African Welcome Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1999)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $137 to $525 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Karly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flawlessly Planned 3-Generation South Africa Safari!
Kathi planned the most epic trip to South Africa for our family, and we couldn’t be more grateful! From start to finish, we didn't have to worry about a single detail, all we had to do was show up and enjoy exploring this beautiful country. Everything was seamlessly arranged: flights, ground transportation, accommodations, tours, and incredible experiences.
Planning for a large group with an age range from grandparents down to a 5-year-old grandchild is no small task, but Kathi hit it out of the park. She managed to check off every single person’s bucket list items!
Our stays in Johannesburg and Cape Town were fantastic, super convenient to shopping and top-notch dining. But the game reserves Kathi selected truly blew us away. She chose two distinct reserves that gave us a genuine appreciation for South Africa’s diverse terrain:
Madikwe: Our 5-star private reserve and lodging were unmatched. Our safari guides were incredible, teaching us about bush plants and wildlife while delivering mind-blowing animal sightings, all with immense respect for the animals.
Kariega: The Homestead felt like our home away from home. The experience here was unforgettable, featuring both land safaris and river boat drives. Our guides gave us deep insights into the land, local culture, and crucial conservation efforts. Saying goodbye was so hard!
To top it all off, our Cape Town adventures were led by an exceptional local tour guide and driver who gave us such rich context on South Africa’s history and people.
Kathi gave our family the adventure of a lifetime. If you're looking for an attentive, expert travel planner who takes all the stress off your shoulders, look no further!
Email Maggie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, truly surpassed our expectations!
Kathi really made this trip amazing. She was on top of all of our travel accommodations and kept in touch throughout the whole trip. My parents loved planning this trip with her and I will be sure to use her for all of our future trips to SA. This was an amazing experience for my families first time traveling abroad. We felt well taken care of and safe. The safari guides, camp staff, drivers, and hotel staff were incredible. I can’t wait to visit again! Beautiful country and great representation!
Email Rob Russell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Three Generation Family from USA treated to a trip of a lifetime by African Welcome Safaris!
Our trip included my wife and I, five kids, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren. I wanted to recreate for them the Safari experience I had in 1987 in Kenya and Tanzania to inspire them for their future. African Welcome Safaris exceeded my ask and delivered an experience that overshadowed 1987 Kenya. Kathi got us Lodges in Madikwe & Kariega that made us feel like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. More importantly, the twice a day Safari drives delivered all the predators and prey we had hoped for sans the elusive Leopard. In Madikwe we had infinity pools from which we could observe animals collecting at a watering hole. We were kept safe and felt safe at the same time as we were getting Up Close and Personal with Lions, Elephants and Giraffes. My 27 and 33 year old daughters came to us with tears saying: "Did you see all those Elephants around our truck, it was the most beautiful experience". Everyone of us, down to the four grandchildren had the experience of a lifetime. We are so grateful to Kathi for selecting the perfect reserves and lodges for us and ensuring that we had safe and timely transportation as we moved from Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and to the two reserves, Madikwe & Kariega. Kathi checked us into flights, gave us the name and phone number of the driver for our road trips. True White Glove experience.
Simply Amazing
Simply amazing! Highly recommended! From initial enquires to the booking of the trip to the entire trip, everything was just seamless and smooth! Emails and communications were answered within hours (considering our time difference between countries) and all our requirements were handled perfectly! Kathi from African Welcome Safaris planned the most wonderful trip for us !
All our activities and all the logistics were extremely well planned. We didn’t have to worry about anything!
Would definitely recommend African Welcome Safaris! And we are looking forward to planning our next adventure with them!
Email Whitney | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everyone was knowledge, flexible, and helpful!
Our honeymoon to South Africa was nothing short of perfect. Kathi helped us to plan and execute a perfect itinerary. Upon arrival, all of the drivers and tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The entire trip was seamless - from hotel reservations to transfers from one location to another. It allowed us to really relax and not stress about any logistics. The highlight of our trip was safari. Kathi was very helpful in educating us on the different types of lodges and game reserves, and ultimately with her guidance, we picked Dulini which was incredible. We will surely be back to South Africa. Thank you for all of your help!
Email Wes | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kathi was responsive, organized, and dedicated to making our honeymoon incredible!
Our honeymoon with African Welcome Safaris was amazing. We were referred to Kathi by friends who raved about their trip, and we were not disappointed! We started in Cape Town and the winelands (Babylonstoren) and closed out with a safari in Kruger. Everything was incredible and extremely well-organized by Kathi - the itinerary was well-planned and clear, and we didn't have to worry at all about transportation or what was next, while also having enough time at each place to not feel rushed. If we tried planning this ourselves it probably would have been more expensive and very complicated, so we can't recommend Kathi and African Welcome Safaris enough!!
Email Andy Messenger | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kathi Simon organized one of the highlight vacations of my life!
From from the very beginning of our interactions with Kathi, everything was clear and concise. We came to her for a second price estimate and ended up going with her because we felt the value and service were there. From the moment we landed in Cape Town until we departed from Johannesburg there was not a single hitch in the itinerary. She allocated the right amount of time to each stop. My wife and I have traveled to all seven continents now and this was a highlight of those travels without a doubt. When my wife thought back about Botswana, she began to cry out of happiness and said she wanted to return.
What more could you ask for but easy communication, reliability, good monetary value for what you’re getting and an experience of a lifetime!
Email Max Vinick | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibly helpful and attentive!
The safari was amazing (Simbavati Waterside) and Kathi was super helpful getting things organized. We had some travel hiccups and she was super helpful in adjusting plans mid-trip. Would not use anyone else!
CA
Email Tov Mason | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent rip from start to finish!
We recently returned from an exceptional family journey through South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, all flawlessly arranged by Africa Welcome Safaris. From the outset, Kathi and her team demonstrated a deep understanding of the region and an impressive ability to curate a trip that felt both seamless and refined. Every detail — flights, luxury accommodations, private transfers with drivers, a well-planned self-drive segment, and unforgettable safari experiences — was perfectly coordinated and prepaid, allowing us to travel without a single logistical concern. The itinerary flowed effortlessly across three countries, with excellent pacing and thoughtful transitions throughout. The lodges and camps were outstanding, combining comfort, style, and superb locations, while the safari experiences were consistently high quality and well matched to our family. It was clear that this was not a generic itinerary, but a carefully crafted trip designed around our preferences. The overall experience felt smooth, exclusive, and completely stress-free. We would highly recommend Africa Welcome Safaris to anyone seeking a well-planned, high-end safari experience and would gladly work with Kathi again for future travel to Africa.
Email Ellen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They saved me lots of time & effort in trip planning, and my family had a wonderful trip to Africa!
As a person who never uses travel agents, I turned to Africa Welcome Safaris as I found myself somewhat overwhelmed by the prospect of planning a trip to Africa on my own from the USA with no help and a lot of logistical hurdles going to places I had never been before. So following Fodors recommendation, I reached out to Africa Welcome Safaris, and they gave me a great proposed itinerary for the places I wanted to go within a price range that worked for me. This saved me lots of time and effort, and they answered all the questions that I asked during the planning process. They also arranged all Africa airplane transit (of which there was a lot) and tour guides for my family in advance, and everything went according to plan on the trip itself! We loved all of the places we stayed, including the Kapama River Lodge private game reserve next to Kruger and the Victoria Falls Safari Club, which were just delightful and also had delicious food! Overall, we had an amazing trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe, and I am very happy that I used Africa Welcome Safaris and highly recommend them! They definitely made it easier to plan this major trip.