“Suzaan, Our trip was unforgettable and the best our family has ever had. You made our travels easy and I didn't need to think about any logistics.
Protia Wonderers Hotel in Jo-Burg had very good food and the dining staff were pleasant and friendly. Unfortunately the staff @ reception were not very friendly. It was only a stop over, so it didn't affect our overall experience.
Camps Bay Retreat was perfect! The rooms were delightful, the views amazing. The staff were very accommodating especially Siobhan, Jarrod, Kristin and Lloyd. Our stay felt like we belonged, and the food was great! The reception staff worked on numerous outings for us in a congenial and friendly manner.
Kariega safari was superb; our guide Kriffin was so informative and entertaining. The wait staff in the restaurant were a happy and friendly group of women!...
As you believed our stay from 1/5/12-1/9/12 @ Melton Manor was amazing for Safari. The staff were kind and accommodating, and made us feel relaxed and @ home. The food Ilza made was perfect, and delicious; she made special meals for our son Will which was appreciated. Chris was accomidating and friendly. Our Ranger Brendon and his Tracker Vuyoni were so much fun and great at sighting the animals, our safari experiences were unforgettable!
I will be returning in the future and recommending both Camps Bay Retreat and Melton to others who travel to S. Africa. I appreciate your hard work Suzaan and your gifts were appreciated, as I wore the hat on Safari every day! Thank You from all of us..”
Joe, Bean, Lexi, Shannon, Mary And Will (UNITED STATES)
|
|
Arrived: December 2011
|
Itinerary included:
Protea Hotel Wanderers, Camps Bay Retreat, Kariega Main Lodge, Kwandwe Melton Manor
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“We had a great time in Africa loved every minute of it, we had an amazing time overall!!
The G&C trip in Uganda was amazing and the guide first class all the way. Uganda blew us away and totally changed our perceptions we held of the country when heading to Africa. We believe it was 50% the people and culture and 50% our guide whom affected us most - would thoroughly recommend using them again. ”
Bruce S. & Alexandra G. (AUSTRALIA & UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: December 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Uganda Gorilla Safari, The Machame Route, Simba Safari
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Verity Bester
View Verity's Profile
|
“Dear Suzaan,
Sorry for responding with such a delay....
After the short episode at the airport regarding the yellow cards, we had a fantastic trip in Botswana and enjoyed of course Abu and Selinda. I am sure that Seba would have been fantastic too...in fact we did not expect so much luxury in the middle of the bush !!!! Everything went well and we have enjoyed all activities....this trip will remain in our memory for a long time !!!
Thank you so much for your help and kindness !
We have been glad to book the trip with you and have appreciated all your advices !
Kind regards”
Muriel B. & Pascal K. (SWITZERLAND)
|
|
Arrived: November 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
River Club, Selinda Camp
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“Nicky,
I had the most amazing time at Little Bush Lodge and if any friends are thinking of booking a safari in South Africa, I will recommend you. The staff were amazing and generous with their time and knowledge.”
Suzi (UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: October 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Little Bush Camp
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“Hi Verity-
I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our safari experience! The accomodations and people were great, and we loved the small planes too! Thanks to you (and Charl) for all your effort and planning, and willingness to answer all my questions throughout the process. Scott and I will definitely be quick to recommend Uyahpi to all of our friends. Thanks again”
Liz & Scott F. (UNITED STATES)
|
|
Arrived: October 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Tailor-made Botswana safari booking -, Pom Pom Camp, Elephant Valley Lodge
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Verity Bester
View Verity's Profile
|
“Hi Nicky,
Well, it's been a week since we got back and we're missing Kenya already...
Just a quick note to say what an absolutely fabulous holiday we had! Everything was perfect, exactly what we were looking for. A great week of safaris, followed by a very chilled-out week at Tijara Beach. The ground handlers were super-helpful, always on time, even made a few calls when we turned up a little heavy on the baggage front (oops).
Thank you very much for all your help arranging the trip and responding to my questions (very quickly too). Really appreciated!”
Andy & Carol (UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: September 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Larsens Tented Camp, Governors Il Moran, Tijara Beach, House of Waine
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“Hi Nicky,
...we had an absolutely amazing time! The wildlife in the Kgalagadi was just incredible - a cheetah one morning just ouside camp, lions roaring nearby, three HUGE Kalahari males along the road our last morning. I could have spent 3 weeks just exploring this park! Fantastic! We definitely want to come back and visit this area again. We also had an incredible time on our own at Moremi and Savuti. Cheetah and Leopard eating impala (different days, different times), lions and cubs, and elephants galore! We want to return and do our own itinerary in Botswana, hopefully in 2014.
Thank you again for all your efforts in making this truly a trip of a lifetime! We only hope we can manage one more!
Regards”
Ed (UNITED STATES)
|
|
Arrived: August 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Self drive through Cape Town, Cedarberg, Augrabies Falls, Kaglagadi Transfrontier Park, Fish River Canyon, Richtersveld National Park, Onto Botswana, Maun, Moremi, Savute, Chobe, ending Victoria Falls
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“thank you so much for helping me to choose the trip I took - it was a little more rugged than I anticipated but I have always been a bit of a "tom boy" so I loved every minute - well, some minutes, like when I got sunstroke in the desert or fell on my ass into the only puddle in Namibia - I could have lived without - but that was all part of the experience - I loved that we all chipped in and helped with meals etc. and I think we were very lucky to have Maxwell as our guide - he is organized, knowledgeable beyond belief about all things African and flora and fauna, passionate about his job and if you know of him you already know he is very entertaining. He took great care of us all.
I loved the variety in places we stayed - except the last 2 nights - hot showers every day - boy were we dusty!! - I loved the Okavango Delta and hanging out with the polers - they entertained us with song and dance the 2nd night - Awesome - There were 10 of us - 2 in their 20s, 2 in their 70s- 1 in her 50s and 2 in their 60s. Luck played a role of course and we all got along splendidly (except one very bitchy woman) - I have made, what I hope will be, lifelong friends of the 4 from New Zealand and am already planning a trip to go see them soon.
I did find, although I can't call myself very fit, I was able to do everything there was to do and came home feeling quite fit and 10 years younger !! The only thing I think you could do in future is make sure people know about the fast pace required to cover 5500 kms., early mornings, long days in the truck and the heat..... I did not realize how hot it would be in Namibia and Botswana although I did research that - I don't know how anyone can function in that heat and it was still winter!! The phrase - think of this as an adventure rather than a holiday - is very correct - I wanted an adventure and I got one!!
Going in Aug. we saw so much blooming in bright colors and it was easier to spot animals with limited foliage on trees and bushes. We saw a lot of animals - Elephants and Giraffes and many others just feet from our truck . I loved the Springbok steaks - dont care for Aligator tho!! I may return in a couple of years but will be looking for something a little more sedate - of course I will be coming to you - Besides getting the best guide I also got the best travel agent - PS - Cape town (your home) is so beautiful - I had 4 days there all together - much like Vancouver BC (my home) and the BC interior from which many good wines come.”
Clela B. (CANADA)
|
|
Arrived: August 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Grand Explorer Trip - Namibia/South Africa/Botswana/Zimbabwe/Zambia
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Ryan Charles
View Ryan's Profile
|
Trip photos from client:
Photo-1 
Photo-2 
Photo-3 
Photo-4 
Photo-5 
Photo-6 
Photo-7 
Client images are ©Copyrighted |
“Hi Ryan
Sorry for my late reply after our Botswana holidays but I wanted to thank you very much for the organization of our unforgettable family trip !
I was very glad with the proposals you worked out and in real it was great too! Ike , our guide and Gift our chef were a great team and I can really recommend them : highly professional and very nice people too!
We all enjoyed it at 200% and it is just a unique family experience!! Thank you very much and we hope to work with you in the future
Best regards.”
Hilde & Family (FRANCE)
|
|
Arrived: August 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Botswana Budget Participation Safari (12 nights)
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Ryan Charles
View Ryan's Profile
|
Trip photos from client:
Photo-1 
Photo-2 
Photo-3 
Photo-4 
Photo-5 
Photo-6 
Photo-7 
Client images are ©Copyrighted |
“Hi Ryan,
We hope all is well with you.
Firstly, please accept our apologies for the long delay in replying to your welcome 'phone call after our return. Our excuse is that we had 3 weeks of visitors in September and also Gail had to go to Ireland last week. Furthermore, as retirees, there aren't enough hours in the day to do what we want to do. Thank you so much for the tour and supplementary trips you organised - it was a fantastic experience with no downside (even the nomad truck - a basic one they had subcontracted - added to the adventure). Both guide (Walt), and driver (BenYoung), were very helpful and good company and the other 10 inmates , even though nearly all German, were no problem at all.
As for highlights it is hard to choose - probably, for us, Imfolozi stood out - hardly any traffic, wildlife that actually posed (Lions, wild dogs, elephant, hyena + the usual suspects) and a great guide in Trevor. And all in just over 1/2 a day - we could happily have spent a couple of days there . We were alone on 3 of the 4 trips you planned in J'Burg & Cape Town. This gave us the opportunity to go at our own pace - especially handy in Cape town where the guide, Angie, was happy to substitute Kirstenbosch for the Museum and buildings part after we went up Table Mt. All in all - a great trip; only sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up at the end.
We are enjoying the world cup immensly (I was born in Wales) and sympathise with S.A. who should have won... More ODI's coming up so no lack of entertainment at the moment. We attach some of our favourite photo's + a couple of us with feathered things for your recycle bin. We are seriously considering a trip of similar duration around the same time next year taking in Namibia and Botswana this time .Please let us know your thoughts, proposals, recommendations at your leisure. Take good care and thanks again for all your assistance and , if you find yourself in Turkey, let us know. Looking forward to hearing from you, Kindest Regards..”
Dermot & Gail (TURKEY)
|
|
Arrived: August 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
South African Explorer safari
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Ryan Charles
View Ryan's Profile
|
Trip photos from client:
Photo-1 
Photo-2 
Photo-3 
Photo-4 
Photo-5 
Photo-6 
Photo-7 
Client images are ©Copyrighted |
“Suzaan
We have just returned from our African vacation. It was a wonderful experience. Thanks you for all your help and organization -- everything went as per plan. No hitches at all.
The itinerary was well done, had the right pace. We did not feel rushed, and enjoyed every day.
The cook Aristide was excellent. He went out of the way to help, and cooked great meals. We tipped him well.
Our guide in Tanzania, Santos was average. He seemed to be a very nice person, but was quite an introvert. It was hard to extract information from him. Being very softspoken in a noisy truck did not help.
Our guide in Kenya, Chris was the best. Great source of information and kept kids engaged.
All in all, we had a great time.”
Naveet B. & Family (SINGAPORE)
|
|
Arrived: July 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Cross Border Camping Safari
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“Hi Nicky
I wanted to send you this email with our sincerest thanks for all your efforts in arranging our holiday.As you might have guessed from the long-winded version, we had an absolutely fantastic time... the trip is on the short list for 'best holiday ever'...! From the word go, you gave great advice, were extremely patient and especially very efficient. The accommodation you booked was all superb; the Namibians we encountered along our route were very courteous and nothing was too much trouble for them. The food was fantastic and the wine excellent value. It is difficult to pick a highlight as it was all so good. It would be lovely to work with you again on our next trip to Africa if that's ok?
Bye for now ... ”
Kate & Moray (UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: July 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Olive Grove Guest House, Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch, Canon Lodge, Nest Hotel, Dabis Guest Farm, The Desert Homestead, Hansa Hotel, Palmwag Lodge, Okaukuejo Resort, Mushara Lodge, Okonjima Main Camp
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“Hi Verity!
Just a quick message ( I meant to do it when I got back) to say thanks heaps for organising our trip to Kenya and Uganda! It was amazing and ATC are really good to go on.
We ended up doing the Gorilla Trek in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which was pretty amazing - one of the highlights. White water rafted the Nile as well which was also another wicked day, I so wanted to do it again the next day hehehe. Bit sore afterwards with a few cuts and bruises which made it all the better. Also managed to sample most of the beer on offer and quite a few nice red wines (mostly from South Africa) so I was fairly impressed and gave me good reason to visit the Capetown area. Reckon there could be great opportunities for a very long vinyard crawl! Have to say th Nile, Tuskr and Bell were hard to beat in the beer department.. I have to leave the biggest thanks to the fact that we got to meet the people and learn a bit. I know it was probably minimal in three weeks but I really found the people great and it was so interesting to learn about the political climate and what they deal with etc. Always nice to learn stuff about others and other countries, probably the reason why I travel.
So cheers for helping us get organised enough to be able have a wicked time and get more than the usual out of it! Hope all is well there - I have some pics I will post on your Uyaphi site too if you want - mostly animal pics etc from Masai Mara - also amazing (:
Cheers again...”
Corrina R. & Friends (AUSTRALIA)
|
|
Arrived: June 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Gorilla and Game Parks
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Verity Bester
View Verity's Profile
|
“Hi Nicky,
I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful trip!! The Desert and Delta Safari Camps were fantastic! The guides were excellent; the accommodations very luxurious, and the food excellent. Victoria Falls Hotel and activities were great! The quad trip at Planet Baobab was a lot of fun, the barbecue was delicious and waking up on the salt pans was awesome. The Walking Trip South Africa was very enjoyable except it should be called Road Trip South Africa because there was a lot of driving. But the guide was excellent, a very hard worker. The guide had to drive, guide, and cook! So thanks again Nicky for an outstanding African trip. My son and I will never forget our wonderful time in Africa. Botswana is an absolutely wonderful place for a safari. We saw a lot of animals!! The weather was fantastic. Warm and sunny during the day. In Botswana we saw four of the Big 5 and then in Kruger I saw the rhinoceros... ”
Kathy & Steven (UNITED STATES)
|
|
Arrived: June 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
The Victoria Falls Hotel, Chobe Game Lodge, Savute Safari Lodge, Camp Moremi, Camp Okavango, Planet Baobab, SA Walking Tour (13 Days)
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“Dear Suzaan
Sorry to getb back to you so late Our trip to Botswana was a dream, thanks for organising it. Everything was perfect :-) I have put somme pictures for you on the net. Take care Claire”
Claire G. (BELGIUM)
|
|
Arrived: June 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Nxabega Safari Camp, Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“Dear Nicky,
We are home! We arrived back this morning from a fabulous holiday. It was truly amazing, especially Zambia and Botswana, this we could not fault one bit. From the beginning to the end it was magic and we felt truly welcome at each lodge. We would not be able to pick a favourite, they were all different. Muchenje, for the wildlife, Xankanaxa was the most romantic and Kanana was the most luxurious. The upgrade to Thorntree was certainly not a disappointment, that was also just fabulous!
We have had the most amazing experiences and we will certainly do it again one day. We managed to see so many wonderful animals, bird and meet the most wonderful people!
We are both truly happy with the service, advice and support you gave us for our holiday. I cannot thank you enough for a truly amazing Safari holiday!
Warmest regards”
Jan & Heinz (SWITZERLAND)
|
|
Arrived: June 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Thorntree River Lodge, Muchenje Safari Lodge, Xakanaxa Camp, Kanana Camp, Vilanculos Beach Lodge (Mozambique)
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Nicky Searle
View Nicky's Profile
|
“Dear Suzaan
Thank you so much for helping to organise such a memorable holiday for us. The three lodges that you selected were all superb. They provided just what we wanted different styles and different areas to explore for wildlife. The staff at all the lodges were efficient, friendly and helpful. You also pitched it perfectly so each lodge we visited had a little more to offer than the one before. All the transfers and pick ups worked like clockwork. We had some excellent game spotting on each of our trips out and have taken so many wonderful photos. The 5 nights in Mozambique at the end was also excellent. We were very lucky with the weather and it provided us with the chance to just relax and 'recharge the batteries'...
I am sure that this will not be our last safari to Africa as we love them so much. So I will be in contact again when we start to think about the next one. In the mean time if you have any ideas for similar holidays that you think might be of interest we would love to hear from you Many thanks once again All good wishes”
Christine & Ian G. (UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: April 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Ngala Safari Lodge, Exeter Dulini Lodge, Singita Sweni, Indigo Bay (Mozambique)
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“Hi Elaine.............
All of us were completely happy with the trip. The Lodge was basic but we were happy with that. Once in a while without Internet connection and electricity is good! The guide at the lodge is extremely good and friendly. Overall, we are all glad to have made the trip.
We arranged all these within a short period and much credit goes to you as you took all the initiative to call us to explain various options. That made us very comfortable especially going to a place where we all have never been before. So thanks once again!”
Sunil R. (MALAYSIA)
|
|
Arrived: March 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Nthambo
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Elaine Learmonth
View Elaine's Profile
|
“...I just want to send this e-mail to say thank you for putting together the perfect holiday for us. Our trip to Tanzania was very nice, and everything in our itinerary worked out perfect. We were picked up at all airports and hotels as planned. Mostly in time as planned(but of course this is Africa.J) and the drivers/guides were all very nice and helpful. The safaris were everything we could hope for(with big five several times!) and Zanzibar just great!
The service from the staff in African Horizon was excellent with many smiles.
So thank you once again from all of us. I know where to go next time I want to have an African ”
Jo K. (NORWAY)
|
|
Arrived: February 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, Seronera Wildlife Lodge, Karafuu Beach Hotel
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Suzaan Nel
View Suzaan's Profile
|
“Hi Verity.............
We would like to thank you for organising such a great Safari for us. It worked like clockwork, no hitches and no problems. Nomad were truly great and the two 'Boys', Yako and Chars looked after us extremely well, helpful, courteous, efficient and excellent organisers and team builders. We were more than twice the age of anyone else on the trip, with one exception and she was a very pleasant Danish girl of 42, and never felt that we were side-lined or treated differently from anyone else. Perfect. Myrtle found her leopard at last, but at some distance so may well return for a closer look in the not to distant future. The Malawi trip was also top notch with again, a good and knowledgeable local driver. So many thanks Verity... you have done us proud and we have returned with enough vivid memories to see us through for a year or two!
With warm good wishes”
Peter & Myrtle (UNITED KINGDOM)
|
|
Arrived: January 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Mozambique in Comfort Safari, 6 day Luwangwa and Lake Safari
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Verity Bester
View Verity's Profile
|
“...Hi Lindsay
We are now back from a very good trip til South Africa. Every thing went so well in the Entabeni Game Reserve, the 3 different places we stayed were all great in their way. We saw a lot of animals and 3 of the big five. The drivers and rangers and staff were all very nice to us.
So thanks again for good planing ”
Ulla & Carsten V. & Our 2 Boys (DENMARK)
|
|
Arrived: January 2011
|
|
Itinerary included:
Entabeni Lakeside Lodge, Entabeni Ravineside Lodge, Entabeni Wildside Camp
|
Travel itinerary booked by
Lindsay Martin
View Lindsay's Profile
|
|
