From
$6,999
pp*
Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana From $6,999 pp*
Explorations*Rate is per person, land only, double occupancy, tour inclusions and available options may vary based on departure date.
Please select a date below for more details.
Tour Types
- Classic
- Exploration
- Faith
- Cruising
- Spotlights
Enjoy a refined take on the art of group travel.
Experience true adventures on these Collette small group tours.
Set out on an inspiring journey on these faith-based travel experiences.
Explore the world's most beautiful waterways.
Come to know your destination during a single-hotel stay.
Your Tour at a Glance
Stay
Meals
Tour Activity Level
The activity level for this tour:
1
2
3
4
You’re a leisurely traveler. You typically take it easy and discover the energy of a new place by people-watching or soaking in the atmosphere at a local café. You can climb at least one flight of stairs, board a coach, and walk unassisted at a relaxed pace for up to 60 minutes without difficulty. You can easily handle altitudes up to 5,000 feet.
You like a balanced approach to travel. Walking two to three miles over the course of a day is no problem for you. You can partake in a two-hour leisurely walking tour, covering up to two miles (with included breaks). You can handle a variety of terrains, from cobblestone streets to moderate hills with relative ease and without assistance. You can climb two flights of stairs with ease. There may be 1 to 2 days on this tour when walking tours can cover 3 to 4 miles over uneven terrain. You can handle altitudes up to 6,000 feet.
You’re an on-the-go traveler. You don’t want to miss a thing, so walking and standing for longer periods of time (2-3 hours) isn’t a big deal. A moderately paced two-and-a-half-hour walking tour, covering several miles, hills, and uneven surfaces, is no problem for you. Walking four miles over the course of a day is very doable, as is climbing into and out of various modes of transportation (tuk-tuk, cable car, zodiac, etc.). You can climb three flights of stairs easily and handle altitudes between 6,000 and 9,000 feet. Expect some longer days balanced with free time to recharge or set out on your own adventure. This level is not a fit for travelers who require mobility assistance devices.
You’re ready to seize the day, whatever it may bring. You lead an active life at home (walking, biking, and half or full day hikes are things you may enjoy) and 10,000 steps a day is normal for you. You can handle longer walking tours (more than 3 hours covering 3+ miles at a steady clip) and activities that involve traversing uneven terrain, steep slopes, standing for periods of time, and varying altitudes and temperatures. You don’t mind being on the go with some early starts, late-nights, and full days. You can handle altitudes of 9,000 feet or higher with little to no issue. This level is not appropriate for travelers who use wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility assistance devices.
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Itinerary
Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana
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Enhance Your Trip
Optional Excursions
Add some more spice to your tour with this optional excursions.
Pre and Post Night Stays
Enjoy arriving early or checking out late with our Pre and Post night stays.
Extension Style
The extension style for this tour:
Guided
Hosted
Independent
Experience the destination with a full itinerary planned for you. You’ll be joined by a dedicated Tour Manager and enjoy planned local experiences and sightseeing. In addition, your accommodations, daily breakfast, and any transfers to connect with your main tour are included. (The Tour Manager for your extension may or may not be the same person as your main tour.)
Enjoy a mix of time on your own and some planned tour activities. A local expert is available during part of your stay to guide you during scheduled activities and provide recommendations. In addition, your accommodations, daily breakfast, and any transfers to connect with your main tour are included.
Explore a destination on your own. Your accommodations, daily breakfast, and any transfers to connect with your main tour are included – the rest is whatever you decide! On an independent extension, there won’t be a Tour Manager or local representative present.
Traveler Reviews
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Our safari guides were the best. He pointed out so many animals and was so knowledgeable about the country, environment, animals. It was a dream come true trip. -
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Great experience that created unbelievable memories! The game drives were a highlight! While I enjoyed the visits to local homes I would appreciate another option if choosing not to attend.
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This small group tour fulfilled a childhood dream. It ran smoothly and was very professional from start to finish. The tour directors and guides were very responsive to the interests and needs of our group. We were fortunate to see so many different species of animals. A very memorable experience was having a very personal encounter with the wild elephants of Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. Thank you Collette for making a dream come true and reigniting a passion to care for and appreciate our beautiful planet!
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It was all GREAT from start to end ! Our tour managers were great, they both went out of their way to make sure we were good. Hats off to Jean and Shuaib!
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The tour was fantastic and the tour manager was incredible. One issue was the flight from Johanesburg to Zimbabwe. I believe the airlines was called FastJet. They left my wife's luggage and 8 other people's luggage in our group at the Johannesburg airport because they said they were over weight. Needless to say, this was a real inconvenience to my wife and others. The tour manager did everything she could do but the luggage did not arrive until the next evening. This was a terrible way to start our vacation. The airlines should be reprimanded.
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There were too many to mention one. It was a trip of a lifetime. Our tour guide was amazing explaining the culture and history of each location. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in visiting Africa,
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The tour was amazing, we saw so many animals! We enjoyed the trip to Victoria Falls and enjoyed staying in The Wallows. Peter was fun and engaging as our tour manager, would highly recommend him if you are on a Collette Tour in South Africa.
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Would have liked more time at Victoria Falls And Penguin colony.
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All of it! Great blend and variety of tours. Tour manager was the BEST!
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We love that Collette had everything planned for us. Every adventure, every safari, every meal, the accommodations were truly 1st class! Our tour manager, Peter Hess was absolutely amazing! His knowledge of everything regarding the tour, the countries visited, the animals, the geography and even US politics (which was not discussed on the tour!) was so helpful in understanding everything we experienced while there. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us!
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As first time international travelers, I did not truly know what to expect. This tour and our tour manager was so much more than I could have ever expected! The animals, the accommodations, the food, the people, the transfers, everything went seamlessly and was way more than I had even dreamed of! Our tour manager, Peter Hess was so friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. He even organized a driver to take me to a pharmacy to purchase migraine medicine without me even asking. He knew I was miserable and just wanted to help. I was so thankful and impressed. Way above and beyond from Peter!
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Peter was the best tour director I have every had. We have traveled all over the world on varies tours. Peter was the best!!!!
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The game drives were great. We saw so many animals and our tour director and the driver guides were excellent in their knowledge.
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The "Safari/Game Drives" were the most outstanding parts of this amazing trip to southern Africa!
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Very dissatisfied with the Dubai pre-trip extension. Collette gave us no itinerary of who or when we were to be picked up for local tours, etc. The hotel was located away from everything and taxi's very expensive. The tour to desert was a joke and tourist trap only. We were supposed to have a walking tour through historical area, and guide told us area was closed due to construction, but we saw many tour groups walking area when we arrived in bus! If we had known, we could have walked the area on our own the day before! As for the S Africa portion, Collette had changed itinerary from when we originally booked. Too much traveling back and forth to Johannesburg and never even touring or seeing Johannesburg. Just used the airport. Traveled 9 1/2 hours to get to Johannesburg, then flew out early next morning to Victoria Falls. Originally, we started game drives for a few days and then flew to VF. Then flew back to VF, only to get on bus for 3 1/2 hours to drive to Pilanesburg and after 3 nights repeat the entire drive back to Johannesburg and fly out again! 2 days wasted traveling back and forth and seeing nothing new. Met some wonderful and fun people which made the trip. Not sure if we would travel again with Collette.
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Seeing all the animals in their natural habitats. Visiting wine country outside Cape Town. Having animals greet us outside our living quarters. Seeing the majesty of Victoria Falls. Learning about the culture and lives of people living in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Eating different foods that are customary in those countries.
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Seeing the male lion and leopard in Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The wine lands and wine tasting in Somerset South Africa. The farewell dinner in Cape Town. It was a great cultural experience and marvelous food.
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The safaris and guides were exceptional! Accommodations are very good. However, as I mentioned to Collette after the trip, the description in the guide book that we received for the itinerary should be updated. It did not accurately describe “travel days” and exaggerated the need for special clothing. Also there was no need to worry about bottled water; plenty was available on safari and in lodging. My biggest complaint is with the return flight on Delta. Flying in PREMIUM ECONOMY we received very little upgraded service. AND BREAKFAST WAS CANCELED DUE TO SUPPOSED TURBULENCE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SERVED TO FIRST CLASS. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! THAT WAS 12 HOURS WITHOUT FOOD!!!!!
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The game drives! Watching the elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos and zebras up close.
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Enjoyed the various culture experiences and meeting local hosts. Our tour guide, Diedre Venter was excellent. Loved Victoria Falls, the safari drives and Cape Town. Overall the itinerary was great. If there was one thing I would omit, it would be the afternoon olive oil tasting.
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Wallow Lodge - the hotel, the preserve, and the tours were excellent. Chobe Marina Lodge - the land and river safaries were excellent but the hotel was kind of old and run down, and several people tripped and fell over loose boards out on the deck or between the buildings. Victoria Falls - this was an excellent trip. Stellenbosch region - the wineries were a nice diversion but the wines themselves were not good. A better use of that day might've been to visit a winery closer to Stellenbosch and then give us a free day in the town of Stellenbosch, where there were several places to shop, eat, and taste the local wines. Pilansburg National Park - this was the highlight of the trip. Great stuff here. Table Mountain, Penguin Beach, Cape of Good Hope - all great stuff. Free day while in South Africa - this ended up being a waste for most people. We arranged through the hotel to go back to Stellenbosch for the day, but most people didn't know what to do and just wandered around. Same thing on the final day of the trip, when we had 7 hours in Cape Town before we had to leave for the airport - not enough time to sightsee but too much time to just sit in the hotel. One other thing - it isn't necessary for us to have fancy meals for every hotel lunch and dinner, or for every lunch that's included in the tours (like at the wineries. Not everyone wants duck or rack of lamb for lunch! Having some simple hamburger or sandwich options for people would be great - on the free days, everyone was desperate for just a light meal. And...personally I was disappointed that there were almost no opportunities to eat local meats - only 1 hotel had ostrich, and another had a gazelle burger. One of the restaurants said they had crocodile but when we got there they were out of it. Give people greater food options; most of the time we felt like we were still in the US eating at a regular restaurant.
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The six safaris never got old for me. See the animals close up was thrilling. The visit to the elephant rescue was delightful; I really enjoyed feeling liked by the elephant I petted and fed. I was blown by the visit to animal rescue and release facility; they do so much with so little. The trek through Victoria Falls thrilled me; I'd love to see how powerful it is during the rainy season. I enjoyed meeting a village chief and gaining insight into the lives of the villagers. I loved the Gold Restaurant for authentic African food.
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The entire tour was spectacular. I felt like I was in two separate trips - one in Botswana and Zimbabwe and a second in South Africa because the experiences were so different. The safaris were amazing and the drivers were well informed and determined we’d see the big 5. The trip to the tribal village will stay with me forever. Victoria Falls was amazing but the tour was made special by the Guide, Deirdre Venter(sp?). She was so well versed in all aspects of the things we saw that I truly felt immersed in Africa. About the only thing I wasn’t impressed with was the dinner at Gold’s Restaurant — it felt very “touristy. The diners at the private homes were so impactful. Again, Deirdre is a treasure!
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Tour Manager was excellent. Knew about everything and enjoyable to be around. Victoria Falls was beautiful including rainbowsl. Since I am 90 years old Tour Manager arranged a wheel chair for me. I could have walked if I had to but she was very thoughtful to think of that! .All lodges were GREAT. Expeditions out to see the animals was excellent. Driver was very enjoyable and informative and a good driver and we saw lots of animals including a family of lions that walked right across the road in front of us. Trip could not have been better!!!
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Would have preferred queen beds for accommodations vs. 2 twins.
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The safaris are definitely worth it. The very first Safari we went on we saw all kinds of wild animals. Tour manager took care of us was unbelievable it was Thys Dewet he had water for us Every time we get on a vehicle and off a vehicle. He told us so many things about South Africa and had all kinds of interesting information to tell us. It was just amazing the whole trip absolutely amazing. I should’ve recorded him for everything he said. The attention to detail and organization was amazing! Just a wonderful trip can’t say anymore about it
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Traveling by boat on the Chobe River watching the animals come to the river to drink water. Wonderful The tour guide did an excellent job and took care of everyone.
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We would rather have spent more time on the game drives than going to Cape Town. Most memorable was seeing so many animals at Chobe and watching the Rino fight at Pilanesberg.
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Amazing tour with an experienced guide that stayed with us the entire trip. Loved all the animals -- staying in a glamping tent with an outdoor shower -- seeing the magnificent falls -- just everything!
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Victoria Falls, multiple Safaris, home visits & meals, interacting with new friends, special authentic dinners with entertainment just to name a few.
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My favorite experience was the safaris & the visit to the tribal village My least favorite was the time at the penguin reserve.
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We saw the Big Five! The river cruise and meals were outstanding!
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My second trip with Collette and it was amazing! The accommodations and food were pleasant. This is a fast moving tour but our Guide was fabulous and full of knowledge. We saw all the wild life on the list and even more than we expected!
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The safaris were amazing, and the rangers very knowledgeable and safety-minded.
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animals up close
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face-to-face with the animals and the very impressive Victoria Falls
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Amazing sights, excellent tour manager, small group.
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My most memorable experience was feeding the elephants
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This was an amazing adventure!! Everything was amazing. I would highly recommend this trip.
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From beginning to end, this trip was a once in a lifetime experience. While there was something magical about the land itself, there was nothing magical about the dedication, experience and desire for us to have an amazing experience by the men and women who were our safari drivers (especially Marvin), local guides, hotel staff members, cooks, and of course our tour manager Thabie Moji. Thabie worked tirelessly day and night making sure everyone was having an amazing experience. Her professionalism was something I have not experienced to that degree previously. She was truly amazing.
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Collette put together an amazing experience, filled with awe-inspiring views of so many animals, up close and personal! It was also very educational, from our very knowledgeable guides, to getting to spend time with local families, and learning about conservation efforts. I would highly recommend this trip.
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The tour guide was very informative, funny, and attentive to details. Best experience was feeding the elephants at the elephant preserve. The food was exceptional.
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This was my first Collette tour experience. I would say that we had a very good time. We saw a lot, learned a lot, met nice people, and enjoyed ourselves very much. South Africa is a very diverse and complicated society with the vast differences between wealth and poverty. Highlights for me were Victoria Falls, the numerous safari and river cruises we took, the Stellenbosch wine region, and Cape Town, and the peninsula tour. Everything was well organized. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, detail oriented, and friendly. I was looking forward to starting our trip in Johannesburg, because of all the history associated with it. It was unfortunate that safety concerns limited our ability to roam around freely. We did hire a driver for a several hours tour. Fortunately, he explained a lot to us, which was a very good introduction to the reality of life there. Overall it was a very good experience, and I think I’m inclined to take another tour with Collette.
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I loved my tour to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. I loved mixing with the locals at markets and getting to talk to them. Another great experience was the home hosted dinners we attended. An elephant brush our safari jeep topped it off for me. I highly recommend booking the trip you won't regret it.
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Staying at The Wallow And Spier in Stellenbosch Thys De Wet was an an amazing guide!! One of the BEST! This itinerary is great. Love the diversity and all that it includes. Highly recommend.
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Walking the distance at the beautiful Victoria Falls, going on seven game drives and two river game drives to see the “Big Fives” were awesome. Visiting homes and having meals with the locals to learn more about their cultures were knowledgeable and intriguing.
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Fantastic experience throughout. Accommodations and food were wonderful. The tour guide was highly knowledgeable.
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I'm 80 and was worried if I could do the walk. Very enjoyable walk and see the wonders of Victoria Falls. Your guide made sure I could walked at my speed and often walked with me
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The overall tour was amazing and we had a wonderful time. The experience was once in a lifetime and I would recommend to anyone.
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The Wallow in Zimbabwe was a glamping, luxury tent experience. The animals came right up to the tent deck, the setting was gorgeous! Our safari driver, Pete, was fantastic. He made sure we saw the elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and many other animals up close.
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It was a wonderful trip. The tour director ruddy was great. The place was perfect.
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Couldn’t have had a better trip. Travel Manager made it very special.
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The animals we saw on Safari were the stars. The local guides were fantastic at finding and re4pecting all of the animals. The accommodations were very nice and well appointed.
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This was the best trip we've ever taken. Wonderful experiences and very well organized.
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Excellent tour. Was not a fan of staying in bland, modern air-conditioned hotels however. Would prefer bush camps or at least rustic lodges. Game drives were the highlight by far & sole purpose of going.
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I cannot think of just one favorable experience. The entire tour from people, animals I saw, accommodations and food were exceptional. I would not change a thing on this tour.
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Staying at the Wallow Lodge . Going out ion the safaris where we were able to see the Big Five plus more. We loved it and our tour guide Deirdre who was so knowledgeable and very gracious.
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Outstanding Experiences/Locations/Staff. Once in a Lifetime to remember!
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Outstanding Program. The tour guide was outstanding. The places we explored. The locations we saw were a once in a lifetime experience. The most memorable was the Elephant Interaction in Zimbabwe.. A trip we will remember forever!
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Tour was awesome, organized, cultural ; our tour guide, Thys was interesting and informative!
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It was the vacation of a lifetime. I wouldn’t have changed one thing!
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Poor communication skills. Instructions were always vague and he could have given us more information about the country and culture.
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POSITVE: The game hunts and visiting the two families' homes for dinner. The only complaint is the tipping policy. NEGATIVE: The tips should be covered by the tour company as is the industry standard. If someone provides extremely excellent service we can decide to augment the tips. The first hotel at the airport was also below expectations. Thankfully it was the first and he rest of the accomodations were excellent
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Seeing all the animal in the wild
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We have been fortunate enough to travel the world over. Our South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana Tour was one of the very best that we have ever experienced. The tour was well organized and enjoyable, with a nice balance of activities. We enjoyed the excellent accommodations throughout. Our Tour Manager, Thabie, was simply amazing! She was an excellent leader, very knowledgeable of the history and culture, and kept us well informed and amused. We had many, many memorable experiences, but my favorite had to be when a lioness ambled about 5 feet from our open safari car. What beautiful and amazing animals we saw. Our group ranged from 18 to eighty years old, and all enjoyed it. I will always have fond memories of this trip. I hope everyone has an opportunity to experience something like this during their lifetime.
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We had too much down time in Cape Town.
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Total experience of locations and local culture.
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Tour manager was outstanding ,great place to stay a see.
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I have already given Collette my feedback, Ian was incredible (my third trip with Collette, he was the best ever) Collette's app was wonky, wrong info on where we were staying. Would rather have 3 nights at tent camp than 2 nights at Chobe
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It was a very positive experience. Enjoyed every bit of the tour. The tour guide, Jean Moore made it still more enjoyable. It was an experience of a life time.
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on ourExploring South Africa, Victoria Falls, & Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
The trip was fantastic! We saw 4 of the Big Five on Safari. interacted with Elephants. We visited the spectacular Victoria Falls! We learned so much about the history Southern Africa and what the present day life is like.
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
Absolutely fabulous adventure including accommodations, Collette guide, Rahima, local guides, and animal sightings.
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
The tour included everything and more I expected. The local tour guide was outstanding. The game drive tour guides were fantastic, friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and their habitat.
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
Enjoyed everything so much
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
S. Africa is amazing and the safaris were excellent
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
this tour was an trip of a lifetime. There was never a dull moment- from safari to meals and accommodations were excellent
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
Well thought out. Local dinners were excellent maybe a little more down time would be nice. Local tour people very knowledgeable. Accommodations were excellent overall a great experience
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
The trip of a lifetime! The natural beauty of Africa and the wildlife was amazing!
We are pleased to hear you had a great time on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana tour! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we hope to see you again soon!
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
We saw so many animals in addition to the Big 5. My favorite was seeing the lions and the elephants up close. Our tour manager made sure everything went as planned.
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Everything was done so well. All of the activities and things we saw were wonderful, the accommodations and meals were superb, and our tour manager looked after every detail so efficiently and professionally.
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The most memorable is definitely all the wildlife we were able to see, especially the elephants, lions, giraffes, cheetahs, hippos and rhinos. It was also very interesting to visit the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain.
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The tour was plan well and thing run every smooth.
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We saw A lot of differ thing and had free time.
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Michael, our guide in Dubai seemed to have too many tours to do and not enough time. It was a bummer not to have time to actually shop in the markets. Rudy, our guide in So. Africa, was absolutely excellent. He spoke clearly and was very patient with some of the slightly tardy people. He was really, really great. I think it would be better if in the future Collette offered the Dubai extension at the end of the tour rather than the beginning. It took us 44.5 hours to get home starting from Botswana to Zimbabwe to Johannesburg to Dubai to SFO. Way too long and extremely discouraging for future far-away travels.
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Rudy, our guide, was excellent and all the tours were well-planned and we had a bit of free time every now and again.
Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls, Botswana tour. We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with feedback on the tour. Your comments will be reviewed by our internal department managers so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.
Collette Support -
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BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
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Trip Rating:
This tour included everything I was hoping to experience in Africa and even more. Everything was top-notched from the experiences, hotels, food options and a fantastic tour director.
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My primary emphasis in choosing this tour were the seven safaris. We started seeing animals in their natural settings from the moment we arrived until our last time out.
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The guide, hotels and meals and tours were great. The smaller group was a nice way to know my fellow travellers better and they were a super bunch of people.
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Trip Rating:
My favourite part of the tour was in Victoria Falls where the dining room was quite high on a hill and overlooked the forest area. I was able to sit and each breakfast while watching the giraffes in the distance.
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An epic trip from beginning to finish. Not a single thing went wrong
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Trip Rating:
The tour gave us just the right amount if time. A small group was a Absolutely refreshing. Our Tour guide Rahima was so accommodating not once did she ever loss her cool or interfere with our own unique interests. Because if this our group just gelled from day 1.
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The hanglip resort with the safaris every thing was perfect
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Everyday was an adventure.
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Our tour guide was excellent. She was a local, knowledgeable about the history and culture of al the areas we traveled. She had a great sense of humor that made it fun to listen to her local stories.
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Most to the time, the food was very good. At the first safari in the mountains, the food was prepared by a chef. Excellent food and service. Conversely, at the next lodge near Victoria Falls, the food was very overpriced and not edible. What a disappointment! Consider removing this accommodation from your tour package.
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Great sights. Super guide. Everything we were looking for.
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"The Smoke that Thunders!" Couldn't describe it better. The weather was perfect and accommodations excellent.
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Very helpful and informative staff in preparation of our trip. Answered all our questions and concerns. Always very friendly.
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David was an Excellent tour leader and everything ran very smooth and organized. Impressed with the handling of logistics and activities.
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I would recommend this trip to anyone.
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Great tour, Great Guide, great scheduling. Guide was the best I have experienced. Personable, knowledgeable.
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Hang lip Mountain and Botswana. Victoria Falls was beautiful. Safaris were outstanding.
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This is a must see, "bucket list" trip!
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Great trip to Africa. Guide was on top of everything. Good knowledge of people, history and culture. Ran into airline strike and they jumped on it. They had flights changed before others even acted. Would I do it again? in a heart beat!
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Other than an awesome trip into Dubai, the Wildlife excursions hit the top!
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Service by our guide was very intense and informative
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Great trip
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Lucky for all the animals we got to see.
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The key may have been the tour guide, Charl, Was very informative and educational about the whole tour. Much to do, almost too much for me. Always on the go. Hotels/lodges were very nice, food very good. Suggest staying one less night in Capetown.
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Seeing the ions, ect., at Entanabi.
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Beyond expectations.
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Our tour manager and guides were personable and professional throughout our tour. They more than met our expectations with their knowledge and their availability to be of assistance.
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The tour provided us with numerous game drives and other experiences which we much appreciated. Our favorite experience was the elephants coming out of the brush at dusk during our first game drive.
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Excellent trip. Best ever guide. Reheima Adams. Wonderful small group.
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Best guide ever. Masterful planning. No problems on whole trip.
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Everything was excellent. Great planning. Guide most efficient ever. Favorite experience Entebeni.
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I would never recommend a trip like this without the guidance of Collette
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The tour guides were amazing.
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The tour guides made the hectic trip go smoothly.
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Our guide, Thys was fabuous. Kept us on time; was very attentive to us.
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Great service. A couple of pieces of information in the guide book wrong. And I made 3 attempts to get answers about going to Mass while I was gone and didn't get a good response.
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Seeing the big 5! Meeting the locals and eating the local food. Having a small group (less than 20) was great!
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The whole trip was very well put together. The hotels were very good ,our tour manager was excellent. What we experienced was unbelievable.
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The animals! Seeing up close along with the info given by the guides.
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App was useful for flight reminders and gate changes
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Excellent service all around.
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A safari worth going on
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From leaving the house to returning, all the hard things were handled by Collette. The trip went very well thanks to everyone that Collette employed for our trip. The hotels, the food the guide that was with us through the whole trip helped make it a wonderful experience.
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Trip Rating:
We were able to see the big 5 and experience the thrills of the hunt so to speak. Plus learned about the animals, and their struggles, of poachers, looking for food and other problems.
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Exceptional service and itinerary. Just the best!
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Trip Rating:
Tour guide was exceptional. Knowledgeable and helpful. Was always there to help and make sure everyone was taken care of. Bus drivers were excellent and local guides couldn’t have been any better. All concerned made sure everyone in our group was happy and all our needs were met. Would highly recommend this tour.
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The overall tour was fabulous. There was so many memorable experiences but the up close opportunities with the animals were my favorite. Learning the culture was also exciting and the wild habitat and conservation efforts that are required was an eye opener. Meeting the local people and learning how they live was also a highlight. Rooms were spacious and very nice. Food was good and it was fun going to restaurants that also provided local entertainment. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
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Good trip. Worth doing but logistics can be improved.
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Trip Rating:
Air arrangements. Of course it is not Collette's fault when the airline changes seat assignments. We ended up flying to and from DC = Johannesburg -19+ hours in the middle of the middle section. No one offered us to see if we wanted to upgrade to guarantee seats etc. etc. Why were we not routed Houston to Europe and then straight to Cape Town South, Africa. Why were we not booked on Houston to NY and then non-stop to South Africa. ------ Individual booklet was A+ but someone prepared it in a cookie cutter basis. One glaring mistake, It appears to assume that we cleared customs and immigration in cape Town. There needed to be better explanation about clearing customs and immigration in Johannesburg .. More about Johannesburg airport since no one was going to meet us to help us transfer to Cape Town flight. I consider myself a seasoned traveler so it cost me only $2.00 for some one to guide me to the terminal E gate in Johannesburg for Cape Town flight. Another traveler paid $50.00 ------------ Tour guide made changes but he gave only one copy per couple so I was in confusion about what was on the agenda. Of course, it frustrated Chris because he did not understand why we were not reading his agenda. ------------- Change in Victoria Falls was such that we missed dinner with African song and dance entertainment. -------------------- Last day we were to fly back from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg on British Airways. Who refused to check our bags to Houston. That meant we had to go through customs and immigration for no reason at all. Then the flight was late, so British Airways did (re)tag our bags to Houston. Of course, the bags arrived two days after we returned home. Why not book us on South African from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg (it left 30 minutes before British Airways)? Why not go straight from Cape Town to Victoria falls and then come back to Johannesburg and go to Entabeni. reserve. That way return flight home has no connection worries. ----------------- Again this has nothing to do with Collette but two immigration hall circus at DC did not help. But in our case it did not matter because our bags were still in South Africa. -
Trip Rating:
Dinner at Gold in Cape Town. Entabeni Reserve Victoria Falls (wait till May when river is more likely to be full) Chobe National Park
Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls, Botswana tour. We're sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with your airline arrangements. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Director of Air so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.
Collette Support -
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Trip Rating:
Exxon itinerary
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Entebani Conservancy in Cape Town what are the most memorable
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Want to visit Central Europe in an Exploration tour.
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Our guide Chris, The Safari excursions, Victoria Falls Hotel and the courtesy of the people in the hotels. Flight issues in Africa disrupted some planned excursions.
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Safaris and the guides abilities.
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The tour was wonderful. Experience of a lifetime
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Trip Rating:
Content of tour was excellent, experience of a lifetime. Logistics could be improved if ended at Estabani to eliminate same day internal flight going home. Flights arranged by Collette from & to US we're not good, too many lay overs, changes of planes, & seats changed after booking. Tour itself was great, tour guide was knowledgeable and did extras to make things special. We did miss out on one evening performance due to hotel change but where we stayed was excellent. All accomodations were first class, food was good and African drums were very entertaining Tipping was hard to plan for since we had no idea how many different drivers/local tour guides there would be and little availability of ATMs the last 5 days. Be better to have Tipping included for more if this.
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Seeing animals in their natural habitat was breathtaking. Best was watching family of elephants with 5 babies walk down hill to River and swim across in front of us, and of course African sunsets on water.
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I would highly recommend.
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Collette tour was top notch, places we stayed and things we saw and did were incredible. I would highly recommend.
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The highlights of the trip were seeing a the animals, Victoria Falls was an amazing sight.
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The trip was well organized and our Guide was amazing.
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It was a great trip. I enjoyed the variety of things we did and saw.
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Trip Rating:
Game drives and Extra excursion to Elephabt Sanctuary.
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Great guides. guides, buses, events always met expectations, always on time, entries always went smoothly, rooms always ready
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Trip Rating:
too many enjoyed table top, walking up to lighthouse (perfectly timed with both events, missed all the heavy traffic), seeing penguins, private game reserve Entibene, enjoyed river cruise, enjoyed African Gold ALOT Would have liked more time at Vic Falls instead of going to big sit down dinner ( too much like African Gold, there was too much traveling that day it would have been much nicer to have not had to rush through Vic Falls)
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Overall save a few snafus, it was excellent
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Trip Rating:
The tour itself was excellent but maybe a bit too ambitious. I loved it all the same! A first day introduction of each of the participants to each other would have been nice. Also, pre-departure it might have been nice to share our emails as some of us were on the same flight out of JFK and didn't know. I thought our tour guide was very informative and our safari guides, all excellent. There are a few things I would have changed/eliminated and replaced by other places/event. 1. The hosted dinner: eliminate. our experience was apparently not as good as the other half of our group. We were at a long table and the hostess was up and down getting food on the table so we barely got to speak with her. It would have been better to eat at the table and then to retire to a sitting area to talk. 2. Get rid of the winery; It would have been better for us to stay in Stellenbosch and maybe to do an afternoon visit to a local winery. We all loved Stellenbosch and would have liked to stay there another day at least. At the winery we were stuck and there was nothing to do at night plus the wine was inferior. 3. More time at Victoria falls; we were delayed at passport control and lost good time; the main reason why I personally chose this tour and not your other African tour was because of Victoria Falls and we were too rushed. It resulted in an unfortunate incident which I'm sure you heard all about. (I faulted the woman who complained about two members being 20 minutes late in getting back--no one really cared except for her). Also there was no need to hurry as we could have arrived at the Braai that evening later as many people were just dropping in. It really put a damper on the rest of the trip. 4. I was MOST disappointed that you did not offer as an Optional, tickets to Robbin Island. Many of us really wanted to go there and it was totally booked! Very disappointed. 5. Rehina was very sweet and was very informative. 6. I loved the visit to Ko Mpisi village at Victoria Falls. In fact, I am currently trying to raise money for that village; maybe Colette Travel might want to partner with me?! Those are the major things. I definitely would go on another tour with Collette.
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Trip Rating:
See above. My favorite experiences were our stay at Entebeni; the visit to the Ko Mpisi village at Victoria Falls and Capetown/Cape Hope.
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An amazing trip of a lifetime to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
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Trip Rating:
From the moment we met our Collette driver at the airport arrivals until we parted ways with the ever helpful tour manager, David Smith at the end of our tour, we experienced a next to perfection experience. Our hope and dreams of a wonderful trip of a lifetime was exceeded. We will cherish the memories made there in Southern Africa forever.
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All wildlife drives. Seeing ever animal imaginable except the leopard.
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Excelllent! Staff, guides, itenary - everything was TOP NOTCH! Meet our greatest expectations for South African experience.
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Breathtaking! Tabi was very well versed on local history, economy, current events. She made us all feel very safe and welcomed.
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great trip, great location, great tour guide
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native village was a great experience, great wildlife
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Very good itinerary, excellent accomodations, and great tour manager
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Loved Victoria Falls and Chobia Park
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This trip exceeded my expectations!
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Trip Rating:
Our guide was outstanding, accommodations at each stop were good, the line up of what we did left very little time to get bored!
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Entabeni Conservancy safari's. Closeness to the lions, elephants and rhino's. I absolutely loved the 2 places we ate at that provided entertainment ! It's really hard to pick just 1 favorite experience! Just maybe not start the safari's quite so early in the morning and remember to advise guests to bring winter clothes!
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Trip of a lifetime
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I can't say that I missed out on anything. We saw it all, and did it all. We stayed in high-end hotels where the food, rooms, and staff were top notch. If you want to see all that South Africa has to offer, from different points of view. This tour is for you.
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Everything you ever wanted in a tour.
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The tour was great. The food, the knowledge of tour director, and the size of tour group was perfect.
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The tour at Victoria Falls was arranged for wheel chair assistance which made it perfect.
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Fabulous African Experience
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Trip Rating:
The tour was terrific. Our tour manager, Jean Moore, was knowledgeable, warm, and caring. She knew everybody, everywhere. It was incredible to see so many beautiful animals, some up close, in a (mostly) natural habitat. The lodges were great and everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful.
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Everything about this tour was top notch.
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There service was excellent ,I was very happy with how everything was so well organized .
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The safari was spectacular especially Entabeni conservancy !The lodge was great and the rooms were wonderful ! The guides were very knowable and we were all excited to see all the wild animals !Our tour manager was the best ( Ian )
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Memorable experience in Africa
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We couldn't have picked a better tour travel company for our South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana experience. It was amazing and our guide Ian was the best. Look forward to booking future journeys with Collette.
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Trip Rating:
The tour was fantastic. The Entebani and Chobe lodges were out of this world.
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The Safaris and lodges were excellent. Hotels were great also. we didn't have any one at air port to pick us up which was a bit of a chaos.
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the safaris were excellent and private lodge.
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The Tour Guide, Ian Pletzer, was the best guide I have ever been with. He was efficient, but always kind and understanding. He was open and honest in answering questions and sharing his understanding and personal views on subjects. I feel I came away with an understanding of the issues facing southern Africa today. Kudoes to Ian.
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Seeing the wildlife in their natural habitats. Exploring the history of the Cape Town region.
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Trip Rating:
Land package was excellent - great guides, accommodations, sites, and transportation .
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The land tour met or exceeded my expectations. However, the travel arrangements were excessively long and tiring.
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Trip Rating:
The tour on land was wonderful and our guide, Hermina, was wonderful. the lodgings and food was great. Our air travel was not good. Going to Dubi and having a 9 hour layover then a 9 plus hour flight to Cape Town seemed not necessary and then the trip home was exhausting!! To say the least over 44 hours before we were home!! Really not necessary.
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Trip Rating:
The land part of the tour was 5 star but the air part and layovers weren’t.
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Lovely Tour of South Africa
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Excellent tour manager. Excellent hotels and locations.
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Enjoyed all aspects of the tour.
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Yes we would recommend them. We would use the service again if it was still available in the UK.
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Trip Rating:
Excellent tour guide very knowledgeable and could not do enough to help us enjoy the experience. The size of the group was just right for interaction. Venues, accommodation and execution by the guides met our primary objectives; proximity and interaction with animals in the wild.
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yes
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Trip Rating:
chobe national park and other tours
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This is my second tour with Collette. Our tour guide Don was professional, well organized. Don made every effort to ensure the safety of his guests. He was knowledgable and shared his passion./love of South Africa.
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Victoria Falls and Entabeni were spectacular experiences!
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Guide was great
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Guide was great. Timing was good. Places visited were exceptional
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Trip exceeded expectations
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Exciting, Exhilliarting and Exceptional...
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Trip Rating:
Collette Tours was an exceptional tour operator for my group. The accommodations, tour excursions and guides were excellent. The price point for everything we received was right on target for my particular group.
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Again, the price point for my group was right on target. Not cheap or not too expensive and the accommodations were very good. The last resort we had no power which was a very much of a challenge. Thank goodness we were only there for 2 nights...
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The tour was quite good and well planned.
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Almost every day brought something memorable.
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We saw all of the Big Five— even the elusive Leopard up close and personal—
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Best Collette trip ever! You might advertise the Segway tour at Spier Winery which I did instead of Hermanus— that and the Raptor show—since it was not whale season!
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Perfect weather, perfect group of people, perfect pace great experiences and accomodations.
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Fantastic tour! start packing now!
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Trip Rating:
We all had a fantastic time on this trip! Collette coordinated everything perfectly. The accommodations were superb, as well as their locations. Great variety in the meals. The game drives were really exciting! Our Collette Tour manager was tops! He was very experienced and shared the history of south Africa with us. I highly recommend this tour!
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Trip Rating:
Every game drive and safari cruise was amazing! Loved Victoria falls too!
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They did everything right---the food, the lodges and hotels and the experiences that I had were the best!!
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Seeing so many beautiful up close and personal.
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Very nice tour of South Africa
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Excellent tour
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Loved the game drives and the family dinner
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Unparalleled service, guides, sights and care!
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This is our third time of traveling with Collette. First to Nice France, then to Australia and NZ, and now to South Africa. Every time we have had great tour guides, my wife with Celiac was watched over for food allergies, the extremely smooth, informed, and efficient movement of the guests through Immigration, customs and also airport connections is unimaginable for larger groups. The accommodations on all or our trips have been centrally located, clean and very well staffed and equipped with additional services. Would highly recommend using Collette and will continue to use them for our travels where their tours are available.
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Numerous close up encounters of animals in the wild and visiting with the local people who live there.
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Customer service duing a trip delay was excellent.
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Trip Rating:
It was a GREAT trip. All the details were handled in a proffessional manner. ti was a worry free trip. Great tour manage!
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Love Collette!
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Just finished our 4th trip with Collette. My husband and I recommend them to everyone. Always top quality tour guides, places to stay, and lots of fun!
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Great tour guide, great places to stay, lots of fun!
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Best trip ever. I highly recommend Collette.
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Trip Rating:
Our flight from Savannah to Washington DC was cancelled due to a snow storm. They put us up in a hotel for the night. Because we arrived a day late to Dubai we missed our tour of the city. They arranged a private tour of the city for us. Because we had another flight change on our return trip your driver was unable to pick us up at the Savannah airport Collette arranged for another driver to meet us there.
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Our safari trips were awesome. Seeing lions, elephants, hippos, and all the many animals of Africa up close in their natural habitat definitely the highlight of the trip.
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The trip of my lifetime....so far!!
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Itinerary was very good, accommodations were very comfortable and everything I could have wanted. Our guide was very knowledgeable, understanding, pleasant, patient and a nice person to travel with.
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The safaris and all the animals sightings
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Went above and beyond to help!
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Whenever I called for information they had the answers and went beyond the the simple reply
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Wow!! All were terrific , my favorite was Table Mountain in Cape Town magnificent
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Trip Rating:
One of the most action-packed & rewarding experiences of my life. Beautifully organized, excellent accommodations & food, & led by one of your local guides from Durban, a woman who was entertaining, very knowledgeable, and kind. We all loved her - she made the bus rides so much fun. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat
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Game drives in So Africa, Stellenboch wines!
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Great trip. Hotels were excellent.
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Great service. Our tour guide Desmond and Eddie in Zimbabwe were exceptionally good. Their knowledge made the trip educational and their personality made the trip fun.
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Great adventure vacation. Entabeni, Victoria Falls, Chobe NP, Capetown and the wine country were all great stops. We also enjoyed the whale watching in Walker Bay.
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Spectacular ...it is
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This tour was just fantastic ..the best holiday that you could wish for. Our adventure started on 26th September and it could not have been a better date to start .. although it is springtime is South Africa we had virtually wall to wall sunshine .. and every moment was magic with the help of our fabulous tour guide Desmond . The scenery travelling down to the Cape of Good Hope was stunning again Desmond and Stephan made sure we beat the crowds and were first there .. The penguins at boulder beach were amazing Table mountain .. Desmond and Stephan changed the itinerary to make sure we seen this at its best. Stellenbosch is so sweet much prettier than we expected we stayed in the spier hotel which was just fab, right in the heart of the wine lands. Another great surprise is that it was the whale festival in Hermanus, we were so lucky to see umpteen whales and calf’s on our visit. Enterbeni game reserve... Collette have allocation at hangclip lodge which is just the right size for the 20 guests that this tour takes. I cannot put into words how special this place is , I would never have thought that we could get that close to so many wild animals with the help of our game drives and Amos and Issac ..true professionals in every sense of the word .. cheetahs - lions - elephants -giraffes- so close the the vehicles you could almost touch them. All the meals were taken in the main lodge which was a few steps from our room , which was just as well as there are no fences and you need to be escorted back to the rooms by the rangers.. the food was perfect . Vic Falls .. The Victoria falls safari lodge .. Just when you think things can’t get better they do .. this hotels ticks all the boxes We had room 10 which had great views over the watering hole .. will never forget sitting on the balcony watching the wildlife . The falls are something else again we visited at just the right time . We went on the afternoon when the rainbow is over the falls .. thanks again Desmond . Don’t miss the vulture feeding at 1 every afternoon .. we also opted for an helicopter trip over the falls a once in a lifetime experience . All our group took the optional river cruise on the Zambezi .. This was so special .. Desmond had booked the top deck , just for our group , the sunset is something we will always remember . Botswana A perfect end to the tour we had 2 land safaris and 1 water Safari .. all were brilliant but the river safari was our favourite .. I have never seen so many animals together Hippos, water buffalo and elephants ..hundreds of them.. we were so lucky .. crocs all sizes basked in the sunshine .. we were lucky enough to see a family of elephants cross the river in front of us as the sun was setting. All in all this tour is not to be missed .. there is not one thing we would change. If you are thinking about this tour ...do it . There is so much included in this tour ..we would do it again tomorrow. Thank you Collette tours and especially Desmond we had the time if our lives.
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everything was just fantastic
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Everything was handled smoothly.
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Every activity we participated in was worthwhile, insightful, and exciting. The most memorable for me was the sunset cruise in Chobe National Park. We saw hundreds of elephants, water buffalo, zebras, giraffes,crocodiles, hippos, and many more.It was amazing to stop the boat and watch a troop of elephants walk by.
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They met all my expectations and more. The guide allowed for variations in the schedule, working with the group to enhance all of our experiences. The meals and daily excursions were excellent. All aspects were set up to maximize the enjoyment of the tour for the participants.
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I cannot choose just one experience as a favorite. Each day provided one.
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Beautiful hotels and safari lodges to stay. Thankful for our scheduled group meals. Loved seeing the animals. Yes, l would recommend this tour and Colllette. It was not too strenuous. Good.
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Meals included. Live,free animals. Good tour guide. Enjoyable evening shows. Great rooms.
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The Best Tour I have ever taken.
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I can not begin to explain how wonderful a tour this was. We were totally taken care of with something happening all the time. Our guide Marleen was great she made certain everyone was taken care of. She had to rearrange our schedule in Cape Town due to the weather and made everything work out perfectly. We were thrilled with the massive amount of animals we saw. I think it helped that we were there in their winter. We saw “The Big 5” including the leopard which is hard to see since they are a nocturnal animal. The trip included a nice variety; touring a village, seeing the penguins at the Cape of Good Hope, wine tasting in the wine country, since it was winter we saw the whales as well as many animals viewed in very close proximity on the seven game drives. One caution for the winter trip bring hats, gloves, long underwear and dress in layers. It will be cold. It was a trip of a life time. One the I have wanted to do for 15 years. I can not thank you enough for this great tour.
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Wonderful variety great game drives.
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Great Animal Spotting - we saw the big 5, we were so lucky.
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The tour itself was great but I was not impressed at all with the service we got from this end. For example I phoned to ask about what type of clothing I should take at this time - was told take a raincoat. Well let me tell you it was ****** cold there, and we needed winter clothing such as is worn on the coast here in Canada and other places in the US. One couple from Wisconsin came with long underwear, mitts, hats, vests, etc. You fell very short on your advise on that question. Secondly I was taking my 14 year old grandson. I discovered later that your web site said to check the African web site for what is needed. When I pay $20,000 for a tour I expect to be told exactly what we needed, sorry that is what you are for. My own travel agent didn't even get the correct answer from you. Here is what you need, remember it and post it in your documentations: A consent letter from parents or guardians, notarized A full length birth certificate with parents names on it, properly notarized, but the original is best. A notarized copy of passports or other proper picture documentation of all the parents, guardians, etc. who are giving their permission. Ensure that the consent form has all the countries you are travelling to, just in case you take a side trip. For example we took at the last minutes a boat trip to Namibi from Chobe, Namibi was not on the list, however only the Immigration person who was giving us the exit stamp noticed it and he did just smile. We did not know we would need all this stuff to go on a 10 minute boat ride across a river. This lack of help made our trip extremely stressful, plus I had to take a whole day of my holiday to travel from Darlington, England back to London to meet my daughter at the airport with all this paperwork. Thank heaven they were also coming thru London at the time. This trip was close to $250 and took 3.5 hours plus both ways. On the plus side, our tour guide Marlene Neumann was excellent. She spent extra time ensuring my grandson was treated very special, he was the only young person. She deserves a lot of praise.
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The tour itself was wonderful, but would have loved to have gone in warmer weather.
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Well organized, good game drives and hotels. Too much food.
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game drives xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Excellent tour manager Ian.
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We were well cared for on the tour. We stayed in excellent hotels and lodges. Our tour manager, Ian, was attentive and always looking out for our safety. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was my wife chose the tour and I wasn't really interested in the destination.
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My favourite memories were seeing the animals, especially the elephants. My least favorite moment was the optional tour, the boat cruise on the Zambizi river. I could have given that a miss.
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Fabulous African tour
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This was our third Collette tour. They are easy to work with. Any questions are handled promptly and professionally.
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We reviewed several tours, but this one included Victoria Falls, which the other South Africa tours didn't include. Our tour manager, Marlene, is a Cape Town native, and therefore knows the area well. We learned so much about South Africa's history and Marlene shared some South African folklore (like how the zebra got its stripes). There's always a special dinner of some sort Included in a Collette tour. This time there were two special dinners: one was a home visit. We had a wonderful, traditional South African dinner with a Cape Town family in their home. We also had a terrifc meal and drum ceremony. Marlene got us through airports, customs, passport control in 3 countries with ease. Hotels were all top notch; included full breakfasts were wonderful.
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Far exceeded my expectations
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Marlene Newmann was Fabulous. She had a great balance of history and fun facts as well as the ability to make everyone in our group feel like family. She was well organized and very conscientious
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The family dinner was a highlight as was the intimate time with the elephants.
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Wild Africa and tourist Africa bought together.
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We liked the information wallets that came prior to our departure, thought they were a nice touch, and well put together. We were pleased with every hotel we stayed in, the rating, and locations. Entabeni was amazing, the location, the very ambience of the place, and the staff. We had a truly wonderful time there. The transport laid on was good in South Africa, but somewhat dated, and dubious in Zimbabwe and Botswana. The vehicles there were no where near as spacious, especially over the rear wheels, and several of the seatbelts did not function at all. I don't expect you to necessarily sort out my visas, though it would have been nice, but I did expect you to know the full requirements of the visas namely the specific amount required to pay. Whilst I except that there can be changes made by any country in question, it shouldn't be too difficult to monitor this, and to keep your tour guide up to date via text or email. There was a lot of confusion at Zimbabwe immigration. The only other criticism I have is with the returning home flights. Why couldn't our flights be connected? We flew into Johannesburg from Victoria Falls, and we should have simply gone through to connections for our return flight to Heathrow. Instead we had to go through the whole process of collecting our bags, booking in our bags for the Heathrow flight, we had to go through both immigration and security again. We did thankfully have plenty of time, but the queue for immigration and security was horrendous, albeit we were informed by a frequent visitor to Jo'berg airport things on that day were pretty good in comparison. This would have caused you some extra work but in terms of customer relations it would boost the ratings I'm sure. In terms of the programme overall, I think you did well to provide a flavour of Africa in all aspects. The urbanisation experience was in the main very touristy, and I guess we did enough drive pasts to see the other side of Africa as it were. I'm not sure out of Whale season that Hermanus had much to offer, other than restaurants and a nice view out to sea. Stellenbosch was nice but again a place for rich Africans, and tourists. I know amongst us the generic feel was that in retrospect we would have all preferred more time in somewhere like Entabeni. Overall we really enjoyed our experience and although in my terms it was a lot of money, we didn't feel undersold except as mentioned above. We would certainly use Collette again should the opportunity arise, and happily refer them to anyone else.
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Without doubt Table top mountain the views were stunning. The game drives in Entabeni were fantastic, the guides were knowledgeable and knew where to go, it helps that this is a relatively small game reserve I believe something like 22,000 hectares. Victoria Falls were breathtaking, it was easy to imagine what it was that Livingstone fell in love with. Both Zimbabwe and Botswana are very beautiful countries but the poverty is obvious. The game drives in Chobe were good but not as good as Entabeni. The Elephant sanctuary was a great experience, but tell the guys there that $45 is way, way, way too much to pay for a DVD that you'll look at once, and it's got pictures similar to what you've also taken. I would have bought one as it is a charity if the price had been sensible The meal in SA with the local family was actually a lot better than I anticipated, and we really enjoyed it, they were fantastic hosts. I thought the trip to the African village in Zimbabwe was interesting to a degree. The chief was a nice chap, who clearly likes talking or should I say preaching? I guess perhaps naively I expected someone in traditional dress, rather than a pair of jeans and an Adidas top. I didn't really expect to see old tyres and stuff lying around...it was OK but I wouldn't bother doing it again. As mentioned in another part of the review, I thought Hermanus out of whale spotting season was just another rich persons location that tourist go to for a spot of lunch. Overall on balance we enjoyed the whole experience though.
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Fabulous trip. Highly recommended.
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Fabulous trip. My husband took 5,000 photos!
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Loved the Entabeni Conservancy - beautiful!
That's fantastic, Doris! We'd love to see them. Feel free to share them on Facebook and Instagram and use our hashtag #GuidedByCollette. We'd be happy to show you some love. :)
Collette Support -
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The tour was great! Our tour guide, Charl Chambers, was excellent. He was knowegable and nice. He knew the area well. I liked the excursions. There was one problem,however. South African Airlines. Both my partner and I became ill after eating the hot meal provided, he on the way over, and me on the return trip. Also on the return trip, I received many bites, either flea or bed bug, on the area of my body that came in contact with the airplane seat. Please reassess your use of that airline.
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I particularly enjoyed the river ride in Chobe. We saw many elephants playing in the river. Hippos, too.
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback on your Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana tour. Your concerns with South African Airlines will be reviewed by the director of our Air department and used to enhance this aspect of touring for our future guests.Collette Support -
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The Collette agents are always very knowledgeable and courteous.
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The accommodations were very nice and the food was good at most places. The areas visited were very interesting. I would suggest skipping Stellenbosch/Hermanus unless it is whale season. In addition , the cost of the internal flights should be included in the tour price.
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback on your Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls & Botswana tour. Your comments have been passed along to our Product Development Team.Collette Support -
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Collette travel the best.
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Collette always have superb tour guides who make your tour as enjoyable as it can be.
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The tour was a not stop tour of different experiences. Everything I expected was delivered travel between places was painless every place lived up to expectation saw lots of wildlife,the first Lion encounter was my most memorable experience being so close to wild animals.
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Excellent value
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The hotels/lodges were well located, clean, with good food and service. I especially liked the added experiences such as the dinner in a home, visiting a native village, the African dinner. *****, our tour guide, was very clear in his run-down of the day, and very patient with the many questions. Overall, an excellent value for the money.
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Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The only reason for the four stars was that the long trip to Hermanus to have lunch and then the long drive back was a waste of time. It was a charming town but we didn't have time to explore it, and I didn't need more time to shop in Stellenboch. The lunch and wine tasting was outstanding and memorable. Maybe a trip and tour through another winery would have been more enjoyable than the long drive just for lunch.
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Amazing accommodation, food, safaris and tour manager Jean Moore!
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Our tour manager **** ***** was absolutely out of this world! I would highly recommend this tour — with **** ***** as your manager!!
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This tour far exceeded my expectations and this was all due to our tour manager **** *****! She anticipated absolutely every possible “want” we could have — from food to drinks, wine tours, accommodations, markets — everything! Loved every minute of it!
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Collette Does It Right
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Our Africa tour with Collette could not have gone any better. We had a small group (9 tourists who all showed up on time every time), an outstanding guide (*** *******) who was very knowledgeable and great with group organization, and the weather was perfect for the entire period.
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The tour was well organized, beginning with Cape Town and learning about the South African culture, a couple of nights at Stellenbosch, a smaller college town with a great winery, two nights in the Entabeni game preserve with lots of animals and great photos, two nights in Botswana with Victoria Falls and more great photos, one night in Johannesburg at the mall with Mandella’s statue, and culminated in Chobe National Park with a river cruise and more animals and great photos. All of the hotel accommodations were outstanding.
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Great scenery and wonderful travel companions. The air travel was long/long
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The trip was fine with a great tour leader, and fellow travelers. I completed an evaluation and gave it to the tour leader on the last day of the tour. The rating would have been 5 stars, but there was a monumental screw-up providing me my travel material. I called and explained this problem to your office, and do not need to repeat the complaint.
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I just typed all my information and it disappeared. You already know my complaint about receiving the travel material in advance.
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Outstanding trip!
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Outstanding tour manager . All top notch from safaris, travel, bus drivers, accommodation!
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Trip of a lifetime ! From day 1 to the end of the trip we could not have asked for a more amazing experience!
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Knowedgeable
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Kinda slow, although that was the tour we signed up for.
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Poor presentation of trip information once you get ones money.
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The actual trip was excellent but I did not like dealing with Colette. I have traveled all over the world and was never left without all my information until 2 weeks before the trip. I do lots of research and preparation and couldn't in dealing with your company. This frustrated and upset me to a great degree and made me sorry I had booked the trip with your company. I plain on another major trip with my daughters next year but probably won't consider using your company again.
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The safaris were excellent and the hotels were outsanding. The first safari we went on was an evening one and a magnificent lion walked past the passenger side of the jeep went in front of it and sat in the road. His lioness and cubs were in the bushes on the side if the road.
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Silly Policy
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I thought the trip was well planned. We decided to arrive early and we were surprised, by doing that, we were not eligible for the free transfer to our hotel upon arrival. Instead we would have to pay $50 per person. We took a cab instead for $35 and saved $65; ridiculous !
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Wonderful, unique, part of the world.
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The trip was all I expected it to be and wonderful.
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The only complaint I had was that I did not see the animals as close up as I saw them in Kenya The food was great and so were the lodgings.
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Lodgings and good were wonderful
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Would travel with them again.
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Well laid out tour-busy yet enough free time to do your own thing. liked the small group - 20 people should be max.Would
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Hard call - loved seeing Victoria Falls even though they not at full strength. However, wildlife is my thing - lucky to see all the Big 5.
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Tour guide not experienced and knowledgeable. Not up to the standard experienced with Collett previously.
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Safari and safari tour guide.
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Amazing experience
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Entire trip was excellant-knowledgeable guide, beautiful hotels, delicious food, amazing scenery. Definitely recommending this to friends. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
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There are no words to describe the morning we walked out our door to 3 giraffes eating in the yard.
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Good itinerary and quality of accomodations
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Favourite experience was our stay at Hang lip Mountain Lodge and game drives there
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Well organised tour using very good hotels
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Well paced tour with the right balance between for sightseeing and safaris. Seeing elephants in Chobe national park. Including all gratuities in the tour price is a very good idea. However it only works if all members of a tour group are on the same scheme. It is is embarrassing when some members of the group are seen tipping (those from the USA) and some (the British and Australians) are not. There was no information given as to how the gratuities that were included in the holiday price found their way to the intended recipients.
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Easy to book by phone with very pleasant staff. Queries always dealt with promptly.
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A very good tour which exceeded my expectations.Cape town is a great city and we felt very safe. The game drives were all excellent with very knowledgeable rangers. I would have preferred not to stay overnight in Johannesburg as it was just a hotel and shopping mall experience but understand that we had a flight to catch the next morning. I would have liked to stay overnight in Hermanus. We had quite a long drive to visit there and only stayed 1.5 hours. Inclusive tipping for British and Australians is a great idea but in practice it does not work. Everyone else is giving a tip and we just say thank you and walk on. Very embarrassing! So we give a tip and are in effect tipping twice. Inclusive tipping has to be for everyone or no-one. My one complaint about Collette is the misleading information about the Zimbabwe Visa. Even after querying this with them the final information booklet which we received still stated a multi entry visa, which is wrong! It is a double entry visa obtained on arrival. Multi entry visas can only be obtained in advance
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I had previously traveled to China with Collette in 2014 and been very happy with the quality of service, accommodations, and itinerary, so when I decided to try a safari in Africa, I chose a Collette small group tour. The tour manager, Ian Pletzer, was exceptional in his ability to coordinate all the details so that everything went smoothly and in his commitment to making sure everyone's needs were met, including seeing to it that there were plenty of vegetarian foods available for me throughout the trip. All of the accommodations were excellent. The small size of the group (15 + Ian) was great. I am already looking at Collette's schedule of tours to plan my next trip.
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The very best part, of course, was getting to see so many different kinds of animals in their natural environment. The itinerary was great; Victoria Falls, Hermanus, and the game drives in Chobe and Entabeni were amazing. I appreciated the flexibility in scheduling that enabled us to rearrange some excursions until the weather cleared enough for us to go to Table Mountain. The river cruise on the Zambezi River was very relaxing, and it was fun to see hippos in the water. The Chobe and Entabeni lodges were especially nice since they made me feel close to nature. I hope to go on Collette's tour of Kenya and Tanzania next year. Traveling with a small group creates a warmer social environment than being with a large group, and everyone in this group was friendly and cooperative. We all appreciated the high level of service Ian Pletzer, our tour manager, provided.
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Superior Service from start to finsih.
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We have used Collette several times before and have become accustomed to their great service. We did not have to worry about anything from start to finish, which is what we like. From booking to traveling-all A+
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One of the best, if not the best tour we have ever been on. great places to stay, great excursions, everything was great.
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The people I met and the Travel Director we had on my recent trip couldn't have been better if I had picked them myself. The place we visited were outstanding.
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The people I met and especially the TD *Personal details removed by Feefo* was outstanding. The places we stayed and visited was exactly what I would have put together myself...it felt just right for the money invested.
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*Personal Details removed by Feefo* our tour guide was a walking encyclopedia! He made the trip very interesting.
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Beautiful lovely breathtaking place
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The BEST Tour we had
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It was the best tour we had so far. Jean, Tour Manager, was superb and very accommodating to all. She have the patience of an elephant.
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The sightseeing, the animals, THE VICTORIA FALLS and the breathtaking Reserve with live animals. We had our accommodations with the animals.
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Wonderful vacation!
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Collette and our tour guide *Personal details removed by Feefo* provided my wife and I with a great visit to southern Africa. The lodging, excursions, travel to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa was efficient and pleasurable. Thank you.
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Safari game rides, Victoria Falls, beautiful Cape Town and the coast line of southwestern South Africa.
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Fabulous Safari Trip to South Africa
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I had a fabulous trip to Dubai and South Africa. Beautiful hotels, amazing animal sightings, delicious food, fun travel friends and a great tour guide. *Personal details removed by Feefo*. The pace was perfect. Saw Victoria Falls. Collette suggested taking a small gift to the family who hosted our group for dinner. The couple were so welcoming and gracious. Gift suggestions such as wine, candy or flowers would have helped. This family didn't need knick knacks.
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Started in Dubai & enjoyed city tour and sand dune drive and Bedouin camp dinner. Cape Town excelled with tours to Table Mountain, Boulder Beach & the Penguins, dinner at the Gold restaurant (wonderful) and a family hosted dinner was a great changed from hotel food. On to Stellenbosch for a wine tasting lunch and outdoor craft sale. On to Hermanus, a quaint seaside town for casual shopping and a meal by the water. Next up, Entabeni Conservatory where we saw an amazing selection of animals, lion family, elephants, zebras, wart hogs and RHINOS! Loved the tailgate coffee breaks and cocktail parties! Last stop was Chobi National Wildlife Park. Best part was going to the Elephant Sanctuary where we petted and fed treats to the elephants. Also saw Victoria Falls which was amazing! Best trip ever!
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Good itinerary and very welll executed!
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Everything about this trip was efficient, smooth and friendly. Overall a very positive experience. Beginning with the booking online right through to being picked up at the airport and then the daily itinerary, it was all very well done with no glitches. The small group size made this trip even more enjoyable.
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The Entabeni Reserve was a highlight. The Hanglip Lodge was perfect for our group of 17. The whole place catered solely to our group, making it feel like our private resort and gave an overall feeling of home. The safari drives were amazing with knowledgeable guides and plenty of animals to observe. Having the elephants and wildabeast roam the property just outside our cabins contributed immensely to the African experience.
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All staff from the tour leader to the hotel staff were very professional.
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Considering the safety of the patrons at all times. All of the trips were to schedule and we had the option to take further side trips.
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I went to see elephants and I saw lots of them.
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Great trip for your first to Africa!
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For a first trip to Africa, the itinerary was great! It had everything. Sightseeing as well as wonderful safari adventures. Let's face it few people are going to go to Africa more than once. If so, this is the tour for you. The tour director, Rudy, was the best I have had on my over 12 escorted tours. I am glad I went.
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the safari adventures were wonderful
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arrangements were good from pick-up to return although final flight details...
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arrangements were good from pick-up to return although final flight details were slow in coming
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We were well looked after by ****** our tour manager. The tours arranged were what we expected (and wanted) and accommodations very good.
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The challenge of the departure and arrival dates to begin the tour needs so
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Excellent tour: lay over in Germany of 12 hours was hard!
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Excellent tour ! Morning Safari at the Entabeni Game Reserve!
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Excellent views and wildlife spoilt by Collette's lack of attention
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Requests from 3 couples for twin/double rooms were not passed to hotels although rooms were available. Courier, although very pleasant, lacked organisational skills -
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Wildlife experience in Entabeni was excellent.
Hello,Thanks for sharing your experience of your tour. Please accept our apology about the accommodations while traveling with us. We have also passed along your review of the tour and the courier to our product and tour manager team so that they can use the information to improve the tour for future guests.Collette Support -
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A truly first class trip.
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We've traveled with Collette for many years. We expected a superb trip and that is what we got. Jean Moore, our tour manager did an outstanding job. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, helpful and truly cared about delivering the best service possible. She made it extra special.
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The hotels and meals were excellent. We were disappointed in our tour direc...
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The hotels and meals were excellent. We were disappointed in our tour director.
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The city guide in Dubai was terrible! We felt we hardly visited Cape Town, We would have loved a walking tour instead of zooming by everything by bus.
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Overall good. Would recommend with a better tour director.
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Greatly enjoyed the tour package. Meals and accommodations were excellent. Our tour director (Desmond) was poor.
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3 day stay at Entabeni -- superior in every regard Elephant Sanctuary in Chobe, Botswana Chobe National Park.
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Good trip almost spoiled by a poor Tour Director
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Most of it was great, though the Tour Director definitely needed better training.
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Mostly very well chosen venues, but this was the wrong time of year to be visiting Victoria Falls. Victoria is a shadow of itself in late October, with Iguassu in Brazil being far more impressive. They should have managed our expectations. Better, the incremental cost of the travel to take in Victoria may have been better spent to go elsewhere.
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Animal Sightings
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Animal sightings were great! Enjoyed the safari experience.
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No comment on this section.
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Excellent service by Collette US
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It was a very good experience overall. Very friendly and helpful
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Excellent Safaris, very good excursions.
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Our best vacation ever, small group, wonderful hotels, and great scenery.
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Collette was very accommodating and easy to work with.
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Excellent tour director, first class hotels, great pace of the the African tour, nice mingling of city and safari. The small group made the tour even better, you didn't feel herded. We would definitely consider another Collette tour. We especially liked the small groups and the boutique hotels that were selected.
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Great way to experience Africa!
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Jean Moore was the BEST tour manager! Always she gave more to make clients happy and to keep things interesting. She let us be excited and happy about small pleasures even when she know even better pleasures were coming up. Her stories, information, and humor were timely and relevant. The hotels were different from the normal, so they added to the whole experience.
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Trip Rating:
Very nice to have a small group of 17. Loved the safari trip up the mountain at Entebeni to see rhinos. Loved the visit to Mr. Mbisi's village, seeing Victoria Falls via helicopter, early morning game drives, wine tasting and town, Chobe River game cruises. Our vehicle was nearly attacked by elephants who had to be chased away by our ranger.
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Trip Rating:
Services were professionally performed to our satisfaction
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Overall it was a great experience ,a once in a lifetime trip.
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Trip Rating:
I would recommend Collette to my friends and family. All the hotels were 1st rate and our tour Guide was excellent . I was disappointed with the home meal visit. I thought we were going to an African home on a one to one basis, so brought gifts accordingly. Instead the whole group went to one home which was Muslem and were served East Indian food which was too spicy for our liking. The Hostess was very gracious and kind but we hardly got time to ask any questions since she was too busy serving food from one room to the next. We spent the evening talking to each other in the group which we could have done anywhere.If the evening can't be more personal I would recommend that it be taken out of the program. I would also abandon the night safari . It was freezing cold, very dark and we didn't see any thing more than we did during the day. It was very tiring after a full day of travel , a good nights sleep would have be more beneficial since we were getting up at 5:15 am the next morning to go on safari again.
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My favorite experiences were : the desert trip in Dubi , riding a camel, feeding the elephants in Botswana and walking with the lions . I also enjoyed the river safari watching the elephants playing in the water.
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Our tour was well thought out, exciting, educational and safe. We enjoyed every minute. Our Tour Guide Don Lowe was so knowledgeable in history, wildlife and nature. Thank you for a wonderful experience.
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We have taken approx. 30 guided tours before this. This was the best ever.
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Trip Rating:
We used En Route travel as our agent. Everything was handled in a very efficient manor. This was our first trip with Collette and we were more than pleased. Our tour guide , *name removed by Feefo*, was absolutely great. We will definitely travel with you again. The car service was perfect. We were treated like royalty the entire trip. Our tour guide and bus drivers were very knowledgeable and helpful. The hotels were wonderful. The bus in Johanasburg was a bit dated and not in good repair. The plane trips, both ways, was exhausting. It seems there must be a more direct way.
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The game drives were wonderful. Rain or shine we had a fabulous time.
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Yearning for unique experiences.
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Trip Rating:
We have taken 4 vacations with Collette and we feel that the excellent service via Darcy Flarity Vision Travel and your Toronto agent has made us most comfortable. Just wish- as other of our world traveller friends do that there were more exotic/different/unique trips available. Would love to give you more of our baby boomer money but the programmes seem limited and common to other companies. Love the small group programmes!,
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Trip Rating:
Our tour manager Desmond was the best guide we have ever had in our 45 years of world travels.Mind you, all have been good. Desmond had the expertise combined with charisma, sense of humor,tactfulness. Most memorable experiences-- the game drives! We were prepared for an anticlimatic experience since we have done safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, however it was just as exciting. Guides were excellent. Disappointed that we could not ride the elephants as we did in Laos with Collette.This should be reintroduced. I'm a lover of elephants and this seems nothing more than a political move on Collette's part. The substitution of petting not riding the elephants was extremely disappointing and not called for. The company visited attended to the elephants expertly and humanely. It is disconcerting to watch others riding the elephants and not Collette tourists. We are glad that we had visited Laos and had the experience of riding them before Collette changed the programme.
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The tour was generally good except for the first 2 days which we were left alone at the hotel with no information
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Trip Rating:
The booklet provided for the tour is very well prepared and user friendly. Your agent was knowledge able.
Hi Daniel, thanks for your feedback! We're sorry to hear that you felt alone during the first two days of the tour. This is absolutely never our intention. It sounds like you were quite content with the tour and the information presented to you prior to touring. We do hope you'll consider travelling with us again soon. Best, AS
Collette Support -
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.Most unorganized tour I have ever experienced
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Trip Rating:
Company strives to be as cheap as possible. Highly disorganized planning, lack of communication between guides, staff, hotels and passengers. Would never recommend Collette to any person. Stop trying to cheapen tour, pay for all meals, do not make customers pay for water or drinks at meals, have written daily organized guides to all customers the day before.explaining next days schedule. -
Trip Rating:
The safaris were wonderful, however most other scheduled events were either rushed or had very poor content. Hotel rooms were not placed in the most advantageous locations, poor views, bad locations.
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