Martin Smith, Managing Director
Kingfisher Safaris
- Office In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- Botswana Guides Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CA
Email Stefan Moxness | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Responsive, Extremely Thorough, Exactly as Promised
We began planning our first trip approximately a year before travelling. We found Martin and Kingfisher Safaris online. From the first email communication, it was obvious Martin was extremely knowledgeable and responsive to our needs.
We provided a prize range we were comfortable with, he provided us with expectations within that range. He booked us a PERFECT itinerary that, very honestly exceeded all our expectations. The camps we stayed in (Desert & Delta) were incredible, modern, well appointed and luxurious. The staff were incredible. The food was amazing. Not a single complaint from my wife nor I.
I provided Martin with our inbound and outbound flights and all our transportation in between was perfect. We were met in Victoria Falls by a private driver who took us to the hotel without issue. Our subsequent travel to Kasane was similarly painless. Our flights between camps were effortless.
Throughout the planning stages I had more questions than I care to admit. Martin was prompt and INCREDIBLY detailed in his replies and I was able to satisfy all my questions and uncertainties with his help.
We intend to travel again to Africa in a few years and will, without a shadow of a doubt, be seeking Martin and Kingfisher Safaris as our planning service. I have nothing by positive things to say.
NZ
Email Shane Primrose | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Mobile Safari experience of a lifetime
Martin made booking our adventure so easy and gave us great advice, if you want a hassle free experience then use KingFisher Safari’s.
We booked a 9 night mobile safari in Botswana Okavango Delta with a fantastic team Pilot, Helena, Pauline and Motobi. My wife and I had a wonderful carefree trip, seeing a huge range of wildlife.
Pilot is a hugely experienced guide that respects the animals space unlike a lot of other safari vehicles. His knowledge of animals and navigating the area is truly amazing.
The rest of the team made sure the camp is perfect, the camp chef Pauline creates the most amazing meals and her daily baked bread is to out of this world.
Helena the camp manager is wonderful at looking after you while Motobi the camp hand ensures you have hot water daily.
Going on Safari with Pilot is a fantastic experience that you will remember for a lifetime.
My only advise to would be travellers is book Discovery B&B one night before the Safari and again one night afterwards as avoids having to rush to setup camp or at the end rush to get to the airport.
We will be recommending Kingfisher Safari’s and Pilot to all our family and friends.
Thanks team for a trip of a lifetime.
BR
Email L.S.E | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing sightings, responsive staff, felt safe in their hands
We have done many safaris before but this was our first time in Botswana and would be the first mobile camping... Martin assured we would enjoy it... and we did! We found Kingfisher Safaris searching in Safari Bookings. We decided to do this trip last minute and contacted many companies but Martin was the most responsive and, to be honest, offered us a great tailored itinerary and we always prefer to deal with small, specialised businesses. Jack pot! The ground team is great and we felt safe in their hands. Pilot is very experienced, knowledgeable and a great driver. Elena was our main hostess on camp, very sweet and efficient. We loved Pauline's breads and cakes and the way she announces the menu. Toby and Onks (not sure the spelling) work hard to ensure the camp functions well. We visited three locations in the Okavango region:
-Khwai River concession (which is beautiful but sometimes too many cars at the sightings, especially around leopard and lions);
- Mababe (Chobe National Park), quiet, good for birds, loads of giraffes, we didn't see much of the main predators (probably because it was a cold spell) but we loved the sunrises, sunsets and the fantastic sky (stargazing was amazing in all areas).
- Xiini (Moremi Reserve) - fantastic sightings, beautiful scenery, quiet, we loved it.
We spent 3 nights at each location, time went far too quickly. We saw wild dogs with very young puppies, a pride of 9 lions encountering elephants in their path, lion cubs feeding on zebra, cheetahs and cheetah cubs feeding on impala, leopard very near (few meters) from our camp in Xiini (also catching a young owl from its nest in the evening), big herds of elephants and giraffes both with young ones, buffalos, hippos, hienas, jackals, many fantastic birds and more. So many great moments to remember forever!
The mobile camp is an experience in itself but we adjusted easily. We had a nice bed and at the back of the tent, we had the toilet (the ones used in motorhomes) and a bucket shower. We were there in late July and some days were quite cold early in the morning and in the evening. You can set a time for your shower and the crew will provide the hot water), they also provide hot water in basin in the morning and evening for you to wash hands/face. There is a separate tent for meals and after the afternoon drive you arrive in camp always to find a very nice fire, nibbles and a drink before dinner.
The process of packing up to move to a different site was the time we liked less, as it can take a while for staff to take everything down and pack the cars. It can be a bit boring as there's not much for us to do. It would be nicer if we could go for a short drive while the rest of the staff deal with dismantling tents and the essentials packing, so we could make the most of the limited time we had in Botswana.
Overall, a great experience!
