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Honeymoon to South Africa & Mauritius
Roshan Kalra & Puneetjot Shahi, 11th November 2017Absolutely fantastic. Every detail of the trip was perfectly curated, right from the point we landed with a representative from Menzies Aviation there to meet us off the plane, right to the transfer to the airport at our last point in Mauritius. The only thing I would change from this trip is not staying at Sands Resort as we found it a disappointment from a quality/service standpoint, especially from a cost-value proposition standpoint.
Countries Visited
South Africa
“Beautiful country to visit - Cape Town for starters has much to offer and the 4 nights we spent there was more than enough. Both Menzies Aviation and Bidvest Car Hire were a painless process and did a great job. Driving was easier than I thought coming from North America where we drive on the opposite side. The pickup in Hoedspruit from Cape Town was there on time and very professional. Safari was an experience of a lifetime and we would highly recommend it, especially at this resort. Having an experienced Ranger/Tracker is such a key to enjoying the whole process. One recommendation here is to not fly out from Nelspruit if at Jackalberry Lodge as the drive is quite long (2 hours); if possible, depart from Hoedspruit.”
Mauritius
“We made our Mauritius stay more relaxing at the resort/beach, so did not partake in any excursions. The island itself is quite bare, and more reliant on tourism. Conveyance is expensive to move around short distances, so best to stay at resort. Our only negative comment would be about the resort itself as we found it underwhelming and disappointing.”
Accommodation Visited
“Fantastic accommodation for a young couple. New hotel in good area of town, although slightly difficult to find with directions. Good vibe throughout, friendly staff, reasonable parking costs and AMAZING breakfast for the overall cost you pay to stay here. Would recommend this without a doubt.”
Jackalberry Lodge
“Better than the safari or this trip may have been the stay at Jackalberry. We would recommend this 100% of the time for anyone looking to do a safari in Thornybush. From the minute we got there being greeted by the Manager with warm towels we felt at ease and at home. The staff attending to our every need, and actually seemed happy/gracious in doing so. Each meal was prepared a la carte, and was the level of food you would find in a 5-star restaurant. The luxury tents were just that - luxury. Spacious, comfortable, and cleaned/refreshed before/after each of our two daily game drives. There was no shortage of service throughout. The ranger/tracker (Ocean/Lucas) on our game drives made this experience even better - they were so knowledgeable and dedicated to their craft that their enthusiasm made it so authentic for everyone with them. We got to see everything we wanted on the safaris (except a Leopard), and the pair even maneuvered us through some tricky situations with ease and skill.”
Sands Suites Resort & Spa
“The resort itself was beautiful and well-kept. Our issue here was more with the service level, food, and overall value proposition. The front reception staff was not particularly knowledgeable or friendly, and many of the staff we dealt with in the restaurants were the same or worse. The food quality was lacking, and selection for lunch in the Dolphin Bar poor. For the cost paid to stay at this resort, we found that food/drinks were heavily overpriced and not a good value for money. Overall, we would not recommend guests to stay here.”
Staff Review
“Absolutely fantastic. We had received recommendations from many friends on travel companies for the safari/honeymoon, and we found Mahlatini through Google so contacted them as well. While a little initially leery as it was not through a personal recommendation and the company was not based in Canada, we did extensive background research and felt more comfortable. Stuart was very quick to respond to all our questions and this was the primary reason we initially moved forward. He was very helpful, responsive and knowledgeable about each destination, having visited himself. We would without a doubt recommend Mahlatini to our friends and use them again for a trip.”
