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Petru van Zyl

I started in the travel industry in August 1998 and have 21 years experience as a travel consultant. I am a senior consultant who specializes in FIT travel, group travel, VIP clients, luxury safaris and self-drive tours. I excel in handling complex itineraries in a professional and dedicated manner. I am passionate about travelling; has travelled extensively throughout South Africa, and visited Botswana, the Victoria Falls, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique and Madagascar. I live on a farm outside Clanwilliam in the Western Cape with my husband, two children and a variety of animals.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in FIT travel, group travel, VIP clients, luxury safaris and self-drive tours and excel in handling complex itineraries in a professional and dedicated manner. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"Some would say, by chance. I choose to believe Travel has chosen me."

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"There are too many to list, but if I have to choose a unique experience, it would be the interaction with elephants in Zambia - it left me in awe of the gentleness of those huge animals."

A lodge and its infinity pool overlook Grootberg Canyon
Namibia Luxury Fly-In Safari: Etosha, Damaraland & Sossuvlei – 7 Days

Travel Namibia in style on this luxury, seven-day fly-in safari. Touchdown in Etosha National Park for a wildlife-studded game drive where you'll traverse Africa's largest salt pan before flying on to remote Damaraland. Here, you'll marvel at prehistoric rock art and wander petrified forests before ending in the Namib Desert, where Sossusvlei's towering dunes await.

Zebras in Ngorongoro Crater National Park, Tanzania
Best Time of Year to Visit Tanzania

Above all else, Tanzania's two distinct rainy seasons determine the best (and worst) time to visit the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar. Whether you want to witness the Great Migration while on safari, climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, or explore the spice-scented alleyways of Zanzibar, read on to find out more about the best time of year to visit Tanzania.

Romantic Safari Getaway
Romantic Cape Town & Safari Honeymoon - 7 Days

This romantic and luxurious seven-day honeymoon getaway covers the best of South Africa's sights. You'll enjoy refined metropolitan dining and wine tasting in the Cape Winelands, then transfer to a private safari lodge to see Africa's Big 5 and enjoy world-class relaxation with your special someone.

Grazing giraffes in Namibia's Hardap Region
Namibia Self-Drive Adventure - 14 Days

Perfect for first-timers to Africa, this two-week road trip explores Namibia's wild, beautiful, and safe environs. The adventure kicks off in Windhoek, where you'll drive through two deserts (Kalahari and Namib) known for epic dunes, rivers, canyons, and gorges. From here, continue west toward the Atlantic coast before heading north to meet nomadic tribes. Finish with several days at Etosha National Park—as well as a private reserve—for the ultimate game-viewing experience.

Recent trip reviews for Petru

We had an amazing trip and loved working with...
South Africa | Sep 3 - Sep 10, 2022

K
Kalyani R.
Coppell, TX | Reviewed on Oct 04, 2022

We had an amazing trip and loved working with KimKim. They were very responsive and helpful.
Thank you read more

We had an amazing trip and loved working with KimKim. They were very responsive and helpful.
Thank you

Hotel Reviews
The Silo
Cape Town

The Silo was one of the best hotels Ive ever stayed in. I’ve been all over the world and this hotel had ceiling to floor windows in every room. I loved my view of the harbour and Table Mountain! Just can’t describe how pleased we were. The staff was super friendly and actually fixed my husbands broken reading glasses! Who does that!

Authenticity & Character
Unique character, decked out bedrooms, beautiful art.
Location
Right on the waterfront!
Staff
Always had a smile on their face and willing to help always
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Royal Malewane & Spa
Hoedspruit

The staff at the Royal Malewane made our trip very special! I can’t say enough about them. They went out of their way to create alcohol free cocktails for us to have on our safari rides. Loved every bit of the resort. Amazing views. We saw over 100 cafe buffalo by our watering hole right outside of our dining room!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
I want to give a big shout out to our friendly engaging guide to Jacques Briam. He made our trip enjoyable. Honestly felt like I was amongst family. Haley was amazing as well! Loved everyone there!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Arrival Thornybush
Thornybush Game Reserve
Quality of Experience
Y
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Days on Safari
South Africa

As I mentioned before Jacques Briam and Loderick our guides were absolutely amazing. Especially Jacques! We felt like we were with family!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cape Town Urban, Table Mountain & Kirstenbosch Exploration
Cape Town

Our guide was full of knowledge. She knew about all the flora and fauna. She knew the answer to all of our questions!

Quality of Experience
Food
They had snacks and drinks packed for us! How cool is that!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cape Peninsula Out & About Discovery Day
Cape Town
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Petru van Zyl
Petru
Petru van Zyl
Local specialist in Western Cape, South Africa | Reviewed on Oct 13, 2022

Hi Kalyani,
My pleasure and I am delighted to receive your review and that you had a great trip.
Thank you for your feedback about The Silo and Royal Malewane. They will be so happy to hear your positive feedback and reviews.
Thank you so much!
Best, Petru

Lovely Cape Town Excursion
South Africa | Aug 16 - Aug 23, 2022

Mike
Mike L.
Conyers, GA | Reviewed on Aug 29, 2022

Petru did a great job organizing the trip for us. She was responsive and available throughout the entire booking process as well as when we were in country. The accommodations and tours she arranged certainly exceeded our expectations! She was also happy to answer questions we had about South Africa in general and expectations for travel.

Noel was our guide, and we really enjoyed having a dedicated private guide for our time in Cape Town. He was personable and knowledgeable, and really... read more

Petru did a great job organizing the trip for us. She was responsive and available throughout the entire booking process as well as when we were in country. The accommodations and tours she arranged certainly exceeded our expectations! She was also happy to answer questions we had about South Africa in general and expectations for travel.

Noel was our guide, and we really enjoyed having a dedicated private guide for our time in Cape Town. He was personable and knowledgeable, and really tailored our daily experiences for us. When the weather didn't cooperate for an outdoor activity, he had great fallback options for us including museums and wine tastings. I recommend him to anyone visiting the Cape!

Hotel Reviews
The Victoria & Alfred Hotel
Cape Town

Awesome location in the waterfront. We had a beautiful view of the harbor and mountain, and plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops in easy walking distance. The rooms are updated and comfortable too, and the included breakfast was very nice. This was a very safe part of Cape Town with plenty of private security. Me and my wife felt comfortable walking around during the day and after dark.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rickety Bridge Country House
Franschhoek

The Manor House was beautiful. A very quaint bed and breakfast with only 3 guest rooms. It was very comfortable and quiet and we enjoyed being on the same property as the winery. Will certainly stay again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Be prepared to take a taxi into town. The winery is great for drinks and lunch, but closes around 6 in the evening.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Petru van Zyl
Petru
Petru van Zyl
Local specialist in Western Cape, South Africa | Reviewed on Sep 01, 2022

Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for taking the time to send us your feedback.
I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay at the accommodations and that you were looked after by your guide on tour.
Thank you again!
All the best, Petru

We had an amazing trip in Namibia.
Namibia | Aug 2 - Aug 8, 2022

Scott
Scott W.
Fayetteville, TX | Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022

We had an amazing trip in Namibia. Everything was set up and scheduled perfectly. They went above and beyond in so many ways. A good example is scheduling dinner to be placed in our rooms when we were running too late to catch dinner at the restaurant.
We highly recommend them and Carlos was thorough, personable and incredibly responsive. I wish we had scheduled our trip longer, a week is not long enough to enjoy this gorgeous diverse country. read more

We had an amazing trip in Namibia. Everything was set up and scheduled perfectly. They went above and beyond in so many ways. A good example is scheduling dinner to be placed in our rooms when we were running too late to catch dinner at the restaurant.
We highly recommend them and Carlos was thorough, personable and incredibly responsive. I wish we had scheduled our trip longer, a week is not long enough to enjoy this gorgeous diverse country.

Hotel Reviews
Desert Quiver Camp
Sossusvlei, Sesriem
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Swakopmund Luxury Suites
Swakopmund
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Taleni Etosha Village
Outjo
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel
Windhoek
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Petru van Zyl
Petru
Petru van Zyl
Local specialist in Western Cape, South Africa | Reviewed on Aug 12, 2022

Hi Scott,
Thank you so much for your feedback.
I am delighted to hear that you had a great trip to Namibia and were looked after so well. Hope to see you back again in the near future and we will gladly assist.
Best wishes, Petru

Hooked on Safaris & South Africa
South Africa | May 21 - May 31, 2021

C
Claire J.
Haltom City, TX | Reviewed on Jun 12, 2021

Our honeymoon to South Africa was truly unforgettable, and we are already dreaming of our next safari trip. We wouldn’t change anything about the itinerary Petru helped us put together, other than adding more time! We can’t wait to be back and would use Petru again, especially with how communicative she is and how easily she helped us navigate having to delay our trip by 8 months due to Covid. Thanks for helping us create the best memories!

Local specialist: Petru van Zyl
Petru
Petru van Zyl
Local specialist in Western Cape, South Africa | Reviewed on Jun 15, 2021

Claire, I am delighted to hear that you had a wonderful experience.
To receive feedback like this makes such a huge difference, thank you very much!
Making memories is what it is all about and happy to assist you in the near future.
Keep well and until next time.
All the best,
Petru

The Perfect Mix of Adventure and Comfort
Namibia | Apr 30 - May 10, 2021

James
James S.
Ethiopia | Reviewed on May 17, 2021

As someone who usually prefers to make all of my own travel arrangements, I was hesitant to use Kimkim for my recent trip to Namibia. The Kimkim team and Petru in particular quickly proved that all of my biases against travel agencies were wrong. Petru was extremely knowledgeable about the lodges, parks and related travel information in Namibia, and was able to help me successfully navigate the difficulties of COVID-era travel. The lodgings and travel arrangements Petru selected were exactly... read more

As someone who usually prefers to make all of my own travel arrangements, I was hesitant to use Kimkim for my recent trip to Namibia. The Kimkim team and Petru in particular quickly proved that all of my biases against travel agencies were wrong. Petru was extremely knowledgeable about the lodges, parks and related travel information in Namibia, and was able to help me successfully navigate the difficulties of COVID-era travel. The lodgings and travel arrangements Petru selected were exactly what I requested, a perfect mix of luxury and adventure. Transfers to and from the airport in Namibia were seamless, and the team on the ground in Namibia was also extremely helpful. Whether you are a family looking for a luxury safari or a single traveler looking to get off the beaten path, Petru and the Kimkim team will find the itinerary for you.

Local specialist: Petru van Zyl
Petru
Petru van Zyl
Local specialist in Western Cape, South Africa | Reviewed on May 19, 2021

Dear James
Thank you kindly for your positive feedback, very much appreciated.
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Namibia.
Hope to hear from you again in the near future.
Keep well.
Best wishes, Petru van Zyl