Guides & Their Toys
Go Touch Down Travel & Tours
- Offices In:
-
United States
Canada
Australia - Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Donna | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous Safari Adventure
A safari was always on our bucket list. Despite our many travels around the globe, this safari was an incredible experience and a fun adventure. The Go Touch Down staff took good care of us and were responsive to our every need. The accommodations, meals, entertainment, transportation, and knowledgeable guides were all outstanding, and South Africa is beautiful. The trip included a variety of stops that showcased waterfalls and mountains and other wonders of the country, and while on safari we managed to see a wide range of animals in their natural habitat -- giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, rhinos, wildebeests, antelopes, and kudus, to name a few.
As part of the safari trip organized by Go Touch Down, we also visited Pilanesberg, a lion sanctuary, and an elephant sanctuary, which gave us a much closer look at the animals and the efforts to protect them. Those side trips offered additional photo opportunities.
Although my husband and I were traveling together, our small safari group included some singles, work friends, and a few other couples. Everyone seemed to have a great time and we made friends with each other, remaining in contact after returning to our home countries.
Email Kallia Papapetrou | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I have found my travel agency for all my trips
They are a very polite team. They have fast and impeccable service. Immediate information for each step. And of course they are interested in the good of their client.
As I have said to my title I have found my travel agency for all the trips I will do from now on.
Guys are the best
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Email Dave | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Did not meet expectations
After a year delay due to the pandemic we finally made out trip to South Africa. I would first like to say that the Go Touch Down staff were friendly and accommodating. We started our tour at the Seasons Resort and Spa, we would not rate this as a five star resort there were many small maintenance issues that needed to be corrected, from loose door knob, no wash clothes for 4 days, towels not replaced, animal droppings on the miniature golf course playing area, bricks sticking up on with walking path. The restaurant on the property (only one) had a very limited menu offering and than a lot of the items were not available. The elephant sanctuary tour was fantastic, would highly recommend, also enjoyed the hot air balloon ride. The drive from Seasons to Dullstroom for the panoramic route was long however the sights were very beautiful. It started with a grab and go breakfast to enjoy while driving, ( a cheese sandwich, hard boiled egg and an apple) , not a usual American type of breakfast. Made three stops along the way. The Dunkeld Lodge was very nice, we had a late lunch in the 1883 dinning room, in the evening we had an outdoor fire with a dance performance and retreated into the bar area to enjoy the bbq that was prepared. Was a cool temperature for the time of the year but the fireplace in the room kept it warm and cozy. Next morning we left for Humala River Lodge, stopped in Dullstroom, would have enjoyed a longer stop in town, only had 30 minutes to walk around. than a long drive. Once we got to Humala we had to transfer from the van to the game jeep for a 45 minute ride from the entrance out to the lodge. The lodge was everything we expected it to be, little cold as it got down to 39 degrees one night, the game drives we great. The only negative might have been at there is no menu , you get what the cook prepares. For us luckily it was all good and we enjoyed everything but for some people it could be a problem .
Humala was what you expect Africa to be. We again had an outdoor bonfire and Swaziland dancers did a show. Since this is a game reserve the amount and type of animals are limited. Than a long drive back to Seasons Resort. with a stop at Lion and Safari Park. The animals here are in large fenced in areas that you are driven through, have a good variety of animals but it is a captive situation. Next day it was drive to Pilamesberg National Park. again we had grab and go breakfast to eat in the car (tuna sandwich which no one ate) at the park we choose the open jeep and had a very good guide. Highlight here was watching the parade of 17 elephants going to the water hole, the restaurant at the park was closed so we ended up at Blimpies a fast food hamburger restaurant. Next day it was off for the hot air balloon ride which had been delayed from day to until the next to last day. We originally received a very detailed itinerary for the trip, it was however in constant state of flux as tours changed, and due to the pandemic some tours were cancelled or only parts of them were available.
Overall for the cost you get a lot with the tour, meals, transportation in country, some tour guide local tours it is not a high end tour but it is a good tour, more detail to the property maintenance at Seasons and what US visitors are expecting could be improved. Expect to spend a lot of time driving 6 people plus the tour guide in a 2 row van.
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Email Keith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable.
I’m sitting on the plane in Johannesburg about to take off for our return flight home. I have to take a moment to THANK GoTouchdown for a unforgettable and perfect vacation. Your staff is to be commended for an amazing job. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating. Your four properties that we stayed at were world class. From Seasons, to Dunkeld, to Humala Lodge and finally Shark Bay all were outstanding. We only wish we could have spent more time at each. You did this in the face of extreme challenges put forth by the Coronavirus. Incredible. A sincere and heartfelt thank you to you and everyone at GoTouchdown.
If you ever need someone for a personal reference for any of your future potential guests please feel free to have them contact me directly. I will be happy to sing your praises.
Forever grateful,
Keith
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Email Firebrand | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Africa via Go Touch Down was Splended
My best friend and I went on the Signature Adventure Experience (11 days) tour and it was, simply put, AH-mazing. All the stay locations were lovely with a good amount of wilderness, animals, luxury and food. Food was exceptional, if not, too much at Humala River Lodge (3 meals and 2 big snacks a day). While some days spotting animals was difficult on game reserves that are 49,000 acres plus, it was still a magical adventure trying to find them. The views at Humala River Lodge were stunning, Seasons Resort and Spa was wonderful despite the torrential rains and I can't say enough about Belle Maroc in Cape Town (views, service and food to die for). Truly an enjoyable trip and worth every penny. I haven't stopped talking about it since I returned. Fair warning there were bats in our rooms at Humala River Lodge. That is the only negative. I never saw one, but my BFF did.
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Email Liz | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Go Touch Down Travel & Tours organizes amazing trips that make memories of a lifetime.
Our Go Touch Down South Africa Safari and Cape Town trip was truly exceptional. We can't thank the Go Touch Down staff enough. Their behind-the-scenes planning and hard work—especially during a pandemic—provided us with a seamless experience from beginning to end. Although we are accustomed to traveling around the world and often make our own travel arrangements, trying to plan a trip to South Africa was daunting and we knew the logistics would be complicated since we wanted to visit game reserves as well as Cape Town. Where to start? Reviewing Go Touch Down's itineraries and relying on them to handle all the planning and details allowed us to relax and look forward to a memorable trip. We found the pricing reasonable. As it turned out, the value was excellent. Before leaving, the staff answered our questions and concerns quickly and effectively. They also provided a very complete handout that contained information about the itinerary, currency, etc. Once we arrived in South Africa, our guide picked us up at the airport, handled our luggage, and brought us to our first resort. Along the way, we were made to feel welcome, told about our itinerary, and began to learn about the area we would be visiting. When it came time to change locations and resorts, our guide handled everything and either transferred us personally to the guide at the next location or assisted us with checking in at the airport, etc., giving us easy instructions for meeting our next guide. It all worked flawlessly and we felt very comfortable at every step along the way. The small group size and comfortable vans made our day-to-day travel pleasant. We can't say enough about our guides. Their professionalism, friendliness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge helped educate and give us an appreciation of each location we visited. More than that, their love of and pride in South Africa and the areas where they live and work came shining through, which greatly enhanced our experience and made us appreciate this beautiful country and its warm and friendly people. The itinerary was well paced to maximize our time yet also allowed for periods of relaxation. The abundance of wildlife, our memorable encounters during game drives, and the incredible natural beauty of our surroundings from beginning to end were outstanding. No one place was better or more beautiful than the other; each provided different perspectives in diverse settings from our glamping accommodations at Humala River Lodge to our pampered boutique hotel experience at the Belle Maroc on the beach, overlooking Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain. We are so glad that we combined the safari and Cape Town itinerary. The latter is a beautiful city surrounded by outstanding natural beauty. The neighboring areas offer many interesting encounters with remarkable flora and fauna that should not be missed. Overall, our Go Touch Down experience was excellent and we look forward to returning to South Africa!
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Email Mary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was very knowledgeable and friendly and we had a great time
Overall Go Touch Down was fabulous! There was a guide at the airport to meet us and get us started off without a hitch! We arrive a few days before the tour which was wonderful and we had time to acclimate and add an excursion on one day. Each of the locations we stayed at got better as we went. we all fell in love with Dulstroom. Which we had more free time there to enjoy some fly fishing since it was the Fly Fishing Mecca of South Africa. Several in our group said we could easily live there!! The Tshukudu Lodge was incredible and we got to see almost every animal. The game drivers were great and took a lot of pride in showing us around and trying to find as many animals as possible! Love that we parked at one of the dams to have a drink and a snack. When we first got to the game lodge we were taken to our rooms and right in front of our room was a Cheetah sleeping. I was a bit taken aback, but our driver said, "Don't worry about him" and walked right behind him and into our room. Oh my!! The food was great and everyone was very helpful. Go Touch Down booked our added tour to Victoria Falls, which was an incredible addition. So glad we got to experience that. The morning we walked the falls we were almost by ourselves! Simply a trip of a lifetime! Thank you Go Touch Down for an incredible journey and so many wonderful memories!!
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Email EH | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Relax and enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and friendly people of South Africa and Zimbabwe
Such a wonderful trip to Southern Africa that exceeded all of our expectations. Starting in Cape Town, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring this wonderful coastal city at the southern tip of the African continent. It all began with our top-notch greeting from Tony, our guide, at the airport upon arrival through customs. We were very pleased upon our arrival at the boutique hotel, Belle Maroc. These accommodations located in Blouberg were well-appointed and located right on the beach. The food and drink during our stay in Cape Town was delectable every single day. We were splendidly surprised by the quality and taste of the delicious seafood selections throughout the region. We will return for the food. Some of our favorite spots in and around Cape Town were Table Mountain, Neethlingshof Estate Wine, and Hermanus by the sea. Tony was one of the best guides that we've met in our travels. He ensured that each and every day of the tour was perfect. Baie dankie to the wonderful staff at Belle Maroc in Cape Town. We will return for the people.
After wrapping up our tour in Cape Town, we headed north to Johannesburg for an amazing tour of safaris and exploration. Our favorite spot during safari was the stay at Humala River Lodge in Songimvelo Game Reserve. This is an amazing place to enjoy safari and relax in paradise. The staff provide excellent service and ensured that our stay was pleasant at all times. Lindo was one of the best rangers that we've met in our travels. He knew where to find the game animals for viewing and ensured that we saw them on every trail ride. Our guide throughout our safaris was Thabo. He was also one of the best guides we've met in our travels. He made sure that everything was pleasant and safe during our stay.
When we finished our safari adventure in and around Johannesburg, we jetted off to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The two most amazing sights to see are the Falls and the Zambezi river. The stay at Ilala Lodge is truly a one-of-a-kind experience where you are whisked back in time to imagine what it would have been like to travel to Africa in a simpler time. Our guide, Taffe, was also one of the best guides we've met in our travels.
Our entire trip in Southern Africa was especially pleasant because of the wonderful people that we met every day. Southern Africa is truly a special place in the world. We will return.
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Email DON | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime, WOW!
Our ten day Signature tour of South Africa was amazing. Every detail was full and complete: service, accommodations, food, sight-seeing, game drives, information about local people and customs, tours in Johannesburg and Cape Town, cable car rides, local restaurants, and one dinner theater with inter-active entertainment. We felt very safe because Go Touch Down owned each of the three hotels/resorts that we stayed in, as well as all of the staff were employees of the tour company. This included guides, rangers, drivers, cooks, and servers. There were five in our tour group and we were treated like royalty!!
The tour company also went above and beyond expectation when our return flights were grounded in Cape Town due to grounding by the South African authority. Our guide, Jonathon, was in constant contact with the GTD South African Operations Manager and another airline to get us rebooked to fly to the USA. We couldn't have done this ourselves, and thanks to them we arrived home on the original day. This tour company is the best!!
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Email Glenna | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was an AMAZING trip.
Every aspect of the trip that was planned by Go Touch Down was the best it could have possibly been. The places were stunning. The knowledge of our guides exceeded our expectations. The people who cared for us became our friends. They were genuinely looking out for our best interest and our best experience. The accommodations were first rate. When British Air shut down, "our" representatives at Go Touch Down swooped into action and rescued us. Even the animals cooperated to give us a stunning look at their everyday lives. We have already raved about this once in a lifetime trip and recommended Go Touch Down to friends.
