Guided Africa Tours

One of the top two trips of my life! (The other was Antarctica.) Not only did we see and learn about animals; we also met people and learned about their lives. Our drivers were also guides; they became our trusted friends too. Try to go during shoulder season. We were told things would get a lot busier during high season. We have been with Collette on several tours because we know we can count on them for a great experience.

We had a wonderful time on this tour. The accommodations were very good, especially The Wallow in Victoria falls and the Black Rhino lodge in Pilanesberg, beautiful grounds, large luxurious rooms, great service and delicious meals. We had perfect weather, a fun tour guide Andrew Penn, great excursions and we saw tons of beautiful animals and all of the big Five, including the leopard which we were told was very rare. Victoria Falls was breathtaking with tons of rainbows everywhere. Had a perfect clear sunny day in Capetown to table mountain and the wine country of Stellenbosch was so scenic with the mountains and fall colors. A perfect trip, Collette did a wonderful job of organizing this trip and we are planning to go back in 2028 to Tanzania and Kenya!

Tour was exceptional. The safaris and the rangers were fun and adventurous. Our safari fod guides were so informative on rhe animals and where they were located. The made the ride so memorable. Loved the Wallow Lodge. Victoria Falls went beyond my expectations. Khosi, our tour manager made all of us feel like family. She was so knowledgeable about the places we visited. Loved hearing her personal stories about growing up in South Africa.

It was a bucket list trip for me, I had saved and planned for. What a beautiful country, friendly, warm people, and so diverse. We saw so much, travel was hard, I would recommend making the trip sooner than later. To see all the parts and countries we saw, that is the way it had to be. My trip was colored, unfortunately, because I became ill during the middle of the trip, and missed most of the game drives. I experienced South African medicine first hand. I was very sad, the part I wanted the most I did not get. The animals I did experience were amazing, Nature, what can you say? Victoria Falls was breathtaking, as was Table Mountain, and of course the Cape of Good Hope with the darling penguins. How can you not like the winelands especially on a rainy day. Cape Towne had terrible weather, the schools were closed, but our Guide was able to work with her contacts and get our schedule moved around so we did not miss anything that we were scheduled to see. Great job.

The safaris were absolutely wonderful . The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly . Saw so many animals!!!

Our recent trip was amazing. A life changing experience. The trip was a good mix of natural and cultural experiences giving us well balanced exposure to Africa. Out tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, organized entertaining and thoughtful. I feel like we have a new lifelong friend. This was the first fully guided tour my wife and I have experienced. It hard to imagine exploring other countries on our own in the future. Great Job Collette and Louis, our guide.

Being chased by an elephant on a drive!! The Ivory Tree lodge was the best staff was very friendly and helpful. Our driver from there Pinuo he was so friendly and knowledgeable. Taught us so many different things. The only thing is I would have liked more hands on experience with Elephants and giraffes.

What an adventure! Seeing the animals in the wild is so much more exciting than seeing them in a zoo.

The Tour was great, and as with all good things, there can be improvements. While a pickup service to the airport and back was offered, it presented far too much stress, given that there was only one pickup per state and it had to be within a 50-mile radius of the originating airport. Too much time was spent meeting and organizing how to meet these requirements. I thoroughly enjoyed the safaris, but 8/9 was exorbitant, and one of South Africa's major attractions, Robben Island, was not included as a tour site. We captured amazing photos of the wild kingdoms, so this is not negative, except everyone is keenly aware of the decades-long history of Robbens Island! Kudos on the inclusion of the family visits, as I was able to learn more about the communities, the general political terrain, and it provided opportunities to deliver messages from our states to their homelands. The culinary choices were awesome, and the last evening's offerings of local foods were most informative. Special shout-out to the entertainers and especially the drummers. What a way to begin our dinner experience! Your choice of a Tour Manager was impeccable. He was knowledgeable and shared not just his knowledge but his passion for his country. Clearly, he was not doing this for a paycheck, but rather to extend friendship to other countries, showing that we are indeed "one!" He left no one behind; he was keenly aware of his group and their capabilities, as well as any physical abilities. Uriel is a KEEPER!!! The various drivers were the best; they shared amazing facts about the animals and highlighted key details of their natural habitats. Your selection of individuals who were hired to make our trip an epic journey did just that! Would I recommend Collette Travel/Tours to others? Absolutely!!!!!

This tour was an experience of a life time! Our tour manager, Greg, was fantastic. The highlights of this tour package had to be the game safari drives in the Chobe National Park and the Pilanesburg National Refuge. Our games drivers were excellent and very informative, plus we managed to see 4 of the African Big 5 wildlife animals plus many others. This trip greatly exceeded all of my expectations.

Best trip I’ve ever been on

Seeing the lion and rhino. the falls were great too.

The tour manager, Mohamed, was exceptional. Very informative, engaging, and entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the camping in the Sahara, even with the dust storm! The accommodations were much better than I expected, where a "Moroccan 5 star" was as good as any "5 star" in the US. I also liked having a bus for transport that gave us room to spread out and sit where we liked. Also, the food was excellent, varied, and delicious (though I did get a little tired of tagine by the end). Well done overall.

Our guide, Mohammed, added a great deal to our experience by his knowledge and experience in Morocco. His ability to communicate everything about the history, culture people the farmland in the south versus the cities in the north and everything else gave us an extensive understanding of Morocco. Most everyone would say their favorite part was being in the desert. The camp was extraordinary and riding a camel is not something you can do just anywhere. While we enjoyed every part of the trip, the desert was the most unique.

Camping and riding camels in the Sahara, exploring the medians, staying in the elegant riads. The tour manager was excellent, a great ambassador for Morocco! All the local guides were great too. A very immersive experience.

Our travel agent, Shelli France of Air Bear Travel in Cheboygan, Michigan, recommended the Collette Southern Africa experience. At first it was a maybe but after reading the Collette brochure and saw the reasonable price, we decided to start our adventure. Got to admit most of the accommodations were beyond 5 star. The hospitality in Zimbabwe and Botswana were outstanding. Two locations The Wallow's and The Ivory Coast resort were exceptional. Victoria Falls was amazing the pictures and videos don't do justice to being there and feeling the roar of the Falls. The highlight of the trip were definitely the animals. Our numerous guides were excellent in locating the "big five" plus all the wild animals most of the world associate with Africa, giraffe, zebra, impala, warthog, baboons. Of course my highlight were the elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, several different groups of lions and my wife's favorite the leopard. Getting to Cape Town was a nice way to slowly bring the trip back to a more relaxed pace. The Mandela experience was very moving. Couldn't believe all we did in just two weeks. I would highly recommend asking to get Gregory Jaftha as your tour manager. An incredible individual who made small changes so we could see everything we wanted.

this was the trip of a lifetime! Great tour manager, great accommodations, and great experience all around.

Enjoyed it all, culture, food, cities, countryside, and fellow travelers. .

I loved this trip, it was the trip of a lifetime for me. It was so incredibly beautiful it was almost spiritual. The opportunity to see these animals with my own eyes was something I will never forget! Penya (at Ivory Tree), was my safari guide and his information was invaluable. Being immersed into the culture by having dinner with two families was extraordinary! As far as accommodations I enjoyed Ivory Tree Game Lodge best. Very nice stay and it was nice to choose meals off a menu. I did tire of cafeteria style food of other places we stayed. Our tour director seemed more into the history and teaching us though. There were times I just wanted him to be quiet, or talk more about the present than the past. Victoria Falls was more amazing than I could even imagine. Loved seeing the penquins of course, but spotting a leopard and her cub was a highlight for all of us! I loved seeing all the recycling in the art that made everywhere you turned. Table mountain - wow! This senior citizen even paraglided off Signal Mountain! I had my life’s first massage also on this trip. The group of people that traveled from Pittsburgh were a pearl on this trip. I left with 18 new friends. I’m not even a birder, and I was fascinated by all the beautiful birds all around, all the colors of the rainbow! There is nothing that can be done about all the visa checks, passport checks, and plane trips but it did get tiresome being in so many airport lines. Only thing I would have done differently would have been to pack a few more smart casual outfits. I packed mostly safari clothes, and the last few days in Capetown left me wearing some of my safari outfits another time. Thank you for providing me with an easy way to travel with a group of people and navigating all of the travel with none of the worries!

Overall wonderful experience Victoria Falls and Botswana were my favorite sites Pilanesberg was scenic but the experience was less representative of Africa than the other two sites Ending in Capetown and the excursions there was excellent