Kimkim Trip Reviews for South Africa

The trip was a 10/10 experience. Deb really took the lead on planning everything for us because we came in with limited knowledge. We got to do everything and had the greatest of times. All the staff was extremely accommodating. Having all of the drivers planned out made the trip carefree and seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Chobe Game Lodge

Serondela

Extremely nice facility with amazing food, views, and people. Being able to get into Chobe earlier allowed us to see a family of lions without any other trucks blocking our view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

The lodge was a great location to walk to the falls. The service was extremely accommodating. Food was delicious. Our driver for the majority of the trip, Frank, was amazing! Extremely informative and kind.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa - Kasane

Chobe, Kasane

This is a very secluded and peaceful experience. The food was great and authentic. However there was a large fly problem while eating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flight of the Angels over Vic Falls

Victoria Falls

The 15 minute duration trip was plenty. The guide explained everything we were seeing and sights were amazing. Really good safety briefing as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset Cruise & Riverside Dinner

Victoria Falls

We had a private cruise with a full staff. The guide got us really close and allowed us to take as many pictures of the hippopotamus. The dinner course was unexpected and really amazing. Drinks and pretty views made this excursion very relaxing and wonderful. They provided rain ponchos which were very helpful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Victoria Falls

This was definitely a highlight of our trip. The food was delicious and the entire experience of learning about all the ingredients was very interesting. The entire ambiance of the place was amazing and could not be replicated elsewhere. We even purchased the owners cookbook. Staff was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mukuni Village Tour

Victoria Falls

This was a very unique experience. The guide was great and the villages were extremely kind. We wish we knew prior to bring some clothes to donate. Got to purchase some great souvenirs here straight from the people who make it. Also needing another visa to get back into Zimbabwe and to pay for everything in cash is important info.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Exclusive Black Rhino Conservation Experience

Victoria Falls

This luxury lodge was a great treat for the evening. Our safari guide, Michael, was extremely passionate about his job and made the tour very fun for us. He really put the effort in to make sure we saw as many animals as possible especially the black rhinos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive at your lodge in Chobe National Park and First Game Drive

Chobe National Park

Although it started pouring rain, it was still amazing since they provided really nice and heavy ponchos. These rides are extremely enjoyable just to see all the views. We also got to see a family of elephants which was really exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Game Drives in Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park

Getting to be the first ones out into the park allowed us first access to seeing all the morning animals. We got to see a whole family of lions without having to compete with any other cars for the best photos ops. The lunch provided had a lot of food in it and was very filling. We really got to see almost every animal in the park and the guide, Ellie, did a great job spotting out exotic birds and plants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

You need to take a very small boat with all of your luggage to this location which was a surprise. The guide that took us Felix was very nice and informative!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day at Chobe Savanna Lodge

South Africa

This is a very peaceful resort with limited visitors. The staff is extremely accommodating and the food was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Last morning at Chobe Savanna Lodge

Chobe National Park

We did a bird viewing cruise in the morning and got to see hippos out of the water as well as some elephants drinking water. Also a lot of baboons on the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

4-5 days in Cape Town(V&A hotel is a great location )is perfect, table mountain and Robben island were great experiences. 2 days Franschhoek was perfect and Avonrood accommodation excellent.Ryan was a brilliant guide for both above . Thabamati luxury tented lodge was just brilliant (food, safari’s,service all excellent) and 4 nights was just enough. To finish at Victoria falls and sunset cruise was a fantastic finish to our brilliant holiday.

Hotel Reviews

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel

Cape Town

Great location.Clean room. Service could be a bit better at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location

Staff

Help at front of hotel for taxi’s etc

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avondrood Luxury Guest House

Franschhoek, Western Cape

Friendly, very comfortable accommodation in great location. Very high standard. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Great character, lovely furnishings

Location

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

Overall fantastic experience, luxury accommodation, excellent setting,service, safari’s, staff friendliness .The experience surpassed our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Excellent quality of accommodation. Really friendly feel to the camp. The staff are all great

Location

Timbavati game reserve offers a lot of spotting from start to finish.

Staff

All helpful with everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely high standard in communal and private areas

Ilala Lodge

Victoria Falls

Great location, saw wild animals in the lovely garden areas. You can hear the sound of the falls which we liked

Authenticity & Character

Dining , pool and bar areas very well laid out

Location

Staff

Reception staff really helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

Great day tour. Great sights. Our lunch was average on this trip , I think because they rushed leading up to load shedding.

Quality of Experience

Seeing great sights and scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ryan provides just the right amount of information and is relaxed and friendly

Transport

Table Mountain Hike and Cable Car

Cape Town

Great hike, great guide who was really friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Good sense of achievement in completing the hike

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly

Transport

Afternoon Game Drive

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cape Town City and Scheduled Robben Island Tour

Cape Town

Robben island is a must do item. Really interesting. City tour informative and pleasant to see the different areas.

Quality of Experience

Informative and interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Winelands Tour (including lunch)

South Africa

We really enjoyed the day especially the cheese and wine pairing and the final stop location, setting and scenery was spectacular(Stark Conde). We felt 2 wine tastings would have been better than 3 , also a slightly later start would be good to allow a bit more free time in Franschhoek

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Location choices arranged by Ryan

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Brilliant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boma Dinner

Victoria Falls

Slow start but got better and better. Food was nice also

Quality of Experience

Drumming, singing

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Didn’t always have transportation cool enough

Tour of the falls and sunset cruise

Victoria Falls

Excellent tour of the falls, great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lize planned an unforgettable trip to South Africa for us! Our tour guides in both Cape Town (Bonnie) and Johannesburg (Natasha) were super friendly and knowledgeable. And of course, the safari experience was 10/10 incredible! Lize planned the perfect amount of time in each location, and she was super flexible as our needs and wants changed. I highly recommend South Africa as a destination and Lize as a travel specialist!

My husband and I booked a pretty last-minute trip to south Africa and we were not easy customers! Lize was so incredible patient and helpful, and communicated well, and quickly. This trip wouldn't have happened without her, and it really was glorious! Tangala Lodge was perfect for us, even though it wasn't originally where we were planning to stay. Amenities were basic and clean, yet service was absolutely 5 star! And not a trivial detail--the transfers our stay involved we're SO smooth they were easy to forget! My husband and I never had to wonder how we were going to get from point A to point B.

Trip was well organized. Maximized my 15 days with excellent guides. Plenty of info and travelling tips from them. They were professional and kind. Lindi continually kept me updated with next day events.
Thank you KimKim.

Hotel Review

Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge

Hoedspruit

Excellent service. Chase safari guide was extremely knowledgeable and kind. Ent out of way for us to see big 5. Meals were 5*. Amazing ! Staff beyond generous. Thank you

Authenticity & Character

Location

Tranquillity, meals, location, kind staff

Staff

Kind professional and serving .

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping 2 times a day. Very clean

Activity Reviews

Table Mountain Guided Hike

Cape Town

Must do if you’re in Capetown! Amazing view

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tour

South Africa

Cape Town Walking Tour

Cape Town

Nice quaint town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities at Makalali Game Reserve

Kruger National Park

Amazing

Quality of Experience

Very kind staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were very grateful to Deborah and her team to help us plan our trip to South Africa. The personal touch and great recommendations for driving routes, accommodations made the trip amazing. The Mosaic Lagoon Lodge was a perfect place to start the trip, (amazing atmosphere) and ending at Ivory Wilderness Lodge was a lovely bookend the whole experience.
We would highly recommend getting Deborah and her team to assist in your trip due to their local knowledge, insight, great communication and personal touches. Thanks very much.

If you thinking about having Elgin Africa plan your trip, stop debating and just do it! I can't say enough about how great the entire experience was. Deb, whose company is Elgin Africa, lives in South Africa and has personal relationships with a lot of the tour companies that we used. She cared deeply about me and my family having an amazing trip, and made sure every detail was perfect. I can only say that there would be no way that we would have had such an amazing, flawless trip without a passionate destination specialist curating every detail for us.

Starting with the planning process, Deb chatted with me on the phone and walked me though a customized itinerary she made for me. I was concerned about my budget, and she modified the trip several times to keep me at my budget, which I very much appreciated. I was in contact the Deb and her assistant before, during, and after the trip. She would even text me late at night and as ask if I enjoyed dinner.

As for the Trip itself Deb planned a 2 week adventure for my family of six. We went on two safaris in Botswana, visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and spent time exploring Johannesburg. Every part of the trip was amazing. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite section, but if I had to give advice I was say do not miss out on visiting Chobe National Park!

All the accommodations Deb booked for us were beautiful 5 star boutique hotels. I couldn't believe she was able to fit such fantastic hotels into my budget. Also, the whole trip felt private. We had a private guide for both of our safaris, private transfers, and a private dinner cruise in Victoria Falls. What was most amazing about the trip is that we had so many passionate people making sure we enjoyed ourself. We didn't end up in one tourist trap and we were able to genuinely experience the local culture of every place we went.

I can't recommend Deb enough! Our trip was worth every penny, and every part more than exceeded our expectations. Thank you for planning the trip of a lifetime!

Lize correspondence and attention to detail was perfect. The itinerary worked out amazingly well.
Victoria Falls was beautiful and guide Ernie was patient and thorough. Zambezi sunset cruise was relaxing and hippos a plus. Boma dinner entertainment was fun and Mopani worm a little chewy.
Cape Town accommodations at Victoria & Alfred hotel were ideal on the Victoria wharf area. Many available restaurants a short distance away associated with shopping mall. Unable to visit Table Top mountain due to high winds and cloud cover.
First visit to South Africa and safari trips were amazing. We went to two different game preserves & lodges. Hostess Kelly at Elephant Plains lodge was very accommodating and safaris guide Dennis/tracker Dumi found so many animals Lions, elephants, rhinos, zebra, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs to mention a few. Staff always available and friendly.
Our final lodge Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp was unbelievable and a special experience. The hostesses Mich & Lorna were there to greet us on arrival from every safari with wet cloths and drinks. Intimate camp with only 8 guests and service & food was amazing. Guide Charel and tracker Caswell were so knowledgeable and helpful. You could tell they really loved their job. Simply an awesome experience. Thank you!!

I didn't initiate the booking and planning with kimkim. Overall, the trip has been pleasant as we managed to see big 4/5 and the accommodation has been okay in general.

As this is the first time in South Africa for the group, there have been a lot of times where we weren't sure what we can do especially on free days. While instructions are provided, it would be good if it is clearer or in details given everyone is not familiar with the place. Understandably that the group got larger as time goes and the original plan might not work too well with more people.

The major unpleasant moment was with the hop on hop off bus as the information provided was not consistent (with when we can use the ticket if we didn't go on to the bus/cableway on the booked day). No further communication was provided afterward and we had to check with the company ourselves. The wine tram was not a real hop on hop off experience and because of that some of us have to take Uber to leave earlier. While some of the information could have been found on website, it would have been nicer if it is provided on almost daily basis as it is quite inconvenience to have to refer to KimKim.com sometimes.

While we understand the incident in airport and weather is not under anyone's control, it seems like dietary requirements was not considered given there are a lot of us who don't eat beef. While we are thankful for the goodies bag, some of us can't have biltong. During the meet up session, while expressing our opinions on the trip, we don't think we were taken too seriously.

Cresta hotel need some improvement in housekeeping service. Bathroom mat was taken away everyday without replenish.

Special shout out and thanks to our private tour guides and drivers as they have done an amazing job showing us the beautiful South Africa and go above and beyond helping out one of the members who unfortunately injured her leg at the end of the trip.

I think that the best review for any travel company is related to how they support travellers during unexpected disruptions. We were stuck in the Kruger area, missing a flight because roads were flooded. We still hoped to make it for a few days up to Victoria Falls. The KimKim team worked with us through WhatsAp messages to reroute our travel so we could still enjoy the falls and the Zambezi. Thank you for making this such an easy and wonderful trip!

Deb provided one of the most amazing and well planned itineraries we have ever experienced. She took care of everything down to the minor details. She truly made Southern Africa a trip of a lifetime. We will be back again traveling with Deb!

If I could give Lucy 10 stars for how well she communicated from start to finish and even after the trip was over I would and that communication really made all the difference. If your expecting perfect stay at home, minor hiccups is all part of the experience and Lucy, Kimkim and the team stayed committed. Some of there venders were excellent, Capey Tours and there guide Henrik was the best for a small group like ours, always on time gave great advice to be early for most tours to avoid the long lines during peak season and really added the family like personal touch. Vomba tour made an avoidable error on the Kruger national park side of the trip but was quick to recover and make up they did with an excellent Panoramic drive with a guide that was super warm and was at our side every step of that journey. Lebo's Soweto backpackers gave our group a really good tour of the Soweto township and the tour guide Lollypop was extremally knowledgeable not just about Soweto but about the history of South Africa and even current world events and kept everyone entuned and engaged as we drove around Johannesburg. Some of the other Johannesburg vender needs to be reviewed and brought up to level of Capey Tours

Hotel Reviews

Lavender Farm Guest House

Franschhoek

This place is simply amazing, the rooms are large and excellent, if your looking for peace and quite after a day spent doing wine tasting and a nice dinner in Franschhoek this is the place. the host is super cool and friendly would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend

Authenticity & Character

This place just says peace

Location

Less than 10mins from main attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean large room space, home away from home

Mjejane River Lodge

Hectorspruit

Authenticity & Character

Very nice spot being on the bank of the river, like the fact that there is no TV in the rooms

Location

South entrance to the park was blocked off, so we were limited to the lodge

Staff

Super Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were pretty comfy and had everything in it

Radisson Red Rosebank

Johannesburg

Location Location Location, This hotel is very well located, 5mins walk from the Rosebank Mall 8-10mins drive from Mandela Square

Authenticity & Character

Location

Felt safe

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and modern, rooms on the smaller side of the scale but functional, the bathroom is to die for

Cresta Grande Cape Town

Cape Town

My reason for a three star rating has to do more with the time of my visit as there was some sort of political meeting and high level of security around making the hotel extremally busy, but the staff is very warm and welcoming

Authenticity & Character

Location

nice location, easy walk to restaurants and activities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cape Town City Tour & Table Mountain

Cape Town

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Robben Island Tour

Cape Town

This place is so rich with history

Quality of Experience

Dinner Restaurant Suggestions

Cape Town

Quality of Experience

Food and Drinks are really affordable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula Tour

Cape Town

Welcome to the United States of South Africa The views and coastal drive is so beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience South African Cuisine and Culture

Cape Town

This can be optional was nice and the host was super, I think I was just expecting more

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Winelands Half Day Tour (45 minute drive from Cape Town)

South Africa

This is a must do

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Big 5 Sunset Game Drive

Hoedspruit

Was able to see 4 of the notable big 5 only missed the Leppard. was also expecting to actually drive in Kruger but the south entrance over the bridge was blocked

Quality of Experience

Very good experience to be honest, but was expecting more

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mjejane River Lodge Activities

Kruger National Park

The food in Mjejane River Lodge was some of the best our group had throughout South Africa

Quality of Experience

Good food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff is the best

Transport

Soweto Guided Tour & Storytelling Dinner

South Africa

Lollypop is the man, He made this part of the trip really worth it, very knowledgeable guide, Soweto has a very dark history, really different side of SA. The Apartheid Museum is a must visit to really understand the history of the struggles. Lunch at Lebo's was more of the taste of SA cuisine

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and Driver was really great and accommodating

Transport

The vehicle needs to be updated or replaced, only bad thing about this experience

Depart Africa

South Africa

The original pick up time was 5:15pm, to avoid the rush we ask that the pick up be changed to 4pm this was clearly communicated by our Kimkim team and the information shared with out group from the day before our departure, the arrived 40 mins late so everyone was just standing around in the hotel lobby

Quality of Experience

40mins Late for our pick up

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vehicle and Transport was good just late

Total trip was perfect except for the last night in Soweto when the event was canceled without being aware. Guudes were great, activities interesting and unique and hotels beautiful.

Lucy was an incredible travel planner. We worked with her for over a year planning our honeymoon to South Africa. She was very supportive, responsive, and flexible with us throughout the entire process.

Our in-country guide Craig Taljaardt from Capey Tours took our trip to a whole new level with his expert knowledge of the country and his over the top kindness to us. We spent a lot of time with Craig and his wife, Michelle, and they both were a pleasure.

The highlights of our trip included a safari experience at the Kuzuko Lodge, Table Mountain in Cape Town, great white shark diving in Mossel Bay, kayaking in the Tsitsikamma National Park, and staying at La Terra de Luc in Franschhoek.

We would recommend kimkim and Capey Tours to anyone!

We had an amazing time on our trip to South Africa! With only a brief description from us about what we were looking for Deb was able to plan just the type of accommodations and experiences we were looking for.

Rochelle was fantastic and showed us around Cape Town and the surrounding areas at the start of our trip. Stellenbosch was beautiful and our wine tastings and e-bike ride in Stellenbosch were some of our favorite memories from the trip. The highlight of our trip was definitely our stay at Ivory Wilderness in Kruger National Park, where Warren and the whole staff were extremely warm, helpful, and knowledgeable. On our last day in South Africa we went on a full day bike tour through Soweto with Linda, who not only explained but showed us the history of the townships and the resilient people who live there.

It was a once in a lifetime trip and one I'm sure we'll remember for the rest of our lives.

Hotel Reviews

Tree House Boutique Hotel

Cape Town

We loved our stay at Tree House Boutique Hotel in Cape Town. The room was large, clean, and modern, the pool area was beautiful, and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. The breakfasts (which were included) were perfect - fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, and meats and cheeses at the ready, plus several made-to-order options from the menu. We've already recommended this hotel to people we know who are planning a trip to South Africa.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is at the top of a quiet street, but there are several restaurants and bars on the main road at the bottom of the hill that were only a few minutes walk away. It's only a few minutes drive to many of the places around the city we wanted to go so getting around was very easy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ivory Wilderness River Rock Lodge

Hoedspruit

We loved our stay at Ivory Wilderness. The grounds were beautiful and overlooked a river where we saw plenty of wildlife, the staff was incredible, and the guides were so knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating we couldn't have asked for more. The pool looked like it needed some service, but fortunately it wasn't too hot while we were there so we spent our downtime lounging on the deck chairs and in the hammock. Our rondavel was clean and comfortable and was perfect for our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved that this location was farther into the park than many others, since it meant that we didn't see too many other jeeps while we were out on our game drives, but the drive out from Hoedspruit Airport was a bit long (1.5 hours) and bumpy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lunch at Crofter's Kitchen

Cape Town

This was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of our entire trip. Nicky was incredibly warm and gracious and really made us feel like we were at home in her house. The meal was unforgettable - each dish was unique and full of flavor, and you could tell how much thought and creativity went into each ingredient. Halfway through the meal Nicky took us on a tour of her garden and let us taste the ingredients straight from the source, explaining the culinary and medicinal properties of many of the plants she cultivates, which made her knowledge and passion come to life. This is a must do for anyone who loves unique dining experiences.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

First we were so skeptical cause we didnt know kimkim.com. Now that we are back, we have been recommending to everyone ! We had an amazing time. Everything was so well planned. We could have never done such a great job ourselves. we have decided to use kimkim.com to any upcoming trip. Lucy and her team were so kind to accommodate any request we had. They had planned everything perfectly. Great communication.

Absolutely wonderful trip! We had a fabulous time in South Africa.

To start off, we stayed at the Hotel Onyx. It was a great location - not far from the airport or the tourist-friendly waterfront area, but not itself in a crowded or tourist-heavy area. Enough street activity that you felt safe walking around, but nothing loud to keep you up at night. The hospitality from the staff was first rate. Our room was beautiful and gave us a great view. The breakfast spread was expansive and the waitstaff was very attentive. We never ordered off the menu because the continental offerings were more than enough food to get us started. We took advantage of all the amenities - the lounge on the 4th floor, the pool, and the spa. All were great and lovely options to have. The lounge especially was a great option for those in-between times when you didn't want to be in your hotel room, but maybe too tired to be out at a bar or restaurant. The spa was beautifully soothing and the massage I received was the perfect ending to our stay in Cape Town before a long flight home. 10/10 would definitely recommend.

We walked to the V&A waterfront and kept walking along the path curving along the north side of the city, along Mouille Point. We walked for about an hour and a half, finally stopping for a drink and snack at the Hussar Grill along the seafront. We walked through Green Point Park, which was abuzz with families picnicking in the shade, before uber-ing back to our hotel. After a short rest, we hopped in the car and drove down to coast to the Cape of Good Hope. We saw our first wildlife - some ostriches and springbok were along the roadside. There were only a few tourists, so we were able to climb up a few of the boulder paths to the top and got our picture with the sign. We drove back north along the False Bay coast, and stopped in Simon's Town to see if we could still see some penguins. The very helpful parking lot attendant told us the beach was closed for the day, but we could still walk along the path. I'm so glad we took him up on it, because we had such a unique experience - all the penguins had come in off the beach for the night and were nestled along the fenced boardwalk, and we had the place to ourselves to see the penguins get ready to sleep for the night. It was a top rate experience. That educated us on parking attendants and learned that tipping those folks was a wise investment to feel your vehicle was secure. We ate dinner at Dixie's in Glencairn and had a great meal. The hospitality from all the folks we interacted with in SA was really stand out.

The drive to Hermanus was pretty simple and straightforward. The Guest House was beautifully appointed in a French country style and a major change from the urban hotel in Cape Town. We were again greetly very warmly by the host/receptionist, who directed us to the parking and our room. We had an amazing balcony that faced the water with doors that opened spanning the length of the balcony. Unfortunately, the weather was quite windy, so we weren't able to take full advantage of the beaches or waterside offerings. I walked along the beachwalk that started directly outside our hotel and was a lovely way to spend an afternoon and get a sense of Hermanus. I walked to the quaint little downtown area and perused the many artist galleries and shops. We went out in the downtown for dinner and had a lovely meal. We returned in the morning and purchased some art to remember our trip by. We had a quick stay in Hermanus. It was a lovely, quaint beach town that we didn't get to know very well, but we were charmed by what we were able to see/experience.

It was a long drive to Knysna, but the landscape and scenery were enrapturing. My husband comes from a dairy farming family, so he really enjoyed seeing the farmland and cattle. We were advised by one of the gallerists in Hermanus to stop by a farmstall along the way, and I'm glad we took his advice. We stopped by a farm stall and roadside shopping area, where we picked up some locally made snacks and adorable keepsakes for us and friends and family back home.

The Brenton on Sea guest house was a luxurious stay, and if anyone is interested in true beach time, I highly recommend it. Again, the weather was quite windy for our stay, so we weren't able to use it as such, but I still greatly enjoyed walking along the beach picking up shells and watching the waves. It was both mine and my husband's first times touching the Indian Ocean. Our room had a deck that looked out to the ocean and a walking path that led directly down to the beach. That was great and felt very special. We drove back into Knysna and east towards Plettenberg Bay to check out the area. On our full day in Knysna, we found a place that offered 4-wheeling (4x4) rides, which was a fun stop. Chase had been wanting to golf, so we popped into the Knysna Golf Club and he was able to scoop up the 3:30 tee time for the same day.

We had a bit of a nightmare the next morning when we woke up to realize our 3:30 am alarm had never gone off and we were going to miss our flight from George. That is when the travel agency came in clutch and were able to reschedule us out of Cape Town and, overall, we only landed about 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. It was a stressful morning, but we were grateful to have someone on call to help us. And boy, am I so glad we didn't lose a day at the Thabamati. I am in love with that place.

We have never stayed at a place so beautifully designed as Thabamati. Mich and Charlie are wonderful hosts, and again, the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. We both so enjoyed our time there and could rave about it at length. But I will summarize to say - the accommodations were beautiful and luxurious. The food was incredible - every meal was a delight. Charlie and Caswell were a great guide/tracker team, and their approach to game drives were incredibly respectful of the animals, which made me feel very comfortable. Their knowledge was incredibly deep and broad. I am an "animal nerd" and peppered them with questions - none of which they could not answer. We saw lots of animals, and even on the "slower" rides, it was a joy to take in the scenery, and Charlie didn't shy away from calling out every bird and bug to really give us an in-depth knowledge of the place.

We were sad to leave, but excited to experience our next stop. We are low key, flexible travelers and I would encourage anyone who is traveling from the Timbavati to Sabi Sands to bring that same attitude. It is a very long drive from one to the other - about 3.5 hours. A lot of the roads are dirt and ridden with potholes, which makes for very slow-going. Only about 1/3 of the drive is on paved roads where you can drive with some speed. You also travel through some villages, which is a real opportunity for humility, gratitude, and reflection about the developed vs the developing world and the history of colonialism by the white Europeans into black Africa. We drove through both on our way to and from the Sabi Sands, and both of our drivers were friendly and chatty about village life. I was glad to have learned from them about what day-to-day life is like.

By the end of our time in Nkhoro, I really came to enjoy it, but it was a real adjustment from Thabamati. Coming from a lodge of 4 tents, only 3 of which were occupied, a lodge of 8 fully-booked tents felt like a huge change. There were a majority German tourists there, so we weren't really able to chat with any of the other guests our first night. However, the game drive our first evening was a very good night of animal sightings. That was really the saving grace in our first 24 hours. And luckily, all 10 of the Germans left the next morning, so the rest of our game drives were only with one other Dutch couple, who were our age and much chattier. Our guide, Deon, was also much younger than Charlie at Thabamati, and while he was also incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and the Sabi Sands overall, you could tell he was still getting his "sea legs" with working with the tracker, while also operating the vehicle and keeping track of the radio. The general attitude was also different from Thabamati. Because there are so many more reserves in the Sabi Sands, the radios were almost constantly going off, and there was a bit more of a frantic attitude when one car would report a sighting to rush to get there. It by no means felt exploitative or invasive to the animals, it was a little more competitive than Thabamati. However, the animal sightings were top notch. We saw some incredible sights and some really rare animals, which was very special. My advice for future planners would be to start with Nkorho, then move to Thabamti, because Thabamati is a superior stay, but Nkorho had better animal sightings. But we still saw the Big 5 at both. Another minor disappointment was that at Nkorho, the ranger was away for the week, so we weren't able to go on a game walk there, like we were able to at Thabamati. Overall, I'd say Thabamati was a 10/10 and Nkorho was a 8.5/10. Still a wonderful experience, but Thabamati is hard to top.

Our travel on the way back home went very smoothly. We had about 6 hours once we landed back in Cape Town before our flight out of the country, so we returned to Hotel Onyx, where they didn't blink an eye when we asked if we could stash our luggage there. That is when I took advantage of the spa, which was very enjoyable and soothing before 24 hours of straight travel. After the massage, we walked back along the V&A Waterfront and got dinner and a drink in the shadow of Table Mountain, which was a beautiful way to say goodbye to a place we had really come to love!

One small area of improvement for KimKim. As we got closer to the start of our trip, I thought of a few different logistical questions. I was a little disappointed in the nature of the answers - they were quite vague and didn't really give me what I was looking for. In the future, I'd recommend a bit more in-depth answers or a more personal touch. I felt like I needed to look elsewhere (which is what I was trying to avoid) to really get the real answers I wanted. However, I was overall very pleased with our experience with KimKim. We definitely wouldn't have found the accommodations they booked for us, and I was very thankful to have someone hand me an itinerary with every booking and activity listed in one place, as well as a resource to fall back on when/if anything went awry.

We both thought of this trip as a trip-of-a-lifetime, but I think we might be back! We so enjoyed our time and everything was absolutely beyond our wildest expectations.

Hotel Reviews

The Onyx Hotel

Cape Town

I talked about the hotel in my previous review. A great place - beautiful design, lovely accommodations, warm and friendly staff, great location that is convenient to the airport and the waterfront.

Authenticity & Character

Location

20 min from the airport, which is great. Wouldn't really want to be any further than that. And walkable to the waterfront, which is very tourist-friendly, and a great place to walk around your first day in Cape Town to get your barrings.

Staff

Staff went out of their way to be accommodating. All very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean and comfortable. The bathroom showers were lovely.

Hermanus Boutique Guest House

Hermanus

We only had one night here, but it was great. Staff were friendly, rooms were beautifully appointed, breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy drive from Cape Town. Right on the water. A quick 15 min walk from the quaint downtown.

Staff

The receptionist that greeted us was exceptionally friendly and ready to make recommendations at the drop of a hat. If we were to spend more time here, I think she would have been a great resource.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brenton Haven Beachfront Resort

Knysna

Amazing for real beach time. The walk out from the deck directly to the beach path would be worth it alone to me. But the room was also huge, and the restaurant had great breakfast and dinner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit off the beaten path if you're looking for time in Knysna itself, but if it's beach you're looking for, it's the perfect spot.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thabamati Luxury Tented Camp

Kruger National Park

The best stay of our whole trip. Send everyone here. The lodge, the tents, the food, the staff - all stunning.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. You can feel the love that Mich and Charlie have for the lodge and the area overall. They really set the tone for the whole place, and it's amazing. They knew it was our honeymoon, so they arranged a lovely meal at our tent for our first evening's dinner. They had also drawn the bath and strewn the bathroom with rose petals. Made us feel very special.

Location

Not a far ride from Hoedspruit, which is nice after a busy morning of travel.

Staff

The place is so small you know all the staff by name/sight. All very friendly and ready to pour you a drink at the drop of a hat. Left them all hefty tips.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nkorho Bush Lodge

Kruger National Park

Furnishings were a bit more economical compared to Thabamati, but still clean and functional. The A/C unit in the room was greatly appreciated.

Authenticity & Character

We were treated to a dance performance by some of the staff our 2nd night.

Location

If you want to see a lot of animals, you will be thrilled.

Staff

The staff were very friendly - the hosts and guides dine with you at night, and we had a great time drinking at the bar and chatting after dinner on our 2nd night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We really could've used a welcome mat at the entrance to our room/tent, as our shoes got quite sandy on the game drives, and we couldn't help but track that into our space. Each day, I smacked my shoes together outside the room to get the dirt out.

Activity Reviews

Timbavati Private Game Reserve Safari Day

Timbavati Game Reserve

Amazing. We saw a lot of animals, but also had some down time. Charlie and Caswell did a great job - they were a good team and communicated well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Timbavati Game Reserve to Sabi Sands Game Reserve

South Africa

There's no getting around it's a long day in the car. But our driver Kingsley was friendly and chatty, and willing to put the car in reverse when I spotted a buffalo snoozing under a tree along the roadside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

We saw an unbelievable amount of animals. It was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think our guide Deon will get better and better with time. He was still amazing, and I recognize I'm being a little nitpicky. He's quite young, and I think can get sucked into the competitive nature of spotting something first or rushing to someone else's sighting, but that seemed to improve even over the course of the 4 game drives we did with him. A wealth of knowledge.

Transport

Many thanks to Lucy at Salty Travel, who set us up with a fantastic holiday in Cape Town/environs and Johannesburg, South Africa. The lodgings were diverse, comfortable and welcoming. The daily activities were varied and exceeded expectations and the guides and drivers, without exception, were deeply knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend time with. In addition to Lucy, special thanks go to Craig Taljaard and Humphrey at Capey Travel, for great driving, great food, insights into ZA and excellent reggae. Also, the entire staff at Cederberg Ridge Wilderness Lodge for general wonderfulness and special birthday treats, with a special mention to David, the guide who took us walking to see the rock art. The Penguins were amazing! Our Cape Sidecar Adventure was a delight. Our Johannesburg visit was eye-opening, deeply meaningful, and often fun, thanks to our hosts at Lebo's Backpackers, who supported and challenged us. This was our second outing with kimkim and we will continue to use them or future trips. Thank you!!!

We had an amazing trip and loved working with KimKim. They were very responsive and helpful.
Thank you

Hotel Reviews

The Silo Hotel

Cape Town

The Silo was one of the best hotels Ive ever stayed in. I’ve been all over the world and this hotel had ceiling to floor windows in every room. I loved my view of the harbour and Table Mountain! Just can’t describe how pleased we were. The staff was super friendly and actually fixed my husbands broken reading glasses! Who does that!

Authenticity & Character

Unique character, decked out bedrooms, beautiful art.

Location

Right on the waterfront!

Staff

Always had a smile on their face and willing to help always

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Malewane

Thornybush Reserve

The staff at the Royal Malewane made our trip very special! I can’t say enough about them. They went out of their way to create alcohol free cocktails for us to have on our safari rides. Loved every bit of the resort. Amazing views. We saw over 100 cafe buffalo by our watering hole right outside of our dining room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I want to give a big shout out to our friendly engaging guide to Jacques Briam. He made our trip enjoyable. Honestly felt like I was amongst family. Haley was amazing as well! Loved everyone there!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival Thornybush

Thornybush Game Reserve

Quality of Experience

Y

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Days on Safari

South Africa

As I mentioned before Jacques Briam and Loderick our guides were absolutely amazing. Especially Jacques! We felt like we were with family!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Town Urban, Table Mountain & Kirstenbosch Exploration (including lunch)

Cape Town

Our guide was full of knowledge. She knew about all the flora and fauna. She knew the answer to all of our questions!

Quality of Experience

Food

They had snacks and drinks packed for us! How cool is that!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cape Peninsula Out & About Discovery Day (including lunch)

Cape Town

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip! With Deborah's coordination, expertise and knowledge, she blended our request for traditional African cultural experiences and off the beaten path adventures. We visited Johannesburg (Soweto, Cradle of Humankind, Sterkfontein Caves), Safari in Kruger Bush, Cape Town coastal tours (including lunch with Nicky Gibbs!), Paternoster (Penguins, lunch at Wolfgat), Cederberg, (Rock Art), Franschhoek (Wine Country), National Parks (both Western & Fossil), Victoria Falls, then onto the Grand Finale on the Chobe River Boat. Transfers went smoothly, as with every hand-off to a new wonderful Tour Guide. Would highly recommend her to personalize your next adventure. We can’t thank her enough!