Personal & Genuine African Safaris
Siya Phambile Expeditions
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $13 to $809 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Jim and Zena Parson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond our wildest expectations!
Days after booking our trip in March 2020, COVID shut down the world. Benjamin kept in regular contact with us for over two years and when travel became possible again, honored our two-year-old deposit and did not change our pricing. My wife and I had a 12 day private tour with Siya Phambile, just the two of us and every step of it was perfect. Cape Town and Victoria Falls were wonderful but the best part of the trip were the safaris in Botswana and Kruger National Park. Benjamin was the perfect guide and even in the rain was able to provide more Big 5 and wildlife sightings than we ever imagined we might see, including rare white rhinos, caracal and sable. Not only was he the perfect host and guide, the price was cheapest by half of any other tour company and believe me, we checked out at least a dozen of them before booking with Siya Phambile. When little issues popped up, as they always do, he solved them instantly. We would gladly pay triple what we paid for the service and private itinerary we experienced. If you want a safari in South Africa, I promise you, you will not do better for service or price than Siya Phambile. We are already planning our next trip and would never consider anyone else but Benjamin.
BE
Email Kristel and Ellen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience
My daughter and me traveled for 9 days on the garden route. Everything was arranged very good and reliable. We had a great time, in future we will travel with Siya Phambile again.
Email Allan Macdonald | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Total professional for which nothing was any trouble or an issue. First class.
I was looking to do a trip to the Drakensberg and Rorke's Drift and had been let down by people who i was trying to book with. Ben took this on and at very short notice arranged bookings Car hire and accommodation for me and made my trip happen. He gave me various options that I could do and recommended a bespoke trip for me that more than met what I was looking to do. Ben enabled me to have the trip of a lifetime with memories that will stay with me forever. He also sorted me out for a short safari in Kwalata Lodge in Dinokeng Game reserve which helped wrap up a truly memorable trip.
Ben is a true professional and really knows his stuff. He is an absolute pleasure to deal with and if it can be done then he will get it sorted for you. I am looking to come out to SA again in the not-too-distant future and would not hesitate to get Ben to make my arrangements.
If you are looking to get a truly personal and unique trip don then these are definitely the guys to work with. I wasn't disappointed and I'm sure you won't be either.
Email fiona | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing trip to Kgalagadi with Siya Phambile
From the very first contact with Siya Phambile Expeditions Benjamin was extremely prompt and helpful when answering my emails, he put together an amazing itinerary staying 5 nights in different areas of the Kgalagadi.
Picked up at upington airport and whisked away to a remote yet magical landscape and park full of unique and amazing wildlife. Saw all we had hoped for and more including the elusive cheetah we had previously missed on our first 2 safaris in the Kruger area.
Amazing campsites with equally amazing sunrises/sunsets and Benjamin provided all that was needed for a comfortable yet wild camping experience as well as cooking up delicious food and also catering for vegetarian requirements.
Benjamin was a brilliant guide, extremely knowledgable re the wildlife, vegetation and the park in general. He put together a superb trip and we couldn't be happier, if you are looking to visit Kgalagadi or anywhere for that matter you can't go wrong booking with Siya Phambile.
Email T and PB | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
We had the most fabulous trip. Brilliant from start to finish.
We were two couples on a 3 week trip which was one of the best trips ever. Our (quite specific :)), likes and dislikes were taken into account and each leg of the holiday was special in it's own way. It was great to be able to relax in the knowledge that everything was organised and anticipated in advance. I cannot recommend Benjamin and Siya Phambile more highly. In fact, we are already discussing our next trip, planned for 2023.
Email Jeremy Noble | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Engaging, enthusiastic, knowledgable, flexible and very helpful
The whole trip was organised to perfection even against a backdrop of continuing pressures due to the COVID pandemic. Communication was clear and concise, the quality of the places we visited and stayed were excellent and very good value for money. The guides were reliable and the tour itself brilliantly organised and executed.
GR
Email Apollon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well-prepared, professional and planned, amazing host, extremely knowledgeable, cater for our needs
Siya Phambile Expeditions’s managing director Benjamin Wilson was our guide and accompanier for 8 days of safari at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park this March 2022.
Benjamin in South-African, thus his native language in English, and it was so easy to relate to us and communicate effectively.
Before our trip, which was actually scheduled the very last minute, he provided with all necessary information and logistics, well-prepared, professional and planned to ensure informed decisions.
During the trip (a group of 4) he proved to be an amazing host, and the whole safari was outstanding in all respects.
We tried 2 different lodges in different areas inside the park, also a campsite for wildlife camping (he had everything packed for a ‘luxury’ camping incl. beds, tables, etc., in the trailer), to cater for our needs and desires.
He was extremely knowledgeable about all sights (carnivals, small animals, birds, etc.) in the park. He was tracking animals so we knew what was coming in our way :) He got us everywhere in the park safely and responsibly, keeping us fed and taken care of at the same time. We were amazed by his knowledge of the park’s facts and figures.
The whole safari experience was an amazing one, as we saw pretty much everything that lives in Khalagadi, from lions to leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, all antelope species, birds, etc. It actually exceeded the expectations of our 2 friends, who’ve been in safari before :)
The whole trip was accommodated based on our needs, it was flexible enough even on sight, and reasonably priced. We highly recommend Siya Phambile Expeditions and Benjamin Wilson as a truly honest and discreet guide as he really made the experience of our safari a trip we will never forget. I hope will be see each other again in another tour.
CH
Email Martin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly flexible & fun tour!
Benjerman was super responsive to all my questions when planning this safari. It was fantastic having his local knowledge at this busy time of year to avoid the crowds. Our family of three got to see the big five +++. He selected great lodges for our trip.
FI
Email Juha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant trip, lifelong memories
My wife and I had an excellent two-week trip with Benjamin from Siya Phambile Expeditions. Everything worked out perfectly well and we had an unforgettable trip experiencing African wildlife, history, and present culture. Communication before the trip was excellent, the booking process straightforward and all questions were answered. Also small modifications to the itinerary worked out perfectly. He has asked about our special interests and included all extras we requested. He has, too, organized transfers for the week we spent independently in KwaZulu-Natal at a short notice and took care that also there things worked out with no problems.
The trip was perfect from the pickup at the airport in Johannesburg to the dropoff at Tembe elephant park. The game drives were brilliant. Benjamin is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic wildlife guide. Without him we would not have had so many and high quality wildlife sightings. He provided invaluable information about the animals and was able to reconstruct what was going on only by hearing hyena calls from distance, for example. Added with knowledge of how to situate the car by knowing beforehand what was going on + might happen made it possible to have very near encounters with animals, if one was lucky, and we certainly were, on multiple occasions. Also the ability to spot animals from great distance while driving was impressive. Most of that would have passed us by if we would have done self-driving.
The food was very tasty, Benjamin is an excellent cook. We got introduced to South African grilling culture, which was a memorable experience by itself.
It was our first safari and certainly not the last one. We look forward to more adventures with Siya Phambile in the future.
HU
Email Judit | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent and very personal service - a perfect trip
Most people think that there are only two ways of visiting South Africa – self-drive or luxury lodges. There is also a third possibility: a private guided tour. It guarantees privacy (unlike game drives at lodges that are mostly shared) and a professional guide, who will spot animals you could easily overlook. We have met travelers who spent a similar amount of time at Kruger like us, but never saw any leopard or cheetah, only a few lions from distance. In contrast, on a guided tour with Siya Phambile Expeditions we saw 3 leopards, spent an hour with a cheetah and her two cubs and saw many lions close up, including a kill that took place just in front of us.
Siya Phambile is the only company I found that offers cultural tours in combination with a safari. We have visited in addition to a week at Kruger also Mapungubwe national park with its beautiful landscapes and rich history and the Venda and Tsonga people in the province of Limpopo. These authentic cultural experiences were very special and we will always treasure them.
From the initial contact with Benjamin I knew that we will be in good hands. He has answered all the questions I had and made sure we got a trip tailored to our interests, with great attention to detail. Due to Covid, I have contacted him only a month before travelling, and he managed to organise a perfect trip at such short notice. The last weekend of our journey was even a national holiday in South Africa, but Benjamin has managed to secure accomodation at Southern Kruger even for this time frame.
Food and accommodation during the trip were great. Benjamin made sure that the food fit our dietary requirements and preferences. In addition, delicious snacks were provided during game drives.
As stated above, Benjamin is a very professional guide, who would spot animals from a distance. His driving skills are excellent - he navigated all kinds of road conditions with ease. During game drives, he knew how to position the vehicle even in crowded situations in Southern Kruger in a way that we got a great view every time. He always kept an eye on the whole picture, for example from the behaviour of herbivores he was able to tell if there might be any predators around. We have learned a lot about different animals from his explanations. Also he is a very friendly and pleasant person to be around, which is not unimportant if you have to spend a couple of weeks with a guide.
We are experienced travellers, but this 16-day safari with Siya Phambile was a very special experience for us. It was perhaps the best trip we took so far. We are already planning to return to South(ern) Africa next year and will certainly book with Siya Phambile again.
