Trip of a lifetime, truly

South Africa | Aug 24 - Oct 1, 2026

I cannot recommend Nokathula and Kimkim highly enough. I tried to plan a 6 week trip to South Africa to pick my son up after the conclusion of a two year mission for our church, and tour the country. It was impossible. It was a complicated itinerary to start with, and it only got worse as my son weighed in with what he wanted to see and do. After much fine tuning, and confirmation I realized that I had misread the trip plan and I had an extra week that was unscheduled. This was 100% on me. Reservations had to be moved, tours and flights rebooked, the whole trip reworked, very close to my departure date. Somehow the itinerary I was very happy with, was significantly improved. The feedback and communication during the planning was exceptional. I gained a much better understanding of precisely how good it was when I was in country navigating the time difference at home.
Once my trip began, Nokuthula was in constant contact. The wonderful itinerary she planned , needed some adjustments because we fell in love with the Hyde Hotel in Johannesburg and wanted to finish our trip there. Seamlessly managed. When we missed a connecting flight to Durban, because I cannot navigate a 24 hour clock, vs a 12 hour clock, she had us rebooked on a later flight, our rental car switched and our guest house notified of our late arrival. Being able to have a wonderful hot meal after a terrible day was much appreciated.
Every place we were booked was special and interesting. Our two safaris were more than we had hoped for. Unembeza Lodge in Hoedspruit was such a surprise. Beautiful rooms in a community that has all sorts of animals roaming around. I prefer smaller, unique properties, and everywhere we stayed was charming, with exceptional service. Wilderness Manor Guest House was my sons favorite. Our room was beautiful, in a wonderful interesting house. Our hosts were so knowledgeable, and helpful. We would have missed out on an unforgettable hike without their encouragement. Breakfast was next level with extra homemade croissants for my son.
While in Hermanus, my son had a minor accident with the rental car. He misjudged the parking garage entrance and banged up the bumper. Nokuthula managed the whole thing, quickly and stress free. Something that could have been a considerable hassle, affecting the rest of our trip, was handled so we could continue on worry free.
Thanks to Nokuthula’s thoughtful planning, exceptional service while we were in country, my son and I had the trip of a lifetime. It was perfectly paced, with options and flexibility built in so we had the ability to move at our own pace within a structured itinerary. My goal when planning this trip was to show my son as much of South Africa’s wonderful and unique places as I could in the time we had. That goal was accomplished and a great deal more. We have been home a week, and with time to reflect on all we saw and experienced, this once in a lifetime trip continues to get better. Family and friends are amazed by all we saw and did. There is no way I could have planned a trip close to the one Nokuthula planned. Costs are an individual thing, but all I can say is, this trip was far and beyond what I expected. It was worth every penny. I would not hesitate to book another trip through Kimkim.