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
US
Email Leslie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Go Touch Down staff was amazing and helpful every step of the way, from planning to execution!
Our group of 30 Americans had a wonderful adventure at Tshukudu. Some preferred the tent housing (not too rustic but authentic), others preferred the cabins clean and well appointed accommodations. The lodge was beautiful and comfortable with a very attentive staff and delicious meals. Our guides were knowledgeable and interesting as they shared information about the game, the birds, the flora and fauna. We enjoyed cocktails by pool in the afternoons while viewing animals strolling by the perimeter fence. Our primary guide, Thabo, was very organized and extremely accommodating to our less able guests. 5 stars...Truly amazing experience!
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Email Erica | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect and Life Changing
My South African Safari was awesome and perfect.
A Dream Realized
Truly a dream come come true. From sales (Angie Main)to service (Dana Spencer) to the actual adventure, every phrase was top notch. It all starts at with the airport pick-up. Our driver guide, James was with us the entire time in South Africa. He was knowledgeable professional and treated not only as VIPs, but also like family. The staff at the resorts we stayed at were all outstanding. But the true experience begins at Humala River Lodge. The staff there was superb. Our twice daily safari drives proved to be an adventure of a life time. Our safari guide, Lindo, was on point with his knowledge of the wildlife and how to spot them. Every aspect of this trip was beyond our expectations. We added side trips to Victoria Fall in Zimbabwe (3) days and a day trip to Botswana. The entire trip was a dream come true. Thank you Go Touchdown Travel
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Email Jia & Jack | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Both JP and Bakkies are fantastic.
We went for two tours back to back with gotouchdown. JP was our guy in Cape Town tour. He took good care of us in any way he can. We stayed in Stillness for the entire week. The amenity was not the best in my opinion. However the staffs and chiefs were great. We had the best restaurant experiences in Cape Town. It seemed each was better than the last one. Hands down for the restaurant selections. Bakkies was our guide for Safari tour. We love him. We love the two nights stayed in Dunkle estate, such a beautiful piece of property. Humala and Seasons is so so. Unfortunately, the only time we have Wi-Fi in our room was in Dunkle. We saw many animals. Lion park was totally not worth it. We felt sad to see the condition the animals in. They are in big cages there. The safari in Pilanesberg is top notch.
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Email Lynne E. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Both our tour operators were committed to making every wish happen.
I signed up for this tour several years ago and for various reasons, the actual departure date had to be rescheduled several times, so I was feeling a little apprehensive about the tour now that I was older and the initial excitement had begun to turn to a little anxiety about going someplace so very foreign to any travel I had ever done before--I need not have worried. Go Touch Down has their tours down to a science, and the people they employ and/or work with are excellent in every way. From the tour guides who stayed with us for every part of the Cape Town week and the Safari week to the staff at the Go Touch Down properties where we stayed, I felt cared for and sincerely welcomed. The itinerary was packed in Cape Town and yet we never felt rushed at any venue; the pace was a little more relaxed on the safari week as we had some down time between the game drives. The accommodations were first rate and comfortable--a special shout out to Shark Bay and Humala River Lodge, which became personal favorites. The food, whether at the hotels/game reserves or at local restaurants was beautifully plated, delicious and bountiful with ample opportunities to sample South African cuisine. We saw amazing things! The variety of experiences was mind-boggling. The ancient history from visiting fossil parks and first people educational centers to the more recent history of apartheid struggles was interspersed with delicious samplings of wine and cheeses at old world wineries. And, of course, the animal encounters were spectacular, whether it was privately owned game reserves, different animal sanctuaries (where we actually interacted with lion cubs, elephants, panthers, caracals, monkeys), national parks, or visits to island or coastal habitats. The scenery was diverse and gorgeous--breathtaking more days than not. But I have to come back to the people, the staff, the hosts, the bartenders; everyone was so nice, so friendly, so genuinely happy to see us and I have to say this is probably the best tour I have ever taken. The trip as a whole was the most expensive I have ever taken and I wondered whether I would think I had gotten value for my investment. The answer is a definite YES. In fact, given the quality of lodging, excursions, food, and experiences, I believe Go Touch Down was a bargain. Since my return I have promoted them to friends and family and I plan to use them when I take my grandsons in a few years.
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Email Vic B. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Go Touch Down far exceeded our expectations. An amazing experience!
Go Touch Down delivered everything they promised and more. Our planners listened well, responded to our needs, made specific recommendations for us, and remained patient through our seemingly endless barrage of questions.
Our South Africa tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and always there to help. Given that we were out in a true wilderness, the facilities, meals, and staff were top notch. We couldn't have been more pleased.
Then, Go Touch Down really went the extra mile. We had added a Victoria Falls extension to the end of our safari tour. Upon arriving at JNB for our flight to Vic Falls, we find out that British Airways shut down their regional carrier literally hours before our flight, leaving us stranded at the Johannesburg airport (no fault of Go Touch Down). Rather than leaving us to fend for ourselves, James, our tour guide, stayed until our situation was resolved. He connected us with Anisa, a Go Touch Down representative in South Africa, who went to work for us and, within an hour, we were on a plane to one of their properties near Kruger National Park. While disappointed that we missed Victoria Falls, the option they provided turned out to be a highlight of our entire vacation.
Based on our experience, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Go Touch Down. in fact, whenever we get an another opportunity to visit Victoria Falls, you can be sure we'll be calling Go Touch Down.
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Email Doris Gragg | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Go Touchdown Travel & Tours is Committed to Customer Satisfaction
From the moment our group touched down in Johannasburg, South AFrica, we were treated like we were the most important people on the planet. Respectful, friendly employees made us feel like we were part of a family. Every request was answered with 'yes, we can make that work', with no additional expenses. Our group added on a hot air balloon ride, (which we paid for, but transports were free), shopping trips into town, and an excursion boat ride down Blyde River Canyon. Go Touch Down took care of all the planning, and all we had to do was show up, and enjoy every second of our experience. Safaris were amazing, with knowledgeable and patient guides.
Our tour guide (James) was the most amazing person we met on our vacation. He was always willing to explain any questions we had. He fed us knowledge throughout our time with him. He was always happy, and willing to help us in any way. We still consider him a member of our family!
US
Email VW | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super accommodating and makes sure everyone is having a great time
Our experience with GoTouchDown has been great! We're the type of travellers who don't typically work with multi-day tour operators just because we prefer to explore on our own with a flexible schedule, but when we decided on South Africa as our "big trip", GoTouchDown definitely helped made it a huge success. We didn't know much about South Africa, but from reading online travel guides about the country, we knew we needed local experts to ensure we had a safe and memorable trip. The ground staff in the US were professional and had helped us a lot in providing the necessary documentations when we had to apply for visas to enter South Africa. Our local tour guide, Tabo, was with our small group of six 24/7...from Day 1 of when we started our trip in Johannesburg to Day 7 for when we depart from Hoedspruit back to Johannesburg, he made sure everything was good in our group, and tried to do as much as possible if we had any issues. He was super knowledgeable, friendly and professional, and a great personality that made the long drives a very enjoyable one! The rangers that we had at Songimvelo Game Reserve - Tandi, and at Tshukudu Game Reserve - Tyler, were both super knowledgeable and entertaining, and they were going the extra mile to make sure our group's wishes of seeing certain animals was fulfilled. Hands down, I would say the lodging at Humala was one of the most comfortable and luxurious "glamping" experience, and would definitely love to stay there again to unplug and be with nature.
Possibly because of all the things that happened in the last 2 years with the pandemic, the changes that was made to our initial booking (which was back in 2020) could have been communicated better and could have given the travellers more choice on what we wanted to do with the upgrade vs original itinerary. Sometimes the ground staff in the US was a bit hard to get to when we had questions in regards to visas and getting some help on documentations. I would say the tour may be a little bit expensive for travellers who don't want to splurge. Otherwise, if you want to know that you'll be well taken care of, don't want to worry about planning for the next day's activity and just have a great time, we would definitely recommend GoTouchDown.
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Email Marvene A. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent! Detailed oriented.
Go Touch Down did an amazing job in coordinating our vacay to South Africa, from the excursions to the accommodations to the restaurants to the entertainment. To say we enjoyed the whole adventure is an understatement. Our tour guides were par excellent-Fabian, Thabo, Tony, and JP. They were so knowledgeable and always wore patience. We have gained a lifetime of memories from a once in a lifetime trip. Thanks
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Email Bryan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dana was extremely busy. There were questions we had that we needed an appointment to have answered.
We were met at the airport by Joseph, who was very professional and friendly. Our accommodations at Seasons were nice and included a wonderful breakfast.
Humala lodge was a wonderful adventure with good food, excellent staff, and our game driver Tandy was excellent! The Boma Zulu dancers were really fun!
James transported us to Tshukudu via the Panorama route and was very helpful, answered questions and took care of transfers and accommodations questions for us for our Victoria Falls excursion.
Our Tshukudu cabin was nice, but there were ants everywhere. The food was excellent! Our game driver Tyler was excellent as well.
Our accommodations at Victoria Falls at the Ilala Lodge was magnificent! Beautiful room, excellent food and wonderful staff. Lucky picked us up at Victoria Falls airport and transported us to Victoria Falls and the Chobi river package. He was excellent and very helpful.
Our Victoria Falls accommodations only included breakfast. We were surprised that we had to pay for lunch and dinner!