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“We wanted a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe that...”

written by clairepfau on 29/03/2013

We wanted a trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe that would include the outstanding beauty and character of the country, major cities and an interaction with people, exotic animals in interesting places and a chance to feel a part of the Safari experience, Victoria Falls and a trip on a train across South Africa. Opulent Africa managed to get us all of these and more. As we landed in Johannesburg we were met with representatives from the local tour group, put into a van and whisked off to our hotel. Each day we were picked up at the appointed time. The tours were well run and the guide/drivers were very knowledgeable about the areas toured. the emphasis on Apartheid and South Africa's struggles gave us a sense of history and meaning and relevance today.
The Blue Train was a special treat - relaxing, pampering, again giving us a sense of the vastness and beauty of the land and a sense of history. Cape Town - More Quarters - was great and we enjoyed every minute of our stay there. We managed to fill in the times that had not been filled by Opulent Africa with time at the V&A Waterfront and a day shark cage diving at the coast. It was easy to arrange that through the driver/guides Opulent Africa had chosen. Notten's Bush Camp was a delight. We would have liked to stay another day. People were wonderful. Accommodations were great. We had two safaris a day and saw animals each time. There were few big herds of animals but we worked hard to find the ones we saw and that was fun. People at Notten's made us feel like guests in their home and the food was great.
Lastly we went to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls to Lokuthula Lodge. This was a more business like place and while it was lovely and had more than its share of animals on the grounds and at the great watering hole, the heat and distances we had to walk were a little difficult. The unit we had would have been great for a family with children but it was a little difficult to maneuver for older people. We couldn't open the canvas and windows due to animals and so it was quite warm during the day and evening but it was still a charming place. Food at the restaurants was very good. All in all I would give Opulent Africa a five star rating. [names removed] in the office were very accommodating and tried to make our trip as pleasant as possible and also answered several questions we had.