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:
- $119 to $457 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 Gordon & Dale Viberg | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Organization and Superb Execution
This trip was planned almost 2 years ago however due to Covid was postponed giving us the bonus of time to fine tune our original itinerary to insure visiting the areas we had determined in the time frame desired. We did not want to be part of a "tour group" but rather wanted to have a personalized and tailor made a la carte adventure. African Welcome Safaris gave us all that and more as from our Cape Town arrival to the Vineland area to Kruger, Chobe and the Trans Frontier Parks we were able to experience all the Big 5 and many more animals in their varied natural habitats. The bonus was seeing a huge variety of eagles, hawks and birds in tropical to desert environments. Kathi Simon of African Welcome Safaris was terrific all through the 2 year process dealing with making, canceling reservations and adjusting to our desire to do the trip in 25 days. We got to know Kathi face to face via WhatsApp which gave us that personal attention and upon arrival we met her and felt we had a friend. We also knew that she would be following our agenda every day (24/7 as she would say) making sure nothing failed as far as pick up, guides and transportation were concerned. We actually hated to leave this South African adventure as we found the people to be very friendly, extremely helpful and so very welcoming to their respective beautiful countries. In the end we could not have been more satisfied and would highly recommend African Welcome Safaris and in particular Kathi Simon as a 5 star knowledgeable outfitter for seeing Southern Africa at its best.
US
Email Max | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
We loved African Welcome Safaris - they were excellent! We could not have had a better experience. Thanks, all!
US
Email Craig & Mary Lou Anderson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
22 Days in Africa
Alex on planning and Kathi on follow through could not have done a better job. We started oour planning in 2019 to get bookings and scheduled for Sept 2020. We cancelled and Alex rescheduled us for May 2021. Again we had to reschedule and Alex made all arrangements for Sept 2021. Each time he meet our requirements to be first class and followed through on the trip.
Kathi arranged all the Covid test (6) and never once did we have a travel problem.
We gave him our objectives and he more than delivered
US
Email Mike & Connie Long | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wow! What an incredible experience
Alex and Kathi arranged a wonderful trip for our group of 6 U.S. travelers.
It was rescheduled at least 3 times due to Covid restrictions, but they continued to work with us to come up with an amazing adventure.
Each of the properties that they reserved for us was first class and each was a unique property.
The drivers/guides were knowledgeable and added greatly to the experience.
Kathi was always available to promptly resolve any issues that arose.
We visited South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Rwanda.
We would not hesitate to refer African Welcome for your trip to Africa.
US
Email Meg Elam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kathi was outstanding and was extremely helpful and responsive when we had questions.
My mom and I went to South Africa for a safari. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed 2 beautiful lodges that were recommended by Kathi from African Welcome Safaris. She managed our itinerary, transfers and payments. Everything was flawless! She was extremely organized and had exceptional communication skills. I would absolutely book through her again!
US
Email Suzanne & Jed Ackerman | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS
We used African Welcome safaris for The Rwanda portion of our trip to Africa. From the moment Moses, our guide, picked us up at the airport until the evening he dropped us off several days later, he was nothing but outstanding. Everything was planned for and taken care of. Our stay at Serenna hotel in Rwanda was good. We went to Volcano National Park staying at Sabyino Silverback Lodge. The Lodge was more than we hoped for. First class in every way. The staff were remarkable.
Kathy, who pulled all this together for this part of our African trip did a phenomenal job.
US
Email Laura | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly executed - even during Covid lockdown!
My family of four (including two teenagers) had the trip of a lifetime thanks to Kathi Simon’s expertise and attentiveness. We planned our trip two years ago and decided we would travel during Covid no matter what! Over those 24 months, Kathi invested a great deal of time listening to our requests, answering our questions and crafting the perfect trip, just for us. As the date approached, she was wonderful reassuring us about traveling during Covid and was able to make a few last minute adjustments to comply with current restrictions.
Once we left home, all of our stress and anxiety disappeared. Travel to South Africa was incredibly seamless and we were shocked how open and welcoming everyone was (even at the airport and passport control!). We kept saying “that was so easy!” We had heard that the average level of service in SA is 5 star service and this is the truth! At each of our 3 destinations (Four Rosmead Hotel, Hamilton’s Tented Camp and Elephant Plains) we experienced superior service and attention. We were treated like family and developed great relationships along the way. We never once felt nervous, unsafe or concerned about the pandemic. In fact, we loved having most of the typical tourist spots much to ourselves! Of course, Cape Town was unforgettable and the safari game drives were epic! The hubs and I loved Hamilton’s for its level of luxury and romantic setting. My kids loved Elephant Plains for the game drives, pool table and family accommodations. We all loved Four Rosmead for it’s quaint homey feel and fabulous breakfasts. In the end, we couldn’t believe how much we experienced in 9 days, with still plenty of relaxation time! Before we even left for home, my husband and I were planning a return trip! And we will definitely be using Kathi and African Welcomes Safari again!
US
Email Preston Alder | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional service and catering to our needs
African Welcome Safaris coordinated a fantastic safari trip to South Africa. We were originally supposed to go in April of 2020, but delayed over a year due to COVID. Our first safari accommodations closed due to COVID but they handled everything really well and helped us get there in June 2021.
From our transportation to and from the safari, to finding the right safari for our group, they nailed it. Everything was safe, clean, and included exceptional service.
ID
Email Dr Mejri | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Offers the ultimate way to experience South Africa
We visited South Africa between 8 May and 18 May 2021. Our overall holiday experience was excellent. The decision to book the trip with African Welcome Safaris was pretty straightforward: throughout the years we built a close relationship with Alex and Kathi and fully trust their personalized services.
This trip was actually supposed to take place in 2020 but the pandemic meddled with our plans. This year, Alex and Kathi provided all the literature, advice and information we needed to feel reassured and forge ahead with the trip. Upon landing in Johanesbourg, it was easy to see that South Africa was ready for tourists and taking Covid-19 protective measures very seriously. Mask wearing is compulsory almost everywhere including in
public transport and on domestic flights.
We felt absolutely safe both in the amazing lodges of the Mluwati Concession in the Kruger National Park and in Cape Town. Everyone was expecting us and a top-class service was never an issue. Food quality in lodges was simply beyond expectations.
The Imbali Chef was truly outstanding and prepared for our daughter vegan menus tasting every bit as good as our the ones for carnivores. Our itinerary combined five days in the magic Kruger with five days in the stunning CapeTown. Simply put, our trip was fantastic and Alex felt like it was so well deserved- because of the Covid situation, which made things uncertain. We won't wait so long to return to South Africa!
Thank you so much, Alex and Kathy. It was unquestionably worth going and we would not have made it without you!
CA
Email Rosemary | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This was the best planned and executed vacation we have ever had!!
Throughout our experience with African Welcome Safaris we have found them to be helpful, knowledgeable and very easy to communicate with. We found them to be responsive to our initial queries, mindful of what we said we wanted, while at the same time helpful in making suggestions for things we didn’t know about. We found our drivers, accommodations and safari experience to all be above our expectations. Should you be fortunate enough to have Rhys as your driver at any point, he is amazing. Sabi Sands Little Bush Lodge is a truly lovely experience with such a small, private guest number. The Michalangelo hotel in Johannesburg is the nicest we have ever stayed in and we have stayed in many hotels, in many countries! Thank you so much Kathi, for organizing our trip of a lifetime!