South Africa Budget Safari Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"When I signed up for the Wonders of Costa Rica at a slower pace. The hotel listed in the itinerary for day 8&9 was a 4 star hotel on the beach called the Punta Leona. I'm not sure when but Road Scholar changed the Punta Leona hotel for the 3 star Villa Lapis Jungle hotel. I was shocked when we drove up to this dump. Others in the group wanted to leave and find another hotel. I had black bugs under that shower mat and the shower did not drain, Spiders on the wall and roaches coming out of the cracked in the bathroom. The bed was a thin mattress on a board and was hard as a rock. The food they put out was covered with a wrap but 15 minutes after the plastic wrap was removed it was covered with fruit flies. I passed on the open food bowls. The walls were real thin and the neighbors were real noisy until 11:30 pm. Others in the group complained about the late night noise, spiders and toilet seat being broken. I'm not sure where this place gets 3 stars. After I saw the roaches, I give it a 1 star. Road Scholar put us up in beautiful hotels and then they take us here. You can do better than this Road Scholar. The end the story, Road Scholar customer service called me about my concern and said they have never used the Punta Leona, (I sent her my itinerary that said PUNTA LEONA). She also said they haven't had any complaints about this Villa Lapis dump. After her call, I'm not sure if I'll ever travel with Road Scholar again. Enough said...."

What travelers are saying

"Our 8th OU tour was to Switzerland. We visited many sites in Switzerland, Austria and also a quick stop in Germany. O.U. takes all the stress away by using outstanding Tour Directors who handle everything. Our T. D. Kiara was fantastic! She worked flawlessly throughout the tour, even when we were stuck in Zermatt after a flood. I highly recommend O.U."

What travelers are saying

"Our trip started off with a lunch at Maya Gardens. We went to see the poultry in their pens while waiting for lunch, thinking it was a petting zoo. The poor birds did not have water or any indication that they ever had water. One of the turkeys was lying on it's side looking very sick. No one would give them water when I asked them to. The lunch was so awful I did not eat meat for the rest of the trip. I sent a video to Angela Bailey telling her this is not what we want to see when on a conservation trip and she acted like I was lying. Our guides were lazy and not caring about us. They took us to overpriced markets to get fleeced by the sellers there. At the anti-poaching farm tour, we had to walk over a bridge with wires on it, to keep wildlife in. One of our travelers, who was 65 years old, tripped over it and had to go to the hospital. No one warned her about the wires. Then, trying to get off the safari trucks, she was so very very sore and no guides helped her to get out of the truck. Completely appalling. The guides had very poor communication skills that worked for Discover Corps. I was forced to get vaccinated while in Kenya, because the laws changed while we were there. I asked if I could try to get out of the airport first and if I could not then get the vaccine. Discover Corps said "If you choose to do that, you are on your own". The conditions of medical in Kenya is not like the US and it was awful. The airport didn't even ask me for my vaccine card on the way out. DC could have worked with me on trying this first before forcing me to get this vaccine in a poor 3rd world country. Also, my vaccine card had the wrong date of birth and my name did not match what is on my passport. The doctor tried to get me to tip the nurse giving me the vaccine. The guides dropped us off curbside at the airport and left us there to navigate. I will NEVER use this company again. They did not have my back on anything that happened and Angela Bailey never contacted me to follow up about my experience after this trip was over."

What travelers are saying

"Lora-Leigh Huskisson was our travel agent representing Siyabona Africa out of Cape Town. I started communicating with Lora-Leigh in Aug 2022. I wanted a comprehensive tour for around 4 weeks in April 2023 that had 6 adults and 2 children under 6. I had done a lot of internet research and almost knew what I wanted. Lora-Leigh augmented that by suggesting the best places to stay and recommended a great safari camp. We started our tour with Siyabona in Sun City but just prior to that we stayed at Ekuthuleni Lodge in the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve which friends of ours had already organized. Great private Safari Lodge, excellent day drives, wonderful food and fabulous staff. We had our grandchildren with us and thought before going to Victoria Falls we would break up the trip with a kids weekend at Sun City. They had a wonderful time with the pools/waterpark and the adults played golf. They also did a self-drive in the nearby game reserve. If you want to see the wildlife in SA with young children you need to break up the various safaris that you sign up for. We then went to Victoria falls via air organized by Lora-Leigh as were all the remaining tour flights. I should mention that all flights (and there were a few) went off without any difficulties other than the Tambo airport baggage handlers who seem to access your luggage without any recriminations. Victoria Falls was nice to see and the children enjoyed the mist, getting wet and the sound of the falls. Lora-Leigh booked the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. It was a great choice. Its location is in viewing distance of a watering hole and everyday there were animals there. They also have a vulture feeding station. Once again the children enjoyed the staff, the food (especially the Dinner and Drum show at the Boma) the swimming pool and watching the animals. A good choice by Lora-Leigh. This was about enough for the young ones and that family of four left to return home but four of us continued on with the itinerary. Our next stop was on the Chobe Princess Safariboat in Namibia. I can't give Lora-Leigh all the credit for this choice as it was really my suggestion. However, the transportation to get to the boat was all down to her organization. The boat is literally across and upstream from the falls but you need to go through three border crossings to get there. Normally, this would appear to be difficult, and I think it generally is, but we had drivers who got us through it all, waiting on each side, waiting at the small boat to get us across the river, the walk up a long dirt road to Namibia immigration and eventually to the Safariboat. Was it worth it? You bet. The Safariboat doesn't really go that far up the river but it doesn't matter. This is a fabulous way to see wildlife in the morning, in the evening, and in most cases all day via the tenders that the Safariboat provides. The food was good, the refreshments were good, the staff and guides were great. The Chobe river is pretty pristine and provides a water related habitat to everyone - human and animal. It was hard to leave the Safariboat but we did, went to yet another airport for our flight to Kadizora Camp in the Okavango Delta. This should be easy, right. Not all planes in Botswana go to where they say they are going. Our flight stopped at another camp and we got off and got on another plane to Kadizora airstrip. Did we have to wait - no - the second plane was there waiting for us, ready to go. Walk 30 meters from one plane to the next. Luggage just walked to the next plane by the pilot. How good is that service? Kadizora Camp was exactly like Lora-Leigh said it would be like. We went out every day looking for animals and TwoBoy our guide found them every day. Not just the easy ones to find but lions, hyenas, crocodiles, hippos, wild dogs, etc. but no leopard although we kept trying but to no avail. Kadizora camp is in a great location on the delta and the delta is a must see in Botswana. So our group would like to say thank you to Lora-Leigh and Siyabona Africa for their service and their guidance. It was a great adventure."

What travelers are saying

"This letter is effectively what was communicated no less than 8 times in writing and conversation to OAT representatives up the chain, beginning 19 days before the trip. OAT was IMMOVABLE on allowing us to find an alternative travel companion and it was 100% due to rigid policy, not real barriers. We never expected a refund and wouldn't have blamed them if we could not fill my spot. They refused to even give us the opportunity. Appalling and sadly representative of their customer service. Congratulations, you lost two customers and one long time referral source. I only think it is fair that folks know the nature of the company at this point. An absolute shame. As a dedicated Edmund Hillary member of OAT with a history of introducing countless friends to your service including 4 who booked trips, I am writing to express my deep concern over the handling of our Galapagos trip booking in light of a recent medical emergency. This situation not only highlights significant gaps in customer communication and care but also underscores the need for immediate, effective action. Timeline of Events and Communication Issues: Initial Contact on 11/22: We contacted OAT 19 days before the trip, scheduled for 12/11, as soon as it became clear that extended surgical complications would prevent my travel. Policy of No Refunds or Changes Under 30 Days: We were informed that the trip is non-refundable under 30 days, which is understood. However, OAT also refused to allow a replacement traveler, posing zero risk to the company. Both of us called, met with the same response. Response from Exceptions Department on 11/22: The no-change policy was reiterated by the Exceptions Department on the same day. Written Escalation on 11/22: Both parties sent written letters to escalate the matter. Delayed Response Until 11/29: We did not receive any response until 11/29, with OAT mentioning the inability to make changes 12 days before the trip. Policy vs. Practical Reasons: The response seemed more policy-based than practical. We offered to cover the cost for a replacement traveler for the internal Galapagos flight, which was declined. The rep always returned to the policy prohibiting it. She further added we do not sell trips within 30 days. Upon looking the next day, I found no less than 7 different itineraries with no less than 13 different trips that I could have booked within 30 days. Further Escalation Request and Conversation on 11/30: A further request for escalation resulted in a 23-minute conversation on 11/30 without any change. Given these circumstances, I propose the following practical solution: Future Travel Credit in Exchange for Re-Selling My Space: If finding a substitute traveler is unfeasible, I suggest OAT resell my space to another interested party, crediting me for a future trip. This solution aligns with my preference and ongoing loyalty to OAT. The lack of a constructive response and rigid adherence to policy without considering exceptional circumstances is alarming. It not only affects this immediate trip but also impacts my ability to continue advocating for OAT in good conscience. An amicable and prompt resolution to this issue would speak volumes about OAT's commitment to customer satisfaction and flexibility. Unless there is a prompt and constructive resolution to this matter, we will be forced to escalate our concerns further. This includes reaching out to higher management within OAT, engaging with consumer protection agencies, sharing our experience through travel forums, and social media for breach of service. Our preference is to resolve this amicably, yet the current trajectory leaves us little choice but to pursue these avenues. I implore you to seriously consider these options and respond in a manner that reflects OAT's values of empathy and customer support. Your immediate attention to this matter is not only appreciated but necessary for a resolution that respects both parties' interests. Thank you for your understanding and prompt attention to this critical issue."

What travelers are saying

"We just got back from our 11 day Safari trip ALL PLANNED by Rothschild! We were celebrating my 50th birthday and I’ve always wanted to go on a safari. I researched many companies and after speaking many times with Pam Langhoff we decided upon choosing Rothschild to put together our safari trip. Best decision!!! Rothschild made all the arrangements and thought of every detail. I really had no clue about planning a safari. Pam planned everything! Every time someone was there to pick us up or take us to our next destination or see us off. Our guide and safari truck was arranged for us. All the park fees and registrations were already paid for and all the accommodations were booked and paid for and all details explained. Everything was timely and we had full communication with a contact in Africa (because of the time change 8 hours ahead if we needed anything). We even had them book our flights. They do everything and think of everything we had no idea we had to apply for a Tanzania visa.. This company is first class and takes care of every detail. We had no idea about planning and where to go. Pam put together an awesome tailored itinerary for us. We stayed 2 nights in Tarangire National Park in really really cool nice tents, then 3 nights at Gibbs Farm in the Ngorongoro Highlands and went to the crater, then flew to the Serengeti and stayed 3 nights at Serengeti Safari camp in mobile tents!! What an experience! We saw the great migration! I woke up in the Serengeti on my 50th birthday! Pam and Rachel and all the Rothschild staff were easy to work with and ask questions (trust me I had many) they planned a magical trip for my husband and 2 teenagers!! We all agree this was our favorite trip we have ever been on! We will use Rothschild again for sure!"

What travelers are saying

"I booked my 9 days holiday with Elizabeth Nkoana. It was amazing, professionally done and competitive rates! Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!"