Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana

Very dissatisfied with the Dubai pre-trip extension. Collette gave us no itinerary of who or when we were to be picked up for local tours, etc. The hotel was located away from everything and taxi's very expensive. The tour to desert was a joke and tourist trap only. We were supposed to have a walking tour through historical area, and guide told us area was closed due to construction, but we saw many tour groups walking area when we arrived in bus! If we had known, we could have walked the area on our own the day before! As for the S Africa portion, Collette had changed itinerary from when we originally booked. Too much traveling back and forth to Johannesburg and never even touring or seeing Johannesburg. Just used the airport. Traveled 9 1/2 hours to get to Johannesburg, then flew out early next morning to Victoria Falls. Originally, we started game drives for a few days and then flew to VF. Then flew back to VF, only to get on bus for 3 1/2 hours to drive to Pilanesburg and after 3 nights repeat the entire drive back to Johannesburg and fly out again! 2 days wasted traveling back and forth and seeing nothing new. Met some wonderful and fun people which made the trip. Not sure if we would travel again with Collette.

Seeing all the animals in their natural habitats. Visiting wine country outside Cape Town. Having animals greet us outside our living quarters. Seeing the majesty of Victoria Falls. Learning about the culture and lives of people living in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Eating different foods that are customary in those countries.

Seeing the male lion and leopard in Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The wine lands and wine tasting in Somerset South Africa. The farewell dinner in Cape Town. It was a great cultural experience and marvelous food.

The safaris and guides were exceptional! Accommodations are very good. However, as I mentioned to Collette after the trip, the description in the guide book that we received for the itinerary should be updated. It did not accurately describe “travel days” and exaggerated the need for special clothing. Also there was no need to worry about bottled water; plenty was available on safari and in lodging. My biggest complaint is with the return flight on Delta. Flying in PREMIUM ECONOMY we received very little upgraded service. AND BREAKFAST WAS CANCELED DUE TO SUPPOSED TURBULENCE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SERVED TO FIRST CLASS. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! THAT WAS 12 HOURS WITHOUT FOOD!!!!!

The game drives! Watching the elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos and zebras up close.

Enjoyed the various culture experiences and meeting local hosts. Our tour guide, Diedre Venter was excellent. Loved Victoria Falls, the safari drives and Cape Town. Overall the itinerary was great. If there was one thing I would omit, it would be the afternoon olive oil tasting.

Wallow Lodge - the hotel, the preserve, and the tours were excellent. Chobe Marina Lodge - the land and river safaries were excellent but the hotel was kind of old and run down, and several people tripped and fell over loose boards out on the deck or between the buildings. Victoria Falls - this was an excellent trip. Stellenbosch region - the wineries were a nice diversion but the wines themselves were not good. A better use of that day might've been to visit a winery closer to Stellenbosch and then give us a free day in the town of Stellenbosch, where there were several places to shop, eat, and taste the local wines. Pilansburg National Park - this was the highlight of the trip. Great stuff here. Table Mountain, Penguin Beach, Cape of Good Hope - all great stuff. Free day while in South Africa - this ended up being a waste for most people. We arranged through the hotel to go back to Stellenbosch for the day, but most people didn't know what to do and just wandered around. Same thing on the final day of the trip, when we had 7 hours in Cape Town before we had to leave for the airport - not enough time to sightsee but too much time to just sit in the hotel. One other thing - it isn't necessary for us to have fancy meals for every hotel lunch and dinner, or for every lunch that's included in the tours (like at the wineries. Not everyone wants duck or rack of lamb for lunch! Having some simple hamburger or sandwich options for people would be great - on the free days, everyone was desperate for just a light meal. And...personally I was disappointed that there were almost no opportunities to eat local meats - only 1 hotel had ostrich, and another had a gazelle burger. One of the restaurants said they had crocodile but when we got there they were out of it. Give people greater food options; most of the time we felt like we were still in the US eating at a regular restaurant.

The six safaris never got old for me. See the animals close up was thrilling. The visit to the elephant rescue was delightful; I really enjoyed feeling liked by the elephant I petted and fed. I was blown by the visit to animal rescue and release facility; they do so much with so little. The trek through Victoria Falls thrilled me; I'd love to see how powerful it is during the rainy season. I enjoyed meeting a village chief and gaining insight into the lives of the villagers. I loved the Gold Restaurant for authentic African food.

The entire tour was spectacular. I felt like I was in two separate trips - one in Botswana and Zimbabwe and a second in South Africa because the experiences were so different. The safaris were amazing and the drivers were well informed and determined we’d see the big 5. The trip to the tribal village will stay with me forever. Victoria Falls was amazing but the tour was made special by the Guide, Deirdre Venter(sp?). She was so well versed in all aspects of the things we saw that I truly felt immersed in Africa. About the only thing I wasn’t impressed with was the dinner at Gold’s Restaurant — it felt very “touristy. The diners at the private homes were so impactful. Again, Deirdre is a treasure!

Tour Manager was excellent. Knew about everything and enjoyable to be around. Victoria Falls was beautiful including rainbowsl. Since I am 90 years old Tour Manager arranged a wheel chair for me. I could have walked if I had to but she was very thoughtful to think of that! .All lodges were GREAT. Expeditions out to see the animals was excellent. Driver was very enjoyable and informative and a good driver and we saw lots of animals including a family of lions that walked right across the road in front of us. Trip could not have been better!!!

Would have preferred queen beds for accommodations vs. 2 twins.

The safaris are definitely worth it. The very first Safari we went on we saw all kinds of wild animals. Tour manager took care of us was unbelievable it was Thys Dewet he had water for us Every time we get on a vehicle and off a vehicle. He told us so many things about South Africa and had all kinds of interesting information to tell us. It was just amazing the whole trip absolutely amazing. I should’ve recorded him for everything he said. The attention to detail and organization was amazing! Just a wonderful trip can’t say anymore about it

Traveling by boat on the Chobe River watching the animals come to the river to drink water. Wonderful The tour guide did an excellent job and took care of everyone.

We would rather have spent more time on the game drives than going to Cape Town. Most memorable was seeing so many animals at Chobe and watching the Rino fight at Pilanesberg.

Amazing tour with an experienced guide that stayed with us the entire trip. Loved all the animals -- staying in a glamping tent with an outdoor shower -- seeing the magnificent falls -- just everything!

Victoria Falls, multiple Safaris, home visits & meals, interacting with new friends, special authentic dinners with entertainment just to name a few.

My favorite experience was the safaris & the visit to the tribal village My least favorite was the time at the penguin reserve.

We saw the Big Five! The river cruise and meals were outstanding!

My second trip with Collette and it was amazing! The accommodations and food were pleasant. This is a fast moving tour but our Guide was fabulous and full of knowledge. We saw all the wild life on the list and even more than we expected!

The safaris were amazing, and the rangers very knowledgeable and safety-minded.

animals up close

face-to-face with the animals and the very impressive Victoria Falls

Amazing sights, excellent tour manager, small group.

My most memorable experience was feeding the elephants

This was an amazing adventure!! Everything was amazing. I would highly recommend this trip.

From beginning to end, this trip was a once in a lifetime experience. While there was something magical about the land itself, there was nothing magical about the dedication, experience and desire for us to have an amazing experience by the men and women who were our safari drivers (especially Marvin), local guides, hotel staff members, cooks, and of course our tour manager Thabie Moji. Thabie worked tirelessly day and night making sure everyone was having an amazing experience. Her professionalism was something I have not experienced to that degree previously. She was truly amazing.

Collette put together an amazing experience, filled with awe-inspiring views of so many animals, up close and personal! It was also very educational, from our very knowledgeable guides, to getting to spend time with local families, and learning about conservation efforts. I would highly recommend this trip.

This was my first Collette tour experience. I would say that we had a very good time. We saw a lot, learned a lot, met nice people, and enjoyed ourselves very much. South Africa is a very diverse and complicated society with the vast differences between wealth and poverty. Highlights for me were Victoria Falls, the numerous safari and river cruises we took, the Stellenbosch wine region, and Cape Town, and the peninsula tour. Everything was well organized. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, detail oriented, and friendly. I was looking forward to starting our trip in Johannesburg, because of all the history associated with it. It was unfortunate that safety concerns limited our ability to roam around freely. We did hire a driver for a several hours tour. Fortunately, he explained a lot to us, which was a very good introduction to the reality of life there. Overall it was a very good experience, and I think I’m inclined to take another tour with Collette.

I loved my tour to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. I loved mixing with the locals at markets and getting to talk to them. Another great experience was the home hosted dinners we attended. An elephant brush our safari jeep topped it off for me. I highly recommend booking the trip you won't regret it.

Staying at The Wallow And Spier in Stellenbosch Thys De Wet was an an amazing guide!! One of the BEST! This itinerary is great. Love the diversity and all that it includes. Highly recommend.

Walking the distance at the beautiful Victoria Falls, going on seven game drives and two river game drives to see the “Big Fives” were awesome. Visiting homes and having meals with the locals to learn more about their cultures were knowledgeable and intriguing.

Fantastic experience throughout. Accommodations and food were wonderful. The tour guide was highly knowledgeable.

I'm 80 and was worried if I could do the walk. Very enjoyable walk and see the wonders of Victoria Falls. Your guide made sure I could walked at my speed and often walked with me

The overall tour was amazing and we had a wonderful time. The experience was once in a lifetime and I would recommend to anyone.

The Wallow in Zimbabwe was a glamping, luxury tent experience. The animals came right up to the tent deck, the setting was gorgeous! Our safari driver, Pete, was fantastic. He made sure we saw the elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and many other animals up close.

It was a wonderful trip. The tour director ruddy was great. The place was perfect.

Couldn’t have had a better trip. Travel Manager made it very special.

The animals we saw on Safari were the stars. The local guides were fantastic at finding and re4pecting all of the animals. The accommodations were very nice and well appointed.

This was the best trip we've ever taken. Wonderful experiences and very well organized.

Excellent tour. Was not a fan of staying in bland, modern air-conditioned hotels however. Would prefer bush camps or at least rustic lodges. Game drives were the highlight by far & sole purpose of going.

I cannot think of just one favorable experience. The entire tour from people, animals I saw, accommodations and food were exceptional. I would not change a thing on this tour.

Staying at the Wallow Lodge . Going out ion the safaris where we were able to see the Big Five plus more. We loved it and our tour guide Deirdre who was so knowledgeable and very gracious.

Outstanding Experiences/Locations/Staff. Once in a Lifetime to remember!

Outstanding Program. The tour guide was outstanding. The places we explored. The locations we saw were a once in a lifetime experience. The most memorable was the Elephant Interaction in Zimbabwe.. A trip we will remember forever!

Tour was awesome, organized, cultural ; our tour guide, Thys was interesting and informative!

It was the vacation of a lifetime. I wouldn’t have changed one thing!

Poor communication skills. Instructions were always vague and he could have given us more information about the country and culture.

POSITVE: The game hunts and visiting the two families' homes for dinner. The only complaint is the tipping policy. NEGATIVE: The tips should be covered by the tour company as is the industry standard. If someone provides extremely excellent service we can decide to augment the tips. The first hotel at the airport was also below expectations. Thankfully it was the first and he rest of the accomodations were excellent

Seeing all the animal in the wild

We have been fortunate enough to travel the world over. Our South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana Tour was one of the very best that we have ever experienced. The tour was well organized and enjoyable, with a nice balance of activities. We enjoyed the excellent accommodations throughout. Our Tour Manager, Thabie, was simply amazing! She was an excellent leader, very knowledgeable of the history and culture, and kept us well informed and amused. We had many, many memorable experiences, but my favorite had to be when a lioness ambled about 5 feet from our open safari car. What beautiful and amazing animals we saw. Our group ranged from 18 to eighty years old, and all enjoyed it. I will always have fond memories of this trip. I hope everyone has an opportunity to experience something like this during their lifetime.

We had too much down time in Cape Town.

Total experience of locations and local culture.

Tour manager was outstanding ,great place to stay a see.

I have already given Collette my feedback, Ian was incredible (my third trip with Collette, he was the best ever) Collette's app was wonky, wrong info on where we were staying. Would rather have 3 nights at tent camp than 2 nights at Chobe

It was a very positive experience. Enjoyed every bit of the tour. The tour guide, Jean Moore made it still more enjoyable. It was an experience of a life time.

The trip was fantastic! We saw 4 of the Big Five on Safari. interacted with Elephants. We visited the spectacular Victoria Falls! We learned so much about the history Southern Africa and what the present day life is like.

Absolutely fabulous adventure including accommodations, Collette guide, Rahima, local guides, and animal sightings.

The tour included everything and more I expected. The local tour guide was outstanding. The game drive tour guides were fantastic, friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and their habitat.

Enjoyed everything so much

S. Africa is amazing and the safaris were excellent

this tour was an trip of a lifetime. There was never a dull moment- from safari to meals and accommodations were excellent

Well thought out. Local dinners were excellent maybe a little more down time would be nice. Local tour people very knowledgeable. Accommodations were excellent overall a great experience

The trip of a lifetime! The natural beauty of Africa and the wildlife was amazing!

We saw so many animals in addition to the Big 5. My favorite was seeing the lions and the elephants up close. Our tour manager made sure everything went as planned.

The most memorable is definitely all the wildlife we were able to see, especially the elephants, lions, giraffes, cheetahs, hippos and rhinos. It was also very interesting to visit the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain.

We saw A lot of differ thing and had free time.

Rudy, our guide, was excellent and all the tours were well-planned and we had a bit of free time every now and again.

My primary emphasis in choosing this tour were the seven safaris. We started seeing animals in their natural settings from the moment we arrived until our last time out.

My favourite part of the tour was in Victoria Falls where the dining room was quite high on a hill and overlooked the forest area. I was able to sit and each breakfast while watching the giraffes in the distance.

The hanglip resort with the safaris every thing was perfect

Most to the time, the food was very good. At the first safari in the mountains, the food was prepared by a chef. Excellent food and service. Conversely, at the next lodge near Victoria Falls, the food was very overpriced and not edible. What a disappointment! Consider removing this accommodation from your tour package.

"The Smoke that Thunders!" Couldn't describe it better. The weather was perfect and accommodations excellent.

David was an Excellent tour leader and everything ran very smooth and organized. Impressed with the handling of logistics and activities.

Hang lip Mountain and Botswana. Victoria Falls was beautiful. Safaris were outstanding.

Other than an awesome trip into Dubai, the Wildlife excursions hit the top!

Lucky for all the animals we got to see.

Seeing the ions, ect., at Entanabi.

The tour provided us with numerous game drives and other experiences which we much appreciated. Our favorite experience was the elephants coming out of the brush at dusk during our first game drive.

Everything was excellent. Great planning. Guide most efficient ever. Favorite experience Entebeni.

The tour guides made the hectic trip go smoothly.

Seeing the big 5! Meeting the locals and eating the local food. Having a small group (less than 20) was great!

The animals! Seeing up close along with the info given by the guides.

Excellent service all around.

We were able to see the big 5 and experience the thrills of the hunt so to speak. Plus learned about the animals, and their struggles, of poachers, looking for food and other problems.

The overall tour was fabulous. There was so many memorable experiences but the up close opportunities with the animals were my favorite. Learning the culture was also exciting and the wild habitat and conservation efforts that are required was an eye opener. Meeting the local people and learning how they live was also a highlight. Rooms were spacious and very nice. Food was good and it was fun going to restaurants that also provided local entertainment. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Dinner at Gold in Cape Town. Entabeni Reserve Victoria Falls (wait till May when river is more likely to be full) Chobe National Park

Entebani Conservancy in Cape Town what are the most memorable

Safaris and the guides abilities.

Seeing animals in their natural habitat was breathtaking. Best was watching family of elephants with 5 babies walk down hill to River and swim across in front of us, and of course African sunsets on water.

The highlights of the trip were seeing a the animals, Victoria Falls was an amazing sight.

Game drives and Extra excursion to Elephabt Sanctuary.

too many enjoyed table top, walking up to lighthouse (perfectly timed with both events, missed all the heavy traffic), seeing penguins, private game reserve Entibene, enjoyed river cruise, enjoyed African Gold ALOT Would have liked more time at Vic Falls instead of going to big sit down dinner ( too much like African Gold, there was too much traveling that day it would have been much nicer to have not had to rush through Vic Falls)

See above. My favorite experiences were our stay at Entebeni; the visit to the Ko Mpisi village at Victoria Falls and Capetown/Cape Hope.

All wildlife drives. Seeing ever animal imaginable except the leopard.

Breathtaking! Tabi was very well versed on local history, economy, current events. She made us all feel very safe and welcomed.

native village was a great experience, great wildlife

Loved Victoria Falls and Chobia Park

Entabeni Conservancy safari's. Closeness to the lions, elephants and rhino's. I absolutely loved the 2 places we ate at that provided entertainment ! It's really hard to pick just 1 favorite experience! Just maybe not start the safari's quite so early in the morning and remember to advise guests to bring winter clothes!

Everything you ever wanted in a tour.

The tour at Victoria Falls was arranged for wheel chair assistance which made it perfect.

Everything about this tour was top notch.

The safari was spectacular especially Entabeni conservancy !The lodge was great and the rooms were wonderful ! The guides were very knowable and we were all excited to see all the wild animals !Our tour manager was the best ( Ian )

The tour was fantastic. The Entebani and Chobe lodges were out of this world.

the safaris were excellent and private lodge.

Seeing the wildlife in their natural habitats. Exploring the history of the Cape Town region.

The land tour met or exceeded my expectations. However, the travel arrangements were excessively long and tiring.

The land part of the tour was 5 star but the air part and layovers weren’t.

Enjoyed all aspects of the tour.

Excellent tour guide very knowledgeable and could not do enough to help us enjoy the experience. The size of the group was just right for interaction. Venues, accommodation and execution by the guides met our primary objectives; proximity and interaction with animals in the wild.

chobe national park and other tours

Victoria Falls and Entabeni were spectacular experiences!

Trip exceeded expectations

Again, the price point for my group was right on target. Not cheap or not too expensive and the accommodations were very good. The last resort we had no power which was a very much of a challenge. Thank goodness we were only there for 2 nights...

Almost every day brought something memorable.

Perfect weather, perfect group of people, perfect pace great experiences and accomodations.

Every game drive and safari cruise was amazing! Loved Victoria falls too!

Seeing so many beautiful up close and personal.

Loved the game drives and the family dinner

Numerous close up encounters of animals in the wild and visiting with the local people who live there.

It was a GREAT trip. All the details were handled in a proffessional manner. ti was a worry free trip. Great tour manage!

Great tour guide, great places to stay, lots of fun!

Our safari trips were awesome. Seeing lions, elephants, hippos, and all the many animals of Africa up close in their natural habitat definitely the highlight of the trip.

The safaris and all the animals sightings

Wow!! All were terrific , my favorite was Table Mountain in Cape Town magnificent

Game drives in So Africa, Stellenboch wines!

Great adventure vacation. Entabeni, Victoria Falls, Chobe NP, Capetown and the wine country were all great stops. We also enjoyed the whale watching in Walker Bay.

everything was just fantastic

Every activity we participated in was worthwhile, insightful, and exciting. The most memorable for me was the sunset cruise in Chobe National Park. We saw hundreds of elephants, water buffalo, zebras, giraffes,crocodiles, hippos, and many more.It was amazing to stop the boat and watch a troop of elephants walk by.

I cannot choose just one experience as a favorite. Each day provided one.

Meals included. Live,free animals. Good tour guide. Enjoyable evening shows. Great rooms.

Wonderful variety great game drives.

The tour itself was wonderful, but would have loved to have gone in warmer weather.

game drives xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My favourite memories were seeing the animals, especially the elephants. My least favorite moment was the optional tour, the boat cruise on the Zambizi river. I could have given that a miss.

We reviewed several tours, but this one included Victoria Falls, which the other South Africa tours didn't include. Our tour manager, Marlene, is a Cape Town native, and therefore knows the area well. We learned so much about South Africa's history and Marlene shared some South African folklore (like how the zebra got its stripes). There's always a special dinner of some sort Included in a Collette tour. This time there were two special dinners: one was a home visit. We had a wonderful, traditional South African dinner with a Cape Town family in their home. We also had a terrifc meal and drum ceremony. Marlene got us through airports, customs, passport control in 3 countries with ease. Hotels were all top notch; included full breakfasts were wonderful.

The family dinner was a highlight as was the intimate time with the elephants.

Without doubt Table top mountain the views were stunning. The game drives in Entabeni were fantastic, the guides were knowledgeable and knew where to go, it helps that this is a relatively small game reserve I believe something like 22,000 hectares. Victoria Falls were breathtaking, it was easy to imagine what it was that Livingstone fell in love with. Both Zimbabwe and Botswana are very beautiful countries but the poverty is obvious. The game drives in Chobe were good but not as good as Entabeni. The Elephant sanctuary was a great experience, but tell the guys there that $45 is way, way, way too much to pay for a DVD that you'll look at once, and it's got pictures similar to what you've also taken. I would have bought one as it is a charity if the price had been sensible The meal in SA with the local family was actually a lot better than I anticipated, and we really enjoyed it, they were fantastic hosts. I thought the trip to the African village in Zimbabwe was interesting to a degree. The chief was a nice chap, who clearly likes talking or should I say preaching? I guess perhaps naively I expected someone in traditional dress, rather than a pair of jeans and an Adidas top. I didn't really expect to see old tyres and stuff lying around...it was OK but I wouldn't bother doing it again. As mentioned in another part of the review, I thought Hermanus out of whale spotting season was just another rich persons location that tourist go to for a spot of lunch. Overall on balance we enjoyed the whole experience though.

Loved the Entabeni Conservancy - beautiful!

I particularly enjoyed the river ride in Chobe. We saw many elephants playing in the river. Hippos, too.

The accommodations were very nice and the food was good at most places. The areas visited were very interesting. I would suggest skipping Stellenbosch/Hermanus unless it is whale season. In addition , the cost of the internal flights should be included in the tour price.

The tour was a not stop tour of different experiences. Everything I expected was delivered travel between places was painless every place lived up to expectation saw lots of wildlife,the first Lion encounter was my most memorable experience being so close to wild animals.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The only reason for the four stars was that the long trip to Hermanus to have lunch and then the long drive back was a waste of time. It was a charming town but we didn't have time to explore it, and I didn't need more time to shop in Stellenboch. The lunch and wine tasting was outstanding and memorable. Maybe a trip and tour through another winery would have been more enjoyable than the long drive just for lunch.

This tour far exceeded my expectations and this was all due to our tour manager **** *****! She anticipated absolutely every possible “want” we could have — from food to drinks, wine tours, accommodations, markets — everything! Loved every minute of it!

The tour was well organized, beginning with Cape Town and learning about the South African culture, a couple of nights at Stellenbosch, a smaller college town with a great winery, two nights in the Entabeni game preserve with lots of animals and great photos, two nights in Botswana with Victoria Falls and more great photos, one night in Johannesburg at the mall with Mandella’s statue, and culminated in Chobe National Park with a river cruise and more animals and great photos. All of the hotel accommodations were outstanding.

I just typed all my information and it disappeared. You already know my complaint about receiving the travel material in advance.

Trip of a lifetime ! From day 1 to the end of the trip we could not have asked for a more amazing experience!

Kinda slow, although that was the tour we signed up for.

The safaris were excellent and the hotels were outsanding. The first safari we went on was an evening one and a magnificent lion walked past the passenger side of the jeep went in front of it and sat in the road. His lioness and cubs were in the bushes on the side if the road.

Wonderful, unique, part of the world.

Lodgings and good were wonderful

Hard call - loved seeing Victoria Falls even though they not at full strength. However, wildlife is my thing - lucky to see all the Big 5.

Safari and safari tour guide.

There are no words to describe the morning we walked out our door to 3 giraffes eating in the yard.

Favourite experience was our stay at Hang lip Mountain Lodge and game drives there

Well paced tour with the right balance between for sightseeing and safaris. Seeing elephants in Chobe national park. Including all gratuities in the tour price is a very good idea. However it only works if all members of a tour group are on the same scheme. It is is embarrassing when some members of the group are seen tipping (those from the USA) and some (the British and Australians) are not. There was no information given as to how the gratuities that were included in the holiday price found their way to the intended recipients.

A very good tour which exceeded my expectations.Cape town is a great city and we felt very safe. The game drives were all excellent with very knowledgeable rangers. I would have preferred not to stay overnight in Johannesburg as it was just a hotel and shopping mall experience but understand that we had a flight to catch the next morning. I would have liked to stay overnight in Hermanus. We had quite a long drive to visit there and only stayed 1.5 hours. Inclusive tipping for British and Australians is a great idea but in practice it does not work. Everyone else is giving a tip and we just say thank you and walk on. Very embarrassing! So we give a tip and are in effect tipping twice. Inclusive tipping has to be for everyone or no-one. My one complaint about Collette is the misleading information about the Zimbabwe Visa. Even after querying this with them the final information booklet which we received still stated a multi entry visa, which is wrong! It is a double entry visa obtained on arrival. Multi entry visas can only be obtained in advance

The very best part, of course, was getting to see so many different kinds of animals in their natural environment. The itinerary was great; Victoria Falls, Hermanus, and the game drives in Chobe and Entabeni were amazing. I appreciated the flexibility in scheduling that enabled us to rearrange some excursions until the weather cleared enough for us to go to Table Mountain. The river cruise on the Zambezi River was very relaxing, and it was fun to see hippos in the water. The Chobe and Entabeni lodges were especially nice since they made me feel close to nature. I hope to go on Collette's tour of Kenya and Tanzania next year. Traveling with a small group creates a warmer social environment than being with a large group, and everyone in this group was friendly and cooperative. We all appreciated the high level of service Ian Pletzer, our tour manager, provided.

One of the best, if not the best tour we have ever been on. great places to stay, great excursions, everything was great.

The people I met and especially the TD *Personal details removed by Feefo* was outstanding. The places we stayed and visited was exactly what I would have put together myself...it felt just right for the money invested.

Beautiful lovely breathtaking place

The sightseeing, the animals, THE VICTORIA FALLS and the breathtaking Reserve with live animals. We had our accommodations with the animals.

Safari game rides, Victoria Falls, beautiful Cape Town and the coast line of southwestern South Africa.

Started in Dubai & enjoyed city tour and sand dune drive and Bedouin camp dinner. Cape Town excelled with tours to Table Mountain, Boulder Beach & the Penguins, dinner at the Gold restaurant (wonderful) and a family hosted dinner was a great changed from hotel food. On to Stellenbosch for a wine tasting lunch and outdoor craft sale. On to Hermanus, a quaint seaside town for casual shopping and a meal by the water. Next up, Entabeni Conservatory where we saw an amazing selection of animals, lion family, elephants, zebras, wart hogs and RHINOS! Loved the tailgate coffee breaks and cocktail parties! Last stop was Chobi National Wildlife Park. Best part was going to the Elephant Sanctuary where we petted and fed treats to the elephants. Also saw Victoria Falls which was amazing! Best trip ever!

The Entabeni Reserve was a highlight. The Hanglip Lodge was perfect for our group of 17. The whole place catered solely to our group, making it feel like our private resort and gave an overall feeling of home. The safari drives were amazing with knowledgeable guides and plenty of animals to observe. Having the elephants and wildabeast roam the property just outside our cabins contributed immensely to the African experience.

I went to see elephants and I saw lots of them.

the safari adventures were wonderful

We were well looked after by ****** our tour manager. The tours arranged were what we expected (and wanted) and accommodations very good.

Excellent tour ! Morning Safari at the Entabeni Game Reserve!

Wildlife experience in Entabeni was excellent.

The city guide in Dubai was terrible! We felt we hardly visited Cape Town, We would have loved a walking tour instead of zooming by everything by bus.

3 day stay at Entabeni -- superior in every regard Elephant Sanctuary in Chobe, Botswana Chobe National Park.

Mostly very well chosen venues, but this was the wrong time of year to be visiting Victoria Falls. Victoria is a shadow of itself in late October, with Iguassu in Brazil being far more impressive. They should have managed our expectations. Better, the incremental cost of the travel to take in Victoria may have been better spent to go elsewhere.

No comment on this section.

Excellent Safaris, very good excursions.

Excellent tour director, first class hotels, great pace of the the African tour, nice mingling of city and safari. The small group made the tour even better, you didn't feel herded. We would definitely consider another Collette tour. We especially liked the small groups and the boutique hotels that were selected.

Very nice to have a small group of 17. Loved the safari trip up the mountain at Entebeni to see rhinos. Loved the visit to Mr. Mbisi's village, seeing Victoria Falls via helicopter, early morning game drives, wine tasting and town, Chobe River game cruises. Our vehicle was nearly attacked by elephants who had to be chased away by our ranger.

My favorite experiences were : the desert trip in Dubi , riding a camel, feeding the elephants in Botswana and walking with the lions . I also enjoyed the river safari watching the elephants playing in the water.

The game drives were wonderful. Rain or shine we had a fabulous time.

Our tour manager Desmond was the best guide we have ever had in our 45 years of world travels.Mind you, all have been good. Desmond had the expertise combined with charisma, sense of humor,tactfulness. Most memorable experiences-- the game drives! We were prepared for an anticlimatic experience since we have done safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, however it was just as exciting. Guides were excellent. Disappointed that we could not ride the elephants as we did in Laos with Collette.This should be reintroduced. I'm a lover of elephants and this seems nothing more than a political move on Collette's part. The substitution of petting not riding the elephants was extremely disappointing and not called for. The company visited attended to the elephants expertly and humanely. It is disconcerting to watch others riding the elephants and not Collette tourists. We are glad that we had visited Laos and had the experience of riding them before Collette changed the programme.

The safaris were wonderful, however most other scheduled events were either rushed or had very poor content. Hotel rooms were not placed in the most advantageous locations, poor views, bad locations.