My December 2025 trip to South Africa with Gate 1 exceeded all my expectations! Hotels were clean and well-appointed. All tours and flights were well planned and executed! There were no departure delays or lost luggage incidents. Special thanks to our Tour Manager, Elvis, who was extremely knowledgeable, communicated our daily schedules effectively, so that there were no mishaps. He was also very helpful and patient in answering our endless questions! He is an asset to your organization, so much so that I have recommended this trip to several friends and associates. Special thanks also to our driver Piet, who drove us safely over several days to many of our tour destinations. Thanks again for this trip of a lifetime! I look forward to another Gate 1 adventure soon!

Our trip to Uganda was over the top, amazing. Every detail was taken care of. I cannot say enough good things about Chris, Jonah and Hamza, our Gate 1 guides. They became more than guides. They became friends. We are telling everyone about our trip and about the excellent service of Gate 1!

What a Wonderful trip! The hotels in Kenya were beautiful, and the staff were superb with nothing being too much trouble. Our Kenyan tour guide, Gordan, was phenomenal! He was very knowledgeable and able to spot animals from quite a distance. We never missed an animal or a picture. We were lucky to have Gordan as our guide. Our Tanzanian tour guide, George, was great! He shared a lot of information and could also spot the animals from a distance. The hotels in Tanzania were lovely, and I can't say enough about the staff. I think I could have lived comfortably at the Acacia Farm Lodge, and I hated to leave and go home. Thanks to all the people who make wonderful dreams like this safari a reality!

We were so blessed to have Canaan as our tour manager for this trip. Canaan was very organized and thorough. We knew everything about what to expect, what to wear, what to take, etc. He updated us daily as well. He repeated tirelessly when we asked him the same question again. He was very helpful when we wanted to stop and get cash safely, or needed help with shopping suggestions, fun places to visit during leisure time, etc. He was very attentive to my dietary restrictions. He was very knowledgeable about the countries we visited, their history, and overall general knowledge about the world and the living things in it. He was an excellent and passionate conversationalist. His disposition was very friendly. He was always well-groomed and gave service with a smile even though our day started at 6:00 am sometimes. We wish him the very best in 2026 and the years ahead. We hope our paths will cross again. Bravo, Canaan. I hope you are reading this accolade about you!!!

IT WAS AMAZING!! We felt safe the entire trip. Our guides were true professionals. The hotels were first class. The food - let's say both my husband and I will be dieting now that we are home...The ANIMALS ---------We saw so many animals (in herds, in small groups, individually), we are just blown away. On our entry in our bus (with only 15 in our group) to Kruger, we were stopped twice by HERDS of elephants AND water buffalo crossing the road and it only got better from there. We bypassed lots of animals on our safari rides because we saw so many of them. We even watched 2 lions MATE from our safari vehicles at 10 to 15 yards!!!!!!!!! The only major animal we didn't see was a leopard, but the umpteen of others besides the many of the Big Five we saw (so many times), was PLENTY! We came 2 days early to Cape Town and stayed at the same hotel as the tour. I highly recommend that as it is such a beautiful city and the free shuttle bus to the waterfront, Table Mountain, Robbin Island were nice additions to what was included on the tour. We expect our trips with Gate One to be terrific, but this one was simply beyond our expectations. Kudos to your company for doing what you do so well with such great organization and people.

We just got back from the South Africa tour. I would like to make a special mention regarding our tour guide Lindy. Lindy did an exceptional job as a tour guide. She is very knowledgeable about South Africa, Zimbabwe - geography, culture, people...In our other travels, we have needed a local guide in every city. But Lindy did an exception to cover all cities very well. We have seen Lindy do an exceptional job of taking care of all our needs. She has a very positive attitude and energy. For a long tour with early wake up many days Lindy made sure that everyone was in good spirits while not missing anything. The tour was memorable due to Belinda's positive and caring attitude.

The trip was another great Gate 1 experience. The tour manager, Herunga, and driver, Joseph, were friendly to all and expert at their jobs. Each day was filled with great stops and sights in the very large country of Namibia. Resorts and meals were top notch. The game drives in Etosha NP were expertly done with many animal sightings on each outing

It was amazing. Our guide, Ahmet, was superb all the way through and made our vacation flawless. From the hotels to the meals and each tour was breathtaking and memorable. We are so thankful for this unexpected wonder of a country. The beauty and people are unmatched. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone even thinking of going to South Africa. Don't hesitate to book as you'll thank yourself when you get there.

My wife and I have been on 5 previous escorted tours prior to the 16 Day African Safari. This was our first time using Gate1. Gate 1 did not disappoint. This was an excellent tour in every respect and was due in large part to our tour guide Gregg. The itinerary was followed to the letter and always on time. He created a relationship between the group that had everyone on time and ready for each day of the tour. He was a great guide and made each day memorable. Probably the best guide we have had on any of our escorted tours.

I just wanted to add some info about our tour guide, Belinda, she was top notch! She was knowledgeable about the areas we traveled to, she had good relationships with the lodges and the other guides she worked with, she made sure we had the best experiences we could have, She squeezed every drop of fun out of each experience!

Our time together with all 21 Gate 1 travelers has been life changing. Africa has been an extraordinary experience thanks to our tour Director, Renier! He is amazing and one of the very best guides we have had. To use his own words our 16-day journey was beyond "special", it was spectacular in every way, from the safaris (6 all together), the accommodations and the extraordinary natural beauty of the countries and people we visited. This has been an unforgettable adventure and hopefully a place we will visit again.

The trip was amazing. It was well planned and Silver and Joseph took such good care of us. Loved the culture, scenery and seeing the animals. Namibia is the perfect African country to visit.

Our tour guide Chris was wonderful. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable but he was so kind and really made us feel like he cared about each one of us. He always went the extra mile to be sure we were enjoying ourselves. We had a wonderful experience on the trip and Chris was a big part of why we enjoyed it so much. Would definitely recommend him to any future travelers to Kenya.

I had the trip of a lifetime! There was so much variety for our activities in each country. I particularly loved all the animals and nature, especially in the Okavango Delta. And I loved all of the boat trips. Our small group size of 6 enabled us to have great flexibility, including a cooking lesson in the home of a local in Cape Town. Our tour manager Renier was exceptional. His attention to details and to each of us as individuals was unparalleled. Coming from a busy city like New York, I admired his savvy and efficiency. He endeavored for us to avoid long lines and maximize our time. Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this adventure!

Our guide, Anni, is a force of nature. It was such a pleasure to travel with her and made an outstanding itinerary truly unforgettable. She is a masterful organizer and herder of travelers, and it was always obvious that her only objective was to provide the most thorough travel experience possible for everyone. Her knowledge of Southern African flora, fauna, history, and politics comes from a life well lived in South Africa and her family background that she shared with us along the way. Anni's personal relations with airline personnel on every flight (3 within southern Africa), and staff on excursions and at each hotel and private restaurant served us very well. It was obvious she and Gate 1 are very influential in the southern African travel business.

We were on the 11 day Kenya and Tanzania safaris. It was an adventure that changed our world view positively for the better. The experience we received, largely thanks to the efforts and caring of your drivers and guides, was exceptional and much appreciated. Special mention to Emmanual in Tanzania who was incredibly knowledgeable and patient. His friendly demeanor and sincerity really made the trip for us! Similarly, our driver Benson in Kenya was knowledgeable, good humored and very personable. When we met him again when we returned to Kenya from the Tanzania portion, it was like finding an old friend. All the Gate One staff we met were very professional, personable, caring and genuine; a combination that is very hard to find these days. Thank you for providing this opportunity to us to experience East Africa in all its variety.

It was a trip of a lifetime! I really like the fact that the game drives were scheduled at sunrise/sunset. The Victoria falls walk was specially great to do at sunset since it was warmer there. Our tour guide did a great job and even went out of his way to get me hard boiled eggs for my packed breakfast twice during the trip and assisted us in booking a helicopter ride that wasn't part of gate1. It was also very helpful that he suggested us to wear a swimsuit for the shark cage diving since there was no privacy when we had to put our wetsuit on.

My wife Anita and I recently completed 14 days tour of South Africa including Robbin Island. I would like to let you know that our tour guide Canaan was an outstanding tour guide. His attention to detail, timeliness, friendliness, sense of humor,, etc. are absolutely amazing. I would highly recommend anyone to sign up for a tour with Canaan as the tour guide. Wish him all the best and thanks again Canaan.

We are back on US soil. We cannot thank you enough for planning our unforgettable trip to South Africa! Every detail was perfectly organized-from our hotels accommodations to the incredible safari experiences and city tours. The itinerary was seamless, giving us the right balance of adventure, relaxation, and cultural experiences. This was truly a trip of a lifetime, and we're so grateful to Gate 1 for making it all possible. We will absolutely be using your services again for future travels! 10/10 experiences.

Our Gate 1 tour of South Africa was truly the trip of a lifetime, thanks to our phenomenal tour director, Uriel. His deep knowledge, grace, and passion brought every moment to life-from the powerful visit to Robben Island to the vibrant Gold Restaurant experience. Uriel seamlessly wove history, culture, and emotion into each stop-whether we were exploring Soweto, ascending Table Mountain, tasting local wines, or embarking on breathtaking game drives in Mabula. His care, attentiveness, and thoughtful surprises (including special farewell gifts) made us feel seen, valued, and deeply connected to the land. Uriel didn't just lead a tour-he created a journey we'll never forget. If you have the chance to travel with him, take it.

Benson was extremely organized and knowledgeable about the entire trip. His knowledge of the different safari parks was outstanding. Additionally, Benson was always pleasant and upbeat, polite and respectful. Since we were in the safari jeep with him for many hours a day, we really got to know Benson. I would recommend him as a tour guide to anyone traveling to Kenya. Finally, this was our 2nd trip with Gate 1 and I have been impressed with the general organization of the trips and how smoothly all our arrangements went. We will definitely be booking another trip with Gate 1!

Thank you! Our trip was wonderful and Ms. Anni was a great Tour Manager and Guide! Anni helped greatly to the success of this trip! She helped keep us safe, informed, and briefed on all needed items, including fun stories.

One of the most incredible trips of my life - my 66th trip with Gate 1 and am so impressed with the G1 product that is being executed in Southern Africa - absolutely flawless from start to finish - everything perfectly planned, interesting sights, many of them UNESCO World Heritage, fantastic value for money with so much included, game drives and river cruises up close with many wildlife sightings, including the Big Five, lovely hotels, especially liked the Southern Sun Hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg and the Kruger Gate and Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, excellent included meals whether it was set menus or buffets - the dinner at Beluga in Cape Town and the dinner buffets at Kruger Gate were absolutely delicious. A fun and cohesive group of fellow travelers that started at 35, and then went to 25 as some left in Joburg, and finally 18 of us on to Botswana, when another 7 left in Victoria Falls. Some early mornings, but so worth it to beat the heat of the day in Kruger and Botswana and to see Victoria Falls on our own at sunrise - remarkable travel memories to cherish. Finally, excellent and safe drivers, Arthur, Patrick, Stanley and David, and a tour manager beyond compare. I have experienced some truly excellent ones on my many trips but John was the best of the best. Such a great personality, sense of humor, clear and concise delivery of country and sight facts, learned so much, and of our instructions for each day. He was fun and perfectly organized and had an amazing knowledge of everywhere we went and of the African continent in general. Anyone who has John lead their group is privileged. Can't wait to see what else G1 has in store for Africa, as hear there may be a West Africa trip debuting soon! Onwards and more adventures await - thanks as always!

We took this same Gate 1 tour in February of 2020. At that time, Wolfugan was our tour leader, though not our driver. This year, we had the pleasure of having him as tour leader and our daily driver/guide. We cannot commend him enough for his outstanding service. Wolfugan is extremely knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, geography, history, and culture of Tanzania. We could ask him anything, and he had an educated and thorough answer. His sense of humor was great, especially when putting up with all of our group's eccentricities! He was able to handle any and every need. What we especially loved about him was his genuinely humane, tolerant, and kind attitude toward all people, travelers and natives alike. We also want to thank him for personally driving us to Kilimanjaro Airport on our last night; rather than send us off with a driver unfamiliar with the new detour, he chose to do so himself. This man is definitely the BEST professional we have ever had the good fortune to encounter in all our travels. Without Wolfugan, the trip would have been "just another tour." We hope that you will share our heartfelt thanks and this recommendation with Wolfugan.

What a fantastic trip I had on the 13 day Zambia, Botswana and SA adventure thanks to our amazing tour guide, Renier, a great itinerary and 12 wonderful new friends. This was my first Discovery trip and I can assure you not my last! The memories of this trip will last a lifetime. Thank you so much Gate 1- you are #1 in my book.

This was the trip of a lifetime. My expectations were extremely high because several friends had taken safaris, but the experience on our journey exceeded all my hopes and expectations. We had wonderful weather, a terrific group and good luck in some rare opportunities. But the main reason the tour was so exceptional was our guides. James, in Tanzania, had an excellent sense of humor and established a great rapport with all of us in his vehicle. We shared anecdotes, laughed often and even sang together. He has wonderful interpersonal skills. Joel, in Kenya, was an outstanding leader. With quiet confidence he communicated everything we needed to know in a timely, clear manner. He attended to every detail with care and personal concern. Within the well-organized structure he created, he established a wonderful team spirit. Avi, in Kenya, is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met. I actually called him "the encyclopedia." He went far beyond finding the animals and helping us observe them. He taught us about their lives, histories and behaviors. It was really like taking a course with a gifted professor. His commitment to every aspect of our well-being was so impressive. He was an excellent driver, getting into the best sites and views, with great care and attention to safety. We saw so much because he literally went the extra mile every day. Our guides were superb.

We had an extraordinary trip to Kenya and Tanzania. The camps and lodges were first class, the food very good, our tour managers Francis and Charles in Kenya were excellent. Both had a wealth of knowledge about their country. Overall a 5 star trip thanks to them.

The trip was amazing in every way. There was a great mix of activities between safaris/animal encounters, nature/hiking, learning about the culture and city life. 18 days is the longest trip I have taken but it flew by and I was looking forward to each day. I took this trip with my parents to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday and they were easily able to participate in all of the tour. Our guide Charl made sure to make the trip special for my mom who loves birds and flowers by being sure to point out different species for her. We also did a birthday dinner at Mama Africa Restaurant where they painted our face and brought my mom on stage to sing to her. All of the hotels were excellent, the food was delicious and all activities showed the broad variety that South Africa has to offer. The highlights were of course the game drives and seeing all of the Big 5 plus many more. Other highlights include the Featherbed Nature Reserve, the home hosted dinner in Cape Town and visiting the Swati Village. Both drivers, Charles and Humphrey, were friendly, great drivers and made sure the bus was comfortable. I loved South Africa and the wonderful people we met. I have already recommended to this trip to friends and family. Thanks again.

Jason was excellent. He's knowledgeable. Jason's protective and made us all safe. We're glad he's our tour guide. We also have wonderful and safe drivers - Charlie, Mbeli, Mapa.Sa & Vellon. Everyone truly took care of us and looked after us and our safety. Thank you for providing us a great Gate 1 team.

Just want to give a special note of thanks for our guide, Elvis on the 11 Day South African tour with Victoria Falls. I am planning to discover more of Africa after this trip and am so appreciative of his excellent skills as our guide and for making the trip simply outstanding. Also, thanks to Gate 1 for including the Protea Hotel Sea Point with excellent staff and location, the Mabula Lodge which was an adventure like no other and simply beautiful along with the Pioneers Lodge which was paradise. I'd return to all three in a heartbeat. I never felt unsafe or uncared for, and all of these places and the people who run them exceeded every expectation. I'm not only recommending this trip to all but Gate 1 as well. My sincere thanks to everyone involved.

BENSON - My parents are incredibly loyal Gate 1 members (23+ trips) and I join them when I can - we can easily say Benson, our Kenyan guide was the best guide we've ever had with Gate 1. His eye for animals and understanding of their behavior, combined with some luck, made it so that we saw all of the Big 5 up close and personal... in just 72 hours! We were SO impressed with him and he knew exactly how to position the vehicle so we had the best pictures/spot versus all the other cars. I will forever have the utmost respect for a guide who works so hard knowing many customers will review him based off of the animals they see (which is completely out of his control), versus every other city's rubric of how well they describe architecture or memorize a story to tell. Benson was an unbelievable talent to witness and I was so grateful he was our leader--hands down the best of many many many we have followed. ZABDI - Our Tanzanian guide Zabdi brought infectious energy to our trip. He spoke slowly and clearly so everyone could understand him, and he oozed confidence and above all else, love for his country. Specifically what stood out for me was his care about us tourists. My mom recently had knee surgery so was a little slower than most and needed assistance getting in and out of the 4x4s. Zabdi, each time, was there to help her and carry her stuff for her as she got in and out of the vehicle safely. He was so incredibly thoughtful and kind, and it didn't go unnoticed. It's that kind of wonderful, above and beyond treatment that makes my family so loyal to Gate 1 - we know every time, your guides will be the best.

My husband and I just did the 12 day South Africa tour. We absolutely loved our trip. Our tour director Thabie was just awesome. She had so much knowledge and understanding of the area. On time departure, detailed on everything. She always asked us do you have any questions for me or you can come see me one on one. I would do another trip with her . Thabie Rocks!

I truly enjoyed the entire trip, especially the guided tours conducted by Jason. Jason was such a pleasure to have around, and I do speak for everyone in the group...we felt safe, protected, and cared for. Jason made sure that our South African experience was a memorable one. I am still in awe about seeing all the different beautiful areas in South Africa. The choice of hotels, the safaris and excursions, the restaurants & food, and overall service all provided such an amazing, exciting, unique, and breathtaking vacation for our entire group!

Thank you for the outstanding 11 Day Kenya Exploration that we enjoyed in June. It was our first visit to East Africa, and it was everything we could have hoped for. Special credit must be given to our tour guides/drivers Marcus and Joseph. Our family rode on the Land Cruiser driven by Marcus, but we also were with Joseph at many locations throughout the tour. Both were knowledgeable, pleasant, patient, and justifiably proud of the services they provided. We marveled at Marcus' familiarity with the Kenya and its people, the parks, and our various destinations. Key to our enjoyment at each of the parks was seeing the many animals and birds, and Marcus knew how to find them all. He clearly understands photographers' needs and always was able to maneuver us safely into locations that offered optimal lighting and good backgrounds. And he would give us the time needed to get the best pictures. His driving was outstanding, whether it was on remote park roads or on Kenya's highways. Special thanks go to Marcus and to Gate 1 management for arranging for a cellphone that we left behind at Great Rift Valley Lodge to be transported to us at Masai Mara. Amazing! This was our second Gate 1 tour, and we were once again very impressed with your vetting and selection of lodging and restaurants over the course of the trip. Thanks to all of you at Gate 1 who plan these trips and especially to Marcus and Joseph.

Our trip was fantastic. We loved every day we went on the journey and we took plenty of game drives plenty of beautiful animals to see. We had fantastic hotels where you look outside and you saw the animals couldn't rave enough about this trip.

I cannot say enough about our tour guide Anne. She was absolutely extraordinary. She was knowledgeable, caring, quick-thinking, found a way to get a large disparate group feel like a cohesive family, problem solving for many guests for unexpected emergencies and issues, and made sure we all had the very best adventure/trip possible. She was also funny, charming and never seemed stressed even with all the work and issues she handled behind the scenes. She made all the difference in what could have been a good trip to one that will be memorable forever. I truly can't find the words to utilize to explain how we ALL felt about Anne. I truly felt like she cared about my daughter and myself along with all the other travelers. You could see how genuine she is by watching her interact with the drivers, hotel staff, border control folks etc. They clearly also have formed connections with her over the years, which also helped make things run more smoothly for our group. Big Kudos to Anne!!

What a wonderful experience it was on our safari last month. The care and attention of our guide/driver Joseph was fantastic. His knowledge of the animals and culture made it a special learning opportunity. He is truly a caring and thoughtful man and a huge asset for Gate1.

Anne was an exceptional tour guide and you are lucky to have her as she is definitely an asset to Gate 1 as her reputation will bring new and returning customers to your company. Anne deserves a raise or a bonus! I have been lucky, as I have previously traveled with Gate 1 and cannot believe the great tour guides and once in a lifetime experiences such as the lion kill at Kruger National Park, weather at Victoria Falls, and spotting a leopard in a tree. Also I am a foodie and don't rant about the food, but the dinners in Cape Town and Simon's town were worth the price of admission!! I have traveled the world with other tour companies and Gate 1 will always be at the top for quality of the tours and most of all the exceptional tour guides like Anne.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip. We saw so many animals! All the Big Five and Special Five. Our Tour Manager, Daniel, is very knowledgeable. Our group has so many questions and he has all the answers. Five stars to Daniel! The accommodations are terrific, especially The Ark where animals are roaming outside the lodge. The food is good. We had a wonderful trip! This is our tenth or eleventh tour. Thank you Gate 1 for giving us an affordable opportunity to travel!

We went this year June 9-19th. We started in Kenya with wonderful guides Raffael and Jeff. They were professional, fun and knowledgeable. We truly appreciated all they did for us and the amazing accommodations we had from Niarobi, Lake Elmentaita, and Maasai Mara. Raffael and Jeff were personable and made our adventures fun and full of information. The food, staff and views at each location were exceptional. We felt well taken care of and enjoyed all the accommodations. We had just as a great experience in Tanzania with Wilson and Godlisten. We continued to have wonderful accommodations with amazing staff and food. It was a trip of a lifetime and I feel very blessed to have such an amazing experience. Thank you so much for making this trip full of wonderful memories.

Magnificent. The teams in Kenya and Tanzania did great work for us. Joel in Kenya and Harlequin in Tanzania were superb guide/drivers for us. Their local and animal knowledge was top notch. They were always concerned about our safety and wellbeing. We highly recommend Gate1 to our friends interested in a safari.

Our Uganda trip has been amazing! I enjoyed the interactions with the people, game drives, animal viewing cruises and of course the Chimp and Gorilla Trekking were excellent! All of the Gate 1 guides were fantastic! They kept telling me not to worry, they had me covered and they did! The food and hotels were amazing! The staff at all of the hotels provided exceptional service and I felt very pampered. The highlight of the trip was the chimpanzee and gorilla trekking. I appreciate that Gate1 got everyone a porter for the gorilla trekking. Once the gorillas are spotted you start following them into rough terrain and during this time the porter was extremely helpful! I highly recommend this trip and Gate 1 to anyone who loves to view wildlife!

I had looked forward to my Classic South Africa, Victoria Falls, Botswana trip for a long time and was entirely pleased with all components of the tour. What I will always cherish about the experience is that our group was guided by Anni. Her commentary about her life in South Africa added so much to the tour. I became so much more enlightened about what I saw because of her. She's a tireless worker, constantly multitasking, problem solving and always attuned to enhancing each day's activities for the benefit of her guests. I've had good guides on all five of my Gate 1 trips, but Anni is in a class by herself, and I felt like we hit the jackpot with her as our guide. When I tell friends and family all the things I learned and loved about my trip, it'll be thanks to all that Anni added as our Fearless Leader! Thank you Anni and thank you Gate 1.

Our trip to Kenya was wonderful. Our guide Joel was wonderful. The value of our trip was wonderful. Our experiences in Kenya on Safari, were wonderful. The food was wonderful. The accommodations and sights were wonderful. We have already recommended Gate 1 to other people, and we are planning our next trip with Gate 1 for next year. Two words to sum up our trip...Thank you!

Our trip to South Africa was just amazing and all the credit goes to our Tour Manager Anne. She made our 10-12 days in South African an amazing experience which I will never forget. Anne is the best tour guide EVER. She is energetic, friendly, knowledgeable and it was a great pleasure to be part of her group. We enjoyed this experienced to the utmost. Anne is not only organized but keenly aware of the groups concerns and would do anything to satisfy everyone in the group. Anne is real, genuine and she enjoys what she does and we all appreciated her. I will not hesitate to go on another tour with Anne. One clear example is when I lost my cell phone. She was so interested in helping that she contacted park rangers, hotel employees and anyone she thought could help. I was actually moved and can't thank her enough. She showed that she care and that feeling was felt by me personally and by the group as a whole. Everyone in our group loved Anne. Please forward these comments to her as she well deserves to be commended.