South Africa

I had just the most incredible time on the climb.

The team were incredible and just so accommodating. I really only have good things to say as it was such a great experience.

George was as good as a guide as it gets, very articulate and made sure I was comfortable the whole way up with frequent briefings.

Finn R reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 10 May 2019

We had an amazing time thank you. The itinerary was great as we felt like we saw lots of different things and it kept it interesting for our daughter. She especially loved the gorge at Hells Gate.

Unfortunately the Menengai Crater walk was a bit hard for her although that probably had something to do with how hot it was!

We especially loved the Sunbird Lodge - it is such a beautiful place and all the staff were so incredibly welcoming and friendly.

Our guide, Joseph, was exceptional too and we can’t speak highly enough of him.

Suzanne S reviewing Maasai Family Adventure on 30 April 2019

Lawhill Luxury Apartments (Cape Town): We loved the apartments (especially having a ground floor room that we could access the waterside directly from). Only comment would be that it was a bit of a dark path towards them if heading back from the apartments from the v&a after dark.

Wine Tour (Cape Wineland): The wine tour was great - the guide was really knowledgeable and we went to the bird park at Spier and played with Cape foxes and held owls, which was great! The ‘winetasting’ for the kids was great too. At the last vineyard we actually chose to do craft beer tasting rather than wine (to please the husband!!) which was a good option.

Township Tour by Bike (Cape Town): Again, this was great. The guide was very knowledgeable and made us feel very comfortable. We also loved finishing at Mzoli’s barbecue.

Mosaic Sanctuary (nr Hermanus): This was fabulous. We got the room with the best view (no. 2) and it was just lovely. The staff were all fantastic and thoroughly looked after us - we had a welcome drink back from every activity! The kids loved the quad biking and the guide even let them ride their own bike (with him sitting close behind them!). The nature walk and beach trip were both great too. The kids went sand surfing! Food and drink were all lovely.

De Denne Guesthouse (Oudtshoorn): The guesthouse here was probably a bit dated given we had just left Mosaic but the staff here were also lovely, as was the evening meal and the lovely setting (the stars were amazing!). We visited an Ostrich farm and had a guided tour to ourselves, which was great. The kids got to hold a baby ostrich so much excitement!

Fynbos Ridge (Plettenberg Bay): The house at Fynbos Ridge was great and there was so much to do in the area. The owners were lovely and breakfast was great too. We weren’t offered any of the extras noted in the itinerary (evening meal, spa treatment etc) but we weren’t bothered - perhaps it would have been available if we’d asked. The setting was therefore quieter than we had expected but that wasn’t an issue at all - again perhaps just something to note in the itinerary? We do say private nature reserve but we may try to make this clearer as it is quite isolated and long road to get there... I suppose.

Kariega Main Lodge (Eastern Cape Safari) - this was amazing. Apart from the first drive, we had our ranger to ourselves and he was great, really knowledgeable and keen to share. We asked lots of questions too! He made the kids feel very welcome and included. He even included a night drive after dinner to see the nocturnal animals. We weren’t sure if it would be too late for the kids but they fell asleep so we enjoyed it and saw lots! Delighted to hear this about Kariega

Thanks again for organising it for us. We had an amazing trip and are still talking about it to everyone we see!

Lorna T reviewing Classic Garden Route For Families on 29 April 2019

Wow, we had a brilliant time!! Not sure where to start…

Transport was great, very reassuring to have all that taken care of and all drivers were polite and helpful. Good to know in advance to have some dirham ready for tips.

Treking: Our guide Hassan, muleteer Centim and chef were great. We’d never been guided before and were a little worried about how it would all work out but Hassan went at a pace that worked for us, always made sure we knew where we were going and happy to answer questions but also to give us some space. Food was such a treat! Beautiful locations and we were thoroughly looked after.

Accommodation. Mountain lodge were brilliant. Very cold at night in Imlil so glad to have layers. Staff helpful, food plentiful and delicious. Ouirgane Eco Lodge was a real treat after the mountains. And the riad. Oh my goodness. We loved it! Breakfast on our own terrace, a pool to cool off in. So much space and so beautifully decorated. We couldn’t believe it was ours for the period of time and a great respite from the hustle and bustle of the souks.

The balance of the trek and city was great for us, kids saw all kinds of things in both places that really opened their eyes. Weather was very kind to us so it was an extra treat to have the sunshine.

It definitely felt like a real adventure and something that we’ll always remember as a family.

We had plenty of info from Tourdust and plenty of prompt replies as my queries popped up.

Kate A reviewing Marrakech & Mountains Family Trek on 26 April 2019

The whole holiday start to finish was just fabulous, the accommodation was perfect and to a certain extent stunning at the Dar Hosnia in Marrakech.

The transport, guides and staff at both locations were wonderful with a special mention to the Douar Samra team in Imlill. They were more than a bit special.

The food at both locations was excellent and the ambience and fun we enjoyed in Douar Samra was beyond all expectations.

We made many new friends whom I am sure we will keep in touch with way beyond this holiday.

You put together a perfect package it was much more than just a great holiday it was a richly rewarding experience.

Just finally to say a big thank you to you for organising one of the best trips we have had.

stuart w reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 15 April 2019

Everything was fab, I especially loved Tuningi such a special place and my son got to see his favourite animal the cheetah (after a bit of time hunting about on foot!). Mauritius is lovely we saw quite a bit of the island in the end.

Laura L reviewing South Africa Safari and Mauritius on 12 December 2018

We had a wonderful trip to Morocco. What a fascinating country. Thank you so much for all of your help making things smooth and less stressful!

Here are a few things we wanted to pass on:

Dar Housnia was absolutely delightful. It was like an entire wing of a house to ourselves with perfect Moroccan decor. The private area where we ate was so cute, the riad staff so accommodating. I loved waking in the cozy space with our family and hearing both call to prayer as well as roosters. Just perfect.

I was a little unclear how to ask what time we were being picked up etc, but your office promptly replied to my emails - even on weekends- when we had these questions about transport times. Once, we met our guide in Imlil these details we not problematic as our guide “Abraham” totally took care of us. Abraham was awesome. You should definitely request him again in the future. He was young (29)and energetic. He had a ton of hiking experience in Imlil as he was from there. He also seemed to know everything else about morocco, the desert, the culture, etc, etc. He was approachable, kind, patient, great with our kids and answered SO MANY of our questions.

The hike was lovely - after rain the day prior in Marrakech - there was snow in the mountains. It was gorgeous. We may have been up for a longer hike up Mt Taboukel if I had known this was a realistic option for families ( I thought from reading that it was too technical for us). Yet not sure we had enough days for all these things always since getting in the desert was a priority.

The mountain house, Dar adar, was just as described… very basic. The wifi was broken (which was a nice break when you have pre-teens addicted to phones, plus my husband called no wifi an amenity to not be available by email for his work!)). There was no heat and the fireplace helped a tad - but was so very cold in the rooms. My husband loved the rustic space, I may have gone up one step in niceness of mountain accommodation if I had to do it over again. Yet, meeting the other families in this Dar Adar (including another Tourdust family from England) made this house very memorable.

We were then joined by our driver for the next several days, Jamal. What a fun guy and a perfect driver. He could joke with my kids, he had a fun smile, and he had worked with Abraham before so they were a great team. The drive to desert was long as I knew it would be. It was nice to have the stop on way there near Ait Ben Haddu. The drive back from desert was long. It was more near 10 hours of driving (plus 1 hour at lunch = 11 hours) but I wouldn’t have made any different choices.

The luxury desert camp was far and away the highlight of our trip. The tents were adorable, I was sufficiently warm even at night inside the tent. We loved the camel riding, the ATV vehicles at a nearby camp, sunsets on the dunes, music around the camp fire, meals with others at the camp and more.

The last night was at Riad Jona. This was so very very lovely. The food was amazing - such a good idea to eat here after our long drive back to Marrakech. They had a small dining pool plus a hot tub which was delightful. It was almost more of a boutique hotel as it had several rooms.

Gwyneth R reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 11 December 2018

We had an absolutely fantastic time on our Garden Route trip and I would be more than happy to provide feedback for you and Tourdust. I also thought you might like to know directly some of our experiences.

All the logistics worked smoothly from our meet and greet through to car pick up. Glad we picked the larger van as it meant we and our suitcases had lots of space. The vehicle was perfect for the longer drives.

Pumba was a perfect introduction to safari for our kids. The dedicated ranger was ideal as it allowed us to modify our plans to suit the children and we managed to see elephants, giraffe and lots of other game up close. They even tailored one afternoon so the kids could try archery and fishing whilst we relaxed. The food and accommodation was lovely and well suited for a family of our size. Food was delicious and ample to keep us full of energy.

We have been privileged to stay in many great hotels but we agreed Hunters country house is probably our favourite. The service was outstanding, food was great and they even proactively booked us into their restaurant Zinzi and. Leaned the car! Accommodation was again perfect for us with to adjoining rooms and the grouds are beautiful. We have already highly recommended to other friends. Being between knysna and plattenberg is a great location and we had lots of exciting adventures.

Zeekoe at Oudtshoorn as you know was our next stop. It gave us a great chance to visit the caves and that was pretty much all there was so two nights was the ideal length. We ate both nights at the hotel as nothing was open as it was a Sunday in the town. The food was ok but the fact there was lots of space for the kids to run around and we met several other families made it another good location. We actually enjoyed driving over the mountains and heading in land for a while. The kids loved a small adventure park near the caves that had some water slides.

The whale coast hotel at Hermanus was a different location being in the town. The accommodation was ideal again as we enjoyed being close to all the restaurants and shops whilst also having two floors and three bedrooms. The breakfast provided by the hotel was basic but with so many other nearby great restaurants it wasn't an issue. It was also close to shops and as it had a kitchen we got some extra items for those early mornings.

Finally we made it the vineyard for Christmas. I can't thank you enough for the effort you undertook to find us suitable rooms as again this little appartment with three rooms, a living space and kitchen suited us really well. Especially as it gave Santa a place to put stockings. I was a little skeptical about the hotel in advance having stayed in many other great Cape Town locations but it was a lovely hotel. Great food, kids menus, and we managed to have Christmas lunch at Myoga which was outstanding. The kids loved searching out the giant tortoises that lived there and it provided a nice location for some running. The staff were very friendly, always willing to help and I would highly recommend it as it gives you a break from the hustle and bustle of the V&A whilst also being easy to drive to.

I can't really explain well just how much fun we had and we all agreed that it was probably our best holiday yet and far exceeded our expectations.

Michael F reviewing Classic Garden Route For Families on 09 February 2016

I wanted to express my huge gratitude to you for our amazing holiday. From start to finish, I was particularly impressed by your organisation of everything.... the flights and all the transfers were smooth and on time. In fact the transfer drivers arrived early and were all very friendly and put me at ease immediately. South African Airways were excellent too - it was a very smooth journey all round.
Our safari at Rhino River Lodge was utterly superb. Your choice of safari for my son and myself was excellent. As you know, feeling safe was particularly important for me as I was travelling on my own with my son, and I have to say that at Rhino River Lodge, I immediately felt safe and welcomed. We arrived just in time for the afternoon drive and although we were tired from our long journey, adrenaline immediately kicked in when we pulled up alongside two cheetahs resting after their feed. The days that followed were incredible - each game drive was a different, amazing adventure - memories which will remain with my son and I for ever. The staff at Rhino River Lodge are really great - our game driver, Alex was superb and very informative. The food was great too and the accommodation was lovely, really hot showers and spacious room.
Our time at Lalaria lodge afterwards was very relaxing - again a good choice of place - the hosts, Linda and Tony, were extremely friendly and very helpful. On the evening we arrived, they laid on some homemade bread, dips and barbecued sausages out on the terrace for us and the other English family staying there - a lovely way for us all to get to know each other. To be honest, it felt like we were all friends sharing a BBQ rather than guests in a hotel. Linda and Tony were very helpful in organising taxis for us each day/evening and suggesting places to eat. The room we were given was great - a sea view room - very, very spacious.
It was a holiday of a lifetime and I can’t thank you enough for all the amazing organisation. I felt very looked after from start to finish and it was very important for me to feel that way. I will certainly be using Tourdust again and will recommend you to others.

Linda V reviewing South Africa Bush & Beach Safari For Families on 14 October 2015

Just a quick note to say a huge thank you for a fantastic holiday in South Africa. We had an amazing time with tears at the airport as home came far too early!
Cape Town was amazing, so much to do and the accommodation at the V&A was a great starting option. Loved the Penguins at Boulders and the day we spent driving down to Caper of Good Hope was special. We loved the Auberge at Hermanus, and although no boats trips due to weather there were plenty of whales in the bay to see from land – and the hotel balcony! Also took a tour of the local township – Willy the guide was so helpful and his knowledge and information was a real eye-opener.
Cheetah Plains – well, what can I say? What a fantastic time we had during our 4 night stay. The way we were looked after was superb, and we could not have hoped for a better Safari experience, seeing the animals so close!! Cheetah Plains is a special place with a unique atmosphere and staff who make it really enjoyable and comfortable – felt like home!
Oliver’s had superb accommodation and food. The panorama tour was full-on and very enjoyable with a final day to relax at the poolside. Probably in hindsight I would have had 5 nights at Cheetah Plains (every game drive is different!) and just 2 at Olivers, although the rest of the family enjoyed doing nothing on the final day. Also a word about the drivers – an amazing source of information about South Africa. Amazingly courteous, helpful and friendly – hugely complementary about these guys!

Thank you for helping organise this trip – hugely memorable holiday. We miss South Africa already and we feel like we left behind the most magical time. We will never forget and really hope to return.

John W reviewing Cape & Kruger Family Holiday on 14 October 2015

I can not recommend Tourdust and the wonderful Lisa highly enough. I had been searching for a family holiday to South Africa and could never quite seem to find the right combination. I eventually found one that seemed to fit the bill on the Tourdust website and sent off an e-mail to make a general enquiry. Within a few days, following a Sunday 'phone conversation with Lisa, I ended up with a different itinerary that was even better, including things that I wanted to do that I thought the kids would hate (Gourmet Foodie day tour to South Africa's winelands anyone?) but that Lisa assured me wouldn't bore the kids (she was right). The service I received was knowledgeable, smooth, efficient and friendly. Looking forward to booking again with them. Thank you Lisa and Tourdust!

Neil B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 14 October 2015

As a family we have never been to Africa before and in Tourdust we have found an excellent tour operator whose attention to detail is second to none. The thought, care and attention that went into planning our trip, significantly contributed to the overall success of our time in South Africa.

There is much to mention, but three highlights would include having a personal tour guide in Lionel Davies on Robben Island. Lionel was a political prisoner and happened to serve his sentence at the same time Nelson Mandela was serving part of his. Tourdust connections with Cape Town local tour operators meant that we had access to this.

Secondly my husband and I were keen to do a wine tour; however I had some doubts as to how this would go down with the children - I needn't have worried. The local tour guide provided a completely appropriate day, which included chocolate tasting, wine tasting and visiting a cheetah sanctuary.

Thirdly our daughter turned 14 whilst on Safari; the camp we were staying at had access to two private game reserves and made sure we all had a variety of sightings and experiences and our daughter's birthday was acknowledged with a gorgeous chocolate cake - again in the background Tourdust had made sure this happened.

Choosing just three highlights has been difficult, but I just want to thank Ben and his team wholeheartedly for making our first experience of the African continent such a positive one. I can't recommend this company more highly.

Anne W reviewing Classic Garden Route For Families on 03 June 2014