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vacation to South Africa & Zimbabwe
Marissa Smith, 13th September 2023Overall, our safari in the Kruger made this trip outstanding. There were a few shortcomings in Cape Town and Zimbabwe which are explained below.
Accommodation Visited
Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel and Spa
“The hotel and the staff were very nice and accommodating. The reason we gave this 3 stars is because the location was scary. There were pickpocketers, homeless beggars and muggers all around this area. We had to Uber everywhere and felt unsafe. We would have much rather been placed in the V&A Waterfront where there were no homeless beggars around. Please advise to place all guests there. We were very disappointed in the hotel selection for Cape Town.”
La Fontaine Boutique Hotel
“Could not have picked a nicer hotel. The safe was so accommodating and sweet. The room was adorable and clean.”
Savanna Lodge
“Would give this more stars if I could. We had the best time at this lodge and I would go back tomorrow if I could. The staff was beyond spectacular, the service was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I would send all my friends and family to this lodge. The rooms were amazing and the food was nothing like I’d ever tasted. I can’t emphasize enough how incredible everything was at this lodge.”
Batonka Guest Lodge
“I would give this hotel 0 stars if I could. I absolutely hated it. The staff was HORRIBLE. The receptionists were incredibly rude and even went so far as to yell at us when our tour was 30 minutes early, and we weren't ready. All they seemed interested in upon our arrival was trying to sell us more tours and their dinner. They flat out refused to break bills for us or offer any assistance in helping us figure out where to do so. This hotel was located in the middle of nowhere. The amount of money this hotel cost per night was actually nauseating. I went to Ilana Lodge and would have gladly paid an extra $100 a night to stay there; the staff was kind and incredibly accommodating. I really have nothing nice to say about Batonka. Please steer all your clients away from this hotel at all costs. It was a truly horrible experience.”
Staff Review
“The tour in Cape Town was scheduled at the wrong time, and all the tours in Zimbabwe arrived much earlier than expected. Nikki had selected our hotels, and we wish she had not chosen Cloud 9 or Batonka for us as we were disappointed with these choices. We understand that this is a luxury travel agency; however, having affordable options for group tours would be appreciated by all guests. We also wish we had been given more information about areas in Cape Town that are not safe for walking alone.
Nikki also handled our flight bookings and arranged for us to land in Zambia and then cross the border into Zimbabwe, which was a little concerning. Fortunately, our tour guide, Jeff, was outstanding and expedited all the necessary procedures, but it seemed like an unnecessary step. We would have preferred to land directly in Zimbabwe.
We also wish we had been provided with more information about hotel and location options before booking and given a few choices. It feels like I could have done the research and planned the trip myself, selecting better hotels. Again, this feedback pertains to Nikki. We wish we had received a breakdown of hotel and flight prices to conduct our own research, as we believe we may have overpaid for what we received.”
