Sandown

What separates someone who books tours from someone who genuinely matches you to the right experience comes down to listening and local knowledge. Do they ask about your fitness level, your interests, your constraints — or do they hand you a standard itinerary? Can they explain why a particular operator suits your needs rather than just pushing the cheapest option? In Johannesburg, a good travel agent knows the difference between the safari companies with real conservation credentials and those running volume operations, understands which routes are actually scenic versus which are just long drives, and can read whether you want immersion or comfort. They know Soweto tour operators with deep community ties versus those treating it as a checkbox. They know which accommodation genuinely reflects local character and which is just a chain with a local address. Experience shows in the questions they ask before they suggest anything.