Review

Self-drive, 2 weeks, upmarket accommodation - Safari through Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu Natal.

Hello Leony
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you for organising such a fantastic adventure
for us. We had so much fun, Mala Mala was amazing and we saw this beautiful boy there, he was full up having just eaten and was now unable to lie comfortably on his tummy!
The food and accommodation here were top class.

Then to Mkhaya Lodge, another lovely but smaller reserve concentrating on rhinos.
The accommodation and campfire cooking made this a special place.

Then to Thula Thula, WOW!!!!!! The history behind this place, Lawrence Anthony, what an incredible man and story about the 7 rogue elephants that got this place started!

Can’t wait to go back to see these lovely creatures again. I recommend everyone reads his book before they go, “The Elephant Whisperer“, it’s such an intriguing place. .

Our overnight stay at Buhala Lodge was perfect, as was the Oyster Box, which is my favourite hotel!
Watching England win the cricket and staying at Hoeveld House in Johannesburg was the icing on the cake!!
Thank you again Leony, you truly put a great trip together for us!!!
Until next time,
Kindest regards
Mark and Julie

Dear Leony,

Thank you very much for this trip. It has all been super, very nice, and beautiful, and that is certainly thanks to your help!!

We found all the hotels to be super luxurious and therefore had a very comfortable time there. Delicious food, good service, lovely bedrooms. During the day, we visited a project in the slums. The contrast between what we saw during the day and how the hotel was was huge. However, thanks to the beautiful hotel, we were also able to truly take a holiday and clear our heads for a while.

The hotels during the safari were absolutely amazing. In the first hotel, we had a view of the wildlife park, of a small waterhole where the elephants were bathing. In the evening, when it was already dark, we suddenly heard a roar. That must have been a lion. I tried to see if I could spot anything, but I didn't see him (even though the waterhole was also slightly lit).

In the second hotel, we had a beautiful view of the wildlife park from the dining room, where all sorts of animals were grazing or drinking. That was truly splendid as well.

The Faber Family

Dear Leony,

First and foremost, we would like to thank you very much for arranging our trip to Namibia.

It was really great! What beautiful campsites you've picked for us!
We really enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Even though we were robbed of passports, money, and cards during the night of the 16th-17th, it didn't spoil the fun.
Your car window was smashed at 5 AM and my bag was taken. (I'd taken it inside the tent every other night but forgot it that night.) Fortunately, when the reception opened at 7 AM, I was able to tell them and they immediately put two men to work to investigate and follow up on leads. Within an hour, we had everything back except the cash.

They were very helpful with arranging everything and were visibly upset about the whole situation themselves. Really impressed by the service and how they helped us, even offering to lend us money in case we couldn't withdraw anything because I had blocked my cards immediately. They even helped arrange a new window for the car. (The financial aspect will be handled by Britz with the insurance.)

We have advertised you well when people asked us how we arranged our holiday.
I'm currently busy with a website featuring our travel stories. If you'd like to see it, just let me know and I'll send you the link.

Kind regards,
Christianne

17-day campervan trip with the whole family, 11 people, during the Christmas holidays, from Cape Town to Addo and back (Garden Route).

Hello Leony,

We are now back from our trip to ZA. I wanted to thank you enormously for the well-planned trip and for arranging all the connections and reservations. Everything, and I mean everything, went well. Even with the flights and baggage handling, we didn't encounter any more problems than the bookings that were a bit mixed up, but we knew that in advance. Below are a few points that might be helpful for new bookings:

Almost all the campsites were well laid out and had good pitches; even considering how busy it was, we were almost always next to each other. Only the TsiTsikamma Sunrise campsite was of poorer quality. The owner, Dennis, does his best, but isn't a real campsite manager. Various rules (noise after 10 p.m. and dogs fouling everywhere) are broken and there's no enforcement. The toilet block is also of mediocre quality and the hot water supply isn't properly maintained. That was the only downside. Otherwise, nothing but praise.

One small drawback regarding the trip was the distance between Oudtshoorn and Addo and the distance between Addo and Tsitsikamma Sunrise. It was, of course, difficult to book campsites and we were really very happy to have been able to visit Addo (saw elephants, lions, and water buffalo), but it would have been nicer to have had a stopover on both stretches. 250 km is more than enough for 1 day of travelling if you also want to get out now and then.

The quality of the campers was average. These are just small points, but perhaps you can do something with them in relation to this organisation for the future. We had one camper where the window kept opening (the button seemed to get stuck). When we called the rental company, we were only told that someone would call us back, but that never happened. We fixed it ourselves with strong tape. In a second camper, the fridge was alternately too cold and too warm.

The drawer closures were sometimes broken, causing them to open and close while driving, and the fastening of the tables to the floor was truly sad in one camper. The Toyota car with roof tents was no longer available, and we were given a Ford in its place. It was a good car, but they wanted to charge an extra ZAR 8000 for it.

I still have to wait and see if they'll charge that to the credit card, but I expect they won't. I must say though, that Mohammed did everything he could to help us out.
Also useful to know is that the campervans we had are not allowed over Chapman's Peak. They are too tall for it. Also good to know for a future trip.

One last question regarding the travel insurance we took out for this. Can I cancel it with you, or do I need to do that directly with Allianz?

All in all, a trip certainly worth repeating. I will most certainly keep AfricaOnline in my address book.
Greetings,

Frank

Hi Leony,

I had a really wonderful holiday. Namibia is so different from the other African countries I've visited. A really great experience. I found the group a bit on the large side with 22 people, but fortunately it was a nice group.
Afterwards, I had a nice week with my girlfriend too.
Attached are some lovely photos, feel free to use them if you'd like.
I want to thank you again for everything and perhaps see you again.

Greetings Esther

Hi Leony,

We are back home after a breathtaking trip through Namibia. The trip fully met our expectations and we had a very nice group with a fantastic driver and a cook we would have loved to take home with us. It was amazing what this man managed to put on the table under primitive conditions. It ranged from Oryx steak to barracuda and much more. The accommodation in Cape Town was fine, and we ourselves spent an additional 2 days in Gocheganas (Windhoek) after the trip. Not cheap, but definitely recommended.

We'll definitely go back again and visit East Africa.

Thank you very much for your help with our questions and the changes. With your assistance, we really enjoyed ourselves.

Kind regards,
Irma and Reinier Stoltenborg

Best of Namibia Group Camping

Travelogue round trip South Africa and Zimbabwe

After a fantastic tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe, we are back home. The trip was organised with great effort by Afrika Online and went perfectly!

Following a smooth flight, the transfer driver was already waiting for us at Johannesburg airport. He took us to Marben Manor, where a very warm welcome and beautiful rooms awaited us. The next day, the car arrived at 8:15 AM, and after an excellent breakfast, we departed for Pilanesberg National Park.

What a beautiful park, and Bakubung lodges is a wonderful place to leave all the hustle and bustle far behind you! On the game drive that same day, we immediately found ourselves amongst a herd of elephants, and a little later a lion walked alongside the car. Our holiday couldn't have been better! From there we went to Marakele National Park. Also very beautiful, more mountainous.

However, the “luxury” safari tent was mostly basic, and the concrete extension to the tent, which housed the sanitary facilities, was also not what you would imagine. From there, we went to Mapungubwe National Park. Beautiful, what a special landscape! And a fantastic lodge in the middle of the park. In the evening, a kudu walked between the lodges, and it turns out elephants also regularly roam there. The next day, we drove extensively through the park (many baobabs) and the day after that, we did a ‘heritage tour“ to the archaeological excavations in the park, which was very interesting.

From there to the Soutpansberg mountains. Slept in Madi-a Thava, a guesthouse with lodges owned by Dutch people. They are also very involved with the arts and crafts products made in the region, and the lodges are decorated in style. Very enjoyable and a wonderful place to relax for a day. From there to Punta Maria, one of the most northerly entrances to Kruger Park. Stayed four nights in Kruger, in Shingwedzi rest camp, Mopani and Skukuza.

Beautiful weather and so many animals seen. On the fifth day, we reluctantly left Kruger Park and took a short trip to Hazyview, where we stayed at Plumbago Guesthouse. Again, we received a very warm welcome, complete with sherry. The rooms were very luxurious, decorated in an English style, and the owners were very friendly and helpful.

The next day, via part of the Panorama Route to Dullstroom, and the day after that, we handed in the car at Johannesburg airport and flew to Harare in Zimbabwe. There, we had another flawless transfer to the guesthouse Jacana Gardens. An oasis in a busy city! The next day, the four-wheel-drive car was brought to us early. We then explored Harare further and the following day travelled to Great Zimbabwe, the most significant archaeological site in Zimbabwe. Very impressive!

The day after, we went to Nyanga National Park, in the mountains to the east. We stayed in the lodges at the Troutbeck resort. What beautiful nature there! And how fortunate we were to have four-wheel drive... During the day we had reasonably good weather, but at night it was very cold. Fortunately, we had enough blankets, but the fireplace was only just enough to heat the cottage. Finally, one more night back to Jacana Gardens in Harare, and the day after that, via a stopover in Johannesburg, we returned home.

We had a fantastic holiday, perfectly organised by Afrika Online. It was very pleasant that our holiday could be put together “to measure”, and we weren't tied to “building blocks”. We would happily travel with you again!
Kind regards,
The van der Boon family