Mahlatini Luxury Travel Reviews 150

We are so glad we booked our honeymoon with Mahlatini (which has now been postponed) because they have been amazing from day one. Nothing has ever been too much trouble and even changing our plans due to the pandemic was completely stress free. We cannot recommend Mahlatini highly enough and we feel sure we're in safe hands. A particular shout out to Claire who has gone above and beyond. Thank you!

Working with Nikki McGreevy of Mahlatini, was truly an amazing experience – from start to finish. I came to her so overwhelmed not knowing where I wanted to go, what time of year, or if it was even possible to see all the animals I wanted to – oh and I wanted to shop for tanzanite stones and have a fabulous beach experience to top it all off. Nikki started off asking very specific questions about my husband and myself ranging from our preferred travel accommodation types, kinds of vacations we gravitate towards, if we enjoy physical activity while traveling, and most importantly she asked about all the things I wanted to see or do. Nikki nailed every single thing on our wish list, in the most wonderful itinerary you could imagine. I should note here that before I was referred to Nikki, I had the misfortune of having a consultation with Micato, which was an extreme disappointment. Their representative asked me two questions – what time of year I wanted to go (I had no idea?) and how much money did I want to spend. She then read a list of canned itineraries that were their “most popular”. Needless to say, please dont bother consulting with any other travel professional – its going to put a bad taste in your mouth. Start off your trip on the right foot and go to Nikki! Not only is she an expert in luxury travel, but her knowledge is unparalleled. She put together the most amazing itinerary for our trip (40/60 birthday for my husband and I). We were supposed to leave in a week, however due to COVID, our hotel has shut down for July and a leg of our flights were cancelled. Nikki came to the rescue and went out of her way to help us navigate this unexpected, last minute disappointment. While Im saddened that we cant go as planned, I know that as soon as we are able to re-book, it will certainly be with Nikki and Mahlatini!

My fiancé and I have been working with Nicki trying to organize our dream honeymoon. She was so helpful when we were explaining what we were looking for (safari and beach) and came up with our perfect itinerary. She was able to answer any questions we had about hotels, activities, safari details, and made the whole process extremely easy for us. Unfortunately we couldn’t go through with the trip due to covid, but we are looking forward to working with her again in the future when we can take this trip!

Mahlatini are the best in the business. They are the African experts.
I have travelled to Africa 12 times or more...Mostly the arrangements have been made with Nikki McGreevy of Mahlatini Travel.
Their organisation is superb.
You get exactly what it says on the tin! No hitches, everything fantastic. Very professional, very attentive I could not fault them. If you are thinking of travelling to Africa, just lift the phone and contact Mahlatini. The Covid crisis is a difficult time for all of us. Mahltini were there and assisted me in every way possible. Nothing was too much. Exactly what you expect from a Luxury Travel Company. Thank you as always Nikki.Hopefully I will be travelling for many more years to come to Africa with your good selves.

Incredible customer service and flexibility.

Star rating 5.

We had planned our luxury holiday departing in March 2020 to Botswana and Mozambique and with the help of Claire Picknell we were looking forward to a superb itinerary . Covid-19 then changed everything just 2 days before departure!
Having used Mahlatini a number of times we expected to be looked after but given the unprecedent situation we were amazed at the superb response and within just a few days the holiday had been completely rescheduled!
We still have the dream holiday to look forward to and know that if there continues to be a problem on the new date it will be promptly be rearranged again. It's a holiday we don't want to miss!
Excellent service from Claire

Shaun & Kath
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Mahlatini is an excellent travel company. Due to the beginning of COVID-19 we had a flight that was cancelled during our holiday. Claire Jackson from Mahlatini went above and beyond to give us choices for alternative routes and ensured that our holiday was not spoilt. We had a fantastic time on safari at &Beyond Ngala (Kruger) and at the Constance Lemuria on Praslin Island in the Seychelles. It was one of our best holidays and Mahlatini were a huge part of this. Thank you so much!

Fabulous - incredibly helpful with all my questions and a brilliant honeymoon as well!!

Giraffe Manor had been on my bucket list for a long time, and decided to take trip there as a birthday present to myself. Mahlatini planned the vacation of a lifetime and I was not disappointed! I was in giraffe heaven at Giraffe Manor for the entire time I was there. After Giraffe Manor, I went to Kichwa Tembo for a safari which was a mind blowing and wonderful experience.I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Every step of the vacation was planned in an efficient manner. The flights to and from Kenya; transportation to and from the airport and between venues was expertly handled; the choice of hotels was spot on. The travel package from Mahlatini with clothing and luggage recommendations was a life saver. Thank you Mahlatini!

Our trip was the trip of a lifetime. An absolute treat every step of the way. The accommodations, service and food were all top quality!

Monique was fantastic throughout the entire booking and planning process. She answered all of our questions and her recommendations were perfect. I still don't know how she managed to land that reservation at Test Kitchen! An absolute pleasure to work with!

We could not have asked for a better experience using Mahlatini when booking our holiday. Every place we visited was incredible and every person who took care of us along the way was wonderful. The hotels, safari camp, and island resort were amazing. The transport services in each location made our transitions completely comfortable and stress-free, which is invaluable when traveling in foreign countries.

Stuart is a rockstar! A 16-day trip from Seattle, Washington, USA to United Arab Emirates, Kenya, and the Seychelles is a logistical nightmare that we could not have worked out for ourselves. We don't know how he figured it out, but he listened to exactly what we wanted and magically made it happen. It was entirely carefree and seamless and we could not be more thankful to have found Mahlatini and Stuart. He planned an absolutely unforgettable 10th anniversary holiday for us! It was so special and we are left with memories to last a lifetime.

We wholeheartedly recommend Mahlatini Luxury Travel to anyone considering travel in Africa. The awards they've been given are well-deserved because the service they provide is unparalleled.

I cannot fault Mahlatini in anyway at all. I booked my honeymoon with them after speaking to a number different specialists as these guys really went the extra mile for us and their knowledge of the places we wanted to visit was invaluable. Our stay in Kenya and Mauritius were unforgettable and this is in big part to the advice and guidance of Mahlatini.

We have just returned from a life-changing holiday.

The care and organisation were amazing, every single detail was planned so well really listening to what we wanted.

The choices of accommodation in Kenya and Zanzibar were next to none and the flights and transfers were organised perfectly.

I looked at and got quotes from several companies but the bigger companies are so commercial and I felt I was just part of a circus. I felt a very personal service from Mahlantini and would have no reservations booking with them again. Thanks to Sive and Monique foe looking after us.

Just returned from a fabulous (late Jul/early Aug 2019) holiday to Victoria Falls, Kenya and the Seychelles, expertly arranged for us by Mahlatini Luxury Travel. A perfect mix of activity, excitement and relaxation, crammed with great experiences for all members of the family.

While at Victoria Falls, we stayed at the AVANI Victoria Falls resort, on the Zambia side, but ultimately spent as much time on the Zimbabwe side of the border, as that is where many of the activities seemed to start from. On the basis of our experience, a KAZA Univisa is a must for anyone staying here. We stayed two nights, but could easily have done a third in order to cram in even more activities. We chose: (i) Sundowner Cruise on the afternoon/evening of our arrival; (ii) Canoe Safari on the Upper Zambezi, the next morning; (iii) Helicopter Flight of the Angels that afternoon; and (iv) Ziplines and Bungee on the final morning. All of which wasn't cheap, of course, but if you're going to go, it's a shame not to max it out - and we had #MahlatiniMoments aplenty!

From there we went on to enjoy 4 nights on safari in Kenya (book-ended by 1 night stopovers in Nairobi). We stayed at Hemingways Ol Seki, in the Naboisho Conservancy adjacent to the main Mara Game Reserve. This was a beautiful camp, and the game viewing was every bit as good as we remember it from our Honeymoon in the Mara Game Reserve itself. As a private conservancy, owned and looked after by the Masai themselves, greater restrictions have been placed on the number of camps/visitors, and you therefore benefit from less competition for animal sightings than we understand can be encountered in the main game reserve, where the quantities of jeeps etc. has apparently spiralled in recent years. Worth bearing in mind.

We saw pretty much everything bar the Rhino, had a fabulous night game drive, great guides and a lovely time while in camp. Sunset in the Mara is pretty much Heaven on Earth.

Our holiday was rounded off with 6 nights in the Seychelles. This was our "kick back and relax" bit, following the early starts and high activity of the first week. We stayed at the Kempinski Resort on Mahe, and also visited Moyenne Island (and its indigenous Giant Tortoises) as part of a Reef Safari tour operated by Masons Travel (who seem to have pretty much cornered the market!). The resort and the island were beautiful, and it's entirely up to the individual traveller how much they want to "do" vs just chilling with a cocktail in hand.

The Seychelles is obviously a pretty "cha-ching" destination, and people should be aware that the pricing remains high when you get there, in terms of the £8 beer and £20 club sandwich, but if you want to indulge yourselves in a bit of beachside luxury, there are few better places on the planet.

In terms of the accommodations:

1. Vic Falls

The AVANI was perfectly located for what we wanted to do at Vic Falls: namely get out and cram in as much stuff as possible!

The hotel itself is a bit tired in places, and our room was a bit too small for the four of us, but we were out-and-about the whole time, and only ever intended to live out of the suitcases for the x2 nights we were there, so it mattered not a jot.

It also has some nice USPs, in terms of the zebra, monkeys, giraffe, impala etc. that roam within the grounds, and the kids (2 girls aged 10 and 12) loved it.

Don't leave your patio/balcony doors ajar, or the monkeys will be in there before you can say "Black-Faced Vervet"! We spotted a couple of them doing precisely this, only to emerge a minute later with their mouths stuffed full of sugar sachets!! Happily not our room, although another one did snatch some waffle straight off our daughter's breakfast plate, which remained one of her holiday highlights to the end!

2. Safari

Ol Seki was a really beautiful camp, in a beautiful place. Lovely guides and great game viewing, at a well-run, charming and friendly camp, where we were made to feel very special and at home. The girls were made completely welcome amongst the adults during the communal dining, and the camp hosts were wonderful throughout. Bush breakfasts, night game drives and private family dinners under the (stunning, and some cases, shooting) stars were organised at their own initiation, and we were left wanting for nothing.

3. Seychelles

The Kempinski on Mahe was a top class resort, with lovely beach and pool area, a range of dining options, spa facilities, and attentive but not intrusive staff, who assisted in the booking of tours, hiring of private rental car, and anything else we thought to ask for. It was just what we were after to round off the holiday in relaxing style!

As for Mahlatini themselves, our travel consultant was Claire Picknell, who was fantastic for us, from helping put together our itinerary (multiple versions thereof!), answering all our questions, getting it all booked for us, including many of our additional activities, right through to keeping us updated on things like the threatened strikes by Heathrow workers and BA Pilots. She was really responsive and friendly, and genuinely seemed to share in our excitement at the holiday we were planning. Thank you Claire, and all the team at Mahlatini who put together such a terrific and smoothly run package for us! Very highly recommended (and we are fussy!).

We have just returned from a trip to Zimbabwe which included 3 nights in Victoria Falls, 3 nights in Hwange NP on safari and 3 nights on the shores of Lake Kariba. This itinerary was put together by Donna at Mahlatini and proved to be an excellent and varied experience with every aspect running like clockwork. All of the lodges we stayed in were superb, offering exceptional levels of service and the safari guides were outstanding.
Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, completely safe with wonderfully friendly people . .

We were Blown away by the hospitality and the friendliness of the staff at each of the resorts. The entire itinerary, including transfers and inter-trip flights were seamless and enhanced our experience. Stuart was extremely responsive to any question we had during the entire process of planning the trip through our time on the trip. He made it seamless for us to plan our dream honeymoon and provided exceptional level of service. I have already recommended a friend going to Botswana in 18 months to reach out to Stuart for the trip.

Mahlatini organised a wonderful holiday for us in Botswana and South Africa in September/October 2019. We were very impressed by the attention to detail and would undoubtedly use this company again for any future travel in Africa. I would recommend this company to anyone planning a travel to this area.

We visited Tanzania in March with Mahlatini Travel and it was a dream holiday! We had no idea what to expect as it was our first time booking with an agent, but the experience and service was exceptional. We were given tips on what time of year to go, were able to add extras and tweak our options there as well. Before we left they sent us a travel pack with all of our travel documents, plus additional tips for what to pack and what to expect when you're there. Not to mention this all came with a lovely travel wallet, luggage tags and pen! They were always available whenever I had a question and responded within a day.

The holiday itself was to die for. The luxury experience started as soon as we landed. We stayed in the Legendary Lodge, Plantation Lodge, Mwiba Lodge, and the Legendary Serengeti Camp. Each location had it's own personality but they were all magnificent with super friendly staff, and all your needs were taken care of so you could just relax, switch off, and enjoy your time. Mwiba was probably my favourite as the location and views there are absolutely stunning, but the Serengeti Camp was also special because well...you're camping in the Serengeti!

I would highly recommend Mahlatini for anyone who is looking for that touch of luxury for their holiday, whether it's a special occasion like a honeymoon or just for a treat! You will have a fabulous time, and you won't have a worry in the world. Or as they say in Tanzania, Hakuna Matata!

Mahlatini arranged for my family a Safari-style vacation in South Africa and Zimbabwe during 2018 Christmas holidays. I was more-than-expected satisfied by their assistance. Their proposed solutions were wonderful and they adapt them to our actual needs, they took care of all the details in order to have everything set and safe before the trip, and stayed in touch during and after the journey to guarantee their continuing assistance.
I had no idea about travelling in Africa and no time to learn about all the necessary details. They did it for me and I could just enjoy! Places and lodges were so beautiful…
I strongly recommend Mahlatini if you desire to enjoy a top class experience and do not want to lose your time in organizing or risk to take wrong decisions.
Thank you to Monique van Eeden and all the team!

With a whole world of choices, picking a honeymoon destination that will live forever in your heart is exhilarating, but also stressful, especially while simultaneously planning a wedding. My husband and I have been blessed with many travel opportunities, but when planning our honeymoon, we wanted to do something extraordinary, not to be blended with other great experiences but rather to stand as a beautiful part of our lives. We wanted a mix of adventure and relaxation, a location not easily traveled to on normal occasions, and something to take our breath away. We knew South Africa would be in the mix, but the rest was up for grabs.

We reached out to Mahlatini following some online research. Our dedicated travel specialist, Claire Picknell, was beyond helpful as she assisted us in designing our trip. She offered many options, all within our budget, but with varying elements to ensure our tastes and desires were accounted for.

We opted to go to Dubai, South Africa and the Seychelles. Once our decision was made, everything was utterly seamless. The trip was booked, travel documents were received and, following what was a dream wedding, we took off for the trip of a lifetime.
From the minute we boarded our first flight to the time we arrived home, we felt sure that all aspects of the trip were accounted for. Transfers at the airports were easy to locate and we always felt there was ample time to get from hotel to airport for any departing flights. Regarding accommodations, every place we stayed far exceeded expectations, especially andBeyond Ngala Private Game Reserve in Timbavati.

We honestly cannot say enough about Claire and the team at Mahlatini. We felt truly cared for and even received a holiday card from them prior to our trip…how’s that for making you part of their tribe?

If you are looking to book a dream trip, please reach out to Mahlatini. You will not be disappointed.