In planning our first ever trip to Africa we sought the advice of Katrina, and are so glad we did. Her knowledge and professionalism were of the highest standard and much appreciated. Our holiday included several days near Victoria Falls followed by a 10-day camping safari through northern Botswana. The animal life was stunning, and the experience out of this world. Many thanks. Here is a photo of us in a mokoro on the Khwai River.
Ian and Ann Penrose We have travelled to many countries throughout the world and always organised these holidays ourselves.
However on this occasion, we followed the advice of friends who recommended Katrina and discussed with her our plans for an African holiday. She then suggested many enhancements to our plans which she then organised in a very professional and caring manner. I'm confident that with a lot of research, we could have organised an African holiday ourselves, but I now know we could not have organised one as good as Katrina's. From the moment we arrived in Africa till when we departed, we were escorted throughout by friendly and knowledgeable guides. The accommodation and safari camps were truly excellent. The drivers went out of their way to make us feel special. Their knowledge of the animals and birds and vegetation was astounding. The country was wonderful, the animals and birds were spectacular, and the people were friendly and helpful. Being a tourist in Africa was a joy. We attribute the quality of our holiday to Katrina who worked so hard for us on refining our itinerary and choosing the best safari camps and accommodation. J and M - Glen Iris |
Katrina's attention to detail allowed me to fully immerse myself in the wonders of this country, the people and the animals. I did not have to worry at any time as all plans just fell into place - that takes organisation and liaison well in advance - and this made for a most stress-free time away, especially as I was travelling solo.
It was all truly amazing and there were no hiccups, excepting when I almost missed my flight from Kigali to Nairobi, but that had nothing to do with your organisation. I have just been revisiting the trip to the Masai Mara with shared photos from a Scottish couple in our group at Kichwa Tempo - I could almost feel the breath of that lion as he strolled past our vehicle! Zebra and wildebeest for as far as the eye could see - until seen one cannot imagine it possible. Your suggestions in the planning stages and then adding on the tour and cruise at Victoria Falls were so worthwhile. The gorillas; the migration, albeit a small one; the Big 5, all in one drive; the Ravos Rail - an experience not to be missed; Cape Town; I could go on forever. The knowledge of my guide in Cape Town was second to none and he showed me so much of the city that was not on my itinerary, plus the history to match. The accommodation you selected could not have been more luxurious - and the managers and staff were so helpful and made the experience special. A couple of extras not included but to give a taste of local life: the local people sweeping the roadways in Rwanda right up to the mountains - such a clean country with very hard-working and proud people; in Franschhoek the 'Matrix' - the year 12 students arriving at their formal - so lovely to see them all dressed up for this very special event. Again, thank you Katrina for putting together an itinerary for me to have such a wonderful and memorable African holiday. I will be forever grateful. Marlene Perry "Katrina organised a fantastic African holiday for us, which included an excellent itinerary, wonderful venues, parks, attractions, tours - plus add-ons. The add-ons included several upgrades and extras, all at either minimal or no extra cost, which really added value for us. I could have added in all the other qualities above if I hadn't been limited to just 3. I don't want to say it was a holday of a lifetime, because I really want to go again - after a bit of a break! But it really was a most wonderful holiday, which we were privileged to share with 4 of our best friends." Gordon Guthrie
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Going through our photos from the many fabulous experiences and amazing things we saw in Africa over such a short time, brings back so much joy. The Serengeti and the other game parks we visited offered such a lovely experience for us to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Enjoy the slideshow below!
Marie Gunderson-Briggs "Katrina definitely knows her African travel! We found her extremely knowledgeable, having first hand experience of the vast majority of Africa countries and experiences. Katrina is very enthusiastic and was willing to answer our many questions. We had the trip of a life-time in Southern Africa, it is truly awe inspiring part of the world. Thanks for all your help Katrina it is greatly appreciated".
Kristy & Nick Big thanks to Katrina for organising our trip to Africa. Katrina was recommended to us and certainly lived up to her reputation. We flew into Johannesburg, then up to Nairobi, then onto Tanzania for our private safari (our guide was knowledgeable and great fun). We headed to Lake Manyara National Park, then the Ngorongoro Crater (saw the big 5 there and stayed in a lovely lodge; what a treat!), then we were off to the Serengeti National Park for 3 nights, spending our days on game drives that couldn’t fail to impress. We went to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, and the lodge was again a real treat. Katrina booked us a hot air balloon flight over the park and that was amazing. We then flew down to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls where from the lodge we watched the animals come down at dusk to the waterhole while we sipped on a cool beer. The day trip to the falls was spectacular (albeit a little wet) and time spent in the town meant we came home with lots of stone carvings. The highlight of Chobe National Park, Botswana was watching elephants frolicking in the mud – who would have thought elephants could frolic. We did have lost luggage…….but Katrina answered the phone when I called from Tanzania – and at goodness knows what time on a Sunday. A great thank you to Katrina for organising (and taking the angst out of) what I would say is one of the best holidays we have ever had – so many WOW moments, so many memories. Kathy Childs and family.
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"Katrina organised a truly wonderful holiday for my wife and little person in South Africa and Namibia. We could not sing Katrina’s praises highly enough. Katrina organised our flights, accommodation, and hire cars, making the holiday not only memorable but stress-free. Our time in Madikwe Game Reserve on safari was the high point, matched only by our touring Namibia in our own hired four wheel drive and seeing the world’s largest sand dunes at Sossusvlei, amongst many other truly wonderful experiences. Hats off to Katrina Kucera…" Michael Kerrisk
An extremely belated thanks for organising our extraordinary holiday! It was absolutely wonderful and it is really hard to convey to family and friends how amazing our three safaris were. Especially Seba and Somalisa where there was an abundance of animals and excitement. I am not sure if you are aware we saw a kill - a young female leopard killing a steenbok - she played cat and mouse so it was not a quick kill. We are not sure how long it took because we were mesmerised but we think it took about twenty minutes! Incredible!
I could go on and on about our extremely close encounter, on two occasions, with a pride of lions and at Somalisa eating and almost sleeping with the lions. Fantastic. Katrina there were just so many highlights including meeting all the people who run the camps. It would be great for all of us to get together at some stage - that's if you want to spend time with six very excited travellers! Thanks again, Sass & Malcolm Allen |
"As a well travelled family, we still felt a bit nervous about our African adventure. It was all so unknown and travelling with an 8 year takes some planning. With Katrina's advice, although it was every bit the huge adventure we wanted, it was made easy, fun and will never be forgotten by any of us.
The breathtaking safari at Tuningi lodge was the stand out in South Africa but closely challenged, in my daughter's mind, by her ostrich ride and patting a baby cheetah in Oudtshoorn. My husband found it hard to go past champagne at the top of Table Mountain with its jaw dropping view. Food, accommodation and wine was surprisingly delicious, comfortable and cheap. With cars and accommodation booked, driving felt safe and easy. In Namibia we channelled our inner Indiana Jones - the desert is sparse and spectacular, but distances are very long. Breathtaking scenery, and the sense of being on the edge of the world is a huge thrill. The buzz of trekking to remote Soussosvlei and Luderitz made up for the heat and draining travel time. Since we were new to African travel, Katrina was a godsend - her extensive knowledge and patient and detailed reworking of our travel plans ensured we made good choices and didn't miss some hidden gems. When can we go again? ". The Kerrisk Family |
Katrina, WOW WOW WOW! - Our 6 week African adventure has finally come to an end. From Arusha to Zimbabwe and everywhere between, what an incredible experience. We have now been home a couple of months and we are still buzzing.
We wake every morning reminiscing and reliving every moment of our journey. Katrina, thanks to your expertise and attention to fine detail with no stone left unturned, a 20 year dream finally became a real life adventure. A 50th birthday celebration we will never be able to top. Thank you so much for our incredibly planned and brilliantly organised trip. You are truly The African Expert. Grant and Christine McKenzie |
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Katrina organised our best holiday EVER and that is saying something; we have had some brilliant holidays before Africa!
Michael Dillon |
We had the most fantastic and extraordinary holiday ever! It was way beyond my wildest expectations and dreams. So many wonderful memories and adventures. Heartfelt thanks once again. Visma Rasa
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Katrina went above and beyond to create the holiday of a life time.
Donna Hoare |
African Expert provided outstanding service. Katrina is well organized, easily accessible, quick in replying and has a fantastic knowledge of the destination. Our trip ran very smoothly.
Anna Sutton |
In August and September 2013 we had a wonderful time in Southern and West Africa. We were very grateful to Katrina for pulling together our itinerary which involved two separate tour companies and our own private travel arrangements. In particular we really appreciated the smooth transfers from Zambia through Botswana to Namibia and the Chobe River Cruise. In a holiday of many many highlights, the two days on “The Pride of Zambezi” were a standout. The efficient, timely and friendly service extended to us was very impressive. Thoroughly recommended!
L & A |
Thank you for putting together a wonderful private tour of South Africa and Namibia. We have been taking overseas holidays for over 30 years and this was the best we have ever had.
The arrangements went without any problems and the accommodation, private tours and guides were excellent. Namibia was outstanding – breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and very friendly people.We also felt safe throughout the entire trip. We will be recommending you to anyone who wants to take an African holiday. David & Judith Sykes. |
Africa was much more than a holiday; it was the experience of a lifetime for us. My wife (who did not really want to go there) now loves the place and had the time of her life! The experience will never leave us and future visits to other countries will inevitably be compared to Africa.
It is not until you are in Africa that you realise how invaluable Katrina’s advice & knowledge was, which made our trip memorable. She spent a lot of time with me and I think she reads her clients very well because everything exceeded our expectations. Thank you Katrina for the wonderful job you did and I understand now why you love your job. I would like to emphasise when considering visiting such a diverse and unique continent how important knowledge & expert advice is to maximise the experience of your visit. Graeme Larkin |
Katrina was on the ball with all our requests & added excellent options or suggestions for our tour & catered for all our needs in a medium to high price bracket. Katrina is a very accommodating person & is there to help at all times. She is extremely knowledgeable not only on Africa but world wide. There is never any hesitation when asking for help with any issue whether it's while away or at home, for a booking or not. I would highly recommend her services.
Koralia O’Keefe |
We were delighted with our recent holiday in Kenya and Tanzania, thanks to Katrina's superb efficiency and knowledge of her subject. We found our itinerary to be well-planned, well-suited to our needs and wants, and the company she selected for our trip was terrific! Organisation was so smooth that if there were any "blips" they were settled so unobtrusively that we were totally untroubled.
Thanks to Katrina for listening to us so carefully when in the planning stage and subsequently suggesting things we had not thought of, for being so accessible and friendly and responding to our queries and requests so promptly. We were also very impressed with Katrina's interest in our feedback on our return. Reina Dike and John Avery |
'We were all more than happy with your organisation and correspondence with our various tours and activities in Africa. Also your helpfulness with our
time in Egypt was excellent! We all agree you have been a wonderful tour/travel advisor and one we would certainly recommend'. Anne, Ragna and Eraine. |
Our overall experience was wonderful. A trip of a lifetime to fulfil our dreams! So different to see so many animals, talk to very friendly happy people, and see a country which was very poor in places but beautiful scenery. Katrina, your service was excellent. Thank you so much.
Margaret Clark |
How do I describe my African Experience.....Amazing - nothing like you expect and there is no way you can explain to anyone what was experienced. From the most beautiful sunrises over the Serengeti and the peaks of Ethiopia to the poorest of the worlds poor in Burkina Faso - a truly amazing mix.
Kaine Grigg. |
What a wonderful time we had!
Thank you for making the arrangements, which went without a hitch. The hippos were remarkably close, the birdlife was abundant and we enjoyed our stay. Our guide was fabulous, a very pleasant fellow and extremely knowledgeable. We were especially pleased, as the quality of the guide is critical. We are looking forward to our next trip to Africa; we think Tanzania in a couple of years……Meredith Dobbie |