An Absolute Success ...
The entire trip was an absolute success. All of the transfers, accomodations, and guides were excellent. The recommendation you made to split our time between Kruger and a private reserve was perfect. Everything you put together went exactly as planned and we were never confused or unsure about our next step. Thank you for coordinating such a wonderful trip for us!
The Penisula Hotel in Cape Town turned out perfectly for our family. They provided a spacious unit with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms so our family had plenty of room. We had a wonderful balcony and a hot tub which was a special surprise and treat. Our view from the room was spectacular and the location right on the beach couldn't have been better. The hotel staff was helpful and professional. David, who picked us up from the airport, and Sean, who dropped us off, were both timely and delightful. They were patient, helpful and willingly answered our many questions.
Neil and his wife, Valerie, picked us up at the Nelspruit airport. They also answered our many questions as we went from the airport to Kruger. They were patient, kind, timely, and professional. They ensured we had what we needed at Skukuza and that our accomodations met our needs. They were both very invested in having us see as many animals as possible. Neil was especially skilled at understanding how the animals moved so that we could be sure to get the best viewing. Valerie was excellent at spotting animals and was great about answering our questions as well. We saw so many animals in Kruger and I know it's because of Neil and Valerie. The animal book they purchased for us was a wonderful treat and we often referred to it at the end of the evening to check off the animals we had seen. We truly couldn't have asked for a better guided experience of Kruger.
Mandela picked us up from Kruger and drove us to nThambo. He was also our driver for the scenic tour from nThambo to Johannesburg. Mandela was great. His English is excellent and his openness and communication style was so very appreciated. He willingly shared his culture, history, and knoweledge with us. It really added to our experience to have Neil and Valerie's Africaan perspective and then to have Mandela's Changan (sp?) perspective. On our scenic drive, he recommended a wonderful 'pancake house' for lunch and was very patient with us as we shopped in several stops along the way.
Our time in nThambo was really a treat. Kruger was great but it was also very busy. The pace in nThambo slowed us down a bit which was relaxing and offered yet another experience. The setting, ambience, and accomodations were rustic but very comfortable. The unique lodging and common room for sitting and meals really added to the experience. The cook staff did an excellent job with all of the meals and sitting down to dinner with the other guests and staff was very enjoyable. Stopping mid-drive in the morning and evenings for coffee/cocktails was one of my favorite parts of the day. In addition, the walking safari was unique and allowed for a lot of information sharing and questions. Matt, our guide, and Isaac, our tracker, did a great job of finding animals and providing us with a more up close experience than we had in Kruger. Although we saw fewer animals, we were able to spend more time observing the animal activity up close. This was truly the perfect compliment to our Kruger experience.
Lastly, the Peermont Metcourt in Johannesburg had nice accomodations and a very expansive breakfast offering. It was easy to walk over to the casino and try various restaurants. Getting to the airport from the hotel to catch our flight was very convenient.
As you can tell, everything went off perfectly. We all had a really good time and we are so grateful that you put together such a great itinerary for us. The only suggestion we could think to make may be to include something in your trip guide about the purchase of Biltong. We purchased several packages for souveniers making the wrong assumption that because they were commercially prepared, we would be able to take them into the US. Unfortunately, when we arrived in Dallas, customs took our Biltong purchases because meat (even though dried and commercially prepared) was not allowed in the country.
Wild Wings really does have an excellent service and I'm so thankful that we came across your name as we began to investigate our options.
Thanks again for all your help with planning. It truly is a trip we will always remember!
