Craig your expert safari planner & private guide
Southern African Tours
- Office 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)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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!
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Email Costa | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Personalized and Locally Curated Experience
In the process of planning our trip to Africa, we found Southern Africa Tours while comparing other larger international tour companies. The competitive cost of the tour is what originally gained our attention and we were immediately impressed by the prompt attention we received from Bianca and Craig. They were very responsive and quickly arranged a package for us to fit within our particular timeframe, which was a little last-minute. Initially there was some confusion getting everything arranged as some emails back and forth were not going through. Bianca was very patient with ensuring we received the information we needed even if she had to send multiple times or to multiple emails. She prepared and revised our itinerary according to our interests in each area of travel. Bianca also included suggestions for activities and packing lists.
Arriving in Johannesburg, Bianca had arranged for us to stay in the OR Tambo City Lodge which was very conveniently attached to the airport, allowing us to go directly to our hotel without leaving the airport. The next day we were promptly picked up by Kurt Safari and driven to our accommodations at the Hazyview Sun Lodge. This location was a substitute for our original hotel which was under renovation. The Hazyview Sun was a bit older than other locations, but the setting was beautiful, the staff was very helpful, and the food and drinks were delicious. We spent the next few days on safari in Kruger National Park and touring local sites along Blyde River Canyon. Kurt Safari took excellent care of us and ensured that we made the most of every moment we spent in Kruger. Our safari guide, Chris, made sure that we were the first in the park gate each morning as the sun came up. We were very fortunate to have a private safari experience as it was only Chris, my wife and myself. As an extensively experienced guide, Chris was incredible at spotting animals and putting us in the prime position for observation. He was quickly able to predict animal behavior and utilized his relationships with other park staff to show us well over 45 animal species, including the Big Five and much more. In addition to Kruger National Park, Kurt Safari also took us on the Panorama tour around Blyde River Canyon. We were able to take several short hikes in a beautifully foggy, cloud-forest environment to see God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and The Three Rondavels. This day trip provided an interesting and relaxing alternative to the daily safari. At the conclusion of our time in Kruger we departed from Skukuza Airport and flew to Cape Town.
At the Cape Town Airport we were greeted by Bianca and Craig in person. They were incredibly helpful with our bags and getting us through the airport. They also spent some time with me in a pharmacy to help me get some cold medicine. Craig and Bianca were both very excited to hear about our journey so far and gave us the feeling of having a local friend or relative in the area to help us get our bearings. They arranged for us to have time on our own to explore and improvise in addition to scheduled activities and tours. In Cape Town, Bianca and Craig personally checked us in and got us settled in our room at the Radisson Red. They were quick to adapt our itinerary and activities based on the weather forecast. There was only one day of inclement weather in the entirety of our time in Africa. On this rainy day we were able to explore the waterfront in Cape Town and visit restaurants, craft markets and museums. Bianca and Craig took us to the Constantia wineries as a spur of the moment rainy day outing. Later that night they took us to a local interactive dinner experience where we were able to drum along with traditional musicians and sample authentic cuisine. The following day, we were picked up by Craig and Joel for a guided tour of Cape Town, Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. We were given an in-depth history of the city and its complex social climate. Craig is a very passionate and proud citizen of Cape Town, eagerly offering his perspective on the politics of the region and the diverse collection of its residents. Joel provided point of view as a native of the Cape and his expertise as a trained nature guide on the many animal and plant species of the area. We visited Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope to soak in the awe-inspiring views of these must-see locations. We also boarded a boat to visit a seal colony island, but the boat trip was cut short due to tidal conditions. Afterward, Craig and Joel took us along the coast to the seaside town of Kalk Bay which was a major highlight of the trip. We visited penguin colonies and observed surfers on the beach. In Kalk Bay we stayed at the Chartfield Guest House, which is easily one of the most adorable places we’ve stayed. The town was easily walkable and offered many activities such as drinking, dining, shopping, hiking and more. We spent our time in Kalk Bay exploring the piers and tidal pools. One day we even walked a few towns over to Muizenberg Beach, then bar-crawled our way back to our guest house. Kalk Bay is also the best place to buy souvenirs!
After our time in Kalk Bay we were taken to the Cape Town airport by Craig and Bianca. After parting ways with them, we were on our way to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. Our accommodation, the Shongwe Oasis, was the most beautiful and luxurious of the trip. In Victoria Falls we were taken on a guided tour by Shearwater. The Falls were running very high that day and the mist was incredible! We got very wet and actually damaged our camera through our own carelessness. Since the mist was so high, visibility was poor, so we opted for a helicopter flight over the falls. We stayed in contact with Bianca and she compared prices for us with companies she trusts. Shearwater was among those that she recommended so it was very easy for them to put us on a flight immediately after our walking tour of Victoria Falls. The view from the air is breath-taking and should not be missed. The scale of this natural wonder can really only be grasped from above. Later we were able to walk out on the Victoria Falls bridge which is the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Since the border crossings in the area are a neutral zone between countries, there were several local residents present in the border area that were from both countries. We were approached by a couple of young men who were selling bracelets and given the circumstances, we felt obliged to purchase two bracelets from them. The interaction stayed pleasant as we haggled the price down and they took pictures with us afterward. The view from the bridge was certainly worth the excursion and process of passing through border. While in Zimbabwe we were also given the chance to spend a day in Botswana touring the Chobe River National Park.
Botswana and Chobe are stunning, and we can’t recommend them enough. The park is home to hundreds of elephants and many other animals. There is also a very large pride of lions that we could observe from a very close range. The Chobe daytrip provided us with a unique opportunity to see our favorite animals from the water as we cruised the river. We were able to get up close and personal with elephants, hippos, buffalo, crocodiles and more. This experience served as a wonderful finale to our time in Southern Africa. If it was possible, we would’ve loved more time in Botswana.
The trip as a whole went very smoothly and we felt comfortable with the balance between guided tours and free time that was provided to us. Bianca especially was a great resource to us by staying in contact via WhatsApp. She assisted us when we wanted to improvise activities or even do laundry. Bianca was also an incredible help after we returned home. Due to flight delays in Johannesburg, we were rushed through customs and security, having to board a connecting flight without our check luggage at the direction of extremely helpful airport personnel. We stayed in contact with Bianca the entire time and she kept pressure on the local airlines to track our luggage as we travelled home. The luggage was eventually sent to a local airport near us, and we were able to pick it up the day after we arrived home.
We highly recommend Southern Africa Tours for the personal, local touch in curating the perfect trip through the vast and diverse locations of Southern Africa. If we are ever to return to Africa we will certainly reach out to Bianca and Craig again.
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Email Neil & Holly | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our favorite holiday!
We wholeheartedly recommend Southern Africa Tours. Craig and Bianca are experts in their field and dealing with them was a pleasure.
We told Craig and Bianca what our interests were and they planned a trip that was perfect for us. We had a fantastic time: 12 days of seeing and doing what we had hoped for. The memories of animals, sights and experiences will remain with us forever.
Before we return to Africa, we will first contact Southern Africa Tours to organize our next trip.
Email Rachael | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Five star, luxury 10 day trip of a lifetime in Western Cape and Kruger
Craig and Bianca arranged an amazing 10 day itinerary for our first visit to South Africa which blew all of our expectations.
Our accommodation in each location was absolute luxury; from Whale viewings from our bedroom window in Hermanus, to relaxing in an outdoor pool on the outskirts of Kruger, we benefitted from Craig and Bianca's connections and experience in the industry at each point, which also translated into amazing value for money.
Our guides in both locations were outstanding - Christopher from Kurt Safari in Kruger, and Gareth in Cape Town. Both had such a wealth of knowledge about the local areas, history and culture; there was never a dull moment on the journeys.
This was the only company who we communicated with where we really felt like our trip was completely tailored to exactly what we wanted, with helpful tips and suggestions added in if we wanted. We were catered for from start to finish, each stage of the trip was carefully planned and communicated throughout.
Furthermore, upon learning of an unplanned flight delay on our final day, Bianca went above and beyond to find us alternative accommodation, transfers and dinner; all in beautiful and safe locations. She made what could have been a stressful end to our holiday (thanks to the airline) an absolute breeze, we are incredibly grateful for her help in our hour of need. This just epitomised the personal level of service we recieved from start to finish.
Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime. We have already recommended Southern Africa Tours to friends and family and can't wait to come back!
