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Thank you Ray Haakonsen, Owner, Driver and Guide of Epic Tours of South Africa for planning and organizing a FABULOUS 10-day tour called the Garden Tour which included delightful towns to explore; and each night a charming place to stay, including a Bed and Breakfast, , Art Hotel, Game Lodge, Country House Inn, several wonderful hotels. One of my favorites was next to the ocean and going to sleep several nights hearing the surf explode onto the rocks!! The exciting itinerary he planned each day included such choices of activities as zip lining, elephant experiences, wine tasting, cave exploration, Bush Safari, and much more! Every detail and daily experience was carefully planned by Ray, and Herman, family, and I so appreciated his excellence in doing so! Also appreciated by all of us was Ray’s patience, kindness, and sense of humor!! He will forever be our South African Tour Guide of choice and highly recommend him to everyone!! Thank you Ray!!
Patty Webster
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Kegan provided a wonderful tour of the Cape Peninsula for our small group. He was a great tour guide, easy to talk to and ask lots of questions about the local area. He really helped us get the most out of our limited time with this superb day trip that took in all the major sights and many hidden gems along the way, from spectacular views to wonderful eateries, Boulder Beach, Cape Point and lighthouse, before finishing with a tour of the historic Groot Constantina winery, a true highlight of our trip! A fantastic day out with a fantastic guide who was exceptional, thank you Kegan!
Mark Dunk
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We just concluded a wonderful 10 day tour along the beautiful Garden Route with Ray of Epic Tours! Ray was fantastic. We stayed at spectacular Guest houses and hotels. Every day was filled with great experiences that we will never forget. There were 7 of us (all related) on the tour and we all had a great time. Ray’s knowledge of the Garden Route, and his ability to make it fun, memorable, and exciting was awesome. We would enthusiastically recommend Ray and Epic Tour to everyone. It was a 5-star tour!!
Sirgute, Mike, Norville & Family
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Before I begin let me assure you that this is a genuine review and I’ve included a photograph to prove it. Ray is the most caring, intelligent and at times hilariously funny guy. We have had the honour of having him as our guide and driver (and he’s a great driver too) for the past week whilst we have toured Cape Town, the Garden Route and the Western Cape. Sometimes going off plan and experiencing things we would never have known existed. If you are lucky enough to be able to have Ray for your guide then you will truly be in for an amazing experience of a lifetime. Thanks Ray till the next time.
Carey & Andrew
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October 2023 in the Cape. From a frequent traveller whose very first guided tour has been with Ray. What a relaxing way to spend your time away from home. All your pre planning done for you. According to your own interests and preferences. Ray met us at the airport and our Epic Tour began. All our transport, accommodation sight seeing and services were of the highest standard. Much laughter, many photos and of course ‘Rayfies’ later, we go back to Canada with very special memories. I’d jokingly like to add pm me for the real story but what you see above is just how it was. Absolutely brilliant! ‘Cray cray Ray Ray, Agatha, Baby and One Arm!!’ Till our next trip.
Ronnie & Family
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Ray is a highly experienced tour guide and he put together an excellent and varied itinerary. He bonded well with all members of our group and provided interesting commentary throughout our trip, with a wealth of information about the history of the Cape and it’s various cultures. He made every day a joy, showing us the beautiful Cape scenery and with his many informative and knowledgeable anecdotes. Always cheerful and with a great sense of humour, he is also a good listener and was very adaptable to our needs. We cannot recommend him highly enough and being a former Air Force pilot, we felt very safe in his hands.
Chas Dawson
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Thank you for your availability Ray, your great desire, and your great enthusiasm to talk about South Africa and your life. Never angry, always with a smile on his face. Sharing these 15 days was perfect, always very attentive to our needs, and discreet. Beautiful places chosen to sleep, one more than the other, each with its own characteristics and curiosities. I hope to see you soon in Italy and why not perhaps as the organizer of a next trip perhaps to Namibia, Botswana or Lesotho. Thanks Ray.
Chiara Lietti
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A very special two day tour under the very a professional guide in Ray. The admin, knowledge and personal attention afforded to our group of 22 was exemplary. Thank you for your insight, humour and friendliness Ray. It must’ve been like herding cats! Well done!
Craig Deal
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Literally one of the best tours and tour guides we have ever had. From the very start, Ray was quick to connect and give us the plan so we knew what to expect. Ray was on time and super friendly. He shared wonderful stories with us along the way. He knew great places to stop for photos and would give us as much or as little detail as we wanted about any of the spots we visited. He was very kind and caring throughout the journey and made sure everyone was happy and comfortable. We absolutely loved our two days of tours with Ray. I would highly recommend him to anyone.
Johnson Family
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Outstanding experience. Ray is passionate, dedicated and charismatic and ensured that our 3 days in and around Cape Town were truly memorable! We’re coming back in the near future!
Jane & Peter
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Thanks to Epic Tours or as we called it, Perfectly Timed Tours, we had one unforgettable experience after another. Ray planned the perfect 10 day tour of the Cape and had impeccable timing for each activity. We laughed till our cheeks hurt and wish we could have stayed longer. Highly recommended and can’t wait to come back to do this again!
Roxy & Scott
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We booked and paid up front for a guided tour in the Cape, with a man that none of us had ever actually met. Ten days later, when we parted ways, it felt like we left a friend behind. Thanks for the best tour we could have imagined.
The Canadian Contingent
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Beautiful experience. Ray was the perfect guide, very friendly and funny, he also fulfilled all the requests made.
Tommaso Radaelli
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We just had the wonderful Ray show us around Cape Town. Not only did he take us to Lion Head he guided several of our group to the top. We spent time in Stellenbosch at Ernie Els winery which was stunning & at Petit Bouls champagne bar! Ray took us to amazing places for lunch & suggested places for dinner which were lovely. The Cape tour, lighthouse walk, and Simons Town all beautiful. He also gave us many tips for getting on in South Africa. So helpful. We had a lot of laughs & so felt extremely comfortable & safe being under Ray’s expertise. Can't recommend Ray enough!
Wendy Bennet
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The trip with Epic Tours South Africa has been truly spectacular and epic, both for the beautiful landscapes we saw, the many wild animal we spotted (we managed to tick all the Big 5!) and the contagious enthusiasm of our guide Ray, a really passions and prepared guide and fantastic human being!
Francesco Lietti
