Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Cape of Good Hope and Schotia game reserve (a paid excursion of £100 pp) - why wasn’t this part of the standard itinerary?

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petro Pretorious - very good; always cheerful and helpful. A very competent driver.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Check the season. In March you miss the whales and rivers are low water. Ensure you visit Schotia Game Reserve. South Africa is dangerous. Take high personal precautions over safety and security.

Suggestions

We definitely managed to pack a lot of things into the trip which was very satisfying.

Most Inspirational Moment

It’s hard to choose one moment as there were so many highlights – Schotia Game Reserve, Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain and Robben Island, all were great. However, just spending a sunny hour watching the Indian Ocean breaking on the rocks at Storms River is one of our most memorable moments.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We were lucky to have Marco who was everything a Tour Leader should be: he gave us the right information clearly and at the right time. He was friendly, had excellent local knowledge of birds and wildlife, and was a safe driver. He put a lot of effort in behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly and we particularly appreciated the lifts to the restaurant at Storms River Mouth as it was quite a walk from the accommodation. There were a couple of birthdays and a marriage proposal on our trip, and Marco made these occasions special for all concerned!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for cool and wet as well as hot and dry. The Little Karoo is hot, semi-desert, but most of the trip is near the coast with a maritime climate (changeable!). –Do the optional Schotia game reserve trip (it really should be included, not an extra). Bring enough cash to pay for it, it’s cheaper than using a credit card. Take a warm layer on the Schotia visit, it was chilly later in the day (our driver handed out blankets). –The food in SA is plentiful and cheap, as is the wine! There were also options for the vegetarians in the group. –We agree with a previous comment about buying tea, coffee and milk before arriving at Storms River Mouth (for milk, ask nicely at the restaurant). –The visit to the wine estate didn’t amount to much, and beware: their cheese board option for lunch is ridiculously generous. –Our e-tickets stated there was no food on the flight from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, but in fact a light meal was provided, and the flight attendant was surprised we had been told otherwise.

Suggestions

We found South Africa to be a safe and friendly country to visit.

Most Inspirational Moment

The tour had lots of highlights - an amazing trip to Schotia Game Reserve where we saw a stunning range of animals, the semi desert area of the Little Karoo around De Rust ( wonderful accommodation and food at House Martin Lodge ) and the Cango Caves, the coastal scenery at Storms River and Hermanus and the Cape Peninsula drive including the penguins, Robben Island, Table Mountain and the Waterfront of Cape Town.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour driver and guide was Marco Olivier from Mask Expeditions. He made the trip run smoothly down to the very last detail and had a great sense of humour. Most travel days were broken up with adequate rest and scenic stops and even a fun quiz on the long drive. His local knowledge of nature, wildlife and the culture and history of South Africa was good and he was happy to share and discuss it with us. He was helpful with sorting the optional activities and other arrangements especially in Cape Town.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is a pity that the Schotia Game Reserve is not an 'included' part of the tour as it is one of the 'must do' activities. Make sure that you have enough Rands at the start of the trip as it is cheaper to pay by cash rather than card. Our time in Mossel Bay was limited and rushed. If possible discuss with the group an early leaving time which would create more time - we left at 9.30am whereas 8.00am would have been better. Minor point - there is no tea / coffee / milk in the accommodation at Storms River. Worth arranging a quick 'shop' stop enroute to buy some. If you have time book an extra couple of nights in Cape Town. We enjoyed a relaxing two days in Cape Town at the end which was a great way to finish the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing lion and lioness at very close quarters in Ado National Park

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petro was excellent, informative, organised friendly and was a key catalyst in creating a great group chemistry

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a cash travel card loaded with local currency

Suggestions

No

Most Inspirational Moment

Amazing trip to Schotia where we saw a stunning range of animals. Plus the semi desert area of the Little Karoo around De Rust.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tallis was a confident & safe driver. He was knowledgeable and kept us well informed of the details of the trip and any changes to the itinerary. He fitted in a couple of extra visits , which improved our experience and were appreciated by all the group (Betty’s Bay and the Kirstenbosch Gardens) There were a number of health challenges with the group that were dealt with in a calm and appropriate manner.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for bad weather. Take refreshments, as stops some days are limited and in some accommodation facilities were also limited. There is one long day travelling, so be aware

Suggestions

Our accommodation at Storms River Mouth was double booked, so we were changed to an excellent hotel - Tsitsikamma Village Inn. This was only for one night and we moved to the original booking the next night. The weather on that day was absolutely horrendous and the whole site was compromised by the conditions. There was a very limited shop, which was impossible to walk to in the conditions and no refreshment facilities in the room. The restaurant had previously been swept away in a storm and the temporary one was open air only. In view of the well forecast bad weather, we should have been allowed to remain in the changed accommodation for both nights.

Most Inspirational Moment

Favorite was the safari trip near the elephant reserve where we saw pretty much every animal that could be seen some quite close up (lions elephants and zebras particularly).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very pleasant and friendly in personality and very helpful and reliable when there were problems or setbacks. in terms of information about the country I found him extremely limited in scope.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No.

Suggestions

Half of the group became ill from early on in the trip one requiring hospitalisation. it was not obvious that it was a single cause as symptoms were variable but in my experience it was very unusual to get that much illness on a short trip to a safe (health wise) non tropical country. I became ill on the last day but that seemed to be just a head cold and without GI symptoms which others had mainly had.

Most Inspirational Moment

The elephant park and game reserve, the cliff paths, then the penguins on Christmas Day, followed by Table Mountain.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Petro is beyond awesome; a superb guide, great organiser, excellent driver, and the hostess with the mostest.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a proper camera rather than relying on a phone - you'll need it for the long shots, particularly for the animals.

Suggestions

It's a safe and friendly country.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many things, obviously the animals, game tours, Table mountain , the cape peninsula, the little towns on the way, having warm sun and late evenings when its cold and horrible in the uK at the moment. One of my best trips this year

Thoughts on Group Leader

Pietro Petrorius was the best group leader I have had on the last 6-7 tours I have had this year with Exodus. She singlehandedly dealt with what other tours had two or three people. Her knowledge of her country and every aspect was incredible. nothing fazed her when there were wildfires on the cape peninsula - she found a way to jiggle everything around. When Simons Town was shut with the first she took us to another penguin colony which was in fact much better. When Table Mountain was closed with high winds she rejigged things and got us there first. When that morning it turned out there was a delay in opening she kept her cool and instead of having to wait for four and a half hours she pulled strings and got us up first before the huge queue of people. When Storms Mouth bay was closed we went to Tsitiskamma village which was much better, she organised meals, trips, dealt with travel issues, and on top of that she loaded all the luggage and organised everything perfectly. She is a real asset to you! And all the time she had a good sense of humour and was really friendly and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get a direct flight, I had Exodus organise flights and you gave me flights via Dubai which added probably abother 10-15 hours to the journey. That aspect was horrible. No-one told me about direct flights when I booked, and I booked in in the summer! Not happy about that. It took me 27 hours door to door to get there and about the same to get back as Emirates delayed one flight and rebooked me on an other. Awful experience. Other people on the tour had flown BA direct - only 10 hours - why didn't you tell me about this. I know I had asked to go from BHX but no-one at Exodus pointed out the big difference to the journey time. Not happy bunny on that score.

Most Inspirational Moment

I’m not sure I could choose only one moment. There were so many that were uplifting! Every day that I stood (or sat) on the shore – whether in Port Elizabeth, Tsitsikamma or Hermanus – I spotted dolphins and whales out on the water, even down to seeing some dolphins wave-surfing when the tide was high. It was like being in a nature documentary! In Hermanus, we were fortunate to see Southern Right Whales – a mother and calf – come in really close to shore. We also got a much closer look during a whale watching trip, despite it being close to the end of the season.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour driver and guide was Marco Olivier from Mask Expeditions, and he was amazing! He made the trip run smoothly down to the very last detail, all with a great sense of humour. He ensured that we were comfortable, and went the extra mile to help with details like optional activities and other arrangements. Travel days were broken up with adequate rest and scenic stops, and even a fun quiz. His knowledge of nature, wildlife, culture and history is impressive, and he happily shared it with us. We absolutely peppered him with questions – and he answered them all. We could not have asked for a better guide. It felt like travelling with a friend!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take high-factor sunscreen and a hat. A pair of binoculars would also very handy. The water is mostly safe to drink, but Marco also had an ample supply to refill water bottles if needed. Internet and phone connectivity was poor for parts of the trip. It’s a great way to switch off! Laundry facilities are available at De Rust. If you're interested in whale watching (and who isn't?), make sure that you visit during the season. We were in Hermanus at the end of November, and were fortunate enough to see Southern Right whale mother and calf, but were informed by the guides that these were the stragglers and that the majority of the whales had already returned to Antarctica.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me the most inspirational moment was watching the whales in Hermanus, I did a coastal path walk and a whale watching trip and both were equally amazing. The backdrop of Hermanus and the dramatic rugged coastline was such a lovely setting, there was even a local band playing instruments in the square so the whole town had a exciting buzz and energy to it. The whales get so close to the shore and captivated everyone every time one popped up to breath.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Tallis and he was excellent! He was so full of knowledge and has been leading tours for over 20 years so had a great understanding and knowledge of the local wildlife and culture in South Africa. I had an issue with my bag and Tallis was super proactive in taking me to a local mall to make sure I had some essentials to last me a few days. He was also relentless with contacting the airport staff and airline to ensure I was reuinted with my bag before to long, it was comforting to be that far away from home and have someone who truly cared and went out of his way to make sure I was informed and comfortable. Tallis mentioned at the end that he really enjoys when guests ask him questions so don't be shy and ask as he pretty much has all the answers!

Advice for Potential Travellers

If travelling between August - November make sure you check the weather forecast when your packing! For the first half of the trip we were in coats and winter hats and by the second half shorts, sandles and summer clothes wearing sun cream. We experienced all climates throughout the trip so pack for all weathers. I would also suggest a pair of binoculars because there are so many wildlife spotting opportunities!