South Africa Wildlife Tours

The Tour was great, and as with all good things, there can be improvements. While a pickup service to the airport and back was offered, it presented far too much stress, given that there was only one pickup per state and it had to be within a 50-mile radius of the originating airport. Too much time was spent meeting and organizing how to meet these requirements. I thoroughly enjoyed the safaris, but 8/9 was exorbitant, and one of South Africa's major attractions, Robben Island, was not included as a tour site. We captured amazing photos of the wild kingdoms, so this is not negative, except everyone is keenly aware of the decades-long history of Robbens Island! Kudos on the inclusion of the family visits, as I was able to learn more about the communities, the general political terrain, and it provided opportunities to deliver messages from our states to their homelands. The culinary choices were awesome, and the last evening's offerings of local foods were most informative. Special shout-out to the entertainers and especially the drummers. What a way to begin our dinner experience! Your choice of a Tour Manager was impeccable. He was knowledgeable and shared not just his knowledge but his passion for his country. Clearly, he was not doing this for a paycheck, but rather to extend friendship to other countries, showing that we are indeed "one!" He left no one behind; he was keenly aware of his group and their capabilities, as well as any physical abilities. Uriel is a KEEPER!!! The various drivers were the best; they shared amazing facts about the animals and highlighted key details of their natural habitats. Your selection of individuals who were hired to make our trip an epic journey did just that! Would I recommend Collette Travel/Tours to others? Absolutely!!!!!

Our travel agent, Shelli France of Air Bear Travel in Cheboygan, Michigan, recommended the Collette Southern Africa experience. At first it was a maybe but after reading the Collette brochure and saw the reasonable price, we decided to start our adventure. Got to admit most of the accommodations were beyond 5 star. The hospitality in Zimbabwe and Botswana were outstanding. Two locations The Wallow's and The Ivory Coast resort were exceptional. Victoria Falls was amazing the pictures and videos don't do justice to being there and feeling the roar of the Falls. The highlight of the trip were definitely the animals. Our numerous guides were excellent in locating the "big five" plus all the wild animals most of the world associate with Africa, giraffe, zebra, impala, warthog, baboons. Of course my highlight were the elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, several different groups of lions and my wife's favorite the leopard. Getting to Cape Town was a nice way to slowly bring the trip back to a more relaxed pace. The Mandela experience was very moving. Couldn't believe all we did in just two weeks. I would highly recommend asking to get Gregory Jaftha as your tour manager. An incredible individual who made small changes so we could see everything we wanted.

Our Cape Safari and Falls trip with Contiki was an unforgettable 12 days, and a big part of that came down to our tour guide. They were incredibly knowledgeable, sharing insights that really helped us understand each place we visited, while also making sure we felt safe and confident during every activity. Starting in Cape Town was the perfect introduction. The slower pace at the beginning gave us time to settle in and properly learn about South Africa, rather than feeling rushed. It set the tone nicely for the rest of the trip. Heading to Kruger National Park was a real highlight. Seeing such a wide range of animals in their natural environment was incredible, especially witnessing interactions between them. It felt like something out of a documentary, but happening right in front of us. Moving on to Victoria Falls was equally memorable. The falls themselves were stunning, and the optional bridge activities added a real sense of adventure. What worked well was the flexibility, if you didn’t want to take part, there was still plenty to do, from watching others to browsing local street vendors. Finally, traveling into Botswana was a standout moment of the trip. Camping in the park with no fences was both surreal and exciting. Being so close to wildlife, while still feeling safe, made it a unique and memorable experience, and definitely a personal highlight. Overall, it was a well-balanced trip with a great mix of learning, adventure, and downtime. It’s one I’d highly recommend to anyone looking to experience this part of the world in a meaningful and exciting way.

I loved this trip, it was the trip of a lifetime for me. It was so incredibly beautiful it was almost spiritual. The opportunity to see these animals with my own eyes was something I will never forget! Penya (at Ivory Tree), was my safari guide and his information was invaluable. Being immersed into the culture by having dinner with two families was extraordinary! As far as accommodations I enjoyed Ivory Tree Game Lodge best. Very nice stay and it was nice to choose meals off a menu. I did tire of cafeteria style food of other places we stayed. Our tour director seemed more into the history and teaching us though. There were times I just wanted him to be quiet, or talk more about the present than the past. Victoria Falls was more amazing than I could even imagine. Loved seeing the penquins of course, but spotting a leopard and her cub was a highlight for all of us! I loved seeing all the recycling in the art that made everywhere you turned. Table mountain - wow! This senior citizen even paraglided off Signal Mountain! I had my life’s first massage also on this trip. The group of people that traveled from Pittsburgh were a pearl on this trip. I left with 18 new friends. I’m not even a birder, and I was fascinated by all the beautiful birds all around, all the colors of the rainbow! There is nothing that can be done about all the visa checks, passport checks, and plane trips but it did get tiresome being in so many airport lines. Only thing I would have done differently would have been to pack a few more smart casual outfits. I packed mostly safari clothes, and the last few days in Capetown left me wearing some of my safari outfits another time. Thank you for providing me with an easy way to travel with a group of people and navigating all of the travel with none of the worries!

Excellent trip, enjoyed the people, places, the little things make a big difference on these trips, you guys did that very well, for instance, having someone collect me at the hotel on the day to go to cape town airport, and having somebody meet me at the airport to take me to the check in desk. also the standard of the hotels were top notch, the food offering was generally very good. I thought the trip was great value for the money . The bus driver was a lovely man, and the tour guide had a lot of information and did his best to manage his audience. The extra tours not included were good value.

Overall wonderful experience Victoria Falls and Botswana were my favorite sites Pilanesberg was scenic but the experience was less representative of Africa than the other two sites Ending in Capetown and the excursions there was excellent