Everything was amazing! It was quite an experience, tasting such a large variety of African cuisine, and I really liked almost everything. They kept the portions small to enable you to taste everything. Starting out by teaching us all to drum in unison was a lot of fun, and the rest of the entertainment was excellent too. We are on a tour and this was an optional activity, and we almost didn't go, but I am so glad we did and highly recommend it.

We had JJ as our guide - and he gave us the best that Cape Town and the surrounding areas had to offer. We know a guide can make such a difference - and we can honestly say we felt like we’d hit the jackpot. he was warm, open and friendly - but smart and witty with it. He communicated with us all and let us decide various decisions as a group - it’s hard to please everyone - but JJ went out of his way to ensure we all get the best experience possible. We were a small group, and had JJ as our guide for 31/2 days. We arrived by train and were met at the station along with our driver, Rodney. We transferred to our hotel, and then we got a transfer over to the V&A area to explore at our leisure, as we had planned. Some of us had pre booked Robben Island - and enjoyed the tour there. JJ gave us a honest and realistic safety brief - that we know not everyone got, and unfortunately succumbed to scammers in the area. JJ had our happiness and safety as his priority. !st full day tour - brought us to Table Mountain - We loved how our guide was both knowledgable and flexible and brought us when the clouds had cleared enough to get the best views. We also managed to visit Bo Kaap, and loved the buildings, and the local gallery’s displaying the art work - many of us chose to buy souvenirs here - I just wish I’d a Bigger suitcase!!! Some amazing pieces of work available. We then travelled onto the Castle of Good hope and were able to walk around and view at our own leisure. I like not to be rushed, and have some free time to explore and enjoy. JJ knew exactly the right spot to stop for a light lunch, at the VOC gardens - knowing we had the Gold experience booked for dinner in the evening. 2nd Full day, was an early start as we went to Houtbay to take the boat to seal Island - JJ had told us it was early in the season, but it is a place where migrating whales are spotted - and to our delight we managed to see a right whale !!! We were so excited, we almost forgot about the seals. Rodney drove us along the scenic route by Chapman’s Peak and then onto Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. Several stops along the way to admire the coastal scenery, and see all the wild ostrich. We had another lunch stop and then onto Boulders Bay to see the Penguins - and an extra treat for a few of us brave souls was to actually get into the water and look to swim with them!!!! We found a few !!!!!! And the freezing cold water was forgotten about in our excitement!! 3rd full Day - Today was all about the wine. We visited two vineyards - stopping first in the beautiful village of Franschhoek - loved this place!!! A really different feel - I’d definitely stay a few nights around here on my next trip. We visited Haute Cabriere, and then went onto Stellenbosch for lunch and tasting at Middelvlei. We got a few extra surprises with a visit to the most peculiar store - Ooni Sami se Winkel - to be seen to be believed!!!! A final stop at the oldest pub for another free refreshments. Everyday, all along the route we were given lots of facts and locals information. JJ knows his stuff!!! We could see the various different townships from the roadside., all along our routes - and many of our questions were answered. Visiting a country its good to learn about lifestyle and cultures. We packed a lot into our short stay here - but it really was an enjoyable experience. Like any trip that is short, We know we missed many areas - but this was just part of our trip - we intend to return one day - and will definitely want JJ as our guide for the next adventure here.

We were not quite sure what to expect when we entered the Gold Restaurant. We walked up the stairs and I bumped into a person in a life size puppet custom. It turns out she would be one of the evening performances. As soon as you get your seats, you find a drum that you are going to use during the first part of the show. You have an opportunity to have face paint applied and it really helps you get into the mood of the evening. Wonderful traditional dancing and drumming. Everyone makes you feel at home. The servers are in colorful dress and are lovely.Our tour guide contacted the restaurant about my gluten allergies and I was given two alternatives that were yummy. You have an opportunity to sample I believe 14 dishes. Not sure if you can post videos but will try and put up a short one. They also have a wonderful small store when you enter the restaurant that should not be mmissed.

The boat cruise was a little disappointing. The mic had a lot of static so it was difficult to understand what the guide was saying. There are two levels on the boat but we stayed on the bottom in terms of hoping to get some close up photographs and hopefully hear the descriptions better. I believe almost everyone in our group ended up on the ground level for the same reasons. The birdlife and their nests was a highlight of the ride. At the time of our visit, there was very little wildlife. We did see hippos! You are never promised to see any wildlife, it is a matter of luck when and where the animals are. I would still give them a try as you never know and it is always wonderful to be out on the water.

The night was fantastic and the night was great filled with energy and laughter with the entertainment and food and company

Visited these Wetlands as part of a day out from our Cruise Ship docked at Richards Bay. Basically a nearly 2 hour coach ride each way, and a 2 hour afternoon boat boat ride,along a wide river estuary, where we saw lots of Hippos heads, a glimpse of a small crocodile and some colourful birds. Would have been a pleasant afternoon if staying locally, but little reward for such a long trip. The boat itself was ok, they provided us with vouchers for 2 drinks, and gave a decent commentary, trying to make what was basically a bit boring, into something interesting

Did a four day tour and garden route trip, cape town table mountain, cape of good hope etc. Wonderful scenery views exceptional. Then the two day safari at garden route had lodge. We saw all the big five and chalet was amazing, small but beautifully formed. I mean comfy bed, airconn, fridge, WiFi, staff and views to die for. This was a private game reserve but was absolutely perfect, we spoke to people who have been to large game reserves and saw much less. Really impressed with our guide and driver DJ. Anthea Pieters was our fabulous guide, she was very knowledgeable, informative, funny and did an amazing job. This was an outstanding your and would highly recommend this company to anyone.

It's one of the must excursions when in St Lucia ... the cost of R380 per adult for a 2 hour trip on the Santa Lucia. There are 3 pods of hippos with approximately 20 per pod that we were able to view. Surprisingly, no crocodiles .. apparently with the changes in the eco system, the crocodiles are not as visible as previously

I have no complaints regarding the excursion itself. The boat was good, the commentary was interesting and educational and the weather was excellent. We just went at the wrong time of day. The hippos were all in the water and not very visable and we saw very little other wildlife - zero crocs. It was a pleasant ride on the estuary, just not much wildlife to see.

We were fortunate to have Deon Romijn assigned as our Thompsons’ guide for a two week tour of South Africa in October 2023. His pride in, and passion for, his country shone through brilliantly throughout our time with him. As a multi-generational South African and a respected national guide with over 30 years’ experience, Deon provided deep and valuable insight on so many topics – education, economy, industry, religion, social interactions, history, housing, politics, apartheid - during our bus rides and dinner conversations. Hearing ‘why’ was so much more powerful than just being told ‘what’. His respect for the animals, plants, birds and geography was just as evident, and pointing them out, always combined with a fun and/or useful anecdote, kept us engaged the whole trip. Deon didn’t shy away from any topic and he presented an incredibly balanced perspective of some of the more sensitive issues facing the country and its 60 million citizens. He took the time to relate items or costs to that of Canada, making it so much easier for us to grasp. Beyond the fascinating knowledge sharing of the country provided, Deon’s attention to detail throughout the trip itinerary was superb: Comfort stops at all the right times, accurate estimates of distances and arrival times, regular repetition of daily agendas and meeting times (to accommodate those who don’t listen), ensuring everyone drank enough water, appropriate calls ahead to service providers to ensure their readiness for our arrival, warnings for safety (from crooks, baboons or aloe plants), tips and tricks for how to enjoy a stop. You name it, he anticipated the issue and helped manage our expectations. And to top it off, he always delivered with a smile on his face and a sense of humour. Thank you, Thompsons, for letting us win the tour guide lottery!

Zandi was a perfect guide. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and caring. He exceeded our expectations. I wish I would have booked every excursion during my stay with Zandi. Thank you Zandi!

The township trip was interesting but harrowing and our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting

We recently visited Cape Town and we hired Thompson Africa through our travel agency. We have only positive things to say about our experience. Our driver, Gaston, was always on time ( usually early!) he was an excellent driver and was knowledgeable about everything South Africa. From our trip up Table Mountain, to our winery day, Gaston made every experience amazing. He introduced us to local delicacies and knew the best way to navigate through our days of touring. I highly recommend Thompson Africa. And request Gaston if you are able!

We had booked a tour from the U.K. with Premier Holidays who used Thomson’s Tours as their appointed agent in South Africa. We stayed in Cale Town / Rovos Rail / Ivory Manor in Pretoria / Victoria Falls Zimbabwe. Sad to say that Thomson’s failed miserably on 2 of our pre paid tours ! The first tour was a full day Winelands tasting tour. The driver arrived 75 minutes late for the pick up - a bad omen - and then whilst driving towards Stellenbosch, he was actually on the phone, driving one handed, trying to arrange vineyards for our visits. This should have been booked and confirmed many month previously when we actually booked the complete package. At times whilst driving, he was holding up a large paper map with both hands showing us the Cape area ! We did not feel safe whatsoever and when we actually arrived at Lanzerac estate it was clear to see they were not expecting us and merely sat us at a table and placed 2 bottles of red wine on the table with very little expalanation as to its origins etc. We never got to taste any other wines as the server did not return to our table ! Our driver then took us to Franscheok where he dropped us for lunch. As a group we decided that the tour was already a disaster and would return to Cape Town. The driver refused and told us he would be taking us to Paarl, we insisted he take us back to CT and finally he agreed. He was downright rude, drove very badly and the whole tour was basically a complete waste of a day. Thompson apologised and arranged for an upgrade on a Zambezi River cruise tour later that week, but surprise surprise when we arrived at the boat, they knew nothing of any upgrade, very embarrassing for our group to say the least. It appears that Thomson’s got the date wrong which is incredible as they had compiled our itinerary for the complete tour. A case of the right hand not knowing what the left was doing. We are waiting to hear further from Thompsons to resolve this matter !

We booked for a holiday to Cape Town and Johannesburg Douglas picked us up from the airport,he was very friendly,patient and offered great info that we thoroughly loved Nabil/Nabeel was the best for the three days or so we stayed in capetown,always punctual,polite and extremely informed with history and historical facts,not in a rush,i would really recommend him to every tourist around cape town! Kevin also was really cheerful and he dropped us off at the airport on our last day! Brenda Petersen in Johannesburg tour was pure bliss and gem,very bubbly and happy person,she took great length to teach and inform us about the history of south africa Thanks alot Thompson's Travel,am Kenyan and you have the best team in the world🙏🏾