Outlook Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1998)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & FGASA
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $134 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Ali | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Possible Scam!
Horrible company and the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced from Steven. I booked a safari for two with the wonderful Elsabe (who is no longer with the company) for March 2020. This was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. It was confirmed in writing by the company I would receive a refund after a year’s time to let the economy recover a bit. I waited patiently - in that time Elsabe left the company and no one replied to me for months on end. I finally got written confirmation from Steven that I’d get a refund in September 2022 and that this would take place latest 1st March 2023. That day came and passed. After dozens of emails trying to get a single reply, I have been forced to give up. I have since been advised that I should log a complaint with the South African Consumer Protection Agency as this is a clear violation of the laws in place since I have the refund promise in writing with a tangible date attached. I noticed Steven of this as I did not want to pursue this matter further and would have just settled for a reduced payment, but they have refused and again gone silent. I’m only writing this because I can see another review where this has happened listed here on trip advisor. I agree with them - please be careful when booking this company!!
US
Email Sherry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous trip!!
Just a wonderful experience!!
Felt good to
Not have to spend a fortune to have such a unique and beautiful experience!!
Great guides & great food & great service all around! Saw so many animals & birds.
Was just a wonderful experience exploring Kurger..
US
Email Heena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big Five and More
We absolutely loved our 4-day camping safari experience with Outlook! Before booking, we reached out to the tour operator with dozens of questions and Salomi answered all of them in a timely and professional manner. From start to finish, the tour was exceptional—well-organized, efficient, and punctual. We were hesitant about staying in a tent, but it was in great condition and had all the necessities, including electrical outlets! The facilities at the camp were well taken care of and the food provided during breakfast and dinner was exceptional. A big shout-out to the head chef for taking care of our dietary restrictions—he did a fantastic job at putting together carefully considered delicious dishes. The guides who took us out on the drives were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and did a good job of giving us plenty of opportunities to take some photos. Thanks for the wonderful memories, Outlook!
NO
Email Merethe | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Some issues during the stay - The experience got worse after contacting Outlook
I visited Outlook in Pretoriuskop camp in April 2018, together with three other travelers.
Although unfortunate for us, I understand unforeseen things and misunderstandings can happen. So I contacted Outlook to discuss these things, instead of going directly online to post a negative review. I also asked Outlookfor a compensation.
I received quite an aggressive, insulting an unprofessional reply from their general manager, Steven. This leads me to give them a lot lower rating than I initially would have based on the issues during our trip only. Instead of being credited by the fact that I reached out to them, I was told that "it is in poor taste to hold us to ransom with a threat of a review online. Please note that your decision to do so was the convincing reason in our decision as to how to conclude this matter."!
With the conclusion being that Outlook takes no responsibility of any of our issues and that we get no apology or compensation at all.
I would say that all in all, Outlook safari offers an ok safari package: Guides are good(we enjoyed our game drives with Jojo and especially Jeremiah). We saw quite a lot of game despite some bad weather. Tents are good, (really appreciated the night stand with power supply in each tent). Food and wine was ok to good. If you are looking for a group trip to meet new people, the setting is good for that. Beds were uncomfortable though (a standard canvas field bed would have been better than the option we got).
Our issues though:
We were not informed before arrival that we were joining a group trip(only for the very first game drive was it mentioned that we would be together with other guests from the camp). That, despite the fact that I was from the beginning requesting a camping safari in a private camp. Once I realized that a private camp is not possible in the Kruger, I booked with Outlook still, since their daily itinerary looked quite exclusive. We were therefore surprised to arrive and see that the set-up was in a group with shared meals and safari vehicles.
The general manager addressed this issue by saying that Outlook has no control over how customers interpret the info they were given.....
...and by saying that he had looked through the information we were given, and that he could not see that it under normal circumstances could be misinterpreted by any normal people...
....he also said that it had been clear for their booking staff, that since we were asking for a camping option, clearly we were not willing to pay the price that a private safari costs. I think that should be up to the customer itself to decide.
Three of us got very sick during our stay. We all ate the same food, but the three that got sick all drank the dispenser water offered in the dinner-tent. And the fourth person that stayed healthy did not. After getting sick we saw the water being filled from a garden hose in the park. Outlook states the water is thoroughly filtered and therefore it is completely safe to drink. Even though water is filtered, that doesn't mean all bacteria have been removed and that everyone from around the world can safely drink it. Also, there is some question about the routine of refilling this dispenser bottle(hygiene of the bottle and the hose that they refil it from). We would have appreciated to have been informed that this was actually not prepared bottled water. Had we known, we would not have drunk it.
Because we got sick, we missed out on meals and game drives almost equivalent to an entire 4-day safari for one of us. Reports from us that we were sick were met with comments like: "That sucks!" No one checked in with us to figure out what made us sick or if any of us needed help. According to Outlook though, this is our own fault. As we were in a setting that was different from what we expected(we weren't looking to be in a group) and as we found some behavior of the guides weird, we were being a bit reserved and tried to make the best of it and enjoy the trip together with our chosen travel mates. We didn't ask anyone to "Leave us alone", but we weren't being personable with the guides. By doing that, they were apparently not supposed to follow up on us when we had a problem.
As mentioned, we reacted to some of the behavior of a couple of the guides, resulting in us taking some distance to them for the rest of our stay:
a) If you at dinner said "No thank you!" to another glass of wine, the guide try to convince you to drink more. Which could be innocent enough. but it's just unnecessary.
b) One of the guides came to our group one evening and loudly commented that we were not chatting or drinking enough. Then filled one of my travel companions glass even though she had turned it down. They could also say that this is only the guide trying to be friendly, but it's again unnecessary and unprofessional behavior.
c) One guide got intoxicated one evening in the dinner-tent. We only heard it as we were busy being sick, but other guests had been present.
Outlook stated further in their reply to me that their goal is to give customers their best holiday experience of their life. That experience we had last year while doing a private mobile safari with our own crew of three in Botswana. That experience cost us about the same as we payed for our stay with Outlook and not 10 times more as stated by Outlook that a private option would have cost us.
We also stayed at a lodge in Sabie after our stay with Outlook. It was better and at the same price that Outlook offers(stayed in tents there as well).
I realize and accept as stated by Outlook themselves, that most of their guests probably are happy after their stay. I guess I will also have to accept, as also stated by Outlook, that we are unfortunately part of the 1% of unhappy guests that they choose not to care about because they can "live with it".
All in all I would rate their safari package(not including our issues) as an ok to good budget option. Their way of handling customers on the other hand....Unprofessional and disrespectful!
Reply from Outlook Safaris
Posted on Aug 7, 2018Good day Merethe
Thank you again for your feedback on our game drives, the accommodation, meals and your safari experience as a whole.
I can assure you that it was not my intention for you to perceive my response to your demand as anything other than cordial and factual. I am very sorry if you feel that I was aggressive, insulting or unprofessional simply because I did not agree with you. I am sorry, but we investigated the facts of your complaint and came to a conclusion that differed from yours and it is my opinion that just because I did not agree with you, it does not mean that my conduct was unprofessional.
You made things very clear from your first email, by saying: “I will never recommend anyone to go on a safari with you, but I will not make any online comments if you tidy up in this situation in a professional manner.”
It is distressing to receive feedback such as yours, which is why we always investigate each point in depth and, as in your case, present our findings to you. If there were sufficient merits to your comments, we would have gladly refunded you not most of what you paid for your safari, but all of it. The fact that you made it clear that if you got that money, you would not inform potential fellow travellers of flaws with our product is your good right, but we can not reconcile ourselves with that.
In summary, all our safari options were presented to you and it was never stated that the one you chose was a private safari. If we had, by mistake, explicitly told you that yours would be a private safari, we would have readily refunded you, but as I made clear, your consultant never told you that it would be. We supplied you with what we promised you. Where we have supplied what we promised, we do not refund guests.
I personally questioned the guides that were on duty during your stay as well, and they stated that they tried to be friendly and hospitable to you, but were met with comments like “leave us alone”, so they also tried to give you space.
I further clarified the fact that the water in Pretoriuskop, supplied by the National Park is filtered to internationally accepted standards, regularly tested and repeatedly proven to be completely safe for use as drinking water straight from the tap. And we still filter that water again through another process. I tried to find any other person/persons that developed a stomach problem at the same time but there were no reports from any of our other guests or our staff.
Having said all this, we always have and always will welcome the feedback we receive from our guests, be it good or bad. And as stated in our email to you, it is 100% your right to review your experience online and we fully respect it, whether or not we agree with it.
Kind Regards
Steven Van Der Merwe
Outlook General Manager
CA
Email Darren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Security an issue
This review was very difficult review to write. The staff, especially the camp host and cook are very pleasant people. Rickson, one of the guides went above and beyond to make our last safari truly memorable. I’ve had over 30 safaris and he is truly a fantastic guide who tries to meet his clients needs. The chef was also amazing. I did not expect to be fed so well.
Now the bad. One of the guides got very intoxicated the first evening and we did not see him again until 36 hours later.sadly it gets worse. We had are tent broken into and some of our money stolen. They left some money and my iPad so it could have been worse. Outlook claims that this was the first time that it had ever happened with guests commonly leaving everything in their tents with no issue. One the last day they even ask you to leave your tents completely open with your belongings. Strike 3 is that they told us to expect a email from our booking agent (not sure what that means) but it’s been over 36 hours later and nothing yet,
NZ
Email Jacquie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic experience
We booked our 6 day safari through DeTour Africa, and had a good experience from the start. They gave good, accurate information and were very fast to respond to our questions.
The guides were well informed, and patiently answered questions, searched for animals, and manoeuvred the trucks to get the perfect photo opportunity.
There was a definite sense of 'hunting' the more rare animals, sometimes to the extent that we seemed to be racing from one potential site to another. One suggestion I would make is that sometimes when more than one truck is going to be used for a safari (when there are lots of guests there could be 2 or 3 trucks going out) perhaps one could be used for a slower drive? Initially there is a big emphasis on finding the glamour animals, mostly the cats, but once we'd seen them I would have enjoyed looking at the smaller birds and spending more time watching impala and elephants.
Our package included breakfast and dinner - the meals were wonderful! The chefs produced great food, and we enjoyed the chance to try ostrich, kuzu, and pap. However, the Amarula cream custard is the stuff of legends :).
We were advised to take binoculars and I'm really glad we did. We ended up sharing them with most of the people in the trucks who didn't bring any.
One piece of information we didn't have when we booked - it's really tiring getting up around 5am and keeping your eyes peeled for animals for hours on end. Having a nap in the heat of the day was a real pleasure, but people who were staying in the tents found it too hot to spend any time there during the day. If you can, go for the chalets!
GH
Email Ingrid | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing adventure
Outlook safari is a wonderful organizer. They booked everything for me, understanding my needs and the way I travel. The trip in Kruger was simply fantastic, from the guides who are both so professionnal and friendly ,who love and respect nature so much and who know so much about it, to the jeeps (very high and confortable vehicles equipped with a warm poncho for the early morning game), to the meals on the camp. Everything was just wonderfully organized and showed a great sense of customer service and hospitality.
They have also plan my trip to Cape Town which was amazing. I can only recommand Outlook safari to anyone travelling to south africa.
Email Mark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Comprehensive service, fantastic experience
Outlook provides a comprehensive service and the safari I went on in Kruger was a fantastic, memorable experience. They are easy to deal with and the booking process is simple.
I booked the 4 day classic safari, based in the Skukuza Restcamp. I went in August and on the game drives I had close up views of elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, kudu, impalas, wildebeest, rhinos, hippopotamuses, buffaloes, spotted hyena, vervet monkeys, baboons and other grazing animals – there was plenty of wildlife in the Skukuza area.
One of the issues to decide before booking is how long to go for - I saw white rhinos, buffaloes and a spotted hyena close up for the first time on the last day so if you’ve got the time available I’d say 4 days is about right.
I included the Panorama Route and that was a worthwhile swap for one of the game drives.
The Outlook base camp in Skukuza has a high turnover as guests join and depart and they manage that part of their operation really well.
Email Jackie H | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded all our expectations
We were really impressed by how Outlook Safaris helped us plan our first family safari. Elsabe was brilliant and I felt her advice on where to stay was spot on. She answered all our questions promptly and in detail; we changed plans a couple of times and this was dealt with efficiently. We wanted to stay in a small affordable lodge (we are a family of 5) that gave us an extra special experience of the bush and her recommendation of Nkorho Bush Lodge was perfect. The safari experience and lodge exceeded our expectations and it was the absolute highlight of our 3 week holiday in South Africa. We had a fantastic ranger (Werner) and tracker (Chris) who were obviously passionate about their jobs and we felt that each drive was special; my husband is a really keen birder and I felt that Werner went out of his way to make sure that he spotted as many species as possible (several Ground Hornbills on our last game drive was a dream). We also saw leopards on nearly every game drive plus exciting views of lions, rhino, elephant, buffalo, hippo, jackal, hyenas............we are already starting to plan our next safari and would definitely use Outlook Safaris again.
Wildlife Encounters
Outlook Safaris was very professional right from the start when I emailed them and got a very prompt reply. Although it was a last-minute decision to go on a safari during the peak winter season, Elsabe, the consultant with Outlook, managed to find me a last spot on the dates I preferred. Communication with her both prior to and after booking with them was always very pleasant, polite and prompt. The service I received during the 3-day safari I booked also surpassed my expectations. Despite it being the busy safari season, I had very personalised attention and was either alone or with just one or two other guests during the game drives I had with Outlook in their vehicle. The exception was during the sunset drive when I was put together with other guests with another operator that specialises in sunset drives (apparently, most safari operators do not have access to the reserve after dusk). The food provided by Outlook -- 2 breakfasts and dinners -- was also of an excellent, professional standard. The return transfers from Johannesburg to Kruger were also handled by highly competent drivers, who kept good conversation and gave me interesting insights into South Africa. The best part of the safari is, of course, the game drives themselves, and once again, I had excellent guides in the form of Johannes and F.J.. In the 2 morning and 1 afternoon drives, I managed to see all the Big 5 -- elephants, rhinoceros, lions, buffalos and the elusive leopard. Most of the these, except for the leopard, were close encounters and we had multiple sightings of them, thanks to their experience and quick eye. I was thrilled to see at close range, hyenas, giraffes, kudus, zebras, and blue wildebeests, including the smaller, iconic creatures like guinea fowls and lots of impalas. This was my first safari and it proved to be a most unforgettable one, thanks to the great team at Outlook Safaris. I would highly recommend them as the experience was worth every single cent I spent.