Safari.com
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2000)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $79 to $1,249 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Kendall | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth booking thru the agency because they answered so many questions leading up to trip
The agency was aware of a discount offered at one of the lodges (that we would have otherwise missed out on). They compared the different companies in a very honest and transparent way and they answered questions on WhatsApp regarding other plans we had while staying in SA. It was worth having access to their experience instead of booking alone.
Email Susan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our guide was OUTSTANDING!
It was easy to plan our safari to Uganda with Safari.com's consultant. She was responsive and provided options allowing us to customize our intinerary. I believe we got good value for the cost of the trip. Other than some of the drives being longer than expected, everything went off as planned. Our guide was very personable and knowledgeable. He was an excellent driver and was great at spotting wildlife. Most of the lodges and food were excellent. The staff everywhere was wonderful. A great trip over all!
The only thing keeping my rating from being a 5 was that Safari.com did not provide much documentation or a formal contract of what the final trip entailed.
SG
Email Leanne Geyer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lindi was absolutel amazing. Made booking our trip so much easier with all her great help and advis
A Seamless Journey to an African Paradise – 5 Stars for Safari.com!
We recently returned from an unforgettable trip to the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, and I cannot recommend Safari.com highly enough for their role in making it happen. From the initial inquiry to the final boarding pass, their team provided a level of expertise and personal service that is rare to find.
The Booking Experience with Safari.com:
Planning a trip to a bucket-list destination like Victoria Falls can feel overwhelming, but our consultant at Safari.com made it effortless. They offered deep local knowledge, handled all the logistical nuances (transfers, park fees, and scheduling), and ensured we got the best possible value. Their communication was proactive and professional, leaving us with zero "travel anxiety."
The Stay: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge:
The lodge itself is a masterpiece of eco-conscious luxury. Highlights included:
The View: The lodge overlooks a busy waterhole; we saw Zebra, Kudu Antelope, and various birds right from the balcony during breakfast.
The Vulture Culture Experience: A fascinating and educational daily event that highlights the lodge’s commitment to conservation.
The Proximity: It is perfectly situated—close enough to the Falls to hear the "smoke that thunders," yet tucked away in the quiet of the Zambezi National Park.
Dining: Dinner at The Boma is an absolute must-do for anyone wanting an authentic, high-energy African drum and feast experience.
Verdict:
If you are looking for a dream African getaway, do yourself a favor and book through Safari.com. They don't just book rooms; they curate experiences. We will definitely be using them for our next safari adventure!
Email Connie & Ken | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Derrick and our spotter Killy were nothing short of amazing.
I can’t say enough good things about our entire experience. Our driver/guide and spotter were on a mission to find each of the big 5… and did so several times! They were amazing at tracking and communicating with other tour guides in the area to find several different animals. The accommodations and food were over the top. We were treated like royalty! They even had a bubble bath waiting each night for us after dinner!
Email David | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incompetent operator prone to repeated booking errors and poor coordination
I’m posting this review so other travellers planning a high-stakes or special-occasion stay understand the risks I encountered booking through Safari.com.
I used Safari.com for a proposal trip booking at Giraffe Manor and experienced repeated coordination failures and inaccurate information from my assigned consultant, Kim , along with later management handling by Bianca. This was clearly communicated as a proposal booking where precision and follow-through were critical.
The most serious failure involved the private dining arrangements. I first asked Kim to reserve the Orchid Room for private proposal dining roughly 8 months before arrival. I was later told it was double booked and was assured she would arrange an alternative private dining experience instead. After I raised concerns and escalated, Bianca told me she would personally oversee this to ensure it was handled. Despite those assurances, when I arrived at the manor, the on-site team informed me no private dining had been arranged by the agent at all, and they had to organise something last minute after I raised it directly. An early request, a fallback promise, and management oversight were all in place — yet the arrangement was still not executed.
Other documented issues included:
• An official voucher issued with the wrong month of stay (later corrected, but highly stressful for a limited-availability property booking)
• Incorrect information given about the Edd Suite location
• Photographer cost requirements not fully disclosed at the outset, with material extra cost added later
• Arrival details not properly handed over despite written clarification
• Internal handover lapses later acknowledged by management
Management later described these as “administrative friction,” but when you are paying premium rates for a flagship experience and a proposal setting, accurate product knowledge and reliable coordination are basic expectations — not optional extras. The fact that the stay ultimately went ahead does not erase multiple preventable planning failures.
To be fair, the property staff on site were professional and helpful and stepped in to fix issues last minute. The failures were in the booking management and pre-trip coordination through the agency.
Even after internal review confirmed communication gaps and errors, management declined any monetary goodwill compensation and closed the matter on the basis that the core services were delivered.
If you are planning an important or once-in-a-lifetime trip, I would strongly suggest using a specialist luxury safari planner rather than relying on a volume booking agent. Well-known competitors that handle Giraffe Manor bookings and focus on bespoke, high-touch travel planning include Brilliant Africa, Wexas Travel, Ker & Downey Africa, and Wild Earth Stays. I recommend verifying all special arrangements directly with the property in writing to avoid preventable stress.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Safari.com for critical or milestone travel bookings.
Reply from Safari.com
Posted on Feb 19, 2026David, thank you for sharing your experience, and I'm sorry we fell short on what was such an important occasion.
As CEO of Safari.com, I reviewed your file personally and agreed that the coordination issues you experienced were not up to our standard. Unfortunately, by the time the matter reached my desk, the reviews had already been posted. I wish I'd had the chance to intervene sooner. Nonetheless, we reached out to you directly to apologise and refunded more than we earned on your booking, at a loss to us, because it was the right thing to do.
We take moments like these incredibly seriously. A marriage proposal isn't a holiday, and we should have treated it with the extra care it deserved. We've since reviewed our processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.
We wish you and your fiancée all the very best.
Oliver Bryant
CEO, Safari.com
IE
Email Gerald Barry | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Zéne was our contact with Safari . com. He is an excellent organiser and communicator. Top class
Tour was excellent falilities in Hoyo top class. Staff excellent and super friendly.
Overall a great experience.
Email Su and Suz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing attention to detail
If you are thinking of using this company do not hesitate. This is our second trip with Safari.com and Sara Van Coillie who has twice nailed our itinerary. Flawless communication and help out of hours when planes where cancelled. Hotels excellent, guides Moses and Dennis knowledgeable and great company. SA Uganda and Rwanda amazing countries 2 women travelling and in safe hands throughout thank you
Email Jane | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Timely responses with queries
We all really enjoyed Arathusa. 100% for everthing!!
The directions to the lodge were vague and confusing. Perhaps if you liaised with Arathusa about the road conditions (Vian was very helpful on our return journey) then it would be more accurate.
We changed our party size from 5 to 6 and it felt like we had to do all the work to organise the change of dates to accommodate us.
All my daughter Emma’s queries were answered by one sentence responses. (Caileen Fortune) 😔
My communications with Dorothy were good and helpful.
She was helpful with the price reduction I asked for. 😊
Email Jane Thomas | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fabulous
I would definitely recommend Safari.com, they organised our whole holiday not just the Safari. They arranged the transfers too so we had very little to do. Izanne was our travel consultant, we communicated mainly through whatsapp which suited me. She was very responsive and got things sorted really quickly when there was a minor mix up at one of our hotels - not too bad as we stayed in 4 different locations. We would love to go back to South Africa / Africa and will look to book with them again without doubt.
Email Keren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Phenomenal personalized service
Since the beginning planning my SA trip with Mel was easy. She was very helpful, we had to navigate changes of party size and where to go and what to see. She provided advice about safety areas and what to do or avoid. There was a never a question that Mel couldn't answer. Once we had to change our itinerary due to flooding, she basically had everything set for me just needing my approval. It was a stress free experience and I will do it again in a heartbeat.
