A Big 5 Bonanza on a South African safari – guest feedback by Liselle Raath

Liselle’s guests, the Zeiler family, couldn’t have been more appreciative of their 12 day safari and they thought to share their kind words and great feedback with us. From Cape Town‘s African Elite Properties to the luxurious Selkirk House in Hermanus, and finally to the Private Game Reserves bordering the northern Kruger National Park. The Klaserie, the Timbavati and Manyeleti Reserves offered the Big Five and more. See what Hans had to say about their holiday in South Africa:

Hi Liselle,

We just arrived yesterday. Our holiday was unbelievable, fabulous, more than words can say! Thank you very much for your arrangement!

We saw all Big 5 within the first 5 days! Plus, we saw cheetah and many impala, kudu … We even saw cubs of all Big 5 + cheetah cubs. Amazing! On our last game drive our ranger Moshe stopped the truck on a bridge and turned off the lights. It was dark night, absolutely quiet, the sky was full of stars with no clouds at all and, in the river bed, thousands of blinking fireflies. I’ll never forget this view. The perfect end for a perfect trip!!!

All accommodations were luxurious and we very much enjoyed our stays at each place.

African Elite Properties:
I wouldn’t call it an apartment, it was rather a house just for our family. Perfect view of the harbour. From the roof-deck one could also see Table Mountain and Waterfront. Unfortunately, it was stormy most of our stay and we couldn’t enjoy the decks and the pool. Still, the views from the rooms were great. The location is great to reach the Waterfront quickly, as well as the city center. The reception is conveniently located at a shopping center, so we were able to quickly get everything for our daily needs.

Selkirk House:
The house is pure luxury! The rooms are large and exclusively furnished. Ina, the manager, takes care of everything. She recommended nice restaurants for dinner and arranged a boat tour for us. There was only one more guest, so we had almost the whole house just for us. We enjoyed the warm hospitality and atmosphere.

Africa on Foot:
Africa on Foot was the smallest and simplest (least luxurious) of the three safari camps; however, all family members rated is as the one they liked most. This is partly due to the consequent eco-friendly environment and attitude. Mostly it is because we all liked the familiar atmosphere that Christina, Rian and their team created. They made our first safari experience very easy.

We also enjoyed the game walks. We saw some animals in a distance (giraffe, buffalo and a lion) but more impressively, we learned a lot about tracking, local plants and their usage for health care etc. The food was the simple and basic compared to the other camps, but always tasty. Rian was the most entertaining guide, providing a lot of information in a funny and easy way. We saw lions, elephant, buffalo, rhino, cheetah and giraffe. Didn’t see a leopard. General game (Impala, Kudu etc.) was rather rare and shy compared to the other two camps.

Honeyguide Khoka Moya:
Honeyguide had the biggest and most comfortable tents. The service and our guide were friendly. We found the service a bit cool after the warm and family-like atmosphere at Africa on Foot. We got to see all big five plus cheetah, giraffe and lots of general game and hippo.

Simbavati:
Simbavati was the biggest of all camps. The tents are nicely furnished and even provide air conditioning. The service was very friendly and obliging. Although we had elephants in the camp, we always felt more like being in a hotel rather than a safari camp. The food was excellent with good choices and nice atmosphere.
The game drives were very good. We saw all Big Five, giraffe, hippo, crocodile and lots of general game. We even saw a leopard in a tree and, of course, the above-mentioned fireflies. We also saw more birds than in the other camps – heron, stork, eagle, etc. The general game seemed to be less shy than in the other camps. Our ranger, Moshe, was very knowledgeable. The kids very much enjoyed his fast drives on the bumpy roads. They sometimes felt like sitting in a roller-coaster!

Although Honeyguide and Simbavati provided more comfort, we thought that Africa on Foot provided a more authentic Safari experience. For those looking for luxury, Simbavati would surely be the best choice.

I hope my description shows the fun and excitement that we had over the last 3 weeks. Whenever I thought 12 days of safari might have been too long, we experienced new sightings or different behaviour of the animals. It never got boring.

If we plan to go to Africa again, I will definitely contact you again!!!! We’ve taken more than 3000 pictures which I will select over the next days. Once I’ve a better overview I’ll send you a few!

Thank you once again for a wonderful holiday!!!!

Hans and family