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holiday to South Africa & Zimbabwe
Logan Pahlke, 29th May 2024The trip was incredible, we had an amazing honeymoon. It exceeded any expectations that we had.
Accommodation Visited
Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel
“Wonderful hotel and the breakfast included was lovely as well. The staff was very nice and accommodating. The area was perfect for us and we didn't prefer the hustle and bustle of the V&A Waterfront. We would stay here again.”
La Cle Lodge & Villas
“Exceptional hotel with exceptional service. We would stay here again.”
Savanna Lodge
“I don't even know where to start, this was an incredible experience. We have never experienced service like this place. Everyone who worked there seemed so happy to be there, passionate about what they do and they were very warm and welcoming. We felt at home here and will revisit one day. Everything was timed perfectly: the morning game drives, breakfast, snacks on the game drives, breaks, lunches, afternoon game drives, and dinners. If we could give this place 10 stars we would.
Once we told Savannah about Matt's peanut allergy, they removed anything peanut-related from the menu for our entire trip so we didn't have to worry about it at all.”
Old Drift Lodge
“The experience of getting here was a bit more detailed than we expected, but when we arrived, everyone was warm, welcoming, and friendly. We had the last room at the very end, so the walk was a bit far, but we got used to it. The room was incredible, right on the Zambezi River. It was a very cool river experience.
Coming from Savannah, we understood this place would be different, but the staff just wasn't the same, and the place seemed a little too stuffy for our taste. We skipped the game drives because we felt fulfilled from Savannah, but we did do a morning river cruise and an evening fishing trip. We had a couple of trips to town and visited Victoria Falls. Each driver and guide we had was very much enjoyed, as they were knowledgeable and down to earth. We got along quite well.
Unfortunately, we would have rated this place 4 stars, but due to the mismanagement with Matt's peanut allergy, they are downgraded to a 1. Our travel expert informed the lodge about it, and Matt and I told every single server we came across that he had a severe peanut allergy. Not once did the entire staff of almost 20 tell us to avoid the granola in the yogurt. One time, the manager, a woman, brought us a plate of the yogurt near our table. On our last day, Matt took a bite of the yogurt, wanting to taste it, and had a SEVERE allergic reaction. It could have killed him. The management did what they were supposed to do by checking in on us, asking if we needed a ride to the hospital, and letting us stay in the suite a little longer. This was Himal. He told us that this was unacceptable, he was very sorry, and he had a talk with his staff. If you have to say that, you have made a mistake. They couldn't let us stay in the same room because it was booked but said they could book us at a sister lodge. I specifically asked if that would be comped for the mistake, and Himal told me, "Don't worry about that; we just want to make sure Matt was OK." I asked him to please keep me updated and let me know. He then failed to let me know about the room almost 45 minutes later, then told us we were being transferred, and then we found out we were being charged the normal cost of the room, minus a bride discount.
On top of EVERYTHING ELSE, the fact that I had to deal with this is unacceptable. There was no communication on Himal's part about the charge. I got the manager of Old Elephant Lodge to ask Himal to contact me, and he did. We spoke on the phone, and I told him that this was unacceptable and I wanted to speak to his boss, all the while monitoring my husband's breathing every 20 minutes. He told me he could make that happen, and I never heard from him. Six hours later, I asked him for an update, and he simply wrote back that there was nothing he could do and I needed to handle this through the travel expert. I was livid and contacted the manager at Old Elephant Lodge. They were lovely and got a manager for me within 2 hours. She heard our grievances and got back to me in the morning like she said she would. They still charged us $300, and I will be disputing that. We feel awful because everything at Elephant Lodge was lovely and it wasn't their fault. In fact, they were a lot nicer than Old Drift. I will be filing a formal complaint about Himal, the other woman manager, and their staff at Old Drift. I hate this, but my husband almost died. I will not let this go. It's about principle at this point, not dollars.”
Staff Review
“Steve was amazing and we hope to work with him again on our next trip to Africa :) 10/10, thank you Steve!”
