Private tour in Johannesburg Lesley O
5.0
(53) reviews
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Lesley O.
4.9
Guide rating
300
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Tours delivered
4 hrs
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I love my country passionately and have always had a deep-seated interest in all it holds, especially its history and wildlife. South Africa is blessed with the most incredible variety and richness of landscape, flora, fauna and people. There is nothing I enjoy more than showing this bounty to visitors and giving my guests an insight into my world. I enjoy one-on-one communication, discussing points of interest raised by the guests. I always customize the itinerary to suit special interests, and am quite happy to change things to suit during the tour, provided no pre-bookings have been made. My special interest is wildlife, and therefore I have trained as a field guide as well as a tour guide. This allows me to add depth to any tour, but especially the Nature tours. I strive to deliver a quality, personal touring experience. No matter whether historical, cultural or natural, the journey is both unique and unforgettable. I have lived in South Africa most of my life, and have been resident in the Gauteng area for 50 years. I have a passion for history and the natural world and enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. I have a personal interest in ornithology (that's birds!) and trips to suit those with a special interest in birds and birding can be arranged with the greatest of pleasure. I believe that every place has a story. As a guide, I strive to tell such stories in an interesting and informative way. Visiting the setting around which the story evolved brings a feeling of reality to the events. Whether visiting a museum or exploring a game reserve, on a day trip or on a long journey to the lesser-known parts of the country, I plan my routes through interesting areas imparting as much local knowledge as possible along the way. Many visitors want to see where and how local people live, so I take the back routes rather than flying past on the highways. Wherever possible, I vary my return route so as to enjoy as much of this beautiful country as possible. I do not have set itineraries. I tailor each tour to suit the client - from the food to the route, the places and the people. The museum may be the same, but the route we take and what we see along the way will be planned according to the client's interests ensuring a unique, personal experience. Registered South African Tourist Guide for Gauteng, North-West and Mpumalanga provinces. Field Guide registered with Field Guide Association of South Africa. Field Guides are essentially Game Rangers, proficient to take tourists through Nature and Game Reserves.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Lesley O.
Sterkfontein Caves and the surrounding area is one of the richest sites for fossil hominids in the world. Walk down into these caves and see why the fossils here are so intact and how they got here. The ongoing excavations in this cave yielded 'Mrs. Ples' in 1947, and 'Little Foot' in 1998, both Australopithecus africanus. Nearby, a whole new species, Australopithecus sediba, was discovered in 2010 and Homo naledi in 2015. The walk around the site has vantage points showing the location of other caves in the Cradle. Malapa Museum offers a wonderful overview of the environment leading to the fossils and the discovery of Australopithecus sediba at Malapa. Maropeng visitor centre explains the forces shaping the earth and evolution and has a display of fossils. The walk outside has beautiful views across the Cradle. This tour can be combined with a visit to Lesedi Cultural Village for dinner or the Rhino and Lion Park - please, ask for details. Meets Animal Welfare policy.
We drive to Malapa Museum at the Cradle Boutique Hotel, which we spend time in. This takes around 1hr30min. Clsed Monday and Tuesday. We travel to the Sterkfontein Caves (closed Monday) where - We descend on a guided tour of the caves. - Spend some time in the museum. - Walk around the diggings where Mrs. Ples was found, and along the boardwalk, where other caves in the Cradle are pointed out. This takes about 2 hrs. The cave portion can be omitted if required. We drive to Maropeng Visitor Centre. Here, we enjoy the exhibits. Time spent depends on individual interest. Depending on the time available we can take the longer, scenic route back which goes through the Cradle via the Witwatersberg mountains, providing a glimpse of the beauty of this area. This is a full day tour, and all refreshments are provided. If anything extra is required, there is a restaurant/coffee shop at all locations, as well as gift shops.
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Comfortable Volkswagen Microbus seating 7 passengers, 5 excluding middle seats, with airconditioning and excellent visibility.
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
The airport or your hotel
53 reviews
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