We've adapted the review sent by our customer and edited it into an interview format.

👋 Please give us a brief introduction about yourself!

Hello. I'm Kim Min-jeong, an ordinary office worker. I usually always prefer independent travel when it comes to trips! I've never used travel agencies before, but this time I received help with my trip through Ahmo Travel for the first time.

💬 Is there a particular reason you decided to go to Africa among all the travel destinations?

The world backpackers I met while traveling in Mexico, South America and other places always ranked Africa as the best region. I became curious since it was a continent I'd never visited before and I had been thinking of going there someday. I also really wanted to experience meeting various animals living in the wild.

💬 What were the difficulties you faced while preparing for your trip to Africa?

Most of Africa's representative travel experiences like safari tours require engaging in tours, but it was so difficult to find information about local tour operators.
Since it's such a vast area, finding transportation within Africa was also challenging. If it had been completely independent travel doing everything by myself, the difficulty level would have increased tremendously. I also had huge concerns about safety in Africa.
When I looked into travel agencies, there weren't as many agencies specializing in Africa as I thought. I discovered Ahmo Travel while browsing through several travel blogs, and from the initial KakaoTalk consultation through the video consultation process, their responses were very fast, so I trusted them and made my choice.

💬 How was the travel itinerary and route?

Together with Ahmo Travel, we created an itinerary that included both Safari travel and resort destinations, and placing the resort destination in the latter part of the trip was an excellent choice.
We had about 3-4 days of flexibility, so we decided to stay in Cape Town, South Africa as our first destination, which was great for easing the unfamiliarity with Africa.
If I could plan the itinerary from scratch again, I think I would choose to upgrade the accommodation in Cape Town. The travel time from Cape Town to Nairobi was also longer than expected, so it might have been better to extend the Tanzania itinerary and visit Kilimanjaro instead.

Our itinerary was Cape Town 3 nights - winery tour then Franschhoek 1 night -> Nairobi 2 nights -> Naivasha tour then 1 night -> Masai Mara 3 nights -> Stone Town 1 night -> Nungwi 3 nights. Organized by country, it was South Africa 4 nights -> Kenya 6 nights -> Tanzania 4 nights, for a total 14-night itinerary.

Since most activities in Africa are conducted as tours, the convenience of using a travel agency seems particularly significant. In fact, with daily hotel pickup and drop-off by car, it felt much easier than independent travel in Europe.

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💬 Which place was most memorable during your trip?

Maasai Mara National Park was the most memorable. I witnessed a lion eating a zebra, and since we saw it close up, it left a deep impression on me. Seeing the lion drinking the zebra's blood like water made me think, "This is real wilderness."

Kenya, where we spent the most time, was particularly memorable. Not only the safari but also the Nairobi city itinerary and Naivasha's Crescent Island visit were extremely satisfying. Crescent Island has a different charm because unlike safari tours, you can see herbivorous animals at very close distances, and the elephant orphanage with baby rhinos and baby elephants was unforgettable. The Safari experience at Maasai Mara is an experience you can't have anywhere else in the world, so I hope you definitely include it in your itinerary!

The best accommodation was Zuri Zanzibar Resort in Zanzibar. The interior African vibes, clean ocean, and swimming pool are memorable.

Cape Town

We went to Cape Town based on a friend's recommendation and because it was the most reasonable choice for our itinerary! The city itself has clean major tourist areas and dining is affordable yet delicious, making it a place where food tourism is possible. We could do symbolic activities like viewing coastal road scenery, visiting Cape of Good Hope, and seeing penguins. Personally, the winery tour was satisfying, and the accommodation was also distinctive and pretty. Golfers would be happy to know that South Africa has many good country clubs and renting clubs to play isn't that expensive either. However, Cape Town's winter weather was much colder than we expected!
Packing winter clothes doubles your luggage, and since it's quite far from Kenya and Tanzania, if your schedule is tight, it might be okay to skip it. It felt like a European city in Africa .

💬 Why did you choose AhmoTravel for your Africa honeymoon?

[1] I requested consultation with just a simple plan of wanting to visit at least one safari and one resort destination, and the first consultation was conducted via video conference.
At first I thought, "A video conference just for a simple consultation...?" but talking face-to-face, even though it was remote, built trust, and their explanations using maps helped me get a better understanding. (I immediately understood why light aircraft are essential options for working people traveling in Africa.)

[2] After consultation, we began adjusting our desired travel route and modifying the itinerary in detail. The safari we commonly think of spans the Kenya-Tanzania border, and late September is when there are many animals in Kenya, so we confirmed going to Maasai Mara for Safari and decided on Zanzibar, Tanzania for the resort destination.

[3] We agonized over whether to go to Cape Town, Mauritius, or Victoria Falls for the remaining itinerary, but flight distances and airfares within Africa are also tremendous. For various reasons we decided to go to Cape Town, and those who've done multi-destination independent travel know that changing even one part of the itinerary becomes a headache, but even though I asked about many different combinations, they gave immediate feedback which made decision-making easy.

[4] The initial itinerary completed in a way that was convenient because you could see everything at a glance like a web page, and I frequently looked at it even during the actual trip.

[5] It doesn't end there - when you inquire about segments where you want accommodation upgrades, they suggest various options. We invested in Maasai Mara And Beyond and Zuri Zanzibar in Zanzibar, and went with their recommendations for other places, but the accommodations were generally satisfying.

💬. How were the guides who helped with your trip?

They were all kind and great! Nazim, whom we met in Cape Town, was especially cheerful and friendly, and since he was a Cape Town native, being able to hear historical stories about things like past apartheid policies was memorable.

💬 How would you evaluate your trip to Africa?

Since there are experiences you can only have in Africa that you can't have anywhere else in the world, I think it's a travel destination that any traveler should visit at least once. It was more luxurious and comfortable than expected, so I'd recommend it to elderly people too! (If they can endure the long flight time...) If there's a travel destination that makes your heart race, don't hesitate and go!

👉 Ahmo Travel is an Africa 1:1 customized travel planning agency! We provide optimal coordination from luxury hotels to reasonable accommodations according to travelers' schedules and budgets, so feel free to contact us and we can propose a customized plan.