Part of the happy Pembury team having a laugh!
Pembury Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
Pembury tours was great. Kerry was our agent. She helped us arrange a tour of South and East Africa that was unforgettable. Everything was smooth and well organized and on the rare occasions where things did not go as planned, she was immediately available to sort things out (which was uncommon). We toured through South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Rwanda and Tanzania over one month, and as you can imagine, this is quite a journey to map out, particularly with three kids, 11, 13 and 15.
Everyone had an unforgettable time and this trip will be indelibly etched in all of our memories forever. Horseback riding, wineries, penguins, Vic falls, seals, ATV rides on the salt plains to sleep under the stars, campfires, meercats, baobab trees, wildebeests crossing the mara, lion hunts, leopards under our car in Botswana, elephants and wildebeests so close you could touch them, MOUNTAIN GORILLAS (absolute highlight for sure), herds of wildebeests and zebras from a hot air balloon, crystal clear waters of zanzibar - the list goes on. What a trip! Can't recomend Kerry and Pembury highly enough. They were awesome!
CA
Email Sean | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you Pembury!
We are just getting home from the most magical honeymoon with Pembury Tours! Big thank you to Anya for carefully planning such a special trip. As an LGBTQ couple, we had some concerns about how accepting certain African countries might be towards us, and Anya addressed our concerns with respect and trust, and planned a holiday where we felt safe to celebrate. So many magical memories we’ll look back on for a lifetime!!
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Email Samuel M | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
She was communicative, helpful, available, creative, and overall spectaular!
Pembury Tours was spectacular to work with. We had an unforgettable trip-- all details were arranged with care. Anya, our representative, worked with us to build a trip that highlighted the best of southern Africa. She gave excellent advice about where to spend our time and helped us meet our budget, without sacrificing quality. We made a few edits to the trip during the planning process and Anya made sure all of these decisions were made carefully. She was very communicative throughout the process.
All of our lodging was comfortable with warm, helpful staff, and the food at every location was exceptional (though we also had plenty of fantastic restaurant experiences). We had seamless air/driving transfers between destinations as well. Our assigned tour guides for relevant parts of the trip were friendly and knowledgeable and elevated the whole experience. And in a seemingly infinite pool of safari lodges/experiences, it's hard to imagine we could've been better situated.
Finally, though we rarely needed to contact Anya, she was seemingly always available for any questions or issues that came up while we were traveling.
I cannot recommend Pembury highly enough. When we visit again, there is no question we will be using their services.
MT
Email Claudia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organized, made-to-measure, once in a lifetime package
We are just back from what has been one of the most incredible travel experiences of our lives. We travel all over the world and are usually very independent but since we initially had some concerns about safety in South Africa we decided to seek the help of Heidi Bedford at Pembury tours. We are so glad we did....everything was organized to the minimum detail and we felt cared for and safe throughout. She adapted the package to our needs and that of our teenage son and was very available to communicate with us both before and during the trip. Nothing was a big issue. We particularly liked all the accommodations which were varied and each had something particular about them. Ranging from luxury self-catering apartments in the V&A. waterfront in Capetown to the most luxurious lodges in Sabi-sands. We loved them all. We also enjoyed the freedom of driving the garden route independently. Safety was never an issue.
South Africa has so much to offer in culture, nature and also culinary experiences. We are so glad that we left it in the able hands of Heidi Bedford at Pembury tours.
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Email Lydia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
BOOK IT! You won’t regret it.
We had an amazing 8 day tour in Cape Town and on Safari in the Timbavati reserve. Cape Town was great.
We absolutely LOVED Gold restaurant. What an amazing experience! We felt like we got to truly experience some traditional culture which was amazing. Plus the food was unreal!
The full day Cape Point tour was our absolute favorite. Our guide was incredible. She was so knowledgeable and kind and we really enjoyed our day with her. The scenery was breathtaking, we were able to get some amazing photos. The weather couldn’t have been better that day which was great considering winter in Cape Town is chillier and rainy.
The Safari was amazing! We saw every one of the big 5 and most of them multiple times. It was incredible. I had been in a safari in Kenya 10 years ago but from what I can remember, this was so much better. It was so unique to be living among our guide and the other guests. We loved the family style meals and downtime during the day. The lodge (Kambaku) was amazing at accommodating my dietary needs and so incredibly thoughtful in that. They also set up a surprise anniversary dinner for my husband and I which was so sweet. I can’t compliment them enough.
We so enjoyed working with Kerry. It blew us away how she could take every need/request we had and accommodate it. She truly tailored everything to our liking and that is not typically heard of. Loved our time in South Africa!
Email Mary-Ellen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Thank you Kerry and Pembury
We were so appreciative of Kerry's advice, guidance and practical assistance for our recent South African adventure. We had to make several changes during the planning phase - major and minor - and Kerry adjusted and re-planned at each step without any fuss or difficulty. Her hotel and destination recommendations were spot on and we had a wonderful trip.
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Email Austin Z | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pembury Tours, a Flawless African Adventure!
Our travel consultant Kerry arranged a flawless 14 night trip through Southern Africa for my wife and I! Three countries, four flights, a dozen tours, and countless incredible animal encounters all packaged into what we are calling the best trip of our life. Kerry was with us every step of the way, and immediately available when we needed anything during our travels. If you want the African trip of a lifetime, look no further than Pembury Tours. We cannot wait to explore more of the continent, and we know we'll be in great hands with Kerry and the whole team at Pembury.
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Email Amy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Heidi was an incredible operator who was personal, individualized, and truly cared.
I honestly can't thank Heidi and Pembury enough for setting up truly the trip of a lifetime. Everything was simply pure perfection. Everyone who greeted us was absolutely wonderful, prompt, friendly, and incredibly helpful. The lodgings were all outstanding and we simply loved each place we stayed. Each one had a unique something that made the experience a little special. Ilala was positively beautiful and we had a pair of hippos come have dinner on the lawn right outside our patio the first night we arrived, which was amazing! The food was fantastic, service was great, had a little bit of time by the pool, which was beautiful, and the view was amazing.
The excursions in Victoria Falls, were simply unbelievable. The operators were wonderful, incredibly welcoming, and did an amazing job with accommodating Dre's mobility challenges. The sunset cruise was phenomenal, with elephant and hippo sightings right away, and the most stunning sunset over the river. The food was delicious and the staff did a wonderful job of being warm and welcoming. The kayak trip was also phenomenal, and we ended up with a mini-safari on our way to the kayaks, getting to see a herd of buffalo and some very close Pumbas with a mom and her baby getting right up next to the jeep. The kayak operators were outstanding and did a great job of making sure they accommodated Dre's mobility - they split us up and put each of us with a guide to make sure we were safe and had the strength to steer all of the way down. Right at the end we had a very cool (but still safe) pretty close encounter with some hippos, so I was very glad I was with a guide, as we were the first kayak to find the pod. He did a great job of making sure we got up onto the shore and were safe, and we got some pretty cool pics of the hippos pretty close. The lunch was also outstanding. We loved the helicopter ride and getting that view of the falls, then our actual tour of the falls was absolutely stunning. Our guide was great, moved at our pace, and made sure we got to see everything and learn the history and about the plant and animal life in the area. The elephant encounter still has me smiling - it was incredible! Dre was able to use his walker to walk with the elephants, we got to touch them, feed them, and it was amazing to interact with such beautiful, powerful, and gentle creatures.
We honestly didn't think it could get any better and then we arrived at Inyati! While we loved all of our lodgings, Inyati was truly just special. The people were so incredibly friendly and welcoming, we were put in a beautiful room with a gorgeous view that was very accessible for Dre, the food was amazing, and the game drives were unbelievable. Our guide and tracker were absolutely outstanding and their pure passion for what they do was so clear. The first drive we got to follow lions chasing another set of lions out of their territory, which was so amazing to see, then spotted a leopard that came right up to the jeep and actually marked the tire right where I was sitting. Then we saw all of the rest of the Big Five, along with Zebras, Kudu, an elephant who broke down her tree just a few feet away from the truck and let us watch her do the whole thing, and then for the bush walk that I requested we actually got to get out of the truck right by a trio of giraffes, which we hadn't seen much of yet. It was amazing to be able to walk with giraffes! A herd of Wildabeast and Impalas also raced across the plain right in front of us as well- it was absolutely surreal to get to be in that environment with them. We had a wonderful sundowner on the edge of a hippo pool that was simply stunning.
Simbavati was also incredibly nice and we loved staying there as well. We got to see some very cool rhino sightings as well as follow a pack of wild dogs and the hunt and then found their den and got to see the pups! It was amazing. Our best male lion sighting was here as well, as we saw three brothers and got to get very close to them. We were also very excited that an entire family of elephants came right up to our deck and was eating literally just a couple of feet away from us on our anniversary - best possible anniversary gift we could have asked for!
Our stay in Cape Town was equally wonderful - the Commodore was fantastic and we loved the location. We were able to explore the waterfront at ease and enjoyed getting to go down there for dinner. It was even close enough that Dre decided to take his walker instead of scooter one evening to dinner.
Andrew was positively outstanding as a host and incredibly flexible with our schedule. Leizel, who guided my hike, was also absolutely outstanding and also incredibly flexible. While we didn't get caught in any real rain, the mountain was very cloudy on the day I was supposed to do my hike, so they both adjusted, we were able to do a tour of the city and have a local and delicious lunch with Andrew on our first day, and then when the sun came out on our second day we took full advantage and did our kayak to Boulders Beach, Andrew then took us to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (where we saw an ostrich!), and then got us back to Cape Town in time for Leizel and I to hike and get a stunning and perfectly clear view from the top. It was amazing. He then gave us a wonderful tour through Wine Country the next day, which was stunning, and we added on one more tour our final day. We loved Maison Chablis and were again greeted with outstanding and friendly service.
We also so appreciate how accommodating and available Heidi was while we were on our trip. We had a couple of occasions where there were some challenges with getting Dre's scooter onto a plane or with a driver, and Heidi was on the phone at 8:00 on Saturday night and again at 9:00 on Sunday morning to get things sorted out and taken care of. She was incredibly quick to respond and available regardless of the time or need to make sure that everything went well. There are always going to be some hiccups traveling, particularly when you are traveling with the different mobility devices we have, and it was wonderful knowing that Heidi was quickly and immediately available and we weren't simply out on our own with no resources.
I would recommend Pembury Tours to anyone who is looking to travel in Africa and will definitely be using them for any future trips we take here. We are still smiling and can't wait to return! Thank you for the memories of a lifetime!
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Email Marilyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pembury Tours is the absolute best!
We booked a two week tour through southern Africa including Cape Town, safari lodges in South Africa, Victoria Falls and Chobe National park in Botswana. We have traveled a lot in the past but this trip was incredible and the trip of a lifetime! Heidi at Pembury was extremely helpful in planning the trip, gave great advice and suggestions and was extremely responsive throughout the planning stages as well as during the trip. The accommodations suggested were excellent and all the third party tour companies and transportation services were professional and top notch. We felt the value for the money very was good. If you want to explore Africa, contact Heidi at Pembury Tours!
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Email Elaine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Perfect!
Heidi Bedford helped plan and coordinate the perfect trip for our family. We had zero worries on our trip. We traveled through four countries and everything went smoothly. All our accommodations were A++. I am recommending Heidi and Pembury to all my friends.