Luxury Zimbabwe & South Africa Safari Review: Malapa Fossil Site, Mana Pools National Park, Mala Mala Reserve, Culture & the People

We went to South Africa and Zimbabwe for the animals; we left having fallen in love with the people and the cultures.
A geologist-led private tour of Malapa at the Cradle of Humankind proved to be a highlight that gave us more information than a full semester course. Being in the Little Ruckomechi Camp felt like a happy family reunion, with an outstanding guide, and always welcoming staff. Of course, the recently renovated Mala Mala must be top in its class for comfort and service, but despite its larger size, we felt a very comfortable, welcoming ambience, and had another excellent guide. Food surpassed expectations in every camp.
Ease of travel, again thanks to our exceptional specialist, was something we consistently appreciated. All transfer and travel vouchers were in our hands before departure, and throughout the trip were seamlessly executed per arrangements.*
* The only exception to this was a glaring one: the local tour company representative failed to pick us up at our hotel in Cape Town on the morning of our return flight to the US. We attribute this to the local tour company, and not to this travel company.