Experience Africa:Ethical Safari & Adventure Tours
Safari With Us
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $95 to $450 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 Shyam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding trip to South Africa. Well-organized and planned. Couldn’t have gone any better!
This review is a bit overdue since we went on our trip in July, but I really do owe to Andre to recommend his company, since everything went off exactly as promised.
Our family of five, two adults and three kids (8,13,15) traveled to South Africa mainly to go on safari. My wife and I had been on safari in Tanzania in the past, so had an idea of what we wanted to do, but had no familiarity with South Africa. We relied heavily on Andre to make recommendations on our itinerary, game parks, drives, and accommodations. We were very pleased with what he suggested. Thabo, who accompanied us on the entire trip, was a very considerate, friendly and safe driver. We appreciated how attentive he was to our needs and the plan.
After arriving late in the evening in Johannesburg, Thabo picked us up to the airport to stay at Andre’s Safari Manor. Safari Manor is a very simple yet comfortable and clean little villa in the suburbs of Johannesburg. It’s where Andre lives. I think it’s mainly intended to be a place to overnight before you start your trip to the the parks or other destinations. Anyway, it’s nothing fancy but perfect for a short overnight after arriving or before departing Johannesburg.
The next morning we left Safari Manor and stopped at the Apartheid Museum for the morning. It’s worth a visit as it is very well done and interesting. We vastly underestimated the amount of time needed to really explore the museum in detail. There is so much more to learn than we were able to do in a morning.
Anyway, we then left to spend the day heading to Pilanesberg game park. We stayed in a villa at Kingdom Resort. Although it didn’t have the authentic “bush” feel of lodges where we’ve stayed on safari in Tanzania, it was just the perfect place for our family with three kids. The villa was very well-appointed and modern. Trust me, it’s really nice. Much better we expected. Food was excellent in the restaurant.
Andre booked us private game drives in Pilanesberg. We started with our first drive on the evening of our arrival, followed by several more game drives over the next couple of days. Our driver, Elvis, with Mankwe Gametrackers, was excellent. He was knowledge and motivated to find us all the animals we were hoping to see. In Pilanesberg, we were very lucky and ended up seeing cheetahs eating a kill, a leopard, lions, elephants and more. We couldn’t have had a better few days in Pilanesberg.
After Pilanesberg, we travelled to Hazyview. It was a long drive but that’s how it goes in Africa. We stayed at the Pilgrim’s Boutique Hotel. It was really a very cute place. Nice rooms. Great restaurant. And a cute courtyard. It was only for one night, as the next morning we did a private sunrise/morning safari at Kruger followed our trip to Kurula lodge. The morning safari in Kruger was a bit quiet in terms of animals. We certainly saw far more wildlife in Pilanesberg, but I think that’s not the typical experience. Regardless, we saw two lions eating a giraffe kill and another leopard. That’s actually pretty amazing. So, maybe we were already getting spoiled by our luck.
The real gem of our trip was the time spent at Kurula Lodge. This a private game lodge in the private game preserve region of Kruger. It’s amazing. Our family had the lodge to ourselves. The lodge is simply beautiful. It’s basically a luxury home with most rooms open to air during the day. The animals come right up the lodge as it’s basically a home built right in the bush. The staff are clearly focused on making your stay as perfect as possible. We had multiple private game drives with Jaco, probably one of the most intelligent and worldly guys you’d ever meet. He know practically everything about the local environment. I mean everything. His knowledge of every plant, animal, and insect is impressive. He’s super fun and informative. Every game drive was a captivating lesson in the whole ecosystem. The vehicle is a completely open top land cruiser. We were in the thick of elephant herds (who just walked right around us, inches away, without any suggestion of aggression or territorial behavior), saw two leopard with their kill in a tree over several days time and Cape buffalo herds we didn’t see anywhere else. It was awesome. Lions roaring loudly right outside our windows. We had a spotted hyena slowly walk into the deck(!!) while we were eating dinner. He thought he’s sneak up to look for a bite. Not a good idea, but it show how “ in it” is this lodge. Again, Kurula Lodge is awesome. Don’t miss it.
Finally, we returned to Johannesburg to fly home via the Panorama Route. It’s a long drive with numerous scenic vistas and hikes. It’s totally worth it. Check it out online. It’s exactly what you see.
Throughout all of this, Andre kept in touch to make sure everything was going as planned. Thabo was always available with us throughout the trip. He spent the days checking in with us periodically and driving us from park to park or the next spot on our itinerary. He was flexible enough to accommodate our wishes, but was very good about making sure that we were able to stay on schedule and do what we intended to do.
I highly recommend Safaris With Us.
IL
Email Boris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent as usual.
Safari with Us arrange a fantastic trip to Namibia with Namibian company Tutwa Safaris. We made more than 2000 km across Namibia and have seen a lot of things, including some elusive animals such as an aarvark. The organization and service were extremely effective and smooth. I highly recommend visiting Southern Africa and using the impeccable service of Safari with Us.
Email Matthew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience and resort!!
From the moment Thabo picked us up from our hotel in Johannesburg and drove us out here to when we witnessed all Big 5 animals from Kruger park with our guide Lucky this experience and resort is one not to miss. Staff here are super friendly and always smiling. Food selection is great, the cleanliness of the rooms is 5 star quality. Not one single insect or mosquito in our room despite being in the location it is during our 2 night stay was extremely impressive. The hotel cat is super cute and loves a cheeky treat from your dinner or breakfast plate. One of us is gluten intolerant and the staff were excellent in accommodating for this, the selection is limited however it was great they understood.
Our driver Lucky was what made the drive very informative and fun. We witnessed all Big 5 animals across both the sunset drive and the full day safari and he certainly knew his stuff & where to find them. I can’t speak highly enough of the staff and condition of the hotel here. They even decorated our bed with ‘’Happy Anniversary’’ for when we arrived! A++++++++
US
Email HEFY | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Huge groups had a great experience
Everything was great with us! We have 5 groups of 23 people going to Safari with Us. We love the safari, and our youth enjoyed our accommodations and different activities as well. It’s been a great company to work with!
BR
Email William Garcia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome and safe experience with a friendly and punctual staff
My tour began with Thabo (the amazing and patient driver) picking me up on my hostel in Joburg.
Thabo is really a good guy, he helped me with another stuffs like buy african's plug in and exchange money beyond get nice driving.
Overall the Safari was unforgettable because the lodge facilities and the wild experience of seeing animals on the Kruger Park was perfect.
KR
Email Justin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Grat experience across the board
From the outset (meaning when I booked in April) communication was swift and efficient. When I actually got there, the service was even better. The room is very comfortable and the two extra blankets made me so comfortable (South Africa is surprisingly cold in August) that I didn't even have to bother with the space heater. Apart from Andre himself, his assistant Debbie was absolutely amazing. She made me some excellent T bone steak braai (my first experience with Braai!) the evening before I set off to Kruger. After I came back, she made me some excellent chicken along with the best bread pudding I ever had. Prior to my departure for safari she also picked up some insect spray for me.
Andre helped me arrange tours of both Soweto and Pretoria. This was a pleassnt surprise, because my plan all along had been to stay at the Lodge because of negative things I'd heard about Johannesburg in the media. Safari with us will help you enjoy greater Johannesburg. Just as it will help you enjoy greater Kruger.
Both Kruger and Greater Kruger were phenomenal. I got my big five (including the leopard which I was NOT expecting), along with countless other incredible animals from dwarf mongoose to hippos and giraffes that are NOT in the big five. The key to having a great experience on safari, I feel, is to go in free of expectations, and be able to appreciate a gennet or mongoose as you would a lion or rhino. There is so much more to Kruger than just the big five.
Another key is to go with Safari With Us. You won't regret it.
IT
Email Elena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An amazing 3-days safari experience!
The whole experience was better than what we expected. We started the safari in 3 people from Johannesburg; Thabo, our driver, came to fetch us on time and we discovered to be the only costumers of the trip. He has been very precise, polite and funny. We arrived at the Adventure lodge to discover that my parents had a quadruple room and I got a double. Rooms were of course very spacious and neat. We went out for a satisfying safari in the evening and came back to a marvelous dinner. The next day was a full day safari, an experience you won't forget. Again, the dinner was amazing. Finally, on the last day, we had a huge breakfast and left to Johannesburg again. I highy recommend Safari With Us.
Way better than expectation
It was my first trip to SA with very less information in my head. I randomly picked Safaribookings.com by the friendly layout of the page and picked Safari With us by affordable price and traveling period. I knew nothing and I asked quite a lot. Appreciated that your website provided me a good answer and I got many email correspondences with Safari with us that made me feel comfortable and filled me with useful information. Anyway the most important thing is the actual trip that was amazing in every way. The door to door transit were great. I absolutely love every minutes in the trip. Because my biology clock is 5 hr ahead the dinner were always a bit too big but very good. Tour put me and my friend in the small group with another nice couple for the whole trip which made me feel very comfortable. For the Safari, even tough our guides know that it's my first Safari which will make me happy with everything but I can sense that they still tried to give us the best experience in just a short time that we had. (We saw 4 from the big 5 in 3 days trip which is exactly as I was informed before that the chance is 80%.)
This trip makes me one of the fan of South Africa and will always be.
Email Lyn Burke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari With Us exceeded all expectations. Faultless and Professional!
Our 3 day stay at Madigwe Game Reserve was arranged to perfection. The Safari was tailored to meet our needs and the numerous communications were amazingly prompt and informative.
Our driver to Madigwe Thabo was simply the best! Nothing was too much trouble and he was a wealth of information.
Payment for our tour was made through a secure website which was a bonus, as many other (legitimate) tour operators requested credit card details by email.
Numerous and varied bookings were made for our 4 week adventure in South Africa, but Safari With Us by far, stood out as the best to deal with.
Thank you Andre Retief and your team of professionals.
Simply excellent!!
IN
Email Deepak | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything good and one of the cheapest rates we found
We bought 2N / 3D safari for zar 5400 per person where in accomodation was a camping tent. In terms of money we are happy as it was one of the cheapest we got in the market.
The camping tent is very very small. Dont take that if you have even 1 suitcase.
Overall happy to choose