Our Testimonials

We have been booking safari holidays with Lara for over 20 years, during which time we have visited many wonderful locations across the African continent. In every case, our itinerary has been faultless. This is only possible because of Lara’s impressive knowledge of the many concessions and camps, which she is able to tailor to our needs and wants, making for a truly bespoke experience which always delivers! 

We have celebrated birthdays, honeymoons, and anniversaries, always putting full trust in Lara to organise a truly memorable holiday, and we have never been let down. 

Having just returned from a magical trip to Botswana and Zambia, we are already thinking about our next adventure and where Lara is going to send us – we wouldn’t even consider going to anyone else!

What an exciting and inspiring time we have had in Sri Lanka.Everything far surpassed our expectations, and Lara helped us hugely within our budget to make it all possible. A trip we have been wanting to do for a very long time and now wanting to do many more! Thank you Lara for giving us the confidence to commit to such a big trip like this for all 5 of us, we will have these memories for a lifetime. Invaluable, we can’t thank you enough, it was AWESOME, we loved every minute. THANK YOU XX

Japan is a great place to visit with lots and lots to see. Lovely people, very friendly and helpful. Country is super clean and very reasonably priced.

Really happy we came.

We had a fantastic trip! Really enhanced by the amazing guides and tours organized by Lara and her team! Istanbul was amazing followed by Cappadocia – here Lara’s attention to detail was just outstanding – we were away from the crowds with space to enjoy the beauty. Thanks Lara!

As a single mother taking two teens on our first big adventure holiday I wanted to be sure that we would be seeing/doing as much as possible, and I also wanted a break from being in charge of everything myself – our Sri Lankan trip was everything I could have wished for. Our lovely guide Indika whisked us from one amazing place to another – temples, palaces, botanical gardens, Buddhist culture, the unforgettable Perahera festival in Kandy, tea plantations, elephant safaris, crocodiles, turtles, roti by the roadside, weird and wonderful fruits, warm turquoise sea, beautiful hotels, lovely people – Lara couldn’t have done a better job of creating an unforgettable experience for us – thank you!

We had the most wonderful week on board Ms Fortuna.  We were blown away by how spacious the boat is and the incredible service from the crew.  Blue sky, heavenly sea and beautiful landscapes.  We loved mooring in idyllic coves every night.  Fresh and delicious meals were an absolute highlight.

Thank you Lara for ensuring every detail was perfect.   The best family holiday we have had, we will do it again.

We had an absolutely fabulous holiday aboard MS Nikola! It was heaven: Sunny blue skies, azure blue water and delicious Mediterranean fare. Captain Ramazan, Ilmaz the chef and Ayaz the crewman were the best! They were enthusiastic, proud of their gulet and eager to show us hidden bays and special places along the way. There was lots of time for swimming, snorkelling, water-skiing and simply relaxing, reading and soaking in the stunning scenery. All just brilliant… A fabulous family trip!

Lara organised a truly memorable holiday of a lifetime for the two of us in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. We will never forget the sights, the animals, the people and the incredible experiences that we had there. When we first spoke to Lara with our ideas she listened and tailored our trip to include everything we hoped for plus a few surprises which we loved! She obviously knows Botswana well, so each of the safari camps we stayed at were delightful and had something different to offer. All the flights and transfers went smoothly but it was a comfort to know that Lara was there if we ever needed help. We would certainly recommend speaking to @LaraMacdonaldtravel to help plan a big trip. I know we certainly will. Thank you for a fantastic trip Lara – we still can’t stop talking about it!

We have just experienced an amazing trip to Cambodia and Vietnam.

Siem Reap – staying at Phum Baitang, a lovely hotel which we would highly recommend. Visiting Angkor Wat and other temples, incredible. Landmine rats were so interesting, street markets by vespa was great fun.

Phnom Penh – super stay an  service at Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh. The Genocide Museum is an eye opener to the horrors of the past.

Aqua Mekong cruise – fabulous boat, food and service.

Two super activities per day. Met some lovely people on board which made it very social. Attention to detail was excellent.

Vietnam – at Park Hyatt Saigon, very nice hotel with great restaurants and bars. Visited Cu Chi Tunnels, another eye opener from the past. Well worth a visit.

Thank you Lara for organising such a fantastic trip.

Our Moroccan holiday, curated by @laramacdonaldtravel exceeded our expectations. She managed every detail from drivers to check in to beautiful boutique hotels, walking and foodie tours, hikes, hammams and cooking classes. She got us a great deal, kept us informed along the way and everything worked perfectly!
Thanks so much Lara!

Home from a fabulous week at Ikos Dassia. Park any concerns you may have of an all inclusive – this was simply the perfect way to spend a week with three families. We return rested (great beds!), over-fed and over-watered (parents), whilst the younger generation loved the liberty of ordering what they wanted, when they wanted, and how often they wanted! Tennis before breakfast, the well stocked gyms (apparently!) after. Stand-up paddle or kayak in the crystal clear waters before an amazing beachside lunch, or a visit to what has to be one of the best destination restaurants in the world, atop the cliffs overlooking the mainland. A simply stunning vista. Splendid evening meals with lovely wines, and a staff body that are quite brilliant.
Would we return? Absolutely.

Choosing a country and planning an itinerary for your next family holiday can seem daunting. For the last ten years, we’ve relied on Lara’s travel knowledge and visited countries that have suited us perfectly. From beach resorts in Oman, Egypt and Mauritius to trekking in the Atlas Mountains and sailing in Turkey, our holidays have been spot on. Our recent trip to Viêt Nam did not disappoint, with its rich history, diverse culture, charming people and delicious food wowing us from the start.
Where next Lara?

We have arrived at Lewa this morning and it has surpassed our expectations- it’s beautiful. Our room is gorgeous and everyone is so friendly, thank you for recommending.

Recently returned from a thoroughly relaxing last-minute break in Marrakesh. Lara booked everything for us – flights, transfers, beautiful hotels and amazing restaurants – perfect attention to detail. The Capaldi Hotel was a perfect escape hidden in the Atlas Mountains. Beautifully tranquil and a wonderful place to get engaged! Dar Zamora was a ‘little oasis’ 10 minutes from the Medina. Very spoiling, heavenly gardens, beautiful rooms with attentive staff and fantastic cuisine. Totally relaxing! We will definitely be booking with Lara again – thank vou!

What a beautiful and tranquil hotel set in its own quiet bay. Super friendly hotel staff, lovely restaurants and great cuisine. Lots of local delights to visit by taxi, or see the island by boat on a trip off Carlisle Bay’s own beach. Perfect place to switch off and chill. Thank you Lara

Thank you Lara for organising a most fabulous 10 day trip to Egypt. The Nile cruise lived up to all expectations and Abu Simbel is an essential add on and Cairo was a pure joy

Thank you to Lara MacDonald for organising a wonderful family trip to Sri Lanka. I have always wanted to visit as my mother was brought up there. so wonderful to see the tea estates, the amazing countryside and the coastal areas. lovely hotels and very stress free organisation from Lara.

I have travelled to India on business many times but never stopped to really understand it. 8 hours with Morgan visiting the markets of Mumbai and witnessing it by travelling on buses and trains you really start to get an understanding for the city and it’s people. A must do (life is too short), excellent add on if you’re passing through Mumbai like me. Thank you Lara for organising such a memorable day.

We are having a simply wonderful time. Lewa is so special and we have seen so much game including a leopard this evening. The food is delicious and we saw it all growing in the farm. We are having an amazing time – thank you so much Lara

we have just returned from a sneaky, restorative break, a deux to the land of rice fields, noodles, beaches, rivers, bustling cities, glorious people and spectacular scenery. Two wonderful countries, Vietnam & Cambodia. Thank you to Lara for your total brilliance in tailoring and sorting out our trip for us, and in such a short turnaround too.

Hildana was just amazing – we had the most beautiful cottage and the view when you walk in is just incredible!
We were met by 15 elephants wallowing in the water hole! we have had the most wonderful experience wherever we have stayed. We are planning on bringing family back to share these experiences – thank you Lara

Only one word can describe our holiday, “paradise”. Golden sands, crystal clear sea, blue skies and the most stars I have ever seen. Once again, Lara has succeeded. whenever we ask Lara to arrange our trips she always manages to get it right every time. Somewhere to relax and plenty for the children to do. beautiful water villa and really lovely food. Already looking at the many islands the Maldives has to offer, want to visit them all!

Lara planned a very special trip to Africa for my family. I was incredibly impressed with Lara’s bottomless knowledge on all things safari. She will guide you to a dream holiday meeting all your requirements whilst tailor making the holiday to suit you. Lara will continue to monitor and assist, if necessary, throughout your trip. we loved Cape Town, our fabulous safari in Sabi Sands and the stunning beaches of Benguerra Island in Mozambique. Lara is your ticket to the most beautiful and memorable trip.
Thank you Lara

Amazing week! Our first experience of a sailing holiday and I will be honest I was slightly nervous. We boarded in the afternoon, were given information regarding the gulet and then we set sail, wow! The most amazing little coves, amazing food and such a welcoming crew. We all (group of 10) had a brilliant time. Even before the trip ended we were talking about our next trip. Once again Lara has ticked all the boxes.

Jamie was great threw the booking process, listening to what we wanted (despite the fact that we had never been to Africa) he was able to provide us with a number of options. Then the Virus hit. He was in close contact with us making suggestions of what we could do within the time we had left as we couldn’t go into Zimbabwe as planned. Despite the madness of the world the trip Jamie was able to organise and the changes he made whilst the world changed minute by minute meant we didn’t lose out! It was truly fabulous and met all our-bucket list requirements.

Each place we stayed was varied and interesting on their own right in Joburg, Cape Town, the wine district, & Pretoria. The 4 Reserves and lodges were very different. All good and even managed to get my request for snorkelling was met. The last reserve in Madikwe was excellent regarding the number of animals and the quality of the guide. The only thing that would make it absolutely perfect now is if Jamie can pull a giraffe out of a hat and get the money back from the 2 safaris we couldn’t attend (due to border closures) or at least get a 2-year credit.

He is possibly the best person we have ever dealt with in organising a trip. We travel yearly and Jamie was there checking in to make sure all was going well. Thank you so much. Hang on Jamie (we know times are hard) your fabulous service and knowledge will survive!

We were treated to 10 days of independent travel by hire car throughout much of Cape Province of S A. Magnificent scenery, wonderful boutique hotels in stunning locations, what more could one ask for. All arrangements went like clockwork.

Hide & Seek came as a recommendation from good friends of ours who travelled with the company last year. I have to say, I can now see why. We have never really experienced a travel agency with such a detailed knowledge of the destination. Every question we asked was for immediately and well addressed, with a level of objectively that left us feeling that there was no hidden (sales focused) agenda. It took time getting everything together, with many phone calls, e-mails and Skype calls – in the end it all paid off with a holiday we will never forget. There is no doubt in my mind that Hide & Seek made this possible. We will not only be referring friends and family but will hopefully be back in touch again soon! Thank you again. Susanne

Baraza Hotel and Spa is a fantastic hotel with smiley, professional and highly attentive staff, beautifully appointed and fitted out villas, the most delicious food and drinks, a fantastic beach (look out for the sea urchins though), a great water sports centre, an amazing spa and wonderfully maintained gardens. We spent a week there over Christmas and couldn’t have been more impressed – their Christmas celebrations were perfect with Swahilli carol singers and Santa arriving by beach buggy. A great winter get away loved by all the family.

All in all, an incredible trip! Thank you Hide & Seek for the guidance, arrangments, nevermind your patience! We will certainly recommend you guys in the future. Thanks again. John

Good day Jamie.

It’s been hectic since we got back with kids schooling and work. Maham’s away on business and will probably respond when she has a moment. The trip was awesome and the quick changes you were able to make for us made it even better. Certainly 10 stars service on a scale of 1 to 5 🙂

The driver’s you hire are amazing. They held our place in line for Robbin island so we could eat before going since it was tight catching the ferry from the 3hr drive. we had to catch that ferry or we risked missing our flight to Rwanda. It’s was alot of running but the driver’s made it stress free. On our last day, we were able to change up our plans with the driver to see the golden monkeys before our flight back home allowing us to squeeze in everything possible. The service at the hotels were awesome. Especially in Rwanda. The day we left it was raining and after the golden monkeys so we were very muddy and I only had one pair of hiking shoes for the trip. Everything was cleaned and dried for us before leaving on our flight back home.

We already had some close friends looking to do a similar trip based on our experience.

Thanks again and talk to you later

Cheers
Trevor

Thank you for arranging our Safari holiday in Kenya and Tanzania for us.

It was to celebrate our 40th. Wedding anniversary which was on July 1st. 2018, and through your arrangements, we have had a holiday that we will never forget, as we had the most amazing time.

Using your itinerary booklet, which came in a smart leather case, we travelled to Kenya for our first safari in tent style accommodation. We travelled in light aircraft to get us to our camp sites and back, and with the help of travel guides, who greeted us and helped us at the domestic airports, everything went smoothly.

Our tent at the Kichi Tembo camp in Kenya, was close to the reception/ restaurant area which was a big help as I (Stephen) have a prosthetic leg to walk with. The accommodation was excellent, with an easy walk in shower, and lovely double bed looking out onto the safari area.

Our own Butler brought us tea in the morning as a wake up call before we went on early morning safari drives and had breakfast in the bush.

Our first Safari guide was Benson, he was so lovely and very informative about the animals and wildlife.

After seeing an abundance of animals, we were taken to hotels in Stonetown and Pongwe, in Zanzibar, an island off Tanzania. We had a great experience in Zanzibar, with a pleasant guide taking us on a tour through the centre of town.

We then flew to Tanzania with the help of a driver to get us to the correct airport and organize where and what to do.

We arrived at our next camp Lake Manzi, on time and had an amazing greeting, as we were welcomed with people singing to us on our way in.

On the first night in our tent, we had elephants wandering past the front of our tent and that carried on for the rest of our four night stay there.

On our safari adventures we saw several lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, rhino, hippos, crocodiles, impalas, monkeys plus other animals and lots of colourful wildlife too.

Truly an amazing holiday with dinner on the beach and three surprise 40th , Anniversary cakes. One from the hotel in Nairobi and one from each campsite. One being on our last safari, next to a lake with the sun setting in front of us.
Thank you Jamie for organizing our holiday so well, it was a truly wonderful experience.

Kind regards,

Margaret and Stephen

My recent trip to Zimbabwe and Madagascar went off without a hitch, every flight every connection, every camp, every driver was spot on. Jamie provided excellent advice on the various locations, answered endless questions and ultimately delivered an itinerary and trip that exceeded our expectations. I am a repeat customer and will be back again in the future, which I think says it all.

Jamie organised a wonderful holiday for Janice and myself. Everything ran smoothly on the ground and we both had a fantastic time. I would absolutely recommend Hide and Seek Travel to anyone wanting to visit Africa on a private basis, not a large group tour. Thanks Jamie.

Our Namibian self drive adventure was truly exceptional. Jamie tailored an itinerary which was far beyond our expectations. He has an incredible knowledge of the lodges, activities and country as a whole and was always available to answer any queries we had. The amount of detail which hide and seek went into when planning our route can only be described as first class perfectly combining safari with culture. We have had a holiday of a lifetime thanks to Jaime and cannot wait to book the next adventure!

Fantastic experience from start to finish on our holiday to Namibia through Jamie at Hide and Seek Travel! Highly professional, reliable and organise, it was a joy to deal with Jamie. His knowledge of the destination was second to none , sticking to our budget all of the way and on hand to answer all manner of questions. He perfectly combined safari with culture on the self drive route to give us a real sense of the country and the best holiday we have ever had. The whole experience was flawless, cannot recommend Jamie enough and we are already looking for the next destination!

Holiday of a life time

Where to begin in reviewing such an amazing trip…
We have just returned from a 2 week self drive tour of the beautiful country of Namibia, organised by Jamie at Hide and Seek Travel.
From the initial planning stages, Jamie was outstanding, using his intimate knowledge of Africa to quickly and efficiently put together an itinerary which suited our brief, always on hand to answer questions or tweek the plan slightly. The whole process was very relaxed and hastle free, receiving a detailed itinerary before leaving and being met at the airport in Namibia to go over everything before leaving on our adventure. Words cannot describe the lodges chosen by Jamie, with particular highlights of tracking desert elephants in the Damaraland region and safari in the Etosha National Park. He was able to arrange our self drive tour on a route which limited drive times but made the most of the stunning regions. I cannot recommend Jamie highly enough and are looking forward to planning our next African adventure!

Last year in Zimbabwe and Zambia the camp selections were first rate and the travel between them was well organized. Never any problems. We saw and experienced everything desired and more! We are returning to Botswana in May.

Three of the most incredible weeks perfectly planned from start to finish across three countries. I couldn’t have imagined a more polished holiday. Our accommodation, from a number of superb hotels, to African plain tents and even a treetop camp, provided the most unforgettable locations in Capetown through to remote Botswana. A very personal service which I couldn’t recommend enough.

Thank you very much for organizing such a fantastic honeymoon for us. Jamie was very helpful and listened to what we wanted when we were first booking it. He was very knowledgeable about Africa. He came up with a fantastic itinerary and the entire trip really exceeded our expectations. The places we stayed were all excellent. He also paid great attention to all the finer details when organising the trip. Our flights and transfers were all seamless. We had no issues whatsoever with travelling and there was always someone waiting for us at each stage. The timings of travel were also good so we never felt we were in a rush. Our honeymoon was made even more special with some nice touches such as cake and champagne in the places we were staying. I think his best advice was to do the beach holiday part first in Zanzibar and leave the Safari to the last week so that we finished on a high. We got married a few days before departure on honeymoon so relaxation on the beach the first week was perfect. Thanks again Jamie and Hide & Seek for a unforgettable trip!

We’re back home after the most amazing two weeks and South Africa and wanted to pass along our sincere thanks. You planned an absolutely awesome honeymoon for us, and every stop along the way blew us away. Grand Dedale in wine country was so peaceful and serene, and it didn’t hurt that the food and wine were delicious!

Treetops was unbelievable – the most luxurious place we might ever stay at, and the service was incredible. They pampered us big time. The safari at Kwandwe was also an absolutely incredible experience. The ranger and tracker we were paired up with were so good, and got us some of the coolest sightings we could have asked for – cheetahs, rhinos, lions, elephants and anything you could think of! We were even lucky enough to see a male lion chase a rhino right in front of our truck. So cool!

The logistics with the flights, rental cars and directions were also well coordinated, and we made our way around with absolutely no issues.

Thanks again for the awesome service – it was a couple of weeks we will never forget!

Philip & Rhi

We spoke to numerous travel agents over the period we looked at booking our honeymoon and only hide and seek gave me the confidence I was looking for. Really pleased with our decision.

We had such an incredible time, thank you so much everything guys! We will definitely be referring friends your way in the near future and all being well we will be back in touch to organise our next big adventure!

We had a wonderful time away – so many new sights and experiences, with memories we will always treasure! Thank you so much for everything Hide and Seek!

We booked our family vacation through Hide & Seek – this was our first visit to Africa, so a little guidance on where to go and what to do was needed. Over the course of two weeks ‘consultation,’ we ultimately had what appeared to be the perfect safari for us. I’m pleased to say that the actual vacation proved to surpass our expectations in so many ways.

There was an issue with a delayed flight out of JFK, but this could not have been avoided – Hide & Seek were also at hand to make adjustments to our itinerary so as little time on arrival was lost. It was very reassuring to have had Hide & Seek take care of these issues as well as they did.

We would love to return to Africa again and will certainly be booking this through Jamie. In the meantime, we will happily be referring to friends and family.

Thank you again.

Regards, Stephen

Thanks so much for a truly unforgettable once in a lifetime holiday. Hopefully, we will be in touch again soon!

We spoke to numerous travel agents over the period we looked at booking our honeymoon and only hide and seek gave me the confidence I was looking for. Really pleased with our decision.

Jamie was excellent. Once I described what we wanted I knew he would come up with the business. ..and he did!!! 5 stars

Jamie was very helpful throughout the booking process and recommended the perfect holiday. There was nothing we would change having now been out to Tanzania. I would highly recommend Hide & Seek to friends and relatives.

Spot on in terms of the itinerary. We were not disappointed by any of the suggestions and had the best holiday ever! Thank you!

We recently booked a tour to South America through Hide and Seek Travel and the whole customer journey was first class from start to finish.
We had done a lot of research into various countries and experiences ourselves and nothing we found quite encompassed everything we wanted to do.
Jamie at Hide and Seek managed to tailor an intinerary for our holiday that ticked all the boxes and met all our exceedingly fussy needs.
Fantastic service and no question was left unanswered.
Will definitely be using again in the future!!

Hide and Seek arranged the most fantastic honeymoon for us.
Starting with a safari in Kenya and finishing with a 5* resort in Zanzibar. Couldn’t have asked for better treatment throughout.
Very well organised, superb accomadation, amazing food.
An experience of a lifetime.
I would highly recommend this travel agent to anyone.

Amazing service! Hassle free from start to finish, I would highly recommend Hide and Seek Travel. Their customer service is first class, they tailored our trip to make it the most amazing trip of a lifetime! I couldn’t have asked for any better service.