African Welcome Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1999)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $116 to $445 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
US
Email Nancy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Phenomenal Service, Awesome Experience, Unbeatable Price
We had wanted to travel to Africa for several years but had been put off by the high prices and inflexible attitudes of American travel agents. The minute I spoke with Kathi from African Welcome Safaris, a world of difference opened up. She really listened to our priorities, gave us several options to choose from, and easily worked within our budget. The result was an unforgettable trip that was just right for our family -- with a savings of more than 50% over what the American operators charge while still using the same luxury hotels and lodges. All of this would be enough to justify a 5 star rating but there is another crucial element. Our flight from the US was cancelled at the last minute and we feared that might mean we would have to scrap the trip. To our astonishment, Kathi literally worked through the night to shift all of the arrangements so that we were able to fly a few days later and still do everything on our original wish list. Every detail -- from domestic flights to local excursions to accommodations -- was flawlessly arranged. She provided truly exceptional service and did so with a personal touch that made it seem we were the only clients and the top priority. If you are looking to travel to Africa and want to ensure an amazing trip, Kathi will definitely make it happen!
US
Email Conrad | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely accommodating with superb communication skills.
An African Safari has been a bucket list item since I was a kid. I am not wealthy but instead needed to save up for a trip of a lifetime so I was very focused on making sure it had the right travel agent that understood what I wanted to get out of the trip and boy did they deliver.
My time in Cape Town was magical. What a gorgeous city.
My time spent at Sabi Sands at Savannah lodge was beyond all my expectations. Easily the highlight of the trip. More animals than I ever imagined seeing.
From there my time at Timbivati at Kings Camp was next level luxury.
My weekend in Victoria Falls was majestic.
Kathi, the agent I worked with, was the MK dest most accommodating agent ever. She would respond on her days off in an emergency and I always felt she was available.
Excellent planner !
I was recommended by friend to Kathi Simon to plan our South Africa Trip and that started our journey. The trip was indeed very well planned by Kathi Simon. It was a very relaxing trip and yet full of excitement. I traveled with 6 other family members including my father who is 86 years old. I have many concerns before the trip especially my father's mobility problem. Kathi arranged for all possible assistance at various airport transfers. Kathi was very assuring and my messages and emails to her were quickly answered before and during the trip. Kathi was very thoughtful in planning our accommodation, food and itinerary for 7 of us who were flying to South Africa from different parts of the world. All 7 of us had such a good time and we truly miss South Africa! It was indeed a memorable trip ! We hope to venture to other parts of Africa again with African Welcome Safaris!
SG
Email Corrine Ong | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kathi was responsive and prompt replying all my queries.
Overall they are prompt to us and program was indeed very detailed and all the operators are very punctual at all time. We have no worries during our stay in the entire trip.
We highly recommend African Welcome Safaris if you are planning to go to South Africa.
SG
Email Junice | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing and 100% worth booking through them
The entire trip couldn’t be more perfect!! Kathi arranged all the amazing places for us to stay, and travelling around was very convenient for us. We really enjoyed our trip to South Africa and we will definitely be back again.
US
Email Mike Reale | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Tour by African Welcome Safaris
African Welcome Safaris put together a great trip for us. They were very responsive to our initial inquiry and follow-on questions, listened to our desires for this trip and put together an excellent itinerary. They provided detailed documentation for every step in the itinerary and provided an app that provided those details (meet times and locations with our guides, etc.) so we did not have to search for them in our email or on-line during the trip.
All the accommodations, drivers and tour guides were great. Graham did a great job showing us around Cape Town and the surrounding area. He was very informative, personable and made sure we got to the top of Table mountain when the weather finally cleared the day we were supposed to go to Wineland. We enjoyed our time with him as our guide.
The Old Drift Lodge accommodations were excellent. Our guide, JB, for the river cruises, game drive and Victoria Falls was also great, very knowledgeable and made sure we saw everything possible during our time there.
The Savanna Lodge was outstanding. The accommodations, staff, food, our Butler (Dan) and especially our Ranger and Tracker (Derrick and Killy) were fantastic. They made the trip special and a trip of a lifetime. The surprise dinners and set-up in our room when we returned from game drives made the end of each day a treat.
We love to travel and visit different places. This was our first time to South Africa (and hopefully not our last) and we agree this has been our best trip to-date. Thank you African Welcome Safaris for making this a great adventure.
Email Costa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Took care of everything - highly recommend
Kathi was fantastic and made the right suggestion for us based on our brief. Everything was taken care of and it was smooth sailing. Would highly recommend.
Email Joanna Garthwaite | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Easy to work with
We had a great time at Kariega Game Reserve. The best part was even in a short stay we were able to see many different animals including giraffes, elephant, rhino, and lions. Our communication with Kathi was great through out. If we had stayed longer we would have loved to go to some national parks too. Thank you so much
Email Rebecca | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A pleasure to deal with, kept us updated and obviously understood our requirements.
We have booked several trips with Alex over the years and each one has been different, we say where we want to go and he gives us his suggestions, we put them together and a perfect itinerary is made.
Our last trip to South Africa ended at Highgrove House Country Hotel near White River and was the perfect place to spend the last few days, set in beautiful scenery, with spacious comfortable rooms, top quality food and hospitality, totally relaxing.
We have booked trips to South Africa, Botswana and Namibia with African Welcome and our best holiday memories are thanks to them!
Email Elizabeth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highest standards in personal communcation and excellent recommendations
From the start, Kathi provided excellent advice and communication. She was able to reply quickly, with detailed answers, to phone calls, messages and emails, full explaining circumstances around our upcoming tour. Her service was beyond our expectations. Whenever I called, at times out of hours, I could depend on her immediate assistance. Kathi personally recommended a safari at Kariega Private Game Reserve and booked return flights for us from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. It proved to be a most impressive lodge with excellent location, service, game drives, meals and drinks. At our room we were delighted to have giraffe, monkeys, kudus and warthogs visiting a waterhole just by our own terrace! Game drives were exciting with our knowlegable ranger who had much to tell us on each of two drives every day. The experience of the African countryside was breathtaking.
Kathi had organised everything, including private taxi transport to and from the reserve and Port Elizabeth airport. On our return she helpfully organised our car rental for the rest of our stay in Capetown, managing our paticular requests in her friendly and efficient way.
I can absolutely recommend 'African Welcome Safaris' to others considering a booking.
