Kimkim Trip Reviews for South Africa

Esther was incredibly patient, thorough and attentive to detail and helped us plan a very memorable family holiday to South Africa!

She had lots of tips, and was flexible and accommodating to our requests and changes. Esther also remained in touch with us throughout the trip for follow up, feedback and was there to support any issues, queries that arose! She was very professional throughout and certainly ensured everything went smoothly.
We can’t wait to plan our next adventure with her guidance and expertise!

We had an amazing trip to Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) & Choble National Park (Botswana). Lucy's recommendation of places to stay plus all the game drives/boat cruises were spot on. We got to see the Big 5! The people at the Lodges we stayed were fantastic and so so hospitable esp in Tremisana (a special shout out to Mamma Di, who manages the F&B). The rangers in all the locations were so knowledgable and took their time to explain about the animals and their habits. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this trip and definitely recommend this trip. A big thank you to Lucy for the organisation (even though there was a small hiccup in Chobe)

Hotel Reviews

Tremisana Game Lodge

Hoedspruit

Basic lodge with homely feel. The staffs, from housekeeping, kitchen and rangers, were all so friendly and made our stay there so memorable. Will definitely stay in this Lodge if we were to visit Kruger again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrock Guesthouse

Johannesburg

Stayed 1 night. Good location as it is near the airport if you are on transit.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Needs improvement on the heating

Shearwater Explorers Village

Victoria Falls

We stayed 2 nights here to visit Victoria Falls and the Elephant Sanctuary. The staffs at the front office and housekeeping were friendly and helpful. The rooms were adequate with all the amenities and good supply of hot water. The restaurant within the resort needs BIG improvement.....service was poor. Staffs were busy lingering amongst themselves at the counter and quality of food is poor. Breakfast serving was a major disappointment as quality of products at the buffett spread was poor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chobe Safari Lodge

Kasane

The hotel got our stay package wrong initially but it all ended well. We had a wonderful stay here, from room comfort to the food and the game drives/river cruise. The breakfast and dinner serving choices was great. A special recognition to housekeeping staff, Penny, for her initiative and honesty to check the room on our checking out and notice we had left a handphone in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

3 night 4 day Tremisana

South Africa

We saw what we came to see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Cruise - Signature Deck

Victoria Falls

We were a little disappointed with the trip....maybe our expectations were set a little too high.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Through the eye of an elephant

Victoria Falls

We had a wonderful time lerning about elephants here at the Sanctuary plus got to interact with the elephants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

We thoroughly enjoyed our day visiting the fall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities at Chobe Safari OR Bush Lodge

South Africa

Great time doing both the river cruise and morning game drive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1 Night Kruger Safari

South Africa

Great day spend in Kruger National Park....

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

With our travel planner Deb Smook's impeccable guidance and insight, we had a truly remarkable, custom trip in June, 2023. Deb really heard and understood what I had envisioned for this trip for our family of four and she expertly curated a memorable and impactful adventure, far exceeding my wildest expectations. Our favorite experience was the photo Safari at the Pangolin Lodge. Deb and her support staff were 'with us' behind the scenes every single step of the way, allowing us to travel comfortably and securely thru South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Ivory Wilderness Lodge was The Best Safari ever!! Shane our guide couldn't of been better!! The food serves was delicious as well!! Then onto Victoria Falls, what a beautiful natural wonder!! And The Palm River Resort was absolutely beautiful!! The sunset cruise was nice as well!! The helicopter broke was a unique way to see the Falls!Then we were off to a Photo Safari at The Pangalon hotel, absolutely awesome place and people!! The Camaras they let you borrow get you up close and personal to several species of animals, even seen a wild dog attack on a Kudu, then a female lion come in and take it!! All in all, The Best Vacation Ever!! Thank you KimKim, especially Deb and Corlia!

This was a once in a lifetime trip and KimKim made it spectacular. They helped plan everything and had all of the transfers arranged, so all we had to do was enjoy! We started out by going to Sabi Sands and stayed at Sambambilia Lodge, it was amazing! We had a 3 hour safari each morning at 6 a.m. and a 3 hour safari each afternoon at 3:30 p.m. We went when it was winter is South Africa, but they provided hot waterbottles for your hands/lap and blankets for the safaris. Our very first morning we saw ALL of the Big 5 and other animals as well. They drive into the bush so that you are up close and personal with the animals. I cannot recommend this lodge more highly!!! Everything was top notch!

From there we went to Cape Town for 4 days and stayed at Noah's House, it was fantastic! It was a great location and Blessing was such a joy to be around - he managed the house perfectly and the food was amazing. He even took us out our last day and we went to a little market place, then to the Cape of Good Hope, and went to see the penguins....

From there we flew to Zimbabwe and then drove to Botswana for a 2 night river cruise. We would never have been able to find or arrange going through the Customs locations in these small areas without KimKim having everything arranged for us! It is well worth having it all arranged, so there is no stress or worries. The river cruise was exceptional... you go out on a tender boat in the evenings and get to be up close and personal with the animals like the elephants, hippos, crocodiles, lions..... It was truly a different experience than going on the safari drives at the lodge, but each was amazing in its own way. We also went one afternoon to a village and we got to see how they live and they performed a dance for us and sang.

From there we flew to Johannesburg and drove 3 hours to Sun City. We stayed at The Palace of the Lost Temple....exceptional resort!!! The breakfast was over the top and great! There is a waterpark there (but too cold to get in while we were there) that is huge, has a bowling alley, movie theater, casino, restaurants, etc.... It was a great way to relax and end our trip to South Africa.

Again, I cannot stress how I would use KimKim for this type of trip. We used them when we planned our trip a few years ago to Greece, and everything was flawless then as well. We are thinking of going to Asia next year and I will use KimKim again!

Hotel Reviews

Simbambili Game Lodge

Sabi Sands

I cannot say enough good things about this lodge!!! The whole experience was amazing!! The food was exceptional and the room is fantastic, but the safari's were beyond phenomenal!!! Our driver (Doctor) and guide (Service) were amazing. Our first morning out we saw all of the Big 5 and a whole host of other animals.... They get you up close and personal, without feeling nervous that you are about to get eaten... :) I cannot recommend this lodge enough!

Authenticity & Character

The lodge only had 9 separate rooms, but it made it feel more intimate and not crowded.

Location

It took about 2 hours to drive there from the airport, but once you get there.... it is all worth it!!!

Staff

Stan took care of use while we stayed at the lodge and looked after our every need. Our driver (Doctor) and guide (Service) for the safari's were exceptional and took us out into the bush to find the animals provided an experience I will never forget.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room is extremely large with a king bed, living room area, small bar area, and a huge bathroom! Everything is extremely clean and comfortable.

NOAH House

Cape Town

Noah's House was a great place to stay while in Cape Town. Blessing took care of us while we stayed there and provided exceptional service and looked after us.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated and well appointed rooms.

Location

Great location to walk to restaurants and bars.

Staff

Blessing provided us with the best service and looked after our every need.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The home was very comfortable and clean.

Chobe Princess Small Luxury Houseboat

Kasane, Botswana

It takes a little bit of doing to get to the houseboat, but once you do, you forget about all the other.... Going out on the tender boat and so close to the animals (elephants, crocodiles, hippos, lions, etc.) were a once in a life time opportunity. Seeing the sunset and the animals on the bank was exceptional. We also went one afternoon to a village and got to see how they live, what they eat, and then they sang and danced - which was great fun.

Authenticity & Character

The houseboat was amazing and the dinners at sunset was fantastic. The food was 5 star!!!

Location

A little difficult to get to, but well worth it!

Staff

Everyone made the trip special!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms are small, but you are not really in them very much. The beds were extremely comfortable!

The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City Resort

Moses Kotane

The hotel was AMAZING!!!! There is so much to see there. You have access to a shuttle that will take you to the casino and waterpark. It will also take you to Sun City Central, which has lots of shops, restaurants, movie theater, bowling alley, etc. The hotel itself is opulent and it takes your breath away how beautiful everything is.

Authenticity & Character

Every detail is perfect!!!!

Location

It takes a while to get to it from Johannesburg, but it was well worth the trip.

Staff

Everyone is very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room is extremely large and very comfortable.

Intercontinental Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport

Johannesburg

Nice hotel located right next to the airport, literally walk across the street. We only stayed one night, but it was very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Very nicely decorated.

Location

Directly across the street from the airport.

Staff

Very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean.

Activity Reviews

On Safari

South Africa

Our driver (Doctor) and our guide (Service) made the trip memorable. They made sure that we got to see the animals we were wanting and took us to exceptional locations to watch the sun set. We tracked animals through the bush, which was very exciting and to see how close we were to them..... words cannot express.....

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver (Doctor) and guide (Service) made the trip unforgettable! They were so much fun to spend our time with.

Transport

The jeeps are sturdy, but extremely comfortable to ride in.

Activities at Thornybush Simbambili Game Lodge

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

The spa was great! The lunches and dinners are spectacular! We had one of our breakfasts out in the bush, which was very nice. We had dinner one evening by a campfire and they sang and danced for us, it was so much fun. The food was 5 star!!! I even got the recipe to make Malva Pudding, it is fantastic, everyone needs to try it.

Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour: Cape Town

South Africa

It is a great way to get an overview of where everything is and what you would want to go see.

Robben Island Tour

Cape Town

The prison itself is very interesting and the story is great, but you spend most of your time in a bus on a small island. Not sure that I would do it again.

Day two on Chobe Princess

Chobe River - Namibia Side

The river cruise is a must for anyone that wants to get a different perspective from going on a land safari. The accommodations are great and seeing the animals from a tender boat is a must see!!! The food is fantastic and trip is very relaxing....

Welcome to Sun City Resort

Sun City

It was a great place to end our trip to South Africa! The hotel has everything you can ever need and the resort grounds are beautiful. The waterpark looks like it would be a great deal of fun and Sun City Central has a movie theater, bowling alley, restaurants, etc.

Full Day at Sun City

Sun City

Our local South African specialist, Petru, organized a wonderful trip for us to Cape Town and Greater Kruger that ranks amongst our most memorable experiences. Jimmy, our local guide in Cape Town (Paradise Touring), was welcoming and kind, with a warm, energetic, and enthusiastic personality, and had deep knowledge about life and history in Cape Town and South Africa. He made sure that our experience was top-notch, and we recommend him highly to any future travelers to the Cape Town area. We visited the city of Cape Town, went to the the top of Table Mountain via cable car, visited Robben Island, and toured the Cape Peninsula all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. The beautiful scenery that we saw in the city and during our Cape Peninsula tour will always remain in our minds.

We then took a short flight and visited a private reserve (Timbavati) in the Mpumalanga area, just outside of Kruger National Park. Our transfers to and from the reserve were seamless, and the accommodations at the camp impeccable. During our stay, our safari guide Christian and wildlife tracker Temba ensured that we were able to fully experience the breadth of amazing wildlife and the natural environment of the reserve, and made an extra effort to find animals that we were interested in viewing. We were very fortunate to see 4 of the "Big 5" on our trip, in addition to numerous other animals, including a pair of cheetah.

We would highly recommend Petru and the Kimkim service for any travelers wishing to experience the highlights of South Africa. Their ability to create a personalized itinerary for all budget ranges, with convenient communication and payment options, makes them one of the top choices for booking international travel. Based on this experience, we plan to use Kimkim for other future travel plans.

Hotel Reviews

Portswood Hotel V&A

Cape Town

Excellent hotel, conveniently located within walking distance of most shops and restaurants at the V&A Waterfront, with nice views of Table Mountain depending on room. Room accommodations are top-notch, and are on par with other 4-star hotels. Breakfast consists of a variety of hot and continental options, including hash browns, sausage, baked beans, cereals, yogurts, tea, and coffee, and a large variety of fresh fruit. Eggs can be made to order as well. The hotel restaurant is also quite nice, with a wide variety of food options, and dinner meals can be enjoyed in the convenience of one's room or in the dining area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to V&A Waterfront, with amazing views of Table Mountain.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bateleur Safari Camp

Hoedspruit

Travelers looking for an experience that is rustic yet luxurious will enjoy this camp quite a bit. With a commitment to green and sustainable living, the camp is off the electric grid, and generates all its energy through solar panels. A local underground water source ensures a fresh supply of mineral water that is regularly quality tested and safe to drink directly from the tap. While an electric fence keeps out elephants, all other animals regularly visit and walk through the camp (including a resident group of Nyala; hyenas are also common). All meals are provided, with a large variety of fresh options for breakfast, and a 3-course dinner meal each night. Visitors returning from an afternoon game drive can enjoy a warm campfire with beverages prior to dinner. Lodges are well furnished, with luxurious beds and furniture.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day City, Table Mountain & Robben Island Tour (excluding lunch)

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (excluding lunch)

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Final Morning Game Drive

South Africa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Deborah and her team were amazing!

I have not used a travel agent for about 20 years. When I last did it was someone local to me who had been to the location 2-3 times at best, so was basically giving limited anectdotal experience or assempling reviews from the same sources available to me. But, having never been anywhere in Africa, I knew I needed some additional help with this trip - to Cape Town, the wine region, and a safari in Kruger. Even still, I approached the whole thing skeptically at first. But Deborah, Anna Marie, and the whole team were fantastic.

They asked a lot of questions about what I cared about in terms of accomodations, the experience in each of the locations, and the schedule I wanted to keep. The itinerary they put together, restaurants they recommended, and specific guides they made sure led the various tours were all top notch - including setting up a private 7 course lunch in the home of a famous South African chef to taste local flavors and cuisine and tour her gardens and listen to her stories cooking for rock stars around the world. Cape Town exceeded every one of my expectations. And then they found us the best cottage in Fraschoek, under the radar restaurants, and an awesome guide for our bike tour of the wine region. These are all things that you NEED a LOCAL to find you. They had been to all of the places they recomended - knew the people who worked there, and hadn't just visited Cape Town and the wine region, but LIVED there.

For the last, and most important stop, the safari lodge they found us was amazing. They offered a number of choices and we worked to arrive at one that was exactly what we were looking for (I told them I was willing to spend, but cared a lot more about the quality of the game drives than the quality of the sheets, and they found us a lodge where the owner is the main guide, and the tracker has been tracking and working in Kruger for more than 25 years). We saw everything - including three separate leopards; and learned so much from the two of them who had lived their entire lives in that portion of the reserve.

Finally, Deb and Anna Marie connected on WhatsApp in advance of the trip and checked in with us throughout to make sure everything was exceeding expectations. When we had United-related travel delays at the start of the trip, they made all necessary adjustments. And when we had a change of mind about a dinner - or spending longer somewhere - they were basically on call (in the same time zone!) to address and adjust everything as needed.

We could not recommend them any more highly! Absolutely amazing vacation!

The trip was amazing. Nicholas in saby sand was amazing. game rides were awesome. Thank you!!

Thank you to all of the team at kimkim and salty travel for a truly memorable holiday, each and every interaction with the staff was very prompt and thorough and all planned with just a few short weeks notice!! No question was ever too much for Stephanie during our planning / discussions and she was always helpful to give us further information or suggestions. Every detail was taken care of and made our vacation very easy for us when in South Africa, from transfers to hotel bookings and our excursions, all was taken care of. Safari was our first stop and a truly incredible time, two different lodges gave us the opportunity for different experiences and each time the staff were so welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable and made the experience that little bit more special. After this we headed to Cape Town and were met by the lovely Ben. He was our transfer, taxi driver, guide, friend and more!! It was so nice to explore his home town and get all the additional information as we went on various excursions, and he was always on hand to help or adapt to our needs. We had such an amazing time during our holiday and throughout this process that we are already talking and looking to see what our next adventure could be!!

Great planned trip. Good use of 7 nights. Liked the split and a break between both major safari (Sabi Sand and Chobe NP). The break covered lookouts and hiking in Blyde Canyon areas, staying in White River, and trip to Victoria Falls. We intentionally added an additional game drive in the Zambezi NP one free morning ourselves. All three places (in Sabi Sands, Victoria Falls and Chobe NP) were great. Chobe NP resort inside the park was very good and definitely 5 stars. Nkorho bush lodge in Sabi Sands was very good with excellent guides. The river Cruise was on Zambezi was excellent. Location for Victoria Falls lodge was excellent. Place was slightly dated. Local tour outfitters / transport (Sable Tours for Sabi Sands & White River, Wild Horizons in Zambezi tours/river cruise, and local Botswana transfer to Chobe) were excellent. Both flights on Airlink Airlines and one flight on FastJet were well planned.

Incredible experience from the time we landed in the airport till we headed back home. Also Lucy, Lindi was able to add a last min 5 hour tour of Johannesburg which was really good.

Nicholas and Dion were the best guide and tracker at Sabi Sands.
Harry was the best guide at Xakanaxa Delta.
People were extremely friendly at all safaris as well as Cape Town and Victoria Falls. Each safari provided unique experience that we will cherish forever. Great time.

Hotel Reviews

The Commodore Hotel

Cape Town

Very friendly people. Everything is on time and great service.

Authenticity & Character

Very friendly people

Location

Walking distance from mall and water

Staff

Always ready to help. Also, paid attention to our dietary needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms as hallways. Breakfast area was greatly organized.

Elephant Plains Game Lodge

Bushbuckridge

The whole staff from Kelly (Camp Manager) to our guide (Nicholas) and Tracker (Dion) were great people. Chef took take care of us due to our vegetarian diet needs. Nicholas and Dion were great to take us closest to animals as possible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

Victoria Falls

Beautiful location for the lodge. Great rooms and excellent cleanliness. Happy (The guide) was helpful in showing us falls from all different aspects. Shopping was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Little away from town at the same time close driving distance to town

Staff

Knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very good service

Chobe Game Lodge

Serondela

Overall great experience. Not too happy with the guide. She seemed little less aggressive to find animals for us to see.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location

Staff

Great food.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent

Camp Xakanaxa

Maun

It was like living in a true jungle. Everyone from Ipeleng (Camp Manager) to Harry (The Guide) were very helpful. They provided great communication and safety walk to make us feel totally at home.

Authenticity & Character

True experience of nature.

Location

Can't expect better location than pure jungle experience.

Staff

Unbelievable. Everyone is great, specially our guide Harry

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean. Not a single issue.

Activity Reviews

Private City & Table Mountain Tour - Half Day

Cape Town

Mario (The Guide) is the best. Very knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Mario was very accommodating to our needs. He took us to shopping places after Peninsula Tour. Lunch was great and catered to our dietary needs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff and drivers are always either on time or ahead of time as well as ready to help.

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

Great beginning of our Safari tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning and Afternoon Game Drives

Sabi Sands Game Reserve

Nicholas and Dion are top of their game. They knew exactly what our wishes were and how to fulfill them. This team of duo is great at informing us as well as finding animals based on our wishes. Great time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

Another day in paradise. Nicholas and Dion exposed us to breathe taking moment of roaring lions, within 6 inches of Elephant. What a game drive!!!!! We never imagined such a close exciting, thrilling encounter with the help of Dion and Nicholas.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of the falls

Victoria Falls

Happy (The guide) is very knowledgeable. Nice tour of the falls. Gave us totally new perspective after visiting the falls

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

Nice relaxing evening. Great view. Enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Victoria Falls to Chobe

Botswana

Everything was on time and no issue with transportation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chobe Safari

Botswana

The guide was not as enthusiastic and aggressive as Sabi Sands and Okavango Delta. We believe she could have done lot more to make it significantly more exciting for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chobe Safari Day

Botswana

Lodge was outstanding. Only disappointment was guid and Game Drive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was disappointment.

Transport

Chobe National Park to Okavango Delta

Botswana

One of the best experience in charter plane. Travel was flawless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Okavango Delta Safari

Okavango Delta

One of the best experience. Our guide Harry was extremely knowledgeable. He knew exactly how to track animals. He listened to our wishes very clearly and tried his best to execute them. He has no fear of taking us close to animals while keeping our safety in mind. One of the best highlight of our tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we found out we were going to South Africa for a conference, we decided to tack on some vacation time, so I started looking around online for recommendations and travel agents. I had never used Kimkim before, but I liked the idea of getting matched with a local agent based on our interests. The platform turned out to be easy to use, particularly for emailing our agent back and forth.

We loved the local agent, Esther, that Kimkim recommended. So started creating an itinerary for us right away, integrating our feedback and comments. She was very communicative and answered email on the platform so quickly that I barely noticed the timezone difference between the U.S. and South Africa. Her suggestions for hotels and excursions proved a good match for our priorities, and we particularly liked the mixture of different types of places...none of which I would have ever found on my own by just searching on the internet. Once we arrived in South Africa, she stayed in touch with us via text to make sure everything was going well, and even called around to check on entrance roads for us as there had been a lot of rain.

Our itinerary included time in the Winelands, and then a road trip to De Hoop Reserve and a safari at Inverdoorn Game Reserve. We got to see an amazing array of animals and birds. The food and staff at every place we stayed was amazing. My husband is a vegetarian, and he said he had some of the best and most inventive vegetarian food ever while in South Africa. We both must have gained 5 pounds each :) We also got to enjoy some wonderful dark sky gazing. I would highly recommend South Africa for U.S. travelers that want an affordable place for a variety of experiences. We would love to go back and see more of the country in the future, and will definitely use Kimkim and our local specialist Esther for our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Verde

Great place to end up after a very long flight from the U.S. Lovely hotel with a garden. Very good food in their restaurant, and a fabulous breakfast. Easy access to Cape Town airport.

Authenticity & Character

It's a nice oasis after a grueling night of airplane travel.

Location

Very close to airport.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the attention to environmentalism.

De Hoop Collection

A truly unique place, with probably some of the best opportunities for wildlife viewing in that part of South Africa. The power was out for most of our stay due to load-shedding, but that made the experience (and the dark skies) all the more unique. We had the whole Manor House to ourselves. Food in the restaurant was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Unique collection of buildings, situated in a truly picturesque setting.

Location

Great for wildlife viewing and dark night skies. Have to travel on a dirt road to get there.

Staff

Very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

These are old buildings, complete with all the charm and idiosyncrasies that come with that.

Kughana Tented Camp

The tents were very nice, and provided a different kind of experience from all the other places we stayed. We loved the chef and our safari guide Chereen. Very attentive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great for being far out and dark skies. Roads were a bit muddy from all the rain.

Staff

Wonderful staff. We felt like we had our own personal chef for a couple of days.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The tents are quite luxurious.

Mont Rochelle

We landed at Monte Rochelle after 2 different game reserve environments, so this was a good chance of pace and an excellent way to wrap up a trip. This place is the lap of luxury. We had the vegan taster menu from the restaurant. I also hit the spa for a reflexology/pedicure treatment that was to die for.

Authenticity & Character

Very thoughtfully decorated and appointed. Generous in-room snacks/drinks.

Location

On top of a hill overlooking Franschoek.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a gorgeous room. A good place to unwind from a bunch of traveling.

The Lord Charles Hotel

We spent 10 nights here, as it was the conference venue, so this place became like home for a while. The weather was bad, so we appreciated the fact that they had a couple of restaurants on-site. The Scottish style pub was our hang-out, and we got to know some of the staff, including Griszelda, who managed the breakfast room each morning. Overall, a lovely old hotel for a conference and an extended stay.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel is an old mainstay for Somerset West that was renovated during COVID. The renovations were lovely, while keeping the charm of an older place.

Location

Very centrally located for touring the Winelands.

Staff

We stayed long enough to get to know a few of the waitstaff. Lovely people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Foodies on Foot walking & tasting tour

South Africa

A very fun and informative tour. I had a lovely time talking with the guide.

Quality of Experience

I liked the tastings. Had gin and tonic for the first time.

Food

Good variety of tastings. I liked the explanations of local food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very informative and friendly.

Transport

I took an Uber to the tour.

Your stay at Inverdoorn

South Africa

We loved our guide, Chereen, who took us out a couple times a day for wildlife viewing. She was very personable and a real bad-ass when it came to driving the safari truck through washed out roads.

Quality of Experience

Excellent food. Was like having your own personal chef.

I cannot recommend the Lion’s Sand Narina Lodge highly enough. The staff was top tier and the lodge absolutely breathtaking and if in Cape Town the Marly Hotel will not disappoint. Simply beautiful. In Cape Town definitely book with Capey Tours (ask for Hendrick) and in Johannesburg MoAfrika through the eyes of experienced local guides will enlighten you. And lastly, none of it would have come together without Lucy at Travel Touch. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.

One year earlier we visited the safari region of Kenya. We reached out to Kim Kim with an interest to return to Africa and specifically the southern region. Esther was our trip planning guide and arranged an excellent trip itinerary. Esther gave special attention to our requests and preferences making sure we experienced the very best of Johannesburg, Sabi Sands, Cape Town and wine regions. We were surprised when we arrived at the airport to be greeted personally by Asther! Each one of our trips were flawlessly planned and felt very special. We unfortunately experience inclement weather near the end of our trip to Robin Island and Table Mountain, but Esther worked to keep us informed of our options and adjusted the plans where possible and we were able to enjoy the experience. Thanks Esther (Kim Kim) for enabling another wonderful travel experience!

Wonderful service , I never used to book through an agency but Lucy really changed that for us… the recommendations the support and service all throughout our travels was on the highest levels and worth every penny paid..

Highly recommended

The guides we had in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch were all excellent. Itu was our guide for Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. He gave us a very clear picture through his eyes and experience that was both informative and emotionally moving. Mthandeni, who took us to Pretoria and the Cullinan Diamond Mine was also very thorough and had interesting things to share with us. Craig with Capey Tours was a fun guide for the wine country. He captured our idea of how we wanted to experience that. He was also very helpful (and flexible) in helping us arrange for wine shipping.

On the downside, I feel that there were some definite glitches with Moafrika, the agent in Johannesburg. Let me be specific: Itu was supposed to take us to Lebo’s for dinner after our Soweto tour. The address he was given was incorrect. We searched and finally found Lebo’s, but they had no booking for us. This was a dinner that was included in the price of the tour. We went back to the hotel and settled for UberEats. We were supposed to have a private driver for the trip to Pilanesberg, but were on a crowded bus with 20+ people. Lucy did arrange for a driver to pick us up after the game drive.
Finally, there was to be an airport transfer for the other couple joining us. They waited half an hour at the airport and finally called an Uber to get to the hotel.

I say all this not to be critical of Lucy at all. She was very responsive. I just feel that there needs to be better communication of expectations to Moafrika.

Hotel Review

Capital on Bath

Johannesburg

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly, responsive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer O.R Tambo Intl Airport to Hotel

Johannesburg

Connection between driver and client was not made. There was a 30 minute discrepancy in the time of arrival that I tried repeatedly to correct. This may be the reason the driver was not there.

Full Day Boutique Winelands Tour

South Africa

Meeting wine makers at each of the farms was a great experience.

Khayamandi Township Tour

Cape Town

We toured Lange. The local guide was very gracious and gave us a complete look at life in the township.

Full Day Soweto & Apartheid Tour

Johannesburg

Quality of Experience

Food

Dinner was supposed to be provided and guide did not have the correct information

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Lebo's

South Africa

Did not happen.

Ultimate Pilanesberg Open Vehicle Day Tour

South Africa

There was supposed to be a private driver. We were on a bus with 20+ people.

We enlisted the help of Deb and the Kim Kim team to help us organize a whistle stop trip to S. Africa and Zimbabwe. We only had 10 days so needed help getting the most out of our limited time.
We were so impressed with the level of communication throughout the planning process and whilst on the trip itself. Some great dinner spots and additional activities were suggested which made a huge difference to our experience. It was also great to be given a variety of accommodation options which we could select to best suit our budget.
All transfers and activities ran like clockwork and took the worry out of traveling in a new country with kids. Every guide we came across was exceptionally knowledgeable and professional.
We would definitely use the Kim Kim service again and wholeheartedly recommend Deb and her team for anyone considering a trip to S. Africa. Thank you for the most amazing holiday - we didn’t want to come home!

Hotel Reviews

Parker Cottage

Cape Town

This was a holiday highlight for us. Tomas and his team and the accommodation was exceptional - a home away from home and a blissful sanctuary after a busy day sightseeing. Outstanding!

Authenticity & Character

A beautiful old heritage villa.

Location

A safe walking distance to restaurants in the area and close proximity to Table Mountain and the Waterfront.

Staff

Great advice and super friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Southern Sun De Wagen

Stellenbosch

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms/ beds needed to be bigger!

Phezulu Guest Lodge

Victoria Falls

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely quiet location but it was easy to organise taxis.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Capital On The Park

Sandton

Authenticity & Character

A big hotel with a great pool area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the shopping mall.

Location

Close to the shopping mall.

Staff

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A great 2 bed apartment for our final night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A great 2 bed apartment for our final night.

Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa - Kasane

Chobe, Kasane

Authenticity & Character

The isolation of this place was quite special - we loved the open air dining areas and viewing deck and of course the thatched roof.

Location

It took 3 border crossings to reach this lodge but it actually added to the experience. Loved that it was only accessible by river.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super big beds!

Activity Reviews

Horseback Riding in the Winelands

South Africa

My kids loved this activity! It was an amazing setting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Table Mountain

Cape Town

We loved this trip! We headed straight here after checking in at our accommodation. We took a later cable car up to catch the sunset. It was super quiet and the sunset/ views were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula & Penguins

South Africa

We had a friendly and experienced guide. We loved the penguins, haggling with the street vendors and the views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robben Island

Cape Town

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. We had an amazing guide on the bus around the island and a former inmate for the prison tour. Very interesting and humbling. It was quite a big group and sometimes hard to follow what was being said when we were off the bus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at GOLD Restaurant

Cape Town

The additional drumming workshop was well worth it. We all loved it! It was great to taste various dishes from around the continent and to watch the dancing/ entertainment. This was definitely a very touristy activity but something I would recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic and rustic - some dishes were really tasty, some were more interesting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet Dinner on a Sunset Cruise

Victoria Falls

This was outstanding! It was stunning scenery on the Zambezi and we saw our first hippo! The 4 course meal was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Vic Falls

Victoria Falls

What’s not to like? The Falls are breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dusty Road Township Lunch or Dinner Experience **highly recommended by our team

Victoria Falls

Loved the little tour that you get upon entry. Great atmosphere and loved the community aspect of this place and the focus on sustainability.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took our own taxi and paid more than we were told to pay.

Arrival at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We crossed 3 borders to get here. This sounds overwhelming but each crossing was slick and efficient and we were directed by the driver on where to go. It added to the whole experience. The river ride to the lodge was beautiful - we spotted lion, hippos and elephants. It was nice to be offered a cold drink on board.

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last morning at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We actually saw very little wildlife on the morning safari. We ended up watching a troop of baboons for ages. The river ride and sunset was perfect though.

Quality of Experience

Food

N/a

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were met upon arrival at Cape Town airport by Jennifer who escorted us thru the the car rental site and out the door. What a lovely assistance, she provided. She also provided us with a couple bottle of wine for the nights relaxation. Lindi, our coordinator, did a wonderful job of putting together some really nice B&B's for your trip to SA. The Cape Riviera Guest House was centrally located to a lot of the attractions available in Cape Town. It was also within walking distance to many restaurants. The Guest House is a little dated but that added to the ambiance of the place. The grounds were nice to stroll in. Owen, the proprietor , was very pleasant and informative. The breakfast was a great way to start the day.

Our first day got off a little late due to our intended guide becoming deathly ill. Lindi scrambled to get us a replacement on short notice. Not having the itinerary, Micheal, our guide, started us with a trip to the top of Table Mtn. We rode the gondola to the top. What a gorgeous view of CapeTown from there. Michael walked us around the paths, introducing us to the plants, animals, and, the water gathering systems up there. After getting back to the vehicle, We got a history lesson from Michale about apartheid and the changes that came with it as we drove to the waterfront for lunch. We strolled around there for a bit and lost track of time. We drove by the Church of Good Hope but had insufficient time to wander thru the inside.

Day 2, Michael drove us along the Camps Bays, Chapman's Peak scenic hwy to Cape Point. What a great drive. We did a little hiking on the head lands before taking the obligatory photo of the Cape of Good Hope sign. From there, we wandered up the east side of the Cape Peninsula making our way to Groot Constancia winery for lunch and to taste a few of their wines. After lunch, a visit to Kirshtenbosch Botanical Gardens was made. Michael introduced us to the miriad of plants , trees, ferns, their medicinal uses, etc and the history of the gardens. Two days is not near enough to spend in CApeTown. THere's just too much to see and experience. We will spend some more time here when we return.

Day 3 and beyond, we were on our own. We drove thru the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Specifically, we stopped at KanonKop, Babylonstroen, Boschendal and Lanzerac wineires. We strolled around the grounds and tasted their wines. Very impressive farms, they all were, especially Babykonstroen. we ended our day at Herman's, late. We found our B&B...Whale Rock Lodge right after sunset. THis is a very nice establishment, nice grounds, well kept.

Day 4, Melanie, the proprietor, met us in the AM for Breakfast and gave us info on beach walks from the Lodge, We wandered along the rocky coastline for a morning stretch before getting back in our vehicle and driving onward. We made our way thru the scenic countryside and back roads to Cape Agulhas where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. After stretching and picture taking, it was back in the car and off to the Garden Route and Knysna for a couple of days. Lindi's choice of the Blackwaters River Lodge was a nice stay. Jane and Bonita made our two night stay very pleasant. They do a very nice meal service and breakfast here. The veranda was a nice, quiet place to relax and sip some of the wines we sourced on our trip.

We did some mountain hiking in the morning, then down to Robberg Nature Reserve for some more hiking. The trails in the Reserve can be somewhat daunting for the uninformed, as we found out. the 5.5K trail around the peninsula included a lot of rock hopping and sands. we were bushed when we finished. We dined on oysters and seafood in Knysna at 34 street, on the water front. We ran out of time for the sunset cruise of the Knysna Estuary and headlands, but would recommend it for the future .

From Knysna, we continued our drive along the West Cape and into the East Cape on N2 thru Port Elizabeth, then headed north on N10 before turning westward on R400, inland to Kuzuko Lodge in the Central Karoo and Greater Addo Elephant Reserve. The first 10k of R400 is extremely rough. We found a better alternative on the way out, using R335, a much smoother, unpaved road, 15 K out of the way but quicker over all. The Kuzuko Lodge is a great stay in the middle of nowhere. The Reserve consists of 15000 Hectare of the Karoo. We did four game drives on the reserve, one each morning and each evening. We saw plenty of wildlife to keep us happy: Elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetah, a miriade of antelope from small to large, raptors, cranes, meerkats, mongoose, jackles and more. The staff at Kuzuko were very accommodating and pleasant. Their meals were very nice, too. Got to give a shoutout to our game driver, Quinton, very informative on the the animals and history of the Reserve. The spa staff at the Lodge did an incredible job of working all the kinks and knots out of our muscles after a jostling game drive. Highly recommend their services.

Lindi, of Salty/KimKim Tours did a great job of arranging our rental car, guide and stays for our trip. The BNB'S were 4 star and higher. The included meals were a nice addition. The Kuzuko Game Lodge and staff were really great too. AS I mentioned before, two days in Cape Town is not near enough time to see all that is available. The same can be said of all the stops along our route . We will need to return to South Africa again to capture more of its scenic wonders. Thanks Lindi for giving us a glimpse of this great county.

My wife and I just returned from an amazing self-drive tour to South Africa that was organized by Petru of Kimkim. It was a 11 day custom tour that included both Kazulu Natal and the Garden Route. We had some rough ideas of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see, and Petru filled in the details and made the bookings. There is a lot to cover and of course not enough time to do it all, but since my first time in South Africa I was happy to see some highlights of each region. The accommodations were typically 3- and 4-star guest houses with bed and breakfast, very comfortable, fabulous food, and reasonably priced (to a visitor from the USA). Also, each was very unique and beautiful. We particularly liked the Drakensberg Cavern Resort, St Lucia Wetlands Guesthouse, and Parkes Manor in Knysna. We loved the Drakensberg mountains and the coastline around Tsitsikamma, Knysna and the Garden Route. We enjoyed the Hippo Cruise and exploring the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park (self-drive game drive to Cape Vidal) at St. Lucia. Also, Addo Elephant Park (self-drive game drive). I took probably at least 1000 photos of birds and animals large and small in the wild, and spectacular scenery. Petru was very helpful in helping us with the planning, and giving suggestions of things to do while we were on the trip. Everything went smoothly and without a hitch.