Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 11-20 of 51 Reviews
Julie Gale   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: July 2022 Reviewed: Sep 8, 2022

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

Kingfisher Safaris know their business and are excellent at it!
5/5

First rate at every turn! Martin, who has so much personal experience of Botswana, guided us through our options and found a perfect fit to match our request and answered any questions we had incredibly promptly. We went for a Mobile Tented Safari for 10days covering three camps; Chobe, Khawai and Moremi. We were met at Maun Airport by our guide, Pilot, and his team and they collectively saw to it we had an experience we could never have imagined as it was out of this world! I don't camp but was prepared to sleep little to see the animals in their natural environment. I was expecting basic. However, I did sleep and on a bed, there was a shower with hot water and hot water in basins supplied whenever it was required. There was also a loo with seat! Meals were plentiful and delicious (a three course every evening - 4*). Drinks and snacks beside a log fire watching the spectacular sunsets whilst hearing the elephants in the bush next to you or the hippos in the water even lions in the distance. The safaris themselves (generally two a day) were conducted by Pilot. I cannot rate Pilot highly enough. So many years of experience, so much respect from the other guides, incredible knowledge about the bush, the animals and birds - he had a wicked sense of humour too. He taught us how to track and as a consequence of his tracking ability we saw ALL the animals. Tented, yes. Basic, certainly not. Spectacular, absolutely!

Zeger Van den Broele   –  
Belgium BE
Visited: August 2021 Reviewed: Jul 17, 2022

Email Zeger Van den Broele  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Unpretentious luxury with an excellent guide
5/5

Our experience with Kingfisher Safaris got off to the best of starts, even before we had formalised our booking. Martin is prompt and very precise in all his communication over e-mail. Even before we arrived in Botswana, we felt well looked after. This would be the theme throughout our 7 day safari in Moremi (Khwai Sector) and Chobe (Savuti Sector).

Pilot and his team (cook + camp hand) work like a well-oiled machine. The food is exquisite and non-repetitive: how Thaelo manages to squeeze this much out of a small cold box in the car is beyond us. Evening meals are three-course affairs, and lunch is refined splendour with lots of hearty and fruity dishes. Sleeping accommodation is simple but comfortable, in tents with a bush shower en-suite and plenty warm duvets to warn off the chill at night. The warm water bottles were a nice touch we greatly appreciated.

The main attraction of course is Pilot's guiding. He is an excellent spotter and knows the region like his back pocket. In addition, he is a true peoples person with an enormous network amongst the local guides. Everyone with a radio trips over each other to pass on exciting sightings to him, which makes him unbeatable when 'hunting' for lions at a kill or a well-hidden hyena den. In addition, he has an excellent eye for photographic opportunities and animal behaviour, always positioning his personalised LandCruiser in the best vantage point.

If we had to name one small minus, it would be that if you are a small group (one couple) the days that include transfers, are really transfer days without much else. This because all the gear needs to be packed and transported in the safari vehicle. With larger groups, there is a second vehicle doing all the breaking and setting up camp while you go on another game drive. The one night-drive in Khwai (where we stayed 3 nights) we did gave us such beautiful sightings (serval!), that we would have loved more opportunities like this. However, in the grand scheme of this safari, these remarks are mere details. We would recommend Martin and Pilot with his team to anyone who wants to have an authentic and well-tailored safari in Botswana. Pilot's campfire stories and attention to detail and safety will endear him to guests of all ages, including children.

Roberto Fattori   –  
Italy IT
Visited: June 2022 Reviewed: Jun 30, 2022

Email Roberto Fattori  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Super mobile camping in Botswana
5/5

We have just returned from a no fence mobile camping safari in Botswana organized by Kingfisher Safaris. It was literally a magnificent and fantastic experience, we stayed 3 days in Moremi Game Reserve in Khwai area, 3 days in Chobe National Park in Savuti area, 3 days in Moremi Game Reserve in North Gate area and 2 days in Makgadikgadi National Park. It was a beautiful journey full of incredible sightings. But our experience wouldn't have been so rewarding had it not been for the staff led by our excellent guide Pilot Manga, who made us feel right at home. Exceptional food, always clean tent, very nice staff, very kind and very cordial. Last but not least we would like to thank Martin of Kingfisher Safaris, because he waited for our country to loosen the anticovid ties allowing us to travel abroad and freezing our trip for 2 years. I highly recommend everyone to try the magnificent experience we had with Kingfisher Safaris and the Pilot Manga staff because they are exceptional people who will make you live a true and unique African magic.

Paul Smith   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: May 2022 Reviewed: May 31, 2022

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

Excellent help and guidance from Martin in finding a Safari which met all our needs and aspirations
5/5

A great experience in Botswana which was delivered as promised, very good value for money, with first class guides at each location. We were kept fully informed and very pleased that what was promised by way of accommodation and experience was delivered. Game drives were professionally delivered by knowledgeable and interested Guides, all of whom took the trouble to find out what our interests were. Would certainly use the excellent service provided by Martin at Kingfisher again.

Jonathan R Green   –  
Costa Rica CR
Visited: April 2022 Reviewed: Apr 17, 2022

Email Jonathan R Green  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Simply the BEST. Everything we had hoped for and much MORE. A dream come true
5/5

The initial contact and response to my enquiries was immediate. I stated what we hoped to see and Martin sent an itinerary which fit exactly what we were looking for. Other companies just sent a list of possible itineraries which was not what we wanted.
We specifically wanted an in depth experience with a private vehicle and guide which was part of the package offered. Our Guide, Pilot Manga, is born and raised in the Okavango and found all of the animals we were hoping to see, despite high grass. If Pilot cannot find an animal it is because it is not there! His skills in the bush are impressive and he imparts an incredible and personal experience that makes the unforgettable.
Our chef and camp manager were both equally delightful and looked after our every need with care and kindness. The service comes from their hearts and this is not something that is easily found in today's world. We did not want to be in areas with groups or crowds and did not want the luxury lodge option which does not, in my opinion bring you so close to nature.
We visited two different areas that contrasted and complimented each other and the planning, execution and running of the tour, travel between areas and all related details were meticulously taken care of.
If you are looking for an incredible and very personal experience, then look no further. THIS is the BEST option you will find.

Sighle Lancaster   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2021 Reviewed: Dec 16, 2021

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

Wonderful
5/5

I just returned from an amazing trip to Botswana organized by Martin from Kingfisher safaris. The lodges were super and the game drives, staff and food beyond my expectations. I felt very safe during this time of Covid as the safety protocols were top notch. Martin made sure everything ran smoothly. I can’t wait to return and I would definitely book with Kingfisher safaris again!

Lindsay   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2021 Reviewed: Oct 21, 2021

Email Lindsay  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

We’ve been to Africa on Safaris 3 times, this was the best. Hands down.
5/5

I’ve been to Tanzania twice and Uganda once. Not that I am a pro, but I am not new to Safari. I see why they call the delta the holy grail of Africa.

Kingfisher coordinated with a local guide (Pilot) who also has a camp assistant and a Chef. Every time I’ve been to Africa, something I’ve eaten has given me stomach problems except this time. It was amazing! We went from Oct 4 - Oct 16. It was hot, but not much different than what we deal with at home.

We grew a great rapport with the chef and assistant. I love to cook, so the chef and I would trade recipe secrets! She sent me home with one of her recipes! BEST souvenir ever!

Pilot was friendly and knowledgeable which is incredibly important to me. I know a lot about animals and expect to continue learning from the guides. This was definitely a case where the guide knew more, and it was so good. Pilot even let me hang on to his books along the way so I could study them and try to spot them. We got into games where he would quiz me on the birds and I just had so much fun with it!

I was stunned at the wildlife we saw. From wild dogs chasing an impala through our camp, to my “private” hippo (only hippo near camp, I just said he was my private hippo) to wild cats, civets and leopard cubs!! I’ve learned you need to be patient on safari, go on animal time. We tracked all kinds of animals and it paid off each time! I got to learn prints myself!

Here are my sightings:
Oct 6
• Leopard (cubs!)
• Lions (cubs!!)
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Impala
• Kudu
• Gnu

Oct 7
• Yellow billed stork
• Lions
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Kori bustard
• Cheetah
• Steenbock
• Impala
• Kudu
• Gnu
• Dik dik
• Bat eared Fox
• Warthogs + hoglets

Oct 8
• Giraffe
• Leopard
• Impala
• Kudu
• Eland
• Gnu
• Steenbocks
• Kori bustard
• Wildcat (!!!)
• African Civet (!!!)
• Dwarf mongoose
• Elephant
• Lions
• Lilac breasted roller
• Great horn bill
• Red billed horn bill
• Yellow billed horn bill
• Maribou stork
• Black back jackal

Oct 9
• Giraffe
• Tawny eagle
• Kudu
• Impala
• Black backed jackal
• Elephants
• Lions (cubs!!)
• Warthogs + hoglets
• Gnu
• Kori bustard
• Steenbock
• Swallow tail bee eater
• Black chested ffeagle
• Tsessaby
• Steenbock
• Zebra
• Dwarf mongoose
• Tree squirrel
• Maribou stork
• Slender mongoose
• White face ducks (whistling ducks)
• Waterbucks
• White egret
• Hippos
• Lechwe
• Nile crocodile
• Black breasted kingfisher
• Water Buffalo
• Porcupine
• Scrub Hare
• Honey badger
• Reed buck
• White tailed mongoose

Oct 10
• Hippo
• Elephant
• Giraffe (babies!)
• Water Buffalo
• White backed vulture
• Impala
• Squaker heron
• Jesus bird
• Fish eagle
• Swainsons Francolin
• Double banded sandgrouse
• Yellow billed kite
• Kudu
• Lions (cubs!!)
• Baboons
• Common Reedbock
• Roan antelope
• Porcupine
• Zebra
• Yellow eye eagle
• Scrub hare

Oct 11
• Hippo
• Giraffe
• Elephant
• Warthogs
• Leopards (fighting!!!)
• Impala
• Kudu
• Baboons
• Topi
• Water Buffalo
• Lions
• Saddle ebill stork
• Tsessaby
• Red lechwa
• fish eagle (with a fish)
• Nile crocodile
• Grey heron
• Warthogs
• Spring bill stork
• Ibis
• White face ducks
• Stalker heron
• Cattle egret
• White egret
• Barn owl?
• Waterbocks
• Scrub hare

Oct 12
• Hippo
• Giraffe
• Tsessaby
• Impala
• Ground hornbill
• Owls (Caesar’s owl?)
• WILD DOGS
• Elephants
• Fish eagle
• Water Buffalo
• Kudu
• Warthogs
• Nile crocodile
• Sable antelope
• Steenbocks
• Gray heron
• Pelicans
• White egret
• Gnu
• Yellow billed stork
• Spoonbill stork
• Black faced vervet monkeys
• Water bucks
• Scrub hare

Oct 13
• WILD DOGS
• hippo
• Waterbock
• Commerant
• African darter
• Fish eagle
• African jicana (Jesus bird)
• Pied kingfisher
• FROGS
• Impala
• Kudu
• Giraffe
• Brown billed roller
• Warthogs
• Baboons
• Pygmy geese
• Zebra
• Red lechwe
• Gray heron
• White heron
• Cattle egret
• Water Buffalo
• Black backed jackal

Oct 14
• Impala
• Warthogs
• Waterbucks
• Red lechwe
• Giraffe
• Hippo
• Zebra
• Black backed jackal
• Hyena
• Gnu
• Topi
• Tsseaby
• Lions (eating baby elephant

Nate   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2021 Reviewed: Oct 20, 2021

Email Nate  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Kingfisher Safaris' mobile safari offering is a fun, affordable way to see Botswana wildlife
5/5

My girlfriend and I toured Botswana's northern wilderness areas for 12 days on a mobile safari with Kingfisher Safaris. We visited the Savuti area of Chobe National Park as well as the Khwai Concession and Moremi Game Reserve of the Okavango Delta. We saw a plethora of animals both large and small, but a handful of notable ones were elephants, leopards, lions, wild dogs, and cheetahs. Spacious tents, comfortable bedding, and tasty meals were provided. Safari guide Pilot Manga and his colleagues went above and beyond to tailor each day to our preferences.

If you're looking to see Botswana without blowing the budget, I'd highly suggest a mobile safari with Kingfisher Safaris.

Cecilia   –  
Italy IT
Visited: August 2021 Reviewed: Sep 23, 2021

Email Cecilia

The review below is the personal opinion of Cecilia and not that of SafariBookings.
Nightmare Honeymoon
1/5

So much went wrong in this 15 day trip I don't even know where to start. I am at the point where I think all the other reviews must be fake. It was sketchy from the very beginning and I would have surely cancelled if it weren't for the large deposit we had already paid. This was our honeymoon. The suggestions we were given were poor and provided little to no information. There were huge miscommunications between the travel agent and the local guide - honestly I don't understand how they can do business together. We were supposed to have a full serviced 15 day 'luxury´ camp, but on the last days of the trip WE ENDED UP SETTING CAMP AND THE TENT OURSELVES including cleaning the tent and DIGGING THE TOILET HOLE!! because they just abandoned us in a horrible island without any staff except for a chef. We were told there would be 2 games drives EVERY day, it turns out that on the day we changed camps there was no game drive at all because even though those drives were supposed to be considered game drives, the driver was not even stopping for us to have a look at animals. The evening drives on those days weren't even performed. We ended up having 6 game drives less than promised. We were not served alcohol due to COVID restrictions - which we understand- but the agent didn't provide us with any warning whatsoever beforehand, surely because he didn´t want to loose us as customers. Imagine finding out you won't even be able to have a glass of wine during your 15 day honeymoon once you get to the first camp and are in the middle of nowhere with nowhere to go. Additionally, no other activity or extra service to compensate for the price of the alcohol that wasn't bought was offered, so they basically stole 300 USD from us. The guide kept promising 'we will see rhino and wild dogs GUARANTEED in the next few days' and then we never saw them. Really, how unprofessional can you be? We never had the expectations of seeing them in the first place, but we did after his empty promises. When we asked to make some changes to the trip, the guide came with a ridiculous price, which didn´t make sense at all....yet another excuse to steal our money. On a couple of occasions we asked the guide to go check out specific things (like a dead elephant in the area) and he would say no because he just wanted to go chase whatever he felt like, thus we missed out on amazing sights. On more than a couple of occasions we were told to meet at a certain time to leave for the game drive, and they left us hanging for 30 min or more. The guide would sit with us every dinner and wouldn´t even talk to us, he would only talk to his staff in his language. Why even sit with us and ruin our dinner in the first place? All in all, it just felt like they manipulated and lied to us to take our money. And so many things more. Feel free to contact me and I can share more info and or photos of the disastrous camping setup. We felt and we feel robbed.

Reply from Kingfisher Safaris
Reply from Kingfisher Safaris
Posted on Sep 30, 2021

Thank you for the review. Unfortunately this review does not reflect the experience our guide and booking agent had with these clients. They were determined from the outset not enjoy their safari and find ways to somehow complain about everything and it started from the moment they arrived in Botswana.

Firstly i communicated with our guide throughout their stay via satellite phone and an internet connection (whatsapp) at the national park gates. I was in constant contact with our guide. At no point did they have to set up their own tent and at no point dig their own toilet, it is simply untrue.

They booked this trip through Safari Bookings and were well aware our mobile safaris are described as 'Budget', and at no point was the word 'luxury' used for these mobile safaris. They are still very nice and comfortable, however.

We decided to have them collected from Zambia in the morning to get them to Botswana as early as we could as we had no idea what the border would be like and how long it would take to cross due to the covid situation. This led to a slight delay in Kasane as the shops only opened late on the Sunday. They sent an immediate email asking for compensation, not the first time this would happen.

To address the alcohol claim that we didn't inform them or compensate them, this is untrue. They were informed prior to departure and made NO complaint. Whilst on safari they wanted 'compensation' for this and we offered a 2 hour Motorboat Cruise on the Xakanaxa Lagoon, which was rejected as they had already been on a boat in Victoria Falls! I have Whatsapp messages and email messages should you wish to see them that prove this.

To address the game drive comments: these clients decided that they wanted to be out in the vehicle ALL DAY and while this is fine, we're happy to compensate, it was they that did not listen to our guide, of 35 years experience in Botswana, and instead effectively forced the guide to follow sightings of others travellers who claimed to see things in other areas, thus chasing sightings, sometimes which were two hours away and the day before. In the end our guide decided that he would just follow their instructions and the result is they still saw lots and lots of wildlife just not the African Wild Dogs they wanted to and were desperate to see, despite their comments. Unfortunately they had unrealistic expectations and no guide in Botswana or anywhere else would GUARANTEE a sighting, that is patently ridiculous and they DID receive all game drives they paid for and were on the vehicle much, much longer than most clients on some days for 12 hours which is 4 hours more than we would normally expect.

I also need to address the 'change in itinerary' which would have meant heading to the Kalahari, a 6 hour drive from the Moremi where they were. Everything in their trip had already been paid for, national park fees, food, campsite fees, fuel, vehicle permits, all of which at that point cannot be refunded or recovered, thus the price we quoted was the same price as booking a new trip as all the same costs are associated. The idea were trying to steal, again, is a malicious attempt to do damage to our business and totally untrue.

Sightings:

The suggestion they had to put up their own tents and dig their own toilet is simply untue, i have no idea where this idea comes from.

They refused to pay a tip, which is fair enough they are not mandatory but decided that it was up to me, the booking agent to pay this instead as they hadn't chosen to do the Motorboat Cruise and have then made threats as follows:

"I'm giving you a last chance to confirm (the Chef) has received her money. I want a confirmation and evidence she has received it.

If I don’t get an answer I will make all in my power to make sure no one books from you again."

As you can see from these comments that the client emailed to us it is her intention to destroy our business, which is premeditated and despite me offering to match the funds if she offered to pay the tip, she has decided instead to try and ruin a business, which is owned by local people in Botswana who have suffered greatly due to the lack of travellers from abroad.

Please see all our other, independently verified, reviews as these are a true reflection of the level of service we offer. To be clear they received exactly what they paid for and got much more than that besides but they were determined to be unhappy right from the start and it's sad to see this kind of response when our guide did everything he could to make sure they had a great safari.

Here is part of the sightings report from our guide and you'll see they saw plenty:

Morning drive 10/08/2021 we saw:
African serval, kudus, impalas, gnus, zebras,

Afternoon drive we saw:
hyaenas with pups by the den, ostrich, steenboks, dwarf mongooses, Banded mongooses, white tailed mongooses, lots of birds,

Morning drive 11/08/2021 we saw:
15 lions on the kill gnu, I big male lion on the road, one female lion with 2 young cubs 2 months old, Black baked jackals, Giraffes, Ostrich, warthogs,

Justin King   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: January 2018 Reviewed: Aug 5, 2020

Email Justin King  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Brilliant holiday - we were looked after at every step and received the finest service
5/5

This holiday was just incredible. We were overcome by Martin's incredible knowledge of the area and its people. The staff he sent with us were first rate and obviously highly experienced. We were in breathtaking country and always felt safe and well provided for. Martin's experience as a pilot in the African bush certainly has served him well. If we do another Safari, it will be with Kingfishers.

Average User Rating
4.7/5
Rating Breakdown
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  • 4 star 1
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  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 1
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