VMG Travel & Tours – Mpumalanga Trip, August 2024 - Disappointment

<div>Our experience with VMG Travel &amp; Tours, managed by Mervin and Vanitha, was highly disappointing and frustrating. The trip was rushed, poorly planned, and fell short of expectations, making it difficult to fully appreciate the beauty of Mpumalanga. Firstly, the itinerary was not well thought out. We were given strict time limits for site visits, which were not communicated beforehand, leaving us unable to explore key attractions. The lack of effective communication was evident from the start; Mervin privately confirmed a pick-up time with us, only to change it later, causing significant inconvenience as we had already arranged transport based on the initial time. A key activity on the itinerary was a boat ride, which almost didn’t happen. Vanitha claimed that one of the boats was broken and could not accommodate everyone. However, when we spoke directly with the boating company, they insisted this was not true. Only after confronting Vanitha with this information did they manage to arrange a boat for everyone. The last-minute planning also led to missed itinerary stops, such as the Sudwala Cave, and instead, we were taken to random "on the way" locations, which felt like a waste of time. Moreover, it was evident that Mervin and Vanitha showed clear favoritism towards certain individuals on the tour, providing them with benefits that were not extended to others. If you’re not part of their inner circle, be prepared to feel sidelined. When we raised our concerns, we were met with unprofessionalism and emotional responses, making the remainder of the trip uncomfortable. Given the amount we paid for this trip, the service provided was far below acceptable standards. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend VMG Travels &amp; Tours unless you are either related to or a close friend of the organizers.</div>