Here is the team at Off 2 Africa
Off2Africa Travel
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2001)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, ZTA, SATSA, ZTOA & AFRICA'S EDEN
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $1,600 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
Email Maria Gutierrez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Africa safari experience- seamless and unforgettable
We recently returned from a once-in-a-lifetime safari trip to Bostwana, and I can’t say enough great things about the experience — especially thanks to the incredible support from Sian Edwards, our tour operator.
From the moment I started planning, Sian was there every step of the way. She guided me through all the essential preparations, including detailed information about vaccine requirements, visa processes, and even luggage restrictions (which, if you’re new to bush flights and safari logistics, can be quite specific). Their guidance was clear, timely, and incredibly reassuring — I never felt unsure or overwhelmed at any point.
Once in Africa, everything ran like clockwork. Transfers, lodges, game drives — all meticulously arranged. The guides were knowledgeable and passionate, making every wildlife encounter meaningful and educational. Seeing elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, leopards, wild dogs, etc up close, watching the sunset and hearing the sounds of the savannah at night were just some of the many unforgettable highlights.
If you’re considering an African safari and want an stress-free, expertly organized experience, I highly recommend Sian Edwards with off2africa travel. She thought of everything so I could just focus on enjoying the adventure of a lifetime.
Thank you Sian for making this experience the best of our lives!
Maria Gutierrez
Excelent!! Wonderful
They’ve journy was amaising wonderful
The attention always was excelente. The top 10 to 10
US
Email Branden H | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Wildlife, Unmet Expectations
This was my first time using a tour operator. I’ve done several international solo trips and usually plan everything myself, but I felt unsure about visiting rural Africa. I called VISA Infinite’s concierge to get a list of reputable, local tour operators—Off2Africa was on it.
Before arrival, I dealt exclusively with Claire via email due to time differences. She was incredibly helpful and everything looked lined up for a great trip. One star is just for the great email communication.
WHERE THINGS WENT WRONG:
I stayed at three lodges in Zimbabwe and Botswana. The first was Insika Lodge in Victoria Falls. Check-out was 10AM, but my transfer was scheduled more than an hour later. Reception kindly held my bags while I waited by the pool without a room (bar and breakfast area were closed). When the shuttle arrived, it already had passengers and made five more lodge stops, including a nearly 30-minute wait at Victoria Falls Hotel.
We crossed the Botswana border, and the group was split up. I was placed in a random taxi with three separate parties. The TravelKey app said the transfer would take “around two hours,” but I didn’t arrive at Kubu Lodge until around 2:15 PM. I was informed at Reception that the afternoon game drive had already passed. I had no option but to take the river cruise instead.
With a custom-made itinerary, at this price point, I expected private transfers. Instead, I got the profit-maximizing, theme park-style shuttle loop that cost me a game drive.
The night before checking out of Kubu, I noticed my next transfer was scheduled for two hours after check-out. Not wanting to wait around again, I asked if the morning game drive could start at 9AM instead of the usual 9:30. The guide agreed after some back-and-forth, but I didn’t appreciate putting the staff in that position because of poor planning. My time in Africa was limited, and it wasn’t respected.
Kubu was also labeled “Full Board Plus” in the TravelKey app. Assuming drinks at meals were included (as is standard), I had three bottled waters. I was shocked to be billed for them at checkout. Claire apologized for the “confusion,” but there was no confusion—there was misrepresentation. She offered no remedy. I contacted the Director, Beck Edwards, about getting a refund for the waters. He denied a refund and was snarky about refunding a charge that was less than the international banking minimum of $40.
To end the trip, I faced another transfer fiasco. My last lodge was Camp Kazuma. The TravelKey app said my airport transfer was scheduled for 10AM, but the interim GM said it was 11. At 11:20, no one had shown. I messaged Claire and was brushed off with: “Hi Branden it should all be on your Travel Key App.” I told her it said 10AM and no transfer had arrived. She eventually said Kazuma was supposed to arrange it. After coordination with the interim GM, I was driven in a game viewer to a highway pickup point and transferred by taxi. I barely made my flight with boarding closing 20 minutes after I arrived.
Claire sent a screenshot showing the original GM had scheduled an 11AM transfer. But that doesn't explain why the app showed 10AM or why Off2Africa didn’t confirm plans with the lodge the week of my stay. Communication breakdowns like this simply shouldn’t happen.
Final Thoughts:
Vic Falls, Chobe National Park, and Kazuma National Forest were all wonderful destinations and I whole-heartedly endorse them as travel destinations. However, the poorly-managed transfers and incorrect information included in the TravelKey app caused me a great stir and a lot of uncertainty. I would not recommend Off2Africa to others looking for a Tour Operator in the Vic Falls area.
As a solo traveler, I rely quite a bit on reviews from other travelers. If you're a semi-experienced traveler and are reading this, trust me: you don’t need a tour operator here. With Google, any reputable AI agent, and direct lodge bookings, you can craft your own itinerary with more control and fewer problems. I wish I had done just that.
I included a picture of my luggage on the back of a game viewer because I doubt I'll ever see that again!
Reply from Off2Africa Travel
Posted on Aug 14, 2025We thank Branden for his complimentary remarks about our travel consultant Claire’s communication and preparation of his trip to Africa.
In response to his comments about certain issues of his trip that he says went wrong, we take all reviews by our clients seriously, and have fully investigated the issues, which we advise on here as follows:
• The transfer time being an hour later than checkout time at Insika Lodge
This is a completely normal occurrence for 99% of our clients who opt for a shared transfer. The cost of a private transfer is five times that of a shared transfer, and therefore clients generally understand that their transfer will be as close to checkout time as possible but cannot be exactly the same time as the checkout time, as the transfer bus is collecting clients from a few other hotels and lodges en route. However in most cases clients actually appreciate having a bit more time to check out of their rooms, and pay any outstanding lodge bills etc.
• The road transfer from Insika Lodge to Kubu Lodge in Kasane, Botswana
We asked the management of Wild Horizons our transfer company, highly respected and over 30 years in operation, for facts pertaining to this transfer for Branden. They reported as follows: The transfer bus only made 3 lodge stops before the border (not 5 lodges as reported). The bus was delayed by approximately 15 minutes (not 30 minutes as reported) at The Victoria Falls Hotel, as the driver was waiting on guests that had been delayed.
• At the border, guests are split up by the transfer bus staff, depending on where they are being dropped. The vehicles used also belong to Wild Horizons’ sister company African Odyssey and the vehicle Branden was put into was a branded Toyota quantum minibus (registration B623BIX), not a ‘random taxi’ as claimed. The driver arrived at Kubu soon after 13h00 hours (not 1415 hours as claimed), just over 2 hours after departing Insika Lodge and well in time for lunch at Kubu Lodge.
• Game drive offered at Kubu Lodge
We also asked management of Kubu Lodge to verify what time Branden arrived at the lodge, and they also said soon after 13h00 hours. When he arrived, Kubu Lodge say he was in fact offered the choice of a game drive or a boat cruise, then booked a game drive for 15h00 hours and went to have lunch. Lunch is only served at Kubu between 12 noon and 14h00 hours so Branden could not have arrived at 14h15 because lunch would not have been available. Branden then changed his mind and told Kubu he would like to go on a boat cruise instead of a game drive which he duly did.
• The road transfer from Kubu Lodge to Camp Kuzuma
This transfer only takes 1 hour and Branden was collected at 12 noon and arrived at Camp Kuzuma exactly in time for lunch and then plenty of time for a rest, and afternoon activity. All our inter-camp transfers are planned accordingly so at no time do clients miss their lunch or afternoon activity.
• Branden claims his time in Africa wasn’t respected.
Our view is that he did not miss out on any activities or meals during any of his stays on his tour. Had his transfer time from Kubu to Camp Kuzuma been at checkout time of 10am, he would have done his game drive early at 6am. However since his transfer out was at 12 noon, instead he chose to have a game drive at 9am instead. Kubu Lodge have also noted that on this last game drive, he was the only person on the game drive, and was therefore supposed to pay for a minimum for 2 people as he was travelling alone which is normal procedure. However Kubu kindly waived the single supplement charge of US$50 for this ‘private’ game drive.
• Being charged for Bottled Water
Our Wetu Travel Key App is very clear that Full Board Plus includes all meals and some activities, but says “NONE No Drinks”. Kubu Lodge management once again advised that in their rooms, they have a small fridge with glass bottled cold water free for the clients; and they also have 2 dispensers in the lodge (reception and restaurant) where client glass bottles can be refilled at any time.
• At their restaurant at Lunch and Dinner, clients are offered free glass bottled cold water on the table with their meal. Branden however chose to have 3 bottles of mineral water instead during his stay and was charged accordingly a total of 65 Pula, which is less than US$5 in total. In our view there was no confusion at all on the charging of bottled water. Director Beck Edwards did indeed reply a mail to Branden to say since it was clearly stated on the Travel Key no drinks were included, we were not in a position to offer a refund.
• The final road transfer Camp Kuzuma to Kasane Airport
Off 2 Africa did indeed by mistake write 10am as the time of the departure on the Travel key and for that we apologize to Branden, and have done so already by message. We are also human and do occasionally make mistakes!
• However Camp Kuzuma did always have 11am as the correct departure time for this client’s Airlink flight 4Z307 which was due to depart from Kasane to Johannesburg at 14h15 hours. Regional flights only require you to be at the airport 2 hours before departure, therefore Camp Kuzuma were correct to say 11am departure so that Branden could be at Kasane Airport by 12 noon or so, 2 hours before his flight.
• Camp Kuzuma unfortunately did have a delayed road transfer which they were organizing, which resulted in Branden only arriving at Kasane Airport at 12h57 which he messaged us to advise. However Airlink boarding gates only were due to close at 13h55, 20 minutes before departure, which still gave nearly an hour for the client to check in for his flight. We however also apologize to Branden that his road transfer left late from Camp Kuzuma, but this was not due to any fault of Off 2 Africa’s since Camp Kuzuma is not controlled by Off 2 Africa, and in Africa just like elsewhere in the world, things are not perfect!
• General remarks
Claire our travel consultant was in constant touch by WhatsApp with Branden during his travels between Sunday July 20 and Sunday, July 27. This included both weekends when Claire as a travel consultant was actually not on official working time but diligently communicated and responded to all of Branden’s messages.