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
CA
Email Sue | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Your best travel partner for a trip to Southern Africa
THANK YOU and WOW!!! Those words hardly do justice to the trip of a lifetime that was so thoughtfully and seamlessly arranged by Anya at Pembury Tours.
From the very start, Anya was an absolute gem - attentive, communicative, and deeply knowledgeable. She took the time to truly understand what my brother and I were looking for, curated incredible options that suited our interests & budget, and always offered thoughtful insights into the ever-changing dynamics of each region. While I typically make most of my travel plans independently, I was so glad of the decision to work with a regional travel agency. There are so many options in Africa, it can become overwhelming. Anya REALLY listened our needs, which made the whole process so much easier. Her knowledge and expertise ultimately helped us feel relaxed, confident and cared for every step of the way.
What truly set Anya apart was she her attention to detail. She went above and beyond in managing logistics and surprising us with meaningful touches at our accommodations and with the tour providers. These weren’t just nice extras, they made the experience personal and unforgettable.
The itinerary she crafted to Cape Town, Sabi Sand, Victoria Falls, and then Botswana was perfect in both pace and progression. The recommendation of staying a minimum of three nights in each location (due to our time constraints) with the sleep out at Camp Okavango was absolutely spot-on.
Every lodge we stayed at exceeded our expectations - beautiful settings, warm hospitality, incredible food and of course the animals! The choice of private reserves made a big difference - while at Inyati seeing the “Magnificent 7” unencumbered was a true highlight.
If you’re considering a trip to Southern Africa, I cannot recommend Pembury Tours and especially Anya highly enough.
CA
Email Betty | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gail Davis was very helpful, patient and very informative, I would highly recommend her.
Pembury Tours was recommended to me and I am so glad I took their advise. Gail Davis was so helpful and patient while I was selecting our options. The tour was amazing. Service was excellent and the value of money was worth every penny. Having everything preplanned and an up-to-date itinerary made the trip relaxing and very memorable.
CA
Email Marlene | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gail is meticulous and because of attention to details, we had a phenomenal trip with nothing but g
Our adventure to Africa started from a recommendation of relatives who had used Pembury Tours in the past. We are seniors and wanted the best value for our travel dollars, but really wanted a new , fresh experience , preferably outside of Canada-but not North America. I was dealing with major issues so my girlfriend took charge. With Gail's guidance, suggestions and knowledge of local practices, the two of them created the best trip ever.. We had no issues. Tours were met on time, accommodations were interesting (one used to be a prison) and top notch, culinary offerings were unbelievable and so good, and the local hosts, guides and drivers were wonderful. Our first of 3 safaris was an experience I will never forget. Our Ranger and Tracker had knowledge that was freely shared and their mutual respect for the animals and the flora was unmatched. Our safety was evident, even in the confines of the Lodge itself. Arathusa Lodge are amazing ambassadors for their homeland! All of our regional carriers and drivers were on time and very helpful. I would recommend Airlink to anyone travelling within the continent. We saw so much, we were busy- but not pushed to exhaustion- and we all so appreciated absolutely everything Gail and her support people had to offer us. The price was fair and affordable and excellent value. We had experiences no one would put a price on. Thank you Gail for everything!
Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Magical 3 country tour
What a fantastic experience!! Africa has yet again surprised us and left us without adequate words.
Great wildlife, warm hospitality, very special accommodation and landscapes hard to describe. Small touches in sundowners, camp fires, helicopter flights, singing camp staff and many more events enhanced the whole immersive experience.
Seamless travel and arrangements meant we could just enjoy the travel and sightseeing. It felt very individual to us, guiding us and looking after us at every stage.
Pembury understood us, making all aspects and elements stand out experiences.
Thank you so much for making this happen for us, leaving us with us with enduring memories!!!!
Email Diane | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seamless experience, excellent communication, great experiences
Gail from Pembury Tours was recommended by friends which was reassuring because we were organising a 2 week self paced tour from Australia. Everything was brilliant including locations, transport and experiences. Gail was extremely responsive, informative, well organised and patiently helpful during the payment process because my bank didn’t want to release my money. We had online access to our itinerary as well as a hard copy package delivered to our hotel in Johannesburg prior to departure. She also changed a flight at short notice and without cost to us - at my request. Our favourite location on Safari was the spectacular Nxai Pan migration - gorgeously remote, expansive, immersive and personalised experiences with a myriad of wildlife.
US
Email Bob | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Heidi set us up with a wonderful tour that incorporated all the places and experiences we desired.
We were really pleased with all aspects of our South African trip. We experienced a variety of areas that gave us a view to the diversity of the country and we met several interesting people along the way. We loved the energy and wonderful restaurants of Cape Town, which were an incredible value and excellent quality. Our local Cape Town guide, Ryan was entertaining, smart, flexible and fun. We rented a car and drove to Stellenbosch for wonderful wines, more shopping and restaurants including The Fat Butcher, one of our favorites. We visited Franschhoek and also drove to Swellendam on the Garden Route and ended up in Knynsa with beautiful beaches and a wonderful sunset sailing trip. From the nearby airport in George, we made an easy flight to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport. From there we went to Inyati Game Lodge for safari trips and also Ulusaba Game Lodge. Both were beautiful and in each place we found the team including the rangers and trackers were expert and also very fun to be with. We saw all the amazing animals we hoped to encounter and were very impressed by the overall conservation and management of the areas. Heidi Bedford prepared this great itinerary and we will remember this trip forever.
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Email Nicole | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrific experience!
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Kerry, and we can't recommend her highly enough! From start to finish, she was a joy to work with- attentive, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. Her recommendations were spot-on and tailored perfectly to my needs, making the entire experience seamless and enjoyable.
Kerry took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for and provided thoughtful, well-informed suggestions that truly elevated my experience. Her attention to detail and personalized approach made all the difference.
Thank you, Kerry, for making this such a wonderful and memorable experience. I look forward to working with you again in the future!
Email Dan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly, personalized, reliable, and prompt service: the way to arrange the trip(s) of a lifetime
We took a family trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana last October. As expats, living in Africa for a few years, this was not our first safari trip, but was the first to these countries. Initially, we tried to book through another agent at another company, but we got embroiled in a dispute over pricing and policies. The lodges we wanted to stay at were advertising multiple discounts that could be combined, yet our original travel agent was claiming that she could only get one discount, but that we had to book with her, even though we had not signed a contract or paid a deposit.
At that point I happened to contact Pembury Tours to arrange another trip, based on their excellent reviews online. Anya responded promptly and helped me out with the new reservation, but she also provided me advice and moral support for the dispute about the Zimbabwe and Botswana trip. Not only did she help me resolve the matter with the first agent, but she ended up arranging our trip, got our combined set of discounts, and she became a good friend in the process.
This review is about the trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana we took based on Anya’s arrangements. I mentioned the rocky start already, but that was followed by another round of troubles. One of the lodges Anya had booked for us was partly destroyed in a wildfire (after we booked it). That lodge had to close for repairs and would not be able to honor our reservations. As soon as she found out, Anya called us proactively with news of the fire damage. She offered suggestions, then took our preferences, negotiated with other lodges in the area, and managed to get us to stay in a more upscale lodge for no additional costs.
Once the alternative lodging was secured, Anya followed up with information about the trip logistics, offered advice about activities at each of the three lodges, the transfers between locations, tipping guidelines, packing checklists, and the visa and health requirements. We felt very confident that we were in good hands with Anya: she had the information we needed and was very prompt and reliable in providing it whenever we needed it.
The trip itself was amazing. Anya’s advice was invaluable, and her arrangements made for smooth and reliable handoffs from each lodge to the transfer and to the next lodge, whether the transfer was by car, air, or a combination of the two. We had selected the lodges ourselves, but Anya confirmed that they would offer quality accommodations and food, which they did. Because the lodges were in different types of environments, we saw a wide variety of wildlife, land-dwellers, water-dwellers, and an incredible variety of birds. Going from Victoria Falls to the Khwai Private Reserve to the Okavango Delta, we felt transported from one amazing environment to an even more amazing one. The guides provided by the lodges were immensely knowledgeable, friendly, and very generous in sharing their knowledge with us. We could not have asked for anything better.
Following this trip, we have reached out to Anya with additional requests for travel and we have recommended her and Pembury Tours to all of our friends. There was a time when I was thinking how nice it would be to have a close friend or relative working on the inside, in the travel industry. My wish has come true: Anya is that friend, and our African travels are so much more rewarding and effortless thanks to her.
Email Harumi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing travel planning partner
Our trip to South Africa was our first time visiting the country and our very first safari experience in Africa. We were looking for a plan that aligned with our itinerary and budget, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Anya, who assisted us in organizing our trip, was incredibly friendly, professional, and efficient. She meticulously planned everything, making the entire process smooth and stress-free. She answered all our questions before the trip, and the travel portal she provided was a fantastic resource. It included helpful information on local customs, tipping guidelines, and even a packing list, which made our preparation so much easier.
From the moment we arrived at the airport to the transportation, check-in process at the lodge, and every detail until the end of our trip, everything was flawlessly organized.
The safari itself was absolutely unforgettable. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our first safari adventure. We were fortunate to witness incredible wildlife sightings, and the experience far exceeded our expectations. Although our five days flew by, we truly didn’t want to leave on the last day.
This trip has become one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I’m already looking forward to returning to South Africa someday.
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Email Diane and Seth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience!
The custom tour to South Africa that was arranged for us by Kerry exceeded our expectations. All details were well thought out and all transfers went perfectly. Kerry's suggestions on what to see and where to stay were perfect. The tours she arranged in Cape Town were great and the safari lodges that she suggested were wonderful. We expected this trip to be the trip of a lifetime and we were so impressed that we'd like to go back and do it again! We highly recommend Pembury Tours!