South Africa Escorted Tours and Guided Trips

Many good things about this trip. We saw lots of animals - lions, leopards, hippos, rhinos, crocs, monkeys, giraffes, elephants etc. Birding was also very good, with eagles and kingfishers as well as vultures and many other very colourful species. One of the early starts seemed a bit pointless when we arrived at 5pm at the next accommodation- breakfast is better when eaten at a table and not packed. The bus and driver were excellent, plenty of space for the long drives. The chaos at OR Tambo JNB airport meant a late start on the first day, it took an hour for immigration control. Ideally fly in the day before (or earlier) and take some local tours beforehand. If you arrive at the last lodge before it closes at 5pm, take a look at the nearby gorge, well worth doing. Buy milk at the Spar stops on the journey, the powdered stuff does not work in tea. The afternoon game drives tended to be „get them back to the bus on time“, so sightings were fewer then. Do not expect luxury from the lodges, the locations make up for it. The best guide was on the hippo cruise and night safari optionals, he really knew, and could explain, a lot about the animals and birds we saw. We came away with happy memories and a stack of photos.

This was a fantastic tour encompassing lots of incredible landscapes, national parks, and wildlife. Although we were on the move a lot the holiday was incredibly relaxing and we learnt so much about the history, culture, and flora & fauna of the areas. We were lucky enough to see all of the big 5 across the holiday, with our time in St Lucia being a highlight. Our tour guide Werner was brilliant - he was incredibly knowledgeable, insightful, and made the whole trip very smooth and enjoyable.

This is a great trip if you are interested in seeing wildlife. A large part of the trip is spent on safari, whether it be in the Kruger Park or St Lucia. We were lucky enough to get several leopard sightings, and numerous close encounters with elephants. We saw plenty of hippos, zebra, giraffe and antelope, and large variety of birds. The trip covered a lot of ground, so there were inevitably some long bus journeys, but it was worth it. There was also some stunning mountain scenery too in the Drakensberg and Eswatini. The accommodation was on the whole good, mainly staying in simple eco lodges, which I felt was in keeping with the nature of the trip. It could get cold in the evening, depending on what time of year you are travelling, and the lighting was never good when it got dark. The accommodation at the Kruger, I felt could have been better, particularly at the Phabeni Sleepover, where I thought the barbecue they provided was expensive for what they offered, and the takeaway breakfast not great. Overall, I hugely enjoyed the trip. Good company, good guide. It was tiring with a lot of early morning starts, but worth it. In some places I felt it was a bit rushed – barely 30 minutes at the Talana Museum, and 30 minutes at Rourke’s Drift, so it was difficult to assimilate anything much. I would have been quite happy for the trip to be a day or 2 longer, even though it would be more expensive, so it wouldn’t feel quite so rushed.

I couldn’t recommend this trip more, it exceeded all of my expectations! It was genuinely the most present, joyful and fun two weeks I have had in the longest time. Our TM was so so fantastic and exceptional at his job - he made us feel so safe, relaxed and supported. This trip was such an adventure and I’d jump at the chance to visit all these places again! The itinerary was phenomenal - it is jam packed but you get to see so so much! Depending on the time of year you go, make sure to bring your electrolytes and a fan (we went in September and it gets HOT!). Also don’t expect a super clubbing/going out drinking itinerary, there is opportunity to do that occasionally but it is not the focus of this trip at all- this was actually a big draw for me and it was the perfect - think chilled evening/sunset beers. The accomodation was really lovely and way nicer than we expected. The camping special stays were also very comfortable and amazing experiences. You are in the bush so be prepared, there are insects, spiders etc. It can also get dusty on some of the game drives so bring a neck buff or silk scarf too. The water rafting is intense so only do it if you are into extreme activities. All the food was great and so cheap when comparing to what the AUD gets you at home. We didn’t have to worry about food safety once, everything was fresh and delicious. Also, Africa gets a bad wrap safety wise and as a young woman I had some pre-trip anxiety, but I felt really safe the entire time so please don’t let that stop you from booking a trip to Southern Africa.

Definitely trip of a lifetime! If you’re thinking about doing it, it will be way better than you can even imagine. is an amazing trip leader! He really made the trip as great as it was. He keeps it laid back and fun while also participating with the group. If leads any other contiki trips in Africa those will be next on the list. I loved all of the activities. If you do the white water rafting, the hike at the end of it is no joke so pace yourself but it’s worth it. The bungee swing at Victoria falls is something I never thought I would do but I’m so happy I did. I did the cape town to Namibia trip. I wasn’t a huge fan of our trip leader Uften in Namibia but that portion of the trip and activities were great. He was just too focused on wanting everyone to go out and get drunk. I love going out and partying on these trips but I don’t know he just gave me weird vibes. Most of the girls on the trip weren’t a fan of his approach as a trip leader. I think my favorite part of the Namibia portion of the trip was the seal kayaking. Overall this is best trip I’ve ever been on and it will definitely be hard to beat. Extras that I recommend checking out that aren’t part of contiki if you have more free time before or after your trip starts: - cage shark dive in Capetown - paragliding in Capetown - cheetah walk in Windhoek

It’s been the best trip I’ve been on ever! My trip manager really made this journey worry free. I did so much activities such as Kayaking, surfing, helicopter ride. I saw many animals in their natural habitats. I learnt a lot about this country’s history. Everything was wonderful and I was really sad when it came to an end.