Deborah Smook

The staff here are what make it. The game drives with Charne and our trackers were great and we saw all the big five! The food staff, reception staff and the food were also terrific. Abagail and Sharon were particularly wonderful. If it weren’t for the staff I would rate the accommodations at a four, as we had a toilet that ran even after they tried to fix it. Lighting in the tent was poor and we never could regulate the shower temperature. However, the beds were very comfortable, linens first rate and we even got hot water bottles in the bed at night!!

Amazing hotel in a perfect location next to the waterfront dining and shopping center. Daily breakfast was more than you could ask for and gorgeous. But what made it was the staff. They were so friendly, helpful and professional. Loved this hotel and would recommend it to anyone.

We had not yet seen lions and hoped to see them on our last drive and voila - we did.

Another awesome day viewing lots of animals!

Fabulous game drives. We ended up seeing all the big five and the elusive Cheetah and Leopard. The animals were often within ten feet of us. Each day was different but you had the same ranger. Chantae was very interesting and a great ranger. She knew exactly where animals would pop out. The scenery was beautiful. It did rain on one drive but we still saw animals. Ponchos were provided.

Lovely arrival and we were greeted by a drink and warm staff. We jumped right on the safari jeep and took off for gorgeous and peaceful scenery. Luckily we saw lots of animals and then had our sundowner drinks in a perfect setting.

Napa Valley move over because the vineyards in Africa were fabulous. Our favorite was the Babylonstroen, but we liked the two others for professional knowledge of wine, staff and different wines paired with chocolates as well as the views. A day that should not be missed!

It was windy and pouring rain that day but we still had a fabulous time. Christine was great and the scenery perfect. Loved the funicular.

This is obviously for tourists but so amazing we were blown away! The entertainment fabulous and the sixteen different food items were simply delicious! The decor beautiful and the staff terrific!

What a special place. Rooms were large, clean, and beautiful. Staff were so welcoming. I felt very humbled to be there. Highly recommend!

Loved the Shongwe Lookout! Rooms were spacious and clean. The Lookout with the dumbwaiter for the bar was a hit along with the views and relaxation. Fantastic food and fantastic staff. One young lady helped us schedule a last minute game drive and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend!

Really loved this hotel. Rooms are huge and clean. Great location. Staff super friendly and helpful. Great breakfast and great drinks bar. Highly recommend.

What a wonderful place to stay and experience our safari drives. Everything was first rate. We loved the lodge rooms and the outside areas. Food was fabulous. Andrew was so very gracious and saw to our every need. We can't say enough about Shain. He spoiled us for all other game drives and guides for the rest of our vacation. His smile and laugh were so joyful and he was super friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you to everyone at Ivory Wilderness for our wonderful stay! ALL GOOD!!

Very comfortable and great staff though we got one of the smaller rooms with no view.

Very comfortable but had to leave room before our flight pickup. My family loved the private reserve right outside our door.

Incredible service way out in the bush. Extraordinary guides. Fine dining among the animals. Our agent, Deb, really pushed this place and she was 100% right.

A great place to get over jet lag. Staff exceptional.

We were really looking forward to this, and the fields of flowers did not disappoint.

Very enjoyable, especially as sun came out at Cape Point.

It was a little hazy, but glad to have done it.

Worth the experience, though a little discomfort about cultural appropriation .

Not the most amazing scenery ever, but well worth the trip.

A fine finish to an extraordinary experience. Got up close with a lion. Enjoyable Panorama tour, dramatic scenery. Unembeza Lodge was a good way station stop.

Both drives with Warren, who is extraordinarily knowledgeable. Loves the animals, a true "elephant whisperer." Can't say enough about his quality.

Both drives with the infectiously enthusiastic Shane. Among other animals, saw a lovely parade of elephants.

As said in lodging section, a long and bumpy drive, but amazing accommodations out in the bush.

The Soweto tour was led by proud residents who showed us the full spectrum of Soweto. Very educational. The Apartheid Museum was sobering but necessary.

There really are no words! When I messaged friends back home to tell them about our days and game drives, they simply could not believe the experience we were having...because they had all been on safaris and not had the personal touches, care, and intimacy with the animals that we were having! We saw so many animals very up close and got to observe their habits and routines. Our guide Craig went above and beyond to answer my constant questions and educate us on the conservation, flora, fauna, and animals from birds to buffalos! I felt like I not only saw the animals but truly understood them after our drives. Prudence, Xoli, Origin, Craig, Warren, the maids and the gardener were outstanding hosts, I really cannot emphasize enough how kind and attentive they were. This is an intimate lodge with only 6 rondavels, so it was perfect to experience the authenticity of the area and really gave us a chance to get to know the staff well. Origin made the most delicious and nutritious meals for us and Xoli and Prudence somehow always knew what you needed and wanted. I am so incredibly grateful that Deb and her team chose this lodge for us as it really was magical!

The staff at this hotel was wonderful! They were constantly eager to please us and make sure we were having a great time. The location was perfect and the rooms were spacious! Their breakfasts were out of this world good! It was so great to feel so taken care of and highly recommend this hotel to any travellers passing though Cape Town!

Nicky is amazing! DO NOT MISS THIS ACTIVITY! She welcomed us into her kitchen and made us a 6 course meal that was out of this world! She also walked us through her garden where we tasted leaves, flowers, and berries and we even got to take home a spice blend from her! This was so special...a must do!

Clean and beautiful!

Absolutely beautiful hotel, on the Zambezi River!! Very close to Victoria Falls!!

Beautiful hotel, great restaurant, and very good service from the workers!

This place is simply Awesome!! The Best guide in the universe works here!! SHANE! IF YOU WANT A SAFARI, You found the place!!! Andrew the server, was excellent as well!! You won't regret visiting here!!

This was a holiday highlight for us. Tomas and his team and the accommodation was exceptional - a home away from home and a blissful sanctuary after a busy day sightseeing. Outstanding!

We actually saw very little wildlife on the morning safari. We ended up watching a troop of baboons for ages. The river ride and sunset was perfect though.

We crossed 3 borders to get here. This sounds overwhelming but each crossing was slick and efficient and we were directed by the driver on where to go. It added to the whole experience. The river ride to the lodge was beautiful - we spotted lion, hippos and elephants. It was nice to be offered a cold drink on board.

Loved the little tour that you get upon entry. Great atmosphere and loved the community aspect of this place and the focus on sustainability.

What’s not to like? The Falls are breathtaking!

This was outstanding! It was stunning scenery on the Zambezi and we saw our first hippo! The 4 course meal was delicious.

My kids loved this activity! It was an amazing setting.

The additional drumming workshop was well worth it. We all loved it! It was great to taste various dishes from around the continent and to watch the dancing/ entertainment. This was definitely a very touristy activity but something I would recommend.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. We had an amazing guide on the bus around the island and a former inmate for the prison tour. Very interesting and humbling. It was quite a big group and sometimes hard to follow what was being said when we were off the bus.

We had a friendly and experienced guide. We loved the penguins, haggling with the street vendors and the views.

We loved this trip! We headed straight here after checking in at our accommodation. We took a later cable car up to catch the sunset. It was super quiet and the sunset/ views were beautiful!

The lodge was a great location to walk to the falls. The service was extremely accommodating. Food was delicious. Our driver for the majority of the trip, Frank, was amazing! Extremely informative and kind.

Extremely nice facility with amazing food, views, and people. Being able to get into Chobe earlier allowed us to see a family of lions without any other trucks blocking our view!

This is a very secluded and peaceful experience. The food was great and authentic. However there was a large fly problem while eating.

We did a bird viewing cruise in the morning and got to see hippos out of the water as well as some elephants drinking water. Also a lot of baboons on the water.

This is a very peaceful resort with limited visitors. The staff is extremely accommodating and the food was great.

You need to take a very small boat with all of your luggage to this location which was a surprise. The guide that took us Felix was very nice and informative!

Getting to be the first ones out into the park allowed us first access to seeing all the morning animals. We got to see a whole family of lions without having to compete with any other cars for the best photos ops. The lunch provided had a lot of food in it and was very filling. We really got to see almost every animal in the park and the guide, Ellie, did a great job spotting out exotic birds and plants.

Although it started pouring rain, it was still amazing since they provided really nice and heavy ponchos. These rides are extremely enjoyable just to see all the views. We also got to see a family of elephants which was really exceptional.

This luxury lodge was a great treat for the evening. Our safari guide, Michael, was extremely passionate about his job and made the tour very fun for us. He really put the effort in to make sure we saw as many animals as possible especially the black rhinos.

This was a very unique experience. The guide was great and the villages were extremely kind. We wish we knew prior to bring some clothes to donate. Got to purchase some great souvenirs here straight from the people who make it. Also needing another visa to get back into Zimbabwe and to pay for everything in cash is important info.

This was definitely a highlight of our trip. The food was delicious and the entire experience of learning about all the ingredients was very interesting. The entire ambiance of the place was amazing and could not be replicated elsewhere. We even purchased the owners cookbook. Staff was great!

We had a private cruise with a full staff. The guide got us really close and allowed us to take as many pictures of the hippopotamus. The dinner course was unexpected and really amazing. Drinks and pretty views made this excursion very relaxing and wonderful. They provided rain ponchos which were very helpful.

The 15 minute duration trip was plenty. The guide explained everything we were seeing and sights were amazing. Really good safety briefing as well.