Travel Beyond - Travel Agency

Reviews 3

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Anonymous User

Craig Beal and Pam Buttner at Travel Beyond recently put together a fabulous 3-week trip for us to South Africa and Botswana. They listened to what we were interested in doing and helped us create a customized trip that greatly exceeded our needs and expectations. The itinerary we developed together was the perfect blend of game camps mixed with city adventures. Every suggestion they offered about the composition of the trip was spot on in terms of balancing camp stays with city stops while minimizing travel time in between. They have personally been to all the camps we were considering and were able to give us first-hand feedback based on their own experiences. They also use reliable, knowledgeable companies for the private tours, transfers and other activities. We were so amazed by the magical adventures that each new day brought - never a dull moment, as they say! We have some amazing photos and memories of unusual animal interactions - elephants charging the rhino and then the rhino pushing the lions back; lion chasing red leweche right next to us as we were enjoying a private dinner down by the water at Duma Tau (the staff came rushing down to be sure we were okay); a leopard securing her kill in the tree and then hiding next to us in a warthog den as the baboons approached; numerous close elephant encounters in and out of camp; a giraffe kill in Mombo that allowed lions, hyena, jackals and vultures to share the food at the same time because there was so much to go around. Londolozi Camp in Sabi Sands was a very special place to start and as the sole occupants of Granite Camp, we received lots of personal attention. The Botswana camps were interestting and varied. Duma Tau was alive with dog activity - an unexpected bonus as we followed them on the hunt and then watched them devour the kill and take food back to their young cubs. The water area around Little Vumbura in the Okavango Delta is an amazing area and the camp is a small intimate place with very personal service. Mombo was a wonderful finish to an excellent trip. Travel Beyond told everyone that we were celebrating a big anniversary and the camps and hotels went above and beyond to acknowledge it and make us feel special. The camp staff always anticipated our schedule and the inter camp transfers were flawless. We were always met as expected, even if we were running late. Many people recommend minimizing the time in Johannesburg, but Craig arranged a private Soweto tour for us - a very powerful way to end the trip, giving us hope and optimism for the future of South Africa. We highly recommend Travel Beyond as a customer-oriented company with comprehensive knowledge and creative ideas for travel. When I emailed Craig with a question during the trip, he responded within two hours with a detailed answer. We will continue to use and recommend them.

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Anonymous User

My husband and I decided we wanted to go to Africa for our honeymoon and we wanted it to be the most memorable trip ever. After searching around, we found Travel Beyond on the internet and saw that it had amazing reviews. We contacted Craig and from the first moment speaking with him, we were hooked. We could tell right away that he knew Africa like the back of his hand and we wanted him to plan our trip. From the beginning to the end of the trip, every detail was perfect. We told Craig that we wanted to spend a month traveling around Africa and that we didnt shy away from lots of activity. He planned the most amazing trip; in the month we traveled to six different countries, took 24 flights, and stayed at 16 different hotels/camps. In all of that coordinating, there was not one single detailed missed. Every time we got off a flight or showed up to a new hotel, there was a staff member standing there waiting for our arrival. Craig took care of all the details from reminding me to apply for a new passport (I took my husbands last name when we got married) to providing us with information about travel insurance, to scheduling massages for the afternoon we arrived in Cape Town (a great idea after such a long flight) to even letting the staff know at the various camps that I did not eat tomatoes. Everything was absolutely perfect and we cannot thank Craig enough for the experience of a lifetime. After that, we decided we were a "Craig believer"! Both my husband and I travel quite a bit, and we agree that Craig provides an unprecedented level of service. If you are looking for a travel agency, please pick Travel Beyond. I promise, you will be thanking your lucky stars that you did! After such a wonderful experience with Travel Beyond, we decided to have Travel Beyond plan our next trip to Bora Bora. We just got back from that trip and had yet another flawless, memorable trip all thanks to Travel Beyond. This time we worked with Sue. She coordinated the inter-island flights, transfers hotel reservations, and made dinner reservations for us. She always promptly and thoroughly responded to any of our inquiries and she really was a pleasure to work with. She and Craig recommended a restaurant called Villa Mahana. It was the best meal my husband and I have ever had. Hands down. We really appreciate the fact that we know when an agent from Travel Beyond recommends something, it really is the best of the best. My husband wanted to do some kiteboarding on the trip and Craig even went to the trouble of scouting out the best beach for that...where the most wind is. Thats the level of detail you will get from Travel Beyond. Thank you Sue and Craig for helping us create the most wonderful memories.

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Anonymous User

We found Travel Beyond through the Trip Advisor website, and our agent was Pam Buttner. She planned an incredible trip for us through Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, and then on safari in Botswana in May 2010. I could not imagine a more wonderful honeymoon- it was the perfect mix of adventure (bungee jumping in Vic Falls) and relaxation (midday naps on safari). We were treated like royalty throughout our trip with stays in the "honeymoon tent" at Chitabe, private romantic dinners at two camps, and twice were surprised with Champagne. At Victoria Falls, Pam had arranged the bungee jump, and we stayed in the beautiful old Victoria Falls Hotel. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Chitabe camp was magical - its a beautiful camp with wonderful staff. But our guide and the wildlife made it even more magical. We saw wildlife around every corner, leopards, lions, ostrich, giraffe, many kinds of antelope, giraffee, hyenas, birds- bring extra memory cards! At Duba Plains our guide was a lion expert! We enjoyed watching lions mate, and water buffalo grazing. Despite some extra flooding in the area, the camp staff took extra efforts to ensure we didnt miss any of the sights. Our fellow guests from all over the world, made the stay even more memorable. Kwetsani is a beautiful camp with tents high in the trees. The food was absolutely delicious. And watching the most beautiful sunrises from our tent was such a treat. We loved the relaxing mokoro ride. We were glad to have the experience of a "water camp." Pam and Travel Beyond were just wonderful, we were well prepared and every detail was covered. All the transfers between our accommodations were a breeze with the greeters sent to assist us - this was our honeymoon after all, no need to worry about where to go next! Thank you Pam, and we cant wait to plan our next trip with you!

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