4.7/5 Excellent
Excellent
428
Great
130
Average
9
Disappointing
2
Terrible
2
South Africa Tour & Trip Ratings
Tour Reviews
The trip was a fantastic introduction to South Africa. The scenery and wildlife was excellent. The trip was very well organised and ticked all the boxes for me. The ...
This was a fantastic trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg, showing off the scenery and wildlife of South Africa at its best. Blessed with fantastic weather throughout...
The scenery was amazing and intrepid's choice of venues were very good but Emma and Alf made this trip the best. They made us feel more like friends than clients. I ...
Guide(s) : Emma and Alf were knowledgeable, patient, funny and flat out amazing. Itinerary: incredibly varied itinerary (countryside, beaches, game viewing, cities...
Excellent itinerary, wonderful guides, and a good value.
It's a great balance between independent travel and seeing places I ...
I enjoyed the pace of the 9 days. We got to see so much but never felt rushed. It was fun to do a Basic travel experience at my age - not having done such a trip i...
Loved this trip. Camping in very nice places - usually had hot water and nice showers. Great itinerary - LOVED Namibia and the variety of the tour from the desert ...
Very well organised, excellent experience with many highlights balanced iver the entire trip and on different themes (people, nature, wildlife, ...) Halfway the t...
We are not giving a score as we booked with Gheckos and the trip did not match what we paid for.We have been seriously out of pocket and will be again on the trip we...
Jamo, Peter and Muema. These guys made my trip. I loved every minute off this holiday and every moment spent with all three of these great people. I cried when I lef...
Experienced, friendly and organised crew who were all very knowledgable. Very well organised trip with so many different highlights making it so easy to travel aro...
Superb itinerary - landscapes and wildlife Excellent crew Good campsit...
The whole experience was amazing including all the crew members.
The excellent organisation of the trip. The fantastic itinera...
A highly enjoyable tour of the beautiful Garden Route in South Africa culminating in the cosmopolitan hub of Cape Town bestraddled by the breathtaking vistas of Ta...
We had a great holiday and would recommend South Africa as a holiday destination. Justin our guide was excellent and showed us the best bits of the Garden Route. ...
We had an amazing time travelling the Garden Route with Justin as our Guide and Driver. He was very knowledgeable about the local wild life and countryside. The lo...
The itinerary for this trip gives a good variety of activities at a reasonably relaxed pace. We stayed in each accommodation for a minimum of 2 nights which meant ...
The linear nature of the journey, flying into Port Elizabeth and out of Cape Town rather than in and out of Cape Town added outward time but importantly ruled out ...
Editor’s Take
Most trip reviews tend to focus on some or all of these 5 key areas, not all of which may be relevant to you: the tour guide, travel company, service level, country or countries traveled in, and the trip itinerary.
Remember, just because you see a 1 star review doesn’t necessarily mean that person disliked the country.
First, for a majority of travelers, the flight to South Africa is long. From many spots in the United States, you’ll spend near 21 hours each direction in the air. Australia and Asia experience similarly long flights. For travelers who find themselves having a layover, consider an overnight layover, where you can spend a night sleeping in a bed. This helps ease exhaustion, especially for those who can’t sleep on planes. You’ll arrive ready for your South African adventure.
There are some security issues when it comes to South Africa, which can be a shock for some travelers. Especially if you go to Johannesburg, you’ll feel the more “dangerous” sides just by being outside and driving through the city. This should not discourage you from traveling to South Africa!
Being prepared and knowing your surroundings, it can help immensely. Many homes have bars on the windows, and security guards, even in the higher end areas. Violence was a huge concern, and can still be, but don’t let this break your trip. There will be a shock but shortly after, travelers see this is just the way of life in South Africa.
Many travelers have mentioned South Africa as one of the best experiences of their life, which is no surprise. Between the ocean, the mountains, the wineries in the capelands, and the wildlife, it’s pretty hard to not enjoy yourself. There is surely something that everyone will enjoy. South Africa is filled with history, art, and great food. There are endless adventures, and the pace of life is very relaxed.
Many reviewers mentioned the safari. Some may say a day or two is enough for a safari. You can see these animals at the zoo. This is far from the truth. There are very few things that beat seeing a family of elephants strolling during sunrise, or watching the hippo crossings between dusk.
Looking in the brush for the lions trying to hide from the hot sun, and zebras running through the grass. All of it is amazing and every game drive is different. Every animal encounter is magical.
Another South Africa “hot spot” among reviewers is Cape Town with a side trip to the wine area, either Stellenbosch or Franschhoek. Stroll through the cute towns filled with restaurants, shops, and markets. Hop on the wine tram, that transports you between wineries in the region.
Consider a stay in a bed and breakfast. Transportation between wine country and Cape Town is about an hour, and there are numerous buses that leave each day between the two. While this is an easy day trip, you may want to consider staying overnight. The region makes for a great weekend trip!
If you want a professional take on traveling in South Africa, see the Travelstride South Africa Guide »
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