Kimkim Trip Reviews for South Africa

The trip was amazing. Nicholas in saby sand was amazing. game rides were awesome. Thank you!!

Thank you to all of the team at kimkim and salty travel for a truly memorable holiday, each and every interaction with the staff was very prompt and thorough and all planned with just a few short weeks notice!! No question was ever too much for Stephanie during our planning / discussions and she was always helpful to give us further information or suggestions. Every detail was taken care of and made our vacation very easy for us when in South Africa, from transfers to hotel bookings and our excursions, all was taken care of. Safari was our first stop and a truly incredible time, two different lodges gave us the opportunity for different experiences and each time the staff were so welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience that little bit more special. After this we headed to Cape Town and were met by the lovely Ben. He was our transfer, taxi driver, guide, friend and more!! It was so nice to explore his home town and get all the additional information as we went on various excursions, and he was always on hand to help or adapt to our needs. We had such an amazing time during our holiday and throughout this process that we are already talking and looking to see what our next adventure could be!!

Great planned trip. Good use of 7 nights. Liked the split and a break between both major safari (Sabi Sand and Chobe NP). The break covered lookouts and hiking in Blyde Canyon areas, staying in White River, and trip to Victoria Falls. We intentionally added an additional game drive in the Zambezi NP one free morning ourselves. All three places (in Sabi Sands, Victoria Falls and Chobe NP) were great. Chobe NP resort inside the park was very good and definitely 5 stars. Nkorho bush lodge in Sabi Sands was very good with excellent guides. The river Cruise was on Zambezi was excellent. Location for Victoria Falls lodge was excellent. Place was slightly dated. Local tour outfitters / transport (Sable Tours for Sabi Sands & White River, Wild Horizons in Zambezi tours/river cruise, and local Botswana transfer to Chobe) were excellent. Both flights on Airlink Airlines and one flight on FastJet were well planned.

Incredible experience from the time we landed in the airport till we headed back home. Also Lucy, Lindi was able to add a last min 5 hour tour of Johannesburg which was really good.

Nicholas and Dion were the best guide and tracker at Sabi Sands.
Harry was the best guide at Xakanaxa Delta.
People were extremely friendly at all safaris as well as Cape Town and Victoria Falls. Each safari provided unique experience that we will cherish forever. Great time.

Hotel Reviews

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

Victoria Falls

Beautiful location for the lodge. Great rooms and excellent cleanliness. Happy (The guide) was helpful in showing us falls from all different aspects. Shopping was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Little away from town at the same time close driving distance to town

Staff

Knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very good service

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

Very friendly people. Everything is on time and great service.

Authenticity & Character

Very friendly people

Location

Walking distance from mall and water

Staff

Always ready to help. Also, paid attention to our dietary needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms as hallways. Breakfast area was greatly organized.

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Bushbuckridge

The whole staff from Kelly (Camp Manager) to our guide (Nicholas) and Tracker (Dion) were great people. Chef took take care of us due to our vegetarian diet needs. Nicholas and Dion were great to take us closest to animals as possible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chobe Game Lodge

Serondela

Overall great experience. Not too happy with the guide. She seemed little less aggressive to find animals for us to see.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location

Staff

Great food.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent

Camp Xakanaxa

Maun

It was like living in a true jungle. Everyone from Ipeleng (Camp Manager) to Harry (The Guide) were very helpful. They provided great communication and safety walk to make us feel totally at home.

Authenticity & Character

True experience of nature.

Location

Can't expect better location than pure jungle experience.

Staff

Unbelievable. Everyone is great, specially our guide Harry

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean. Not a single issue.

Activity Reviews

Private City & Table Mountain Tour - Half Day

Cape Town

Mario (The Guide) is the best. Very knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Mario was very accommodating to our needs. He took us to shopping places after Peninsula Tour. Lunch was great and catered to our dietary needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff and drivers are always either on time or ahead of time as well as ready to help.

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

Great beginning of our Safari tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning and Afternoon Game Drives

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

Nicholas and Dion are top of their game. They knew exactly what our wishes were and how to fulfill them. This team of duo is great at informing us as well as finding animals based on our wishes. Great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

Another day in paradise. Nicholas and Dion exposed us to breathe taking moment of roaring lions, within 6 inches of Elephant. What a game drive!!!!! We never imagined such a close exciting, thrilling encounter with the help of Dion and Nicholas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the falls

Victoria Falls

Happy (The guide) is very knowledgeable. Nice tour of the falls. Gave us totally new perspective after visiting the falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

Nice relaxing evening. Great view. Enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Falls to Chobe

South Africa

Everything was on time and no issue with transportation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chobe Safari

South Africa

The guide was not as enthusiastic and aggressive as Sabi Sands and Okavango Delta. We believe she could have done lot more to make it significantly more exciting for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chobe Safari Day

South Africa

Lodge was outstanding. Only disappointment was guid and Game Drive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was disappointment.

Transport

Chobe National Park to Okavango Delta

South Africa

One of the best experience in charter plane. Travel was flawless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Okavango Delta Safari

Okavango Delta

One of the best experience. Our guide Harry was extremely knowledgeable. He knew exactly how to track animals. He listened to our wishes very clearly and tried his best to execute them. He has no fear of taking us close to animals while keeping our safety in mind. One of the best highlight of our tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we found out we were going to South Africa for a conference, we decided to tack on some vacation time, so I started looking around online for recommendations and travel agents. I had never used Kimkim before, but I liked the idea of getting matched with a local agent based on our interests. The platform turned out to be easy to use, particularly for emailing our agent back and forth.

We loved the local agent, Esther, that Kimkim recommended. So started creating an itinerary for us right away, integrating our feedback and comments. She was very communicative and answered email on the platform so quickly that I barely noticed the timezone difference between the U.S. and South Africa. Her suggestions for hotels and excursions proved a good match for our priorities, and we particularly liked the mixture of different types of places...none of which I would have ever found on my own by just searching on the internet. Once we arrived in South Africa, she stayed in touch with us via text to make sure everything was going well, and even called around to check on entrance roads for us as there had been a lot of rain.

Our itinerary included time in the Winelands, and then a road trip to De Hoop Reserve and a safari at Inverdoorn Game Reserve. We got to see an amazing array of animals and birds. The food and staff at every place we stayed was amazing. My husband is a vegetarian, and he said he had some of the best and most inventive vegetarian food ever while in South Africa. We both must have gained 5 pounds each :) We also got to enjoy some wonderful dark sky gazing. I would highly recommend South Africa for U.S. travelers that want an affordable place for a variety of experiences. We would love to go back and see more of the country in the future, and will definitely use Kimkim and our local specialist Esther for our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Verde

Great place to end up after a very long flight from the U.S. Lovely hotel with a garden. Very good food in their restaurant, and a fabulous breakfast. Easy access to Cape Town airport.

Authenticity & Character

It's a nice oasis after a grueling night of airplane travel.

Location

Very close to airport.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the attention to environmentalism.

De Hoop Collection

A truly unique place, with probably some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in that part of South Africa. The power was out for most of our stay due to load-shedding, but that made the experience (and the dark skies) all the more unique. We had the whole Manor House to ourselves. Food in the restaurant was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Unique collection of buildings, situated in a truly picturesque setting.

Location

Great for wildlife viewing and dark night skies. Have to travel on a dirt road to get there.

Staff

Very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

These are old buildings, complete with all the charm and idiosyncrasies that come with that.

Kughana Tented Camp

The tents were very nice, and provided a different kind of experience from all the other places we stayed. We loved the chef and our safari guide Chereen. Very attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great for being far out and dark skies. Roads were a bit muddy from all the rain.

Staff

Wonderful staff. We felt like we had our own personal chef for a couple of days.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The tents are quite luxurious.

Mont Rochelle

We landed at Monte Rochelle after 2 different game reserve environments, so this was a good chance of pace and an excellent way to wrap up a trip. This place is the lap of luxury. We had the vegan taster menu from the restaurant. I also hit the spa for a reflexology/pedicure treatment that was to die for.

Authenticity & Character

Very thoughtfully decorated and appointed. Generous in-room snacks/drinks.

Location

On top of a hill overlooking Franschoek.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a gorgeous room. A good place to unwind from a bunch of traveling.

The Lord Charles Hotel

We spent 10 nights here, as it was the conference venue, so this place became like home for a while. The weather was bad, so we appreciated the fact that they had a couple of restaurants on-site. The Scottish style pub was our hang-out, and we got to know some of the staff, including Griszelda, who managed the breakfast room each morning. Overall, a lovely old hotel for a conference and an extended stay.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel is an old mainstay for Somerset West that was renovated during COVID. The renovations were lovely, while keeping the charm of an older place.

Location

Very centrally located for touring the Winelands.

Staff

We stayed long enough to get to know a few of the waitstaff. Lovely people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Foodies on Foot walking & tasting tour

South Africa

A very fun and informative tour. I had a lovely time talking with the guide.

Quality of Experience

I liked the tastings. Had gin and tonic for the first time.

Food

Good variety of tastings. I liked the explanations of local food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very informative and friendly.

Transport

I took an Uber to the tour.

Your stay at Inverdoorn

South Africa

We loved our guide, Chereen, who took us out a couple times a day for wildlife viewing. She was very personable and a real bad-ass when it came to driving the safari truck through washed out roads.

Quality of Experience

Excellent food. Was like having your own personal chef.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone worked to make our experience top-notch.

Transport

Our guide Chereen did most of the driving. She was awesome!

I cannot recommend the Lion’s Sand Narina Lodge highly enough. The staff was top tier and the lodge absolutely breathtaking and if in Cape Town the Marly Hotel will not disappoint. Simply beautiful. In Cape Town definitely book with Capey Tours (ask for Hendrick) and in Johannesburg MoAfrika through the eyes of experienced local guides will enlighten you. And lastly, none of it would have come together without Lucy at Travel Touch. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.

One year earlier we visited the safari region of Kenya. We reached out to Kim Kim with an interest to return to Africa and specifically the southern region. Esther was our trip planning guide and arranged an excellent trip itinerary. Esther gave special attention to our requests and preferences making sure we experienced the very best of Johannesburg, Sabi Sands, Cape Town and wine regions. We were surprised when we arrived at the airport to be greeted personally by Asther! Each one of our trips were flawlessly planned and felt very special. We unfortunately experience inclement weather near the end of our trip to Robin Island and Table Mountain, but Esther worked to keep us informed of our options and adjusted the plans where possible and we were able to enjoy the experience. Thanks Esther (Kim Kim) for enabling another wonderful travel experience!

Wonderful service , I never used to book through an agency but Lucy really changed that for us… the recommendations the support and service all throughout our travels was on the highest levels and worth every penny paid..

Highly recommended

The guides we had in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch were all excellent. Itu was our guide for Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. He gave us a very clear picture through his eyes and experience that was both informative and emotionally moving. Mthandeni, who took us to Pretoria and the Cullinan Diamond Mine was also very thorough and had interesting things to share with us. Craig with Capey Tours was a fun guide for the wine country. He captured our idea of how we wanted to experience that. He was also very helpful (and flexible) in helping us arrange for wine shipping.

On the downside, I feel that there were some definite glitches with Moafrika, the agent in Johannesburg. Let me be specific: Itu was supposed to take us to Lebo’s for dinner after our Soweto tour. The address he was given was incorrect. We searched and finally found Lebo’s, but they had no booking for us. This was a dinner that was included in the price of the tour. We went back to the hotel and settled for UberEats. We were supposed to have a private driver for the trip to Pilanesberg, but were on a crowded bus with 20+ people. Lucy did arrange for a driver to pick us up after the game drive.
Finally, there was to be an airport transfer for the other couple joining us. They waited half an hour at the airport and finally called an Uber to get to the hotel.

I say all this not to be critical of Lucy at all. She was very responsive. I just feel that there needs to be better communication of expectations to Moafrika.

Hotel Review

Capital on Bath

Johannesburg

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly, responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer O.R Tambo Intl Airport to Hotel

Johannesburg

Connection between driver and client was not made. There was a 30 minute discrepancy in the time of arrival that I tried repeatedly to correct. This may be the reason the driver was not there.

Full Day Soweto & Apartheid Tour

Johannesburg

Quality of Experience

Food

Dinner was supposed to be provided and guide did not have the correct information

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Boutique Winelands Tour

South Africa

Meeting wine makers at each of the farms was a great experience.

Khayamandi Township Tour

Cape Town

We toured Lange. The local guide was very gracious and gave us a complete look at life in the township.

Dinner at Lebo's

South Africa

Did not happen.

Ultimate Pilanesberg Open Vehicle Day Tour

South Africa

There was supposed to be a private driver. We were on a bus with 20+ people.

We enlisted the help of Deb and the Kim Kim team to help us organize a whistle stop trip to S. Africa and Zimbabwe. We only had 10 days so needed help getting the most out of our limited time.
We were so impressed with the level of communication throughout the planning process and whilst on the trip itself. Some great dinner spots and additional activities were suggested which made a huge difference to our experience. It was also great to be given a variety of accommodation options which we could select to best suit our budget.
All transfers and activities ran like clockwork and took the worry out of traveling in a new country with kids. Every guide we came across was exceptionally knowledgeable and professional.
We would definitely use the Kim Kim service again and wholeheartedly recommend Deb and her team for anyone considering a trip to S. Africa. Thank you for the most amazing holiday - we didn’t want to come home!

Hotel Reviews

Parker Cottage

Cape Town

This was a holiday highlight for us. Tomas and his team and the accommodation was exceptional - a home away from home and a blissful sanctuary after a busy day sightseeing. Outstanding!

Authenticity & Character

A beautiful old heritage villa.

Location

A safe walking distance to restaurants in the area and close proximity to Table Mountain and the Waterfront.

Staff

Great advice and super friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Sun De Wagen

Stellenbosch

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms/ beds needed to be bigger!

Phezulu Guest Lodge

Victoria Falls

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely quiet location but it was easy to organise taxis.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Capital On The Park

Sandton

Authenticity & Character

A big hotel with a great pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the shopping mall.

Location

Close to the shopping mall.

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A great 2 bed apartment for our final night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A great 2 bed apartment for our final night.

Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa - Kasane

Chobe, Kasane

Authenticity & Character

The isolation of this place was quite special - we loved the open air dining areas and viewing deck and of course the thatched roof.

Location

It took 3 border crossings to reach this lodge but it actually added to the experience. Loved that it was only accessible by river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super big beds!

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding in the Winelands

South Africa

My kids loved this activity! It was an amazing setting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Table Mountain

Cape Town

We loved this trip! We headed straight here after checking in at our accommodation. We took a later cable car up to catch the sunset. It was super quiet and the sunset/ views were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

We had a friendly and experienced guide. We loved the penguins, haggling with the street vendors and the views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robben Island

Cape Town

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. We had an amazing guide on the bus around the island and a former inmate for the prison tour. Very interesting and humbling. It was quite a big group and sometimes hard to follow what was being said when we were off the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at GOLD Restaurant

Cape Town

The additional drumming workshop was well worth it. We all loved it! It was great to taste various dishes from around the continent and to watch the dancing/ entertainment. This was definitely a very touristy activity but something I would recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic and rustic - some dishes were really tasty, some were more interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet Dinner on a Sunset Cruise

Victoria Falls

This was outstanding! It was stunning scenery on the Zambezi and we saw our first hippo! The 4 course meal was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Vic Falls

Victoria Falls

What’s not to like? The Falls are breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dusty Road Township Dinner Experience **highly recommended by our team

Victoria Falls

Loved the little tour that you get upon entry. Great atmosphere and loved the community aspect of this place and the focus on sustainability.

Quality of Experience

Food

The authenticity. Some of the dishes took me back to my own time living in Africa.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took our own taxi and paid more than we were told to pay.

Arrival at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We crossed 3 borders to get here. This sounds overwhelming but each crossing was slick and efficient and we were directed by the driver on where to go. It added to the whole experience. The river ride to the lodge was beautiful - we spotted lion, hippos and elephants. It was nice to be offered a cold drink on board.

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last morning at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We actually saw very little wildlife on the morning safari. We ended up watching a troop of baboons for ages. The river ride and sunset was perfect though.

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were met upon arrival at Cape Town airport by Jennifer who escorted us thru the the car rental site and out the door. What a lovely assistance, she provided. She also provided us with a couple bottle of wine for the nights relaxation. Lindi, our coordinator, did a wonderful job of putting together some really nice B&B's for your trip to SA. The Cape Riviera Guest House was centrally located to a lot of the attractions available in Cape Town. It was also within walking distance to many restaurants. The Guest House is a little dated but that added to the ambiance of the place. The grounds were nice to stroll in. Owen, the proprietor , was very pleasant and informative. The breakfast was a great way to start the day.

Our first day got off a little late due to our intended guide becoming deathly ill. Lindi scrambled to get us a replacement on short notice. Not having the itinerary, Micheal, our guide, started us with a trip to the top of Table Mtn. We rode the gondola to the top. What a gorgeous view of CapeTown from there. Michael walked us around the paths, introducing us to the plants, animals, and, the water gathering systems up there. After getting back to the vehicle, We got a history lesson from Michale about apartheid and the changes that came with it as we drove to the waterfront for lunch. We strolled around there for a bit and lost track of time. We drove by the Church of Good Hope but had insufficient time to wander thru the inside.

Day 2, Michael drove us along the Camps Bays, Chapman's Peak scenic hwy to Cape Point. What a great drive. We did a little hiking on the head lands before taking the obligatory photo of the Cape of Good Hope sign. From there, we wandered up the east side of the Cape Peninsula making our way to Groot Constancia winery for lunch and to taste a few of their wines. After lunch, a visit to Kirshtenbosch Botanical Gardens was made. Michael introduced us to the miriad of plants , trees, ferns, their medicinal uses, etc and the history of the gardens. Two days is not near enough to spend in CApeTown. THere's just too much to see and experience. We will spend some more time here when we return.

Day 3 and beyond, we were on our own. We drove thru the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Specifically, we stopped at KanonKop, Babylonstroen, Boschendal and Lanzerac wineires. We strolled around the grounds and tasted their wines. Very impressive farms, they all were, especially Babykonstroen. we ended our day at Herman's, late. We found our B&B...Whale Rock Lodge right after sunset. THis is a very nice establishment, nice grounds, well kept.

Day 4, Melanie, the proprietor, met us in the AM for Breakfast and gave us info on beach walks from the Lodge, We wandered along the rocky coastline for a morning stretch before getting back in our vehicle and driving onward. We made our way thru the scenic countryside and back roads to Cape Agulhas where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. After stretching and picture taking, it was back in the car and off to the Garden Route and Knysna for a couple of days. Lindi's choice of the Blackwaters River Lodge was a nice stay. Jane and Bonita made our two night stay very pleasant. They do a very nice meal service and breakfast here. The veranda was a nice, quiet place to relax and sip some of the wines we sourced on our trip.

We did some mountain hiking in the morning, then down to Robberg Nature Reserve for some more hiking. The trails in the Reserve can be somewhat daunting for the uninformed, as we found out. the 5.5K trail around the peninsula included a lot of rock hopping and sands. we were bushed when we finished. We dined on oysters and seafood in Knysna at 34 street, on the water front. We ran out of time for the sunset cruise of the Knysna Estuary and headlands, but would recommend it for the future .

From Knysna, we continued our drive along the West Cape and into the East Cape on N2 thru Port Elizabeth, then headed north on N10 before turning westward on R400, inland to Kuzuko Lodge in the Central Karoo and Greater Addo Elephant Reserve. The first 10k of R400 is extremely rough. We found a better alternative on the way out, using R335, a much smoother, unpaved road, 15 K out of the way but quicker over all. The Kuzuko Lodge is a great stay in the middle of nowhere. The Reserve consists of 15000 Hectare of the Karoo. We did four game drives on the reserve, one each morning and each evening. We saw plenty of wildlife to keep us happy: Elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetah, a miriade of antelope from small to large, raptors, cranes, meerkats, mongoose, jackles and more. The staff at Kuzuko were very accommodating and pleasant. Their meals were very nice, too. Got to give a shoutout to our game driver, Quinton, very informative on the the animals and history of the Reserve. The spa staff at the Lodge did an incredible job of working all the kinks and knots out of our muscles after a jostling game drive. Highly recommend their services.

Lindi, of Salty/KimKim Tours did a great job of arranging our rental car, guide and stays for our trip. The BNB'S were 4 star and higher. The included meals were a nice addition. The Kuzuko Game Lodge and staff were really great too. AS I mentioned before, two days in Cape Town is not near enough time to see all that is available. The same can be said of all the stops along our route . We will need to return to South Africa again to capture more of its scenic wonders. Thanks Lindi for giving us a glimpse of this great county.

My wife and I just returned from an amazing self-drive tour to South Africa that was organized by Petru of Kimkim. It was a 11 day custom tour that included both Kazulu Natal and the Garden Route. We had some rough ideas of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see, and Petru filled in the details and made the bookings. There is a lot to cover and of course not enough time to do it all, but since my first time in South Africa I was happy to see some highlights of each region. The accommodations were typically 3- and 4-star guest houses with bed and breakfast, very comfortable, fabulous food, and reasonably priced (to a visitor from the USA). Also, each was very unique and beautiful. We particularly liked the Drakensberg Cavern Resort, St Lucia Wetlands Guesthouse, and Parkes Manor in Knysna. We loved the Drakensberg mountains and the coastline around Tsitsikamma, Knysna and the Garden Route. We enjoyed the Hippo Cruise and exploring the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park (self-drive game drive to Cape Vidal) at St. Lucia. Also, Addo Elephant Park (self-drive game drive). I took probably at least 1000 photos of birds and animals large and small in the wild, and spectacular scenery. Petru was very helpful in helping us with the planning, and giving suggestions of things to do while we were on the trip. Everything went smoothly and without a hitch.

The trip was a 10/10 experience. Deb really took the lead on planning everything for us because we came in with limited knowledge. We got to do everything and had the greatest of times. All the staff was extremely accommodating. Having all of the drivers planned out made the trip carefree and seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Chobe Game Lodge

Serondela

Extremely nice facility with amazing food, views, and people. Being able to get into Chobe earlier allowed us to see a family of lions without any other trucks blocking our view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

The lodge was a great location to walk to the falls. The service was extremely accommodating. Food was delicious. Our driver for the majority of the trip, Frank, was amazing! Extremely informative and kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa - Kasane

Chobe, Kasane

This is a very secluded and peaceful experience. The food was great and authentic. However there was a large fly problem while eating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flight of the Angels over Vic Falls

Victoria Falls

The 15 minute duration trip was plenty. The guide explained everything we were seeing and sights were amazing. Really good safety briefing as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Cruise & Riverside Dinner

Victoria Falls

We had a private cruise with a full staff. The guide got us really close and allowed us to take as many pictures of the hippopotamus. The dinner course was unexpected and really amazing. Drinks and pretty views made this excursion very relaxing and wonderful. They provided rain ponchos which were very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dusty Road Township Dinner Experience **highly recommended by our team

Victoria Falls

This was definitely a highlight of our trip. The food was delicious and the entire experience of learning about all the ingredients was very interesting. The entire ambiance of the place was amazing and could not be replicated elsewhere. We even purchased the owners cookbook. Staff was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mukuni Village Tour

Victoria Falls

This was a very unique experience. The guide was great and the villages were extremely kind. We wish we knew prior to bring some clothes to donate. Got to purchase some great souvenirs here straight from the people who make it. Also needing another visa to get back into Zimbabwe and to pay for everything in cash is important info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

You need to take a very small boat with all of your luggage to this location which was a surprise. The guide that took us Felix was very nice and informative!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Exclusive Black Rhino Conservation Experience

Victoria Falls

This luxury lodge was a great treat for the evening. Our safari guide, Michael, was extremely passionate about his job and made the tour very fun for us. He really put the effort in to make sure we saw as many animals as possible especially the black rhinos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive at your lodge in Chobe National Park and First Game Drive

Chobe National Park

Although it started pouring rain, it was still amazing since they provided really nice and heavy ponchos. These rides are extremely enjoyable just to see all the views. We also got to see a family of elephants which was really exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game Drives in Chobe National Park

South Africa

Getting to be the first ones out into the park allowed us first access to seeing all the morning animals. We got to see a whole family of lions without having to compete with any other cars for the best photos ops. The lunch provided had a lot of food in it and was very filling. We really got to see almost every animal in the park and the guide, Ellie, did a great job spotting out exotic birds and plants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day at Chobe Savanna Lodge

South Africa

This is a very peaceful resort with limited visitors. The staff is extremely accommodating and the food was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last morning at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We did a bird viewing cruise in the morning and got to see hippos out of the water as well as some elephants drinking water. Also a lot of baboons on the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4-5 days in Cape Town(V&A hotel is a great location )is perfect, table mountain and Robben island were great experiences. 2 days Franschhoek was perfect and Avonrood accommodation excellent.Ryan was a brilliant guide for both above . Thabamati luxury tented lodge was just brilliant (food, safari’s,service all excellent) and 4 nights was just enough. To finish at Victoria falls and sunset cruise was a fantastic finish to our brilliant holiday.

Hotel Reviews

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Cape Town

Great location.Clean room. Service could be a bit better at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Help at front of hotel for taxi’s etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avondrood Luxury Guest House

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Friendly, very comfortable accommodation in great location. Very high standard. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Great character, lovely furnishings

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

Overall fantastic experience, luxury accommodation, excellent setting,service, safari’s, staff friendliness .The experience surpassed our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Excellent quality of accommodation. Really friendly feel to the camp. The staff are all great

Location

Timbavati game reserve offers a lot of spotting from start to finish.

Staff

All helpful with everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely high standard in communal and private areas

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

Great location, saw wild animals in the lovely garden areas. You can hear the sound of the falls which we liked

Authenticity & Character

Dining , pool and bar areas very well laid out

Location

Staff

Reception staff really helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Great day tour. Great sights. Our lunch was average on this trip , I think because they rushed leading up to load shedding.

Quality of Experience

Seeing great sights and scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ryan provides just the right amount of information and is relaxed and friendly

Transport

Table Mountain Hike and Cable Car

Cape Town

Great hike, great guide who was really friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Good sense of achievement in completing the hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Town City and Scheduled Robben Island Tour

Cape Town

Robben island is a must do item. Really interesting. City tour informative and pleasant to see the different areas.

Quality of Experience

Informative and interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Winelands Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

We really enjoyed the day especially the cheese and wine pairing and the final stop location, setting and scenery was spectacular(Stark Conde). We felt 2 wine tastings would have been better than 3 , also a slightly later start would be good to allow a bit more free time in Franschhoek

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Location choices arranged by Ryan

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boma Dinner

Victoria Falls

Slow start but got better and better. Food was nice also

Quality of Experience

Drumming, singing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Didn’t always have transportation cool enough

Tour of the falls and sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

Excellent tour of the falls, great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lize planned an unforgettable trip to South Africa for us! Our tour guides in both Cape Town (Bonnie) and Johannesburg (Natasha) were super friendly and knowledgeable. And of course, the safari experience was 10/10 incredible! Lize planned the perfect amount of time in each location, and she was super flexible as our needs and wants changed. I highly recommend South Africa as a destination and Lize as a travel specialist!

My husband and I booked a pretty last-minute trip to south Africa and we were not easy customers! Lize was so incredible patient and helpful, and communicated well, and quickly. This trip wouldn't have happened without her, and it really was glorious! Tangala Lodge was perfect for us, even though it wasn't originally where we were planning to stay. Amenities were basic and clean, yet service was absolutely 5 star! And not a trivial detail--the transfers our stay involved we're SO smooth they were easy to forget! My husband and I never had to wonder how we were going to get from point A to point B.

Trip was well organized. Maximized my 15 days with excellent guides. Plenty of info and travelling tips from them. They were professional and kind. Lindi continually kept me updated with next day events.
Thank you KimKim.

Hotel Review

Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge

Hoedspruit

Excellent service. Chase safari guide was extremely knowledgeable and kind. Ent out of way for us to see big 5. Meals were 5*. Amazing ! Staff beyond generous. Thank you

Authenticity & Character

Location

Tranquillity, meals, location, kind staff

Staff

Kind professional and serving .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping 2 times a day. Very clean

Activity Reviews

Table Mountain Guided Hike

Cape Town

Must do if you’re in Capetown! Amazing view

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tour

South Africa

Cape Town Walking Tour

Cape Town

Nice quaint town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities at Makalali Game Reserve

Kruger National Park

Amazing

Quality of Experience

Very kind staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very grateful to Deborah and her team to help us plan our trip to South Africa. The personal touch and great recommendations for driving routes, accommodations made the trip amazing. The Mosaic Lagoon Lodge was a perfect place to start the trip, (amazing atmosphere) and ending at Ivory Wilderness Lodge was a lovely bookend the whole experience.
We would highly recommend getting Deborah and her team to assist in your trip due to their local knowledge, insight, great communication and personal touches. Thanks very much.

If you thinking about having Elgin Africa plan your trip, stop debating and just do it! I can't say enough about how great the entire experience was. Deb, whose company is Elgin Africa, lives in South Africa and has personal relationships with a lot of the tour companies that we used. She cared deeply about me and my family having an amazing trip, and made sure every detail was perfect. I can only say that there would be no way that we would have had such an amazing, flawless trip without a passionate destination specialist curating every detail for us.

Starting with the planning process, Deb chatted with me on the phone and walked me though a customized itinerary she made for me. I was concerned about my budget, and she modified the trip several times to keep me at my budget, which I very much appreciated. I was in contact the Deb and her assistant before, during, and after the trip. She would even text me late at night and as ask if I enjoyed dinner.

As for the Trip itself Deb planned a 2 week adventure for my family of six. We went on two safaris in Botswana, visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and spent time exploring Johannesburg. Every part of the trip was amazing. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite section, but if I had to give advice I was say do not miss out on visiting Chobe National Park!

All the accommodations Deb booked for us were beautiful 5 star boutique hotels. I couldn't believe she was able to fit such fantastic hotels into my budget. Also, the whole trip felt private. We had a private guide for both of our safaris, private transfers, and a private dinner cruise in Victoria Falls. What was most amazing about the trip is that we had so many passionate people making sure we enjoyed ourself. We didn't end up in one tourist trap and we were able to genuinely experience the local culture of every place we went.

I can't recommend Deb enough! Our trip was worth every penny, and every part more than exceeded our expectations. Thank you for planning the trip of a lifetime!