Back in Joburg,
Now, having traveled to Africa multiple times, I’ve had to overnight in Johannesburg multiple times, and I usually thoroughly enjoy the sleepover. However, tonight I’m staying at a new place, and I must say, it leaves much to be desired.

Having retrieved my luggage and exiting into the general area of the airport, I was greeted by a gentleman holding up my name on a sheet of paper. Check! No problem there… however, I quickly realized that this was not a employee of Journey’s Inn Africa. When I questioned him, about who he works for, I found he has his own touring company, and that the JIA had called him and asked him to pick me up. Upon further questioning, I realized that he hadn’t ever worked for them before, and didn’t know exactly where the JIA was located. He had to rely on his GPS to get me to the guest house. This might not sound like a big deal to the average American who uses a GPS regularly…but when it comes to international travel, and especially travel within Africa (which can be a very dangerous place); I don’t like services to be contracted out when I booked directly with a specific company. BTW they charged me over 25$ to drive me 9km…aka 5 miles. Seriously, let’s just say they didn’t just sheer this sheep. Most places I’ve stayed, pickup is included in the room cost…welcome to the hospitality business! Later other people in our party arrived, and their driver came to pick them up in a hatchback car. At this point, the driver had to load one of the three people in the car with some of the luggage, come to Journey’s Inn Africa to unload. Then the driver had to return to pick up my other 2 friends and collect the rest of the luggage. Have you ever heard of such crap! Seriously, I kept waiting for someone to jump out and say “you’re on candid camera!”

Upon arriving at the guest house all the doors to the room are open to the outside, much like a motel. You decide if you like this or not, but what I can tell you that I highly dislike, is the one inch crack under the door, when it’s 30 degrees outside. I’m shown the lounge, which is tiny, consisting of merely 1 love seats and chair and a bar (which is cash, and that is the norm for guest houses). The dining room is just as small, with a few tables, that wouldn’t seat 3 adults comfortably. When I inquired about internet, I was given a card with a code, and told that the first 15mb were free, but afterwards would have to be purchased. Now, like most people who have a life, family, and business, I need way more than 15mb…I mean come on skype eats mbs like tic tacs. I find this insanely cheap…I have stayed at many more places where wireless was free, as it should be in my opinion.

Now, I visited their website before arriving, so I then found it interesting to start comparing the descriptions of the establishment with reality. I have yet to find the safe in my room, that the website claims is in every room. The pictures on the website show flat screen tv’s and claims HD cable/sat television, but the tv in my room was a nice 14” circa 1980’s that had 4 channels that worked, however, without a remote. I did some further exploring, and there were indeed some rooms without televisions. (Don’t think I have to have television to be happy, but I can’t stand when people outright lie on their websites) This is almost the last straw…oh but it gets better! Every 5 minutes we get buzzed by a 747…yep that’s this place is directly in the takeoff pattern of Tambo International airport. I could have easily slept on the north runway, and probably had a quieter night. My bed was a 5 inch mattress on a wood frame that reminded me of all the summer camps I attended as a child. Seriously, while sitting on the mattress I could feel the plywood bottom, no box springs, hell, just some springs would have been nice, in addition to a pillow that was as flat as a piece of toast, with just a comforter. Again, I’m sure you’re thinking, “there’s no way”, but yes, not even a top sheet. Seriously, is this a guest house or a German Stalag?

Now, it’s time for dinner, you’ve been surviving on airplane food for 30 hrs, so if you’re like me you’re starving. We go into the small dining room, and we sit down, where the service begins. We’re given the starter (a term given for appetizers in African countries) and guess what it is? A silver dollar sized slice of cooked eggplant, that you could read through, topped with a similar slice of tomato and Swiss cheese, then drizzled with balsamic vinegar, and garnished with a cocktail toothpick to hold it all together. Now, this disgusting concoction stood less than half an inch high. I should have taken a photo…but for further impact, I will tell you it tasted like the sole of a bushman’s sandal. We were then served a bowl of lettuce for a salad, and then the main course arrived. The main course consisted of a 9x12 pan of meat lasagna; however it didn’t really have any tomato sauce…more like a hamburger/cheese/noodle casserole. It reminded me of hamburger helper with lasagna noodles. To say it was gross, again was a serious understatement. Most people have eaten stouffer’s frozen lasagna at some point in their life, hell any frozen lasagna for that matter, would be considered 5-star compared to this pan of crud.

When I asked about drinks, “how about a pitcher of water?” I was told I could get a bottle of water from the bar or soda, that would be added to my tab. Yeah, that’s right, you’re paying for dinner, and you don’t get a glass of water. FML! (Don’t know what that stands for, google it!) Now here’s the best part…we were a party of four. Would you like to guess what we were charged for just dinner, drinks excluded. How about $80 USD…I about came unglued.

The next day, we had a tour to visit the zulu’s in the Limpopo planned that the owner was supposed to take us on (they also offer tours in and around RSA). She called and canceled, saying she had an employee shortage, and she had to take a larger group of people on another tour. So she totally blew us off, mind you, it was 2 days of our itinerary. At the end of this tour, she was then supposed to drop us off at our safari operators camp in northern Limpopo to begin our cape buffalo hunt.

Now we are stranded in Joburg, with 2 days empty, and without transportation to our hunting destination. And the owner of the Journey’s Inn Africa didn’t give a f***! These plans had been made in December of 2010, it’s now August…there is no excuse! She told us to take some other tours around joburg, and had her onsite manage present us with a pricelist of other tours available. At this point, her cell phone lost reception and she was no longer to be reached…how convenient!

For breakfast, we were offered fruit, yogurt, cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Now I prefer to have fried eggs, but I wasn’t given a choice, which I don’t like.

Fortunately, for us we were able to get a hold of our ph, and he made arrangements to get us picked up the next day for the 6 hr drive.

Now after all this BS…we were getting picked up at 5am for our long drive to the northern Limpopo the next morning. We asked the manager if there was any way we could get some milk for cereal, or breakfasts bars..ie granola..something…for our early departure. We didn’t even ask them to make something for us. Her response “the staff won’t be in at the time, so no we won’t have any breakfast for you!” After 20 minutes of going around, she conceded to a tiny pitcher of milk for cereal. I guess the second night it was just a Bed, no breakfast. I hope everyone reads this, and thinks, this is lunacy there’s no way it happened like this, but I ASSURE YOU IT DID!

Now, I would have never ever stayed there except I was an addition to this hunting party, and wasn’t allowed given the chance to throw my two cent for where we should have stayed.

I have always stayed at the Afton house, some 10-12 times over the past 4 years for different safaris, and I can tell you their service is flawless. I know when I clear customs, I know the faces I will see looking for me, heck they don’t even make a sign for me anymore. They don’t sub-out/contract random drivers to pick up their clients. Airport pickup is included in their overnight rate. They will assist me with clearing rifles, loading luggage ect. They give me a choice of preparing me a meal or taking me to a restaurant. I always choose a restaurant, because I like seeing new places, and they don’t charge me to drive me around for dinner. My boss has chosen to have the steak dinner prepared at the afton multiple times on trips when we weren’t traveling together, and he claimed it was excellent (so I can only vouch for his word on the quality of the food). Breakfast at the afton is great, and usually includes fruit, yogurt, made to order eggs and hashbrowns, cereal…you name it. (Afton makes the best toast, super thin and perfectly toasted) I have never had one case, where the Afton house changed the plans, and have found them extremely accommodating when my plans have changed when traveling across Africa, squeezing me in last minute on a few occasions.

SO PLEASE HEED MY WARNING: STAY AWAY FROM JOURNEY’S INN AFRICA….you will be glad you did! I would hate for someone to book their 1st safari, or their 23rd and have anything remotely happen like this to taint their trip.

quote:

SO PLEASE HEED MY WARNING: STAY AWAY FROM JOURNEY’S INN AFRICA

I absolutely will! Thanks for the heads up and sorry you had to endure and pay for that bullshit!

What a nightmare! You should submit this report to DSC, SCI and the Hunting Report. They may or may not post it but it should be shared. LDK

This is why I NEVER over night in Joberg.

Jeff

You paid around 50US for a night there or something like that ? Im sorry to say for that price you will get no free limousine, michelin restaurant, free internet, breakfeast and a DUX bed to sleep in. I have been to a few places around the airport in SA and none of those places offer free internet/transport/dinner etc.

Although their customer service didnt sound good.

A Dal- No it was 550R= $85usd a night, and that was sharing a room. Plus the meal was 150R= $23 usd.

Mind you, I wasn't pissed about the cost...just the crap service, and completely and utter lies!

I see, well I can recommend Africa sky guesthouse next time, good food, service etc but the price there are 880 double room and 250 for transport and extra for dinner and internet.

AD

[QUOTE]Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
I see, well I can recommend Africa sky guesthouse next time, good food, service etc but the price there are 880 double room and 250 for transport and extra for dinner and internet.

Worth every dime. They have great customer service.

Sorry you had to go through that.I have always stayed at the Afton House and never a problem.

This is where my mate and I stayed on our transit through Joburg last year.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hot...on_Park_Gauteng.html

I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

Big +1 for Afton House!!

I think I will be overnighting next month in Pretoria at the "Colburn House". Does anyone know anything about that place?

Wow...sorry buddy!

I'm sure that there are other places to stay while awaiting further transport to exotic place for safari, but in my 30 or so stays at Afton Guest House, I've always been treated well, had a comfortable night(s) sleep and felt quite secure.

Afton has found my luggage when the airlines didn't seem very interested (and even got my bags forwarded to Vic Falls or Harare or Dar es Salaam), always fed me well or has taken me to a good restaurant, been solicitous of my children, lent me books to read (if I promised to bring them back from only God knows where) and helped me through SAPS as smooth as silk.

I'm sure folks have as good as my experience at other guest houses or hotels (lately African Sky gets good props), but I ain't getting off a horse that has toted me where I need to go more times than I have fingers and toes.

I've been to JNB a heck of a lot of times and think I'm relatively Africa-wise. Still, I have exactly zero horse-power about fixing a screw-up. I really like the fact that if anything goes tits up at the airport, I have someone I trust to call and who can get me on my way.

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
I'm sure that there are other places to stay while awaiting further transport to exotic place for safari, but in my 30 or so stays at Afton Guest House, I've always been treated well, had a comfortable night(s) sleep and felt quite secure.

Afton has found my luggage when the airlines didn't seem very interested (and even got my bags forwarded to Vic Falls or Harare or Dar es Salaam), always fed me well or has taken me to a good restaurant, been solicitous of my children, lent me books to read (if I promised to bring them back from only God knows where) and helped me through SAPS as smooth as silk.

I'm sure folks have as good as my experience at other guest houses or hotels (lately African Sky gets good props), but I ain't getting off a horse that has toted me where I need to go more times than I have fingers and toes.

I've been to JNB a heck of a lot of times and think I'm relatively Africa-wise. Still, I have exactly zero horse-power about fixing a screw-up. I really like the fact that if anything goes tits up at the airport, I have someone I trust to call and who can get me on my way.

I've only been to Africa once and the one time I was there, my overnights were at Afton. There is no doubt in my mind that this first timer received the same level of service that you a 30 something timer received. Between the original post and yours Judge, there's not doubt in my mind that Annaliese will get my business anytime I overnight in JNB.

That was a cheap stay. I'd expect better service for that amount but not much.

Time to raise the bar a little eh .....

Edit: Next time hire a car yourself. There are plenty of places to go in two days.

Sounds like a real FUBAR situation. I stayed at the Africa Sky both times I've been through Joberg..and it's fine.

Afton House folks have been wonderful in my stays in Joburg.

Last trip, the ammo got held up a day in Amsterdam for some reason. Was packed in its own case as per the recommendation we got before traveling.

The Afton House folks stayed with us and walked us through what was necessary to make sure the material was forwarded to the camp when it arrived the next day.

I understand that it is unusual for your ammo to find you if lost.

The 9,3x62 I had with me was not a problem ... but the .458 AccRel was not going to be replaceable in Africa!

The other attributes of the stays at Afton House have always been superb.

Oxyhunter sorry for the ordeal you went thru -
but thank you very much for your information. You can be sure that I will heed your warnings!!
Cheers, hans

What JudgeG said. Stayed at Afton House about 3 wks. ago. Everything was perfect, and catching our flight to Bulawayo the next day, was seamless.


Mad Dog

Geez, so sorry you caught the short-end. There is always a smart-arse trying to screw someone.

Sorry you had such a bad experience!
We stayed at Afton House and it was a great experience! Evening meal was the best meal we had on the trip! Excellent Steak and the price was $25.

Hawkeye

I too, have stayed many, many times at Afton House and have had superb service and accomodations.

I have stayed at both, Afton and Africa Sky, both were very nice.

I haven't had any troubles with either, I personally think AS has nicer accomodations.


.

I'll add my support for Africa Sky. Stayed there inbound in 2010 and was very comfortable.

Well guys, I just wanted to give anyone a heads-up...I stayed at Afton house just 4 nights ago, when sleeping over to catch a plane to the cape. It was amazing as usual.

Just wanted to make sure no AR members got caught in this sh*t! Cheers everyone thanks for the support!

When I first started traveling in Africa, I had a multitude of such experiences, after all its a 3rd world country and every incident made a great story to tell my grandkids, like the time we overnighted two days in Tanzania in a real s---- pit and slept on cardboard on bunks, no mattress, had swamp air conditioning and we turned it on and 50 million mosques came out and nailed Bob Breeding and myself..Then the water from a storage bin on the roof was red with rust and smelled like swamp water.. Yes sir, Those were the good old days, and I cherish every memory..Early on in the Safari business things were a real challange, travel and overnight stops were one hassle after another, but the camps were as good then as they are today, actually better perhaps, but the PHs tended not to molly coddle the clients quite as much..

The bottom line, I wouldn't change a thing. I had so many life experiences, that came to pass.

In my ten trips to Africa the Afton House has has become a tradition for our little tribe.

They have done many things to make our trips better. If you want or need something you only have to ask.(curios, restaurant, etc.)

I just returned from a plains game hunt and I also stayed at the Journey's Inn since my flight arrived at night. I didn't experience any of the problems you mentioned, except the airplanes flying over. I always take an Ambien on my first night in country so that didn't bother me much.

I asked the lady running the place if I could use her computer to send an email home to advise my daughters that I arrived safely and she just pointed me to her laptop behind the desk in the office. No mention of limited time.

The food was OK. A chicken casserole for dinner. Not really what I expected, but not bad either. A steak would certainly have been better. Breakfast was fine. Franky, I don't remember if it included eggs or not.

There was some confusion at the airport for pickup. I was looking for someone with a Journey's Inn sign and missed the guy with a "Corporate Cab" sign with my name on it. I saw the rep. from Rifle Permits with a sign for me for my pre arranged gun permits and went with him to get my guns. He kindly called Journey's Inn and told them about the missing pick up guy and they called the cab company and had the guy come to the SAPS office to pick me up. I think they definately should have advised me that the pickup would be from an independent company and not Journey's Inn.

The guy from the cab company was also using a GPS to find the place and we did miss it and had to ask a neighbor for directions.

All in all, I would rate them as "fair". I was given a choice of two rooms. One was much larger, but didn't have a TV. I chose the smaller (but certainly adequate) size room with the TV which definately wasn't a flat screen and only got a few english speaking channels.

I stayed at African Sky Guesthouse for the first time when I was in Jo-berg four weeks ago. It was excellent! Friendly driver, polite staff, as much use of internet as I wanted-- which frankly was not much--good food, very quiet, comfortable bed and room (I slept very little that night, but that was from jet lag and not the bed!) and all for about US $120. If I ever have to overnight in Jo-berg again, I will look forward to my stay there.