Earthstompers Adventures

Good day, Victor Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate hearing about our guests' experiences on our weekly Garden Route & Addo group tours. We are, however, sorry to hear that you were surprised by certain tour elements. We try to be as transparent as possible in all our tour documentation, including our tours listed on Tourradar. Each day of our itinerary includes the approximate driving distance and travel time. Our tour itineraries and confirmations also include detailed tour notes explaining the tour style and that some days can involve up to five hours of driving, with stops along the way to stretch your legs, get refreshments and use the restrooms. As part of our booking process, both of you completed our age clearance form, confirming that you were aware that some days involve up to 5 hours of driving and that you had reviewed the daily driving times in the itinerary. We understand that spending several hours on the road between destinations may not be ideal for all travellers, and we appreciate you highlighting this for future guests. The distances covered on our Garden Route & Addo itinerary are unfortunately unavoidable. This road trip is designed for travellers with limited available time, who want to experience as much as possible over six days. The furthest point from Cape Town is around 800 km away, so covering this distance does involve some longer days on the road. We usually have breakfast between 7-8am in order to maximise our time for adventuring. We hope this additional information is helpful to future guests reading your review and considering whether our group tour is a good fit for them. We believe that being upfront about the pace, distances and physical nature of the tour helps guests have the right expectations and choose a tour that suits their travel style. If a group tour is not a good fit, we recommend booking one of Earthstompers' private tours where guests can determine the pace of the tour and daily departure times. We're sorry that the tour was not what you expected and hope that you also enjoyed it and made some good memories despite the long days and early starts. Safe Travels, Cindy (General Manager) & the Earthstompers team

Hi Manon, Firstly, your photos are absolutely amazing! WOW!!! That dolphin photo is unbelievable! Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great time on our Garden Route tour and that Mark helped make your tour experience extra memorable. We admit, we have awesome guides! :D It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the pace of the tour. We fit quite a bit into the 6 day Garden Route & Addo itinerary, while trying to strike a good balance to also have time to relax and enjoy destinations. We have been running this tour itinerary for over 20 years and it remains very popular. We’ll definitely share your kind words with Mark. He’ll be very happy to hear that his knowledge, humour and attention to detail helped make the trip feel smooth, safe and enjoyable. Thank you again for recommending Earthstompers, and for the great advice about spending a few extra days exploring Cape Town. We offer a variety of day tours in Cape Town as well as multi-day tours including accommodation, ranging from economy to 5-star options. Safe Travels & we hope to welcome you back in the future! Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Thank you so much for the lovely review! We’re so happy to hear that you had such a great time exploring the Garden Route with Christine. It sounds like you enjoyed the variety that makes this trip so special, from the different experiences and places we visit to the unique accommodations along the way. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Christine. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to see you back in South Africa for another adventure one day! Safe Travels, Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Thank you so much, Ryan, for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing experience with us and that Gareth made such a positive difference to your trip. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed the places we visited, the food, and the overall experience. We put a lot of care into creating memorable trips, and having excellent guides, like Gareth, who goes the extra mile is a big part of that. Thank you for recommending us so highly. We hope to welcome you back to South Africa for another adventure in the future! Safe Travels, Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Hi Jan, Thank you for the 5-star review! We appreciate your feedback and will be sure to share with Gareth. We're thrilled to hear that you had a good experience along the Garden Route & Addo on our weekly scheduled tour. Safe Travels! Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Hello Claudia, We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the destinations, the accommodations and, of course, the food along the way. We love introducing guests to South Africa through food, with meals featuring locally sourced products, traditional flavours and some of the country’s favourite dishes. We’ll definitely pass your kind words on to Christine. We’re very lucky to have her as part of the Earthstompers team, and it sounds like she helped make your trip extra special. Baie dankie to you too for travelling with us and for taking the time to share your experience. We hope to welcome you back to South Africa for another adventure in the future! Safe Travels, Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Thank you so much for the 5 star review! We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and the meals and attractions arranged as part of the itinerary. We put a lot of care into creating a comfortable and enjoyable experience from start to finish, so it’s wonderful to know that you had such a great time with us. We hope to welcome you back to South Africa for another adventure in the future! Safe Travels, Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Thank you for rating our tour 5-stars! We’re delighted to hear that you were happy with the tour, itinerary and accommodations. We put a lot of thought into creating a great overall experience, so it’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed it. Thank you for travelling with us and for supporting our family business. Safe Travels, Cindy & the Earthstompers team

Good day, Sue Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your experience on our 6 day Garden Route & Addo group adventure tour. We are truly sorry to hear that aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. As a small, owner run company offering a very personal service, this is very disappointing for the whole team to read, and we truly take every review, good or bad, to heart. The storms and rainfall experienced during your trip were some of the most severe we have encountered since Earthstompers began operating in 2005, and whilst your group was able to visit all the destinations on our tour itinerary, we understand that the conditions were far from ideal and that attractions like the suspension bridge at Tsitsikamma was not accessable, for visitors' safety. We're sorry that the weather negatively impacted your trip. Like the guests on tour, we are also disappointed when the weather doesn’t cooperate, as our main goal is always to create happy, memorable experiences. Unfortunately, difficult weather can really put a damper on things. Regarding the itinerary, our Garden Route tours are designed as balanced small group experiences that showcase a wide variety of South Africa’s landscapes, towns, highlights, and adventures, with the Addo safari experience included as one component of the journey. We wish time and budget were never a factor, as you could easily spend much longer exploring the Garden Route region in depth. However, over the past 20 years of operating these tours, we’ve learned that many guests have limited travel time, and that 6 days is generally the maximum amount of time most group tour guests have available for this region. Our scheduled group tours are therefore designed to showcase many highlights and regions within a relatively short period of time. At the same time, we understand that not all travellers are the same, and some guests do prefer a slower pace or longer stays in certain areas. We always aim to be as transparent as possible and provide guests with detailed information before booking. For example, we clearly outline the driving distances and daily itinerary breakdowns on our website. For guests looking for a more wildlife-focused or experience or more leisure time in destinations, we recommend one of our dedicated safari packages, safari extensions, or private tours. These options allow for greater itinerary flexibility and a slower pace. Many of our group tour guests book a safari extension after their Garden Route experience, where we create a safari-based package for them following their Garden Route experience. Regarding lunch stops. We appreciate your feedback regarding the lunch stops and are sorry that the style of lunches did not fully match your preference for more on-the-go meals. This can sometimes be a difficult balance to maintain. We always try to accommodate different travel styles, as some guests prefer quick, on-the-go lunches, while others enjoy slowing down and experiencing fresh local food at lunch stops along the route. Many guests see these meal stops as an important part of the overall travel experience. We agree that every day does not require a sit-down lunch stop. Our guides usually offer a combination of sit-down and on-the-go meals as some days are more relaxed than others. It's tricky, to cater for every individual's needs on a group tour with multiple individuals/couples from all over the world. We are very sorry and disappointed to hear that your experience with Mark was not entirely positive, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback with us. We never want any guest to feel unheard, uncomfortable, or frustrated during their travels, and we are sorry that parts of the experience left you feeling this way. While Mark is often highly praised for his knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm, we completely understand that his communication and guiding style did not align with your personal preferences on this occasion. It was also a particularly challenging week weather wise, which added extra pressure and stress for both guests and guides alike. Having personally guided hundreds of guests along the Garden Route myself, I understand how demanding it can be for a guide to drive safely in severe rain, while at the same time organising logistics, communicating with guests, and trying to keep everyone happy. The added pressure (like the difficult weather on this occasion) can sometimes become overwhelming. That said, this should never take away from the overall guest experience, and we do take your comments and feedback seriously. We will be discussing your feedback with Mark internally and using it as a constructive opportunity for reflection and growth. We genuinely appreciate your feedback, as it helps us continue refining our tours and communication so that guests can choose the experience best suited to their travel style and expectations. We do hope that despite the challenges, there were still moments of beauty and memorable experiences during your time exploring South Africa. We want all our guests to have the best possible time on our tours and it is very disappointing when we don't succeed. Your comments are noted and we will continue to discuss and find ways to improve. Best Regards, Hendrik Human-Owner