On Safari in the Mara
The Safari Partners
- Located In:
-
Canada
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- IATA, ACTA & TOPAC
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Knowledgeable and professional ***AWESOME***
The recommendations Chris made were spot on! This agency made a dream come true and at a good and fair price. I will use them again
CA
Email Marci | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Meticulous planning and a wealth of knowledge.
This was my second trip to Africa, the first to Kenya and this one to Botswana and South Africa. Both trips were painstakingly organized a year in advance by Chris at the Safari Partners. Every detail, from flights to tour guides to pickups at airports, was meticulously planned and carried out without a single hitch. I felt safe and well looked after the entire trip. Like my first trip to Kenya this trip to Botswana and South Africa was memorable and awe inspiring. Highlights were the &Beyond Sandibe Okavango safari lodge in Botswana and the Babylonstoren farm and winery in South Africa. Two places I will dream and reminisce about the rest of my life, I never wanted to leave. The accommodations, staff and locations were perfection, words cannot describe how amazing they were. I have and will recommend the Safari Partners to anyone, their knowledge and professionalism is unparalleled. The extremely detailed and informative itinerary they provide is such a treat to study both before and after the trip. Chris has outdone himself on my two trips to Africa and I already want to go back. Maybe the gorillas in Uganda this time? Without a doubt I will use the Safari Partners to plan my next trip.
CA
Email Anne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Safari Partners provide unparalleled service and trip/event planning - just amazing
This is our second trip with the Safari Partners. Chris helped us plan the trip of a lifetime, taking our kids to Africa. We spent time at camps in Botswana and then a few days in Cape Town. Everything was literally perfect (yes, perfect). We were met at airports and guides showed up on time, without issue. Flights were seamless, including our ‘puddle jumpers’ to the camps. Chris helped us find really good rates for our first class tickets (important when you are flying six people!) and he was completely transparent about all costs on the trip.
We stayed at two camps in Botswana - food was amazing, the staff was fabulous and the accommodations first rate. Our game rides were out of this world…our kids saw and experienced things they never thought they would.
In Cape Town, we stayed a wonderful boutique hotel, really well located. We had guided tours of Cape Town and went the Cape Peninsula. The guide Chris arranged was knowledgeable and flexible when we wanted to do a few other things.
I have recommended Chris and the Safari Partners to several friends and they have all had great experiences. We will go back to Africa again, and I will only use Chris.
CA
Email Monica | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
AMAZING! SEAMLESS! PROFESSIONAL! RELIABLE!
We just returned from Zimbabwe and Botswana and had one of the best family trips we have ever ever had. We had booked this long awaited trip pre-COVID and with Safari Partner's patience and professionalism, we were finally able to make it happen. We have travelled extensively, and I have to say that this was one of the most seamless and 'value for money' trips that we have ever taken. Chris and his team were professional, patient, responsive, knowledgeable, caring and pragmatic. The accommodations and tour operators in Zimbabwe and Botswana were amazing and of very high quality and experience. The information received from Chris and his team pre-trip was comprehensive and accurate. I would not hesitate to book another trip with Safari Partners! I better start saving and planning for my next Africa adventure which I will be sure to book with Safari Partners!
CA
Email Leah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most seamless and incredible experience in turbulent times!
After starting this booking process pre-covid in 2019 we FINALLY got our dream honeymoon and it was totally worth the wait!! Chris and his team successfully assisted, guided and navigated us through the most uncertain and turbulent travel planning times right up until the day before we left! From the first conversation with Chris where he provided extensive knowledge, insight and advice we knew we would be in good hands and did not hesitate to start the booking process. Although our itinerary changed multiples times through the 2+ planning years the finally itinerary was still just as incredible as the first one we had to make sacrifices on. Our itinerary was narrowed down to just visiting Kenya and we spent 1 day in Nairobi, 4 days at the Elephant Bedroom Camp in Samburu and 5 days at andBeyond Kichwa Tembo.
We could use every word that positively describes an experience like wonderful, outstanding, amazing, incredible, ect. and it still wouldn't do our first trip to Africa justice. We aren't lying when we say that we had zero issues or negative experiences throughout the whole planning and travel process, everything was absolutely seamless. In fact, we felt guilty talking about how wonderful our experience was compared to the honeymooning couple from the UK we were paired with that also used a travel agent for the first time and had nothing short of a nightmare experience.
It was our first trip to Africa and it most certainly won’t be our last nor will this be our last trip we book with The Safari Partners. Huge shout out to Chris and his team for making our dreams come true!!!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything went seamlessly, even the Covid tests
My husband and I just came back from a month in southern Africa that included four countries, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana Okavango Delta. Our consultant Chris Ronneseth of The Safari Partners was extremely helpful in planning this fairly complicated itinerary that included 9 internal flights and four Covid tests. Everything happened as planned with no major glitches. I am here to tell you that I felt safer in Africa with regard to Covid than I do in my own home state of New Jersey. Covid is taken seriously in all the countries we visited, with daily temperature checks of all personnel and travelers, mask mandates indoors and outdoors in a group, and sanitizers provided and required at the entrance of all stores. Many of the people who interacted with us had been vaccinated and some were eagerly awaiting their vaccines. Everyone took precautions as required by the laws of their countries. We felt very protected on this trip. The lodges and hotels were amazing as well!
US
Email Jonathan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding
Absolutely love this tour operator. Chris has a detailed knowledge of African Safari destinations. He also reassured us that we could travel and enjoy during COVID. He was right, we had an amazing time! Prior to travelling, Chris fine tuned our itinerary to ensure we could get all the requisite testing done in a way that didn't interfere with our enjoyment of the trip. A lot has to do with the really wonderful hotels he booked along the way. If you are wondering whether you can enjoy yourself during COVID, it definitely is possible and worth it. It was actually nice having the crowds cut down a bit. We felt safe the entire trip. The local guides the team booked were top notch and very experienced. I think having experienced guides is one of the most important parts of a successful African Safari vacation. Why? Because they know the routes, they have relationships with other guides to ensure you see the Big 5 and many other animals. Chris can also book trips to Uganda for the Gorilla trek, highly recommended, perhaps the highlight of our trip. I won't hesitate to book with Chris and his team again for our next adventure to Africa.
CA
Email Shannon & Jamie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a great experience researching and booking through The Safari Partners!
This was the most AMAZING trip! What an beautiful part of the world! What an adventure! My husband and I traveled to Kenya & Zanzibar for our honeymoon and it was the experience of a lifetime! We highly recommend booking through The Safari Partners! Chris was extremely knowledgeable and had great recommendations for Africa. He worked closely with us on what we were hoping to experience and had many suggestions within our budget. Jennifer was also a great help in getting all of our documents organized before our trip. From the moment we landed in Kenya, everything was organized from airport pickups to hotel, Safari and airport check-ins. Everyone we met along the way was so friendly! We HIGHLY recommend the Safari Partners and hope to be able to book with them again soon!!
CA
Email Danielle and Lee | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing introduction to East Africa!
We can only echo the very positive comments in the other reviews of The Safari Partners.
After informing Chris that we wanted to visit the mountain gorillas ( in Uganda ) and explore the Serengeti and Ngorongoro area, he put together a wonderful trip that fulfilled all our hopes and fitted our budget well. We spent nine days in the Serengeti, staying at three different camps which allowed us to explore the whole area in more depth. The wildlife and endless plains were spectacular!
The transfers were seamless and the accommodations and all the staff including guides, mostly provided by Asilia, were excellent. Spending three days with each knowledgeable guide enabled us to also learn more about African culture. The fact that Asilia also supports the local communities by different and numerous means was appreciated by us. On the last night of the trip, we were treated after dinner to an unexpected but thrilling Masai Warriors dance at the lovely Highlands Camp in Ngorongoro!
As we were flying from Vancouver, Chris suggested that we use KLM which he also booked. We decided to spend two nights in Amsterdam to help us with the jet lag which was a good decision. There is a lot to see and experience in Amsterdam even if it rains everyday…
We would not hesitate in recommending Safari Partners (and have already done so a few times ) for such a trip.
Thank you so much Chris and Jen!
CA
Email Michelle and Sam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of those lifetime trips which kept our priorities and budget in mind.
We have just returned from the most amazing travel adventure through Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa, including a gorilla trek and safari, all of which was organized by Chris and team.
This area of travel was new to us, nor are we experienced travellers, and we had a specific budget to be met. We gave Chris a very long list of things and places we wanted to see and do. Somehow he found a way to meet and exceed every expectation.
From the day we left to the moment we arrived home, it was like someone was always there to ensure we were at the right spot, at the right time. The accommodations, the transfers, and the people were incredible.
Thank you so much for the advice and guiding our trip in such a way to achieve what we wanted and understanding our priorities. It was definitely memorable for all the right reasons.
Now.... if only Chris could do something about the snow we came home to!