How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Jakes made our holiday-his personal experiences, local knowledge, and socio-political commentaries gave us the valuable insights that we had hoped to gain from our visit. His sense of humour and interchanges with Simon,our excellent driver, provided a lot of funny moments.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Try to get Jakes and Simon!!

Do you have anything else to add?

I havent rated 'excellent' because we felt the last two days were rushed.You could build in another day at least, perhaps with more walking time, to allow this great country to seep in to our souls a bit more.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Jakes was an excellent tour guide and Simon an excellent driver. Jakes rapport with Simon was fantastic and they made a great team. Jakes was knowledgable, entertaining and funny. He went out his way to ensure that requests from group members were accommodated. If Jakes was a tour guide on other trips and Simon the driver I'd book up again tomorrow !

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

I booked land only and transfers to and from airport were easy enough. The hotel can book a taxi for you. We booked an extra night at the end of our stay at the same hotel (Strand Tower) and it was nice to have some extra time after the tour. City Sightseeing bus a good way to orientate yourself in Cape Town either on the day you arrive or day you leave. Bus leaves from near the hotel.

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

One of the very best, and so was the Driver (also Simon!) If not the best ever

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Ask for Jakes as leader and Simon as driver

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Jakes was a great tour leader along with Keith our driver. They were a great double act and added many personal touches to the trip throughout to ensure we all enjoyed our holiday. Jakes provided lots of information about the history of South Africa and was always thinking ahead to ensure we made the best of the holiday – including organising whale watching from Pletternberg bay instead of Hermanus due to the unpredictable weather forecast.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"This is a slow paced holiday and you can choose to opt out of some of the walks if you want. I did all the excursions and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Prices are accurate as quoted in the trip notes if not a little cheaper in some areas. There are a couple of optional extras not mentioned in the trip notes such as the animal close encounters at the Wildlife Ranch, so you may want to take that into account when budgeting for your trip.
Eating out at lunch is cheap and you can get a sandwich/chips/drink for around £5. In the evening you eat in each hotel for one night and then have a free choice for the second night in the town, meaning you can find something to suit your budget. I spent anything from £8-£20."

Do you have anything else to add?

"Sit back and enjoy! The scenery is amazing especially along the coast. All of the hotels and guesthouses we stayed in were excellent particularly the lodge at Oudsthoorn.
Binoculars are useful to have to spot whales from the shoreline, and a camera with a good zoom is needed to get photos from a distance, although you do get closer to them whilst whale watching. "

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Jaques, was brilliant.  In all aspects.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Go for it.

I went to South Africa not knowing what to expect.  I wanted to see whales and winelands.  The Cape in October greeted us with very strong winds which were unexpected although generally the weather was warm.  The tour started gently with a free day in Cape Town to explore the Victoria and Alfred harbour area.  The second day was a taste of what was to come with an early start and trip to Houts Bay and then on down to Cape Point and a walk across to the Cape of Good Hope.  The whales were elusive but other wildlife could be seen - Dassies, Eland, Baboons.  The following day the weather cleared and we climbed Table Mountain in glorious sunshine before setting off for the winelands.  We had wine tastings, walked, toured old towns and did I mention we had wine tastings!   We moved on through the spectacular Garden Route and visited Cango Caves and an ostrich farm.  We discussed South Africa's troubled past and its hopes for the future.  We stayed in excellent accomodation, met lots of friendly people, drank lots of very good wine and ate excellent food including samples of the local wildlife.  The disappointment was the whales - until Hermanous on the second last day.  Then, there they were, just yards off shore.  The Southern Right Wales were moving around the bay.  We even had a meal at a restaurant where we could watch whales breaching off shore as we ate. The trip was packed with activity and  looking back it is hard to see how we fitted everything in. The guide was excellent, knowledgeable, entertaining, efficient and he helped to make the trip something special.  The highlight could have been the climb to Table Mountain, or the winery tour, or  Cango Caves, or the visit to Railton township, the whales, or any number of other things we did on this tour.   In South Africa in October I saw a country with a climate much like a good English spring, a variety of cultures getting along together, spectacular scenary, exotic plants and varied wildlife.  Would I go back? - you bet I would. (CP - 14th October 2011)

The Cape Town region of South Africa is a great place to visit in November. The weather is warm to hot and days are long, but it is malaria free unlike other nearby areas. Our trip started locally with a day tour around the Cape peninsula. Relaxing sightseeing alternated with energetic walks and clambering onto the Cape of Good Hope. Fortunately the strong wind was on-shore! The next day we had perfect weather for our exploration of Table Mountain before heading for Stellenbosch. We made the most of tasting oportunities in this well known wine area, and had delicious dinners on a tranquil guest farm. Moving on along to the Little Karoo the landscape changed dramatically to arid land with ostrich rather than wine and cheese farms!  Next it was over the mountains to the beautiful coastal region. Here we watched for whales, dolphins and seals and were fortunate in seeing all three. The day spent in Tsitsikamma National Park at thecoast was a particular highlight.  Walking along the coast in the sunshine and thrilling at the sight of dolphins and whales is something I will long remember.  On the way back along the coastal route to Cape Town we enjoyed a visit to a private game reserve and, in the only rain of the trip, an interesting and enlightening Township visit.  This holiday is a great mix of action and relaxation with many varied optional visits, but time to just "be" and relax by several swimming pools along the way. Food and wine were reasonably priced and varied from excellent seafood to delicious ostrich steaks.  Although a group tour there were several oportunities to opt out and to make individual plans. On the last day I really enjoyed a visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, while other participants went to Robben Island or just relaxed and shopped.  The direct non-stop flight and minimal time difference make this a trip the needs little recovery time on returning home. (CP - 12th November 2010)

Lots of people had told me South Africa was wonderful but nothing could have prepared me for the aching beauty of the scenery, the whales bobbing around in the bays seemingly metres from the shore, the delicious food (we ate our way through the whole genus of antelope), wine lists as long as Anna Karenina and, well, ... ostrich riding. Chris, our tour leader, was very knowledgeable and open about South Africa's dark past and present stark inequalities. The township tour was fascinating and not at all ghoulish and everywhere we went people were pleased to see us and very hospitable. The unexpected part was the fantastic group dynamic promoted by Chris and the laughs we had, on the road and beyond. I would never have thought of reciting a poem about, well, ostriches, written on a bus before this trip. Advice? Make sure you get Chris as a tour leader and book a few extra days at the beginning or the end as 11 days was not enough for this extraordinary holiday. (CP- 6th August 2010)