Red Africa Safaris Team
Red Africa Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- SATSA, FGASA, SATIB & LEDET
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $151 to $596 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
CA
Email Vladimir | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
6 days 5 nights safaris in Kruger Park and Swaziland with Red Africa Safaris
The preparation period went smoothly despite many questions and demands we had. Amelia was very helpful in choosing the optimal camps for us. Based on our previous safaris experience in Kenya and Tanzania, our preference was for small tented camps and huts (not luxurious but less expensive and closer to wild animals). During evening braai (this time we avoided camps restaurants) we were able to see different animals patrolling around the camps fences (more often hyenas; as close as 3-4 meters). Our guide, Jaco is very knowledgeable about flora and fauna and did his best to show us as much animals and birds, and provide us with as much information, as possible. His capacity to adjust to different requirements of his clients and his availability was phenomenal – from 5 AM for morning drive to 10 PM when we went to sleep. Safety is an important priority for him. He knew the particularity of each camp we stayed and told us what to expect, what to do and what not to do. We recommend Red Africa for its excellent ratio quality/price service and openness to clients’ demands.
US
Email Imaan Khan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Detailed Review Of a Wonderful First Time African Safari Experience
We went on our Safari from the end of December to the beginning of January (7 days.) The planning process started in October. I'm the type where I always have 500 questions, and Amelia was kind and quick to respond to everything, with zero annoyance from her end. I told her all the activities I wanted to do, and she planned an itinerary perfectly. She's very perceptive, as she added things she knew we would love, which was true, we ended up loving the monkey and elephant sanctuary tours! I cannot thank or appreciate Amelia enough for her kindness through her emails and for planning a great trip for us.
Our first day started at 6 am, and our guide, Jaco, was on time, polite and super friendly. We were under the impression we were with a group, but it turned out to be a personal safari with just me and my husband, which was great (a few activities were with groups, but overall, just us!) He is very knowledgeable about everything you can imagine. From the types of trees, to all wildlife (including insects and birds) as well as the history of landmarks, waterfalls, etc. Being with Jaco was like being with a really smart friend who you can tell is passionate about his work; it's not just a job for him, it's the love of being a guide. Not only did he educate us about South African wildlife, but also the culture. It was also great to get to know him as Jaco the person and not just Jaco the guide.
The Panorama route was beautiful and the history of the Sudwala caves and the waterfalls were interesting. For the safari itself, it was amazing. We saw so many animals (including rare sights, Jaco has a great eye) and he was very accommodating to whenever we wanted to stop for photos (or for any other reason.) We were comfortable from day 1 to day 7 (we chose mid-range accommodations.) Breakfast is no frills and included, as well as dinner and we never felt like we were hungry. The private Bush BBQ was phenomenally beautiful and delicious.
One of our night drives was interrupted due to rain, but being in the rain with Jaco and the other guide taking us on the night drive was equally as fun. It was like having an adventure with long-time friends. Our last day had some scheduling issues due to the rain, and everything was handled so well that we still got to do everything in our itinerary. The only hiccup was the hot air balloon ride at sunrise had to be cancelled due to wind conditions, but Red Africa Safaris gave us a full refund.
We were sad to leave Jaco, but happy to have booked through Red Arica Safaris. We are considering going to other parts of Africa for Safaris, and we would pay extra just to have Jaco be our guide, even if outside of South Africa. We highly recommend him to everyone we meet who are thinking about going to Africa (even if they're not thinking about it, we still recommend them highly!) You will not be disappointed with this company.
US
Email Cody H. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Every Day is the Best Day" - Outstanding Planning, Service and Personnel
When looking for a safari it is hard to know which company to choose. We were in communication with many potential companies, but what set RAS apart was their timeliness in response and English communication skills. Other companies took 2 weeks to respond to us where RAS (Amelia) was responding same day and often times the same hour. Furthermore, they didn't just stop booking with the safari, but they helped plan the other part of our trip as well. We had other questions (riding elephants, diving with sharks, hotels in Cape Town & Johannesburg) they either referred or set up for us helping take much of the planning/booking and stress off our plate. Even if there was something we wanted to do that we hadn't thought of (shark diving), our guide Jaco called Amelia and the next thing we knew, it was part of our itinerary. The service was second to none.
As for the safari, we did a 5 day tour on the panorama route. Our guide Jaco was highly knowledgeable with regards to all animals, nature and landmarks/stop offs along the way as well as highly interactive with us. We did the group rides at camps, but the best part of the trip was our time spent riding in the safari van with Jaco as he knew and explained more than we were hearing when going out on group trips from base camps (day, night and bush walk guided tours). That is not to say that the camp trips were not great, but sometimes they lacked or failed to share deeper knowledge about the animals and the territory. Furthermore, Jaco cooked for us each night with many options. While riding in the park I found myself wondering what a kudu or impala might taste like… not to worry, most likely you were going to get to try one of the game meats at night which only added to the experience. During our trip it rained 3 of the days we were in Kruger National Park, but we still managed to see the Big 5! Much of that is due to the fact that Jaco was readily available and willing to take us out to continue to look for animals even after we did the guided group tours. Jaco did not want us to leave without getting the entire experience and bang for our buck. I remember seeing 3 leopards in one day and we were all excited and I asked Jaco what was the best day he ever had in Kruger and he said "As a guide in this park, every day is the best day" and even after 3 days in the pouring rain I can honestly see why he thinks that! Needless to say at this point if you read this far, RAS can do it all and you will most likely leave making an additional friend in your tour guide along the way!
FI
Email Noora | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide Jacu was absolutely excellent, he really made our trip fantastic!
More than we expected! The lodge was nice. Everything went really well with our guide and with Red Africa Safaris.
CN
Email Joerg Sandmann | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Family Safari
We were picked up by Jako (our tour guide) at our hotel in Johannesburg. During the drive we had already a first glimps on wildlife. After a short boat drive we arrived at our lodge close to the river. During the day we had a river boat safari and later a cosy private dinner on the river banks before heading out for a night safari during which we met lions. The next morning we headed out for a morning drive into the bush - before leaving the camp for Kruger National Park. We saw amazing animals (buffalos, elephants, zebras, giraffes). The 3rd night we spent in a camp in Kruger with an awesome view over the river with many hippos. After great dinner and breakfast we left the park again for the animal rehab center where we had the chance to even pet a cheeta. We had a great barbecue prepared by Jako himself on our last evening - and we had even a hippo in the river directly in front of our lodge. On the last day we visited all famous sights of the panorama road on our way back to the hotel in Johannesburg. It was great organization, great places which were booked for our stay and above all Jako is an amazing guide, driver and cook.
EG
Email Teresa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First time in Kruger park (and on a safari)
it is a group of 3 italian friends on our first safari. it was not easy to pick an option in the big kruger offer with a huge range of prices. we went for red africa because Amelia managed to be very informative, precise, fast in answering all our crazy questions and offered all we were looking for at a reasonable price; 3 days safari in the kruger park all inclusive : transfer from JNB, meals (basic meals but tasty, clean and abundant) accomodation (in a rondavel at the skukutza camp) and guided game drives (morning drives, night drives and bush walk).
jaco was our guide and definitely made our trip awesome. picked us up on time, cooked for us, amazed us with super interesting park insights and info about the wildlife, the plants and even the stars.
he's been always available to accomodate our needs, patient and fun.
we were very lucky to spot 4 out of the big 5 even before checking in in skukutza and spot the 5th one (2 beautiful leopards) on our way out. i would definitely recommend red africa to my friends!
AT
Email Georg | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience for our first time
It was a very special part of our journey to south africa. My girlfriend and I did a 4 day safari in the Kruger NP and the Panorama Route. We had not that luck with the weather but we saw the big five and a lot of other animals. Our guide Jaco was excellent, he has a huge knowledge about the animals and the nature and he had a answer of each our questions. The back office and the communication was brilliant, they satisfied all our whishes before and during our trip.
AT
Email Julia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience in the Krüger NP
We (my boyfriend and I) did a four day safari with Red Africa Safaris in the Krüger NP and the Panorama Route. Our guide Jaco was really friendly and flexible. He has a huge knownledge of nature and the wildlife, he had an answer for all our questions! In spite of the weather (which was not that good) we saw the big five and much more! It was a wonderful trip and Jaco made it really special!
IL
Email Leonid Shikhelman | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was wonderful !!!!
I would like to thank the Red Africa company from the bottom of my heart for the organization and implementation a safari trip in Kruger Park!
This Safari trip transferred our dream into reality during all the time that we were there.
I chose Red Africa without prior recommendations, merely by looking for many options on the internet.
When I emailed them with questions, I received very detailed and satisfactory answers. Red Africa were very helpful in recommending the specific trip that would be the best fit for our group of people (we were 4).
On the first day, our guide, Jacob, came exactly on time and picked us up from the hotel in Johannesburg. We made our way to the safari in a comfortable van.
Jacob was with us all these 5 days, and was available for anything we needed 24 hours a day. Also, he was very knowledgeable of the animal life and vegetation in the park. He showed, described and gave us explanations about everything on a very high level.
Jacob works exclusively as a tour guide, both as a “day job” and a “night job” - he loves nature and is very knowledgeable about it. He also loves animals and the landscape around them.
Kruger Park is absolutely different from the place where we came, and Jacob helped us to understand its dynamics and charm.
US
Email Sateesh Venkatesh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent service with personal care
Excellent service with personal care, able to form a personalized trip just for you.