The Lotus Enterprise
Run by a retired couple, who would rather be travelling.
We started this because we wanted to see the world on a pension and could not justify the brochure prices. So we found a way around them.
Our story
It began at a kitchen table in Shallcross
When you retire, the time to travel finally arrives and the money to do it usually does not. That was our position, staring at a holiday brochure clearly written for somebody else's budget.
So we found a way to buy better — and we pass what we save straight on. The hotels are the same hotels. The ships are the same ships. Only the price is different.
Today we run group holidays and adventures across South Africa, the region and further afield. Our travellers are mostly retired, often travelling in couples, plenty on their own, and a good many now on their fourth or fifth trip with us. We go along too.
What we promise
Affordable is not the same as cheap
We book good hotels, proper meals and reputable operators. The saving comes from how we buy, never from what you get.
Written quotations first
You see the final price and exactly what it covers before you pay anything. Payment in full then confirms the booking — no surprises at the hotel desk.
Honest about the trip
If a destination means long coach days or uneven ground, we say so before you book. We would rather lose a booking than have you on the wrong one.
Someone to call
You get the full itinerary and the host’s mobile number before departure — and so does anyone at home who would like it.
Good to know
Questions we get asked
If yours is not here, phone us — we would far rather talk it through.
Plenty of our travellers do. Prices are per person sharing, so we can pair you with another single traveller of the same gender, or arrange a room of your own if you would rather have the space. A room of your own is at an additional cost.
Vegetarian and Halaal requirements are arranged as a matter of course — hotels, airlines and the ship, all confirmed in advance.
Tell us when you book. Allergies should be in writing so we can pass them on formally to every supplier on the itinerary.
It depends on the trip. Local packages include coach transport, dinner, bed and breakfast, and transport to the sights. Trips to neighbouring countries include coach or air travel, bed and breakfast, and transport to the sights. International trips include flights and transfers, bed and breakfast, plus dinner and tours where specified.
Entry fees at attractions are excluded where they apply. On international trips, visa costs, travel insurance, tourist levies and gratuities are excluded. The full list is set out below and repeated in your quotation.
Enquire first and we send a written quotation with the final price and everything it includes. Nothing is payable at that stage and you are under no obligation.
A non-refundable deposit confirms the booking and holds your place. The balance is due by the date shown on your quotation and must be settled before departure. Where a quotation shows no deposit, the full amount confirms the booking.
We do not offer payment plans, and the deposit is not refundable if you cancel — which is what travel insurance is for.
Prices can move after booking if an airline, hotel or operator raises its costs. If that happens we tell you straight away in writing; it may mean a top-up payment. It is uncommon, but we would rather you heard it from us now than at the airport.
The invoice can be made out to whoever is paying, so if the family is clubbing together that is no trouble.
Every quotation lists it in full. Typically transport, accommodation, the meals stated for that trip, listed excursions and your TLE host.
Typically excluded: travel insurance, visa fees, drinks unless stated, optional excursions and anything personal. We would rather set that out plainly up front.
Strongly recommended on every trip, and required on international departures and cruises. Cover for existing conditions and upper age limits vary a great deal between insurers, so read the wording carefully.
We can point you towards providers who deal with older travellers, but the policy is between you and the insurer — we are not financial advisers and cannot recommend which cover to take.
For international travel a South African passport generally needs six months' validity beyond the return date and two or more blank pages. Requirements differ by destination and do change.
We will tell you exactly what the trip needs and remind you in good time. Renewals can take a while, so it is worth checking the date today rather than closer to departure.
Because bookings are paid in full to secure them, what you can recover depends on how close to departure you are and on what the airline, hotel or cruise line allows. The terms are set out in the booking documents that come with your confirmation.
This is exactly what travel insurance exists for. A policy covering cancellation for medical reasons is the most useful thing you can buy alongside the trip.
That is our favourite kind of booking. Twelve travellers is enough to start, and the rate reflects the group from the outset.
We will come and present the trip to your members in person anywhere in KwaZulu-Natal, and by video call elsewhere in the country.