South Africa Tours and Vacation Packages

We are fairly seasoned travellers, and did a lot of homework before planning this trip. Nothing really prepared us for how fabulous it would be.  I'd say it was the trip of a lifetime, except that we fully intend to go back.

From first contact to last, this travel agency was a pleasure to deal with.  They were responsive to our ideas about what we wanted to do and see, and put together several itineraries which also included many suggestions that we had not thought of. 

Ours was a private 3 week tour, beginning in Durban, then to the Sabi Sands game reserve (where we stayed at the Londolozi Founders Camp).  We took the Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town where we stayed a few days at the very lovely Cape Grace Hotel, and spent 3 wonderful days at the a wine estate near Stellenbosch.

Our travel agency arranged all of our transportation and excursions.  Everything went like clockwork:  all of our guides or transports were right on time, and without exception they were extremely pleasant and knowledgeable people.  We learned a lot about the country from each of them.

South Africa is a long way from Canada.  What made us feel very secure was that we had the personal cell phone number of our agent and knew that we could call her at any hour if something went awry.

The very best thing is that we never had to call!

I would recommend this tour company highly, and would definitely use them again,

We booked, what we thought would be the trip of a lifetime.  It was so fabulous in reality, that we think we need to go again!  We had turned almost all of the trip over to our travel agency to plan for us, giving them only a minimal outline of what we would like to see.  They planned the trip and only with a few minor changes (e.g. add a day for a wine tour in the Cape) we booked.  Frankly, we were a little nervous about placing a high level of trust in a company we only knew via Zicasso and the internet, but it was trust well placed and rewarded.  Our trip consisted of 3 days at Cape Town, a few nights at Londolozi in Sabi Sands/Kruger, a day at Victoria Falls, a few days at Chobe Game Lodge on the Chobe River, a few days at Savute, and the last few days in the Okavango Delta at Xugana Island Lodge.  Almost 3 weeks in total. All logistics were seamless with no problems whatsoever despite numerous hand offs and transports.

I would rate This company 4.5 Stars: they were almost, but not quite, perfect.

From the moment we received our agent's original proposal for a trip to southern Africa for two seniors couples, we felt that she, more than the other agents who contacted us, truly understood what we wanted. Our major intention was to see African wildlife, but we also wanted to explore parts of South Africa. As we learned more about our destination, we requested changes, and our agent was patient and helpful in making suggestions and revisions.

Ultimately, she devised an itinerary that had us begin with a brief visit to Victoria Falls, continue with safaris in Botswana and Namibia, and conclude several weeks later with safaris in Kruger National Park and Thornybush Private Game Reserve in South Africa. This brilliant arrangement allowed us to maintain excitement about the safaris, each of which was substantially different,  and to have absolutely the best weather for each area because we were moving south as summer approached. Between these safaris, our agent arranged for a visit to Cape Town and environs, a self-driving tour of the Garden Route, and private guided trips to God’s Window, the Pot Holes, and the canyons near Hazy View. 

Our agent also did a superb job in arranging accommodations. We did not want to stay in major chain hotels, so she arranged a series of absolutely charming boutique hotels and cottages. She also strongly urged us to stay in a Kruger Park rest camp, something we would never considered otherwise, but it turned out to be a splendid idea. The great variety in lodgings added interest and even excitement to the trip. At Hermanus, for example, we sat on our balcony drinking wine while watching whales breeching just off shore. To help us during our time of self-driving exploration, our agent provided a booklet outlining some interesting sites and activities.

On top of all this, our agent did an excellent job of arranging transfers, which were uniformly punctual, and in contracting private engaging guided tours in Cape Town, Hazy View area, and Johannesburg. She also arranged to have a superb private guide for our stay in Kruger National Park.

In all, our agent did an excellent job, with only the brief trip into Namibia falling short of our expectations and the high standards she established with the rest of the itinerary. It would be difficult to find an agent who showed more concern for making this kind of once-in-a-lifetime trip more pleasant, entertaining, and truly memorable. She receives our enthusiastic recommendation.

My trip itinerary was a challenge from the start. The plan was to meet my son who is serving in the United States Peace Corps in Zambia.We needed to satisfy my husband and myself in our early fifties, my elderly parents, and my two sons in their mid twenties. Everyone in our group had an outstanding time while traveling through Zambia and South Africa. The attention to detail that we received from our travel planner was beyond our highest expectations. Every place we stayed at was exactly what we wanted. Most importantly was the fact that despite the 6 hour time difference between my home and our travel planner's, she was always easily accessible while planning this vacation.  There were so many details to iron out between hiring drivers and setting up my parents in a good location while we spent some time in my son's village. Everything went smoothly.

I did quite a lot of research before the trip and wanted to stay at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. While we did stay there for part of the trip, (incredible accommodations),  Our travel planner recommended that we spend two nights at  a lodge on the Zambezi River. I cannot say enough about the outstanding accommodations in their cottage, the wonderful hospitality of the owners, and the gourmet quality of every meal. It was truly a surprise and I never would have sought this resort out without the assistance of our travel planner. After being wowed there, we spent 4 amazing nights at the Thornybush Game Lodge near Kruger. The safaris were awe inspiring. The guides were knowledgeable and so much fun to spend time with. Truly the highlight of our trip. The final leg of our vacation landed us in the breath taking city of Capetown. We had four private tours arranged for us and we could not have been happier with our guide. After spending time with him in Capetown, Tabletop, a full tour of Cape Point, Hermanus, and then wine country, we truly felt as if he is a part of our family. Every suggested restaurant was incredible. 

What more can I say? I have planned many vacations for my family prior to this trip, but organizing a vacation in Africa for a multi generational group was a daunting task. Finding this travel planner was a godsend. I knew from our first phone conversation we made the right choice! Her knowledge and travel experience in Africa gives her the edge over any travel agent from the States.