John Cooper (Coop) owner of African Adventures
African Adventures Safari Company
- Located In:
-
Australia
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $206 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Jill Hawkins | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely all we had imagined and more. The most wonderful family reunion, so well managed by Coop
Our 2nd trip to Africa with Coop, was our whole family of 17, ranging from Gran and Gramps to 9 grandkids. Both trips were so well arranged and went ahead without a hitch. We were hesitant because of being just post COVID, but the whole family decided that we have never experienced anything even close to the wonderment and excitement of this trip and can't wait to go again. It was the trip of a lifetime and enthralled all age groups. The accomodation Coop chose for us was perfect and the Host guides and staff at the Lodges were very helpful and attentive. We would happily go again.
Email Rebecca Beardmore | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Coop (John Cooper) is an enthusiastic, warm, friendly tour operator with a 'can-do' attitude!
Hands down the most incredible holiday of my life. If you are wavering about doing a safari for any reason- DON'T! This is a MUST DO! You won't regret it and John Cooper will ensure you don't have to worry about anything other than "What time do you want me here in the morning"! Our trip was planned in honour of my dad's 80th birthday so our party of 17 ranged in age from 5 to well... almost 80! Our 28 day safari was superbly planned to include ample diversity and interests- locations, accommodation, animals, travel options, food. With every new site I thought it couldn't get any better and I was proved wrong at every turn. It was sensational: Safe enough for the littlies' and with enough thrills to keep the teenagers engaged. Whatever your particular interests, Coop will provide. And if you just want to leave your adventure in safe hands and not get involved in the planning at all, then you'll be sure to have a grand time anyway! Loved it, loved it, loved it!
US
Email Trevor Carter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
John (Coop) not only brings local knowledge and expertise, he adds a lot of fun to the tour
My young family and I had always wanted to travel to Africa but were daunted by the exercise of planning and choosing the right places to visit, stay, etc. John made the whole trip so simple and enjoyable for us. I am sure the trip would have ben nowhere as fulfilling if we had not had him guiding us every step of the way.
Coop has clearly built long lasting relationships and friendships across Africa, which become of great benefit to you, when you travel with him. We were welcomed like old friends every place we went.
We have travelled the globe extensively, however traveling to Africa is one of the most unique experiences you will ever have. I highly recommend it but it is not your standard holiday. I strongly suggest you enlist the support of someone like Coop to make the experience as amazing as it can be.
SG
Email Merin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip, great adventure! Efficiently coordinated by Coop.
Logistics between flights, 4WD's, mini buses, and also finding and retrieving lost luggage was all managed well .
Loved the variety of accomodations within various different settings so close to wildlife and waterholes.
Best view from the loo on the Elephant Express. Train was fun for the kids too.
Lunching with the elephants at Camelthorn Lodge and going down into the hide was the closest encounter I've had with an elephant.
The staff had endless smiles every time we returned and welcomed us with warm face washers.
White Water Rafting was a breathtaking experience for my family.
Visiting the school was interesting. The children sure can sing and have great rythm.
Loved the cultural atmosphere around the fire at night.
Highly recommend Coop as your guide on an Awesome African Safari.
Email Julie and Nick Hockey | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extrodinary African Adventure !
Nick and I had the privilege of spending August adventuring with John Cooper. We were overwhelmed with John's knowledge and passion for all things Africa !. The itinerary was outstanding and it was seamless travelling throughout South Africa , Zimbabwe and Botswana .Johns expertise and narrative on tour was very unique and memorable. Accommodation and food was fabulous . We highly recommend travelling with John in fact we wouldn't do it again unless it was with African Adventures Safaris Company.
Email Jan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable and amazing! The trip of a lifetime! Seamlessly executed by John Cooper.
I recently returned from a 30 day safari with John Cooper's African Adventures Safari Company. The experience was everything I had hoped for and more. As a solo female traveller I was eager to fullfill a lifelong ambition to visit Africa, to see the wildlife up close and experience the culture and the scenery ..... but I was unsure how to achieve this. John's Safari Company came highly recommended and I'm so glad I chose to travel with him.
From my arrival in Johannesburg to delivery to the airport at the end of the trip, John was there all the way to ensure a trouble free, seamless execution of all elements of the trip.
The accomodation was excellent. Luxury tented accomodation and private bungalows out in the remote safari camps of the Okavango Delta (Botswana), Hwange National Park and the Matopos Hills (Zimbabwe) and Kruger National Park (South Africa) to name a few provided comfort at the end of each day.....usually with a stunning vista out over the pans where the animals... Read more gathered to drink. The staff at these lodges were exceptional! Friendly, helpful and fun, often entertaining us with joyful singing and dancing! The food was excellent and beautifully presented!
Most days there was an early morning and afternoon safari included. It is hard to describe the excitement of being out on the plains (vlei) amongst the myriad of beautiful animals living in their natural environment. We saw lions hunting buffalo, cheetah stalking impala, herds of elephants, wilderbeast, hippos, giraffe, leopard, kudu, waterbuck, eland, warthogs, hyenas, baboons, not to mention the exotic birdlife that abounds ...... all in great number.
The drivers of the safari vehicles were all experts in their field and provided running commentary about the animals and their behaviours which really enhanced the experience. Each afternoon we had drinks out on the vlei at sundown - a truly magical experience.
The safari was interspersed with several days in Victoria Falls and later in the Drakensburg Mountains where we were free to pursue our own activities. John provided excellent advice on where to go, what to see, where to eat and shop etc, often joining and ferrying us to and from these activities. I highly recommend the helicopter flight over Victoria Falls and the evening dinner cruise on the Zambesi River. Others in my group said the jet boat ride to the base of the Falls was a great adventure although I did not do that myself unfortunately.
With John as our driver throughout, we were all constantly entertained and informed by his extensive knowledge of the history, politics, economics and culture of this part of Africa and this provided an invaluable context to everything we were seeing.
I would highly recommend a safari with John Cooper's African Adventures. Excellent value for money and an unforgettable experience.
Email Di | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Adventures Safari delivers far more in real life than described on the brochure.
This was the trip of a lifetime and delivered well beyond my expectations. You read the itinerary and think this will be great but it was so much more. Coop’s knowledge accumulated over more than 30 yrs meant everything worked like clockwork even when an unexpected situation arose.
Coop’s organised additional add on trips for our group without a problem because his contacts in the tourism industry is broad and he is obviously very respected.
Travelling to Africa is an expensive trip from Australia but I feel I got incredibly good value with this company.
The design of the trip gave us a chance to see all the big attractions, 3 different parks, High Veld, Victoria Falls and more but the extra fun is the different and sometimes quirky accommodations from tents to caves and then 5 star luxury, a trip on the Elephant Train was fun.
I broke my arm towards the end and even that was not too much of an issue because of the intimate knowledge of Zimbabwe of Coops (African Adventure... Read more Safari) and his contacts, I was able to be treated and no-one in the group was disadvantaged by my medical still can’t believe how fortunate I was to have this experience. We saw the big 5 several times, a leopards walked under the back of our car, rhinos came and ate grass on the lodge lawn and then walked through the lodge and out the front door. We saw cheetahs stalking wildebeest, we took canoes on the Okavango Delta and met hippos. The trip of a lifetime….oh the meerkats! So much in those 29 days! Fabulous.
Email Matt | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Coop was the only person I would trust to organise such a complex myriad of African adventures.
Seriously, I have been listening to others' trips to New Zealand, Europe, the US. All sound and are wonderful. But if you want an adventure more than a trip away, then Africa is where you need to head. There were so many highlights that we began to lose a sense of what might be possible. We shaped the adventure around what we wanted to see and experience, and then Coop made that come to life. The people of Africa, the animals, the sites, the moments ... all of it was marvelous. Seriously, we could not have been more pleased by the itinerary ... variety and opportunities. And the whole time Coop was there, or perhaps just as importantly, knew exactly when not to be. (This probably will make more sense when you're on your way.)
We were always aware that we were "not in Kansas any more Toto". And what a wonderful feeling that is.
Email Tracy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
John Cooper is the most knowledgable, calm, honest, funny, passionate person, & an excellent driver!
This trip was more than we could ever have imagined. Coop sure knows his stuff & provided an unforgettable experience. Nothing was too much trouble for Coop & he genuinely wanted our group to get the most out of this trip.His many local contacts along the way greeted him with big smiles & obvious respect. The itinerary was already fabulous but it was all the little things that Coop took us to, like sundown drinks at a special bar, or dinner at a club he knows or helping with bargaining at busy markets, that made this trip so special. All the accommodation was lovely & very varied, the food was fabulous & the staff could not have been more attentive. Our group had a couple of add on trips outside of Coop's itinerary & with Coop's help this was seamless in execution. We were always picked up & dropped off with no waiting around. We had such a great time on all the Game Drives & saw all the animals including leopards & cheetah's. The Safari's were broken... Read more up with visits to Victoria Falls, Makgadikgadi Pans, meeting meerkat's, canoeing on the Okavango Delta & we snuck in a Gin Distillery as well! This trip was definitely value for money given the incredible experiences we had & personal service from Coop. I might just have to go again one day!