We heard back from Natasha’s guest, Diana, who travelled with her family (husband Richard and daughter, Aurora) on a Truly Spectacular South African Safari, and we could not have asked for a more enthusiastic response!
Natasha booked her guests in at Simbavati River Lodge – one of our favourite Timbavati safari lodges – and then at The Three Boutique Hotel for their Cape Town stay. Diana and her husband, Robert, have given us some great and very detailed feedback about their experience, and we hope it is as helpful to others as it is to us! Thanks Diane and family.
See Robert’s comments below:
OK, so just this morning we’ve left Simbavati River Lodge (at the northwest boundary of Kruger) where we had 5 fantastic days. I can’t begin to capture it in writing, at least not quickly. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. The lodge was gorgeous and their operation is first rate. We went on 3 hour game drives at sunrise and sunset each day, with a 5 hour break midday to hang out on the deck. Here is a *partial* inventory of just the highlights:
– The lodge is right on a riverbed and unfenced, so every day we had elephants, impala and various “boks”, monkeys, etc. wandering past and sometimes even had an elephant within the lodge grounds on the paths in front of the cottages!
– Being in the middle (literally) of a group of 15 adult and juvenile and baby elephants feeding, drinking, and spraying water, sometimes within touching distance, including a mock charge by one of the babies and a fair bit of trumpeting.
– Hanging out for a half hour with a leopard mother and two cubs while they played and sunned on a rock.
– Watching a raft of hippos up close when one pair decided to mate.
– Seeing a trio of white rhinos from just a few meters away.
– More giraffes, zebras, and various antelope species than we could keep track of.
– And this morning’s crowning encounter with two adult male lions, at times within 3 meters of the jeep. When one of them got a bit annoyed and gave a growl then a roar and a mock charge that left us with elevated heart rates!
I have attached a few photos to try to give you an idea of just how up close and personal we have been with the animals. My best shots will have to wait until I can get home to a real computer and decent internet connection.
This is truly a spectacular country, really beautiful in so many different ways, whether at the coast or in the bush or in the mountains. The weather has been great – cold and clear. We’re now in Graskop, in the mountains where we will tour and hopefully hike for two days.
There is heaps more to tell, but we’ll just have to wait until we can talk via Skype and share more photos. We’ll be at our friends’ home in Johannesburg in two days and hope for a better connection then.
More in a few days,
R
After a a couple more days in South Africa, Robert stayed true to his word and updated Natasha on their Spectacular South African Safari. Here is part 2 of the trip, sent by Diana:
Dear Natasha,
Howzit? OMG, I don’t really know how to express to you how perfect our holiday was. THANKS TO YOU. Every single one of your recommendations was excellent. We got home today (you will notice it’s 2:00 a.m here, thank you jet lag) from seriously, the best trip we have EVER had. And Yo, I count cannibals as my friends. And have eaten marmot. And have dived with whale sharks.
You probably guessed we don’t use travel agents much, but the experience that you provided, plus all of the supporting documents (let me just say from Robert thank you for directions!!) was amazing.
Absolutely no problems, questions, differences in costs, etc etc.
The Three Boutique Hotel: Here’s how great they were – They had space, so they gave us 2 rooms, no additional cost. They LOVED Aurora. We came in tired and jet lagged, so they said, “Hey, you shouldn’t drive. We’ll take you down to V&A” (which you know my dear). They made a reservation at Balthazar’s (OMG – just sayin’), and picked us up! Completely sorted us for daytime activities (hello southern right whales who are spy-hopping), and booked us for evening dinners. PERFECT. Keep recommending them.
Peermont: Weird-ish, but actually perfect also. Close to the airport (saved us easily 30 minutes getting out of Jo’burg on our way to Simbavati). Totally ’60s’ rooms. Also gave us, at no extra cost, 2 rooms. (Are you magic or something??). Funky casino resort, but we had an excellent dinner. AND, they said that as we were leaving at 6.00 am before breakfast, that they would provide breakfast boxes. YO! Delish! Lovely. Easy check in and out. Good beds. Funky bathrooms. Aurora loved them, of course.
Simbavati: I can see why you love it. Say no more. What can I say? HEAVEN. Every. Single. Thing. Food, room, welcome, the whole atmosphere. I think I will live here. The food. And, here is where I must ask you to communicate Robert’s and my gratitude to Christoph and Daniel – they were wonderful with Aurora. Treated her very seriously and explained everything (I think she’s a bit in love with both). We are becoming trackers in urbania! Robert very, very, very, very much appreciated Cristoph’s expertise in photography. And OMG you should see the results. C and D were wonderful – smart, friendly, funny, and they put up with me!! Also, just sayin’, loved the bath tub I felt so “out of Africa” especially when the elephant or the impala wandered by. This was a fantastic lodge. Have recommended it to our SA (‘ESSAY’) friends to try.
Joburg: We stayed with friends in Daifern (or some such fab golf course place) and visited the Constitution court, the prison (it was wonderful and awful all the same), etc. etc. Had a great time.
And there will be more coming! We LOVED it.
Thank you so much. You are wonderful.
And now home.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Natasha for a wonderful holiday. We laugh, but it was the “best first day of any vacation” (hello, spy-hopping whales, seals, ostriches, dassies, penguins, and baboons). And it was then the best vacation we have ever had. THANK YOU. You really worked hard in all areas to sort us out, and all of your recommendations were just fabulous.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We had said that this trip would be “the trip of a lifetime – our one and only”. Now we know it will not be. We will go back.
Have a great day, and Robert will send pics.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
