OMG Leisha what an amazing trip!
I loved every second of it. Yes there were some rough and ready bits but what an experience. I have done safaris before so didn’t expect much new but I saw so many different species and behaviours.
The landscape was beautiful, the people so friendly and the wildlife epic! We trekked and saw gorilla, chimp and rhino as well as seeing the tree climbing lions, shoebill, elephant, hippo, warthog, antelope, birds. We even saw a gorilla still chewing on its new born babies umbilical chord. How lucky were we! Such close encounters through out.
The truck and guide were amazing. Hats of to takalani for keeping such a mixed group so high through out. We bonded so well and made contacts for life.
I can’t put in words how much i enjoyed this trip and can’t recommend it more highly.ill never forget it and I’d love to do another tour.
Regards
Abby
- Abby Bruce / August 2019
Hi Leisha and Gelle
Talk about timing.
You send an email enquiring about our lost bag, and I am staring directly at it and its contents all over our dining table as I picked it up from the airport today.
Egyptair facilitated its return via Emirates Air. I don’t know how they got it from the Cairo Airport. At the advice of the Australian Consulate in Cairo, I had engaged a lawyer to try and determine what requirements they needed to release the bag into the custody of my authority. They CC’d me in on all the email correspondence and they were getting the run around from the airport. I don’t know how it happened, but we are extremely grateful. Perhaps the airport thought that I was a real pest and just gave up and decided that I should have back what is rightfully ours.
We are both very grateful for the efforts that you both made on our behalf in trying to get our bag back. We fully accept responsibility for losing it in the first place, but we never thought that once the bag was identified that we would have so much trouble getting it back. Your efforts, and those of others, really add to the absolutely amazing experience that we had on our travels.
I know that I have expressed it many times and you may be sick of it, but we really do appreciate the efforts that you both went to in organising the tour that you did for us. Your advice and genuine efforts to make it a great experience for us was second to none, and something that we will cherish for a long time. I would like to stay in touch as we will definitely be back to South Africa at some stage. I am not very good at Facebook, but if you have an account, I would love to have you both as a friends.
I hope that you and your families are both well, and that business is booming. I am definitely spreading the word on our African experience, probably to the point where people are avoiding me.
Kind regards
David Rock from Australia
- David Rock / September 2016
Thank you for the welcome message. Obviously I am not caught up with my workload or my email. I very much enjoyed my Vic Falls activities. I took a sunset river cruise, went canoeing, attended the Boma Dinner and Drum Show and visited Vic Falls. I liked the Chobe Safari Lodge and those activities. There were many animals along the river which made the river cruises better than the game drives. My favorite was the Sango Safari Camp. The staff and the accommodations were both exceptional. I went on three game drives and one Mokoro river tour. We didn’t see many animals but the staff made the most of it. They were knowledgeable, friendly and excellent chefs! The food was outstanding! I like this property very much. It turns out that there was too much water in the Delta to see a lot of animals. It was really wet making animal viewing tough. Fortunately I like birds and there isn’t ever a shortage of those. I very much appreciate this package you put together, especially on short notice and with restrictive dates. You did a fantastic job! There was a great deal of flying with 10-12 hour stopovers both ways and several flights both ways. I definitely wouldn’t do that again but I doubt that if would be necessary if my dates weren’t restrictive. All in all it was an awesome experience!!!Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
- Traci / February 2017
To Leisha,
My travels through Namibia this past May was an extraordinary discovery!
You had given us an itinerary and list of activities and we were not disappointed. The tour was extremely well organized. We travelled in a bus/truck hybrid, which was perfect for the dusty and bumpy Namibian roads. We were accompanied by 3 staff: one in charge of the food (Stanley: great chef), one of transportation (Alington: a fabulous chauffeur) and one to guide us and explain the wonders we were seeing, Norman: what an amazing and knowledgeable guide! All three were pleasant, kind, professional and fun. We felt well taken care of throughout our trip.
The complete itinerary was very well set-up. We hit all the top destinations we wished to see, the travel was well paced, with regular stops in places that were safe and clean. We all had the opportunity to see and experience things as we wanted. Some like to take many pictures, others prefer long walks, etc. There was space and accommodation for all which contributed to excellent spirit and vibe.
The accommodations were as announced, well appointed, clean and spacious. Some were more striking than others (usually because of there setting) and most – but not all – had wifi. I’ll never forget drinking a cup of tea while listening to the mountain zebras running, spending a quite time in front of the watering hole looking at elephants and giraffes going about their day or enjoying a sundowner in front of the magnificent African sky.
Namibia was an amazing discovery, the desert, the canyons, the flora and fauna, Etosha, the sand dunes: WOW! I had never seen an oryx before, what a beautiful animal!
My most memorable moment was waking up at dawn to drive to Dune 45, climbing the spectacular dune as the sun rose and returning at the bottom to be welcomed with a warm breakfast prepared for us at the foot of the dunes. Amazing.
Thank you for organizing our trip and being so easy, clear, attentionate and accommodating and for making it such a memorable experience. I will not hesitate to recommend this trip to friends and family.
Chantal
- Chantal Amyot / June 2019
“I am back from the Masai Mara and Gorilla tour and I truly had a fantastic time, it was an incredible experience! Thank you so much again for your professionalism and kindness, it means a lot to me”
-Charlotte Margniez
- Charlotte Margniez / July 2016
Hi Leisha!
Sorry for not being in touch sooner regarding the trip but I just wanted to let you know that we had the most amazing experience. I appreciate everything that you did for us to make this a reality. The time at the end at Vic Falls was definitely enough and I am grateful that you were able to work to ensure we had the full day of activities to do once there. Our guides were wonderful and we felt safe and informed the entire time. Truly couldn’t have asked for a better time!
Thank you thank you thank you!! Will definitely be recommending Overland Africa to friends.
Courtney
Thank you
- Courtney / September 2018
“We are both very grateful for the efforts that you both made on our behalf in trying to get our bag back. We fully accept responsibility for losing it in the first place, but we never thought that once the bag was identified that we would have so much trouble getting it back. Your efforts, and those of others, really add to the absolutely amazing experience that we had on our travels.
I know that I have expressed it many times and you may be sick of it, but we really do appreciate the efforts that you both went to in organising the tour that you did for us. Your advice and genuine efforts to make it a great experience for us was second to none, and something that we will cherish for a long time. I would like to stay in touch as we will definitely be back to South Africa at some stage. I am not very good at Facebook, but if you have an account, I would love to have you both as a friends.
I hope that you and your families are both well, and that business is booming. I am definitely spreading the word on our African experience, probably to the point where people are avoiding me”
-David and Bernadette Rock
- David and Bernadette Rock / July 2016
We wanted to touch base and let you know how our honeymoon is going. We couldn’t be happier with how everything is working out. Tour is wonderful and we can’t wait for all the adventures that await us for the next three weeks!
-Denise Breen
- Denise Breen / November 2017
Hi Leisha,
yes we had an amazing adventure!
Okavango Delta, Chobe and the Falls were all just fabulous. We would definately have enjoyed longer time in the Delta and Chobe. The crew on the truck were fantastic – friendly, informative and great food – couldn’t fault them at all. We would certainly consider future tours through other parts of Africa!
Thank you,
Elisa
- Elisa Mott / April 2018
WOW Gelle is amazing. After planning a wedding, planning a holiday was the last thing we wanted to do. We had been talking to one of our friends who was also thinking about going to Africa and told us that they had been talking to Gelle Richie from Go2africa who was based in South Africa. We emailed Gelle to see if she could help us and we got a reply back within hours asking us a few questions on what we wanted to do, time, price range. The only things that we really wanted to do was see the big 5, some camping and trek with the Gorillas within a 6 week period. Not knowing much about Africa we asked Gelle what she would do. So Gelle organised us 21 day TransKalahari Adventure where we saw the Big Five and amazing landscape. From there we went to Kenya and Tanzania were we camped in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro crater. Now this is where Gelle come in, two things i have told everyone that is thinking about visiting Africa is have a travel agent based in Africa and the other is only have Gelle to do it for you. While we were on our way back from Tanzania to Nairobi – Kenya we got a email and phone call telling us about the fire at the Nairobi International Airport. Our flight was the next day at 1240pm. Gelle gave us updates via emails and mobile phone. Having Gelle giving us information we felt comfortable that we still had our flights. Gelle also was in contact with our next tour in Uganda giving them updates so everything would run smoothly.
Also at the start of our trip we had our bags go missing at the Australian end. We let Gelle know just to give a update. Gelle was right on the case ringing the airport giving us updates via emails, this was all done outside of office hours, some time 11 pm at night. Gelle thank you so much for helping us see and experience Aftrica. We will be telling everyone that has been thinking about Africa to do it and go though Gelle at Go2afica.com. The only thing we had wish we could of done was to meet Gelle face to face.
Thanks again!
Josh and Mel Watton
- Josh and Mel Watton / August 2013
Hello Leisha!
It’s really sad that the tour is over, because I was having such a great time and loved it all from to first to the last second!
And by the way, the experience for me started even before Victoria Falls. It started with all the booking process and you were amazing! You were extremely helpful and efficient and during the trip I had in mind that I was thankful cause you took care of everything, so I had nothing to worry about.
The tour itself was perfect! I highly recommend it! There were many long road periods, sometimes entire days, which at the begining seemed weird, but at the end I was enjoying a lot! It’s nice spending time with the group (I was very lucky for having a great one) and the landscapes are breathtaken, so I enjoyed the time on the road.
The activities were also fantastic! I personally love this kind of trip where you’re in contact with nature, wildlife and different cultures, so it was all I could ask for. It’s very very hard to pick one highlight, but I can tell you a few moments that were special: the day at Chobe (with on land and cruise game), the day at Okavango delta, riding at the mokorro and walking around, the Namib desert (both in Swakopmund where I did quadbike/sandbording and at the dunes) and both days at Etosha. Basically everything! Haha
The crew was also very very nice! Kind, helpful, fun and had lots of knowledge to share with us.
Again, I had an amazing time! I’d love to come back again and I’ll reach you if I decide to, for sure! Thanks a lot for all the help! Have a wonderful day! ?
Georgia
- Georgia Cavallari / March 2019
HI Leisha,
We had a wonderful time. Our guides were very knowledgeable, accommodating, informative and even funny and entertaining – particularly Ben, our guide in Kenya (Masai Mara. Our guide in Tanzania (Hasheem) was a naturalist so he gave us a lot of information, too, and could speak English well (like Ben in Kenya). We received perfect customer service and our guides really made an effort, went out of our way so we can maximise our experience and see what we came to see. While we were not fortunate enough to see the river crossing, Ben, our guide, waited with us for hours to get the chance to see it – so we really appreciated that.
The itinerary was good and was quite flexible depending on our preference, i.e. time we should start, end, including pee stops and lunch time. Our driver guides were so considerate and accommodating.
The accommodations were great. The camp staff (for all camps/lodges) were truly very hospitable, friendly and accommodating. Thank you in particular for the surprise birthday cake for Christina – as well as the Masai dance that came with it- that really made her happy. Appreciate all your assistance and patience to answer our queries and to make sure everything will go smoothly. Thank you so much- on behalf of my husband Erwin, my cousins, Christina and Ernest for a most memorable safari experience.
Warmest regards,
Gina
- Maria Virginia Locsin / August 2019
“I had a great trip!!!!!! It was better than I expected. South Africa is home to some of God’s most beautiful work. The tour was fantastic”
-Kelly Cole
- Kelly Cole / December 2016
“Thank you so much for all your help in planning our Kruger tour. It was amazing! Lauren and I were so sad to leave such a wonderful camp. We are safely back home in the States, wishing we were back in South Africa!”
-Kelsey Phillip
- Kelsey Phillip / October 2017
I had contacted several safari companies before finding Overland Africa. I’m so glad that I found them. Overland Africa was able to find the perfect safari experience for a solo traveler. Leisha was incredible at responding to all my many questions prior to the trip. There are so many details that go into planning a once in a lifetime experience. Overland Africa made it easy. I would recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Africa. Kirsten Clements November 2018
- Kiersten Clements / February 2019
Good morning Gelle,
Spot on!!! 😀 Kenya and Uganda have been amazing!!! Such a heartwarming and touching experience. We have encountered thousands and thousands of animals. I got shivers down my spine so many times. I have experience countless of special moments. The wildebeest migration was surreal and interacting with gorillas was out of this world. I may be back in Malta but my heart is still in Africa. The memories will surely last a lifetime and the feelings experienced will be felt for a very long time.
The feedback we are getting from the group is also positive. They have all been left in amazement 🙂 thanks to you and your excellent team. You had said that the safari operator have chosen their best 2 teams! They were so right Gelle!! Moses, Francis, Caroline, Solomon, Patrick and Charles are amazing!! Such a dynamic team, so passionate about what they do. Their skills are exceptional Gelle. They bonded very well with the group, they lead the group excellently, they were so so flexible, so responsive to our needs…at times even a step ahead. They took care of every little detail, were always available and the group simply loved them. I cannot pinpoint one single negative feedback about them. Truly exceptional Gelle!
I am still settling in and will send you detailed feedback about the logistics of the trip in a week. I would really like to thank you for making this possible!
And hey…Mozambique seems very interesting 😀 I have came across some of your photos. It seems it has been a great adventure for you. Make the most of your last few days.
Speak soon,
Kim ( August 2018 45 travellers Kenya and Uganda Overland private charter )
- Kim / August 2018
Greetings, I don’t usually take the time to write a travel review unless my experience was extremely bad or extremely good. In this case my experience with Overland Africa on my recent safari was off the charts exceptional.
An African safari was always on my bucket list, but could never pull the trigger until I spoke with Leisha de Villiers from Overlandafrica. Leisha painted a very realistic picture of what I could expect on my travels. She explained thoroughly every facet of their excursion. She shared the animals I would expect to see and she was dead on, she shared tidbits, such as there would be a stop for souvenirs and how much the end of the day beer would cost She went into great detail on what to expect from our guide and what the accommodations where like. She also covered things I would never have thought about such as visa fees and immunizations. Leisha did an excellent job of setting expectations. When I go back for another visit I will definitely use Leisha again, and I would send my friends and family to her, when their ready for their safari.
The trip over all was phenomenal, a once (hopefully more) in life time experience. It way way exceeded my expectations. The accommodations, even out in the wild were exceptional, actually better than I expected and better than some hotels I stay at here in the states. The only thing I would change is next time I will have Leisha book the travel also. The airlines in Africa were not the easiest to deal with, but I learned, next time Leisha will handle everything. Cheers!
Leo Wolanin
- Leo Walonin / February 2019
Go2Africa/Overland organized for me a fifteen day tour of Southern Africa which took me to the South of Mozambique as well as to Krueger Park and Johannesburg. The tour was very well structured and organized, plus I was very happy with Overland’s choice of accommodation. The safari that Overland booked for me at the Pretoriuskop Camp was also very much to my liking and the organization at the camp was overall really good.
All the arrangements included in the package were made by Leisha De Villiers whose unique professionalism greatly contributed to the success of my trip. All the while she was very efficient and quick to react and she proved to be responsive even when I contacted her on weekends! Last but not least, after I came back from my trip she helped me get a full refund for two airport transfers that I did not make use of during the Mozambique bit of my trip. Thanks to Leisha’s quick intervention I got the refund money shortly after my return to Europe.
Lorenzo Salvioni – May. 2019
- Lorenzo Salvioni / July 2019
Hi Leisha
What can I say about your service? Well let’s see: it was always accommodating, friendly, knowledgeable and prompt – and, even though I couldn’t see you, always done with a smile.
If/when I’m going to do this all again, you’ll be the first person that I’d contact!
Cheerio,
MB
- Mark Bowman / February 2019
Hi Leisha, how are you? Sorry for my delay to response you, I had the visit of my brother from Milan.
I did a review in Trip Advisor a week ago, my feedback was excellent! In general terms the experience was very good, the work of the driver and the guide were very professional, the hotels were all very good and the places visited one more interesting than the other. The food in general was very good and sufficient, maybe having a refrigerator for the passengers would help more with the drinks agains the cooler. Having already spent the trip, I have no doubt that we made the best decision regarding the format of the tour, the numbers of days and the company we arranged. I sincerely want to go back !!!
The highlights: Ethosha National Park and Okavango Delta, but It is no fair with Chobe, Vic Falls or Swakupmund, or Kalahari desert…
On our next trip to Africa we will surely want to visit Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi, with the option of visiting Congo. Regarding your advice and job, 10 points in every way!!!
Best regards,
Matias & Micaela
- Matias Martínez / July 2019
We had a most excellent adventure! Thank you! We saw every animal on the “Big Seven” list and so much more! We soared in the hot air balloon over the Serengeti and had a fabulous breakfast. The Masai tour was so interesting,the people were so welcoming. Our guide Doc,with Drifters,went out of his way to make my 60th birthday a real celebration! It was amazing. The second half in Botswana and Zimbabwe had a few challenges. Kenya Air lost our luggage on our way from Zanzibar to Nairobi to Johannesburg. We had to go to the delta with just what we had on the plane with us! Our guide Joe with Drifters, And the staff at the lodges tried to help as much as they could in getting us stuff to buy,,borrow and share to get us through! People on the tour were so very generous in sharing too..being out in the bush was very exciting. Drifters did everything they could to help us get them back. But they wanted 500$ to get them to the delta. We said no & come to find out they didn’t even have both bags.
KenyaAir only sent Joan’s anyway! Which Drifters got to the lodge. We did ok..couldn’t get our bags until Maun …6 days into our tour! Joe got us to the airport in Maun and my bag was there!We did good though in the bush…we saw so many animals in so many places.The delta was an amazing place. We learned so much…
The four nights in the bush camp in Moremi National Park was probably the wildest time we spent seeing animals. We took the plane ride over the delta,saw a breading herd of elephants cross the Chobe River with little babies. We walked to Victoria Falls National Park. Took a game drive into Stanley Livingstone National Park and saw 4 black rhinos & Last but not least by any means…at 60 and 58 years old…my sister and I white water rafted the mighty Zambizi River!! Another dream come true! We couldn’t walk or move very well for 3 days…but we did it! Thank you for planning such a fabulous 32 days! We will never forget!
Ann
- Ann / October 2016
Hi Leisha! I have been fortunate to travel overland this March 2019, the trip started in Cape Town and ended in Victoria Falls.
The planing of my trip with Overland Africa has been professional, Leisha was my contact travel expert, she has been amazing communicating all informations needed and always answered all my questions very quickly. The whole voyage has been a lifetime experience, the landscapes never stopped surprising us, the wildlife has been entertaining, the sites we stayed at or camped at were great with all facilities needed, Our Guide Anthony was knowledgeable, kind and prepared for us the best food and served it with a story of it origin.
I am very happy with my Overland trip in Africa and would definitely recommend the overland truck travelling for both budget travellers, solo travellers and also anyone that look for something more than the classic. I think it is one of the best ways to experience Africa, it is safe and social way of travelling, saves time and gives you the opportunity to just enjoy what every country in Africa has to offer instead of using much of your time planing and stressing with all the questions that could pass by your head.
Have a good week and thank you again for great service
Best Regards
Nadia
- Nadia Coeur Benouddane / May 2019
Just wanted to say thanks for your help in organising our amazing honeymoon in Africa. We had a great time and had really good luck with our animal viewings thanks to our fabulous guide/driver on our Safari, no one else we spoke to seemed to see 5 leopards and 3 cheetahs (on top of numerous lions) over 2 days in the Serengeti. I have attached a few of our favourite photos from the trip (Although I am sure you have seen plenty of these!). We will be sure to recommend you to any friends we have planning any trips to Africa in the future!
Thanks again!
- Lisa and Ben / June 2016
Leisha and the overland Africa team were extremely helpful in arranging the perfect Safari adventure for my daughter and I. We planned it at the very last minute, and yet she was able to find us the ideal trip on the ideal dates, and it could not have worked out better! Leisha and team were with us every step of the way, including helping us coordinate with the airline after they delayed the arrival of our baggage. They were recommended to us highly by a friend, and I am so glad we put our trust and our trip in their hands. I want to thank them for an adventure and memory that will last a lifetime!
Scott & Ally – April 2019 – 7 day Best of Botswana Camping
- Scott Whelehen / April 2019
Dear Leisha,
I will give you 5 stars for the rate.
My friends and I absolutely enjoy the vacation in Botswana which Leisha customize for us. It is an amazing trip and cover all we expect to find in Africa. We love the safari lodge, the activities and catering. I have no hesitation in recommending Overland Africa.
- Stephen Lou / October 2019
We have returned safely and yes, we all had a great time! We did not meet any troubles. The flight transfers from Harare also went smoothly. It was very nice to see Zimbabwe with all the interesting past and current history. Our guides Tembe and Laban – Zimbabweans- were excellent.
– Mokoro-trip – fantastic, with the setting, boat trip and the guides.
– Vic Falls – a great time with lots of activities – elephant ride, bungee, rafting, sunset cruise etc. Laban organized some of the stuff. We got T-shirts!
– Matopos – a great experience, Lovely camp site, Ian was a fantastic guide! San-history, walking safari with rhinos, the scenery etc!
– Great Zimbabwe – very interesting, fascinating! We also had a lovely time in Mozambique at the Archipelago Resort /150USD per night for large bungalows self-catering, also with a lovely restaurant at the place. But so few tourist… both in Zimbabwe and Mozambique – we hope better days for these wonderful destinations will come. We all agreed that the overland-truck concept suited very well for a group of families like ours (with children approximately 10 and above) and is certainly something we would recommend to others. Very easy and convenient, better than driving all these long distances in separate cars on our own. Combination of camping and hotels were great (all good hotels!). We hope we will be able to go in another journey in a few years.
Thanks for great organizing and help!
- Thomas / April 2016
Hey Gelle!
We are (begrudgingly) back in the US and trying to get back in the work groove. I miss vacation life!
Everything was incredible, thank you. We really appreciate all of your help in making our vacation so wonderful and easy. Specifically, there were a lot of moving parts to this trip which we didn’t know how to organize or schedule. With time I’m sure that we could have managed it but as busy professionals we don’t have the time. Having you educate us on those pieces and then handle all of the logistics with them and the transfers between them was invaluable. We enjoyed simply knowing that everything would be worked out so we could focus on enjoying ourselves.
We will definitely consider working with you again for our travel needs.
- Matt Goff / August 2015
“Thanks for the “Welcome Back”! It certainly was a trip that will always remain in my mind. All in all, I would certainly recommend you and Overland Africa, especially Leisha:)”
-Todd Miller
- Todd Miller / August 2016
I’ll definitely contact you again the next time I visit Africa. I really want to return in May but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’ll share your name with anyone who asks. You’ve been awesome!
-Traci Wilson
- Traci Wilson / February 2017
Hi Liezl!
I am so sorry it has taken me so long to answer. It has been so much to do after we got back. I hope everything is good.
And i really want to thank you for creating this amazing adventure for us. We had a really great journey. I think we all had experiences that we will remember the rest of our lives. And also i think we all learned a lot. What really stood out for us must be the game drives of course, and especially the one in kruger where we saw all the big five, and many many other animals. We also really enjoyed the dinner at the gold resturant, wich was an incerible expeirence. We really liked the aerea arounf Tsitsikamma, and Hermanus so it could have ben exciting to have more time there, but we got the best of it. And thank you so much for fixing another chance of skydiving when we missed the first attempt because of the weather. The students where really greatful for that. I also noticed that the skydiving instrouctors in Cape Town seemed more profeccional and made an even better experiance for the students by having a safetybreif for everyone and explaining to them everything that was going to happen, and generelly talking to them an chearing for them. (It was nothing wrong with the instrouctors in Tsitsikamma, but we had a better experience with the ones i Cape Town). And the community project (uthando) was amazing. The tour we had with them made an impression on all of us, and i will highly recommend it for other groups.
I must also say that our guide and driver, Thabisa and Moses did an incredible job, i am so glad they where there, we would be totally lost without them. We felt safe the whole trip they organized everything so well for us. So please give them all the best feedback from me.
All in all we are so happy with the trip. And i know that the students will have memories for the rest of their lives. I want to thank you so much. and i will highly recommend you to other schoolds and groups when i have the chance. I will not hesitate with contacting you again. Keep up the good work, and stay well!
Best regards
Ingrid and School Group
( NOVEMBER 2022 )
- Ingrid / November 2022
Hi Gelle I never had any doubts about your service after all Daniel’s recommendations but today I can prove it myself that your service is outstanding.
Thank you very much . Once again THANK YOU I will keep your service in mind for future.
Kind regards Gladys
- Gladys Parcio / September 2017