South Africa/ Sabi Sands/ Victoria Falls/ Okavango Delta - YOU NEED TO GO!
South Africa
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May 13 - May 27, 2025
Our trip to the southern part of Africa is something we will never forget. Typically when planning our trips, I like to do the research and build the itinerary myself. However not being familiar with South Africa and the surrounding countries, I figured I might need a little help. Luckily I found KimKim and Lize!
Planning/ Building The Trip: This step could not have been made easier. I was able to let Lize know what places we wanted to visit and activities we are interested in and POOF - out came a well crafted and smooth flowing itinerary that checked off all the major sites we wanted to visit. This made for an incredibly convenient trip. Driver's waiting for us at the airport when we landed - quick and easy hotel check in - activities already booked and transportation scheduled to take you to them - flight tickets within the country booked (to airport I did not even know existed!).
The accommodations/ hotels we stayed in were immaculate! Specifically we wanted to give a shout out to The Nkorho Lodge in Sabi Sands. All of the staff here was amazing and friendly. Spending time with our game driver Matt made our time here very special. He is very knowledgeable about the animals/ environment, but also a great time to be around. We had a great time chatting and joking with him and Luka as we made our way in and out of the bush. You cannot go wrong with anyone at Nkorho Lodge.
We also wanted to give a shoutout to Baams at the Okuti Lodge in Botswana. We had an amazing time joking and getting to know Baams. It was fascinating learning how he can track certain animals not only by their foot tracks, but also by listening to the birds in the trees. It cannot be understated how much Okuti makes your feel like family from the moment you pull up to the lodge. The entire staff is waiting there to introduce themselves to you and even greet you with a song. It was truly an experience we will never forget.
If you are thinking about planning a trip to Africa, I HIGHLY recommend utilizing KimKim and working with Lize. You will not regret it.
Hotel Reviews
Perfect location! Steps away from the V&A Waterfront and restaurants/ bars. The staff here is incredibly friendly and eager to help if you have any questions about activities. Breakfast was very good. Hotel bar well stocked and comfortable. Rooms were very clean- beds a little on the firmer side, but I do not mind that (pillows and sheets were comfy).
This is one of the best accommodations we have ever stayed at. The rooms are very spacious and clean. The beds, sheets, and pillows very comfy. Some rooms you can even get a view of the watering hole where animals drop by throughout the day. Food was very good, and the overall vibe is very laid back (which is nice after game drives). Not the mention the infinity pool looking out at the watering hole. However what makes this place special is the staff. We had a blast getting to know and speak with Roscoe, Luka, Carl, Matt, and others. Everyone is so easily approachable and fun to converse with. Matt and David were our game driver/ spotter and we cannot say enough great things about them and how much fun we had getting to spend a few days with them.
We really enjoyed our time at Insika. The rooms were very spacious and comfortable. We really enjoyed the hotel pool and bar area when we had some down time. We want to give a shoutout to Granger behind the bar. We loved catching up with him at the end of the day. Also the women at the front desk are incredibly helpful with any questions or scheduling needs you have. Breakfast was very good. Lastly we really enjoyed the shuttle into town. It was very convenient and a great perk to getting to explore the local area.
Our stay at Okuti was one of our favorites of the trip. It is very unusual to show up to an accommodation and instantly feel part of the family. Saying the staff here is amazing would be an understatement. Everyone is so friendly and engaging. They truly want to know how your day is and what your enjoyed about it. We really enjoyed our basket making class in the afternoon. The food here was also amazing. Every night at dinner was made to feel like a big family gathering which was very welcoming and warm. We loved sitting by the firepit afterwards and recapping our day or sharing stories with the staff and other travelers. The rooms here were one of our favorites on our trip. They are very spacious and the most comfortable bed we had during our travels around Africa. Lastly the game drives. We loved joking around and spending time with our driver Baams. He was incredibly knowledgeable and we had a blast tracking lions, leopards, and cheetahs with him.
Activity Reviews
We really enjoyed our tour of the falls, but the only reason I would not give it 5 stars is I do not believe you need to do this with a guide. Perhaps there was not a ton of info to share, but our guide did not have much to say. The paths to walk through the park are well marked and we often found ourselves in front of our group waiting on people. If we did this again, we would just go by ourselves. The views of the falls are AMAZING! It is 100% worth going and experiencing.
We highly recommend this trip. We had a great time driving around with our guide Ian. He was very knowledgeable and engaging. He made a great suggestion for a lunch stop near Boulder Beach that was right on the water and inevitably ended up being one of our favorite meals of our 3 week trip.
Amazing experience and the views you get of the falls and local area are breathtaking. We did the 12-13 minute flight which seemed like it would not be enough time. In fact it was the perfect amount of time. You get up there and make some loops, grab your pictures, and by that time you are good to go.
The Sabi Sands area is amazing. We were lucky to have a great guide and spotter (Matt/ David). Who made our time in the bush very enjoyable. The safari vehicles are comfortable and in the colder times they will supply you with a blanket should you like one. We really enjoyed our sun downer breaks with cocktails. It is amazing the animals you will see on your safari - remembering it is not a zoo - so you're not guaranteed to see everything. However the guides are very good at tracking and make even the down time engaging and fun.
Very fun zip line over the gorge. However it is not like traditional ziplines where you end on another platform. You go up the other side of the canyon and come to rest dangling in the middle of the line. Someone comes down and wenches you back up to the starting point. Absolutely nothing wrong with this, we had a great time, but it is over quite quickly.
We loved our time in the Okavango Delta. It was really cool getting to experience safari both on land and on the water. We had a great time with our guide Baams.
