Holiday review by Ms Julia Vetromile
Name: Ms Julia VetromileDate of trip: 26/04/2013
Number of people: 2
Country: South AfricaOverall level of Satisfaction
Tribes Overall: "This holiday exceeded all our expectations. The selected hotels/lodges were very special. The tour/ transport providers were consistently good, and often went above and beyond to provide a great experience."
Tribes Service: "Tribes did a great job in finding special hotels and safaris for us. Our consultant listened to us, and offered us options. Would you like this type of hotel in a vibrant part of town, or would you prefer a secluded, spa-oriented hotel? What worked best for a safari: focus on photography or on special services? We focused on photography, and found excellent service as well at the Tribes recommended safari lodge. "
Guides: "We enjoyed all the guided events. The drivers were very good, often adding extras.
- One of the drivers (Faizol), from Kagga Gamma to Capetown, took extra time to show us a winery and the Bokapp area in Capetown.
- Our African Safari driver from Nelspruit to Sabi Sands, pointed out game inside the reserve. He also found good restaurant options on the drive. The botanical tour was nice as well.
- All the guides in Johannesburg were intellectual as well as good drivers.
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Social & Environmental Responsibility: "It really helped to know that all the service providers passed the Tribes standards for sustainability. This was particularly important for the local guides and drivers."
Accommodation
This was a very well run establishment, with great service. The breakfasts were excellent, with fresh passion and other fruit, eggs your choice, and a special option every day. The attention to detail was exceptional. Every day they helped us find a wonderful restaurant. The rooms were very comfortable.
The wild location was amazing, with truly remarkable rock formations. We enjoyed the well-signed hiking trails. The two game drives per day, about 3 hours total, were quite nice, with knowledgeable guides. The food was uneven, with some very good dishes (sprinbok stew) but many less well executed meals. There was clearly not enough kitchen staff, and waits could be long. The bar was nice. The room was very nice. The stars at night were incredible. Overall a positive experience.
The staff were amazing. The food was outstanding and wine selection was wonderful.
We felt totally indulged for the entire trip!
Our Memories
"Tribes set up a tour for us with flexibility in Johannesburg. Our guide,Zonga engaged us in discussions of history, economics, art, and philosophy. Based on our responses, he took us to sites tourists don't usually see, including the museum at Sophia town, the Freedom Charter in Soweto, an art and poetry center, and the hip area of Melville. Contrary to what we heard from most tourists, we found Johannesburg to be a lively and fascinating place, where the cultural rewards outweighed the fears of insecurity. We travel to be able to make these cultural connections, and Tribes provided options to do this."
"On our first night, our lovely Capetown B&B hotel, Four Rosmead, recommended a local fish restaurant not on the usual tourist circuit. We looked at the map, and realized we could take a lovely 4 mile walk to the ridge (Kloofnek) and down into the beach town to the Codfather restaurant. It was a lovely introduction into our fabulous South Africa adventure. "
customer rating
5/5 from 70 reviews
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facts and information
Time: GMT +2 hours
Flight time: There are daily flights from Europe to Johannesburg (about 10 ½ hours direct) and Cape Town (about 11 hours). There is also a good network of domestic flights connecting all main towns.
Language: English is South Africa's main administrative language and is widely spoken. There are also 11 official tribal languages.
Visas: Visas are not required for British passport holders.
Health: No vaccinations are compulsory. Malaria is found in certain areas (mainly Kruger and the east coast towards Mozambique), but not throughout the country.
