50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The road trip to the Stars!
My husband and I had long last been on a road trip and decided to go on a "Nerdy one" - we wanted to meet SALT.
SALT is the South African Large Telescope resident on a mountain top in Sutherland.
While our destination was set, the "schelp" on getting there was daunting, after a few hours of route planning and accommodation searching, I grew bored and disillusioned. I reached out to Google and found GO SELF DRIVE TOURS. I was skeptical but sent the email inquiry. Much to my surprise I received a prompt and friendly reply.
It took a few emails for Alette from GO SELF DRIVE to understand us as travelers and what we were expecting from our holiday. A few more emails ironing out the details and we were set! GO SELF DRIVE planned everything - accommodation, routes and places of interest. All I had to do was relax, pack and leave - how liberating!
A few weeks before departure a detailed pack was dropped off by courier including the latest SA road map book - while Google Maps and WAZE are amazing, that map book was a god send when entering zero cell reception zones! A WhatsApp group was also created so we could contact GO SELF DRIVE if we needed to. Every detail was accounted for, my husband and I were safe in their capable hands.
We embarked on our 5000km road round trip taking us from KZN through the Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.
The bound detailed itinerary book supplied with our holiday pack was invaluable - each day had a dedicated chapter showing us our route, places of interest, restaurants to our taste and our accommodation.
All reservations were taken care of - accommodation and other. Alette from GO SELF DRIVE, kept in contact informing us and the hotels, guest houses and game farms when and where we were and our arrival times. Completely seamless and headache free.
We had one of the best holidays we have ever had!
We came away from our trip revitalized.
South Africa is one heck of a beautiful country and want to see more!
We are already planning our next trip and GO SELF DRIVE will definitely be with us again!
I can recommend this company, without it, we would not have had such a wonderful time.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very friendly and experienced
I had an unforgettable 4-day safari with my family – truly an amazing experience from start to finish. Everything was very well organised, from the accommodations to the daily game drives, which made the whole trip smooth and enjoyable. Our guide/driver Mick was absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and always went the extra mile to make sure we had the best possible experience. We saw incredible wildlife up close, learned so much about the parks, and felt completely safe and well taken care of throughout.
A truly amazing experience
We just completed a 6-day, 5-night safari with Axis Africa Safaris for our honeymoon and it exceeded all our expectations! Our adventure began in the Maasai Mara, where we saw so many amazing wildlife. We got to experience a sunrise hot air balloon ride with sweeping views of the savannah which is an experience we’ll never forget.
Next, we explored Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, enjoying close encounters with animals on a boat ride and walking safari. The finale in Amboseli was spectacular, with the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Our guide, Ben, was exceptional - friendly, knowledgeable, and always finding wildlife before anyone else. We managed to tick off almost every animal we were hoping to see - including a couple of cheetahs! The accommodation was fantastic, the local people welcoming, and Axis Africa Safaris even helped arrange the perfect ending to our trip with 3 days of relaxation on Diani Beach.
All in all it has been a truly amazing experience and I would definitely highly recommended!
JP
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Marvellous
My son and I joined a gorilla trekking tour – truly a splendid experience. I had taken part in one more than a quarter of a century ago, and it was unforgettable. This time, the experience exceeded my expectations – even better than before. Let me share our story.
I found OffTrek through an online search for gorilla tours. I contacted them directly and arranged a private tour. The arrangements were smooth, though there was a slight communication issue when sending money online. Fortunately, everything was resolved within a day, and they made sure I felt confident about the booking.
On the day of the tour, our guide Kevin picked us up at our hotel right on time and drove us about 2.5 hours from central Kigali to the gorilla trekking site. He ensured the process went smoothly, and our trek began. The hike itself lasted around 4.5 hours – quite challenging (though our guide Daniel described it as “medium difficulty”). The highlight, of course, was the unforgettable moment of encountering gorillas in the wild.
After the trek, Kevin drove us back to Kigali, stopping at a few souvenir shops along the way, where we bought a gorilla cane (a collapsible one that fits easily into a suitcase!) and some gorilla T-shirts. Instead of visiting a “nice” restaurant, I asked Kevin to stop at Sina Gerald’s restaurant, where we enjoyed brochettes and Irish potatoes. It was perfect – far better than waiting a long time for food in a formal restaurant after such an exhausting trek.
As for the gorilla trekking itself – it is absolutely worth the price. The natural beauty is breathtaking. At one point, a mother gorilla charged at us after being disturbed by a trekker’s oversized camera, but the guides handled the situation calmly and professionally.
A couple of tips for anyone planning to join gorilla trekking:
1. Hire a porter – essential. At first, I wasn’t eager, since we didn’t have much to carry. But I quickly realized that porters are not just for carrying bags – they assist you in climbing steep hills. Most trekkers agreed that without them, it would have been far more difficult to reach the gorillas.
2. Footwear – buy local boots. Instead of bringing expensive hiking boots and gaiters, I strongly recommend buying simple rubber boots in Rwanda. The soil can get very muddy, and many trekkers struggled with their hiking shoes. Local boots cost only about 6,000–10,000 RWF (around USD 4–10), and are widely available in Kigali for even less. After the trek, we gave ours to our porters, who appreciated them. (I checked with our guide Daniel first, and he confirmed it was perfectly fine.)
All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Many thanks to Emmy and Kevin for arranging such a memorable private tour!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great communication. Friendly staff
We did the Mnemba Island dolphin swim and snorkel on our honeymoon. Incredible excursion. Saw many dolphins up close and all kinds of fish. We would definitely recommend Star Hill.
PK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
We had an incredible experience with African Hagyko Safaris and our driver Harrison. He was punctual, friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable. The vehicle was clean and comfortable and I appreciated the charging outlets, water and windows. We rode in another vehicle to go to a balloon ride and I was wishing we were in Harrisons instead. Harrison not only knew a ton about the animals and Masai Mara but the vehicle as well so we always felt like we were in good hands. I will be recommending African Hagyko Safaris to all of my friends and family interested in doing a Safari in Kenya.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Such a wonderful experience! Highly recommend!
Very friendly and professional. Extremely knowledgeable. Really enjoyed the tour and spending time with them!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
You create unforgettable journeys by taking care of every detail for travelers
I had the best experience . Our agent went above and beyond to make everything smooth and enjoyable. She was professional, friendly, and truly cared about every detail of our trip. It’s honestly the best service I’ve ever received from a travel agency, and she made me appreciate and love Bonfire Adventures even more. I will definitely book with them again
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well above our expectations
From day one we were very impressed with our tour guide Stamford, our accomodation,the food and refreshments the safaris,everything was so well organised and enjoyable.
Our group of eight were so pleased that we booked with Zim Africa and would highly recommend them to anyone who want high standards safety and proffesionalism.
Thank you Zim Africa 5 stars.
