The Ljosalfar are actually one of the races I would recommend first to a new player. They have one of the stronger economies out of the gate and are flexible enough to be played in whatever style a new player might prefer. Builder, warmonger, rexer, etc.
I'd also recommend the Lanun. I'd say the Lanun and Ljosalfar are probably two of the easiest civs to play, mainly because of their strong early economies.
The great thing about FfH2 is that each civ is so different that each time you play a new civ its like playing a new game. Each has different tricks for optimal play and each often has several different optimal play styles depending on the terrain/leader you start with. Tons of replayability.
Exploring in the early game is definitely a gamble. On the other hand, if you can get hunters early, capturing animals can be quite useful. Bears, elephants and giant spiders can be game changers early on. Probably easiest to capture animals with an aggressive leader so you can get the subdue animal promotion earlier.