Sunway Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1994)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, SATSA, ASA & HATAB
- Tour Types:
- Budget & mid-range tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $65 to $196 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Anne & Mario | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Ivory Route - fantastic
We have just returned from the 2-week Botswana & Zimbabwe Ivory Route, which exceeded our already high expectations (we have traveled several times with Sunways). The route was well chosen and the activities as well. The accommodations were all good, Hyena Pan was again fantastic with the many animals at the waterhole. The travel times were long but absolutely in order. Our highlights were:
- Matobos National Park, where we were only a few meters away from the rhinoceros (mummy, dad and baby)
- Moremi Game Reserve, where we have seen a young leopard have torn a little impala
- Shakawe - Okavango Delta, where we spent a night on a houseboat
- Maun - the flight with the open helicopter over the Okavango Delta (at his own expense)
- Chobe National Park, where we have seen a lot of elephants and of course a leopard with its two babies.
We will never forget this trip - our honeymoon.
Many thanks to Sunway Safaris and our two guides Chris Zvidzayi and Chris Zulu who have made this possible.
All in all, we can only recommend Sunways and already plan another safari with Sunways next year.
Truck unbelievably uncomfortable. Transfer didnt eventuate Joburg & Sunway refused to pay us back!
Wrote a long review to Sunway but they never even replied!
Happy to take your money but no after sales service.
Bus unbelievably uncomfortable, hot & seats terrible.
Food not great.
Wouldnt refund our transfer despite saying they would - waited Joburg airport for an hour & gave up!
Reply from Sunway Safaris
Posted on Oct 25, 2017Dear Michael
Thank you for the detailed critique of the Wild Parks Botswana Tour that you recently completed.
I am happy that you found the itinerary to be well planned and executed. However to get perfection is always the goal so I am pleased that you have brought up areas where you think we can improve the service and performance.
Spring in Botswana can get very hot before the rains arrive in late October. I take your comments about the tour not being suitable for the over 60's, and although we have successfully operated for many years in Botswana this period of the year is the best for game viewing.
I have read through your detailed recount of the arrival situation and I offer my perfuse apologies for the delay and uncertainty caused when the transfer company did not make connection with you. We subcontract to a reliable transfer service when we are unable to do the transfers ourselves. We have very few problems with this service and the transfer company have given their report. I will refund the taxi fare for the extra expense which you incurred on top of you pre-booked airport transfer. Once again my apologies. This is not the way we wished your Sunway journey to begin.
Safari Vehicle:
We do not advertise air-conditioning in the safari trucks for various reasons, primarily because of the issues of reliability and servicing availability in Southern Africa. There are only a few options available to us in Southern Africa for maintenance of the air-conditioning systems, and although these options are slowly expanding we cannot guarantee the service. On this occasion the vehicle you were in had air-conditioning, according to our pre tour check lists this was working. The majority of air conditioning systems, when the temperatures of 40 degrees, would only be able to take the edge off the heat. The vehicle is back at our operational base now and we will have the air con company looking at it in the next few days.
I will however be looking into how we can support our agents with information so that it is for those booking in the hot months the temperatures that they could be travelling through.
We have found curtains become a hazard, take up space and become a contentious point among our travellers.
We go through regular guide training sessions with the operational issues for the cool boxes in the vehicle. So if there was only 1 resupply of ice in the 14 days of the tour for your clients cool box then I apologise. I will go through the receipts returned by the guides to make sure that we are supplying the correct amount of ice for the drinks cooler.
I am happy that the majority of the accommodation in Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Rivernest, Pelican Lodge and Rainbow Hotel all and the camp in the Okavango met your expectations. The prime motive for being in the Okavango Delta is for the mokoro journey and the wildlife game walks. Both of these activities get us closer to part of the wilderness that you cannot do on a vehicle based activity. The guides or polers suggestion of learning to pole is often an entertaining way to spend the afternoon in the Okavango. I am sorry that this although mentioned did not eventualise for you, the two nights in the itinerary dedicated to the Okavango offer a chance to get into the wilderness, we will concentrate on the cultural aspects of the Okavango for the next guides training session.
Hyena Pan: The actual game viewing drive in the morning in Moremi is extended so as to remove the backtracking back to Hyena Pan for lunch and allowing more time to explore Moremi Game Reserve as well as its surrounds. I am sure the flight back to Maun would have given you an excellent view over the edges of the Okavango.
The congestion in Chobe National Park is an unfortunate problem which is why we emphasize more of our wilderness experience in Moremi and have included the River Cruise to the itinerary. It is a major problem for the Botswana Wildlife Parks, Tourism Department and for the Botswana Government and they are all aware of these issues you have raised.
Food prep and storage: I am glad that the hygiene protocol of hand washing before meal preparation was adhered to. I will discuss the issues of the length of time food is left out particularly on hot days with Willard and Alois.
Our trucks store water in specifically designed stainless steel water tanks stored under the passenger compartment. The guides do not use engine water to wash food and produce. While I am glad that the hygiene protocol of hand washing before meal preparation was adheared to, I will make sure that the water is provided for hand washing at toilet stops as well.
We do guides training to help the guides become "time" efficient. I will redo this training with Alois and Willard to make sure that minimal time is wasted refuelling or shopping or banking during this tour. I will discuss this with the guides to make sure that they are aware when planning the following day. Good suggestion and we will follow up on this.
Thank you for your suggestions on making all the clients pre purchase their currency.
Tipping while not a cultural norm in Australia is a norm in many other parts of the world. All of the staff at Planet Okavango (a company which I own) and my staff at Sunway Safaris are paid well. Our guides partake in a bonus scheme dependant on performance and client satisfaction. They are all paid considerably more than many other sectors in Southern Africa. However gratuities are exactly that. It is a voluntary suggestion to show your appreciation of their hard work during the tour. We do not suggest at any point that it is compulsory. However if you enjoy the service and if you appreciate the guides role in the safari then we give a guide line for tipping for those uncomfortable or unsure of the amounts to tip. I am sorry that you felt pressured to tip the polers in the Delta after they had looked after you.
The Local payment is used for operational expenses during the tour and in retrospective payment at various points after the tour finishes in Victoria Falls. The guides are also carrying cash to cover the following tours which do not go back to South Africa.
Thanks for the suggestion of the Boma being included in the tour as a final meal celebration.
We appreciate your suggestions and feedback. I would have replied sooner however we never received the email or letter with your suggestions. The first I knew of this was when you posted the negative review on Google on Sunday / Monday. Once I received the email through our website and following letter correspondence I have endeavoured to reply as soon as possible. I would like to reiterate my apologies for the
Please can you send me your banking details and I will deposit $100 refund for the transfer taxi directly into your account by Thursday. Once you have received the refund for the taxi, I would kindly ask you to reconsider the review.
Kind regards
Shaun Waring-Jones
Sunway Safaris
lack of training guides
the safari was good ,but the lack of training of are guide ( Wayne)to adress a''Bully ''in are group ,even after it was mention to him ,put a lot of strain and a bad atmosphere in the group ,and cause me lot of stress,I will not recommend to someone Sunway Safari ,I saw other group ,with other company having more fun and a better group dynamic that our,I lodge a complaint to Sunway Safari , will see ,
US
Email Jagoda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded expectations: organized, knowledgeable, fun and that's just the guides
The Botswana Wild Parks accommodated photo safari offered and delivered on everything we'd hoped for from a first visit to South Africa. True, we didn't see rhino but who can blame them from hiding in the bush? Keeping the group to a manageable size (12 max) meant we all got to know each other and luckily, enjoyed each other's company. Jacques, though young, is very knowledgeable and passionate about wildlife and quite a good organizer. Simba exudes such warmth, kindness, good humor and life-loving spirit that he was a joy to be with. At Moremi, the local guide, Moses, is an absolute treasure. Not only does he have deep, deep knowledge about the birds and animals, he's a fantastic driver, and was willing to share about the culture and economics of eco-tourism as well. On the search for lions, on our last day in Moremi, with the trailer carrying our gear and bags already attached to the 4-wheel drive vehicle, he sighted a lioness and then drove off road to follow her into the bush. We all got National Geographic worthy photos of this gorgeous animal when she finally stopped moving because we were only 2-3 meters from her. The food was delicious and the varied accommodations were part of the adventure. Our favorite was Hyena Pan where we could watch elephants and giraffes and other creatures right from the deck. All in all, a memorable and enjoyable vacation. We would recommend Sunway Safaris to others and would book with them again.
Email Robert | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointing i m afraid though maybe ok for first time visitors to Africa
We travelled Johannesburg to Victoria falls last November. The truck was full to capacity at 12 plus provisions and was far too cramped. We had two guides, only one of whom could drive the vehicle and he was by far the better at his job. The second guide had preferred clients and was often rude to those not among them; his knowledge was poor, demonstrated at the zimbabwean border crossing when we found his visa advice to be incorrect and more generally in terms of local traditions. Group integration was poor based on our worldwide experience. The farewell event was pointedly only open to those favoured few.
However, the local park-based guides were really good. We saw all the animals we hoped to see and more thanks to them. No complaints about the food either.
what more could you ask for?!
What can I say?....if you're reading this in contemplation of going away with Sunway...all I can say is stop contemplating, and book!!
I did the Rainbow Route with 9 others plus our guides Wayne and Mosses
The organisation is fantastic- Wayne and Mosses are true masters in co-ordinating our tour, taking us to stunning places, providing outstanding food, knowing so so much about the wildlife/areas/people we saw (quite incredible)....and being such vibrant characters- they were duly held on a pedalstal by the end of the trip :)
The accommodation was brilliant- very characterful places, often boutique-style. The vast majority was great for cleanliness and facilities, but please remember the places are c. 3 star, some slightly more basic....if you want 5star, this isn't the tour for you.
If you want to embrace adventure, where there are no guarantees (to coin a phrase from the guides!) ...you'll love this trip!
Email Robyn and Bill | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful experience
A trip to Africa for most is probably just a dream and maybe one taken with a degree of trepidation . But this trip certainly allayed any concerns. We have done a fair bit of travelling in the last number of years and must say this one was one out of the box. Our guide Chris Z was amazing. He made everyone feel at home, he was interested in all his passengers and did everything to make our trip memorable. His offsider, Matthew, who is learning the game, was also great to travel with.
The places we visited, the things we saw, the variety offered and of course the animals we saw - difficult to explain how fantastic these were. It's hard to imagine camping out in the Okavango Delta and having the campsite surrounded by elephants- but it happened and it was all very exciting!
The places we stayed in varied in quality, depending where we were, but overall were great - all were clean and friendly and some very flash! Food was good, especially the 'home cooked' meals. We were lucky, we had a great group of people who all got on well and who were all willing to dig in, get involved, help out and enjoy the experiences offered!
A trip is what you make it. There was a lot of distance covered but that is necessary to get anywhere ! Our trip took us from Capetown, to Namibia, Botswana and finally Victoria Falls. A wonderful trip which we will never forget. We would recommend Sunway Safaris any time! Well done.
Email Maureen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommend, an unbelieve experience
We have recently returned from a wonderful 21 day Sunway Safari from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, August 2015. It was the most amazing adventure we have had in our travels around the world. We were on the accommodated tour and the accommodation was always clean and comfortable and in some amazing scenic spots. Although the first night was at the Sweet Lemon Guest House and we were separated from our group as they were in another guest house, we would have preferred to be together in one location for our first night.
Our guide Chris Z was an expert guide, driver and cook. The food was so delicious and healthy and we all joined in with the preparation of the meals. We would even rate the food better than some of the restaurant meals we had. Chris was such fun to be with and his planning was amazing, he gave us a timetable each day but we did not feel rushed at all. He was so knowledgeable and answered all our never ending questions about the country, animals etc. We were so fortunate to see so many animals and birds and loved watching the animals in Etosha and Chobe National Parks and even saw a large number of animals while driving on the roads. The highlight of our trip would be the elephants coming close to our camp at the Okavango Delta. The most memorable occasion was all the polers singing Beautiful Africa on our return from the Delta. Chris always engaged the locals and we had all the polers in the area singing for us. It was just unbelievable. Chris always ensured that our needs were met even going out of his way to arrange an airport transfer at the best price.
Matthew our trainee guide was very knowledgeable on the regions we visited, animals and birds. We were always putting questions to him. He was fun to be with and had some great jokes. He loved his country and enjoyed telling us about and his experiences.
Overall, the Sunway Safari was one of our best travel experiences ever. We highly recommend Sunway Safaris to anyone who is organising a safari in Southern Africa
CH
Email serena, geneva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
highly recommended
this is the second time I have done a safari holiday in africa and the first time with sunway. I was certainly not disappointed and infact the holiday and accommodaion were far better than I had expected. I did a 2wk 'beach and bush' from johannesburg through swaziland and mozambique. the tour was very well organised, guides farai and william highly knowledgeable on all our questions, either flora or faune, and did their jobs very professionally. the tour included 3 nights in several places, a welcome break from the long days in the truck, which obviously was a big part of the trip. we did several safaris in a couple of parks, and saw loads. the food on the tour was top quality and rarely convenience foods, lunches often picnics on the road sides and dinners usually a fabulous meal around the camp fire. the 'permanent tents' were far from being tents, all with very good sanitary and hot water, and the places we stayed one night in were more 4* than basic. the programme, although it included thousands of kms and long travelling days was...excellent. I think the entire group would agree that there was nothing we would have changed in hindsight. well done to the guides and organisers
Email igor | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
not worth it. not good value for money
Sunway Safaris is highly disappointing. saying that, we did see majority of the animals, and the main tour guy was great.
disclosure: below is our opinion only, and we communicated it to the company and they promised to address these for the next tours. offcourse, it doesnt help us.
- lunches were predominantly can food. for 1500 Euro per person, one can provide better food.
- the vehicle is too small for 12 people. we were only 9 with an extra guide (3 guides) and it was cramped. one can use bigger vehicles, particularly for these large distances.
- perhaps the most annoying thing is the mus-information. game drive in Krueger, was literally only drive from point A to point B on our route. we didnt really have the game, off the sealed roads as one promised. we just moved up to Zimbabwe, and whatever we saw - that was the game. the game drive in Chobe, was offered to us for 400 Bula, but when we went to reception, suddenly the price went to 320. Finally, there was no option for night safari. we were promised it in Khama Rhyno and Krueger (itinerary based) but we didnt actually have the option when we were there.
In 2 of the camps there was no hot water - although promised (great Zimbabwe and i forgot the 2nd one)