The Eco-Travel Boutique

My husband and I had the most wonderful time in South Africa and did not want to leave, each place we visited was amazing in its own unique way! In many ways this trip has changed our lives, it was the perfect start to our 6th decade on earth. It gave us an opportunity to experience wonderful people and new things, reflect, reset, get clarity on what is important to us and envision new paths moving forward.

Our experience with kimkim has been excellent! We love the model and the platform, we will use kimkim again for future trips and recommend it to our friends and family.

We were matched with the lovely Tshepo as our travel planner, she listened closely to our ideas and we collaborated to put together a trip that was just right for us. She is very kind, thoughtful and understanding, she makes very helpful suggestions and recommendations. We give her our highest recommendation!

The highlight of our trip was 4 days on safari at Sabi Sands Game reserve, staying at the incredible Umkumbe Lodge Riverside and celebrating my birthday. Our guide Michaela and tracker Moses were the best we could have hoped for. We were privileged to see lions and leopards every day, along with so many other animals up close, we have some amazing photos to share with our friends and family. On my birthday, we saw a pangolin, the best gift I have ever received! I cried happy tears. Back at the lodge, my room was beautifully decorated, the staff made me a birthday cake and sang happy birthday to me in two languages at dinner. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

We experienced a high level of excellent service at all of our hotels and on our tours. Many thanks to the following:

Greeted warmly at the airport by Nokuthala and driven to our hotel by driver Roy. 5 stars

Tuk tuk tour of Soweto in Johannesburg - our driver Isaac and guide Luguile of Lebdo’s Backpackers shared their experiences of life in the township with us. They gifted us with a real experience and connection with the history of Johannesburg and the ongoing impact of the Apartheid system. We enjoyed the delicious food and hospitality of the backpacker lodge after the journey. 6 stars!

Private tour of Johannesburg with guide Andrees from Drifters- Andrews was fun and knowledgeable, he took us to all the places we wanted to see, provided a lot of information and context. We visited The Apartheid Museum, Constitutional Hill and the Maboneg neighborhood. I had been reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom so I was able to connect more closely with the history of South Africa. I think it is important to learn about the countries we travel to and I felt that we got a good understanding. However, I would have preferred a Black guide and Andrees didn’t know much about Maboneneg, 4 stars.

Panorama tour from Unembeza, Hoesdpruit - our guide David was one of the best private guides I have ever had, so knowledgeable and open-minded. We had some wonderful conversations and shared information about our home as well. We visited the stunning Blyde River Canyon, Lisbon Falls, Bourke's Luck Potholes, God's Window, the Three Rondavels and had a fun lunch at the Chubby Pig. 5 stars.

Morning walk from Unembeza - our guide Jeramiah took us on an early morning walk in the vicinity of the lodge. We learned about the “Big 5 Trees” of the Kruger area: Baobab, Fever Tree, Knob Thorn, Marula and Mopane. It was refreshing to learn about some of the plant life instead of just animals. We also got some great pictures of zebras and 2 large kudu and learned how to identify different kinds of dung. Awesome, 5 stars.

Drivers Laurence and Vusi of Echo Africa Safaris transported us to and from Sabi Sands, very engaging conversations, 5 stars.

Visit Table Mountain by Cable Car tour in Cape Town - Our guide was Garreth from AWOL Tours and he was a great source of history and tips for enjoying the area. 5 stars.

Nokothula did a fantastic job of designing our adventure and then assisting in ensuring it went smoothly and was most enjoyable. I can certainly say the same thing for Lucy who was always available if we had questions or issues. I can definitely recommend Kimkim to my family and friends as a trusted travel coordinator.

Hotel Review

Mjejane River Lodge

Hectorspruit

Very attentive staff ensured a most enjoyable stay and our excellent game guide gave us an unforgettable wildlife experience. Highly recommend Mjejane River Lodge.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The natural scenery and wildlife right on the Lodge's grounds were outstanding.

Staff

Very attentive care to our needs. Cannot say too much about the staff and their service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Day on Safari

South Africa

Amazing wildlife experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff and guide were excellent!

Transport

The trip was amazing. The people we encountered as tour guides and drivers and hotel personnel were knowledgeable and friendly and just wonderful. We were very pleased with the entire experience from planning to booking and experiencing the whole trip. A big Thank you to ALL who participated.

Tshepo was wonderful in helping us plan and keeping us updated on changes to the itinerary for our trip. The accommodations she chose were great, the Lebo tour of Soweto was also an amazing experience.
The people throughout our trip were very knowledgable and helpful, including:
Nokuthula - she was very kind and helpful in guiding us to the hotel and welcoming us after a long flight
Nadine - Our greeter at Kariega was very helpful and made us feel at home.
Osmond - Our ranger at the Kariega reserve, he was very personable, funny and extremely knowledgeable. We were excited and did 4 game rides with him.
The staff at Kariega was great as well and gave us a evening campfire barbecue meal which was tasty.
In Oceana, Max and Zed were great and helpful in answering all of our questions. They helped us arrange a short visit to Bathurst to see The Pineapple museum and Pig n Whistle bar. Luke was very knowledgeable and friendly.
FInally, our Soweto Tuk-Tuk tour guide Tami was kind-hearted and energetic and gave us a final tour of Soweto and took us to Mandela House.
All in all , it was a great first experience to South Africa - and has inspired us to consider future visits!

Hotel Reviews

Kariega River Lodge

Great Lodge, staff is kind and helpful. Osmond was a great ranger , knowledgeable and funny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Osmond was personable , friendly and had a great sense of humor. He was also very knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve

Wonderful resort, beautiful views of Indian Ocean

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All the staff was kind and helpful. Max and Zed were in constant communication helping us plan out our day and activities.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Tuk-Tuk Tour

Johannesburg

Tami was a great host and driver, he explained to us the history of Soweto and had a great smile and sense of humor. It was a great pleasure to learn about Soweto from him.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guides were all top rate - really knew their stuff, and could communicate well. Kimkim staff is top-notch!

What an amazing adventure! I am so appreciative to Esther and team for all their help -- even when changes arose.

The Namibian desert and Kadizora Camp were the highlights!

Katty