TRAVELER REVIEWS

There's no better way to learn what a trip is like than from the firsthand experiences of your fellow travelers, and our Traveler Reviews are the real deal—unbiased and unedited—giving you an honest appraisal of the experiences that await you on this trip.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Everything was great on the trip. I can't say enough about Keith Martyn. The front office was not very much efficient. Spelled my husbands name wrong , didn't get our final papers till the last minute. They had us living In Alabama. We live in NJ. I don't think I ever Alabama.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

I have to express my gratitude to our Guide, Keith Martyn and your airline reservationist (sorry I don’t know his name). I was on the Best of Africa Tour March 5 - 25, 2020 and truly enjoyed every minute of the trip. Keith is an outstanding tour guide, he ensured that every minute of our tour was filed with adventure and knowledge and that we were safe during a very difficult time. He was able to rearrange tours so that we maximized our time and saw as much of South Africa as possible even with the Corona shutdown. We were able to visit open safe venues, including the Chinotemba School you mentioned, what a delight.

Keith kept up abreast of the latest news from both Africa and the U.S. ensuring our safety at all times. I hope to visit Africa in the future as I have fallen in love with the Continent.

When is became apparent that we needed to cut our time in Cape Town short due to limited departing flights back to the U.S, Keith worked with your travel arranger and provided us safe passage home. My flight was changed multiple times and Keith kept me up to date on my departure. I had to leave the tour on March 23rd and fly to Instanbul then direct to San Francisco. While I was sad to leave the tour early I appreciated being able to fly home safely.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

This was my first tour with Vantage - I have traveled with other tour groups in the past. I have learned so much in the past few weeks, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. There is nothing quite like hunting down a lion after dark (from the safety of an expertly driven jeep) or walking along the length of Victoria Falls. It was nice traveling with a smaller group and our tour leader was great and seemed to make a point of connecting with everyone while being informative. Africa is definitely worth the visit.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

This trip was excellent and far exceeded any expectations that my wife and travel friends had. Our Tour Director, Anne Mollmann was by far the best guide we have ever had with any trip with any company during 15 years of travel. An Excellent rating is just not high enough for her.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Outstanding trip. Exceeded all expectations. Tour director A+++. Hotels, tours, local guides A+++. Animals galore. Capetown beautiful city. Tented camps, an experience. Would love to return to Africa with Vantage

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Brian was knowledgable, extremely friendly and funny. Made the trip so enjoyable.
Also want to mention Arthur, what a wealth of information he had.
Overall, everyone from the Safari Guides to the bus drivers made us feel welcome and part of a "Travel Family". Kudos to the Vantage Team

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

The Best of Africa is by far the best Vantage Journey I have taken so far. What a wonderful experience! It truly exceeded my expectations. I cannot say enough about how well it was planned, the accommodations were awesome, the food delicious and the vehicles we were transported in...all were amazing! Of course it goes without saying that the Leader...Joanna (Anske) Mol...was the best. From her first e-mail, the wonderful welcoming packet on day one, her organization, her caring for each of us on the journey, her knowledge base of places visited...the list goes on...She made the trip wonderful!!! Such a wonderful tour leader. All the guides, drivers and people met in each accommodation were so helpful and you could tell they truly appreciated Vantage participants as we appreciated their help and expertise. The weather cooperated everywhere we went and the animals seen close up were beyond belief. Loved the cultural connections...the home visit, the school visit, the historical places. Wow what a remarkable journey!!! Looking forward to my next Vantage journey.

The one comment I would make is the yacht experience as part of the optional tour selections did not seem to be worth the cost of $300 per person. It was a beautiful boat, but for just two hours of not seeing much on a choppy day did not seem to be the best value for money spent. If not able to see more coastline and get closer to Robbins Island, the yacht trip probably should have been cancelled instead of just going out and coming back in with little to experience except for the opportunity to ride briefly on a lovely yacht.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Way to go Vantage. This was the best trip ever. Fellow travelers were wonderful, hotels & tent camps were excellent and our Vantage tour leader was exceptional. I highly recommend this trip to everyone.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

I can't say enough about Tour Leader Keith Martyn. He was knowledgeable, informative, and did an excellent job in keeping everything organized. The very few minor problems were handled efficiently and effectively. Keith is a credit to Vantage. I would take a tour with him anytime.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

The "Best of Africa" adventure in the South was by far the "Very Best"!! without a doubt. Every day was a new adventure!! Staying in the camps, and the animals added to the excitement of being in South Africa. Flying over Victoria Falls was fascinating and beautiful! And so much more exciting moments added to this exciting and memorable journey in Africa. Anne Mollmann, Adventure Leader, was exceptional, she was the best tour leader yet!! She was experienced and had a great personality!! I hope to travel with Anne again in Africa!!.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

One of my most wonderful vacations ever! With our Tour Guide Deidre Venter, the most amazing guide I've ever had. she knew every bird, plant, and animal that moved or was hiding and pointed them out. She even gave us printed information about the countries we were visiting and a page to check off all the birds and animals we saw. easy to keep track that way. Her knowledge of everything we saw and the people she had contacts with make her an exceptional tour guide and Vantage is so lucky to have scooped her up to be our leader. We had great weather every day for our safari encounters, boat rides, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. With only 14 in our group we were like a blended family on vacation together. The tent camps were new and modern and had everything that was needed. The hotel in Johannsburg was conveniently located over a shopping mall. The food was more than enough for variety and taste. We saw the Big 5 plus so much more, seeing the animals in their natural habitat and with babies, some elephants charging our jeeps, a hippo charged our boat, and sleeping lions in a tree, a cheetah at sunset within 20 ft of our jeep was breathtaking. the bon fires, story telling, and Deidre with us all the way, making sure everyone was having a good time, I felt she was my sister on the trip with me and she really enjoys what she does. Thank You!!!!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

This was our first Vantage Tour, and it was excellent. Our guide, Anne Moellmann, was excellent, as well her associate in Zimbabwe Arthur Sibanda. All of our local guides added their special touches, and the visit to the school and dinner in a local's home helped make this trip to Africa a life changing experience. We took the trip to see the animals (which we did!), however it was the opportunity to interact with the people that made this trip so special. Our stay in Hwange at Imangaya was a great experience in "glamping", and our hosts there (Terry Anders & Tracy Peacocke) were particularly attentive in making our stay the best it could be. All our guides on this trip were excellent, and we appreciated the hard work everyone put in to make our trip the best it could be.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Sylvia and myself found this the best of the Vantage trips we have taken. The result of the content and cruise director Leon Petgieter, and the people who were in our group. The group was made of season travelers. The facilities such as Victoria Hotel and especially the Iganyana tented camp. The varied of the places add to the enjoyment. Leon had a good background an ability to tell us great details of "Best of Africa". We say all the animals and more than we expected.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Sylvia and myself found this the best of the Vantage trips we have taken. The result of the content and cruise director Leon Petgieter, and the people who were in our group. The group was made of season travelers. The facilities such as Victoria Hotel and especially the Iganyana tented camp. The varied of the places add to the enjoyment. Leon had a good background an ability to tell us great details of "Best of Africa". We say all the animals and more than we expected.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Probably the best of our Vantage trip... because of the background of our director Leon having been raised in South Africa. The trip drivers and guides as well of the director knew great details of birds and animals.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

We really enjoyed the Vantage trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana. I would have to say that our trip leader, Leon Potgieter, did an outstanding job of making sure that every detail on our trip was the best it could be by always being involved with the tours and preparing us for what we were to expect on each tour. He took care of every issue that arose as quick as possible which helped to improve the enjoyment of the trip. Only disappointment was the lodging for the Krueger reserve. The Lions Rock Camp accommodations were not up to the standards of all the other camps mainly due to the size and arrangement of the individual tents. The staff at the Lions Rock Camp was really great as was the meals. It would also have been nice to have been closer the Kruger entrance which turned out to be about 40 min away from the camp.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Best of Africa was a wonderful adventure, heightened by our wonderful and knowledgeable guide, Leon. He knew every bird, every tree and bush, and even which plants were used for medicine by the local people. He shared his knowledge of the customs and lives of the people we encountered and is a great teacher. We were so privileged to experience the best of Africa and its national parks with Vantage. They fulfilled their agenda promises and gave us beautiful accommodations, excellent food throughout, entertainment, and a great guide. All flights were smoothly handled by Leon. It couldn’t have been better.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana

Best of Africa was a wonderful adventure, heightened by our wonderful and knowledgeable guide, Leon. He knew every bird, every tree and bush, and even which plants were used for medicine by the local people. He shared his knowledge of the customs and lives of the people we encountered and is a great teacher. We were so privileged to experience the best of Africa and its national parks with Vantage. They fulfilled their agenda promises and gave us beautiful accommodations, excellent food throughout, entertainment, and a great guide. All flights were smoothly handled by Leon. It couldn’t have been better.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

There are not enough words to describe this trip. From beginning to end it was wonderful. Our adventure leader was Keith and he was nothing but the best! This trip should be on everyone's bucket list!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

We can't begin to say enough about our experience and how wonderful Ann Moellmann was. She, on so many occasions went above and beyond what would be expected of a Tour Director. We have never had a tour director cover so many of the details of a tour like she did. She made everything look so easy and her narration during the trip anticipated every happening so we were never surprised. The experience we had with Ann convinced us to book our next trip with Vantage.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Wonderful trip in every way. Tour guide, Brian, especially made the trip spectacular. So helpful, knowledgeable, and fun. My only critique is the large table settings at some of the venues, 6 people is a maximum for my comfort zone.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

My husband and I have traveled with a few tour companies and I have to say Deirdre Venter was by far the best tour director we have ever had. Her knowledge of the country as well as her relationship with all the people we encountered was amazing! This was a lifetime experience made even better by having her as our tour director!!! Thank You!!!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Thanks for allowing me to take my whole family on this trip of a lifetime. I’m especially grateful you allowed me to take my grandsons Jack and Zerick, and am glad there was another family there with young folk. Our two families got along great, and I’m sure we’ll stay in touch.

The boys loved the safaris. Seeing the animals up close! They also loved being treated with such esteem at the home-hosted dinner. They enjoyed seeing the children at the school in Zimbabwe. They loved the dessert buffets. I could go on and on.

Zerick is 8, and is back in school. He wrote a paper about the safari he did this summer, and his mom had him read it to me over the phone. It was so special – he will remember this for his entire life.

I’m grateful to have taken Jack and Zerick on this once-in-a-lifetime cultural journey.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Truth in advertising....this trip was the Best of Africa! The places we stayed, the food we ate, the animals we saw and very best of all was the awesome leader of our pack, Driedre Venter. Her knowledge,of the animals, birds and political history of every place we went was amazing. Not only that, but she was fun, funny and friendly.
Best trip ever. Thank you Driedre!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Wonderful trip! Great itinerary and best guide ever. We were in 3 countries and each gave us sheer delight. The animals are georgeous, the environment lush and in the example of Chobe beautiful colors on the river and plenty variety of animals. Elephants on the beach and in the water. Amazing trip, not one to be missed. Our guide was a real fun historian. She knows about the polititics of the countries and the habits of the animals. Highly recommend.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Anne was a wonderful tour director. We saw the Big 5 on the first day in Kruger Park. The hotels were wonderful; the food, especially fresh fruit was great; the pace was good. We did not stay at the tented camp, but in May it would have been cold at night. The optional tours that I took were good. I'm also glad I went on the extension to Cape Town.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

This is a great trip, and the highlights for us was Kruger and Victoria Falls, but the amazing Chobe River Experience was our favorite. We had a very compatible group that made the trip marvelous, and an exceptional caring and efficient tour director in Diedre Venter. This was our second Africa trip with Vantage, and they do a great job.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Fantastic trip. OUTSTANDING guide...Brian Haysom is personable, knowledgable and highly competent. Great size of the group. Wonderful activities both directly related to trip and cultural events. Only concern was the lodge accommodations. All 3 had drawbacks. The bathrooms were not well kept and the monkeys and baboons on the first and third properties were running about and were frightening. They actually were attacking and running around on the roof above our room with loud squealing and stomping.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

We have done 8 tours with Vantage and loved every one. This one is at the very top of our list! Keith was so knowledgeable, interesting, caring--he could not have done a more fantastic job!!! Our local drivers and guides knew where to take us and when and what to tell us. EXCELLENT!!! We were sorry to see the time come to an end.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

This was a trip of a lifetime!!! Keith went above and beyond to be sure we were taken care of. he is a fantastic tour director - very knowledgable. constant new experiences. It was hazzle free because so much was included (nice not to worry how much to tip for service in different funds) Be sure to take a sweater and jacket with a drawstring around the face for the jeep rides. Cool in the early a.m. Fantastic group.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

I didn't know what to expect from my first trip to Africa, but from the moment I met our program leader Deidre at the airport, I knew that I was in very good hands and in for a wonderful experience. Our group of 22 was very compatible, and Deidre deserves credit for fostering comraderie. The animals!! What more can one say...every day such a wonderous experience. Perhaps my favorite day was our photo safari on the Chobe River. I have never been much interested in birds, but that day changed my mind. Of course, there were animals galore to be seen as well. We even observed the "never on land during the day" hippo mingling with the elephants on shore. Such a great rip with Deidre that we have signed on to travel with her again to Kenya and Tanzania.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Excellent experience created by our Tour Director’s love for South Africa. She communicated every experience with excitement and created a wonderful expectation for each tour. She was always mindful of the groups’ energy and especially caring for those with mobility issues. You are in the best of care with JOHANNA MOL!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

Our Tour Director, Brian Haysom was excellent. He was personable, knowledgeable, and always available for questions or needs. He knew all the guides at the tour sites and appeared to have a great relationship with them. He could spot animals and birds and knew the sounds they made and their habits. He had every detail of the trip planned so there were no delays or problems. He made the trip that much more enjoyable.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

This is the eighth trip we have taken with Vantage and it is definitely up there as one of the best trips ever. It actually felt like three vacations in one, the safari part, the Victoria Falls and then the post trip to Cape Town. I would highly recommend the post trip!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

This was one of the best trips I have made. Every thing was first class and I would travel with Vantage again. Our guide, Keith Martyn, was excellent. Not only knowledgeable but took a real interest in each person on the trip,

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, & Botswana

I just returned from the "Best of Africa" trip which I also took 4 years ago with my husband. This time two friends joined me and we had an over the top experience. Deirdre was our tour director both times and I cannot say enough wonderful things about her. She is very knowledgeable and makes sure everything runs smoothly. We saw the BIG 5 two days in a row in Kruger. We even saw a leopard in a tree eating an impala in Chobe. The highlight for me was the photo safari in Chobe. We got up close and personal with elephants of which I have a zillion pictures. I highly recommend this trip especially for anyone who cannot walk very far.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Absolutely loved this trip! Anyone who cares anything at all about animals would enjoy this. Would not change a thing except the long flight getting there. If you can afford the price, by all means take this trip. It is well worth the money!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

This trip was a trip of a lifetime. We really enjoyed seeing all of the animals up close and personal. Most of the accommodations were very nice although one hotel was not so nice. To be fair it was a last minute substitute as the bush tent camp we were supposed to stay in had some damage that needed to be completed before they could once again entertain guests. The substitute was less than good so I'll just leave it at that but everybody in our group made pretty rough comments about numerous features about it.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

We had an amazing trip. It exceeded our expectations! Brian Haysom ,was our adventure leader was outstanding. He was knowledgeable on every subject. He made sure we were safe and well taken care of. He handled the logistics of passport control through the many stops required by the five countries we visited.
Our accommodations were excellent. The local guides were class A. They all knew and respected Brian Haysom.
It was a nice mix of safari and cultural experiences.
We are so glad we added the extension to Cape Town.
We would highly recommend their trip to all travelers out there.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

I have traveled a number of times with Vantage and was in Africa before. This was the best trip yet. The guide Anne was the top. She did not miss anything. If you are thinking about taking this trip, look for the one Anne is in leading. The trip was 5 star and Anne was 5 star.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

My recent tour of; The best of Africa was superb. Everything about it was excellent and we had so many new adventures on the trip. Keith Martyn was out tour guide and "WOW." He was everything we could have hoped for in a guide and more. He is knowledgeable, attentive, organized, caring, efficient, funny, kind and much much more. We will remember him as one of the best guides that we have ever had on a trip....He is always going the extra mile to make sure everyone has the best of their experiences on the tour.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

The survey doesn't permit much expansion on the ratings and I want to say that both tour directors we've had with Vantage have been terrific. On our recent trip to Africa, Anne M. WAS AMAZING! She dealt with everything with aplomb and did her best to make each transition (Between countries) as easy as can be. She was personable and funny, making sure that each member of our group got attention. First class all the way.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Fabulous trip. Seeing the animals in the wild was an experience we will never forget. Our group was great and our Cruise Director, Kieth was the best. He was knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. We are already feeling we would like to return.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Keith Martyn, our tour director was excellent. He was very friendly, very accomodating and made our trip memorable. From start to finish, he made sure that our trip would be enjoyable.
The people were quite nice and the animals and the weather put on a show.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

This was an amazing tour of southern Africa. We couldn't be more pleased with the quality of the tour guides or the accommodations. This trip far exceeded our expectations. We would recommend it to anyone.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Vantage Adventures Best of Africa was an amazing experience. Brian Haysom was a great tour director with a comprehensive knowledge of African history, culture, flora and fauna and an easy sense of humor. The itinerary was complete, diverse well-paced and included a balance of activities in park safaries and river cruising. Terry was a super guide at Hwange Park and the photo aides on the Chobe photo river cruise were especially helpful to us amateurs. All-in-all, we can find nothing to improve this adventure. Don't change a thing!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Fabulous trip in which we had wonderful accommodations and saw all of the Big 5 and the ugly 5 pus many more! Guides were excellent and knowlegable. Wonderful grouop of people on the tour wih whom we hope to keep in touch. Food was very good although I coud have done without so many buffets! Our tour guide Anne was the best, handling ever little glitch with style and grace! Also, Terry, at Hwange Nat'l Park was superb and went out of his way to find the animals including an elephant herd with a 3-4 day old calf! Overall a fabulous experience! I generally don't like the regimen of organized tours and prefer to make my own travel arrangements,, but this tour was exceptional!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia

Words cannot describe this trip! Our tour guide, Deirdre Venter was beyond excellent. Her knowledge of everything we saw was astounding. We have now been to all 7 continents and of all the trips we have taken, we would repeat this one in a heartbeat. Saw all of the Big 5 on the first 2 days of the safari. Every day we thought would be the highlight of the trip and then the next day was even better. The special touches that Vantage arranged were terrific, almost something every day. You can go to Africa, but can't see it the Vantage way and you won't have Deirdre. This was our first Vantage trip, but it definitely won't be the last. Kudos to everyone involved! If you are even thinking about this trip, run, don't walk to book it!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Loved the people of Victoria Falls and all of southern Africa. Paragliding in Cape Town was the highlight of our trip. We traveled at the very start of rainy season as animals were giving birth or chasing lively newborns. This was our first trip with Vantage and so good that we took our second adventure the next year to New Zealand and Australia followed by our seventh and final continent the next year. Our next adventure is yet to be selected.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Steve Sara is one of the best guides we have traveled with, Chobe experience was great especially a "game drive" by boat. Incredible Hippo's and much more, Kruger was so vast and still we saw the BIG Five and a whole lot more. Victoria Falls is a Wonder of the World - Magnificent. The flights were very comfortable-great aircraft and the wineries fun.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Although I've traveled to about 50 countries, I’ve infrequently been on an extended organized tour. That said, this trip really was the best of Africa. We saw the big five; some a few times. Beyond that we saw wild dogs, hyenas, hippos, giraffes, and many, many of other animals as well. As my ratings show, I was extremely pleased with all aspects of this trip. That said, I believe it was Johanna (Anske) Mol who was greatly responsible for my glowing assessment of this trip. She;s everything: knowledgeable, thoughtful, well-organized, well-connected, gracious, patient, caring, and truly in love with Africa and her adopted city of Capetown. Thank you Anske for making this trip so enjoyable and so memorable. With you at the helm, being on an extended organized tour, with many lovely fellow travelers I must add, was truly a positive experience for me.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

It was one of the best tours I've taken. The hotels were excellent, the safaris were a lot of fun, the school visit and home hosted dinner were an eye opener , learned a lot about the African culture and their way of life. Very educational trip . Brian , out Director was excellent, very professional, extremely knowledgeable. accommodating with a great sense of humor.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Our adventure leader really made our trip. Keith Martyn was so gracious and so knowledgeable about Southern Africa. This trip has such a nice variety: game drives, Victoria Falls, more game drives, wine-tasting, Robben Island and the Waterfront, and then the Cape Peninsula Drive with Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point and penguin. The accommodations were very nice and the food was exceptional. The home visit helped us make a connection with the people there. Loved it!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This trip was so well organized. We were at 3 park reserves. Saw so many animals in their natural habitat. The vehicles were great for comfort and visibility. The hotels were all well rated. Super comfortable. Specifically the Victoria Falls Hotel, built in 1904, and updated to its original splendor. All hotel were well located. The food was excellent. All buffets. Selection was huge and delicious. Take your list of the big 12 so you can tick them off.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

All we can say about this trip is WOW!!! What a wonderful experience to go to such a magnificent country and see and "feel" how extra special it all is. Our tour guide, Deirdre Ventner, was, for us, a dream come true - her vast knowledge and expertise made everything so very worth while. We saw more and actually did more than we expected we would and we cannot thank Vantage and Deirdre enough for providing us with the awesome opportunity. It was so great that we have booked the same trip again for 2018!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This was an excellent trip balancing safari with history of Soweto and Cape Town, South Africa.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Except for discussing the 2017 version below, our only suggestion is that Vantage bring back supplying the luggage tags. The tags make it easier for everyone to immediately see and identify the group's luggage.

After several years of contemplating taking The Best of Africa trip, we finally signed up for it. Our decision was made because the redesigned trip itinerary for 2017 is significantly different, more expensive, and is not what our idea of a trip to South Africa should be. The current version, in our opinion, is a better mix of safaris and cities. We took the pre-trip to Mabula and when you include it with the standard Chobe and Kruger parks, the number of game drives for us was perfect. As far as Cape Town and Cape Winelands go, these were phenomenal areas and were must see's. We were lucky because Vantage published the 2017 itinerary in time for us to read and evaluate it. Since there was an opening for the time we wanted, we made our decision. It was either go now or go with another company in the future so we signed up for it.

We were very lucky in a few ways. We were with a great group of 21, we had no rain during the trip, everything went smoothly, and we had the BEST tour director, DEIRDRE VENTER.

Bottom line is that the tour met and exceeded our expectations. The optional tours we took were the elephant ride, the Zambezi river cruise and the helicopter ride - all were fantastic. The hotels were excellent, and the included dinners and lunches were exceptional and allowed us the option to experience the traditional food.

Deirdre was outstanding. She was one of the best, if not the best tour directors we ever had. Unlike every other trip we have taken where you find out the night before what the schedule is for the next day, Deirdre provided us with a day-by-day schedule at the start of our trip, so we always knew in advance what was the plan. With her at the helm, our group felt like a happy family. Her knowledge of South Africa's history, as well as the different animals and plants was amazing. She appeared to genuinely enjoy her job as opposed to merely going thru the motions. She always greeted and was greeted by the hotel and restaurant staffs in a happy friendly personal manner. Needless to say, the 2016 version was a wonderful trip and we would not hesitate to recommend it, or Vantage, to others.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This was one of the best Vantage trips I've taken. The wildlife viewing was a thrill. Victoria Falls were spectacular. And Cape Town is a vibrant city in a beautiful area. The trip was a nice mixture of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and history. Deirdre did an excellent job!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

The journey was very enjoyable. The home office support not so much. Keith is a very knowledgeable, and informative tour guide. He did a great job handling multiple personalities. Even with the home office glitch, I would be willing to recommend Vantage to a friend.

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This Vantage trip is a great one and can't be missed. The accommodations and food were better than I ever expected plus out Vantage tour Manager Anne Mollmann was one of the best we have ever had. Take it from me, you have to find out who your tour manager is before you go because Anne really made the trip. I would go again on the same trip but would never fly South African Airlines again out of Johannesburg for the reason that the ground baggage crew had broke my lock off my hand checked bag and stole some items I had bought. Overall, fantastic trip. You can view my pictures from my web site at http://www.RJTravelMedia.com

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

We went on this experience with 8 friends and the overall expectations were far exceeded. This tri[p was always on the go but at enough of a leisurely pace that the 87 and 91 yr. olds with us could keep up nicely. The game drives were great and the accommodations were just great. Weather was spectacular and we have nothing but praise for our Tour Director who went way over the top in helping with all things on the trip. I would recommend d this trip to anyone who might be considering this location to visit. We enjoyed it so much.

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This was an excellent trip regarding the hotels, food safari's and excursions.

Our only complain was that there was no rotation on the bus trips...one couple sat up front

Our Tour Director, Anske Mol (Johanna) was supurb with her knowledge and explanations from the animals habitat, etc. to the wineland in S. Africa. We highly recommend her.

This was our 5th trip with Vantage and was treated very special...thank you Vantage. We celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary and Joanna had a special treat for us!!!

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This was my best trip ever, after years of travel. The hotels were great, but the pleasure of the game drives, the helicopter flight, and the elephant ride were the icing on the cake. Add the beauty of Capetown and the solemn history of Soweto and Robben Island,and you have a perfectly balanced trip. Deidre was a wonderful leader and a thoughtful helper. you have a gem there! I've already almost talked another teacher into going next summer.

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Best trip ever!! Our guide Keith Martyn, was fantastic, we just love him, best guide ever. We saw every animal except leopard. We loved it so much, we leave in 30 days for The Heart of Africa trip! Vantage, you are the best!!!

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

Without a doubt, this trip was our best to date! The cultural connections Vantage tours provided gave us special opportunities to connect with local people The small number of people in our group enabled us to become friends with our fellow travelers. A superb tour guide, animal safari drives, Victoria Falls, an unforgettable elephant ride, and the cable car jaunt to the top of Table Mountain in Capteown were just a few of the stunning highlights that made the Best of South Africa an unequaled experience.

Best of Africa South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

This goes to the top of our "best trips ever" list!! Everything about it was wonderful: great guide, great excursions, great travel companions, great hotels. The highlight was spending my birthday at Victoria Falls...amazing!

The experience of a lifetime

Best of Africa was the ultimate on my "Bucket List;" it turned out to be the "Experience-of-a-Lifetime!" The careful attention to details by the Program Director allowed for a carefree journey. Accommodations and meals were excellent, the Game Drives superb, and the varied, cultural experiences enriching. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who is looking to experience various facets of Southern Africa, as well as its magnificent creatures "up-close & personal."

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana & Victoria Falls

One of the best tours ever taken. Would like more info and name of school visited, would like to donate money for students. Enjoyed travel mates and tour guide John was great. Accommodations were excellent. Looking forward for another trip with Vantage!

The best trip I have ever taken

This was the best trip I have ever taken. The animals were fascinating and our guides were wonderful. I would do this trip again. Our guides went out of their way to make sure we saw the BIG FIVE and all other animals of interest. Victoria falls was great, the hotel was wonderful, as well.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

Feb. 18, 2014. Just returned home from this remarkable trip. I went to see the animals, and animals I saw in abundance, but I also returned home with four books about history and culture. Plus nine 2G flash cards full of photos. The Big Five in one safari drive? Fantastic. I even saw three of the Small Five. Plus things like a leopard leading us down the road for a quarter mile, three packs of Wild Dogs, rhinos, elephant tantrums, and various varieties of antelope crossing the road in front of the Land Rovers. Riding an elephant, zip lining across the gorge at Victoria Falls, too many elephants and hippos to count on a Chobe River float, and a remarkable talk about Dr. David Livingstone while cruising the Zambezi River. I made a humbling visit to the squatter camps in Langa, where I experienced the lovely aroma of the traditional beer in a shebeen, bought a souvenir in a squatter camp, and saw first hand what life in a hostel can be like. By all means, sign up for all the optionals (choose which of two helicopter rides you want) plus the extension to Mabula Game Lodge. The ambiance of Mabula lodge in a private game reserve was my introduction to Africa, and while it is somewhat more humble than the other lodges, it remains my favorite. But above all, the incredible and exhilarating experiences and friendly people, tour director Brian Haysom is a gem. Infinitely patient, exceptionally knowledgeable, and charmingly funny, you will grow to love him on this trip. Thank you, again, Brian for sharing your country and your love of your country with me....and for picking up after me.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

This was the best trip ever - way beyond our expectations! We couldn't believe how many animals we saw up close. Also, the variety the trip offered - game drives, sight seeing, and fabulous Cape Town and the wine region - was perfect. We can't wait to return to Africa with Vantage!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

We had a great time on this trip. The only glitch was that our bags got tagged incorrectly by United Airlines and South African Airlines did not catch the error so our bags caught up with us on the 8th day. Make sure your bags are tagged for Johannesburg, not Dakar, which is an intermediate stop if you are on the flight from Dulles. United didn't follow the flight itinerary to its end and our bags were put off in Dakar. Our program manager made an outstanding effort to locate and secure our bags, but the incompetence of South African was too much. Nevertheless it was a great trip. I am a birder and with the help of two independent guides that I secured on otherwise free days and with the help of the regular safari guides, I was able to see 166 new birds and almost 200 species overall. We were able to see all the big animals, but the Chettah, including both white and black rinos. Virtually every day was a new adventure. We will long remember this one.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

Run, don't walk and book this tour. It was a most exciting, interesting and unique adventure. Sometimes along our life journeys, we decide what is yet to be experienced. This trip was definitely one of "those"! When I got off our 4-seater plane at the first destination, tears rolled from my eyes because I felt as if I had stepped into my dream. If Walt Disney, needed inspiration for an African adventure this would have been the spot. Incredible, inspiring and well, just everything. GO. JUST GO. See for yourself!

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

This trip is truly a dream of a lifetime come true. The safari drives were wonderful. When I look at the pictures I took, it brings back the memories of my experience. The trip was well planned & our tour guide was very knowledgable & a joy to travel with. I am a single traveler & I have always felt safe & welcome traveling with Vantage. I would highly recommend this trip to fellow travelers.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

This was an excellent trip, comparable to the quality of the other Vantage trips we have enjoyed. We were able to enjoy a cross section of what the area contains; culture, scenery, animals.Highly recommend for those wanting to see that Africa has much more to offer than just safari's.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

Our trip to Africa was a wonderful, never-to-be-forgotten experience. I couldn't believe the amount of animals we saw so close up! Truly amazing. Our guide Keith was knowledgeable about so many topics and made Africa come alive with his fascinating stories. The other thing that impressed me about our trip was the variety of experiences we enjoyed. We would never have been able to experience such wide diversity had we planned the trip ourselves.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

I have always wanted to go to South Africa. This trip fit our needs which were to see beautiful animals in their natural habitat (especially African elephants), gain a better insight into the history, people, and culture, and to see the different cities with Capetown having been our favorite. We did so many diverse things; the variety was wonderful and there was never too much of the same thing. Vantage has continually exceeded our expectations. I don't know where they find the program managers, but they are extraordinary. When I'm asked what could be done to improve a trip I've taken, I have no response. Just keep doing it right, as usual.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

A trip of a lifetime! Seeing the Big 5 on every safari through Kruger and Chobe National Parks was fabulous. Everything, including Brian, our guide was phenomenal and I strongly recommend this trip.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

Sometimes dreams do come true. I had longed dreamed of a safari to Africa, but for a variety of reasons, mostly due to procrastination, I put one off until "later". I began to realize, however, that later was going to be a problem as I entered my mid-70's, so I began to check out various safari offerings and found this one from Vantage totally met my needs and expectations. Boy did it ever. First, it covered a huge area of southern Africa, none of which I had ever been to. Two large cities gave me an insight into the cosmopolitan nature of South Africa (Cape Town was one of the loveliest cities I have ever visited), delightful towns in the wine growing regions of South Africa, the world famous Victoria Falls (where I satisfied another dream and did a bungee jump), and finally, of course, I saturated myself in the reason for taking this tour in the first place, going on safari in two great national parks, Kruger in South Africa, and Chobe in Botswana. I was able to see all the great animals, and some of the lesser one, except for a rhinoceros, but that only means I need to go on another safari tour! The group was small and a delight, the guide, Brian, was topnotch, the meals way too filling, and the hotels vividly memorable, especially those in the parks. But if they contributed to the feeling of being in the wild, the Victoria Falls Hotel made me feel like I had stepped back in time. The ultimate result of this Vantage safari tour, however, was to start me dreaming all over again about taking an African safari, next time to Kenya and Tanzania.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

Our trip to southern Africa was one of our highlights in many years of travel. The stay in the Okavango Delta was the 'icing on the cake'. The entire itinerary was geared to an interesting yet doable schedule. We came home with raves about the entire trip.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

This was one of the best trips my husband and I have taken. The program director was fabulous! We stayed at superb hotels and the food was fabulous but the very best part was the safaris! We saw the big five and saw them up close. It was terrific and exciting.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

The trip of a lifetime! How cool it was to see wild animals in their native environment rather than in a zoo. And what a neat country South Africa--and what history! Our program manager, Jacqui, was excellent--really got to know each of us in our small group.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

We picked this trip to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. A great choice. Anne was a tremendous program manager. WE were a small group--20 people. The itinery was superb as we had a chance to see and experince a lot of South Africa and four other countries.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

A fabulous adventure. Our guide, Keith, was one of the best I have experienced. He was always well prepared for any and all questions and always patient. Plus his "contacts" at each of our destinations were excellent. And you could see how well liked Keith was at each place we went. The highlights of this trip were, zip lining, seeing the wildlife up close and personal, and always outstanding accommodations.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

I have been on land tours prior to Africa but not one tour guide was as passionate about his country (born, raised and still lives there) as Keith was. He glowed when he talked about Africa - came from his heart! The information he passed on to us was not just info - never boring - and always wanted to have a great laugh and please us! Very visible. I would do the tour again ONLY IF I were escorted by Keith!!!! Sure hope you tell him this!!! 5 star resorts surprised us completely especially in the Parks. Everything including food was excellent - I did get a little tired of buffets though. I hope China this October will be the same experience.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

I was very pleasantly surprised with this trip. It was better than I expected. I especially enjoyed being able to see so many large animals in Chobe and Krueger National Parks. Victoria Falls area was very beautiful with many activities to do. Cape Town and South Africa had much to see and do, also. Robben Island, Mandela's home, other historical sites, and Cape of Good Hope were very Interesting, as we had a very good guide.

Best of Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia & Victoria Falls

One of our favorite trips.Really loved the safari Part of the trip. Chobe and Kruger were awesome,animals everywhere. We got to see the big 5. This trip has great food and hotels. Our guide was wonderful and always helpful. Each country had it's own uniqueness. The wildlife parks, falls, wine country and the cities were great. We traveled there in September when there was very little foliage which I understand allows for better viewing of the wildlife. But I Guess anytime is a good time on vacation! We actually viewed a leopard hunting and pulling down a warthog.