Reviews

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Liz   –  
United States US
Visited: January 2022 Reviewed: Mar 11, 2022

Email Liz  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Go Touch Down Travel & Tours organizes amazing trips that make memories of a lifetime.
5/5

Our Go Touch Down South Africa Safari and Cape Town trip was truly exceptional. We can't thank the Go Touch Down staff enough. Their behind-the-scenes planning and hard work—especially during a pandemic—provided us with a seamless experience from beginning to end. Although we are accustomed to traveling around the world and often make our own travel arrangements, trying to plan a trip to South Africa was daunting and we knew the logistics would be complicated since we wanted to visit game reserves as well as Cape Town. Where to start? Reviewing Go Touch Down's itineraries and relying on them to handle all the planning and details allowed us to relax and look forward to a memorable trip. We found the pricing reasonable. As it turned out, the value was excellent. Before leaving, the staff answered our questions and concerns quickly and effectively. They also provided a very complete handout that contained information about the itinerary, currency, etc. Once we arrived in South Africa, our guide picked us up at the airport, handled our luggage, and brought us to our first resort. Along the way, we were made to feel welcome, told about our itinerary, and began to learn about the area we would be visiting. When it came time to change locations and resorts, our guide handled everything and either transferred us personally to the guide at the next location or assisted us with checking in at the airport, etc., giving us easy instructions for meeting our next guide. It all worked flawlessly and we felt very comfortable at every step along the way. The small group size and comfortable vans made our day-to-day travel pleasant. We can't say enough about our guides. Their professionalism, friendliness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge helped educate and give us an appreciation of each location we visited. More than that, their love of and pride in South Africa and the areas where they live and work came shining through, which greatly enhanced our experience and made us appreciate this beautiful country and its warm and friendly people. The itinerary was well paced to maximize our time yet also allowed for periods of relaxation. The abundance of wildlife, our memorable encounters during game drives, and the incredible natural beauty of our surroundings from beginning to end were outstanding. No one place was better or more beautiful than the other; each provided different perspectives in diverse settings from our glamping accommodations at Humala River Lodge to our pampered boutique hotel experience at the Belle Maroc on the beach, overlooking Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain. We are so glad that we combined the safari and Cape Town itinerary. The latter is a beautiful city surrounded by outstanding natural beauty. The neighboring areas offer many interesting encounters with remarkable flora and fauna that should not be missed. Overall, our Go Touch Down experience was excellent and we look forward to returning to South Africa!


Dave   –  
United States US
Visited: May 2021 Reviewed: Jun 22, 2021

Email Dave  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Did not meet expectations
4/5

After a year delay due to the pandemic we finally made out trip to South Africa. I would first like to say that the Go Touch Down staff were friendly and accommodating. We started our tour at the Seasons Resort and Spa, we would not rate this as a five star resort there were many small maintenance issues that needed to be corrected, from loose door knob, no wash clothes for 4 days, towels not replaced, animal droppings on the miniature golf course playing area, bricks sticking up on with walking path. The restaurant on the property (only one) had a very limited menu offering and than a lot of the items were not available. The elephant sanctuary tour was fantastic, would highly recommend, also enjoyed the hot air balloon ride. The drive from Seasons to Dullstroom for the panoramic route was long however the sights were very beautiful. It started with a grab and go breakfast to enjoy while driving, ( a cheese sandwich, hard boiled egg and an apple) , not a usual American type of breakfast. Made three stops along the way. The Dunkeld Lodge was very nice, we had a late lunch in the 1883 dinning room, in the evening we had an outdoor fire with a dance performance and retreated into the bar area to enjoy the bbq that was prepared. Was a cool temperature for the time of the year but the fireplace in the room kept it warm and cozy. Next morning we left for Humala River Lodge, stopped in Dullstroom, would have enjoyed a longer stop in town, only had 30 minutes to walk around. than a long drive. Once we got to Humala we had to transfer from the van to the game jeep for a 45 minute ride from the entrance out to the lodge. The lodge was everything we expected it to be, little cold as it got down to 39 degrees one night, the game drives we great. The only negative might have been at there is no menu , you get what the cook prepares. For us luckily it was all good and we enjoyed everything but for some people it could be a problem .
Humala was what you expect Africa to be. We again had an outdoor bonfire and Swaziland dancers did a show. Since this is a game reserve the amount and type of animals are limited. Than a long drive back to Seasons Resort. with a stop at Lion and Safari Park. The animals here are in large fenced in areas that you are driven through, have a good variety of animals but it is a captive situation. Next day it was drive to Pilamesberg National Park. again we had grab and go breakfast to eat in the car (tuna sandwich which no one ate) at the park we choose the open jeep and had a very good guide. Highlight here was watching the parade of 17 elephants going to the water hole, the restaurant at the park was closed so we ended up at Blimpies a fast food hamburger restaurant. Next day it was off for the hot air balloon ride which had been delayed from day to until the next to last day. We originally received a very detailed itinerary for the trip, it was however in constant state of flux as tours changed, and due to the pandemic some tours were cancelled or only parts of them were available.
Overall for the cost you get a lot with the tour, meals, transportation in country, some tour guide local tours it is not a high end tour but it is a good tour, more detail to the property maintenance at Seasons and what US visitors are expecting could be improved. Expect to spend a lot of time driving 6 people plus the tour guide in a 2 row van.

Kallia Papapetrou   –  
Australia AU
Visited: September 2020 Reviewed: Nov 5, 2020

Email Kallia Papapetrou  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

I have found my travel agency for all my trips
5/5

They are a very polite team. They have fast and impeccable service. Immediate information for each step. And of course they are interested in the good of their client.
As I have said to my title I have found my travel agency for all the trips I will do from now on.
Guys are the best

Steve and Renée   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2019 Reviewed: Aug 16, 2020

Email Steve and Renée  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

All of us experienced an incredible vacation!
5/5

It all began when I met Angie Main at the San Diego Travel Convention. Because of her genuine warmth, I immediately trusted what she told me about what to expect on a South African Safari. It's now 6 months after we returned from our memorable vacation. If we were told that we could only ever go on one more vacation and asked where we would go, we would immediately reply South Africa with Go Touch Down Travel. It all started in September 2019 when four of us traveled on a l-o-n-g flight to Johannesburg where we were met by our guide, the full-of-knowledge, fun-loving, thoughtful Thabo. Oh, the beautiful sights we saw as he drove us from one destination to another! Staying at Dunkeld was our first eye-opener to South Africa. The staff was super helpful and kind; bending over backwards to meet our every need. And the food? WOW!!! Humala was breathtaking! We all LOVED our lodge; safe, comfy, and cozy. Our guide, Wessel, was always pointing out wildlife. To have zebras and giraffes casually strolling by our safari vehicle was awesome. Favorite events? Our daughter would probably say being mauled by a lion at Lion Safari Park (Yup, a little lion cub decided to chew holes in her sneakers!) and hugging and playing with Tumbo, the gigantic, gentle elephant at the Elephant Whisperers excursion. My husband's and my favorite would probably be the glorious morning hot air balloon ride over the Magaliesburg Valley. Our son-in-law would probably say EVERYTHING was incredible!

Barb C.   –  
Canada CA
Visited: October 2019 Reviewed: Aug 12, 2020

Email Barb C.  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing-Trip of a Lifetime!!
5/5

I travelled with Go Touch Down in 2019. The customer service from the get go was great. Staff helped to arrange our add-ons, flights etc when time to travel.

The lay away plan over 3yrs was great, I don’t think I could have gone without it.

Our guide in Cape Town (Tony) was awesome and knowledgeable, we definitely made a friend for life. You definitely will not go hungry on this trip!

Our guide for the Safari portion (Bekkies) was also amazing, lots of stories and fun facts he will keep you entertained.

Definitely worth doing both the Cape Town and Safari ventures. Accommodations for both were great very clean and welcoming.
You’ll get to try some amazing food.

I would definitely travel with Go Touch Down again if given the opportunity in the future. The people we met and places we saw were fantastic. And it was nice only having 5 people in our tour group.

Lynda   –  
Canada CA
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Aug 12, 2020

Email Lynda  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Absolutely fabulous experience.
5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to South Africa. I was very impressed that on this trip they were one of the very few companies that did not charge an extra premium because I was travelling alone. Being in small groups was excellent as we were all friends by the end of the trip. Both in Johannesburg and Capetown our guides were excellent. They were flexible with us while providing an excellent experience.

Barbara   –  
Canada CA
Visited: October 2014 Reviewed: Jun 13, 2019

Email Barbara  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Totally fulfilled ecpectations
5/5

Excellent. In particular our guides were outstanding!

Alice B   –  
United States US
Visited: May 2018 Reviewed: Jun 13, 2019

Email Alice B  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

An extraordinary experience
5/5

The trip was just amazing. Since you go on a trip like this you go for the animals, the first part was a little dull but it built as we went along and the safari portion was exquisite. Memories for a lifetime. The lodge was perfect and oh! the animals... The planning & care by Go Touchdown were terrific.

Donna   –  
United States US
Visited: May 2019 Reviewed: Jun 5, 2019

Email Donna  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

It was a pleasure to work with Lucia on planning our trip of a lifetime to South Africa.
5/5

My dream trip was to travel to South Africa. It was great working with Lucia in planning the trip. She was vey thorough in explaining what to expect. Lucia made some great suggestions and was always available to answer my questions by phone, text or email. It was also nice to view the video of South Africa prior to our trip.

The safari experience was wonderful. I never thought I would ride in an open jeep and see so many animals in their natural habitat. In the morning we enjoyed having a muffin and a cup of hot tea or coffee in the bush and also watching the sun set while drinking a glass of wine.

The Cape Town Tour was educational and spectacular. We enjoyed Robben Island, Table Mountain, Wine Tasting, Botanical Gardens, The Ocean.... I could go on and on. Shopping was great. The food was simply superb.

Our accommodations made us feel like royalty and our tour guide treated us like royalty.

I would highly recommend Go Touch Down Travel and Tours for traveling to South Africa.

Theresa   –  
United States US
Visited: March 2024 Reviewed: Apr 1, 2024

Email Theresa  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Go Touchdown Tours is a great tour operator!
5/5

I can't say enough about Go Touchdown! Great company! I added a day in Johannesburg before my 8 day Cape Town Tour. They booked all my flights for me and my hotel in Johannesburg and a tour. The Go Touchdown staff was very helpful with questions and concerns I had.

I stayed at City Lodge at O.R. Tambo Airport. Very convenient. Great hotel. Friendly staff! It's right in the airport!

I took the Soweto Tour in Johannesburg and enjoyed it. I learned a lot. Went to Nelson Mandela's house. It is very small.

Cape Town is beautiful! Had great weather! The cruise along Langebaan Lagoon was wonderful. We had a beautiful sunny day for it. Learned about fossils at the West Coast Fossil Park. The !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre was very educational. We even got to cook a piece of Spring Bok on an open fire! We went to Table Mountain. The views from there are incredible! Loved the ride up to the top. The floor in the car rotates so everyone can get the same view! Saw the penguins and seals! Cape Point Lighthouse was great. Great views from there as well. We also went to Cape of Good Hope. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront has some great shopping. The Watershed is a local place where individuals can sell their jewelry, clothing and other items! On our last full day in Cape Town, we did 2 wine tastings. The wine is great! I bought a bottle! The dinner at Gold Restaurant was incredible! Each course was delicious!

The hotels we stayed at were great. Very friendly staff. The manager at Shark Bay could not have been more accommodating! My only issue was that my bed at Stillness Manor creaked when I got up from it. Being a beach girl, I loved the location of Belle Maroc Blouberg! Right on the beach!

Our tour guide Jonathan is one of, if not the best, tour guide I ever had! He was always on time or even early. He is very knowledgeable and is a proud native of Cape Town! He recommended a great restaurant at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for fish! I had the King Clip and it did not disappoint! He was also very helpful when taking me to Cape Town International Airport for my flight home.

Average User Rating
4.7/5
Rating Breakdown
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