Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 41-50 of 51 Reviews
Shira   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: May 2017 Reviewed: May 22, 2017

Email Shira

Excellent experience and superior service
5/5

Martin helped us to plan a varied two week safari trip in Botswana and Zimbabwe. He constructed a bespoke itinerary that perfectly suited our wants and needs for the trip, patiently tweaking it and answering all our questions until it was exactly right. Once there, we could see that everything had been organised very well and there was excellent communication - all the camps knew that I was a vegetarian for example, and this was easily catered for. When we wanted to change a transfer while out there, Martin helped us with this over email very quickly and efficiently. Pilot was a great source of local help and knowledge and an excellent guide - I hope one day to return for a mobile safari with him!
Martin has excellent first hand knowledge of the area and connections with top notch camps and this really showed - everywhere we stayed was great and exceeded our expectations. Both accommodation and activities were excellent.
Overall, a very professional, friendly and helpful service that delivered a holiday to remember..

Desmond   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: April 2017 Reviewed: Apr 18, 2017

Email Desmond

Professionally organised trip, good lodges, excellent wildlife guides
4/5

Kingfisher Safaris arranged our trip in a very professional manner, with no communication glitches, and with excellent liaison with the local Zambian tour company. We stayed in two lodges in South Luangwa National Park. The lodges were actually situated very close to each other and game drives from each covered the same territory, but we saw different wildlife on each drive, so this was not a serious drawback. The lodges were very well run and the time was organised in a very efficient manner between rest, daytime safaris and night drives. The lodge staff were friendly and professional, and our wildlife guides were excellent.

Judith and Barry   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: October 2016 Reviewed: Oct 26, 2016

Email Judith and Barry  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

An excellent, well researched, well supported, bespoke safari tour in Botswana
5/5

This was the first time that we had been on safari in Africa. Martin at Kingfisher Safaris offers bespoke tours and he has first hand knowledge of the area. He discussed various options in detail so we could easily select an itinerary that suited us. We chose to visit 3 camps in Botswana over a period of 12 days. Communications from Martin were timely and appropriate. Martin provided an excellent service and was always available to answer any questions, offering support as required. Both the safari tour and accommodation at the camps were way beyond our expectations. We would definitely use this company again.

Robert   –  
United States US
Visited: July 2016 Reviewed: Jul 26, 2016

Email Robert  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The guide was knowledgeable and the camping was comfortable.
5/5

Charles gave us a very enjoyable and informative safari. He keeps animal guidebooks in the car for the benefit of his customers, but he never had to refer to them. He could identify every mammal and bird species that we saw. He was very good at locating game animals. In one case he saw fresh tire tracks turning off of the road into the bush. He told us, “There is something interesting here,” and followed the tracks to a family of leopards. He single-handedly chased away an enormous male elephant that was eating acacia seed pods in our camp (but not until after we took pictures). Charles is also very personable, and told us stories about growing up in Botswana (his father wanted him to raise cattle).
The tents were comfortable and the food was great. A very nice "glamping" experience.

Chris Greaves   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2016 Reviewed: Mar 29, 2016

Email Chris Greaves  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

excellent service with frequent contact and advice
5/5

I found kingfisher safaris to be excellent in providing help and advice prior to booking. The fact it is a UK based company also helped in avoiding money transfers which can be awkward in Zimbabwe. Very personal follow up was received with Martin even making sure we had arrived at our various destinations. I had never used a tour company before for trips to Africa but with the number of transfers needed (air and road) used one this time and wasn't disappointecd with the service. Everything was on time andof a v high standard. The recommended accommodation provided an excellent holiday experience. Would definitely recommend Kingfisher and will be using them again in the future

Peter Greenwald   –  
United States US
Visited: January 2016 Reviewed: Feb 15, 2016

Email Peter Greenwald  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Wonderful People, Lots of Animals
5/5

Nxai Pan was especially wonderful. The people at the lodges were very friendly and kind. The guides & trackers were amazingly knowledgeable, and they were lots of fun to be with. We saw lions at both Nxai Pan and Lebala. Guides at both sites were very diligent in finding animals for us to see. Truly, everyone was very nice. I would definitely go again.

Family of 5 from the USA   –  
United States US
Visited: June 2015 Reviewed: Jul 3, 2015

35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Highly recommended
5/5

We approached Kingfisher online somewhat at the last minute to help us plan a two-part safari in Zimbabwe and Botswana, and were extremely satisfied with the service we received. From the very beginning Martin was always available via email or phone to answer any questions we had or make suggestions. He helped walk us though a number of logistical snags early on and was patient and accommodating. We were very happy at the lodges he booked us in within Zimbabwe (Kanga and The Hide) and even when we were in Zimbabwe he was always immediately reachable to answer questions on his phone. At one point a family member back at home was worried about us and contacted him to reach us, and he immediately helped her find us and put her mind at ease. She was so impressed by him and said that if I did ever write a review, I needed to mention that she thought it was the best customer service she had ever received.

We also asked Martin to put together a mobile camp safari for us in Botswana for the second half and really enjoyed that as a change from the luxury lodges. Although there were a few snags (late arrival for our pick-up at the border, things taking longer than expected), Martin was always available via phone and once we experienced the roads in Botswana everything made sense! Our mobile camp was a great time, and we especially recommend our guide Pilot to anyone going to Botswana - he really made the trip there for us. It's definitely not luxurious, but plenty nice for people used to tent camping and really special to be out in the bush surrounded only by nature! We heard animal noises all night and woke to lion and hyena paw prints by the campfire! The food was good and the staff worked hard to make sure that our desires were met. Our kids (ages 13, 11, and 9) had a blast, were very comfortable, and felt like they were on a real adventure.

All-in-all I would say don't hesitate to use Kingfisher to help you plan and execute whatever you're looking for in your dream safari.

Bob and Ei   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: January 2015 Reviewed: Jan 31, 2015

Email Bob and Ei  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Superb planning - we have holidayed all over the world but never felt so 'looked after' before.
5/5

We had never travelled to South Africa before so wanted to experience a safari but also to visit other parts of the country. We picked Kingfisher Safaris as we would be dealing with people who had actually lived and worked there. Our experience was was extremely positive from beginning to end, with Martin's suggestions and planning producing a well balanced trip that not only appeared exciting, but in the event exceeded all our expectations. All our accommodation was first class and arrangements fell into place like clockwork.
We have holdayed allover the world but never felt so 'looked after' before, with Martin even contacting us during the trip to ensure all was going to plan.
We visited ancient forests, national parks, intriguing villages and beautiful coastline but the highlight must be the safari section. Superb facilities were matched by an absolutely excellent guide with an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject. Game viewing was brilliant and even included a successful lion hunt - apparently seen by very few.
Would we recommend Kingfisher Safaris? Absolutely. The thought and planning that went into our trip surpassed anything we have previously encountered. There's no doubt that real local experience and knowledge pays off, and in our case resulted in the best trip we have ever taken

Christine Smith   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: January 2015 Reviewed: Jan 30, 2015

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

South Africa - A luxury trip
5/5

We asked Martin at Kingfisher to put together a trip for 4 of us travelling from Cape Town, along the garden route & to include a visit to a Game Reserve. We let Martin make suggestions based on his knowledge of the area & of us & did not need to make any changes to his suggested itinerary. Our booking was handled efficiently & we were kept advised of everything at all times. The choice of places to stay & the accommodation arranged for us was beyond my expectations. They were diverse enabling us to enjoy a lot of what the Cape & Garden route has to offer, & all accommodation was top quality. This is the 3rd time I have used Kingfisher Safaris for my travels to Africa & I would have no hesitation in using them again.

Paul   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: January 2014 Reviewed: Jan 22, 2014

Email Paul  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Thoughtfully planned giving different experiences of Desert, Delta and Salt Pans. Brilliant trip!
5/5

Excellent service with careful planning to meet our needs. The choice of Camps meant we saw different parts of Botswana, each special and very worthwhile. Expectations were exceeded and we met very knowledgeable guides and staff in the 3 Camps. Seamless transfers by light aircraft ensured trouble free travel. We will certainly return and trust our tour to Kingfisher who clearly have used their on the ground experience to best advantage, definitely hitting the spot for us! Thank you for a relaxing and rewarding holiday.

Average User Rating
4.7/5
Rating Breakdown
  • 5 star 48
  • 4 star 1
  • 3 star 0
  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 1
Write a Review

Disclaimer

  • All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Kingfisher Safaris, not SafariBookings
  • The tours offered by Kingfisher Safaris are subject to their terms & conditions