Deborah Smook
I get super excited every time I get to share my country with anyone and I want to make sure that when someone does come, they are blown away by the people, the beauty, and the incredible value for money experiences. I enjoy spending the time to find out what each visitor needs to make their experience unforgettable and then craft a trip accordingly. I want every visitor to Southern Africa to have authentic experiences!
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"We specialize in all of Southern Africa (Cape Town, Kruger, Garden Route, Vic Falls, Chobe, Okavango) as well as the Indian Ocean Islands - Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion, and Madagascar.
We DO Africa! We want you to have authentic and meaningful experiences. Whether you want to immerse yourself in the local community or prefer mountain biking, motorbiking or hiking the incredible scenery or become one with the Winelands and the mouthwatering food options, we want you to DO is at well."
How did you get involved in travel?
"I studied Tourism Management, but mostly because it was a means to move to Cape Town - it was one of few places it was offered in at the time. Traveling is in my genes though and as soon as I was done, I started working and traveling for about 5 years. Mostly in the Far East and Europe. When I got back to Cape Town, I started working in the industry and then got extremely lucky - I was offered a position to market South Africa as a backpacking, volunteering and adventure destination for an industry association! I still look back and think it was the best job in the world! I got to really see my own country and also go around the world to tell others how awesome it is. Not to mention the incredible people I met along the way - many of whom are still very good industry friends and partners.
But life goes on and I needed to start doing my own thing. Fast forward a few years and here I am - still sharing my beautiful country by crafting it especially for you!"
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"There are a few, but for a South African, living on the other side of the world, Alaska was the most mind-blowing for me. It is just SO different from what I know and hiking on a glacier on my birthday close to the small town, McCarthy was something I will never forget.
Back on this side of the world, Victoria Falls will never stop to amaze me. Besides the majesty of the falls, it also has a real African feel and you actually do have elephants walking around in the streets. It is only an hour from Chobe where there are plains full of wildlife. In May I am going on a luxury houseboat on the Chobe River and I think that will then be added to this list!"
Deborah's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice
You can experience southern Africa's greatest natural wonders alongside local culture and cuisine in just over two weeks. Start in South Africa's Western Cape to scale Table...
Go whale watching, shark diving, wine tasting, meerkat spotting, ocean kayaking, and so much more on this fantastic two-week tour of South Africa. Kick things off in Cape Town...
This 10-day tour of eastern South Africa kicks off in Durban, the country's third-largest city known for its surf culture, Indian heritage, and bunny chow. Spot hippos and crocs...
Road trip itineraries
Spend 10 days taking in the Western Cape with this trip plan. You'll explore Cape Town and see Table Mountain from both a distant beach and right under your feet, sample the...
This itinerary is sure to satisfy any adventurer looking to explore the best of Southern Africa's natural scenery. From the coast of Cape Town up along the Garden Route and into...
Take two weeks to check out Namibia and Botswana's varied landscapes and the many creatures they contain on this itinerary. You'll travel up sand dunes, down into caves, out...
Recent trip reviews for Deborah
Southern African Family Adventure
South Africa
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Apr 12 - Apr 21, 2023
We enlisted the help of Deb and the Kim Kim team to help us organize a whistle stop trip to S. Africa and Zimbabwe. We only had 10 days so needed help getting the most out of our limited time.
We were so impressed with the level of communication throughout the planning process and whilst on the trip itself. Some great dinner spots and additional activities were suggested which made a huge difference to our experience. It was also great to be given a variety of accommodation options which we... read more
Hello Julia
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this detailed review. It was such a pleasure planning this trip for you and your family and I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Deb
Family Southern Africa Trip
South Africa
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Mar 19 - Mar 26, 2023
The trip was a 10/10 experience. Deb really took the lead on planning everything for us because we came in with limited knowledge. We got to do everything and had the greatest of times. All the staff was extremely accommodating. Having all of the drivers planned out made the trip carefree and seamless. read more
Hello Mackenzie
It was SUCH a pleasure to plan this trip with you and I am so happy that your parents decided to join in the end to share it with you.
Thank you so much for taking the time, not only to write a review of us but also of all your activities and accommodation. I will be sure to pass this on and it makes my heart sing to hear the smaller details. We try our best to make your trip as memorable as possible by adding the little surprises that makes it a little different. I love... read more
We were very grateful to Deborah and her team...
South Africa
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Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2023
We were very grateful to Deborah and her team to help us plan our trip to South Africa. The personal touch and great recommendations for driving routes, accommodations made the trip amazing. The Mosaic Lagoon Lodge was a perfect place to start the trip, (amazing atmosphere) and ending at Ivory Wilderness Lodge was a lovely bookend the whole experience.
We would highly recommend getting Deborah and her team to assist in your trip due to their local knowledge, insight, great communication and... read more
Hello Maureen
Thank you so much for the amazing review. I spent a night at Ivory Wilderness this week and I agree, it is such a special place and the guides are really great at connecting their guests with nature. There really is a magical atmosphere to that spot and I will definitely go back.
It was incredible to meet you and welcome you to my home and show you a little bit of Hermanus. I really enjoyed your company and it was such a pleasure to plan this trip with you.
I hope you have... read more
5 Star African Adventure!!
South Africa
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Jan 6 - Jan 17, 2023
If you thinking about having Elgin Africa plan your trip, stop debating and just do it! I can't say enough about how great the entire experience was. Deb, whose company is Elgin Africa, lives in South Africa and has personal relationships with a lot of the tour companies that we used. She cared deeply about me and my family having an amazing trip, and made sure every detail was perfect. I can only say that there would be no way that we would have had such an amazing, flawless trip without a... read more
Hello Ashley
Thank you for the incredible review! It was so good to meet you and I'm so happy that you enjoyed this trip of a lifetime with your family.
Deb
Deb provided one of the most amazing and well...
South Africa
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Jan 27 - Feb 8, 2023
Deb provided one of the most amazing and well planned itineraries we have ever experienced. She took care of everything down to the minor details. She truly made Southern Africa a trip of a lifetime. We will be back again traveling with Deb!
Hello Justin & Melanie
It was great to plan your trip with you and meet you briefly while you were here. I enjoyed your excitement and your big grin so much.
I can't wait for the next trip!
Deb
Belated Honeymoon in South Africa
South Africa
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Nov 18 - Nov 28, 2022
We had an amazing time on our trip to South Africa! With only a brief description from us about what we were looking for Deb was able to plan just the type of accommodations and experiences we were looking for.
Rochelle was fantastic and showed us around Cape Town and the surrounding areas at the start of our trip. Stellenbosch was beautiful and our wine tastings and e-bike ride in Stellenbosch were some of our favorite memories from the trip. The highlight of our trip was definitely our... read more
Hello Adam
Thank you for the incredible review and super constructive feedback which we have already used to improve our offering!
I am over the moon that you enjoyed the trip so much as well as all the smaller aspects that tie it all together to make for a perfect experience. The guides we partner with and the people you meet are all part of what we specialize in to showcase our incredible country!
I went on the Soweto tour myself last week as it has been a few years since I've done it. ... read more
We had an amazing trip! With Deborah's coord...
South Africa
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Sep 7 - Sep 23, 2022
We had an amazing trip! With Deborah's coordination, expertise and knowledge, she blended our request for traditional African cultural experiences and off the beaten path adventures. We visited Johannesburg (Soweto, Cradle of Humankind, Sterkfontein Caves), Safari in Kruger Bush, Cape Town coastal tours (including lunch with Nicky Gibbs!), Paternoster (Penguins, lunch at Wolfgat), Cederberg, (Rock Art), Franschhoek (Wine Country), National Parks (both Western & Fossil), Victoria Falls, then... read more
Hello Dear Janice & Dean
It was so incredible to meet you and spend a bit of time with you as well. I loved planning your dream trip with you and that I could get you off the beaten track!
I look forward to visiting you in the US next year.
Thank you so much for the review - it makes what I do so rewarding.
Deb
Garden Route tour with Steph
South Africa
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Aug 28 - Sep 6, 2022
The trip was great overall, Our guide, Steph, was fantastic. We changed a few items in the itinerary due to weather/cancellations & added a few unplanned activities. All of the hotels were great. Activities
Bettys bay - Stoney Point Penguins colony; Wilderness - canoeing/hike; Boutkans bridge bungee jump; Tsitsikamma National park hike; Plettenburg Bay skydive; Robberg nature areas hike; Knysna catamaran sunset cruise; whale watch tour; Oudsthoorn cango caves; meerkat viewing
read more
Hello Kenneth
I am so happy you enjoyed the Garden Route with Steph. Our Garden Route partners are just the best and Steph really is an excellent guide which I am very happy to have matched with you. Thank you for mentioning all the activities you did as well - the Garden Route is ideal for adventures, which you clearly made the best of!
I did pass your review and your positive feedback on Whatsapp to Steph. It is always great to get good reviews as we do believe we give our all to make... read more
Deborah (AKA the Debz), was such a joy to wor...
South Africa
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May 2 - May 19, 2022
Deborah (AKA the Debz), was such a joy to work with. She coordinated travel for my honeymoon which included stops in Johannesburg, Cape Town, the Winelands, Chobe, Victoria Falls, Kruger and Zanzibar. A trip we coined "Beach Wine Safari." She answered all my questions, big and small, leading up to our trip. Deborah really listened to what we wanted to get out of the trip and made all our dreams come true. She is extremely knowledgeable. Additionally, throughout our trip she was... read more
Aaaah Therese & Chancey
It was so awesome meeting you and I really enjoyed our interactions during our planning stages right from the start. Thank you so much for the really thoughtful review and the time you spent writing it.
I can't wait to come and visit you in the US!
Deb
Deb, the world class travel agent!
South Africa
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Apr 7 - Apr 14, 2022
Deb was phenomenal! From the start, she was super communicative and eased us into the process of working with a travel agent, as we had never done so before. Every morning we would wake up to amazing updates that got us incredibly excited for our trip.
As she learned more about ourselves and what we wanted from our trip, she never batted an eye about making changes to our itinerary and even made suggestions about things that we never thought possible. When we were on the trip, we had a few... read more
Hello Marc
You are awesome - even though you have been one of the very few clients I have NOT met in person. Thank you for the best review ever and the heartfelt message. It means the world to me - even more so after a few years of not having any. It's so nice to be back in the game.
Deb
Amazing itinerary and client-focused service ...
South Africa
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Apr 11 - Apr 21, 2022
Amazing itinerary and client-focused service by Deb! The itinerary was fairly complex since we were visiting 4 countries, but the activity selection, local guide selection, accommodations, and the *numerous* transfers were all seamless. We are so happy with our trip, and could not have done it without flawless execution by Deb. She was also very mindful of our budget and we felt she maximized the experience and value based on what we had planned on spending. Also amazingly responsive during... read more
Dear Kathy & Family
It was such a pleasure planning your trip! I really enjoyed working with you to make sure that you get the best out of your time spent in Southern Africa.
It was also really nice to meet you, albeit for only a short time. Hopefully we will have more time next time you make your way to this side of the world.
Thank you, again, for trusting my team and I with this big responsibility.
Deb
Deborah could not have been more perfect from...
South Africa
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Nov 20 - Nov 25, 2021
Deborah could not have been more perfect from start to finish.
The start: we were taking a last minute vacation to South Africa as part of our honeymoon (I worked for an airline so that was feasible). When I say last minute, we were coming in a week!!! That was absolutely no problem for Deborah, who took it in stride, perfectly planning every detail from our time in Cape Town to our safari in Krueger. If you are considering working with Deborah, do it! Thanks again for making our trip one we’ll never forget.
Hello Amanda
After a long drought of international travelers, it was incredible to have you as our first returning client. It was a pleasure meeting you with your energetic and exciting personality.
Thank you so much for the great review!
Deb
Our local specialist Deborah was fantastic
South Africa
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Feb 28 - Mar 8, 2020
Our local specialist Deborah was fantastic in helping us organise the trip from start to finish. We encountered a few teething problems along the way to do with booking of flights but all issues were resolved to our total satisfaction without any fuss. Deborah also arranged excellent choice of on the ground personal guides and car transfers which all went very smoothly, they were all very professional and knowledgeable. All in all we would highly recommend Deborah and her team and would like to thank her for making our honeymoon so memorable in South Africa.
Dear James & Darnie
It was such a pleasure to help you plan this trip and to meet you. I am also happy that we could overcome the teething problems and that you ended up having a great honeymoon.
Thank you for the kind words and we hope to see you in SA again soon!
All the best,
Deborah
Elgin Africa
Eon was excellent!
South Africa
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Nov 8 - Nov 14, 2019
Eon was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and gave us time to spend together as a family.
Thanks to Debra for all the helpful tips for the road trip as well!
Dear Geoff
Thank you so much for the great review!
Eon is indeed a great guy and we are so happy that we could have them on your trip. I hope you enjoyed your whole experience in South Africa as well.
Hope to have you in SA again someday soon.
Kind regards
Deborah
Incredible experience to Southern Africa!
Zambia
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Oct 28 - Nov 7, 2019
The trip planned for us by Deborah and Tara at Elgin Africa was amazing. We came up with a base plan and they took it from there. From the boutique hotel in Cape Town to the Victoria Falls Hotel with its incredible history to the tented safari camp in Zimbabwe, everything was well organized and came through without any glitches whatsoever. All in country land transfers were pre-arranged and were always on time (or early). We did 3 private day tours in Cape Town; Stellenbosch, the Cape... read more
Dear Andrew and Chisty
Thank you so much for choosing us and I am super happy that you had such a great experience. It was really nice meeting you as well!
I hope to see you again soon in SA!
All the best,
Deb
South Africa
South Africa
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Aug 13 - Aug 25, 2019
We had a great trip to southern Africa! Deb booked everything we asked for and more. Our favorite experiences included shark cage diving in South Africa, the Chobe photographic safari with Pangolin lodge in Botswana, a great Kruger safari, and the eye opening Soweto tour in Johannesburg. Beautiful parts of the world with comfortable lodging and memorable moments. Deb took away all of the logistical issues I was stressed about when I initially started planning, and incorporated experiences I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Loved it!
Hello Hilary!
Thank you for the awesome review! You are the best. So happy you enjoyed all the experiences. We really try to match everyone with the experiences best suited to their interests and I am very happy we managed to succeed in doing it.
I hope you will carry Southern Africa in your heart for a while and find time to come back here again soon!
All the best
Deb & Tara
Dale's Birthday Trip to Southern Africa
South Africa
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Jul 6 - Jul 21, 2019
First, I need to thank Deborah and Tara from Eglin Africa Travel in Cape Town for their recommendations and for planning & arranging an amazing two week holiday in Africa. This was important as my family celebrated my wife's 60th while away.
I cannot recommend their services highly enough - real five star support right throughout the process and they even created a WhatsApp group so we could communicate while away.
Deborah recommended amazing hotels in Cape Town and Stellenbosch and three... read more
Hello Brett, Dale, Ellie & Pete
Thank you again for the kind words and the really good review. It means the world to us, but it means even more to us that you had the trip of a lifetime. We knew it was important to you and a big trip for the family.
Hope to see you back here again soon.
Deborah & Tara
South Africa in 15 days
South Africa
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May 15 - May 29, 2019
This is the third time I’ve used kimkim to help with my travel planning. Clearly they work with the best travel specialists in the world. For my South African adventure kimkim connected me with Elgin Africa, I couldn’t have asked for a better match!
Deborah contacted me first, she got back to me right away with answers for my questions about budget and best time to visit South Africa. After couple of emails I knew I was in good hands.
Tara contacted me second, she was wonderful from the... read more
I've asked Deborah to post my response to your beautiful review here as I was not able to.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share a bit about your experience booking with us, and for the amazing feedback. It is truly appreciated, and heart-warming to know that you enjoyed your trip so much. We could not have asked for a better result. :) Seriously, it brings us so much joy that you enjoyed your vacation in South Africa this much!
We wish we could review our clients too. You were... read more
Wine tour
South Africa
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Apr 30 - May 1, 2019
We had two tours- one with Eon and one with Lisa- and both were wonderful! Eon took us to the wine country- 3 wineries and lunch- and Lisa took us on a scenic tour of the peninsula- Cape Point, Boulders Beach- and lunch at Two Oceans. We cannot say enough about them- both guides were so knowledgeable, fun, interesting, attentive, sweet- we were so very impressed! Would definitely recommend both to our family and friends.
Hello Mary
Thank you for the positive feedback. I have been wondering how it went! Eon said you had a great time, but always good to hear it from you as well. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay in our beautiful country as well.
Till next time.
Deborah & Marita
South Africa Jaunt
South Africa
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Apr 10 - Apr 22, 2019
We had a truly great trip. We spoke with Deborah and Tara beforehand and they planned everything out perfectly. All great choices for accommodations, tours and guides. Also, they stayed in touch with us the whole time to make sure we had no problems or to make additional suggestions on the go. So glad we found them and KimKim!! Seth Jacobson
Dear Seth and Susan
Thank you for the great review (and the peanut butter cups 😉). It was a pleasure working with you and if we could rate the travelers, then we would give you a 5 too. All the best and hope to have you back one day.
Deborah and Tara