reality for yourself.
What was your favourite destination visited on the South Africa Escape tour and why?
I could not get over the natural beauty the country had to offer! I love being outside in nature and truly had no clue how beautiful the country would be in person. The drive back from Kruger National Park to Johannesburg along the Panorama Route was one of my favourite days ever! I also loved the distinct thrills that came along with this specific tour, like shark cage diving and witnessing 20 different bronze whaler sharks up close and so personal.
Observing wild animals in their natural habitat vs. a zoo, sheds the predictability of when you will witness a specific species, yet yields to an even more magical experience. Kruger National Park is roughly the size of Israel! After 3 days of glamping and exploration, my highlights were: the welcoming parade given by a dozen lions, including 1 of only 2 white lions in the entire park; observing the gentle giants (elephants) in a way that almost lets them feel small, instead of merely gawking at their size in a zoo-typesetting; and finally, the way so many different species interact peacefully in close proximity was a harmony I never want to forget.
Related: Don’t miss out on South Africa’s best experiences!
What destinations do you want to see next and why?
I am planning to enjoy the Croatia and Eastern Delights tour this September. I am most anticipating the Danube river cruise in Budapest, Hungary and the Astrological Clock in Prague, Czech Republic.
What is it like travelling with a group of ‘strangers’?
I love it so much and have developed lifelong friendships on each tour that I’ve been on. Travelling solo on the Nile Jewel trip in Egypt, I met so many amazing people on that tour. I got really close to a couple from Canada, a girl from Australia, and a guy from London. We enjoyed Egypt together so much that we planned a reunion trip and all 5 of us met up for an amazing adventure throughout Vietnam 7 months later! We already talked about our next reunion trip.
Have you stayed in touch with any other travellers on tour?
Social media makes it so easy to stay connected, and my Expat Explore family are some of my favourite people to connect with online, see what is going on in their lives, and share my latest adventures. I went solo and met such fun people on the Best of Greece tour in September 2021. Now, myself, one guy from the USA and one guy from the Netherlands that I met on that tour are planning to reunite on the Croatia and Eastern Delights tour this September, 3 years later, hopefully with our same incredible tour leader!
Related: Read all about some of the meaningful friendships made on tour.
What have you learnt from the other people on tour?
I have learned to let everyone enjoy and experience their holiday their own way. Different things are highlights for different people. You may be excited for certain aspects of the tour, and less enthusiastic for other points. Do not take away from someone else’s experience, instead view it from their eyes with the same excitement and you may find yourself loving it, too! Take all the pictures/videos/souvenirs/memories that you want, because they mean even more after you return home and are relaying your adventure with others.
Do you have a favourite memory of something that happened on a tour?
My mom joined me for her first Expat Explore tour in 2019. She had to get her first passport for our trip. We were in Paris, France when she turned to me with tears in her eyes saying, “I never thought I would see the Eiffel Tower in person.” She has now been to a dozen countries with me!
Related: Explore Paris without breaking the bank.
How do you think the experiences would’ve been different if you did not go on an organised group tour?
I absolutely LOVE Expat Explore for the ease provided in regards to transportation to each and every location. It is also super convenient in regions where English is not readily spoken by locals. Expat Explore is able to squeeze in the most activity possible for your time there! My recent Instagram caption depicted my thoughts:
“Forever grateful to Expat Explore for the unique opportunity to immerse into a country’s culture with thoughtful itineraries, memorable experiences that push outside one’s comfort zone, all while engaging with new lifelong friends, knowledgeable guides, and precious locals.”
There are so many ways that travelling can enrich your life. From seeing locations you thought only existed in movies and discovering places you’d never even dreamed of to making life-long friends and learning from different cultures. Michelle has experienced all this and more… and so can you!
Follow in Michelle’s footsteps and discover the life-changing effects of travel. Book your adventure with Expat Explore today!