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
US
Email Bill Bronner | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent itinerary, but could have used better communication prior to travel
Our itinerary was just right. Suggestions made by Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) were generally very good.
All travel connections worked and all guides appeared as planned. Our guides were all quite knowledgeable, well-spoken and very pleasant. I think some of the extras that we incurred should have been included in the package price or more clearly stated, but this was a minor issue. My only real complaint is that pre-travel communication should have been better. The information provided was more for appearances than substance. And the wallet provided at landing was embarrassingly short on any substantive materials.
Our hotels were all excellent, except for &Beyond Xudum which suffers from the necessity of a 75 minute drive each way over bumpy roads between the air strip and the lodge. They also had our poorest guide. Otherwise, the staff and food were very good.
We especially enjoyed Singita Boulders and the Views Hotel, although the food at the Views could be improved. The Harbor House restaurant on the Cape was outstanding.
I'm not sure a guide was needed at Victoria Falls, although he did get us to the falls at a good time of day for viewing which we might otherwise have missed. The river cruise was only interesting because of the wildlife on the banks.
I also want to recommend the Fat Fish restaurant in Plettenberg. It's a little more casual, but the food was excellent.
Our guides at both Singita lodges were terrific, as were our guides in Cape Town and Joberg.
Overall, we enjoyed a wonderful trip.
Email Lawrence | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and varied holiday with great accommodation
We spent a second holiday with Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) and enjoyed the experience again. All arrangements were made according to our agreements and there were no hiccups and the accommodation in all of the places we stayed were exceptional. An excellent apartment in Camps Bay, a wonderful game park in the Nambiti Hills, an original design lodge at the Zulu war battlefields and a luxury hotel on the coast near Durban were the highlights.
The guide at the Game Park was very experienced and committed and added to the enjoyment of seeing the wide range of animals (including the Big 5).
The tours of the battlefield were interesting although the guide was somewhat outdated in his style and attitude.
Although the whole organisation of the trip was good, the consultant on our previous trip was far more proactive than this time, but nevertheless all worked out very well and the knowledge of good accommodation of Giltedge Africa is second to none
CH
Email Sam | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
efficient, fast, helpful, friendly, honest, reliable
The service was great. Lots of helpful recommendations. Great way they present your own itinerary. Absolutely safe and reliable. Very fast in answering and impressing how they keep you informed. Thanks for your support Monique!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience!!
My wife and I just back from a fabulous trip to South Africa organized by Monique Dean at Giltedge Africa (Southern Africa Travel). Both the planning and the implementation phases went very well. Monique helped tremendously with recommendations for hotels(which were all great - Cape Grace, Le Quartier Francais, and Savanna Lodge in Krueger) and setting up some tours and all our transfers and flights within South Africa. Everything went very smoothly. The guide was terrific. We couldn't have been happier. Definitely recommend!!
ES
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A tour around Southern Africa
We asked for a tailored itinerary for a visit to Southern Africa. We had certain specific requests, to travel on the Blue Train, to see the Victoria Falls and to spend around 10 days in Cape Town. The SA Travel representative, Monique, phoned us three or four times in Spain to confirm our requirements and we eventually agreed a full itinerary. Monique was friendly and helpful at all times. Our 4 week excursion went absolutely smoothly with all contacts and transfers being made faultlessly. We had a truly memorable experience with all of our requests being met perfectly. We will certainly use them again for future visits to Southern Africa. They did a brilliant job.
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari Experience
My wife and I traveled for 9 days through Tanzania, and had an amazing trip. Monique was extremely helpful in helping us plan our itinerary via email exchanges. After meeting other people on similar safaris, I was very pleased with the parks we visited, our route and our length of stay at each destination. We started in Arusha, and spent a few days at Tarangire NP, Lake Manayara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti NP, in that order. This was really great because it meant our travel between destinations was relatively short, and each park had something amazing to offer. Overall, the entire planning of the trip was very good. A planner met us at the airport and walked us through every detail of the trip, and our guide, Malley, was excellent at taking us from place to place and making sure everything was ok. The lodges and tented camps were all excellent... a lot better than what I was expecting (and much better than previous trips to other African countries). I would definitely use Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) again to help plan other future trips.
NO
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent even in the details
Our group consisted of eight Norwegians of which three had been to South Africa before. We heard about Giltedge Africa (Southern Africa Travel) from ATG of Oxford. The dialogue with Giltedge Africa was a constructive one with good proposals and swift reactions. We received much appreciated advice on the safari part - Savanna Private Game Reserve - where Giltedge Africa in the end was very clear for which all the participants were very grateful. It was an excellent experience. Giltedge Africa also assisted in confirmation of some choicy restaurant bookings. All the bookings worked out. We were overall very pleased with the service level - swift reactions and clear advice - and even in the details, all worked out. The car was there when it should and the car guide was well suited to the group and its proclivities. If we were to do a South African trip again, and we might, Giltedge Africa would be the obvious cboice as tour operator.
VU
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Was wonderfull, a fantastique experience, I hope to go back.
Monique did help me a lot in planning our holidays in S.A early this year.
The hotel, lodges and Safaris that she had recommended where exactly in the range we where expecting.
The Sabi Sand in Kruger Park with the big 5 within 500m from our Lodge (the gourmet food in our lodge and the setting, the rooms and mostly the staff where Magnificent) , and the lodge at Victoria Falls in Livingstone (Zambia) was magic.
Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) can only be recommended regarding their extensive knowledge of the region and their advice.
I can only recommend them.
Christian
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Service! 100% Recommended
It was our first time in Africa, so I decided to book a tour operator to maximize our short time in the region. As I didn’t have any contacts, I decided to look up in the internet for tour operators.
I contacted about 5 of them, but from the minute I spoke to Melissa Oberholzer, I knew this was the tour operator I would choose! (Even though the prices of other operators were lower).
Melissa and her company provided an outstanding and efficient organization of what has been one of the best holidays of our lives!
Despite contacting her only 2 weeks before our trip, she was able to tailor make it exactly the way we wanted!. She put together a wonderful and very organized schedule so we were able to visit the best places that South Africa, Zambia and Namibia has to offer, in only 2 weeks!
Her disposition to organize such a wonderful trip in such a short period of time, plus her availability to answer every question we had (even at 11pm on a Saturday!) made our trip much more special, easier and relaxed.
We had the most wonderful time, and saw the most amazing sites in each of the countries we visited! But most importantly, the services that she chose for each of our stops (drivers, guides, hotels, etc), were excellent, extremely punctual and friendly. Everyone took great care of us while making sure we were happy and satisfied at all times.
All in all, it was really a wonderful and stress-free experience! And I would definitely hire their services again. I also recommend this tour operator to anyone planning to travel to Southern Africa.
Thank you very much and all the best!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was an amazing well rounded experience , in the safari lodges, and the guides provided.
We were 12 travelers on the safari , the communication and the accommodation for the requests fulfilled by our agent MS Monique Dean was appreciated. The lodges recommended were of high class to our expectations, and the guides through out the journey were very informative about south Africa. we ere able to see the big 5.