A valued guest (and keen birder who was traveling alone and wanting peace and quiet) spent 2 nights at Roggeland Country House near Paarl. This is her feedback:

“Roggeland is certainly easy to find and close to the place I went birding on Saturday morning.

I found the guests interesting to talk to, and any request I made of the owners was quickly granted. For instance, the regular breakfast time is 8:30 a.m. I wanted to eat earlier so that I could get out to bird, and that was easily worked out.

I found a tire completely flat one morning, and the gardener changed it immediately. I was told that there was no charge but I did tip him.

I was offered a water bottle to take with me. When I returned I was offered a delicious homemade lemon drink. I was permitted to use the phone in my room to call without charge.

The views of the mountain range are excellent. The pool is readily accessible and a good size. The water is nicely warmed by the sun, and the adjacent thatched hut is very comfortable to sit under and read.

My room was nicely decorated,clean, very quiet and comfortable. I would have liked a standing lamp or a lamp on the table next to the chair had it not been lovely to sit on the chairs outside the room..

The meal the first night was delicious. Each course was small. The owner was very careful to assure me that I would not be served beef or lamb. The wines were not outstanding, but that’s all right with me. Wine goes straight to my head so I have to be careful only to drink small portions. The meal on Friday was delicious. The photographer I sat with and I commented how delicious each course was.

The dinner the next night was mediocre. I gues it is difficult to keep up a consistent high standard. The breakfasts were good with a wide variety of dishes to choose from. The dining room was just the right size for the number of guests. Although it was not a problem for me, other guests might wish some background music so their dinner conversation could be more private. “

I did indeed have a great time in South Africa, so much so I plan to go again next year! Not sure how much of my other articles you have read but there are plenty more outlining what I did while out there, I also have photos from my trip at www.flickr.com/photos/thecssdiv/ and videos at www.youTube.com/thecssdiv/ - all very good indeed!
¼br /> In regard to the Baz Bus I think its a pretty good service for anyone wanting to explore the garden route. Though it is rather expensive (about R840) the fact that it actually drops you off at backpackers hostels means that you don’t get into trouble trying to find places in towns you have never visited before! If you leave from PE or Cape Town the early start times are rather prohibitive and for anyone going all the way in one day I would think its better to get a coach (i got one from Cape Town to PE for R140). The drivers all seem to be pretty nice, friendly and everything though sometimes when they pick up a mate its a bit of a pain as they do seem to concentrate less on the pick ups; equally the rather rigid schedule means that you have to make the most of the stop off for going to the toilet (I didn;t at one stage and almost got into a situation! It is also not quite as flexible as they make out - you should plan your pick ups two days in advance and if they make a mistake or you forget to book a pick up you have to wait a day for the next one - but apart from that its certainly a very valuable experience and service.
¼br /> In my opinion Shamwari was also worth the money. I have never been on a safair before but the team and experience I had there was excellent! I stayed in Eagles Crag (which is the most expensive place at R5500 a night) but my hut, meals, game drives and tour guides were well of the standard I would have expected for that matter - my suite (with my own pool) was truelly jaw dropping! If there was one thing I would say about the place it would be that I don’t think that one day is long enough to get the best experience out of the place - two days would have been excellent and given me a much better chance to see the big five. I did see elephants though which were the one I did most want to see.
¼br /> Kind regards,
¼br /> Ross Bruniges

 

Mark Bowdern, his wife and two children under 12 years travelled to Sun City and Victoria Falls with a short stop in Chobe for some excellent elephant viewing!

All the facilities at Sun City were very enjoyable BUT .. The Cabanas rooms are shockingly small. They really need to look at this. The bedding for 2 kids is a pull out lounge .. that is just foam on the floor. It’s OK if they’re young but not recommended for kids over 8 years old really. There needs to be family rooms .. that actually can fit a family of 4 ..

Zambezi Sun. Fantastic. Staff here are amazing !! Sooo friendly and genuinely helpful. The only downside was the price of wine. Ridiculous US dollar amounts.
Bottles of Nederburg that might be 45R are $45 US.
Rooms .. though not large feature 2 King sized beds that are very comfortable. If the kids are happy .. so are the parents.

Finally Chobe Marina lodge … great accommodation though staff are lacking in training. Even the S African managers here need a bit of a kick… not once did either the GM or the F&B mgr even say hello ?!
Would stay here again though as the room and setting are great

And finally the transport company who arranged transfers etc .. must have been trained in Switzerland. On time .. every time and thoroughly good people .. good recommendations

Best Regards and many thanks again Lise ..
Mark Bowdern