Travel reviews by Mr&Mrs LS from Oxfordshire

"Beautiful location, wonderful room overlooking the marina and Table Mountain.

Hotel is so convenient for the Waterfront amenities etc.

The hotel staff were all so graceful and friendly - nothing was too much trouble for them. Restaurant food and wine was excellent - we ate there every evening.

Courtesy chauffeur (Edward) to Table Mountain and back was a great plus. Ilios pick ups were so punctual, clean and very friendly. Great service.

We would definitely return to this hotel in future."

"Well what can we say? This was an amazing experience and wish we had stayed longer.

The breathtaking views of the coastline across Walker Bay from reception was a real WOW factor on arrival. Everything about this place exceeded all expectations. The Lodge was beautifully furnished and equipped, amazing bathroom with fabulous views of the ocean. Lots of space. The staff were all so friendly and hospitable. The food from breakfast to dinner was wonderful as was the wine.

We really only had time for one activity so chose the Reserve Drive with Rouwen who was very experienced and passionate about the fynbos and we were amazed at bow many specimens of flora and fauna were to be found there including some species of plants and insects which were unique to the reserve. He showed us the farm and Community project which helps to educate and motivate young people to go on and do other things to improve their future. We met one of the Etymologists, Gary, who really blew our minds about the number of insects the team had discovered which were unique to the Reserve.

An amazing, relaxing experience which we shall certainly consider doing again - for longer."

"Franschhoeuk is a beautiful place and La petite Ferme was a wonderful place to stay. The incredible views of the valley from our suite overlooking the pool were stunning - we could see for miles. We had a very warm welcome by Dylan who introduced us to the hotel and its amenities and included a welcome glass of Pink Champagne while he registered us . We enjoyed lunch outside under the trees and enjoyed the views with a chilled bottle of Chardonnay!

The staff were all so friendly and helpful - nothing was too much bother for them.

We ate in the restaurant most nights. The food was very nice although a little too fancy - we would have preferred more simple dishes but nevertheless the quality of the food was exceptional. We were staying in the Manor House - previously the owner's private residence. The room was lovely (no. 9 The Bridal Suite) with access to the shared pool and of course the stunning views.

We had read that the Manor House suites were due to be refurbished this year (May 2020) and although the bedroom was very clean and comfortable the bathroom was looking tired and the shower leaked considerably. We mentioned this to Dylan and he immediately had someone address the problem. This wouldn't put us off staying there again as so many other things made up for it and in fact we look forward to returning to enjoy the refurbished rooms in the Manor House. Also, I do hope they will consider a wall mounted mirror somewhere in the room for when drying hair etc. Had to struggle a little but eventually achieved the desired outcome.

All in all a wonderful few days at La Petite Ferme."

"Well, this was definitely the most memorable experience of the holiday.

We were completely overwhelmed by the vastness and beauty of this private game reserve from the moment we arrived (with yet another friendly Ilios driver) at reception where we were welcomed with an enjoyable glass of bubbly and chilled wet towels while we registered. We were then transported by Toby, a trainee ranger for approximately 25 minutes down to the Lodge itself.

Great Fish River Lodge was amazing - built in traditional African style, thatched roof with lovely facilities including a small shop to buy essentials for the early morning game drives. Our own lodge was just stunning - it had every thing we needed including an optional outdoor shower which my husband made a point of experiencing. The views across the river were breathtaking and we spotted a lone giraffe feeding in the distance - wonderful.

We did 2 game drives each day with a very experienced ranger - Rouen (a real larger than life character) and his amazing Tracker Vusi. They made a great team and had worked together for a number of years. The afternoon/evening drives were memorable as the sun set (sun downers were obligatory) and the nocturnal animals amazing. We saw lions, elephants, giraffe, a cheetah and her 3 cubs and lots more and really had the most wonderful experience that we definitely plan to return to the reserve.

We were very impressed by how much the owners of the reserve have done over the last 20 years to encourage and reinstate many species which had previously disappeared due to poaching etc. Thankfully the black rhinos have a future on this reserve."

"This was a stop over in Port Elizabeth prior to our flight to Johannesburg and on to London. We couldn't quite understand why we had come to Hacklewood House as we could have enjoyed one extra night at Great Fish River Lodge and then gone directly to the airport at Port Elizabeth for our flight later in the day.

However, the Manager, Wynton and his staff made us feel very welcome and were very hospitable. We enjoyed a very nice dinner in the restaurant with more wonderful South African wine. The room we had was comfortable with a small balcony overlooking the pool and very lush tropical gardens.

We had quite a lot of time on our hands but decided not to leave the hotel so stayed put until our driver arrived at 1.15 the next day. We would definitely have added one more night at Kwandwe had we known but hindsight is a wonderful thing and our next trip can be more tailored to our needs."