The first thing to mention about Jakes Bongers is his accessibility, his inflappable sense of humour and ability to cope with hitches along the parcours of aventure that was South Africa. The second is the intimate knowledge of the ground in which he is operating, and the third is his ability to reach within the stratas of the society he is covering -- both within the white and black populations -- to provide informative knowledge and experience. Jacob is a gem in his own right, loving deeply and putting forward the richness, colour and joy of his country inhabitants.

I came to South Africa as a Group leader for a Canadian tour group called Approach Tours. I was very fortunate to have Jakes (Jacob) as my National Guide. This gentleman’s service standards are top notch. He kept the group laughing the whole trip. He joined in the group like he’d known us all forever. His knowledge of good country was very in formative and interesting. Never late for any part of the two weeks we were with him. Lovely lovely man! If you’re looking for a knowledgeable, kind, humorous guide for your trip…Jakes is the guy!

Jacob was an outstanding guide and exhibited his professional experience throughout our 2+ week tour in southern Africa. Everything was well-organized and when excursions had to be rescheduled because of unforeseen issues, ie weather, Jakes adjusted seamlessly. He knew people at various venues, which may have resulted in preferential treatment. Jakes was obviously most comfortable on safari and made each one a memorable experience. It was a pleasure travelling with him.