On behalf of my family, I just wanted to pop you an email to say thank you for such a wonderful day at your beautiful sanctuary.
We spent the most amazing day here as a family ! From the moment we arrived until we left everything was excellent.The reception, the tour guide, the knowledge of the staff, {AMAAAAZING Pizza's !!!} and of course wonderful to see how unlike other establishments, here they work tirelessly to ensure that the wildlife, are just that - wild , as it should be. The sanctuary is easily accessible with well maintained tar roads right up to reception. The staff were all on hand to answer any questions, and were friendly and courteous !
There is a wide range souvenir shop with prices to match the SOUTH AFRICAN folk, and for once not aimed at our international visitors , which the boys indulged in !!
Your enthusiasm and passion for the role you play there, is commendable !!
David Frew, Director of Travel Frew
March 2024
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Thank you for a fabulous excursion. It was thoroughly enjoyed by staff and pupils.
Your guide Zanele was excellent. My class and I were escorted by her so please send my thanks to her as well.
Please pass on our thanks to all of those that assisted us.
Many thanks
Nettie de Ricquebourg, Darnall Primary School
March 2024
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We (3 adults and 2 children) visited Monkeyland on Friday 5th January. Thank you for a wonderful visit, a little gem hidden in KZN. The reception staff make us welcome .
Our tour guide was rock star. He was passionate about the monkeys, explained things in detail. We learned many new things about monkeys and apes , animals and flora. I believe he is nicknamed Mr Encyclopaedia . What I loved was his patience with the children, answering all the questions.
On return to the center, we had pizzas and cold drinks. These ladies making the pizzas, were brilliant. These were the best pizzas we have had in a long time.
Overall, a wonderful experience in a clean, well run sanctuary by competent staff.
Once again, a big Thank You.
Regards,
Wim van den Bosch and family.
January 2024
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I have been in the tourism and animal related industry my entire career, spanning more than 30 years. I have visited many facilities, both internationally and locally, and part of my career has been the assessment of zoos and aquariums for accreditation. To say that we were impressed by what we saw is surely the biggest understatement I could make. We were blown away by the experience and will definitely recommend it to others.
The first thing that struck us was the impeccable state of the reception and waiting area. Everything was impeccably clean, and that on a day that was wet and muddy! Not a single thing was out of place, and the facility looked like it had just been completed. The curio shop had items that were of high quality, and selection was great and relative to the facility.
By far your biggest asset though are your incredible staff. Whoever is responsible for coaching and training them needs to be applauded. Every member of staff presented themselves fantastically, and delivered a level of service I have only encountered at 5star facilities and private lodges. Staff were courteous, well dressed, very aware of not imposing on our experience with their own conversations, and not a single one predisposed with cellphones! We arrived and ordered food, only had half and asked the staff to keep it till we finished the tour. Upon our return your catering staff asked if I would like the food reheated or if we would be taking it away. Those small gestures are what elevate the quality of experience from a great day out to the next level.
The guide who took us on the 12:30 guided walk had a difficult task that she dealt with very well. We were ready and were joined by a group of 9 others that had booked. That group included toddlers and young kids. They were running a little late due to the kids. Your staff were clear with us what the delay was about, apologised in earnest and were professional in their mannerism. Once at the Hidden Forest she easily coped with the challenge of the kids, and despite the poor weather we still managed to see all of the species. Charming and engaging are good descriptions of our guide. Even the driver did a fantastic job, driving very slowly and carefully to ensure the guests didn’t get uncomfortable on the open vehicle.All the animal areas were incredibly well maintained, The water bowls looked like they had just been placed out and were spotlessly clean and full. Food tables were all in good order and food on the table looked like it came straight from Woolworths!
All in all the visit to your facility was an incredible experience, made better by the levels of service and attention to detail. Congratulations on a job well done. Please carry my message to all involved.
Craig Smith, Assistant Curator, South African Association for Marine Biology Research.
October 2023
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Good afternoon.
I would like to commend Mandla for his wildlife knowledge and for sharing it so professionally during our tour today.
Please kindly ensure he obtains recognition for the enthusiastic manner in which he conducted the tour.
We will be back with our grandson and will be asking for him again.
Great initiative and super fine staff.
Thank you.
M. Ballman
January 2023
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Hi there MonkeylandKZN team,
MonkeylandKZN is AWESOME! We just wanted to say thank you for the lovely time and that will definitely be back soon and with friends.
Here is our blog on your awesome spot
https://africantravelbird.com/2022/10/05/monkeylandkzn-durban-ballito-the-worlds-first-free-roaming-multi-species-primate-sanctuary/
Taryn Cross, Owner, African Travel Bird
October 2022