Review

Dear Leony,

We are back again and had a brilliant holiday!! We really enjoyed Africa and will definitely be going back again.

Travelling with our little child and the camper also went very well. We did wonder how long the campers would last on those lovely gravel roads of Namibia... . We had a bit of bad luck with the camper now and then, but that was eventually resolved too.

Our return journey with South African Airways went well, we were lucky as the plane wasn't full.
But the outward journey was really very bad. Firstly, we were in very bad seats, while ‘ordinary’ people were sitting in the seats with more legroom.

In any case, I want to thank you again for all your help. If we go to Africa again, I'll email you.

Kind regards from M.
Renkum

Yes, we also met a Dutch couple in Namibia who were travelling in a Bobo camper and it turned out they had also booked it through you. Funny!

Hi Leony,

It’s taken a while, but here’s an email at last.

First of all, thank you again for arranging our wonderful holiday. The safari with Sunways was fantastic. Our guides Gary and Michael took very good care of our group. We saw, did and experienced a lot. From sunshine to hail, we experienced all types of weather. If you would like an impression of what we did, you can see some of our photos on the following site: http://homepage.mac.com/mvisscher/SAHighlights.html

Our stay at Rudi and Philippa's (Helderberg Country House) was also lovely. We spent those days in a wonderfully relaxed way and were wonderfully looked after. We spent some time on the beach, visited Robben Island, and quite simply recovered completely from all the impressions of the trip before that. We just managed to shake Rudi's hand as he returned. He got back to Raitby about half an hour before we had to leave, grin.

If time and money allow, we are definitely planning to visit Africa again!

Greetings,
Master of Law.
Wadenoijen & Utrecht

Hello Leonie

A little late, but I must compliment you on the exceptionally well-organised trip. The hotels were fine and it was a wonderful holiday. The Kia Prego was a bit sluggish and noisy, and especially the van in George was quite battered and damaged. The last hotel was a surprise to me. The name of the hotel did sound familiar, but I didn't give it any further thought. However, when I arrived, I knew immediately that the hotel belonged to a business associate of mine, namely the Baarsma Groep. I know Sip Baarsma very well and had a good chat with him and his partners.

Our compliments once again.

Kind regards

Rien van S.
Weert

Hello Leony,

Thank you very much for the email below. I’m sorry for the late reply, but I’ve only just read it as I’ve been at home for the last two weeks (on holiday).

We have returned safely from our adventurous trip, with lovely memories and also some less pleasant ones (car). These fade into the background, however, when considering the fantastic trip as a whole that we had.

As for Raoul, he’s a man you can count on and who’s always been available. A really great point of contact. If I haven’t received a refund by the end of this week, I’ll get in touch with Raoul. The cost of the second hire car has already been charged to our credit card, so it would be great if we could get that money back. However, if it takes too long, I’ll be in touch.

It was our first time in Botswana, but it’s definitely worth a visit. It’s quite different from Namibia and South Africa, especially the delta. If you have the time, it’s certainly worth a visit. The Okuti Lodge and Gunn’s Camp are indeed beautiful locations, and the Tuli Block in Mashatu comes highly recommended. We’re glad we got to see this part of the country too. It’s not very touristy, but that’s no bad thing. In a word, it was “fantastic”.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to visit you; we did drive through Somerset West, but the setback in Sprinkbok (car) meant we lost a day and had to adjust our itinerary in South Africa slightly, so we didn’t have time. We did consider it for a moment, but that would have meant arriving too late in George.

We would indeed be delighted and would really appreciate it if, whilst you’re in the Netherlands, you could pop round to see us. Neerpelt and Stramproy aren’t too far apart (about 20 km). That way, you can also have a look at the photos and get a feel for Botswana (if you haven’t been there yet). Do let us know. When are you planning to come to the Netherlands?

I do indeed need to get back into my daily routine (it’s so hectic :((((() now, and I’ll definitely be emailing you all again (who knows, maybe for a future trip). By the way, do you also organise trips to Tanzania and Kenya on an individual basis?

You’ve been a fantastic help in making this wonderful trip a reality. Thanks again, and we’ll keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Anne L.
Eindhoven

Dear Leony,

I've just returned to a dark, cold, and wet Geneva, but I still have the sun and light of South Africa in my heart and head, plus a pair of beautifully tanned arms. We had a fantastic trip, thank you very much for the excellent suggestions and arrangements!

Here is some feedback on the various locations, which might be useful for future visitors.

Floreal House is brilliant! Lovely guesthouse, very nice rooms, delicious breakfast, great staff and good relationships with each other, so a very cosy atmosphere. There's a Dutchman, called

Lyngrove was lovely. We drove all the way via Paarl and the Helshoogte Pass, and had a nice picnic at Delaire winery, on the pass. What landscapes.

Lyngrove is an oasis, we had a lovely room, with a huge bath, and in the evening we went to a nice gourmet pub nearby, Froggies, which belongs to the much fancier Auberge. Nice and tasty. There was a friendly Dutch lady who has been there for about 6 months as a hostess, the owner Barry gave excellent advice about nice wineries to visit for tastings.

From there we drove along the coast to Hermanus. Very quickly we saw whales, and seals, all sorts of things. We really enjoyed Ocean Eleven too! What a place.

We are actually very happy that Auberge Burgundy didn't work out. We were in our suite on top of the cliffs and could also watch whales from the bath (!) which was great. Unfortunately, it was too windy for the boat trip, but this meant we had more time the next day to go to Waterkloof via a very exciting route. We naturally visited Cape Agulhas extensively, in a howling wind, and then drove from Bredasdorp via a gravel road along the De Hoop Nature Reserve (which we visited on our way to Klippe Rivier) and then crossed the Breede River with the hand-operated ferry at Malgas. The river was very wild, with waves, quite scary. Jos actively helped with pulling the ferry across, I'm attaching a photo.

Waterkloof was a delightful place. A hearty couple, Hannes' family has lived on the farm since around 1704, and they both have lots to tell. The farm is a free-range.

On the way to Klippe Rivier, we stopped at De Hoop, where we walked a little by the sea and saw whales again. Beautiful scenery! Unfortunately, it started to rain then, and it kept on raining, harder and harder! It was our only rainy day, and the fireplace in our beautiful room at Klippe Rivier made up for a lot. Funny contrast, by the way, between the Afrikaners telling how the British weren't exactly popular in the past, and the very English atmosphere of Klippe Rivier. Beautiful place, magnificent! The next day, we made a wonderful trip via the Tradouw Pass and then visited several wine estates in the Robertson Wine Valley in lovely weather, having a delicious lunch at Bon Courage, among other places.

Back in Cape Town, we were happy to.

We really enjoyed ourselves, felt completely relaxed there, and both want to go back straight away! It was also lovely together, not least because of the excellent rooms with blissful large beds and baths! I'm adding 2 photos, so you know who you've given this wonderful time to. Many greetings, also on behalf of Jos,

Anna V.
Geneva, Switzerland

Hi Leony,

Everything went brilliantly and we really enjoyed ourselves! We never felt unsafe for a moment and we did and saw a lot. And it all costs nothing there, with that weak Rand… We drove more than 6,000 km!

Greetings,

Louise M.
Pigeons

Hi Leony,

We had a fantastic time in South Africa. It was brilliant being able to pick up the campervan straight from the airport, and they didn’t ask for a copy of our driving licences or anything like that. The campervans had a few minor faults, but nothing too much of a problem, mind you.

The rest of the trip went very well; we made a few minor adjustments to the itinerary to ensure a better balance of rest periods. The campsites we stayed at varied greatly in terms of luxury (from basic to very luxurious); prices also varied considerably, though not in line with the level of luxury.

We thought Kruger National Park was fantastic; I think we were also lucky with the animals we saw, which made it all the more interesting. But you know all about that.

The panoramic route was also well worth the drive. We also found it interesting to drive through Zululand, though we didn’t think much of the capital, Marbane, or its market – we simply saw more beautiful and interesting things along the way. Hluhluwe was nice too, but we’d already been spoilt; we still managed to spot some animals, though.

Then we drove to the coast, to Jeffrey Bay – it was really lovely. Unfortunately, we had wind and rain there (the camper wasn’t really able to keep the rain out properly, so the beds got wet). Handing the campervan back went without a hitch (a lovely, friendly person). The flight to Elisabeth went perfectly, and there too the campervans were all neatly lined up and ready for us.

Addo Park was also lovely; we stayed there for one night, went on a game drive in the morning and then carried on – unfortunately, the weather was still a bit poor.

To be honest, the garden trail was a bit of a let-down – there were some lovely views, but not many flowers (it must have been down to the time of year), and as we’d already seen plenty of views, we weren’t all that impressed by this one.

Ostriches were very funny and the caves were impressive. Also went to Cango Wildlife Ranch.

Took a walk through Stellenbosch and then carried on to Cape Town.

We drove almost all the way round the Cape Peninsula (the road was closed at Hout Bay) and went up Table Mountain the following day.

All in all, a fantastic experience that we wouldn’t have wanted to miss – the flights, campervans and campsite were all very well organised.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a map or a campsite guide in the motorhomes for the second part of the trip; these had come in very handy during the first part. I bought a map myself, but unfortunately couldn’t find a campsite guide anywhere. Luckily, we came across campsites by chance along the way, so everything worked out fine, and it was quite a surprise to see where we ended up camping.

It was perhaps a bit too much for Grandad and Grandma – they would have liked a bit more peace and quiet, but we didn’t have enough time for that. Still, I’m glad we decided to do it all.

We would also like to thank you for the excellent guidance.

If you would like more information about the affected campsites, I would be happy to assist you.

Kind regards, Jacqueline van S.
Nieuwegein

Good morning,

I returned on Sunday from the beautiful towns of Stellenbosch and Paarl in South Africa. I’d like to thank everyone who helped make our trip perfect. A special thanks to Leonie, who gave us some brilliant restaurant recommendations, almost all of which we tried. (Perhaps you could forward this email to her).

We’ve had a fantastic “first impression” of a stunning country and have enjoyed some incredibly delicious wines and meals. We’ll definitely be going back in the near future to enjoy all those beautiful views and the lovely people we’ve met once again.

Thank you very much once again, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Joost and Marjan K.
Blaricum