Armadillo Overland Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $140 to $373 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email John | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience: safe, fun, and worth every minute
If you are looking for a luxury safari, this is not your company. If you are looking for an adventure in the African Bush the way that South Africans do it themselves; if you are looking for safari guides who truly care about the plants and animals of South Africa above all and who want to share those with the world; if you are looking to have some fun, to get a little dirty, and to see a part of the world rarely seen anymore in its raw beauty, Armadillo is for you!!
I'll start off by saying that we booked this particular tour because it perfectly fit our timeline and budget. We were looking for a low-budget, camping tour that would really allow us the time and flexibility to see the animals and terrain of Kruger. We are 3 young men from the USA who have extensive travelling, camping, and adventuring experience. This was the only safari we could find that fit everything we wanted for the timeframe we had. We did the 8-day safari with 5 nights in the park and a trip to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and Elephant Whispers as well as the Blyde River Canyon.
I am SOOO glad we went with Armadilo!! They gave us everything we wanted and more!!
This is truly an all-inclusive company. From the time we were picked up from the airport to the time we were dropped back off at the airport in Joburg, we never lacked anything. The food was certainly plentiful, filling, and tasty. We would buy the occasional snack at one of the park shops, but even as 3 big guys used to American-sized portions, we were never hungry. The tents we used were spacious and sturdy, and we were provided with sleeping bags, pillows, and comfortable, 4-inch mats to sleep on. Drinks were available in an honesty bar on-board the safari truck whenever we needed for a very small fee. Potable water is available from taps at all of the campsites as well.
Chris and Simon (his son) were our guides. Chris is truly an expert of the African wildlife and fancies himself a birder as well. Not only were they great at spotting animals for us, they could identify most species with ease as well as give us more in-depth information about them. We did see all of the Big 5 including a Black Rhino, as well as a Sable Antelope, Cape Clawless Otters, and several other rarely seen animals. Yes, we were lucky to have seen them all, but Chris and Simon really helped create our luck. They were not simply tour guides who were doing their job, happy to be rid of their customers at the end of a game-drive. They became friends and companions who were fun to be around. Along with their combined knowledge, well... it was a privilege to be with them!
The last thing to note here specifically is the safari truck. It is no ordinary vehicle. This thing was custom-built specifically for taking groups on safari. There are some pluses and minuses of it, but in all, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. First of all, it is completely enclosed. That makes it feel far more secure than the traditional open-sided trucks you may be expecting. That does sometimes limit the visibility of animals if they are directly in front of or behind the truck; however, because it stands a good 15 feet above the ground, you are so far above the other vehicles that you will see things they could never see. We were eye-level with girrafes and elephants. We could see above the road-side brush and small trees. We could even see over the top of any other vehicles that would pass by or park next to ours. One major caution: If you have a difficulty with ladders, this may not work for you. Because of its height, you have to climb a ladder or steep stairs to get in and out of the truck. Also worth noting is that it has an on-board espresso machine for those early morning game drives and a charging station for all your electronics which takes standard South African AND European plugs.
So, in summary: we were hoping to go on a safari to see the animals of Kruger. What we got was an adventure much more fulfilling than that! We thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa, and all of us want to go back even more now than we did before. And I can tell you this: If we were going back, we would definitely go on a safari with Armadillo again in a heartbeat! I hope to keep in touch with Chris and Simon as well.
Email Paul Vandenburg | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super Tour Company, A Real African experience.
I was a little skeptical at first as there are so many tour operators and options, but I can say that after the whole tour and everything, that it was an awesome experience and I wouldn't trade my time spent for anything. In terms of the actual tour operator I can't say that there were any problems, the owners and staff were super friendly and the food (really important to me) was first class. A great job overall and I would use them again. Thanks for the Tour!
CA
Email Melanie & Patrick & girls | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
You won't find friendlier, harder working, more accommodating tour operators!
I used to live in South Africa and have been to the Kruger Park more than once, both on a tour and on many self driven stays, so I had a fairly good idea of what to expect from Kruger. As a group of 4 families with kids (half of whom had never visited South Africa) we decided that taking a tour and having the advantage of being all together in the overland truck while game viewing would be a fun and practical choice. With 7 kids 10 and under we also looked forward to not having to organise, cook and wash up after meals!!!
Chris took into account our wishes for where we wanted to visit in the park, although some practical considerations (our group required a large campsite area to fit in all 7 tents plus two vehicles and a large area for us all to sit) meant that we had to stay more central in the park rather than stay in the busy southern areas - smaller groups at less busy times won't have this consideration.
Throughout he made accommodations for our requirements (having so many small kids meant timing meals a little differently than would suffice for all adults) and we changed up meals, drives, accommodation sites and worked in a very last minute game walk with an excellent guide organised by Chris & Nicky. Chris always had a smile on his face and was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the local bird and animal life. Travelling in the high truck gave a brilliant vantage point for game viewing and allowed the kids to sleep on the floor on the (majority of) days we opted to aim to be out of the gates at 4:30am in an effort to take advantage of the best game viewing. Accommodation was in safari tents which stood up to a torrential overnight downpour with no worries of getting wet. The first time visitors to the park especially loved being accommodated in tents for an authentic park experience.
Lastly, the food was absolutely delicious and prepared with obvious pride and care - they put a lot of thought and effort into the meals that they serve and it really shows. I put on 2 kgs in a week!!! They kept the "honour bar" well stocked at virtually cost prices and everything was kept cold with regularly stocked ice (and we were welcomed to keep our own drinks and water cold in the coolers as well).
I can say that while I am the kind of person who normally prefers the control of self driving in Kruger, I thoroughly enjoyed the advantages, perks and benefits of being taken care of by Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours in their awesome overland truck! Recommended for groups, families, first time visitors to the park and anyone who wants to relax and let someone else take care of the details!
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Email Alok | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Game Drive on one of a kind Truck, Hospitality was second to none
We have done the 5 day catered safari trip with Chris and Nicky, the owners of the Armadillo Overland Safari and Adventure Tours. It was our 1st safari trip. The accommodation was top notch and every meal was hand prepared. Chris and Nicky are very knowledgeable about various animals, birds, wildlife that we have encountered in our game drives. They had a genuine passion for nature and its occupants. For the 5 days we were a family of 8, never felt anything less. We have seen 4 of the big five except Leopard, though Chris had tried very hard to locate one for us. The panorama route was a memorable last piece to our adventure. They have also dropped us to our hotel in Santon, 20+ km from the airport at 8:30PM at night. I have to mention the one of a kind truck that was used for the game drive every morning, afternoon and overall transportation. That is one of a kind and there is no other like it in South Africa Period. They had everything you will ever need (pillows, blankets, binos, glasses, books, water, beer, wine..) + the loo(bathroom) in that truck. If you are looking for a safari, i promise, they will show you a good time with awesome food, a passion for wildlife and a lasting friendship. Now ask yourself when was the last time you thought like this about a service provider. In the sea of safari providers they are truly exceptional.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lovely Tour, and Lovely People.
Hello, I wanted to write a review because I think that the tour operator deserves a special mention. I had been on a tour once before to Tanzania and had enjoyed it thoroughly. My son decided to buy me a ticket to this tour as a birthday gift. I was really nervous as I hadn't traveled for so long and I was going alone. Once the tour started the Friendly Staff and Lovely food set my mind at ease and I really enjoyed my time, The trip was absolutely great and I actually meet some great people who were on the tour with me. I'm heading home in a day or two, what a special time I've had. Thanks To All
PL
Email Anna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 days Safari + Panorama Route
That was the experience of our life!!! Our family of 4 have spent 6 days in Kruger on board of Truck Norris. Everything was perfectly organised from the very beginning - Chris patiently and quickly responded to all my questions before making a final decision, than we were picked up from Jo'burg and the tour began. We were on camping safari, full equipment was provided by Chris - tents, sleeping bags, mattrecess, pillows, chairs, etc. Chris took care of us all the time - he was our guide, safari driver, excellent chef and storyteller. It was nice to sit at night near campfire and have a chit-chat on different subjects.
Travelling in Truck Norris was sooo comfortable - a lot of space, big windows, a fridge with stocks of cold beer, coffee machine and toilet. As we sit much higher than in standard safari vehicles we had better views. We saw so many animals! Chris has amazing knowledge of Kruger nature and he is happy to share it with his guests. Additionally our games were not strictly limited as in other safari operators, we spent at least 7 hours on games a day. I'm pretty sure that it is the best value for money.
I have to mention the delicious food prepared by Chris himself - that were home-made meals like pasta, steaks, curry, salads, etc. - quite different from my imagination of camping food (that was my first time sleeping in a tent :-)).
All in all - the only what can I do is to strongly recomend Chris ans his Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours. You will not be disappointed!!! Chris - once again I would like to thank you for your hospitality, patience and wonderful time we have in Kruger. Big respect for your hard work to satisfy your guests.
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Email Darren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect safari with wonderful hosts
Do you have an aunt and uncle that will take you on a perfect Safari, cook for you every day and night and dote on your kids while you relax on vacation? No? Well call Chris and Nikki at Armadillo Overland Safari and Adventure tours- they'll do all this and more. My wife and three daughters (4, 6 and 8 yrs old) spent 5 nights and 6 days with Chris and Nikki and their "armadillo" truck and we wanted to stay longer. Another month or maybe a year would be about right.
Communication with Chris was easy and his e-mail responses were quick while we were planning our safari before we left the US. He sent us a planned itinerary of a safari in Kruger National Park and then added a requested side trip to Elephant Whispers which he arranged and included in the price of the Safari to make it even easier for us. And when traffic snarled our original itinerary he made a few calls and re-arranged the visit to ensure we had plenty of time with the Elephants and plenty of time in the park. He also added the requested panaroma route during our return trip to Johannesburg and was flexible with our schedule as our flight got moved up a couple hours the week before we left.
The 'armadillo' vehicle is a elevated box on the back of an Isuzu 4x4 that ensures you can go virtually anywhere in the park and see everything when you're there. The sitting height is even higher than the game viewing vehicles that we saw allowing us to see animals far into the bush. The elevated box has multiple windows perfect for wildlife viewing and picture taking and for keeping cool riding around in the park. The box also has tables set between chairs to allow kiddos to play some card games when the game drives got longer than their attention spans or on the way to and from the airport. It also has an honor drink bar (beer, cider, water and chocolate milk for us) that Chris and Nikki will stock with whatever you'd like prior to departure. Binoculars? Check. An extensive library on all things safari? check. A heater for chilly mornings? check. An electrical strip for charging devices, camera batteries, etc? and with adapters? check and check. I'm not sure what they could add to make it better but give it a couple months and I'm sure they'll come up with something.
Chris cooked up something delicious for us every night - it was so good that even our 8 year old that here to forth we thought survived on photosynthesis asked for second helpings a couple nights. And the brunches were just as good.
We camped in the park for four nights and just outside the park the last night. The tents and sleeping mats were comfortable and kept us dry during a couple unseasonable rain showers. Chris and Nikki provided pillows and extra blankets which reassured my cold-phobic wife.
This was the best family vacation we've had so far. If I could give them 10 stars I would- and it still wouldn't be enough.
CZ
Email Kristy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari
I was with Armadillo in 5 days safari in Kruger and it was an amazing experience. The food was delicious and always enough, sleeping in tent was very comfortable and we saw a lot of animals: Hyenas, lions three times, rhinos three times (one time with calf), huge herd of elephants by watering place...Our truck was excellent for game wieving and Chris knows much about nature in Kruger. If you want to wisit safari, Armadillo is the best choice. I believe, that it wasn´t my last safari with Armadillo.
An amazing experience with family and friends.
From the start the communications with Chris were helpful and friendly. A very personal approach which we valued. Chris arranged the tour and explained what would be happening. From the time Nicky and Chris arrived at the hotel to collect us we were made to feel like valued friends, with every detail being taken care of. The truck is so comfortable, with a lot of thought about small details. The meals were delicious, and the accommodation chosen was carefully thought out to meet our requirements. Every effort was made to show us what we wanted, and we experienced a wonderful part of the world in all its glory, both with fauna and flora. The knowledge Chris and Nicky shared with us was amazing, and contributed to our whole experience. Thank You does not even begin to cover it.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari - Amazing Meals - Amazing Hosts
What you see on the website is what get (only better)! Our group of 15 (8 adults 7 kids) from Canada got picked up from our hotel in Jo-Burg and to our amazement all of our luggage fit in the vehicles. The truck was roomy, comfy and offered great game viewing due to it's height and huge windows. Both Chris and Nicky accomadated all our requests which were plentiful due to our large group. Both were pleasant, knowledge and extremely hardworking. Chris was very meticulous and organized which made our trip run smoothly. We heard that the food was good, but is was delicious! Chris was a gourmet chef and prepared more than enough for us for each meal. All of the camping supplies (tents, chairs, pillows etc) were in excellent condition. I would definitely recommend this company to everyone. Thanks for the amazing experience!