Part of the happy Pembury team having a laugh!
Pembury Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1996)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Diane | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seamless experience, excellent communication, great experiences
Gail from Pembury Tours was recommended by friends which was reassuring because we were organising a 2 week self paced tour from Australia. Everything was brilliant including locations, transport and experiences. Gail was extremely responsive, informative, well organised and patiently helpful during the payment process because my bank didn’t want to release my money. We had online access to our itinerary as well as a hard copy package delivered to our hotel in Johannesburg prior to departure. She also changed a flight at short notice and without cost to us - at my request. Our favourite location on Safari was the spectacular Nxai Pan migration - gorgeously remote, expansive, immersive and personalised experiences with a myriad of wildlife.
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Email Bob | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Heidi set us up with a wonderful tour that incorporated all the places and experiences we desired.
We were really pleased with all aspects of our South African trip. We experienced a variety of areas that gave us a view to the diversity of the country and we met several interesting people along the way. We loved the energy and wonderful restaurants of Cape Town, which were an incredible value and excellent quality. Our local Cape Town guide, Ryan was entertaining, smart, flexible and fun. We rented a car and drove to Stellenbosch for wonderful wines, more shopping and restaurants including The Fat Butcher, one of our favorites. We visited Franschhoek and also drove to Swellendam on the Garden Route and ended up in Knynsa with beautiful beaches and a wonderful sunset sailing trip. From the nearby airport in George, we made an easy flight to Kruger Mpumalanga Airport. From there we went to Inyati Game Lodge for safari trips and also Ulusaba Game Lodge. Both were beautiful and in each place we found the team including the rangers and trackers were expert and also very fun to be with. We saw all the amazing animals we hoped to encounter and were very impressed by the overall conservation and management of the areas. Heidi Bedford prepared this great itinerary and we will remember this trip forever.
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Email Nicole | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrific experience!
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Kerry, and we can't recommend her highly enough! From start to finish, she was a joy to work with- attentive, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. Her recommendations were spot-on and tailored perfectly to my needs, making the entire experience seamless and enjoyable.
Kerry took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for and provided thoughtful, well-informed suggestions that truly elevated my experience. Her attention to detail and personalized approach made all the difference.
Thank you, Kerry, for making this such a wonderful and memorable experience. I look forward to working with you again in the future!
Email Dan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly, personalized, reliable, and prompt service: the way to arrange the trip(s) of a lifetime
We took a family trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana last October. As expats, living in Africa for a few years, this was not our first safari trip, but was the first to these countries. Initially, we tried to book through another agent at another company, but we got embroiled in a dispute over pricing and policies. The lodges we wanted to stay at were advertising multiple discounts that could be combined, yet our original travel agent was claiming that she could only get one discount, but that we had to book with her, even though we had not signed a contract or paid a deposit.
At that point I happened to contact Pembury Tours to arrange another trip, based on their excellent reviews online. Anya responded promptly and helped me out with the new reservation, but she also provided me advice and moral support for the dispute about the Zimbabwe and Botswana trip. Not only did she help me resolve the matter with the first agent, but she ended up arranging our trip, got our combined set of discounts, and she became a good friend in the process.
This review is about the trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana we took based on Anya’s arrangements. I mentioned the rocky start already, but that was followed by another round of troubles. One of the lodges Anya had booked for us was partly destroyed in a wildfire (after we booked it). That lodge had to close for repairs and would not be able to honor our reservations. As soon as she found out, Anya called us proactively with news of the fire damage. She offered suggestions, then took our preferences, negotiated with other lodges in the area, and managed to get us to stay in a more upscale lodge for no additional costs.
Once the alternative lodging was secured, Anya followed up with information about the trip logistics, offered advice about activities at each of the three lodges, the transfers between locations, tipping guidelines, packing checklists, and the visa and health requirements. We felt very confident that we were in good hands with Anya: she had the information we needed and was very prompt and reliable in providing it whenever we needed it.
The trip itself was amazing. Anya’s advice was invaluable, and her arrangements made for smooth and reliable handoffs from each lodge to the transfer and to the next lodge, whether the transfer was by car, air, or a combination of the two. We had selected the lodges ourselves, but Anya confirmed that they would offer quality accommodations and food, which they did. Because the lodges were in different types of environments, we saw a wide variety of wildlife, land-dwellers, water-dwellers, and an incredible variety of birds. Going from Victoria Falls to the Khwai Private Reserve to the Okavango Delta, we felt transported from one amazing environment to an even more amazing one. The guides provided by the lodges were immensely knowledgeable, friendly, and very generous in sharing their knowledge with us. We could not have asked for anything better.
Following this trip, we have reached out to Anya with additional requests for travel and we have recommended her and Pembury Tours to all of our friends. There was a time when I was thinking how nice it would be to have a close friend or relative working on the inside, in the travel industry. My wish has come true: Anya is that friend, and our African travels are so much more rewarding and effortless thanks to her.
Email Harumi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing travel planning partner
Our trip to South Africa was our first time visiting the country and our very first safari experience in Africa. We were looking for a plan that aligned with our itinerary and budget, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Anya, who assisted us in organizing our trip, was incredibly friendly, professional, and efficient. She meticulously planned everything, making the entire process smooth and stress-free. She answered all our questions before the trip, and the travel portal she provided was a fantastic resource. It included helpful information on local customs, tipping guidelines, and even a packing list, which made our preparation so much easier.
From the moment we arrived at the airport to the transportation, check-in process at the lodge, and every detail until the end of our trip, everything was flawlessly organized.
The safari itself was absolutely unforgettable. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our first safari adventure. We were fortunate to witness incredible wildlife sightings, and the experience far exceeded our expectations. Although our five days flew by, we truly didn’t want to leave on the last day.
This trip has become one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I’m already looking forward to returning to South Africa someday.
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Email Diane and Seth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience!
The custom tour to South Africa that was arranged for us by Kerry exceeded our expectations. All details were well thought out and all transfers went perfectly. Kerry's suggestions on what to see and where to stay were perfect. The tours she arranged in Cape Town were great and the safari lodges that she suggested were wonderful. We expected this trip to be the trip of a lifetime and we were so impressed that we'd like to go back and do it again! We highly recommend Pembury Tours!
Email Barbara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The support and guidance provided by Heidi from start to finish was outstanding.
The high level of planning, organisation, and customer service, provided by Heidi of Pembury tours helped make this a holiday of a lifetime with experiences that will never be forgotten.
Email Phil N | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent tour organiser, perfectly reponsive to customer needs.
Some friends recommended that we use Pembury Tours for our SA holiday, and we were very glad they did so. Tammy put together some great initial ideas and then revised them in response to our wishes. The information about the itinerary was excellent. The types of accommodation and transport were tailored to our wishes perfectly.
Closer to the holiday we were provided with access to a trip portal, which was detailed and helpful and included some great suggestions.
Throughout, we were impressed by the level of care, attention to detail and availability. Tammy replied to any queries very promptly. It was also reassuring that Tammy said she would be contactable during our holiday, but in the event, this wasn’t necessary as the organisation was seamless and, although we had plenty of independence during the trip, we felt looked after all the way.
The quality of the guides and drivers was exceptional. They all had so much of interest to tell us and we learnt so much.
The places we visited were beautiful and fascinating. It was an absolutely sensational holiday and we’d strongly recommend using Pembury Tours.
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Email Barbara | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a fantastic tour in every way
I had an excellent experience on my first African safari with Wilderness Safaris. The tour guides were a little difficult to understand and missed a lot of what they were saying. I had V.I.P. treatment throughout the whole safari . I it was just two of us the whole time . I couldn’t have asked for better treatment. However on the last day of our trip we didn’t get to go on the last game drive in the morning and didn’t get the box lunch to go . I would recommend Pembury tours to everyone and Kerry did a great job of arranging everything to perfection. All the accommodations were beautiful and we had great service everywhere . We got to see so many animals including the big five. Communication between me and Kerry was very good and answered any questions I had.
SG
Email Manisha | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing trip to Southern Africa booked through Tammy at Pembury Tours
I wanted to do a family holiday in Africa which included a safari and some sightseeing. I chose Pembury Tours as they had excellent reviews and I was not disappointed. I had no idea where to go for the safari or budget or what else to see - the only thing I knew was when. Tammy took this and turned it into an amazing two week trip through South Africa and Namibia. We saw so many animals including the big five on safari and a highlight was the sunset drinks. And what to say about Namibia- it's a hidden gem and well worth a visit. Tammy was so patient with us and always came back promptly with any ideas, suggestions or answers. But that was not all. From the minute we landed in Johannesburg to when we left, we were very well taken care of. Everything ran like clockwork and we also had Tammy's number incase of emergencies. Tammy also took the time out to contact us mid trip to make sure everything was going fine. I would definitely recommend Tammy and Pembury Tours and I will contact her again whenever I go back