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:
- $64 to $192 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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.
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 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
CA
Email Nancy and Michal Bardecki | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome; everything we had hoped for and more
We took the 16 day accommodated Game Tracker through South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. We enjoyed every day of our trip. It was our first safari and so everything was new to us; we never tired of seeing the birds and animals and even just driving though the countryside.
Our guides Chris and Joseph were outstanding. They always gave us a briefing about what to expect the next day, after dinner in the evening. They provided a wealth of information about the birds, animals, the culture and the landscape and even the economies of the countries we visited.
We had a nice mix off meals in lodges/restaurants and meals made by the guides. Everything was delicious and by and large very healthy as well. While we were in Okavango, we had koodoo (farmed, not wild) stew.
The lodges selected by Sunway were great- very comfortable and they usually had very nice grounds that were good for bird watching.
Some of the restaurants are still learning about the logistics of serving customers and getting them their bills. But the guides are aware of this and so we usually placed our orders ahead of time so there were not long delays getting our meals.
We absolutely detest camping, so we were not big fans of the accommodation in the Okavango Delta. If you like camping, it would be great. But anyway, we loved the whole Okavango experience. It was definitely worth any shortcomings with the accommodation.
The local guides selected by Sunway for the most part were excellent. for example, our guide for Thebes River in Botswana seemed to know exactly how to position the boat and the safari vehicle to get the best pictures.
Our favourite parts of the trip were the Thebes River cruise and game drive and the salt pan (for the birds).
The vehicle we used to get from venue to venue was called the red elephant. It is a custom designed truck. The seating was comfortable and you got good views from the windows. We always had snacks available, mostly local fruits.
Of course what everyone goes on a safari for is the animals. We got great views of lions, buffalo, hippos, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, koodoos, impala, monkeys and much more in many of the places we visited.
The Sunway trip was great value and we would definitely consider another trip with Sunway
DE
Email B.N. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
First time and very recommandable !!!
Just back from an unforgettable Sunway-Safaris Tour to Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls with German speaking, perfect guide Wouter („as almost a part of the group“, always available and left no questions open) Driver William also a very experienced, carefully driver.
Because both of them, we have discoverd the „Big Five“ at the first days already.
Our „Red Elephant“ (Safari Chariot) was perfect suited for all "challenges".
Thanks for the great time, will recommand to others !
NZ
Email Grahame Brind | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Botswana Wildside, superb safari.
This was our 5th Sunway Safari, and we are in our mid and late 70's. Although we had done this safari before (2009), it was so good that we wanted to take our daughter on it. It not only lived up to expectations, but exceeded them. Our guides Wayne and Zambo were amazing, full of knowledge, which they readily passed on to us. Wayne was a wonderful cook ( we are vegetarians ), which helped make our holiday great. The banter between Wayne, Zambo and all of us turned a great safari into a superb one. Not only did we see some amazing animals, but we came away knowing far more about them thanks to Zambo and his in depth knowledge. Although very hot up to 43deg, we would highly recommend this trip.
CH
Email Sybille | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Authentic wildlife adventure - over expectations!
At the beginning of November, I joined the Botswana Wildside Camping Safari (14 days). It was a magnificent trip starting in Johannesburg, passing some of Botswana’s national parks and ending in Livingston to visit the Victoria Falls. It was a well-organized and divers program – game drives and camping in remote areas as well as cultural interaction in the cities. One of my favourite points was the journey in a traditional makoro (narrow dugout canoe) to an island in the Okavango Delta, an enormous wetland area with pristine wilderness. Traveling in small groups was a major benefit to simplify the processes – it was more like a family than a group.
8 of 14 days we did some wild camping in the national parks. This was an authentic wildlife feeling with extended game drives in the morning and evening (siesta in the afternoon due to the heath). We were very lucky that we saw a big variety of animals and got plenty of time to observe them in detail. Please note that there is quite a bit of time spent in the vehicle (game drives, travel time…) but the seats are comfortable and the landscape is varied. So time is running fast. The meals made on the campfire were delicious and contained many fresh ingredients (tasty alternatives for vegetarians). Even in the outback, we had simple facilities (bucket shower every second day and bush toilets). Camping equipment, cooking tools and vehicle were in good conditions.
Local and experienced guides make a huge contribution to the success of a trip. Our guides/drivers were outstanding and complemented each other. Farai and Moses, our lovely guides, have profound knowledge in the field of wildlife, country-specific features and African traditions. They took care of us and showed us their countries from the best side. Farai was responsible for the overall organisation and the cooking part whereas Moses drives us through the landscape. Moses is a professional Botswana guide with big experience and true hospitality. Besides reliable driving, he showed us the (hidden) spots where we could track games and give in-depth background information. ET was the driver of the backup track with the kitchen and our baggage. That’s a responsible task as well. With his friendly manner, he was part of the group and helped to set up the campsite or to break down before leaving.
Thanks to the people that make this trip amazing! I’m looking back to great trip and an unforgettable experience. It was an authentic wildlife experience - this sounds like an advertisement but it’s the truth. I would highly recommend this tour to my friends.
Email Silke | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Botswana Wild Side
We had an absolutely amazing camping safari in Botswana with Sunway Safaris. It was extremely well organised and run very smoothly. Our main guide, Petros, was outstanding. He was extremely knowledgeable about the wild life and enabled us to have some interactions with wild elephants that were amazing. I felt safe and looked after all the way along. The time in the okavanga delta with the locals there was really special. I was very glad that we had Jame with his superb driving skills on these difficult roads. Food prepared by Petros and Dineo was delicious and I was very surprised about what you can cook on a campfire! The wildlife was wonderful - it's easier to list what we didn't see (a cheetah) than what we sae - we even saw a pack of wild dogs! We returned with many many magic memories. Thanks!
US
Email Stephanie Berman | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderfully organized to maximize the best of South Africa
I recently returned from the Sunway Safaris Rainbow Route, 17-day tour across South Africa. I have never been on an organized tour of this length and wasn't sure what to expect. As a solo traveler, I was incredibly impressed with the organization of the tour, the tour vehicle "Red Elephant," and and the expertise of the guides. Yes, there was quite a bit of time spent in the vehicle (it's great, but if you go during the winter, make sure you have layers because it can be cold in the mornings), but a lot of that time was spent during safari game drives and in order to be able to cover the ground that we did. There were a few days with really long drives, but because we left early in the morning and stopped for an activity along the way, the drives didn't feel that long. At Kruger and the other safari parks, we saw some unbelievable wildlife sights (e.g., pride of 12 lions, lions eating a recently killed buffalo, mother lion crossing water with baby, all Big 5 on two days in a row, elephant walking to water hole) due to the skill level of our guides, Phuma and Farai. Our guides were the perfect pair and complemented each other beautifully. After a few days, it felt more like a family than a tour group. We only had 4 in the group, but the limit is 12. We were also able to see fabulous marine wildlife including humpback whales, southern right whales, seals, etc. I was also incredibly impressed with the accommodations which exceeded my expectations. For the first two weeks, we were in somewhat remote locations (with the exception of Kruger), which were very peaceful. The last week when we hit the garden route, it became a bit more crowded with tourists, but was absolutely beautiful! Overall, I would highly recommend this tour and this company.
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