Zulu Trail - Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique

Traveler Reviews

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  Jordan

  June 5th, 2026
  This version hits much harder because it makes clear that the problem wasn't Africa, bad luck, or operational...
  This version hits much harder because it makes clear that the problem wasn't Africa, bad luck, or operational changes. It was chronic poor planning and guides who added almost no value. I travelled on Penguin Travel's Zulu Trail tour through South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique in May 2026. Having travelled to more than 120 countries and taken countless small-group and overland tours around the world, this was unfortunately one of the most poorly organised tours I have ever experienced. What makes this particularly frustrating is that the destinations themselves were excellent. Southern Africa is fascinating, beautiful and rewarding to explore. My criticism is not of the countries we visited. It is of a tour operator that consistently failed to deliver what was advertised and then refused to meaningfully acknowledge those failures afterward. The itinerary I booked was not the itinerary that was delivered. The clearest example was Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Eswatini. The itinerary explicitly stated "Overnight: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary" on both Day 7 and Day 8. Two nights in the sanctuary were advertised and sold. We received one. The second night was moved to accommodation in Manzini, a city environment with little to do and none of the atmosphere that had attracted me to the tour in the first place. This was one of the experiences I was most looking forward to and one of the reasons I booked the trip. I raised the issue during the tour itself. Months later Penguin's final position was still that the itinerary had been delivered in full accordance with the agreed programme. It simply had not. Accommodation substitutions occurred elsewhere too. One of the lodges advertised in South Africa was replaced by another property. Penguin later claimed this was due to operational requirements, but both properties were available and located virtually next to one another. From a guest perspective it felt like a cost-cutting substitution that resulted in a worse experience than the one advertised. Driving times were another major issue. I fully understand that travel in Africa can involve delays. Roads, weather, border crossings and traffic all happen. That is not what occurred here. The problem was that many of the published driving times appeared completely unrealistic from the outset. Journeys advertised as three to four hours routinely became seven or eight hours. This happened repeatedly. Not once or twice. Repeatedly. Particularly in Mozambique, days that appeared manageable on paper turned into exhausting all-day drives. Had the actual driving times been disclosed accurately, I would almost certainly not have booked the tour. It felt as though the itinerary had been designed to look more appealing than the reality. The long drives may have been tolerable if they had been accompanied by good guiding. Unfortunately, the guiding was among the weakest I have encountered on any organised tour. Most days consisted of simply being transported from one place to another. There was very little commentary, cultural insight, historical information, wildlife interpretation, or explanation of what we were seeing. We would pass through fascinating regions of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Mozambique and hear almost nothing about them. Basic questions often could not be answered. What time are we leaving tomorrow? Unsure. How long is the drive? Unsure. What are we seeing today? Unsure. On one occasion a guide told we'd be back by sunset, then we got back at 3pm with nothing else to do. Frequently it felt as though the guides themselves did not know the itinerary particularly well. One guide refused to use WhatsApp, making communication with the group unnecessarily difficult. Important information often had to be chased rather than provided. What was particularly disappointing was that the driving days contained almost no effort to make the journey itself interesting. Rather than stopping at viewpoints, local attractions, cultural sites, scenic locations or places of interest, many days consisted of hours of driving punctuated by a petrol station or fast-food stop before continuing again. One example that perfectly summed up the tour occurred in Durban. The itinerary promised a seaside lunch stop. Instead, the guide attempted to take the group to a shopping mall because it was more convenient for him and the vehicle. Only after significant pushback from the group did we eventually stop near the waterfront, and even then we were taken to a generic chain restaurant. It felt representative of the entire trip: convenience for the operator taking priority over the experience of paying guests. The transport arrangements themselves were also deeply concerning. The vehicles supplied were frequently too small for the number of passengers and luggage being carried. This was not a passenger problem. This was a planning problem, or budget. 8 people in a tiny minivan, it was hot and no windows for hours. On one transfer there was clearly insufficient space for everyone. The situation became so ridiculous that one traveller ultimately had to take a separate taxi across an international border because the vehicle could not accommodate all passengers and luggage. Some seatbelts were not functioning properly. In Mozambique, the vehicle broke down multiple times. We lost hours sitting at petrol stations waiting for repairs. These were not minor delays. They turned already lengthy days into even longer ones. There was little communication, no apology, and no contingency planning. At times it genuinely felt as though basic operational planning had been abandoned. What disappointed me most, however, was Penguin Travel's response during and afterward. Rather than acknowledging clear discrepancies between what was advertised and what was delivered, the company largely relied on generic explanations and blanket denials. Accommodation changes were described as operational necessities. Vehicle issues were attributed to regional standards. Unrealistic driving times were blamed on traffic and road conditions. The missing sanctuary overnight was effectively denied despite appearing clearly in the published itinerary. The final conclusion from Penguin was that the tour had been delivered "in full accordance with the agreed programme.". It was not. That statement alone tells prospective travellers everything they need to know. The destinations were memorable. The organisation was not. This tour often felt less like a professionally guided journey and more like an underfunded transport service moving people between hotels with minimal planning, minimal communication, and minimal accountability. Based on my experience, I would not travel with Penguin Travel again and would strongly encourage prospective travellers to read both positive and negative reviews carefully before booking.Show more
  Traveled in May 2026