Five Star Whale Watching Experience - What a lovely morning we had in Hermanus. We arrived bright and early where we were provided with hot teas and coffees. After a brief safety talk we were off and out on the water. As we went we watched the sunrise over the surrounding mountains. It was spectacular. Then came the whales. We spotted a Brydes whale along with many majestic southern right whale. There was a lot activity due to the time of the year. The staff were all friendly and helpful and we have the most lovely morning out on the water. Thank you all we had an excellent time.

The Greatest Tour Ever !!! - Had a great experience with my wife and two of our friends. Paul was friendly and very responsible. He showed great interest in our safety and made sure we understood the route. He guided us nicely and made sure we got to see everything the company had to offer as advertised. We will definitely book another trip with Paul Polano Tours within the month of October

Whale Watching and a tour! - Great friendly service from Paul. I booked expecting just whale watching (which was great) but the price also including a tour where we saw penguins, baboons and also visiting a winery

Lovely Trip! - Had a great trip! Very accommodating and was great at explaining the history and culture behind lovely country! Saw the ubeleivable whales which is what we wanted from the tour but was also offered allot more.

Whale watching - Well executed excursion. The crew was very capable and led us straight to the whales - right whales performed perfectly and were easy to see! The weather was just beginning to turn. Everything was timed well!

You have got to do this ! - We didn’t just do whale watching… we did whale seeing! It was an amazing experience from door to door. Our private driver was extremely kind and just became part of the family. We also had lunch and wine tasting at Benguela Cove on the recommendation of our driver,Paul, on the way back to Cape Town . It was not included in the price but absolutely worth the side trip. Could recommend this journey more. Absolutely worth it!!!

A great morning in June whale watching - Great morning out it was early in the season so there weren’t many whales to see but the crew tried hard to find some and we did !! Very exciting and we saw a baby with its mother which was amazing. The drone video is worth it as you see a lot more from above and it is of your trip.

. - I had an amazing time with Paul Polano Tours. He was humorous and friendly. He is really punctual as well. You should really spend your money on the company.

Ruslan from Azerbaijan - Paul was an exceptional guide during our boat-based whale watching tour in South Africa. His knowledge about the marine life and whales was both fascinating and educational. His professionalism and friendly demeanor added so much to our adventure.

AVOID! Absolute rip off - tour is 1.5 hours not 6 as advertised - will not offer partial refund - I booked this tour in June 2025 for my mother and I to do during our visit to South Africa. The tour was advertised as 6 hours which is why we chose it. The tour states it is from Hermanus so we booked a taxi from Cape Town to Hermanus and 2 nights accommodation (1 night before the trip and 1 after). We stated on our initial booking that our collection was from a hotel in Hermanus. The day before the trip I contacted the operator to check our pick up time (shown on the confirmation as 6.30am). Was told we would be collected at 8am. We made our own breakfast as the hotel only served breakfast from 7.30am at an offsite location. At 8.15am I checked my emails to see that the pick up time was updated to 10am. 'Paul' arrived and took us to a viewing point in Hermanus and told us about some of the history of the area but we told him we were just keen to get on the boat trip. Were advised the boat went at midday. After about an hour on the boat, the skipper advised we would shortly be heading back to the dock. We were shocked. Spoke to other passengers who booked directly (with Southern Right Charters) and paid 1440ZAR each (approx £50) for the trip. We had paid 5600ZAR each (£241) for the trip. On questioning this with Paul when we got back on land, he stated that the trip included transfers from Cape Town. This was not advertised anywhere and was not on my confirmation. We were very upset and had a heated discussion. We were later offered to go on the same boat trip the following day at 6am but had to arrange our own transport to and from the harbour. This did not feel like a suitable option as we would incur further costs and would still have paid almost 5 times the cost of the actual trip if booked directly. I asked for a partial refund given we had not had a transfer to and from Cape Town and that we had paid for our own transfer and hotels based on the information provided in the listing and confirmation. This was declined due to 'policy'. I have contacted Viator and Southern Right Charters to warn them of what happened as this was a complete misrepresentation from Paul Palano Tours. To be clear, Southern Right Charters offer an excellent service and experience at a reasonable price.