The Giltedge family - end of the year function
Giltedge
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1999)
- Member Of:
- IATA, ASTA, SATSA & CTT
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $1,400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Fantastic
My wife and I had planned on taking our bucket list trip to Tanzania earlier but had to rebook due to first Covid and then when I had cancer return for the 4th time. Giltedge was kind enough to rebook us at the original price and keep the same luxury Elewana Lodges. Our contacts were Tamera Laine and Paula Nobre. They did a fantastic job of keeping us informed on all our preparations. Our trip to Tanzania was wonderful from the meet and greet at the airport to the final send off. We first stayed at the Arusha Coffee House best breakfast buffet ever, and lovely room and nice gardens. The first stop was Tarangire Treetops Lodge. We were treated like Royalty and the last night we were treated to a group of Maasi dancing and singing to us around a campfire and then presenting us a cake for our 53rd wedding anniversary. Our guide for the whole trip was Immanuel Jackson Muna and he did a fantastic job not only pointing out the big five animals but also the many birds that most of the visitors drove right by. At Tarangire we saw the great Elephant Migration, we had to wait for over 100 elephants to cross a road to get to their final destination at the water that is always in the park. We also saw lions kill two zebras and viewed many Giraffes and other animals. Be sure to take the night drive and the daylight walking tours where you not only see animals not active during the day but also learn about the African landscape. The second stop was at Lake Manyara National Park on the way to the Ngorongoro Crater. This used to be a salt water lake with a lot of flamingos but due to flooding it is now fresh water and the road around the lake was partially wiped out so you have to backtrack. You can still enjoy the baboons and white-faced monkeys and other animals. The crater drive was a lot longer than we expected. They limit the amount of vehicle traffic allowed in at one time and
the one way road in was long and slow. For being there during the off season we were surprised how busy it was. We did see all the animals we wanted, including the black rhino. Enjoy all the birds around the picnic areas. We stayed at the Manor at Ngorongoro Coffee Plantation where there were just a few other guests for the 2 nights we were there. Titus was a wonderful host and we enjoyed the gardens and the 5 course meals provided by Peter. I want to thank all the people involved in helping my wife when you fell, an accident, and had to be taken to the emergency room in the nearest town. She just had to have stitches and is doing fine. Our last stop was 4 nights at the Serengeti Pioneer Lodge. It was a tented camp with wonderful service. You had to be escorted morning and evenings to the dining areas because of all the animals going through the camp. We saw monkeys, gazelles and other animals up close. During breakfast one Morning we had a herd of 15 elephants feeding right below our table. The Serengeti is a huge area and you can drive and see so many different landscapes that hold various groups of animals, birds and lizards. Everyday we were able to see something different and unexpected. Again the service was excellent thanks to Big Fred and his staff. I would highly recommend booking with Giltedge for your dream trip to Tanzania.
US
Email The Rossons | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Giltedge: Vernon was on-point, responsive, & thoughtful to build a trip of a lifetime for us
Vernon W was our consultant from Giltedge from the very beginning when we were assessing our options for African Travel. I have recommended him & Giltedge to numerous people since returning home. He was patient with us as we asked for multiple itinerary revisions based on price and destination. It can feel unconventional for Americans to provide a $ amount without a specific itinerary in front of you, but I can say it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. I also thought that potentially once we paid, that we would lose close touch with Vernon, but he was a part of our experience from the very first conversation on evaluating options, planning our trip, communicating ahead of our trip as well as throughout to make sure we had everything we needed along the way, and followed up at the end. We felt so taken care of and that every moment of our experience was considered!! Cannot thank Vernon W and Giltedge enough for a trip of a lifetime that we would do a hundred times over again!!
CH
Email Nidegger Anne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
difficult for me to write in English. Perfect service. Good propositions. The trip was perfectly bal
The trip was perfectly balanced between discoveries and rest.
The lodges and hotels were of high quality, meeting our expectations.
Adequate support, very good quality excursions.
We are delighted with the trip we took.
CA
Email Nadine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond helpful and responsive.
Robyn provided fantastic service. Always responsive with a goal of getting the perfect safari in place for me. Found an outstanding safari last minute that gave me the most unique and memorable trip. Robyn understands the areas and is quickly able to find a safari that is best for budget, whether it be economical or luxury. The outstanding service extended to the Mala Mala camp where you enjoy top notch service, food and safari experience. I would recommend Robyn and Mala Mala Camp to any traveller who wants a stress free and high quality experience.
US
Email Andrew | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Produced an incredible safari experience
We had an amazing trip to Camp Moremi in Botswana. The accommodations, food, and tours were all incredible. It was an expensive trip, but overall I found it very worth while. The only downside was the tour company forcing us to use random messaging apps and their own app, which seemed completely unnecessary.
CA
Email Shirley | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Robyn with Giltedge is highly reommended!
Robyn was exceptional in arranging our South Africa holiday for our group of eight. She was always very prompt and replied quickly to any questions we had. She was very knowledgeable and arranged our trip so we saw all we wanted to see. Our accomodations were beautiful, transfers were always there for us. We always felt in good hands. Thankyou Robyn, for our trip of a lifetime.
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Email Gregg and Maureen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was the trip of a lifetime!
We had always dreamed of exploring Africa and, with the help of Giltedge and our agent Liz Rampfshaw, our dreams came true. We stayed at four different nature preserves over a two week period – three in Botswana and one in South Africa. The accommodations were first-class and the sights we saw were breathtaking thanks to the expert guides. Our communication with the people at Giltedge was excellent every step of the way and we knew what to expect. I highly recommend them if you are considering a trip like this!
US
Email Javier Vargas | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No point in using them
If you are using a travel agent to give you guidance and insight knowledge about where to stay and what to do, this is not your agency. In our trip to Rwanda and Tanzania, we stayed in five hotels in total. We payed for what we thought was a luxury package. One hotel was excellent, which we chose ourselves, one was ok, but not what we were expecting, two were old, outdated and tired hotels and the last one was an all inclusive, terrible service, nightmare of a hotel. We spent the last part of our vacation complaining while being offered no real solution to the issues. They are very polite, but basically you are left to deal with the hotel yourself. If you want a luxury, smooth experience in Africa, find a different Travel Agent. Trust me on that one…
Reply from Giltedge
Posted on Jan 11, 2024We are deeply sorry to read your review. We value our clients’ feedback, and please rest assured that we take this seriously. Based on the daily updates which we received from our team in East Africa, we were under the impression that you were having a wonderful time until you arrived into Zanzibar. It was however very unfortunate that the end of your trip was a huge disappointment at The Residence in Zanzibar. We’ve noted your complaints and, as per our communication with your agent, we’re in discussions with the hotel regarding your complaints. Once again thank you for the feedback.
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Email Jason | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent attentive and personalized service from planning through execution
Giltedge did an amazing job planning and executing our honeymoon, taking a personalized approach right off the bat. We were looking to do a safari, as well as get in some beach time afterwards. Our Travel Expert, Liz, spent time with us to learn what we were looking for in both the safari portion as well as the island portion of our trip. She provided advice on travel logistics which made certain pairings work and others a travel nightmare. In the end, she helped us land on the Serengeti for our safari and Mauritius for our island time.
From that point, she put together an itinerary for us and presented a couple options on hotels. Liz was super responsive over email, answering our questions about the itinerary and helping refine our activities and schedule. She arranged our entire trip from when we landed in Kilimanjaro airport to when we departed Mauritius for home.
The trip went off smoothly. All of Giltedge's partners were welcoming, professional, punctual, and friendly. All of our accommodations had nice little touches congratulating us on our wedding and wishing us a happy honeymoon. The "on-the-ground" team, as well as Liz, were available and responsive whenever questions came up along the way. Truly impeccable service all around. I would highly recommend them and will certainly work with them again on our next big African adventure.
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Email Martin and Sharon | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Imagine your perfect safari vacation and then put a cherry on top!
We just returned from our third trip to South Africa, arranged by Giltedge. First two were through our US travel agent, this last one we worked directly with Tamera at Giltedge. Since this was our third trip, we knew exactly what we wanted and a big part of that was working with Giltedge. As always, Giltedge took care of everything from the minute we landed in Johannesburg to the moment we boarded our flight home. Specifically we wanted to visit Victoria Falls and then an extended safari in Sabi Sands (Notten' Bush Camp). She provided options for Victoria Falls and even got us the cottage we wanted at Notten's. When she asked if I wanted her to make my flights, as a retired road warrior, I graciously declined, as I have a fistful of status with my regular airline. She replied, "You don't even want to see a price?" I responded, "Well it won't likely change, but what do I have to lose?" She was able to save me money for business class over what I could have done for myself in economy plus. Having worked with Giltedge before, I knew what I would get. With the exception of one phone call, we handled the entire thing over email. I cannot finish this review without a word about Notten's Bush Camp. If you are looking for an intimate, family-like experience, Notten's is worth considering. All the conveniences of home, but with a real emersion into the bush. We saw the big five on our very first day, with a chetah added-in. By the time you leave, you will feel a part of their family and your traveling companions added-in. Go with Giltedge. They can help you plan the trip of your dreams.