Dear Lize,
Now that I have a moment, I’ll provide feedback on our South Africa/Zambia adventure.
Our trip was just fantastic and exceeded expectations. Time expands when you are experiencing new and wonderful things in life, and our two weeks in Africa felt like two months, only in the most positive way. The sights, the sounds, the colors, the animals, the people: all were enticing and rewarding. You did a great job of giving us a varied and thorough view of South Africa without having us rush through cities and experiences. At every point, guides and drivers and accommodations were first rate, making our itinerary unfold seamlessly. All details of the trip were handled professionally and I knew I could count on every aspect of the trip to be what I had hoped for. We loved the people we met in South Africa and adored being so up close and personal with the country’s fabulous wildlife. Africa was just the best; thank you for introducing us to your wonderful country.
Lize, here are a few specific comments:
The accommodations were absolutely great, each one seemingly getting better than the previous one. Chapunga was lovely and the staff was great. Our safari guide was really fantastic. Nottens was beautiful. Apparently in the last 10 years they’ve made a lot of additions to the lodge and it was luxurious. The feeling of community was provided by all the staff, Dale being the most welcoming person of all. The food was incredible at every meal. I’m really glad we elected to stay at Cape Grace in Cape Town, because the location was unbeatable. We looked out on Table Mountain and walked to the Waterfront multiple times. The service at the hotel was impeccable – they best of anything we saw anywhere. Everyone was obviously extremely well trained and took pride in their jobs. The food was just the best. A beautiful lodging. The Royal Livingstone in Zambia was a total surprise – colonial England replicated on the banks of the Zambezi River. It felt weird to have the staff dressed up in colonial costumes, but we decided that we were looking at it from an American perspective and couldn’t put our values on anyone else. That being said, the site was outstanding – having the hotel right on the banks of the river with the “smoke” from the Falls visible in the distance. The location couldn’t have been better. And having the herbivorous animals roaming the property was great. The open-air facilities were lovely, as well as the grounds. The only criticism we had was that the service in the restaurant and on the decks was extremely slow. Given that there seemed to be lots of staff everywhere, it was perplexing why the service was always so slow.
All the tours were informative and well-paced. We had to request a change of tour guide in Cape Town, but that was handled quickly and positively. The safaris were great.
There are only two activities that we selected that we thought were a waste of time: the Shark Cage and the Zambezi Sundowner Cruise. You have to drive 2 hours up and back for the Shark Cage activity, which makes a really long day. Basically, you spend 15 minutes in the shark cage, watching murky outlines of sharks swim quickly by the cage, when viewing is much better on deck. Otherwise, you spend the remaining 2 hours, 45 minutes sitting on deck in a cold wetsuit watching lots of people vomit. I heard other people say they thought it was amazing, but we thought it was a waste of time and money. The Zambezi Sundowner Cruise was boring. Just moving slowly, slowly down the river with mediocre drinks and food, listening to corny dialogue from the group leader. Again, some people who’ve maybe never done that kind of thing before thought it was exciting, but for us it was a waste of time and money. We do know that we chose those activities, so this is no reflection on you. Just thought you might want our feedback.
We certainly hope to return to Africa and continue to explore the continent. I’ve already given your name and information to some other people who are interested in traveling to South Africa.
Thanks so much for all your hard work. It was fabulous!
This was the trip of a lifetime and Sebastian and I want to thank you for a fantastic job of arranging everything. Really terrific!
Linda Turner