Annie is a wonderful agent, met our every need on this amazing adventure in Finland. Hotel arrangements while visiting Helsinki were beyond my expectation, definitely 5 star accomodations. Then off to Ivalo, where again Aurora Holidays treated us like stars! Tina and all her staff, again went above and beyond. Food, accomodations and all our ventures out were amazing. Would highly recommend both if you have plans to see the Northern Lights!

The trip was incredible and unforgettable. Annie has a passion for her work as trip organizer--she's knowledgeable, organized, and focused on each individual within the group that she leads. She makes the right connections with local hosts, in this case Tiina at Aurora Holidays, to make sure that the accommodations and meals were excellent. Daily activities were varied and fun, giving guests the option of taking part or having a day of rest. Highly, highly recommended!

I don't even know where to start! This trip was jam packed with events, either included with the trip or optional, very affordable add-ons, and each was just an excellent, well managed experience! I arrived a few days early because I was coming in from a different direction; I was met at the airport by Mike Smith, who also accompanied me on some optional trips prior to the official trip beginning (Voortrekker Museum, Cullinan Diamond Mine, etc). Mike is an excellent guide and extremely knowledgeable! During the initial days I was based at the Protea Hotel, which is extremely well managed by Louise and her staff, so that too was a fantastic experience. The first phase of the trip was a flight to Zimbabwe, where we were met by Moses. I really enjoyed meeting Moses, especially since it was only a few days after the Zim elections. Our other guides were Profit and Tich, and they were also a joy to meet and hold conversations with. We were based in a lovely "lodge" which was more like a giant Air BnB in a residential neighborhood of "lodges;" it was an extremely safe environment although I'll admit I was a bit surprised as I'm more of a bush girl. We had an individual room which was gorgeous! Following a long walking tour of Victoria Falls (thrilling!), I did the optional helicopter ride of the falls. It was just 15 minutes but gave a brilliant perspective of what we had just walked. I also did the infamous "Devil's Fall," which is right where the Falls go over. It's not for the faint of heart, but I'm SO glad I did it!!! I was truly sorry to leave Zimbabwe, and would have gladly stayed a few more days. We flew out of Zimbabwe and went straight to a true bush lodge called Mziki, and it was true heaven! There were all kinds of events planned and late afternoon/evening safaris with sundowners. Morning safaris included hot coffee and/or tea plus some of the most delicious snacks I've ever had. Definitely did not want to leave Mziki; it was heaven! The staff was primarily Zola and Nathan, with Devon coming in towards the end. It was a very laid back existence, yet it also seemed like we had events planned all day, every day. I thought about planting my feet in cement when it came time to leave! From Mziki, we went to a new lodge called Candlewood, where "wild" animals roam freely. We had individual units which were simply huge, including a second bedroom for storing luggage, as well as a large veranda for sitting out and watching the wildlife. Zebra even roamed up to the guest pool to catch a quick drink of water, to the delight of children who were there! The food was fantastic, with one of the most delicious made to order omelets I've ever had. From Candlewood, we flew to Cape Town, where Amaan met us and because of the weather, reorganized the trip to something more amenable. We did wine tastings, and me, who hates red wine, ended up buying some of the most gorgeous red wine I've ever tasted! The properties we visited were very historic and Amaan was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the areas we toured. We saw two of the three baboon trips in one refuge, which was quite thrilling; another highlight was taking the funicular up to the top of Table Mountain which felt like being on top of the world! We also visited the Apartheid Museum which was very well done in terms of explaining the history of Nelson Mandela and the various political relationships he encountered in his life. I have left out so many things we did on this trip but it's already a very long review! I obviously highly recommend the trip; there was nothing that wasn't well planned and well thought out, and even if there was a hiccup (which is going to happen because "This is Africa," it was immediately correctly, seamlessly. I can't say enough good things about Annie Emmanuelli of Bucket List Travel, as well as Tim and Mike Smith of Wildside Tours and Safaris. Mike Smith was the one we primarily were with on the ground, and he was the most chillaxed person...which was the perfect personality for a trip to Africa!

This trip was A LIFE CHANGER! I have dreamed of going to Africa for years and thanks to Annie, it became a reality. From start to finish, she answered every question I had and prepped us all for what we needed for this trip. I felt completely safe and taken care of the whole time. Our guides along the trip were amazing and felt like friends by the end! Every day was planned to the fullest experience and you truly get the bang for your buck! The food, culture, animals, lodges were all amazing. Going on game rides is an experience I’ll never forget. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat is a true gift. I 1000% will come back to Africa with Annie and can not recommend this trip enough.

Thank you, Annie for this wonder-filled adventure! From Victoria Falls to Johannesburg and Cape Town, the thrills never stopped. The trip was well-organized, and details managed so we just had to show up and enjoy the safaris and game drives, hikes, boat rides, helicopter and hot air balloon rides, wine-tastings, meals…. It was truly a glorious three weeks that exceeded my expectations and left me with wonderful memories and photos.