Top South Africa Cultural Tours & Packages In 2025/2026

What travelers are saying

"A Travesty of Trust - Beware of andBeyond Travel & Ryan Powell! I feel compelled to share my deeply frustrating and incredibly disappointing experience with andBeyond Travel, a company I once considered reputable and trusted for providing premium travel experiences. My trust was shattered when they displayed an appalling lack of professionalism and a sense of entitlement to our money. AndBeyond’s business practices during a period of crisis has forced me to caution fellow travelers to BEWARE OF ANDBEYOND and the hidden pitfalls of dealing with andBeyond Travel. My husband and I had planned an extensive trip with andBeyond, costing a considerable $31,580. We paid $7,588 by bank transfer and $23,992 by credit card. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the cancellation of all flights to South Africa and andBeyond closing all their camps led to the cancellation of our trip. During this tumultuous time, andBeyond offered us a deferment for a period of a year to a later date, without considering our preference for a refund. Due to the uncertainty of the future, we decided that we wanted to rebook when we felt comfortable and confident about traveling again. This unscrupulous behavior didn't end there. Once they had our money, they seemed determined to hold onto it, no matter the cost. Our dispute with the charges led us to approach Citibank, which after careful review, decided that andBeyond had no right to retain our money. They provided us with a full refund for the $23,992 we paid by credit card standing as a bulwark against andBeyond's subsequent attempts to reclaim the funds. from Citibank. However, the company, in a blatant disregard for our concerns, refused to refund the $7,588.00 that we had paid through bank transfer. With the pandemic now behind us I proposed to andBeyond that they permit us to utilize our money for future travels, given that we had received absolutely nothing in return for our payment of $7,588. This proposal was met with yet another refusal. It felt like our money was being held hostage, with us left helpless. Throughout the process of planning this trip, we were under the assurance of Jomandie Dempers, who convinced us that we were dealing with a trustworthy company. However, our actual experience was in stark contrast to this assurance. The way andBeyond handled the situation showed anything but reputability. In this day and age, where consumer reviews guide our choices and purchases, I feel it's my duty to alert others about this horrendous experience. Proceed with caution if you consider booking with andBeyond Travel. Their actions reflect a significant breach of trust, and a gross disregard for their customers' rights, comfort, and peace of mind. Be warned - don't let them ruin your travel dreams as they did ours!"

What travelers are saying

"My wife and I were on the Smithsonian Journeys Splendors of Australia and New Zealand between April 13 and May 2, 2018. Smithsonian is rated by this site as Luxury travel. However, Smithsonian "farms out" the logistics for their trip to Odysseys Unlimited. Odysseys booked within country air travel with the lowest cost air carriers. Flights were cancelled from Ayers Rock to Sydney and from Queenstown New Zealand to Rotorua. Another flight was significantly delayed so that we did not arrive at our Christchurch destination until 2:00 am, making for a really tired next day. Odysseys Unlimited compensated us $400 per person for missing a day in Sydney and paid for an excursion in Auckland for missing Rotorua. This was wholly inadequate, given that these were highlights of the trip. In addition, our tour guide was rude to several people on the trip. If Smithsonian Journeys is truly a luxury travel outfit, as we had believed, then they would not be farming out travel logistics to such a chinch company as Odysseys Unlimited. We will think twice about traveling with Smithsonian again, and so should others."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."

What travelers are saying

"Completely unethical booking situation. I requested a tour, submitted my CC info to hold the tour and tried to cancel it the following day. (My daughter broke her foot thus we couldn’t go). We were told the tour was not ‘confirmed’ but they still had to reach out to their local team prior to cancelling. The charge on credit card read pending. The intermediary company, Tour Radar, assured me that On the Go Travel would drop the pending charge. After a week or so, I got a generic email saying congratulations your tour has been booked. The full charge appeared on my credit card. I am livid. I am currently working with Tour Radar to drop the charge. Regardless of how this turns out, I will never ever travel with On the Go Travel."