Luxury South Africa Family Travel Review: Western Cape, Landmarks, Hiking, Paddling, Wildlife, History, Culture, 2-Week Trip

Review by traveler

Melinda H.

1.5.2023

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

South Africa

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

WOW! What a trip! Our tour operator company is truly a special company with special employees. We were blessed to have been guided by our guide who quickly became a friend in addition to expert in all things South Africa (history, culture, people, landmarks, places anything!), exploring, hiking, paddling, eating, and so much more. This was truly a trip to remember forever; the ease of having a car (a well-stocked one, at that), a flexible schedule, and a trusted guide allowed us to squeeze as much juice as we could out of our 2 weeks in the Western Cape. I could not speak enough positivity on our guide; he is truly gifted in bonding with people, making them feel comfortable, pushing their limits in a positive way, and creating a deep, meaningful impact on each of our lives. Also, once he realized truly how adventurous and active our family was, he made sure that we made the most of each day, constantly searching for new, fun ways to experience the country. He was constantly texting, calling, and brainstorming new paths, additions, offerings along the way. This really added the unique, personal touch to our trip that you could only get with a company like this. He was so knowledgeable of all companies and opportunities around him, where to book activities, get food, and he adjusted so well to the traveling style of our family. WE LOVE OUR GUIDE!
Regarding our travel agency, I also have only positive remarks. The booking and planning process was made so easy with Rachel's help. She quickly caught on to our family's style and outlined an itinerary using pretty much all of the locations and activities I had proposed from my research. She was communicative and reliable in booking and working out logistics, even through our postponing of the trip last December. I loved the online itinerary I got with the photos and details of our custom trip that made it so digestible and easy to review (and look forward to)!

Overall, we had an outstanding experience and will hold our guide and the Western Cape close to our hearts! Thank you so very much for all of the hard work and dedication the company and all of its people provide. There is a lot of love that goes into these trips!

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Firstly, we were so grateful to have the ability to move and adjust as we pleased each day. Our guide made it easy by providing options daily of areas we could expand, shift, and shape our trip based on what we wanted for the day and the weather. That is truly a special way to travel and the only way to do as many activities as we did in the time we had. I'll say it one more time, the guide can really make-or-break the trip, so having someone like him was essential in bringing this trip home and enjoying the most we could out of the country.
That being said, we did countless activities that our brains are still unpacking to this day! :)
One highlight for us is when we went to a local concert (Sunset Sweatshop band) that our guide invited us to, as he was going to go that night anyway. It was 100% local and it was a BLAST! It was in such a cool venue that made it easy for us to attend given our busy day; seeing how some locals have fun during the week was so special and we danced the whole time. That speaks to the ability to change and add to your trip as you go, as this was not on the formal itinerary. We loved that he was able to invite us and that we were able to go because not all companies would allow that, but it was so essential to getting a true, authentic experience and we were so grateful for that!!
Another aspect that really added to our trip were the unique accommodations. This was something Rachel immediately understood as I explained my family's style to her, and most of the accommodations really added to our trip, which is so cool given hotels can sometimes just be expensive with no real benefit. We stayed in some of the coolest places we've ever seen (the game reserves near Little Brak River & near Cederberg in particular).
We also loved how much ground we could cover. We saw so many breathtaking landscapes, people, animals, and food that gave us a bigger picture of the people and culture of the area, which is very important to us. Again our guide answered any and all questions we had along the way and we learned so much!

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

Overall, we had such an outstanding time and for a logistically complex trip for a family of 6, there were almost no hiccups, which speaks to the company and the guide. Some family members said there could be a bit more guidance in the pre-trip, packing list category on the countless changes of seasons and how quickly it can go from hot-cold, so just a bit more guidance in that realm.
These pertain to my personal thoughts, but my family really does not need many sit down dinner, so we could have had a few less of those/budgeted a little less money for food (although it was SUPER delicious, no regrets whatsoever:)). There were some times we were late to activities because we were waiting on the kitchen to cook a big meal that really wasn't needed, even if it was lovely. That being said, there were some experiences, like GOLD restaurant, that were a must for us. That really blew us away, and we even met and talked to the owner who told us her whole story and how she started the restaurant, which made it so special to us. That is a really unique way to experience the food and music from all around Africa and we loved it!!
I would also say the hotel in Gansbaai was lovely but we had some issues with electricity/air-con and it also was not super close to restaurants. But given the price and view, we really couldn't complain. I would also say that the hotel in Plettenberg Bay was also so beautiful, but given the price is something we could have cut back on. We were not blown away by the food, which was more costly (and same with Zinzi, where we went for New Years, was not amazing); food was given a reason to stay there. But again, it was a beautiful accommodation with amazing staff.

Luxury South Africa Family Travel Review: Western Cape, Landmarks, Hiking, Paddling, Wildlife, History, Culture, 2-Week Trip

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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