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South Africa an Elegant Adventure, May 9-20

pilipili
in South Africa: An Elegant Adventure
We just got back from this trip. It was wonderful! From the moments we were picked up at airport till we left everything worked like clock work. Our tour director, Mike, as well as local guides were excellent. All the hotels were beautiful, with great service and food. The two lodges, Lion Sands and Sabi Sabi, were incredible. Beautiful rooms, great food, and the drives were terrific. We saw all big five and many others. I only wish the trip was two days longer. I would had loved one extra day at each lodge. I could had skipped Johannesburg. It's just a big city and the tour was OK because there isn't much to show. I could had skipped Soweto and the lunch there was not to Tauck standards. Our local guide, Louie, was wonderful but not a lot he could show. The Davinci suites were beautiful and in a great location. The food at their restaurant was excellent. All-in-all a great trip and I highly recommend Tauck and this trip.

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    BritishBritish
    You could have skipped Soweto!! Then you would have missed one of the true parts of South Africa! You should have done A 'sanitized tour ' of SA, that was one of the highlights of my memories of the tour, even eating in Soweto, how can that be missed. sorry, just my opinion, and it is a fabulous tour.
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    smarks50smarks50
    My advice to anyone on this tour is to do the tour in Johannesburg (including Soweto which is a vital part of SA), then skip the lunch and have the tour director get you a cab to the Apartheid Museum - a wonderful experience and a great summary of the struggles of the country. The cab and the museum admittance will cost a few bucks but you will leave SA with a much better understanding of the history and the people.
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    BritishBritish
    edited May 2014
    Pretty sure Tauck took us to that museum on the tour, but can't find our itinerary just now. The Hector Pieterson museum 'experience' was one of the highlights of our tour groups' SA experience. I can even imagine why Oscar Pastorious could say he thought he had an intruder in his bathroom (well almost) when I think of those high security walls around those huge homes in Jo'burg. When I think of India, I don't think of the fabulous hotels we stayed in, I think of the people on the streets. I hope Tauck in the true spirit of Arthur Tauck, continues to do their best to show as many sides of a location or country that they can, or I might as well travel with a cheaper alternative.
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    jdurkinjdurkin
    British wrote:
    You could have skipped Soweto!! Then you would have missed one of the true parts of South Africa! You should have done A 'sanitized tour ' of SA, that was one of the highlights of my memories of the tour, even eating in Soweto, how can that be missed. sorry, just my opinion, and it is a fabulous tour.
    I guess some people aren't interested in modern history, or any history … African, American, European, world … I have to say, hand on heart, that many Tauck meals in the US are not up to my standards. That's not Tauck's fault … it's just a reflection of the society I've freely chosen to visit. Six weeks or so of American food shouldn't kill me. When I get home, I have my blood sugars & cholesterol tested and start a recovery regime.

    Cheers,

    Jan
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    BarbnaplesBarbnaples
    We were on the South Africa Trip last year. Soweto was a major day. Reading about the history and seeing photos can not give you the hands on experience unless you are there. And i loved the necklace that I bought from one of the craftspeople in the community center that Louie took us to.
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    jdurkinjdurkin
    I imagine buying something from the maker, no matter how small or inexpensive the piece, makes it all the more the precious holiday treasure.

    I haven't been to the new South Africa. It was high apartheid when I was there. Heck, was that a shock to my system. I was so glad to leave South Africa for other countries further north. Now I just have to go back. Nothing beats the real thing of being there. My bucket list is like a Monty Python sketch with a crowed bus. As soon as 1 person gets off the bus at the front, another 10 join the queue at the other end! I think they are all going round in a circle … just like my bucket list, I have to go back again.
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