Review: Southern Africa Adventure With John Hall’s Alaska

Sitting in an open-air safari jeep, I found myself leaning away from the door as a lion quietly walked toward us, his gold-flecked eyes gazing straight ahead, a gentle breeze rustling his mane. 

Our guide, Raymond, whispered to me not to be frightened as the lion passed less than 6 feet from my side of the vehicle. I shook my head — I wasn’t scared; I was intuitively giving the lion the respect he deserved. After he passed, I turned and saw that he was laser-focused not on us, but a lioness ahead of him.

I was at Shamwari Private Game Reserve as part of the Southern Africa Adventure from John Hall’s Alaska’s. During this 10-day tour of South Africa, Zimbabwe and the Chobe River, our aims were to search for the Big Five, visit one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and better understand African nature and culture.

A Commitment to Exceptional Experiences

An expert in Alaska travel for more than 40 years, family-owned and -operated John Hall’s Alaska began offering World Adventures about a decade ago, seeking out like-minded on-the-ground partners who shared the same commitment to providing exceptional experiences and customer service to guests. 

This is the biggest challenge — finding a small, family-owned business that will allow us to craft to John Hall’s Alaska standards and not fit in a cookie-cutter.

“This is the biggest challenge — finding a small, family-owned business that will allow us to craft to John Hall’s Alaska standards and not fit in a cookie-cutter,” said Elizabeth Hall, president of John Hall’s Alaska, when asked with whom the company partners. “We have worked hard for our reputation, and it is extremely challenging to put it in the hands of someone else and ensure it will still meet our standards.”

Other World Adventures offered in 2025 include explorations in Antarctica, the Galapagos, Australia and New Zealand and Michigan. In 2026, the company will expand to Italy, Costa Rica and Washington, D.C.

My lion encounter was but one of the awe-inspiring wildlife sightings a client can hope to have during their time in Africa with the operator.

The Journey Begins in Cape Town

When the Southern Africa Adventure group arrives in Cape Town, they’ll be met by a John Hall’s representative and transferred to the accommodations for the night, The Table Bay Hotel, set on the V&A Waterfront. 

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I had actually arrived in the city a few days early with my sister and joined other John Hall’s guests on a pre-tour excursion to Robben Island, where Christo Brand, prison guard for Nelson Mandela, gave us a private tour and shared stories of his time with the South African anti-apartheid activist and politician. Additional pre-tour excursion options include visiting Cape Point and seeing South African penguins and visiting Table Mountain.

On Safari In Shamwari

The following morning, our group of 20 boarded a motor coach to transfer to the airport for our flight to Port Elizabeth. Upon arrival, we transferred to Shamwari Game Reserve, settled into our spacious rooms at Long Lee Manor — reserved exclusively for our group — divided into smaller groups, and set out on our first game drives. 

Days on safari at Shamwari started early, with sunrise game drives for better chances of spotting animals, where the guides took great care to show the animals respect. Stomachs rumbling, we were greeted back at the manor with a lavish breakfast spread to satiate our appetites. Afternoons were spent lunching and relaxing poolside in preparation for late-afternoon drives that stretched into evening. 

We followed that with sundowners — a safari tradition where cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served by the guides on the plains. Then, it was back to the manor for dinner before turning in for a deep sleep to recharge for the next day’s adventures. 

Throughout the course of our six game drives, Raymond worked his magic; we spotted four of the Big Five that make their homes on the reserve: Cape buffalo, elephants, lions and rhinoceroses. Though he tried in earnest to find the fifth — a leopard — she eluded us, and we all agreed to “leave it to nature.” We were fortunate to also see cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos, impalas, kudus, baboons, warthogs, hyenas and countless species of birds during our time on the reserve.

The Smoke That Thunders

After three days on safari, we took a charter flight to Zimbabwe to check into The Victoria Falls Hotel, which provides views of the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge.

In addition to a private guided tour of Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, John Hall’s Alaska offers optional excursions (at an added cost) so guests can make the most of their time here; these include a helicopter flight over the falls, ziplining over the Zambezi River and surrounding gorge, and horseback riding along the river. I opted to visit an elephant rehabilitation facility to get up close to the gentle giants. 

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Evenings in Victoria Falls were spent cruising the Zambezi River at sunset, enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the reserved top deck of a river boat before a private dinner and boarding the Bushtracks Express vintage train for an exclusive ride on the railroad, with a stop on the Victoria Falls Bridge and dinner.

Chobe River Safari

The final leg of John Hall’s Southern Africa Adventure was a two-night stay onboard the Zambezi Queen, chartered exclusively for our group. Moored at night, the three-story riverboat spends the days floating down the river, affording spectacular views of the land and the animals who roam freely.

Rather than jeeps, we boarded smaller, flat-bottom boats for “game drives” on the Chobe River, which flows between Botswana and Namibia. During our morning and late-afternoon outings, we spotted many of the same animals we had seen on land from the water, including Cape buffalo, lions, warthogs and more elephants and hippos than we could count. Optional early morning (included) excursions included birding and fishing, along with a visit to the nearby village, which provided an opportunity to connect with locals and hear their stories.

On the final day of the trip, we took a flight from Kasane to Johannesburg to begin our treks home. Even before I boarded the 18-hour flight back to the U.S., I was making plans for a return trip to Africa; the spirit and beauty of the country took hold of my heart and won’t let go.