Just spent two amazing nights at Londolozi Tree Camp with my family. Londolozi is looking fantastic. The lodge has just been completely rebuilt and I must say, I can’t fault it.

The rooms at Londolozi Tree Camp are massive. And when you slide open the door to the veranda, you are literally perched on the sand river. The bush becomes part of your room.

The food was the best I have had on safari - awsome lamb cutlets and pork neck, just what you need after a day of bumping around looking for animals.

Londolozi provides a superb safari experience. There is not a single thing I would change (well, perhaps I would suggest a pole for vaulting into the rather high bed!!!).

 

My husband Michael & I have taken trips to South Africa with Southern Destinations the last three years in a row from 2005- 2007! (We are in love with the country, people & animals). We would not use any company other than Southern Destinations as they have proven to be the absolute BEST at accomodating our requests & itinerary planning.  We did not have one problem in the 3 years of trips & in fact, were so impressed by their incredible knowledge of all the game reserves as well as the Cape winelands we cannot imagine going anywhere on the African  continent without their guidance. We had the BEST guides & drivers who were both knowledgeable and extremely fun to spend time with. We felt safe at all times and were able to relax knowing that all our transportation to & from each destination was taken care of. The lodges and hotels they chose for us were of 4 & 5 Star calibre & the South African hospitality & service is better than we have had anywhere in the world!
My husband & I are also both professional photographers & can send you pictures if you wish. I  highly recommend you use Southern Destinations for the trip of your lifetime!

Sincerely, Kimberly Guy Fairbank

 

Sari and her husband visited Singita and Rhino Walking Safari as well as Cape Town and the Winelands:

Hi Lise,
Just wanted to take a moment and tell you what a fabulous time Sam and I had in South Africa.  All of our selected hotels/lodges added to a vacation that we will remember always.  The order of Rhino Walking Safari, sleeping in the bush, leading up to Singita…and then the lovely hospitality of Four Rosmead and the beautiful setting in the wine country….just perfect. 

Thank you for listening to me as I formulated a vague plan and making it real.  We had a great week in Cape Town; hiking up Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and visiting two townships with my son were the highlights.  But highlights is the wrong word because it implies that any of our experience was not “high”.
Wishing you a happy new year.
Sari

  

Just wanted to provide some feedback on how FABULOUS Liesl’s assistance was, and how great our first trip (of hopefully many more!) to South Africa was. She assisted us in organizing our safari to Camp Shonga and the entire experience was great – she was even able to help us when we found an earlier flight, and was able to have our driver pick us up earlier than expected. We had such a great experience and her advice and assistance was invaluable in making our trip the trip of a lifetime. We will definitely be going back to South Africa.

Thanks again Liesl!!!! Oh, and our trip to the wine country fell on my 30th birthday – it was the best birthday ever! Akademie was so lovely!

Andrea

  

Hi Lorna,

We have been meaning to drop you a line since getting back……….so great to hear from you!  We had a sensational time in South Africa…..quite fantastic.  I think mostly due to your fantastic suggestions of where to stay wherever we went…..

The hotels you recommended were all perfect, and we didn’t have a single hitch with any bookings, transfers, cars or travel arrangements!  So it was a brilliant job, thank you!  The waterfront apartment in Cape Town was fabulous and perfectly situated.  The 2 game parks were awesome and we saw some brilliant game in both places.  The weather was fine in Kruger but then packed up for the cricket at Hilton College.  (That was the only place we had a bad place to stay……..Hilton Hotel is like Fawlty Towers, and we checked out to a B&B straightaway!).

Honeyguide was incredible……….the personal service was really good. A fantastic guide.

Phinda was divine.  We had the most amazing room, and although it was a bit daunting when we arrived and saw the construction……..they worked around it really well and it didn’t impact on our stay.  We saw some awesome game.

Cape Town we loved!  The cricket was great there and the whole place is stunning.  We went down the coast and also up to the wineries………..all in all a great city to live in I would imagine!  Sun City was Sun City!  Cascades was definitely the right place to stay for us, and we had a great couple of days in the sunshine for a perfect end to our holiday.

So thanks so much for making our trip so enjoyable.  We would love to come back again………….!

carey

  

The Oglesby Family went on safari to Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp in the Kruger National Park. Here is there feedback:

Lise,
I’ve been meaning to let you know how fabulous our trip to South Africa was.  Thank you for the detailed plans you made for us.  Literally everything was perfect (except our flight home, but that’s totally unrelated to you).  All the accommodations fit our needs.  We were busy constantly, but felt relaxed and well taken care of.  You planned well for our family’s interests and needs.  The Honeyguide Khoka Moya Camp was the highlight, as you said it would be.  What a perfect family event. 

They really know what they’re doing there.  Not only was the food delicious, the beds comfortable, the staff friendly, and the wildlife incredible, but we loved the fact that other families were there.  We were ready, by then, for a bit of a buffer between us and our children. 

In our short time there we made friends with a family from Asia that we will likely see again!  And the other unexpected luxury of the camp was that we had virtually no decisions to make.  The most challenging being which of two entrees to choose for dinner!  By the time we got to Honeyguide that was exactly what we needed.

South Africa was not a trip we can afford to take regularly.  In fact, before the trip we didn’t expect ever to get to go again.  Now, we don’t know how we’ll stay away and hope to make it work again, financially speaking, before too many years go by.  We will contact you again when and if that time comes and may have the opportunity to recommend your services to others.

Thank you for your part in creating incredible memories for my family.
(See the attached photo.  I’m the red head.  My husband is in the beige shirt and those are our two boys) Sincerely, Cathy Oglesby

 

For something a bit different, the Morley’s decided to try the Ngala Walking Safari for a real bush experience:

Hello, Lorna. 

Apologies for the delay in response. Matt and I have been extremely busy with a move to a new city, among other things. I’m so glad to provide feedback on our safari, which more than exceeded our expectations. We LOVED the walking part. The lodge was a great way to finish what, with the walking safari and team, was the best week we’ve ever spent on vacation. The staff are amazing and largely responsible for our exceptional time. As they wish at Ngala, the ust of Africa has settled in our hearts.

We absolutely loved your country. Below is a link to some of our pictures. If you have time to check them out, I think they will tell the story better than I can in an email.  http://west23rd.smugmug.com/gallery/3149665#173151836 Thank you, thank you for helping us plan this extraordinary time All the best, Greta Morley   �

 

Recent client impressions of Emily Moon : In Plettenberg Bay, Emily Moon was another amazing find.  Our cottage was spacious and beautifully decorated.  But the big surprise was the restaurant, which was so good we ate every meal there.  Our big problem was the lack of screens on the windows since the B&B is located on a marsh and bugs were plentiful.  Keeping the lights off and windows closed at night helped a little.Besides the beach and golf in the Plettenberg Bay area, the treetop canopy experience was terrific.  We would recommend wearing long pants, even on a hot day.  And Knysna is a wonderful little town to explore with great shopping and dining at one of the charming waterfront restaurants

 

Here is a recent client’s travel review of their trip to Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge :

The Namibia portion of our trip was so remarkable and vivid that Rich and I still talk about it like we were there yesterday.  CC Africa Safaris is a first-class operation.  We felt like VIP’s - with the care and individual attention we received getting to and from and during our flights. 

The Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge was a fantasy resort.  The main dining room, pool area and all of the perfectly air-conditioned cottages overlooked the desert, a large red sand dune, and watering hole which attracted oryx, springbok and other wildlife visitors.  The setting was dreamlike - and delicately-lit for day and night scenery-gazing. 

The staff could not have done more to inform us or cater to our every need.  Beyond the excellent food and attention to our personal preferences (great for vegetarians!), the servers and chef became like members of a large extended family.  And Diana, the resident astronomer, had just the right touch, communicating her passion for the stars and sky in a way that intrigued even novices like us. 

The trip to the dunes by air-conditioned car was much appreciated (since we were there at such a hot time), but the flight over the dunes and the old mining camp out to the coast with Scenic Air was something we’ll never forget.  We encourage your clients to choose that option over the balloon ride which is nice but can be done in other locations.

Hi, camp shawu was great!!! We loved the place and our rangers we’re very knowledgable and professional.

Kwa Madwala was not-the management clearly new to the business, while staff were friendly they seemes intimidated by the woman who ran the place - no coordination so we we’re consistently bothered; woken up at 5am only to get up and be told our microflight was cancelled. Food was left out with flies all over it; I would not recommend you send any other people there. Overpriced and a big dissapointment!

Hope this is helpful. Best,
Rebecca