Craig your expert safari planner & private guide
Southern African Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & CTT
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $79 to $129 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Our guide, Gerard Maritz, proved knowlegable about all aspects of culture/heritage in South Africa.
Gerald Maritz was an excellent tour guide - able to accommodate some changes along the way and always open to our suggestions for a better experience that suited our needs. He has a thorough knowledge of culture and heritage and generously shared his insights along the way. It was a pleasure to have him aboard!
We did have issues with several of the accommodations preselected by the tour operator, but we're certain that our guide will bring our feedback forward so that changes can be made for future tours.
Reply from Southern African Tours
Posted on Oct 29, 2018Hi Peter & Jessica,
Thank you so much for your kind comments, on your recent tour of South Africa and am thrilled I was able to play a part in the success of your South African experience.
I do apologize for the unfortunate situation which occurred shortly after you checked into your guest house in the Tsitsikamma Village and am very pleased that you were able to obtain excellent alternative accommodation. At the game farm it was disappointing you had to move into a different chalet than you were originally allocated due to the unpleasant smell in your chalet. I have contacted the operators of the guest house in the Tsitsikamma Village and at the game farm in the Montagu district, to mention these unfortunate incidents which impacted on a perfect South African experience.
Kind regards,
Craig and Gerard.
CA
Email Jan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great last-minute organized 8 days in Cape area
We booked a tour with Craig of South African tours recently and, despite it being really last-minute, quite promptly he was able to put together a very memorable and quite filled tour. The first three days were with Craig himself as tour guide then followed by the Garden tour in the remaining 5 days hosted by Derek. The country is beautiful, even in winter, Craig provided us with a great introduction and reminder of the history of the country and lots of background information on the current situation, government, institutions, people, difficulties and strengths. We visited the Cape area, wineries, Stellenbosch, the beautiful botanical garden and unforgettable views of the landscape around Cape Point and Cape of good hope. Lots of information on good places to eat, walk, surf, live, etc. The Garden tour with Derek was equally fantastic; again loads of very helpful information, conversations with people on the road, beautiful sights of nature, whales in Hermanus, Knysna just recovering from a devastating fire, Storms river mouth wildness, and Oudshoorn's caves and ostrich farms. We felt that the care and organization by Craig's business was impeccable. Despite the short time of our stay we felt we got the maximum out of the time - perhaps sometimes too compressed or rushed, but that was just the nature of our trip; we wanted to see as much as possible. Overall, we met beautiful people from a beautiful, yet somewhat polarized country. Both Craig and Derek put significant personality in their tours - we enjoyed that tremendously. We will certainly go back if the opportunity presents itself.
Fantastic Southern Africa experience!
At the airport waiting for our flight back to the States and we wanted to thank you for putting together a fantastic trip! We could not have been happier with all of your choices and the details that went into making this seem less and stress free. Thank you so much!
All of the accommodations were great as were the tour guides. Thank you for your flexibility and individual attention
Garden Route Tour.
We went to Cape Town on a conference and wanted to spend some time after the conference seeing S. Africa. Southern Africa Tours organized a trip for us, suggesting things to do and places to stay. They arranged a driver and car for us, accommodations etc.... The driver was great and suggested changes to the planned itinerary which made for a better trip. All the accommodations were very good; the provided meals were also great. We felt our cost was quite reasonable, considering we had a custom tour just for us. S. Africa is a wonderful country to visit and we really loved our tour. S. Africa has everything; mountains, oceans, lakes, forests, good climate, good food, wildlife and friendly people; the scenery in incredible. I would recommend Southern Africa Tours to anyone considering a tour there.
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Email Torbjörn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wounderful 5-day private Garden Route Tour with Derek
My wife and I just returned from an exceptional week in South Africa spent with Derek from Southern Africa Tours. I would wholeheartedly recommend them and especially Derek as a guide to any one considering a tour in this beautiful country.
We decided on Southern African Tours because their 5-day Garden Route Tour best fit our schedule. This was a last minute decision on our part to go to South Africa, about two weeks of notice was given to Craig (the owner)
for the planning of our trip. He and his staff came through with flying colours for us. All our needs, expectations and more was met throughout our trip.
Derek is the most wonderful guide and person one can have on a tour like this. His knowledge of the country and all the sites we visited plus his enthusiasm about the flora and fauna made this the most rewarding visit any one can wish for. We also learned a lot about the history as well as current affairs of this fantastic country from Derek. I am at awe as to his knowledge about all the various subjects that came up during our time together.
This visit would not have been as rewarding as it was without Derek.
There are to many memories to mention here but these are our favorites. Wine tasting in Robertson valley, Canga caves, Whale watching in Knysna, Penguins in Bettys Bay and off course the game drive at the Garden Route Game Lodge.
Thank you Derek and Craig
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Email Jim | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Simply Stunning Experience
My wife and I just completed the 15 day tour of South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. We started the tour in Cape Town with Craig, who happily honored our request to reverse the normal order of the tour. We asked for some other modifications of the tour while booking, and again Craig bent over backwards to make us happy. He is a wonderful guide, providing insight into the features and history of his beautiful country. At the end of our time in Cape Town, Craig came down with a case of the stomach flu, and was unable to continue. This had the potential to be a disaster, but Craig simply would not let that happen. He arranged for another expert guide, Louis, to take over and the adventure continued without missing a beat. We saw the big 5 in Kruger, and spent an exciting day in the Hluhluwe reserve as well. Swaziland and Lesotho were both well worth the visit. This tour far exceeded our expectations. We have traveled a fair amount, but this experience is at the top.
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Email Mary Val Palumbo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 days of awesome South Africa with Derek
We are so pleased with our time on tour on the Garden Route in S. Africa with Derek. My adult daughter and I had so much fun; but the highlight was our whale tour because we had 2 whales who treated us to many sightings... enough to even get a selfie with a whale! Loved the ostrich farm, the caves, the penguins, the Garden Route Game Lodge, Rt 62 but most of all getting to know Derek who is a knowledgable and compassionate man. He gently guided us through the complexities of S. African society and gave us real insight into this beautiful land.
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Email Kiah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Educational, passionate, fun and eye-opening.
Derrick was an amazing tour guide. His passion and love for what he does came through every single day. He provided us with educational experiences and went above and beyond day after day. He responded to whatever we felt worked and didn't as we went throughout our trips. He was ready and waiting for us at every turn. From the Penguins @ Betty's Bay (in a down pour with Derrick by our side!), to the additional whale watch we could fit in, he was enthusiastic and positive. I have learned more in 5 days than i EVER would have independently. Worth every single penny.
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Email Jim, Diane & Bridget | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Western Cape Adventure
We just returned from our visit to S. Africa that included a 3-day tour with South Africa Tours. The Southern Cape, Safari and Little Karoo tour packs so much into such a small amount of time - it matched our needs perfectly. Unfortunately, Craig was unavailable to guide us, but Jen (his substitute) was terrific, with a very positive attitude and a wealth of knowledge covering the history, land, people and animals of this amazing area. The lodging, food, and stops were all top rate. We have no reservations about recommending this tour operator to those visiting S. Africa, or any other destination they might offer.
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Email Mig | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service which goes beyond the normal expectations of personalization
Prior to diving into the details, I would like to thank Craig and Bianca for the great experience. Beyond the sites and activities, I must mention that Bianca was so instrumental in ensuring my wife's birthday was memorable. It takes a special, caring individual such as Bianca to ensure that we were able to obtain a beautiful, delicious (only got better later - trust me!) gluten free cake to celebrate my wife's birthday, during which of course, based on the amount of time we had spent conducting activities together, was only fit you were a part of. Thank you for not only assisting me with ordering and selecting the right cake but retrieving it from the baker and "surprising" my wife in the hotel lobby. She loved it!
Specific to the tour services, it was tailored to us completely. My wife and I are "on-the-go" folks, who hike, SCUBA dive, surf, and love to drink coffee. Regardless of the time constraint challenge in their hands, Craig and Bianca ensured they could accommodate every single activity we wanted - including an overnight stay at Inverdoorn Game Reserve, paragliding off Signal Hill, shark cage diving, hiking to/on Table Mountain, and a light buzz for my wife and me on a wine tasting (that was an unexpectedly fun time)! Plus, luckily enough for us, we got to drink some awesome South African coffee in a couple of spots, which included a small Cuban café across from our hotel.
Hence, what can I say, but thank you again for treating us like "long-time" friends, and for ensuring my wife's birthday and the whole visit was just outstanding!