Unforgettable under the African sun

I wish I could give 15 stars! This was an incredible trip and TK was the perfect guide; he hosted us as if we were visiting family! He picked us up promptly at our hotel in Cape Town, before the sun even came up. He was a safe and courteous driver for the 5+ hours to Oudtshoorn and a comfortable conversationalist, on so many topics, which really helped pass the time on two days of long drives. He had bottled waters for us, stopped at charming, clean and comfortable stops along the way so we could buy snacks and souvenirs and have a comfort break. He shared his power bank and charging cable when my battery ran down from taking way too many photos of the beautiful scenery along the way. He was efficient, attentive to details and made sure we had prompt and excellent service at each stop. He was knowledgeable about the areas we passed through and South African history so we learned a lot! The tour itself was incredibly beautiful, both exciting and peaceful. The safari guides at Buffelsdrift and Botlierskop were knowledgeable, dedicated and wonderfully interactive and responsive, answering all of questions with interesting facts and context. Taura and Innocent were great drivers on the bouncy outback roads. You could see their determination and commitment to maximizing the number of wildlife views we had. They worked well with fellow guides to communicate sightings. They gave us all the time we needed to enjoy being near a host of animals, sitting quietly with the engine off till our hearts were full! We couldn’t believe how close we were able to view and photograph the animals and we learned so much about each group. Sometimes it was just wonderful to bask near the animals, in the glow of the sun. We were also thrilled with the elephant experience at Buffelsdrift and highly recommend that! The trainers were personable and took excellent photos and videos of us feeding the elephants. We learned so much about these amazing animals there. We stayed overnight in one of the luxury tents at Buffelsdrift which was fantastic, so comfortable and well appointed! Since it was fall and the weather had been cooler, it was a chilly experience but the heat in the tent and the heated mattress cover made it so cozy. It was truly an awesome experience to sit on the back porch of the tent, overlooking the watering hole and the animals and birds who chatted to each other, under the breathtaking colors of the setting African sun. The dining room was so elegant and the food was fantastic at both dinner and breakfast! Great service, too. The lunch the next day at Botlierskop was also delicious and beautifully prepared. The trip back with TK was even more relaxed than the day before and he continued to be the consummate host! He was unflappable, interesting, and excited about our wonderful experiences. We still miss him and our time in South Africa’s amazing nature!!