More Quarters Hotel

“So Glad That We Used The More Family Co. To Plan Our Entire Africa Trip!”

I am going to do something a bit unusual in this review. I’ll do a brief review of the More Quarters hotel, and will follow it with a longer review of the extraordinary trip that our More Family trip planner, Kuda, created for us. I am reviewing the overall trip here (which included More Family p... more

I am going to do something a bit unusual in this review. I’ll do a brief review of the More Quarters hotel, and will follow it with a longer review of the extraordinary trip that our More Family trip planner, Kuda, created for us. I am reviewing the overall trip here (which included More Family properties in Cape Town, Zimbabwe, and Kruger, including all transfers and flights within Africa and day trips to Botswana and Zambia) because there doesn’t seem to be a category that will let me do that on TripAdvisor, and because I think that having a More Family planner create a trip is something that many other people will want to do, if they know it’s a possibility. First—the review of the More Quarters. We loved it and have already recommended it to others. We had an entire apartment, which I believe everyone does at More Quarters. It was stylish, thoughtfully stocked, and had a private terrace. Features that are important for sleep and comfort, like blackout window shades and interior shutters in the bedroom to make it dark in the morning, had been thought of. The staff was memorable, particularly our favorite driver, Jamison, who we always looked forward to talking with about things like what makes good governments and what makes good societies, etc. We hope that someday he will run for office and be among the next generation of his young country’s leaders. We felt safe in the More Quarters neighborhood, and actually felt very safe in Cape Town and in all of South Africa. Compared to many other places that we travel, for example in South and Central America, markers of high crime areas, like barbed wire on walls and security fences, were’t prevalent in South Africa. Almost the only thing that didn’t live up to our expectations at More Quarters was dinner, which was served in the dining room of the adjacent, “sister” hotel. The atmosphere was nice, the menu was interesting, but the food was unremarkable at best. We probably wouldn’t eat there again. The only other disappointing aspect of the More Quarters was the bathroom sink, which was so small that, with the bottles of soap and lotion placed there by the hotel, there wasn’t room to also securely place your toothbrush and toothpaste on the rim while you brushed your teeth, let alone place a make up bag or a hairbrush without them falling off. It was a nuisance. While at the More Quarters, we had two special events planned by Kuda, a sunset picnic overlooking the ocean and a tour of the Cape of Good Hope. Both were outstanding experiences! For the picnic, Jamison brought chairs with tables that folded out on the sides, warm blankets, champagne, and the most incredible array of food. In retrospect, I’m wondering if the same kitchen that produced the disappointing dinner also made this truly outstanding picnic food, and if the dinner was just an off-night for the kitchen. The picnic was in a public space and we were surrounded by families enjoying the evening and the sunset. We felt like we were part of the community. A bonus was that a hang gliding company operates in the space and while we picnicked, we got to watch people race down the hill with their guides and float off over the ocean toward the setting sun. If you want to hang glide, you will be approached by company representatives when you arrive at the park and can sign up on the spot. The tour of the Cape of Good Hope was the following day. Our guide, Rico, picked us up in a mercedes stocked with water, snacks, sunscreen, etc. and provided interesting commentary as we drove through Cape Town and toward the beaches. After an hour or so, we stopped at a beach cafe that felt like it could be in Northern California—with a nice, hippyish vibe and excellent coffee and nut bread. From there we traveled on and saw penguins, then the Cape, and then had lunch at a very good restaurant directly on the ocean, with crashing waves and seals always visible from our table. We concluded the day with a tour of Cape Town’s exceptional arboretum. Rico was an outstanding guide. I have already recommended him to friends who are planning trips to South Africa. From Cape Town, we flew to Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe and stayed at another More Family property, the Stanley and Livingstone. (You can read my review of the Stanley and Livingstone on TripAdvisor.) I had never thought of Zimbabwe as a travel destination for Americans because of the strained relationship between our two governments, and was surprised when Kuda included it on our itinerary. But Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, which has lots of upscale shops and cafes, felt as safe and welcoming as any place we have traveled—which includes 63 countries. In many ways, it was our favorite part of the trip. As with all of the arrangements made by Kuda, our travel arrangements—flights, drivers, etc.—occurred seamlessly. In Zimbabwe, we had a number of special events, including a dinner cruise, a nighttime game drive with a More Family guide, a “bush dinner,” a tour of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with a More Family guide, a half day tour of Victoria Falls in Zambia, and a day trip to Botswana. In general, any activity that we did with a More Family guide was outstanding. The More Family guides were always extremely knowledgeable and competent, and brought whatever you might need for a comfortable and exceptional experience (like really high quality rain ponchos and binoculars). The dinner cruise, which was put on by a different company, was also outstanding. The “bush dinner,” while put on the More Family employees, was probably something that I wouldn’t recommend. It really just consisted of eating outside in an enclosure near a fire. The food from the buffet was good and there were excellent restrooms—which is not a given in a game reserve, but after the night game drive, I would have been as happy eating dinner outdoors on the deck at the lodge. If this event is to be a success with tourists, it needs something more, like entertainment, a talk about the night sky,…or something else to make it more memorable. The trips to Zambia and Botswana are subcontracted to companies in those countries once you cross into their borders. The quality wasn’t nearly as good as the tours— including food, the guides, etc.—as those put on by the More Family company. Still, Chobe National Park in Botswana is magical. Because the landscape is more open there than in the parks in Zimbabwe and South Africa, it’s much easier to see animals, including large herds, in Chobe. Also, if we had realized how easy it would be, we would have added extra days in that area and made at least a day trip from Botswana into Namibia, which you can easily cross into from Chobe. More Family doesn’t have a property in Namibia, but they can arrange for your travel there (I asked) and no doubt have lodges in Namibia that they can recommend. The Zambia half day tour of Victoria Falls was the only low point of the trip. We were harassed by vendors and my young adult daughter (who was wearing a rain poncho that reached to her ankles and tennis shoes) was harassed by a number of men who wanted to take photos with her, which didn’t happen anywhere else on the trip. The guide was disorganized and didn’t provide much information about the falls or any help with harassers. Unlike on the Zimbabwe side, the Zambia side of the falls had poor infrastructure and badly kept trails. We happened to be there the day before the President of Zambia was scheduled to visit, along with all of the chiefs and local kings and queens from across the country. Many of the chiefs, kings, queens, and their attendants were in the park while we were there. (I had a very nice conversation with a queen’s attendant and a person from the Ministry of Tourism while waiting for about a half an hour on a bench.) We were actually greeted by Zambia’s Minster of Tourism as we entered the park. If ever there was a day when the park should have been looking its best, it was that day. Still, it felt rundown. Also, even though you have to pay a fee to enter the park, on the Zambia side you will still be charged to use a restroom in the park. Know that and be prepared with cash. People differ in their opinions on this, but for us, the Zimbabwe side of the falls is clearly the more spectacular of the two. The trip ended at the More Family’s Lion Sands Tinga Lodge (you can read my review of the Tinga Lodge on TripAdvisor). Staying at a Lion Sands property was the reason that we reached out to More Family in the first place. It was everything, and more than we had hoped for. This was a very last minute trip for us. It happened because one of my young adult children was unexpectedly recruited for a new job, which she accepted, and had the rare chance to take almost a month off from work, which she wanted to spend traveling in Africa. When I reached out to a few companies that specialize putting together customized tours of South Africa and neighboring countries, I was uniformly disappointed with the places they had us staying and with the high costs. I knew that where I really wanted to stay was Lion Sands and that they had more than one property. I assumed from experiences with other high-end hotel companies that they could probably arrange a trip that included their properties, along with all of our transportation within Africa. They could, they did, and it was an amazing trip—at a much lower cost than had been quoted by companies using a variety of less appealing properties. I tend to plan my own trips, but because we had less than 2 weeks from the time I first reached out to Lion Sands until our departure date, I was glad to have extra help. When Kuda sent me his proposed itinerary, including lots of extra experiences that I wouldn’t have even known to ask for, I was so impressed that I said yes to everything he suggested. I’m so glad that I did! I didn’t know anything about the More Family properties when I began—very hastily—looking into this trip. They aren’t particularly well known in the U.S. As it turned out, their properties were uniformly outstanding and the planning and coordination of the trip was equally impressive. I would always use the More Family company in the future for travel in this region. I would trust them to take care of us completely and give us wonderful experiences, and I know that I would end up feeling disappointed if I used anyone else. Something I think other travelers might want to know is that we never got sick on this trip—which was a welcome surprise after numerous family members got extremely sick on trip to a Tanzania/Rwanda and later on a trip to Kenya. The water was safe enough in South Africa and Zimbabwe that we were told that we could brush our teeth with it, but were advised not to drink it. The final thing I will include (which was not part of the trip handled by the More Family) is that, if possible, I would always try to fly KLM to/from Africa. We have also flown BA and Virgin on trips to/from Africa. Our experiences on KLM have always been the best.

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“Comfortable and Friendly”

A wonderful place to stay. The staff was genuinely friendly and very accommodating when my daughter made a few special requests. The rooms were well appointed and ours was very roomy, having a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Would definitely recommend!

“This is a perfect place for families in Cape Town!”

This is an incredible place in Cape Town. My family just stayed there (4 of us, 2 teenagers), and our "family apartment" was so spacious. The staff at More Quarters are so friendly. Everyone was so welcoming. We also had the most amazing breakfasts every morning. I highly recommend this place.