Mahlatini Luxury Travel Reviews 150

We can't thank Mahlatini enough for what truly was a holiday of a lifetime for our family - our trip to Cape Town and then a 3/4 day safari at Jackalberry Lodge, Thornybush reserve, went above and beyond all our expectations. Thank you!

Claire Picknell our travel expert was faultless and made everything to do with the booking process and beyond easy and fun. Claire took the time to meet us virtually prior to us going away which was so appreciated as she was clearly very knowledgeable about both areas we were travelling to. We felt we could reach out to Claire at any point in the trip if we needed further help or assistance. Thank you Claire for booking us a holiday we'll never forget!

Everything was perfect from start to finish

From our first enquiry to the e-mails whilst we were away checking that everything was ok, Caroline could not have done any more for us. We came to her with absolutely no knowledge of what a great safari would look like, where to go, where to stay and what to do, but her experience and knowledge provided us with the holiday of lifetime. Every hotel and camp was perfect, all the flights and transfers were smooth and professional, the experiences were more than we could have imagined. This was truly an amazing once in a lifetime experience for myself, husband, son, daughter, daughter-in-law and soon to be son-in-law and I know it will stay as a highlight of our family life for a longtime. Thank you.

We had a family trip of a lifetime and have made so many memories with our boys. Stuart from Malhatini tailored our destinations and experiences to suit our family, his knowledge and experience helped make it so special, nothing was ever too much trouble. Our location in Cape Town was perfect as a base to explore the Cape followed by a stay in the winelands where we had the most delicious food, wine tastings and fun mountain biking experience. It was such an amazing adventure with the highlight being on safari at the end with family friends coordinated by Malhatini.

This was a fabulous holiday, beyond expectations and would definitely recommend a safari in Kenya followed by a relaxing few days in Zanzibar. A great combination!

Donna and the team at Mahlatini did a fantastic job in putting a perfect itinerary together for our first Safari holiday. Their knowledge and expertise made the whole trip run seamlessly. Donna ensured that everything was coordinated perfectly and that we had all the information we needed before our trip, as well as being available during the trip if needed. I would highly recommend Mahlatini.

Beyond our wildest dreams. Everything was exceptional!! From the moment we landed in Nairobi, to the moment we were dropped at the airport after 14 days of incredible adventure. The professionalism was top notched. The people we met, the locations we visited, the care we received were unparalled. Mahlatini booked with partners in Kenya and Tanzania that made our experience dreamy. I wouldn't change an item from our itinerary!!! Thank you Mahlatini crew.

Stuart and his predessor Nikki who I planned the trip with, were true experts. Everthing was seamless, flowed, went off without 1 hitch!!!! I would recommend Mahlatini to everyone wanting to travel to Kenya and Tanzania.

What a fabulous trip! Karen took great care in picking out the perfect camp for me. I decided to add 2 days of safari on to a work trip, but ended up doing solo and on a bit of a budget. The camp was awesome and people were lovely! I would definitely go back and recommend this to others. Also very excited I saw the "Big 5"

Karen was great. She made sure to find the perfect camp for me and get me all set up. She even checked in right before I headed to SA. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a safari!

This was my best vacation/trip ever! And that's saying a lot because I am well travelled. Donna is a miracle worker! She pulled together an amazing itinerary that treated my sister and myself to an experience of our lifetime... literally speaking. Everything from personalized airport meet up and transfers, choice of beautiful hotels, advice on must do activities/experinces in each city (Mahlatini moments), choice of extremely informed tour guides... oh my goodeness! We felt like royalties. Learned so much about South Africa - got to experience Joburg, Cape Town and Durban! My sister and I cannot stop talking about this trip... we've been recommending it to everyone and their mothers :-) Special shout out to our favorite tour guide, Rob of Wilderness tours, who guided us in cape Town. He wins the trophy for the most fun, engaging, informed and courteous guide.Somebody please thank him for us!

Donna!!! I am so glad our paths crossed because I will not have anyone else (if I had a choice) organize a trip for me or my loved ones other than her. I learned about Mahlatini online when I was stressed trying to plan a trip to South Africa as a gift to celebrate my elder sister's 50th birthday. I sent an inquiry email and Donna responded to me by the next day. And she was truly godsent! She set up a call, listened carefully to my rough idea of the trip I was hoping for, then sprung to action. She shared itinerary options (I could write a whole script about Mahlatini itinerary presentation... a detailed webpage just for us. Incredible!!); talked to me through her recommendations on how many days to allocate the trip for it to me enjoyable, fun and restful; made suggestions about which cities to visit to get a good feel/sense of the country, helped me choose Mahlatini moments in each city that fit within my budget, emailed and mailed hard copies of the itinerary, and gave me a pre-departure call. I mean, wow! As that wasn't incredibly awesome enough, I reached out to her office while we got to Durban to help have our room changed and though she was on vacation, she called me back in less than 10 minutes and worked her magic to get our room changed despite the fact that the hotel (Oyster Box) was fully booked. Her attention to detail, knowledge about travel/vacation planning, and overall customer service is unmatched. I honestly couldn't love her enough if I tried! The only downside is that she is now stuck with me... because in my mind she is my personal trip planner haha! As a matter of fact, she is currently planning a trip to Zanzibar for me and my parents in June :-)

Steve really put together an amazing trip for us. Everything was handled remarkably from start to finish and made for an incredibly stress-free experience. We will absolutely be using Mahlatini again and are already looking forward to our next trip!

We approached Mahlatini to help us organise our honeymoon and we couldn't have been happier with the end result. From the first moment we contacted the team through to our experience on the trip itself, everything was brilliantly managed and came together perfectly. There were so many nice little touches in recognition that it was our honeymoon (such as bottles of bubbly in our hotel rooms) and we were treated so well throughout, including being met at every airport, guided through Customs and escorted to our private transfers. This is just an example of some of the many things that made the trip feel so special.

As for our experiences in both the Masai Mara and then the Seychelles, both were incredible in their own special way. We had really high hopes for the safari, having never experienced anything like it before and even with this, our expectations were blown out of the water. Not only is the Masai Mara absolutely stunning, but being able to see so many beautiful animals so close was better than we could have ever expected. We were there for 3 nights, which included 7 game drives and also a very special sunrise hot air balloon trip, which we included as an optional extra - and would highly recommend. We were lucky enough to see all of the Big 5, including a Black Rhino with her 3-month old calf as well as a baby elephant that had been born only moments before. We initially thought that this would be a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience, but i think it's fair to say that we'll be doing everything we can to ensure that this isn't the only safari of our lifetime!

The Seychelles was a very different experience, but no less special, and a beautiful place to relax after our time in Kenya on the safari. The weather was amazing, the scenery and beaches were stunning and the people were so welcoming and generous. Our number 1 objective of this part of our trip was to relax, but we also organised two day-trips, which the team at Mahlatini also helped us organise through a third party (Mason's Travel). We visited a beautiful island called La Digue and also did a snorkelling trip and a visit to Moyenne Island to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. As with the whole trip, we had the best time and hope to back at some point in the future.

The staff at Mahlatini are superb! Melissa was absolutely fab from Day 1, really listening to what we were after, providing us with a whole host of options (alongside her primary recommendation) and always being swift to respond to any queries we had. Throughout the process, we also had a couple of calls with Melissa and you could immediately see how knowledgeable and passionate she is about her job and the service she provides. A special shout-out also to Claire Picknell who stepped in when Melissa was unavailable just prior to our trip. We had a brilliant call with Claire to finalise last minute details, get some final bits of advice and make sure we were all prepped before we departed! The team at Mahlatini are awesome and provide an excellent service - out trip couldn't have gone smoother and this was down to them really listening to what we wanted and all of the hard work they put in to make our honeymoon so special!

Outstanding accommodations and service. From Claire at Mahlatini to their after-hours managers to Cheli and Peacock to everyone at Elewana. It was top rate on all levels. We arrived in Lewa and immediately had to use the restroom. Being that we landed on a dirt strip, I was not confident about what I would find in the hut. Clean and running water was surprising in the middle of nowhere. Daniel took us to a hut and, to our surprise, laid out a lovely snack and liquor bar. We knew then that our trip would be fantastic. Our guides in Lewa, Amboseli, and Masai Mara were great. We saw the big five plus so much more. Whether on or off-road, the experiences were first class. Our bush meals and Sundowners only rivaled the on-premises meals and service. Throughout the process, Claire was available for me with a calm voice and great tips.

Claire worked with me to make sure the trip was within my budget and that the trip was magical. She kept saying; you are going on a five-star trip, don't worry. I didn't have to worry about a thing. We were met at the gate in Nairobi and were ushered through COVID and immigration checks quickly. The Cheli/Peacock folks were so kind and accommodating when it came to our requests for a drugstore and to go shopping. They went over and above to ensure our additional luggage was safe during our trip. You can tell that Claire has traveled to the region many times as her wisdom and love of the country shines through. We needed to call the after-hours number for a reservation the next day, and they were able to make the visit happen. It was not an emergency, but they treated it as it was.

We saw the reviews and thought we'd utilise them for a belated (due to Covid) honeymoon. And boy do they deserve their rating.

Working with Caroline was a pleasure who was knowledgeable and worked hard to develop our bespoke itinerary, battling with Qatar Airways amending our flight times due to the World Cup, and making recommendations in the last few days in the run up to the holiday for items to plug our gaps with.

Knowing it was our honeymoon, she had arranged a few little surprises for us with the lodge hosts and had informed the hosts so they were prepared in advance of dietary requirements we had.

We genuinely had nothing to worry about with everything prebooked and guides on the ground as well as knowing Caroline was on hand in case we needed anything.

The holiday itself was better than we could have imagined, with wonderful experiences on safari, helicopter flights etc that we'll forever remember.

That Mahlatini rounded it off with a tree planted on our behalf and a donation towards saving endangered Rhinos made it all the sweeter.

Thank you Caroline and Mahlatini for the most wonderful honeymoon.

Truly an epic once-in-a-lifetime trip. Everything far exceeded our expectations. The logistics of the trip worked perfectly per Mahlatini's recommendations!

This trip was planned 17 months prior (April 2021) amidst the uncertainty of COVID. We started with a different expert who left Mahlatini a year ago. She made sure that she let us know that she was leaving and endorsed us to Claire. That was very professionally done. Claire took over and she has been most helpful. Since we were planning this trip from the US & booked with a lot of lead time - there was so much correspondence that took place. Fortunately, Claire was patient with us. As you can imagine, lots of changes took place when it came to traveling to Africa. We very much appreciated that before the trip, Claire organized a Zoom meeting that helped clarify many of our concerns. Claire was very good with making sure all our Covid docs, visitor permits and eVisas were complied. Also, since we combined 2 uniquely different destinations (Seychelles & Nairobi), luggage restrictions/clothing needs had to be addressed. Claire handled that for us very well.

Very important, with the trip booked more than a year in advance, we also felt secure about all the deposit payments made to Mahlatini. We knew Mahlatini was a reputable travel organization. Also, during the trip, while in Nairobi, I had to contact the emergency email. This was on Jan 1st. Within a few hours, someone from Mahlatini responded via email and by phone to address my issue.

Trip of a lifetime! We had an incredible two weeks on our honeymoon thanks to Mahlatini! Caroline and the team made sure we had everything we needed, stayed in constant communication and helped us on every step of the way. It was a huge relief letting them take the reins as we were still planning our wedding. We can't recommend them enough!

Caroline did a fantastic job making sure we were in great hands every step of the way. She was a huge help planning our trip while we were still working on our wedding. We had never used a travel agency before but so glad we did and Caroline made it such a great experience. She gave us great recommendations for every part of our trip. Thank you so much!!!

It truly was the trip of a lifetime! All of Mahlatini's choices on our behalf and recommendations were impeccable. Our safari in Naboisho Conservancy was magical and our stay in the Seychelles was dreamy. We were looked after by the kindest and most helpful people everywhere we went. When flights were cancelled outside of Mahlatini's control, Donna immediately leapt into action and sorted out an alternative route with no drama. Thank you Mahlatini for surpassing all of our expectations and organising a memorable and beautiful honeymoon for us.

This was a trip of a lifetime! We had a nearly 2 week holiday and could have stayed another 2 weeks easily. Do not hesitate in booking Mahlatini! They are the experts!

Donna is excellent! Very detailed oriented, organized and overall amazing! She is super friendly and patient. We had a vacation of a lifetime, thanks to Donna and the Mahlatini team!

We had our honeymoon in Kenya and we couldn't have been more impressed with how everything was organized. We stayed in the Masai Mara at the Bateleur Camp and were completely blown away by the location. Each day was so special and memorable. We were so sad to leave! Everything from the accommodations to the food was top-notch. We were even lucky enough to have all of our game drives be just the two of us, which was not expected at all! At the end of our trip, we spent one night at Hemingway's hotel in Nairobi, which was also spectacular and a perfect way to end the trip. Thank you Mahlatini for an unforgettable honeymoon experience!

Our whole experience with Mahlatini was amazing, especially because of our agent Caroline. The places recommended & that we ended up staying at were truly incredible and we had a once in a lifetime holiday (honeymoon!). On the lead up & when there we did not have to worry about a thing as everything was sorted for us, we were instructed on travel docs, packing recommendations, everything you can think of! Even when we were half way through and one of our connecting flights got cancelled, Caroline and the team did everything they could to help us sort it out. We would highly recommend Mahlatini and hope we can book again with them in the future. Thank you!

The trip was absolutely amazing! Everything was taken care of and it was everything we could have wanted and more.

All of the staff at Mahlatini were amazing! They answered questions promptly and they really planned the trip of a lifetime for us. I would 100% recommend them to friends and family and I hope to plan another trip with them in the future!

This was my first visit to Kenya, or Africa for that matter. I traveled as a solo and was only able to do that as Claire of Mahlatini practically held my hand throughout the planning and during my 2-week visit. Incredible is the only word I have for this trip. Kenyan Airways Business Class was outstanding as far as roominess, cleanliness, food and the flight attendants. The properties I stayed were amazing and my guides and safari drives were outstanding. From my guides I was able to learn much about the Maasai culture. A couple of Cheli & Peacock employees went above and beyond to assist me. Thank you!

Having never been to Africa previously, I depended on Claire Picknell to fully plan which camps I would go to, how I would get there and how I would get back, as well as all internal flights. After all was planned, I decided to extend my trip by one day and Claire happily and perfectly rearranged flights and hotels to accommodate this whim. She also arranged to have a guide meet me at the Nairobi airport, both coming and going, to help me navigate through customs and immigration. This was a huge help. I was so well taken care of the entire trip. Thank you, Claire! I highly recommend Claire Picknell

This trip was incredible! Due to Covid, we unfortunately had to postpone our honeymoon for nearly two and a half years – even after all that time it was worth the wait and exceed all expectations. We went to South Africa (Ngala) and Mauritius (Sands) and while both were amazing there’s nothing quite like going on safari. Since we were coming from California, it was quite a trek, but the good news is that nothing will ever feel long again. And truly, it was worth every moment of flight time.

This was our first time on safari and after day one – drive one – we knew we’d be safari goers for life. We felt like the world rewarded our patience with all that we got to see but maybe that’s just part of the magic that is Kruger National Park and Ngala. From our lodge to the hospitality, to the people we met in our group (who are now friends) we had the most fun and memorable time. Mauritius was a welcome treat after being up early and daily adventures – it was beautiful, calm, and relaxing.

Stuart was a dream! I’ve never had the privilege of working with an agency to book travel and wow and am I grateful that we chose Mahlatini. Because of the pandemic, we had been working with Stuart for well over two + years from our initial inquiry to our vacation. Not once did I feel like I didn’t know what was going on at every change, every delay, and everything in between. Stuart kept us informed and took care of everything. Genuinely not sure we could have done this without him! Not only was he so helpful but he was also excited for us and just an all-around nice a nice guy. We actually had the pleasure of meeting Stuart in Mauritius! It just so happened that our vacations synced up. After all that time, and all the back and forth, we got to meet face-to-face – funny sometimes how it all works out. The entire staff was great, we’ve spoken to a few folks over the years and will definitely use Mahlatini to book future travel. We felt so taken care of and with everything that was happening it was so welcome. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts to take such good care of us and planning a trip we’ll never forget.