I found Cape Insights through a Facebook recommendation in a travel group. I checked out their website and then emailed Marion. They are a small company, in fact it might just be Marion.
I don’t often do tours and one of the primary reasons is because I know what I want to do. I appreciated Marion because she listened to what I wanted. I spoke to a few companies before her. They arranged a phone call and after we discussed what I wanted they sent me the standard itinerary from their website. Marion didn’t do this. We did have some back and forth based on her experience. In some cases, I was firm (Cape Agulhas in one day instead of two) and in some cases she convinced me it was too much (driving the Garden Route the week of Christmas).
When I compared the prices for lodging or tours, those she quoted were often the same or even less. She does charge a 4% handling fee … which is fair. She runs a business and has to make a living. At one point I did some quick math and based on some of the savings, plus alleviating the hassle and stress of having to arrange my own transfers and drivers, I think it was definitely worth it.
She is transparent with all pricing and provides a detailed cost break down by activity, day and person.
She was responsive to emails and questions – very easy to work with.
But of course, most importantly we had an amazing trip. There were a couple of small hiccups and it felt like luxury to just shoot her a quick note for resolution instead of dealing with the hassle myself. We were able to maximize our time. We stayed in some phenomenal places. We had knowledgeable and friendly guides.
**Side note, while I stick by my decision to do Cape Agulhas in one day, everyone who was with me says the one change they would make is to do it in two!
Life Kinetic Travel Research 