Safari.com
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2000)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $73 to $1,167 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
Email Erlene Stephens | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Experience Ever
We embarked on our safari journey of 4 days and 3 nights on March 1st, 2026. Cayla informed us beforehand that our original accommodations at Simbavati would have to be updated due to flooding. We were upgraded to Rock Fig Lodge and there are no words to describe our experience here. I was speechless from the moment we arrived being greeted by Margariute with warm towels. We were then fed an amazing lunch and shown our incredible lodge accommodations. It is a small boutique lodge setting only serving 12 people at a time.
Every single staff member from Donie who was our Safari guide, Eddie our tracker, Kelly and all restaurant staff from Ishmael, Enough and many others were top notch. The food prepared by the chefs was amazing. My husband and I had massages done also by Siene and they were the best we have ever had.
We were provided 2 safari drives a day and saw 3 of the Big 5 and so many other animals. We also had elephants right outside our room.
Cayla, with Safari.com made our experience seamless and I would encourage anyone wanting to experience a safari that is am over the top experience to book with them. You will not be disappointed.
Email Rosemary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent contact and service given throughout.
Keith Chideme handled our booking and he was efficient, quick to respond to queries and very helpful. We stayed at Ukhozi Lodge at the Kariega game reserve and it could not be faulted. The accommodation and food and drink were of a high quality. The staff were very welcoming and made a happy team. Our 3 day safaris were absolutely amazing and we have returned with wonderful memories of sharing beautiful country with such a variety of animals. Thank you Safari.com.
Email Merianne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, professional, responsive and resourceful
Jolene Welsh was the best of the best and she was put to the test because I had a medical emergency and needed to reschedule my trip at the last minute.
She found a wonderful lodge for us, Inyati, and arranged for the lodge and Federal Air to give us a credit that we were able to use a few months later.
We can’t thank her enough and look forward to using her services again.
LI
Email Juergen Weiss | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Too many pushing emails. Too many infos to provide. Would not use again safari.com
We sent an email and wait for answers but once safari.com sends an email or request they are pushing for immediate decisions. To much pressure. Maybe it is an AI based software behind it? Value for money is very low. The lodge that we did end up with was the worst in our 5 times in the bush. Pictures presented nicely but far away from reality.
Reply from Safari.com
Posted on Mar 9, 2026Dear Juergen,
Thank you for your honest feedback.
You're right that our follow-up process felt more like pressure than support. That's not the experience we want to deliver, and we've taken your comments on board.
Regarding the lodge, your experience confirmed concerns we already had about this property. We have since removed it from our portfolio entirely and it will not feature in any future itinerary.
We hold ourselves to a high standard and when we fall short, we act. I'm sorry this trip didn't reflect the level of service we're known for.
We have reached out to you directly and I hope our correspondence has left things on a better footing.
Oliver Bryant
CEO, Safari.com
Email Alice | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most AMAZING trip
Communication was excellent from the very beginning. I always received a response within 24 hours — even over the weekends — and I was really impressed by how attentive the team was and the range of options they offered.
In terms of value for money, safaris are not typically the cheapest option, but I genuinely believe we received great value for what we paid, considering where we stayed and everything we experienced. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve was an incredible place, and we had the most amazing trip celebrating my husband’s 30th birthday there.
Email Kendall | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth booking thru the agency because they answered so many questions leading up to trip
The agency was aware of a discount offered at one of the lodges (that we would have otherwise missed out on). They compared the different companies in a very honest and transparent way and they answered questions on WhatsApp regarding other plans we had while staying in SA. It was worth having access to their experience instead of booking alone.
Email Susan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our guide was OUTSTANDING!
It was easy to plan our safari to Uganda with Safari.com's consultant. She was responsive and provided options allowing us to customize our intinerary. I believe we got good value for the cost of the trip. Other than some of the drives being longer than expected, everything went off as planned. Our guide was very personable and knowledgeable. He was an excellent driver and was great at spotting wildlife. Most of the lodges and food were excellent. The staff everywhere was wonderful. A great trip over all!
The only thing keeping my rating from being a 5 was that Safari.com did not provide much documentation or a formal contract of what the final trip entailed.
SG
Email Leanne Geyer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lindi was absolutel amazing. Made booking our trip so much easier with all her great help and advis
A Seamless Journey to an African Paradise – 5 Stars for Safari.com!
We recently returned from an unforgettable trip to the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, and I cannot recommend Safari.com highly enough for their role in making it happen. From the initial inquiry to the final boarding pass, their team provided a level of expertise and personal service that is rare to find.
The Booking Experience with Safari.com:
Planning a trip to a bucket-list destination like Victoria Falls can feel overwhelming, but our consultant at Safari.com made it effortless. They offered deep local knowledge, handled all the logistical nuances (transfers, park fees, and scheduling), and ensured we got the best possible value. Their communication was proactive and professional, leaving us with zero "travel anxiety."
The Stay: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge:
The lodge itself is a masterpiece of eco-conscious luxury. Highlights included:
The View: The lodge overlooks a busy waterhole; we saw Zebra, Kudu Antelope, and various birds right from the balcony during breakfast.
The Vulture Culture Experience: A fascinating and educational daily event that highlights the lodge’s commitment to conservation.
The Proximity: It is perfectly situated—close enough to the Falls to hear the "smoke that thunders," yet tucked away in the quiet of the Zambezi National Park.
Dining: Dinner at The Boma is an absolute must-do for anyone wanting an authentic, high-energy African drum and feast experience.
Verdict:
If you are looking for a dream African getaway, do yourself a favor and book through Safari.com. They don't just book rooms; they curate experiences. We will definitely be using them for our next safari adventure!
Email Connie & Ken | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Derrick and our spotter Killy were nothing short of amazing.
I can’t say enough good things about our entire experience. Our driver/guide and spotter were on a mission to find each of the big 5… and did so several times! They were amazing at tracking and communicating with other tour guides in the area to find several different animals. The accommodations and food were over the top. We were treated like royalty! They even had a bubble bath waiting each night for us after dinner!
Email David | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incompetent operator prone to repeated booking errors and poor coordination
I’m posting this review so other travellers planning a high-stakes or special-occasion stay understand the risks I encountered booking through Safari.com.
I used Safari.com for a proposal trip booking at Giraffe Manor and experienced repeated coordination failures and inaccurate information from my assigned consultant, Kim , along with later management handling by Bianca. This was clearly communicated as a proposal booking where precision and follow-through were critical.
The most serious failure involved the private dining arrangements. I first asked Kim to reserve the Orchid Room for private proposal dining roughly 8 months before arrival. I was later told it was double booked and was assured she would arrange an alternative private dining experience instead. After I raised concerns and escalated, Bianca told me she would personally oversee this to ensure it was handled. Despite those assurances, when I arrived at the manor, the on-site team informed me no private dining had been arranged by the agent at all, and they had to organise something last minute after I raised it directly. An early request, a fallback promise, and management oversight were all in place — yet the arrangement was still not executed.
Other documented issues included:
• An official voucher issued with the wrong month of stay (later corrected, but highly stressful for a limited-availability property booking)
• Incorrect information given about the Edd Suite location
• Photographer cost requirements not fully disclosed at the outset, with material extra cost added later
• Arrival details not properly handed over despite written clarification
• Internal handover lapses later acknowledged by management
Management later described these as “administrative friction,” but when you are paying premium rates for a flagship experience and a proposal setting, accurate product knowledge and reliable coordination are basic expectations — not optional extras. The fact that the stay ultimately went ahead does not erase multiple preventable planning failures.
To be fair, the property staff on site were professional and helpful and stepped in to fix issues last minute. The failures were in the booking management and pre-trip coordination through the agency.
Even after internal review confirmed communication gaps and errors, management declined any monetary goodwill compensation and closed the matter on the basis that the core services were delivered.
If you are planning an important or once-in-a-lifetime trip, I would strongly suggest using a specialist luxury safari planner rather than relying on a volume booking agent. Well-known competitors that handle Giraffe Manor bookings and focus on bespoke, high-touch travel planning include Brilliant Africa, Wexas Travel, Ker & Downey Africa, and Wild Earth Stays. I recommend verifying all special arrangements directly with the property in writing to avoid preventable stress.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Safari.com for critical or milestone travel bookings.
Reply from Safari.com
Posted on Feb 19, 2026David, thank you for sharing your experience, and I'm sorry we fell short on what was such an important occasion.
As CEO of Safari.com, I reviewed your file personally and agreed that the coordination issues you experienced were not up to our standard. Unfortunately, by the time the matter reached my desk, the reviews had already been posted. I wish I'd had the chance to intervene sooner. Nonetheless, we reached out to you directly to apologise and refunded more than we earned on your booking, at a loss to us, because it was the right thing to do.
We take moments like these incredibly seriously. A marriage proposal isn't a holiday, and we should have treated it with the extra care it deserved. We've since reviewed our processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.
We wish you and your fiancée all the very best.
Oliver Bryant
CEO, Safari.com