Destinations Africa

We have just returned from our first trip to southern Africa, organised by John and his team at Destinations Africa. It was an amazing trip, covering self driving in Namibia, safaris in Etosha, Botswana and Sabi Sands, with stays in Cape Town and Victoria Falls. The wildlife viewing was incredible, thanks to our wonderful local guides and trackers in each camp. All of the locations and accommodation chosen were perfect for us, with meetings and transfers between each location. I highly recommend the team at Destinations Africa for your next adventure!

Trip of a lifetime thanks to John and the Destinations Africa team! Although we are well traveled this was our first trip to Africa and Destinations Africa could not make it easier. They selected two amazing safari lodges for us with exceptional service and incredible guides. Every detail was thought of and taken care of. Best week of our lives. They were also able to pull this off with just 3 weeks notice in peak season!

We are a family of seven adults who have just returned home after visiting Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa for 24 days. Destinations Africa's expertise and know how made this possible. We chose Destinations Africa because of their positive, nothing is a problem, can do, attitude. We enjoyed amazing, oh so comfortable bush safari camps but also chose to push the boundaries and experienced hot air ballooning, diving with the great white sharks and very high and long zip lining. We had the most awesome, fantastic, seamless, exciting but safe holiday of a lifetime. Our memories and photos are priceless.
Destinations know how to do Africa. If you want your ideas and wish list to be made into the ultimate African adventure, talk to Destinations Africa. Go to Africa. Live and breath like never before.

Our recent (and first) trip to Africa exceeded our expectations !!!!! Cathy at Destinations Africa worked with us and put together a 3 week itinerary which was a perfect balance of safaris, culture and sightseeing, and met our budget objectives. Every aspect was covered in the documentation and the logistics of meet & greet (4), internal flights (7), transfers (5), & border processing between Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa worked like clockwork, exactly as planned.
All of our accommodation was first rate and the 4 safari venues that we went to were very different and provided a multitude of varied wildlife experiences ...... the icing on the cake was the final 5 nights at the Savanna Lodge in SA where there was a multitude of “surprises” built into the program for guests - what a fantastic way to finish our trip !

ps: we don’t know how Cathy managed it, but we even ran into an Australian on the Chobe River who I last saw 55 years ago !

Christa from Destinations Africa is absolutely amazing!
Our sincere gratitude to Christa for not only recommending wonderful destinations and organising these, but also for re-organising at late notice when a death in our family meant rescheduling.
All proceeded to plan, with highly recommended accommodation and destinations. We particularly enjoyed the three safari camp stays, each were amazing in experiencing wildlife encounters. Victoria Falls, Cape Town and the Garden Route added icing on to the cake!
Throughout my experiences with Christa and Destinations Africa, we received valuable, current information and support throughout. Christa was always friendly, approachable, thorough and knowledgeable, going out of her way to help in any way she could. All within a reasonable budget!
I sincerely thank Destinations Africa for organising our wonderful African adventure, and would recommend them to any interested travellers.
Yvonne and Andrew
Hamersley, Perth, Western Australia
July 2018

Wow, what an amazing trip we have just returned from. We visited Nairobi and Giraffe Manor, the Maasai Mara and Karen Blixen Camp, the Serengeti and Mbuze Mawe Serena Tented Camp, Ngorongoro Crater and Karatu Acacia Lodge Farm and then on to Zanzibar and Sultan Sands Resort. Cathy and the team at Destinations Africa should be very proud of themselves with their organisation and handling of our trip. From the first phone call with Cathy I felt she understood exactly what I was looking for in this exciting adventure I was about to plan. Any dealings we had with Destinations Africa were handled promptly and everything ran smoothly. And we felt safe everywhere we went. Thank you Cathy, for making our dreams come true.

We had an amazing time in South Africa and Zimbabwe in October 2019. We were 2 families with young adult children - 9 all together.
Cathy from Destinations Africa organised our 15 night tour exceptionally well. Everything went very smoothly. Someone was there every time we landed in an airport to pick us ( we had 3 internal flights ) and all the transfers went very smoothly.
We had 4 nights in Cape Town- went to Table Mountain, Cape Point and wine lands.
Then we had safari at Simbabala Lodge in Tmbavati and Imbabala Lodge at Hwange ,Zimbabwe. The experience specially at Simbavati was amazing. We saw the Big 5 in 3 days. We saw wild dogs 2 consecutive days which is rare. All the staff , specially our guide and tracker were excellent.
We had a different experience at Imbabala as not as many big animals like Simbavati. But we still enjoyed viewing animals and more varieties of birds. We enjoyed the hospitality of the young owners and all guests having meals together on one dining table and interacting with each other.
It was very interesting to cross borders- zambia , Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe, Botsawana. We did a day tour in Chobe , Botswana.
Then we went to Victoria falls hotel in Zimbabwe. The kids loved all the activities in the area- Devil pool experience, Gorge swing which etc. Victoria falls was majestic even though this was a low water season.
We are very happy, we came back safe and sound and nothing went wrong. Excellent planning and organising from Cathy. I will certainly book with Destinations Africa when I am ready to visit Africa again.

We recently used Destinations Africa to organise our trip along the Garden Route (self drive) in South Africa, 8 days in Zimbabwe (a minibus for 6 people) and finally 5 days at Savanna Lodge in Sabi Sands west of Kruger National Park. It would have to be one of the best trips we have so far taken. Everything went like clockwork, the transport and accommodation was superb.

The Garden route exceeded expectations. Travelling through Zimbabwe was an eye opener.. don't let anyone put you off exploring this very interesting country with amongst the friendliest people you could meet anywhere.

We have been to a number of game parks in Africa and Savanna Lodge would have to be the best we've ever visited. Apart from the superb accommodation and food, the game drives were fantastic. If you want to get up close and personal with lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, giraffes... you name it, we saw it.

Thanks so much Destinations Africa for such an amazing holiday. Would we recommend it?? Definitely!!

Having just got back from Africa we wanted to share the wonderful experience we had with John's company.
John listened to what we wanted to do and then made insightful suggestions, and constructed a great itinerary for us. He was always there to answer questions or arrange little add ons. His personal knowledge of all the accomodation was very helpful. His selection of lodges was wonderful. We never had to worry about pick ups or arrangements because it was always clearly set out in our itinerary, and everything went seamlessly. We always felt safe and supported.
We would not hesitate to go with this company again and recommend it to others, it was an amazing experience!

Wanted to let you know that our Tanzania trip was absolutely fabulous. Team from Albatross were excellent. Aris our driver/guide was truly brilliant and most professional. He made the trip special because of his personality and expertise in all things safari. The camps, food and general experience was beyond what we had hoped for. With just the two of us in our four-wheel drive we had the freedom to do as we wished helpfully guided by Aris. The scenery and wildlife were extraordinary. We can see how people can become hooked in safaris.

We had great weather and on reflection there is very little we believe we would change to the itinerary we put together. Maybe an extra day in Arusha where we would have spent more time at the Cultural Centre, which was much larger than we imagined, or their website indicated. An absolute huge array of African art and well worth a full day.

A couple of days in Zanzibar at the end of the trip was both interesting and relaxing and a lovely way to conclude our father / daughter trip.

Overall, the trip was excellent, and we have memories for a lifetime. Thank you so much for your advice and organisation of our trip, we could not be more satisfied, and we have been more than happy to share your details with some friends who are contemplating a safari.

John was so helpful with putting together a week long safari in Tanzania and a short trip to Nairobi, Kenya for our family of 3. All of the accommodation was beyond what we expected and the staff at all of our accommodation were incredible. We enjoyed our daily game drives, the food served and everything in between! We were so lucky to see all of the big 5 and plenty of other animals! We could not recommend Destinations Africa and their partner Albatros Travel more!

We had the most wonderful holiday in Africa arranged by Destinations Africa. It was our first trip so had a lot of questions and no idea of what to expect. Sandie organised an itinerary for 3 weeks which was amazing and covered everything we wanted to see and more. Our transfers were flawless, always someone smiling and there to greet us. We started in Kenya and then went to Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, a beautiful day trip to Botswana and then down to South Africa.
The day trips in Nairobi were lovely and we really enjoyed them. The lodges we stayed at throughout our trip were excellent. The staff were so friendly, the accomodation lovely, the food amazed us, it was so good. The guides we had for our safaris throughout our trip were brilliant, they really made it perfect.
I would certainly recommend booking with them, we are glad we did and will certainly use them if we go to Africa again.

My husband and I went on a 2 week holiday to Zimbabwe and South Africa. We experienced 2 game lodges and visited Johannesburg and Cape Town. Cathy from Destinations Africa put together the most amazing trip. Everything was perfect, exceeded our expectations and we could not have had a better time. We look forward to being able to visit Africa again sometime and would certainly be getting Destinations Africa to arrange this for us. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime!!

Wonderful 5 nights in Botswana - our first trip to this beautiful country. Cathy listened to what we wanted out of our trip and took note of our budget, and suggested several suitable camps. We were very happy with our choices and we especially enjoyed Kwando Lagoon - a little off the beaten track, but very much Africa. Good communication before the trip, and absolutely no hitches at all with the road or air transfers while we were there. Destinations Africa is a very well run and professional organisation - would happily use them again.

Cathy at Destinations Africa was amazing in organising a trip for myself and three girlfriends to East Africa and Victoria Falls. She was so efficient, always friendly, very patient and went above and beyond to give us the trip of a lifetime. From the moment we set foot in Africa we had a friendly face to greet us and we were never left wondering about any of the arrangements...the trip ran like clockwork. All the hotels and lodges we stayed at were terrific and the game viewing was spectacular. I can't thank Cathy and the rest of the Destinations Africa team (particularly Albatross Travel in East Africa) for all their hard work. I wouldn't hesitate in coming to them again for further Africa travel.

Destinations Africa planned our first trip to Africa, we visited Victoria Falls, Cape Town and Elephant Plains Game Reserve. All accommodation was first class from service to comfort to meals. The activities booked for us were interesting and informative. We especially liked the lunch with the local lady in Victoria Falls. Cape Town was a lovely city with the V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain highlights. Then Elephant Plains with the great variety of animals we viewed was a dream come true. Thanks for a great itinerary and all your help.

The single most personal and detailed service we have ever worked with!

What make Destinations Africa such a pleasure to work with was that they really took our experience, interests, passions and travel history into account. Cathy from DA interviewed my husband and I for almost an hour to deeply understand what we were interested in, how we like to travel, what experiences were the most important to us and other personal details. Based on what we provided in that initial interview, Cathy came back with recommendations, we provided feedback and she iterated on the itinerary until it was absolutely perfect.

But this wasn't a simple booking service, we were provided with regular proactive updates and recommendations on additional activities as well as details on everything from the type of vaccinations required, to what type of currency we would need. We also felt completely supported by them while on the trip.

Congratulations to the amazing team at Destinations Africa (especially Cathy!) for all of their fantastic work. If you are considering an African trip (and let's face it, after our experiences why wouldn't you be??), give them a buzz.

Hubby and I just got back from an amazing first trip to Africa organised by Christa from Destinations Africa. Christa created us a wonderful 3 week holiday from start to finish. It couldn't have been better. From pick ups, charter flights, choosing 5 different safari camps in Botswana and Zimbabwe for us, not forgetting Victoria Falls, we were met on time, every time by happy drivers, pilots and camp staff. The service at the camps was second to none and delivered so much more than we thought possible. Christa's choice of camps was perfect for us and each camp gave us special memories each different to the other. The animal life was exceptional. Destinations Africa get 5 stars from us for service, knowledge and knowing what we would enjoy. Thank you.

We have just returned from a 3 week honeymoon to Mana Pools and South Africa. Having used the wonderful services of Destinations Africa for my 2011 trip to Africa I did not hesitate to contact them once more when we decided to go to Africa.

Everything was perfect. As usual, John and Sandie went out of their way to ensure they understood EXACTLY what we wanted to get out of the trip, to understand why we wanted to go to Africa and what we wanted to experience.

The locations, accommodation, transfers, flights, the African support staff, everything was spectacular.

I wouldn't trust anyone else to arrange our trips to Africa.

Our family has had two holidays at Simbavati, mainly staying at the River Lodge.
Both have been wonderful experiences, really feeling that we were welcome visitors to a natural environment, still wild but approachable, and unspoilt. The River Lodge fits in to its natural surroundings while giving you all the amenities you need, we were not intruding or changing the habitat but felt very well looked after. The Hilltop Lodge is more modern and man-made but still blending gently into its environment.
Destinations Africa made everything so easy for us - all our questions were answered quickly and with confidence, all the background information was sent to us to cover all aspects of a trip to Africa, not just to the game reserve. We felt that they cared personally about our group and what we wanted to achieve.
Go and enjoy!