Words cannot even describe how incredible our trip was from start to finish.

I was planning on sending you an email yesterday, but jet lag got the best of me!

Words cannot even describe how incredible our trip was from start to finish.

Our transfer from the Capetown airport to our hotel was great. He waited a long time for us since it took our luggage forever to come out, and gave us many recommendations and suggestions on the drive over. Kloof Street hotel was wonderful. The staff were so kind and helpful in everything we needed. We felt safe and comfortable in the space. There was a bottle of wine and a piece of chocolatecake waiting for us which was so sweet. Our tour guide stayed with us for both days and she was incredible. We became extremely close with her. She was SO knowledgeable about Capetown and answered literally every single one of our questions (and we had a lot). She took us everywhere that was planned, but also adapted the schedule based on what we asked of her. We were so sad to leave her! We enjoyed our dinner and experience at GOLD, as well as Villa 47. We almost wish we had 1 more day to explore since there is just so much to do!

Our transfer to the Capetown airport for Hoedspruit was the same person who picked us up originally, which was great. Our flight was easy and we had someone waiting for us at the airport to take us to Simbavati River Lodge. On our way, we saw many animals and he made sure to stop and let us admire and take pictures. We had no idea that this was just the beginning. We arrived at the lodge and were immediately welcomed by the warm and friendly staff members. They took our bags to our room, showed us our room, and we got ready for our first game drive. We had high tea and off we went. It was Christmas so they had an amazing spread of appetizers and gin toward the end of our drive. We met up with people at different lodges and enjoyed the sunset together. Our guide Alison, and our tracker Aubrey were INCREDIBLE and so unbelievablyknowledgeable. Alison answered every question we had (again, A LOT) and was so confident. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous at first, but she immediately eased my nerves and made us feel so comfortable. Over the course of our 6 game drives, we saw leopard,lion, hyena, giraffe, impala, warthog, kudu, mongoose, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, baboon, lions with a buffalo kill, a pride of 11 lions attempt to hunt a giraffe (unsuccessfully), waterbuck, buffalo, many different birds, and so much more. The lodge itself was AMAZING. In between drives, we spent time relaxing, reading, sitting at the pool, eating (sooooooo much eating and such yummy food), and meeting new people. Our butler, Obie, was fabulous. Max wasn’t feeling well the first night and ended up sleeping through dinner, and Obie brought me dinner to our room. It was truly such a surreal experience that one can only dream of being a part of. We were so sad to leave.

We flew to Joburg and theCity Lodge OR Tambo Airport Hotel was great. The dinner buffet was delicious, and the staff were kind and friendly.

The flight to Mauritius was easy and quick. We were directed to the SummerTimes counter and our transfer was waiting for us. In the transfer, we met an amazing family from South Africa that we ended up spending a lot of time with at the resort. When we pulled up to Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort, we were instantly blown away. There was a staff member there drumming us in and the vibes were so great right away. We were given a welcome drink and were shown around the resort. They told us all about the different activities we can do and the different restaurants. They took our luggage to our room and showed us to our room, where there was champagne on ice waiting for us. We toasted the champagne and got ready for our first night. Throughout the trip, we swam with dolphins, snorkeled, did a boat day, golfed, and did lots of relaxing. We celebrated new years eve with an incredible party on the beach, an insanedinner buffet, and a firework show. There wassome sort of live music every night and we loved dancing with everyone around us. Staff members CONSTANTLY came up to us and asked if we needed anything and were extremely accommodating, kind and helpful. Leaving was HARD. The ONE flaw of the entire trip, which ended up working out, was our transfer leaving the resort. The reception desk told us that our transfer would be there at 6:30 pm for our 10:30 pm flight. There was a miscommunication somewhere, and our transfer never showed up. SummerTimes ended up calling us a regular taxi that picked us up at 7:20 pm (almost an hour late). I was nervous about customs and missing our flight, but luckily the customs line went quickly and we made it through in time. A minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of the whole trip.

We truly cannot thank you enough for your help in this whole process. Everything you suggested and planned for us was picture perfect. Not having to worry about what we were doing and how we were getting from Point A to Point B made us feel so relaxed and enjoy the trip even more. I have already had multiple people ask me to send them our itinerary, and I immediately refer them to you and the company. Thank you so much for everything. Our trip would not have been as successful without you! Hopefully we can connect one day again in the future.

I will fill out the Facebook review and the Zicasso review as well. Hoping this email will suffice as the email review.

Best,

Jessica

(Travelled December 2024)