If you’re researching whether Penguin Travel is worth booking for Southern Africa, this review reflects my experience on their 17-day Zulu Trail tour through Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique in May 2026.

I spent a long time researching tours before booking this one. On paper, it looked excellent. The itinerary promised mountain scenery, traditional culture, wildlife reserves, UNESCO-listed landscapes, tropical beaches and island experiences across four fascinating countries.

Having now completed the tour, my conclusion is simple:

The itinerary itself is genuinely good.

The execution was not.

I have travelled to more than 120 countries and taken many organised tours around the world. This remains one of the most poorly organised tours I have experienced.

What Penguin Travel Gets Right

Before discussing the problems, I think it is important to acknowledge what worked well.

The route itself is genuinely attractive and is the reason I booked the tour in the first place.

Lesotho was spectacular. The mountain scenery, remote villages and highland roads were some of the highlights of the entire trip. The La Kome Cave Dwellings were fascinating and provided a unique insight into local history. Maletsunyane Falls was every bit as impressive as advertised.

St Lucia was enjoyable and the boat trip through the estuary offered excellent opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles and birdlife. The Eswatini cultural village was worthwhile and interesting. The Bazaruto Archipelago was genuinely world-class and one of the most beautiful places I have visited anywhere in Africa.

Some of the accommodation was also very good, particularly around Praia da Barra and Vilanculos.

The countries themselves were fantastic.

My criticism is not directed at Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini or Mozambique.

The problem was that the quality of execution frequently fell well below the quality of the itinerary being sold.

The Itinerary Was Not the Itinerary We Received

The clearest example was Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Eswatini.

The itinerary clearly states “Overnight: Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary” on both Day 7 and Day 8. Two nights inside the sanctuary were advertised and sold.

We received one.

Instead of spending the second night inside the sanctuary, we were taken to accommodation in Manzini.

This wasn’t a minor operational change.

Mlilwane was one of the highlights of the entire tour and one of the main reasons many of us were excited about Eswatini. The sanctuary offers wildlife, scenery, walking trails and a unique atmosphere that simply cannot be replicated by staying in a city hotel.

Everyone on the tour was confused. Many of us had read the itinerary beforehand and expected to be staying in the sanctuary. When we arrived in Manzini, people openly questioned why we were not at Mlilwane.

The following morning made even less sense. Our guide initially suggested a relatively late return to the sanctuary and implied we didn’t really need much more time there. The group effectively had to push back because most of us felt we had already lost a significant portion of the experience we had booked.

The irony is that Manzini is not particularly far from the sanctuary. We could easily have spent the evening and following morning inside Mlilwane enjoying one of the strongest parts of the itinerary.

Instead, we found ourselves in a town with little of interest, limited dining options and a disappointing hotel restaurant.

When I later raised this issue with Penguin Travel, they maintained that the itinerary had been delivered in full accordance with the agreed programme.

The itinerary itself says otherwise.

Accommodation Changes Reduced the Experience

Accommodation substitutions occurred elsewhere too.

One advertised lodge in South Africa was replaced by alternative accommodation. The explanation provided afterward was that operational requirements necessitated the change. However, both properties were available and located virtually next to one another.

The advertised property offered exactly the scenery and atmosphere that had attracted me to the tour. The replacement felt like a lower-cost substitute.

Mozambique presented similar issues.

One overnight stop near Bilene was described as something that may occur depending on arrival times. However, the accommodation had already been listed on our hotel schedule weeks before departure, suggesting it was always planned.

The town itself offered very little for visitors. The hotel was poor. The beach experience was virtually non-existent. It felt like a logistical overnight stop rather than a meaningful destination.

Later in Mozambique we stayed at a genuinely beautiful beachfront property. Unfortunately, we arrived near sunset and departed shortly after breakfast, meaning one of the nicest locations on the trip was reduced to little more than a place to sleep.

Repeatedly, it felt as though some of the strongest parts of the itinerary were shortened while time was allocated to places that added very little value.

Driving Times Were Wildly Unrealistic

I fully understand that travel in Africa can be unpredictable.

Road conditions change.

Border crossings take time.

Weather happens.

That was not the primary issue.

The problem was that many of the driving times published in the itinerary appeared unrealistic from the outset.

Journeys advertised as three or four hours routinely became seven or eight-hour travel days.

This happened repeatedly throughout the tour.

Not because of extraordinary circumstances.

Not because of major border delays.

Not because of unusual traffic.

Simply because the published estimates often bore little resemblance to reality.

By the time we reached Mozambique, many travellers were openly discussing how much of the holiday was being spent in vehicles versus how much time was actually being spent experiencing destinations.

Had the true travel times been disclosed, I would have seriously reconsidered booking the tour.

The problem was not Africa.

The problem was that Penguin Travel repeatedly blamed Africa for issues that appeared to stem from poor planning.

The Guiding Was Among the Weakest I Have Experienced

One of the primary reasons people choose organised tours is access to local knowledge and interpretation.

That was largely absent here.

The South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini section was led by Ray.

While personable enough, he frequently appeared disorganised, poorly informed about the itinerary and unable to answer basic questions.

Departure times were often unclear.

Daily plans frequently changed.

Information about destinations was limited.

Practical communication was inconsistent.

One day we were told to buy lunch from a supermarket because there would not be a restaurant stop. Later we were told there would in fact be a restaurant stop. The restaurant turned out to be more than two hours away, leaving people confused and hungry.

On another occasion we were encouraged to order food before visiting a cultural village because we supposedly would not have time afterward. The cultural performance had a fixed schedule and many of us missed part of it while ordering lunch.

There were countless small examples like this throughout the trip.

None individually ruined the tour.

Collectively they created a constant sense of confusion.

The contrast became particularly noticeable when we briefly travelled with another local guide. In a few hours we learned more about local culture, food, customs and history than we had during several days with our main guide.

Southern Africa is one of the most fascinating regions in the world.

The history of the Zulu Kingdom.

The story of Lesotho.

The Eswatini monarchy.

South Africa’s complex political history.

Much of that opportunity was simply lost.

Death by a Thousand Small Problems

Perhaps the best way to describe this tour is that it suffered from constant operational friction.

Breakfasts that were supposedly included suddenly weren’t.

Hotels that didn’t seem aware of arrangements.

Confusion about payments.

Incorrect information.

Poor communication between Penguin Travel, local operators and accommodation providers.

Repeated delays caused by issues that should have been resolved before guests arrived.

Individually, none of these incidents were major.

Collectively, they created the feeling that nobody was truly in control of the operation.

By the second week, many travellers simply expected something to go wrong at each stop.

Transport and Safety Concerns

The most serious concerns involved transport.

The vehicle used during much of the Mozambique section repeatedly broke down.

The sliding side door was broken and had to be opened using a coat hanger because the handle no longer functioned properly.

This was not a one-off incident.

It remained that way for much of the trip.

The same vehicle later suffered repeated overheating problems and multiple breakdowns.

At various points we sat waiting at petrol stations and roadsides while attempts were made to keep it running.

Communication about what was happening was minimal.

The most concerning moment occurred when smoke began entering the passenger compartment.

What genuinely worried me was that we were travelling in an overheating vehicle with smoke entering the cabin while one of the primary exits already had a compromised opening mechanism.

At that point it stopped being an inconvenience and became a legitimate safety concern.

Vehicle planning was also questionable.

At one border crossing there was insufficient room for all passengers and luggage. One traveller ultimately had to be sent separately by taxi across an international border because the vehicle could not accommodate everyone.

The taxi was paid for.

That still should never have happened.

This was not bad luck.

It was poor planning.

The Response Was Worse Than the Tour

The most disappointing part of this experience came after the tour.

I took considerable time to provide detailed feedback because I genuinely assumed Penguin Travel wanted to improve future departures.

Instead, much of the response felt focused on defending the company.

The missing sanctuary overnight was denied.

Accommodation substitutions were justified.

Vehicle concerns were explained away.

Driving time discrepancies were attributed to external circumstances.

Many major concerns were largely ignored while comparatively minor comments received detailed responses.

The overall impression was that the objective was not to investigate what had happened but to explain why nothing was the company’s responsibility.

That was ultimately more disappointing than many of the issues encountered during the tour itself.

Was the Zulu Trail Good Value for Money?

The greatest irony is that I still think the Zulu Trail could be an excellent tour.

The route is strong.

The destinations are excellent.

The attractions are worthwhile.

The countries are fascinating.

The problem is the execution.

Long drives replaced experiences.

Accommodation substitutions weakened some of the best parts of the itinerary.

Guiding added little value.

Vehicles were inadequate.

Communication was poor.

And accountability was largely absent.

Final Verdict

I do not regret visiting Lesotho, South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique.

I do regret choosing Penguin Travel to do it.

If you are looking for knowledgeable guides, realistic itineraries, reliable transport and strong operational management, my experience suggests you should look elsewhere.

The destinations were memorable.

The organisation was not.

This remains one of the most poorly organised tours I have taken anywhere in the world.