Fantastic Day with Carlin! - Carlin was fantastic! I contacted him a few days before we went for our day with him. He was very communicative through Whats App and was indeed there with a sign with my name on it. The cruise line made it unclear about when we could get off, the walk from the ship to the guides was less than five minutes (easy and safe walk, originally they were leery about letting us off saying we needed a shuttle) The four of us got in his car and headed to Addo Elephant park and had very close and wonderful sightings of elephants, zebra, ostrich, birds and more. He was fun, informative and grew up in the area so he had a wealth of knowledge. We then went to a locally owned restaurant for the cuisine of the area and enjoyed meat pies, stuffed breads, fresh juices and dessert. He then took us to a reserve for the giraffe walk. Carlin along with a local guide took us in an open air vehicle where we saw more wildlife and were able to get out of the vehicle to see the giraffes much closer than I anticipated. It was REALLY great! Two males were strutting for a female; it was a "fight" that looked like a ballet. At no time were we nervous for our safety, the goal of the reserve is to respect the natural state of the wildlife and the safety of the guests. A few insights for anyone who might be leery of booking independently; Carlin's English was great he is young and eager to grow his travel business and was very accommodating. Addo Elephant park you must remain in the vehicle, The "Giraffe Walk" was not a hike, you could get out of the vehicle and follow them for a bit, the open air vehicle requires a bit of dexterity. I would definitely wear closed toe shoes and lightweight long pants as there are thorny bushes. We saw the cruise tour busses at Addo and there were 40 people on them while we were only four, Carlin maneuvered the car so that everyone could get a great vantage point. Pricing through the cruise was more for two people than our group of four and they only went to Addo and did not get to experience the giraffe park. 10/10 recommend.

Skip the cruise shore excursion for a fantastic day with Carlin! - Carlin was fantastic! I contacted him a few days before we went for our day with him. He was very communicative through Whats App and was indeed there with a sign with my name on it. The cruise line made it unclear about when we could get off, the walk from the ship to the guides was less than five minutes (easy and safe walk, originally they were leery about letting us off saying we needed a shuttle) The four of us got in his car and headed to Addo Elephant park and had very close and wonderful sightings of elephants, zebra, ostrich, birds and more. He was fun, informative and grew up in the area so he had a wealth of knowledge. We then went to a locally owned restaurant for the cuisine of the area and enjoyed meat pies, stuffed breads, fresh juices and dessert. He then took us to a reserve for the giraffe walk. Carlin along with a local guide took us in an open air vehicle where we saw more wildlife and were able to get out of the vehicle to see the giraffes much closer than I anticipated. It was REALLY great! Two males were strutting for a female; it was a "fight" that looked like a ballet. At no time were we nervous for our safety, the goal of the reserve is to respect the natural state of the wildlife and the safety of the guests. A few insights for anyone who might be leery of booking independently; Carlin's English was great he is young and eager to grow his travel business and was very accommodating. Addo Elephant park you must remain in the vehicle, The "Giraffe Walk" was not a hike, you could get out of the vehicle and follow them for a bit, the open air vehicle requires a bit of dexterity. I would definitely wear closed toe shoes and lightweight long pants as there are thorny bushes. We saw the cruise tour busses at Addo and there were 40 people on them while we were only four, Carlin maneuvered the car so that everyone could get a great vantage point. Pricing through the cruise was more for two people than our group of four and they only went to Addo and did not get to experience the giraffe park. 10/10 recommend.

Passionate Tour Guide - What an absolute experience we had with Carlin's Tours. Thank you for the all the wealth of knowledge you have shared with us. You kept the kids entertained with all your little jokes and commentary. Definitely will recommend you to anyone from friends to family. I cant wait for our next trip to Port Elizabeth so that we can book the Garden Route.