Reviews

Hello Leony,

We've been back home for almost two weeks now after our holiday in South Africa. We wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time. The outward journey went perfectly. The transfer time in Frankfurt was very tight, the plane from Dusseldorf was a bit delayed, but luckily it all worked out just in time. At Cape Town airport, the first positive surprise. Avis didn't have a Toyota with an automatic gearbox, but we were given a brand new Mercedes under the same conditions, which made travelling a dream.

The guesthouses were all above and beyond expectations. We don't know if you had a hand in it, but we always had the nicest rooms. The directions were perfect. Only the journey to the guesthouse in Addo was a bit more difficult. The turn-off to the guesthouse is a few km further past the entrance to the NP than you indicated (7 instead of 5) and is not on the R335, but of course, we did find it.

It's a shame we were practically in the dark the entire time at our last guesthouse in Somerset West. Power outages in a large area, but you'll know all about that I expect.

The golf also went brilliantly. Besides the courses you mentioned, we also found some smaller but very enjoyable courses at what we considered very acceptable prices. Perhaps also recommendable for other golfers!

And still the return flight:

We arrive at Cape Town airport at 06.00 and want to return the car. Just wait a moment, says the Avis man. Your flight has a 14 (fourteen) hour delay and you can keep the car for a while longer today. Anne-Lies inquires inside and it turns out that they are still flying at 11.30 with a different aircraft. We will miss our connection in Frankfurt to Dusseldorf but a hotel had already been booked there. That was, of course, a bit of a bummer on Anne-Lies' birthday. So, we'll first have a leisurely breakfast and a few more cups of coffee until the queue at the check-in desk has reduced to just a few people.

We put the luggage on the belt, and the man behind the counter typed in our names. A lady from LTU came running over: “Herr and Frau ter Beke van den Berg?” Yes indeed...

Okay, one of our machines is going to Düsseldorf at 8 am and there are still 2 seats free, so if you'd like, you can come along.
Well, you understand, they couldn't have given us a nicer birthday present.

So even sooner in Dusseldorf than planned. Then, through the snow showers, we head home, arriving tired but satisfied at approximately 10:00 PM.

All in all, congratulations on the way you helped make our holiday such a great celebration.

Greetings.,

Frank and Anne-Lies
Wierden

Hi Leony,

The Namibia trip was fantastic, especially as the two older gentlemen had the trip of a lifetime. It was also well organised for which I am grateful, particularly the safari tents which were superb. I did swap the car for a .

So I'll be heading that way again, through you, and I'll convince others too.

Cheers, it was brilliant

Bart V.
Bennekom

Dear Leony,

We are safely home again after an unforgettable journey through the beautiful South Africa. What an amazing experience. Especially for two slightly older people – which we are – the travel pace was very good, lovely to regularly stay somewhere for a day, sometimes even two. We have enjoyed every day. Everything went perfectly, Bobocampers, with whom you collaborate in South Africa, is a great company with very customer-friendly people (John!!). The route descriptions and campsites were excellent, and the camper was a palace. We often had to give people tours because they liked it so much.

We can highly recommend afrikaonline to everyone and certainly will, as everything was very well looked after. Again, we enjoyed ourselves and will not soon forget this trip. Kind regards from two tired but very happy people.

Arthur and Joyce N. H.
Leimuiden

Hi Leony,

At last, I've found the time to write a short travelogue about our “FANTASTIC” trip to Tanzania.

After a year of hard work, we departed from Schiphol on September 14th for Tanzania, where we were welcomed at Arusha airport by our guide, Blassy. He was our guide/driver for 15 days. We couldn't have asked for a better guide, and thanks in large part to him, the first 15 days were fantastic.

The morning after we arrived, we went over our trip with Jennie and got some tips. Everything was arranged down to the last detail.

Afterwards, we visited a typical African village (in Moshi) near Arusha, which was very educational and interesting. Arusha NP is truly worth it for a walk; we at least enjoyed walking among the animals.

The visit to Tarangire National Park was impressive, as was Lake Manyara. The surroundings from Arusha to Tarangire and Lake Manyara reminded us a lot of Indonesia, with the forests, vegetation, hot springs, etc. And we saw so much wildlife; you didn't have enough eyes to take it all in. The Sopa Lodge in Tarangire National Park is highly recommended; although large, it is really well looked after. The E-Unoto Lodge, run by Maasai people, was a great experience, but you notice that these people still have a lot to learn, but who are we to interfere? This is Africa after all. Upon arrival at this lodge, we saw bushfires in the distance and here we literally and figuratively had it HOT. The next morning, early, around 4:30 am, our room was completely lit and it became really hot, as the fire had approached to about 15 metres from our room. As a precaution, we packed everything immediately so we were ready to leave. There was a lot of panic among the people, but the locals were calm and they were right too -:)) the fire turned in the other direction.

Our visit to the Ngorongoro Crater was simply fantastic, also thanks to our guide Blassy. He truly made the most of it. We spent 2 full days (06:00-18:00) in the park and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. On the last day, just before 18:00 as we were leaving the park, we saw a cheetah. Without us asking, the guide immediately drove towards it, resulting in us leaving the park late and him having to pay a fine. We were happy to pay for it and did so. This park is truly impressive, it's just a shame it's very busy with visitors (you can notice this at the lunch spot). What is also sometimes disturbing for the animals is the way some (mostly young) guides approach them, showing no regard for the animals at all. It’s a great shame, as you can damage a lot this way.

The typical Maasai people were also very impressive. It's a shame they were driven out of the crater and are now somewhat left to their own devices. They lead a very hard life. Our lodge, the Ngorongoro Farmhouse, is truly recommended; you experience a special atmosphere there.

The Serengeti is an impressive area with abundant wildlife and varied landscapes. Again, finding wildlife, such as leopards and lions, was a unique experience thanks to our fantastic guide. He gave us plenty of time and we had the opportunity to dictate how we organised our day and how long we wanted to observe the animals. This, among other things, allowed us to witness a leopard hunt from start to finish, although unfortunately the leopard was unsuccessful. This was, of course, a unique experience. We thoroughly enjoyed the Serengeti, which we traversed from East to West and from South to North. In a word: AMAZING. Our accommodations were perfect, with the Mbalagati Lodge being a standout. This lodge was indeed not only very expensive but also top-class and beautifully situated.

The Migration Camp was excellent, providing a good base for the northern part of the Serengeti. The kitchen was perfect, and the contact with the animals in the evenings and mornings was truly an experience in itself.

After the Serengeti, we flew via Lake Manyara, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar to Selous. This is a totally different environment and nature, but wonderfully beautiful. This environment does have less wildlife, but if you go to Tanzania, you really must see this area. The Rufiji Camp was indeed very enjoyable, although it was Italian-oriented (a bit of a shame). In this area, there is a lot of variety; you can go on game drives as well as boat trips on the Rufiji River. There isn't much tourism, which also has its advantages, and you can truly enjoy the peace and quiet (which is true for all of Tanzania, by the way).

Next, we flew to Ruaha NP to Jongomero Camp, which is a very familial camp. The food is very good and the atmosphere, staff, and accommodation are great. There are an awful lot of tsetse flies in this area, how we cursed them. We were practically covered in bites, like fine crumbs, no matter what you tried they were simply tenacious, they are, in a word, MONSTERS. This camp is beautifully situated on the (dry) river, but the wildlife came very close, how we enjoyed it.

Throughout the whole trip, we had breakfast and/or lunches in the open air, which was fantastic, truly in the middle of the bush.
Lastly, we then flew to Zanzibar where we booked various excursions through the local tour operator (Spicy Tour, Stone Town walking tour, Jozani Forest, and swimming with dolphins). These excursions are highly recommended, but once you've seen Zanzibar, it's enough, at least for us. Our hotel, the Serena Inn, is truly the best hotel in Stone Town; the food and service are perfect, and the staff are friendly and helpful.

In its entirety, this holiday across Tanzania has been our most beautiful, wildlife-rich, and diverse trip in all of Southern Africa. This is also partly thanks to our excellent and highly experienced guides, and especially Blassy. This man must be honoured, as they are very rare, particularly due to his expertise in fauna and flora and angel-like patience. And last but not least, also thanks to your cooperation, Leony, in planning this trip via the local tour agency in Arusha.

This was a GREAT trip. Thank you.

Leony, as you requested, I'm sending some more photos for your website. It is difficult to make choices as all the photos are (in our opinion) fantastic.

Kind regards,

Anne and Jochem L.L.
Neerpelt, Belgium

Good afternoon Leony,

We would like to thank you for the excellent organised trip that we booked with you. South Africa is a remarkable country with a great deal of diverse nature and culture.

Upon arriving in Zimbabwe, we were politely picked up and taken to our hotel. This was, by the way, an excellent hotel with all amenities. The Victoria Falls were truly amazing to see, even though there wasn't much water in the river and the Falls weren't flowing across their full width. The people in Zimbabwe are incredibly kind, but it is indeed advisable to bring plenty of dollars. Prices there are on par with the European market; a 1.5-hour boat trip quickly costs $20 per person.

We then had a bizarre flight to Johannesburg. He had to circle twice to land and we had quite a bit of turbulence. There was also someone from Bobo campers waiting for us. After the explanation of the camper, we could set off. Unfortunately, we were quite late, which meant we had to drive quite hard to get to the campsite on time (as it would close at 5 p.m.). Without being able to do any shopping and with just enough petrol, we arrived at the campsite around 5:30 p.m. and luckily they still let us in. So that was quite touch-and-go, also because we had a bit of a delay on our flight. The Kruger Park was truly fantastic.

We were a little disappointed with the St Lucia campsite. You don't arrive until around 2:30 PM, and then you don't really have time to go hiking (only possible with a guide). You could also go to the beach there, but you'd be bored after an hour. We also didn't realise there was no restaurant or anything similar. Perhaps it would be useful to mention this in the directions. Luckily, we still had a tin of spaghetti with us... The Lelyhoek campsite was very run down. There had only been a new owner since October 1st. The swimming pool was empty, with only two frogs swimming in it. The toilets weren't great either, and we didn't really feel safe there (the security guard was an elderly, limping man, and there were a lot of locals living in the cottages they rented out).

Cradock was slightly better, but also actually ranked among the worse campsites (again with many locals). The most beautiful campsite was by the sea in Tsitsikamma National Park. Whales were swimming behind the campervan! You could also walk to the waterfalls, however, this was quite a dangerous trek! You had to climb over boulders along the sea! Absolutely beautiful though!
We really enjoyed ourselves and look back on a very nice trip!

Thanks for all the information!

Greetings,
J and J.
Water

Hi Leony,

Here is the promised more detailed “evaluation”. Yesterday I already thanked you for the wonderful organisation of our honeymoon, but I'd gladly do so again. Everything was arranged to perfection, (special) hotel rooms, restaurant reservations, and in every hotel/guesthouse we visited, they knew it was our honeymoon and often we received an upgrade or a bottle of something nice or both!! And it all started with the bottle we received from Wouter (from car rental) on your behalf. Very kind of you! The car was excellent, by the way, brand new. If I must be critical: it had a CD player and not the announced cassette player 😉

And then the hotels/guesthouses. You might come across “most beautiful room ever seen” a few times, but that was so up until that point. They just kept getting more beautiful!! And actually, for all the accommodations, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful, so I won't be mentioning that every time!

River Manor in Stellenbosch is very well located. Peaceful, yet a 5-minute walk from the centre. We were immediately given an upgrade and a bottle of wine. Stellenbosch is, of course, the perfect base for the wine regions; we also had a lovely lunch at Bosch en Dal. The restaurant Terroir was nice, the food tasty, but not exceptional.

Afterwards to Rothman Manor in Swellendam. The weather was a bit poorer, so we saw little of all the activities Swellendam has to offer. The room was truly beautiful, the most beautiful that..... It was an upgrade to a suite by the pond.
Next was Oudtshoorn, where we stayed at La Plume. Again, an upgrade to a suite. Very beautiful. The first evening we ate with the hosts and, as this is a working ostrich farm, we had ostrich steak. Tastier than what we’ve had in restaurants since, absolutely recommended! And of course, the second evening we ate at Jemima's. We think that's also a top spot, a nice owner who goes the extra mile.

We spent one night in Knysna at the Falcons View Manor. Unfortunately, we arrived in Knysna on Saturday afternoon and most of the shops were closed, making it very quiet. So, we went to your recommendation earlier (Phantom Forest) and enjoyed the view, the sunset, and the food there. And it was good that you booked in advance, otherwise we would have gone for nothing!

Kariega Game Reserve was actually a bit of a disappointment, but then again, we chose it ourselves ;-). The reception and information beforehand from Kariega could have been better. After a long drive, we arrived at 3:15 PM and the first question was whether we still wanted to join the 3:30 PM game drive. You don't really feel like it then (we certainly didn't), but these are things that are included in the (not low) price. Furthermore, they present themselves as a very luxurious lodge, and we were even in the Ukhozi lodge. Although they are incredibly large, we understand something different by “luxury”. For example, no heating (and you can certainly need it), no TV, radio or CD.

The game drives were really fantastic (in an open jeep, so if it rains…). Our Ranger (Leonard) really did his best to provide some unforgettable moments, and he succeeded quite well!! The park is a bit small, but all in all a fun few days. The meals are communal, very cosy. And when Esther wasn't feeling great one evening, a 3-course dinner was brought to the room without any problem.

After that, 2 minutes or more of stops. The first, Cycads on Sea, is a lovely guesthouse with a very friendly owner. In the evening, he brought a bottle of bubbly. He also gave us 2 brochures for you, but he actually hoped you would visit sometime. However, I wouldn't recommend the village. At most for surfers, but otherwise there is little or nothing to do. The second was the Lily Pond Lodge in Nature's Valley, run by 2 Dutch people who do a great job. A magnificent lodge (which they are expanding) in a very beautiful area (near Tsitsikamma). Depending on the size of the group, they have communal meals (which were also excellent). A very friendly, welcoming, and personal approach!!

A slight disappointment was the Auberge Burgundy in Hermanus. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but especially because of their brochure, it seemed as if you were right on the sea and could see the whales from your bed. Well, you could, provided you moved the bed onto the French balcony 😉 The bed and shower were only suitable for people up to 1.70m tall and the highly praised restaurant was fine, but no more than that! The suite we had was very large though.

Everything was made up for by our stay at Constantia Uitsig!! Here too, we received an upgrade, but it was straight to a whole cottage. This meant we could properly dump all our belongings in a separate room and fully enjoy the already not-small room with a fireplace. The bathroom was also more than spacious. Upon entering the room, a large fruit bowl with champagne was waiting. The reservations at both restaurants were also extremely well spent (and necessary, as the restaurants are popular). Another small tip for people going there, if a wine tour is suggested, don't do it. Just drive yourself and spit out the wine!! You'd be better off spending your money on a few bottles!

Finally, the Floreal Guesthouse in Cape Town. Here too, I can compliment you again, Leony. You had booked a beautiful room for us with a fantastic view. The guesthouse is very nice, with a kind manager and a very nice and helpful guard (Jean-Marie). Good location, at the foot of Table Mountain and a 10-15 minute drive from the Waterfront. It was truly a fantastic trip and our high expectations have been more than met. Leony, our thanks again for all the arrangements, bookings and suggestions. We enjoyed ourselves and you certainly played your part in that!

Greetings,

E. & H.
Amsterdam