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Well organised and supervised journey

This was a great tour and excellent value for money. Yes the truck does not have air con, yes some... read more

Reviewed 12 November 2024
Ali921
,
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The gift that was Botswana and the Okavango Delta

I joined this group when it reached Victoria Falls and before it left for Botswana. This review... read more

Reviewed 9 November 2024
bingbcs
,
San Diego, California
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Recommended experiences in and around Cape Town Central
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Reviewed 11 May 2017

There were two of us that paid a little over $4,500 for 13 days. The bus had no air con, no fan, no curtains and only a few of the windows opened, no water was provided and a few people got heat stroke. The staff on the bus were friendly and professional and did what they could, but were clearly limited by the company. There were also some parts that you couldn't explore because you had to help cook, clean and set and pack down your own tent. Which would have been fine, had we not paid so much for the tour.

Date of experience: January 2017
Thank Kirstie d
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Management response:Responded 26 May 2017

Dear Kirstie

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments. We value our customer feedback and respond to all emails received and if you had written to us directly following your tour would have responded on a personal level with detailed comments directly. I hope the following few general remarks assist in the meantime.

Acacia overland tours are run with our fleet of self-sufficient, custom-built trucks and are some of the finest in overland travel. All vehicles have at least 8 large sliding windows (4 each side), which normally create sufficient airflow whilst driving to keep the passenger cabin cool. You mention some did not open. We have not received report of faulty windows from our crew but will investigate the matter further to rectify any problem. Overland vehicles are not air-conditioned but they are equipped with a 300-litre water container, as well as all the camping and cooking equipment needed for a group to make its way around Africa. It is very much in our interests to have people arrive for their tour knowing what to expect and properly prepared for the trip and that’s why we provide details about vehicles, highlighting specifications, and tour inclusions/exclusions in tour documentation issued including comprehensive predeparture information and dossiers which I hope you received.

Since receiving your post we have reviewed all customer feedback received from your tour. There is no mention of anyone suffering from heat stroke or other illness nor did any of the crew mention anything of that nature. Travel in Africa, especially overland travel, can sometimes bring about periods where people don’t always feel 100%. Normally it’s nothing serious but we do like people to inform crew if they aren’t feeling well because of the obvious potential for something more serious where medical attention may be needed.

Passenger participation means that we encourage everyone to help out with the daily chores – pitching tents, helping with cooking and food prep, cleaning up afterwards, keeping the vehicle and camp area tidy. These are not arduous tasks but they do go a long way to helping the trip run smoothly. Normally the crew arrange things on a rota system, with two or three people rostered at a time to help. Aside from helping the trip run this is a good way to know your fellow travellers. Naturally we make every effort to ensure chores come either before or after included tour highlights so no one misses out on the important stuff.

In visiting national parks on this tour we are proud to make use of local experts and purpose built game driving vehicles. Starting with the Masai Mara, we use Kenyan ground handlers with local guides and vehicles suited to the Mara’s narrow winding tracks for a better game-viewing experience. We sleep just outside the reserve in pre-erected tents complete with bedding and bathrooms and a separate Mess tent. This is far superior to using the overland truck for gameviewing. In the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater we again use local guides and vehicles, and - again – it gives clients the benefit of expert local knowledge and know-how, superior to what would be achieved using the overland truck. The other point about this is that , as well as ensuring clients receive a better experience it also provides strong support for local businesses and communities who see a direct benefit from Acacia’s visit. We appreciate this may mean the cost is slightly higher than some of our competitors but customer feedback tells us that the great majority of clients feel we are doing things the right way because of the added value and enriched game viewing experience, and support given to local communities.

Despite your review of the tour, therefore, I hope you were able to take home some happy memories of your African holiday.

Kind regards
Sabine

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed 1 February 2017

Trip of a lifetime!
Our group of 3 women traveled with Acacia Africa in August 2016 on their small group safari, Southern African Magic Accommodated. We cannot say enough good things about our tour. Our tour leader, Lawrence, was attentive, knowledgeable, and had a good command of the English language. Our safety was his main concern and we were thankful for that. Our tour group consisted of 12 travelers, ranging in age from 25 to 67 and women outnumbering men 9 to 3. Our tour began at the cozy Safari Club SA in Johannesburg. The Safari Club is located in an industrial area very close to the airport. We found all accommodation on the tour to be comfortable with some lodges even having pools. The food served at the lodges was delicious and plentiful and gave us the opportunity to sample some local cuisine. Thank you for selecting lodges with local colour and flair. It brought us closer to the African people. Our itinerary included the main game parks and tourist sights in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Yes, there were long days on the road but it gave us an opportunity to get to know our fellow travelers better. It was the perfect balance of travel, sightseeing and downtime. My only recommendation to Acacia would be to upgrade their minibuses. Ours broke down twice which resulted in 4 hour delays each time hence the very good rating as opposed to excellent.

Thank you for your informative website which helped us select the perfect tour. I have no hesitation in recommending Acacia Africa to other travelers.

Date of experience: August 2016
3  Thank hsterghi
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabine_Acacia, Manager at Acacia Africa, responded to this reviewResponded 3 February 2017

Dear Hsterghi

Thank you for taking the time to review our Southern African Magic Small Group Safari. We are so thrilled that you and your friends had a memorable trip with us, and will pass your compliments on to Lawrence.

We are in the process of updating our vehicles and are pleased that you and your friends had an amazing time despite the delays experienced.

Regards,
Sabine

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Reviewed 29 January 2017

I did the 43 day trip from Kenya to Cape Town and it was the best thing I have ever done. The trip covered so many highlights its hard to even narrow it down to which ones were the best! The trip started off with a bang at Masai Mara and then on to Serengeti, then you get a nice little break in Zanzi Bar and Kande Beach. Then to Livingstone for adrenaline activities such as Devil's Pool and Bungee. Then to the Okavango Delta followed by the Namib desert and then to the beautiful city of Cape Town. This is just a nutshell but there is a lot more activities involved at all the places.
The thing that made the trip incredible was our tour guide Rachel and truck driver Sam - they are the perfect team and made this experience unforgettable. The truck Tana was really comfortable and didn't give us any problems. The food was delicious on the trip and I have come back putting on weight - thanks to Rachel.
If you have your doubts about camping - just DO IT! It is not bad at all, the camp sites you stay on are all really nice and the shared facilities are clean and you usually get a hot shower. The camping experience makes the trip a whole lot better than doing accommodated. If you do get tired one night and feel like you want a bed you usually have the option to upgrade if there is a room available and you are willing to pay the excess.
I would happily book another tour with Acacia, it was very organised and completely blew my expectations out of the water.
Thank you for giving me the experience of a lifetime.

Date of experience: December 2016
2  Thank Tejal C
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabine_Acacia, Manager at Acacia Africa, responded to this reviewResponded 30 January 2017

Dear Tej_Chau

Thank you for taking the time to let other's know of your great experience! Don't forget to share your pictures with us via our social media platforms for extra 'brag' value ;)

Regards,
Sabine

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Reviewed 28 January 2017

Just come back from the 19 Day South West Safari from the Vic Falls (Zambia) to Cape Town. This is a camping tour in an overland truck for 18 - 39 year olds.

I thoroughly recommend this route if you don't have time to do Uganda to Cape Town. We seen so many different landscapes like the jungle in Botswana to the sand dunes in the Namib Desert. I went to Africa with no expectations for what animals I was going to see as I didn't want to be disappointed if I didn't see them... oh boy, was I impressed! We seen over 100 elephants (Botswana has the highest population in Africa), countless Zebra, Giraffe, Hippos, Lion, 7 Rhinos (people who had been on the tour since Kenya hadn't even seen one yet), Buffalo + so much more. The only animal we didn't see was a Leopard, but they are really rare and remember this is the wild, no sighting is guaranteed!

Our driver Sam and tour guide Rachel are both two of the nicest people I've ever met, both from Kenya. They were so informative, like two books of knowledge about everywhere our tour went and the countries we visited. Rachel is a fabulous cook, it was like eating at a fine restaurant every night. They were the best guide's I've ever had, out of all the tours I've been on over the world.

Overall - we are going back to Africa next year to do East Africa and I wouldn't even consider a different tour company to Acacia for a second. The overall efficiency of the company, overland trucks. equipment, meals provided, itinerary and PRICE were all outstanding. I put a lot of research into all the overland companies before booking and Acacia has the best trucks, food reviews and value for money. My boyfriend and I paid something like £1,400 (including the adventure pass) and couldn't actually figure out how Acacia made a profit from that... it really is great value for your money, considering the costs of all the food you eat, accommodation you stay at, cost of running the truck and buying new equipment, wages for your driver and guide and entry fees into all the amazing national parks you visit and activities that are included on the tour.

Acacia also doesn't encourage you or force you to tip anyone along the way like some tour companies do, they didn't even mention the word tip the whole tour. I did a Contiki tour once and after been asked to tip every single local person involved with our tour along the way, at the end he guide gave us all an envelope and said "people usually give me $50, if you don't give me $50 i'll know you think I did a lousy job." - there was none of this pressure from Sam & Rachel (so of course we all gave them a nice big tip at the end because they were so awesome, which they were so humble and grateful for).

Tip - the mattresses provided can get pretty sticky with the humidity. I highly recommend taking a flat bottom single sheet or large sarong to put under your sleeping bag!

Tip - do the sky diving in Swakopmund - best experience ever!

Date of experience: January 2017
1  Thank katep297
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabine_Acacia, Manager at Acacia Africa, responded to this reviewResponded 30 January 2017

Dear Kate

Thank you for the great review! We're thrilled you enjoyed your tour and are coming back again next year. Don't forget to claim your loyalty discount when you do!

Regards,
Sabine

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Reviewed 8 January 2017

I just came back from a 7-day small group accommodated tour from Johannesburg to Vic Falls with Acacia Africa. This was one of my best travel experiences ever. The itinerary is great and allows to see all the main highlights along the route. We were able to see four out of the big five - just because leopards are very difficult to spot during the day. We stayed in very nice places and the lodges/guesthouses/hotels were nice and clean. Our tour guide, Lawrence, was incredible - with great sense of humor and making sure everybody's interests are met. He was great in creating a true family spirit within the group despite that the composition of the group was changing along the way. All local tours in the national parks were also great, provided a lot of information and did a great job to take us as close to animals as possible. At some point we were as close as 5 meters to white rhinos. Oh, and the food was amazing! I didn't expect steaks, nice big salads etc. included in the package. If I ever decide to take another tour in Africa, Acacia will be my go-to company. Well done! Absolutely would recommend to other travelers.

Date of experience: December 2016
3  Thank 48lizab
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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