African Welcome Safaris
- Office 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:
- $122 to $467 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 Tara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing South African Safari thanks to African Welcome Safaris
We recently returned from a 3 week safari in South Africa booked with the assistance of Kathi from African Welcome Safaris. I cannot praise Kathi highly enough - she designed a custom itinerary for us which included a complex array of transfers, flights and accommodation and everything went very smoothly. During the booking process, she gave excellent advice on itinerary choices and was incredibly prompt to get back to us with any information or bookings we requested.
This is our second time booking through African Welcome Safaris (fourth time travelling to Africa), and as an Australian I would encourage Aussies to consider booking through a local operator - we were able to save a very significant amount of money compared to when we have travelled with an Australian based agency, plus Kathi's local knowledge was far superior and made the transfers/itinerary far more efficient than we have experienced in the past with other agencies.
Because we had specific animals in mind on this trip, we went to Phinda Forest and Mountain Lodge in Kwa Zulu Natal, and Ngala Safari Lodge, Kirkman's Kamp, and Arathusa in the Kruger area. The lodges and staff in all locations were absolutely fantastic and I can highly recommend them all. There were pros and cons to the game viewing in South Africa- the density of game was very sparse compared to Kenya or Tanzania, however being private reserves, we were able to go off-road and get very close to the animals we particularly wanted to see (Leopard, Cheetah, Black Rhino and African Wild Dogs). So we were able to get great photos of these animals which we are very thankful for, but we did miss the sheer volume of the other animals (zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, elephants, various antelope etc) that we have seen on other safaris.
Overall we had a fantastic experience thanks to Kathi at African Welcome Safaris and highly recommend her, along with &Beyond lodges.
US
Email Emilia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything was planned perfectly and went as smoothly!!!
We visited Cape Town, Sabi Sabi Selati, Victoria Falls and Chobe in Botswana. We stayed at top luxury resorts which were all top notch personallized service. We were greeted at all airport arrivals and escorted to all departures. Not one single issue within our 2 week travel period. It was fantastic and exceeded all expectations!!!
Safari to Lion Sands
The trip was perfect. We saw lots of game and the lodge was top notch. Service levels and attention to detail were exceptional. Highly recommend both the tour company and lodge.
Email Carol | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommended
We had a wonderful holiday, the choice of hotels and Safari Lodge was excellent. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish. Thank you to all at African Welcome Safaris !!
CA
Email Eric | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tydon
Overall a very good experience. We were very pleased with Tydon Safaris. Kathi Simon from the booking agency (Africa Welcome) was very good to deal with.
CA
Email Ann-Marie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari company. Highly recommended.
We worked with Kathi at African Welcome Safaris to plan our three weeks in South Africa. She provided an extremely high level of service from the beginning planning stages -- sharing suggestions and useful information with us -- through to support and recommendations while we were there. She was patient and responsive to requests for information and clarification. The arrangements she made on our behalf for accommodation, car rental and suggestions for additional activities were excellent. She went above and beyond to provide guidance to address a medical issue. We felt very well taken care of! Our time on safari at Sabi Sabi was truly magical. Visiting and witnessing these animals in their natural habitat was remarkable. The staff -- from rangers and trackers to wait staff in the restaurant -- were attentive, knowledgeable and shared with us their passion for what they were doing.
Email Simon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Introduction to South Africa (Cape Town , Garden Route and Safari).
This was a well planned holiday and the service provided by African Welcome Safari was world class. Everything for the hotels locations to the standard of service whilst on safari , couldn't have gone any better.
Would recommend the service of African Welcome Safari to anybody.
This became a trip of a lifetime for us-we thank African Welcome Safaris.
We absolutely enjoyed and highly recommend our trip and lifetime experience on our recent visit to Africa. We believe African Safararis played a huge part in this. Right from meeting our first driver (always there before scheduled, professional in exceptionally clean cars) to our accommodations (these first class accommodations really made the trip special), to planned activities (do not know what we would do different), to our very informed guides. If you are fortunate enough to plan a vacation to Africa, i would certainly begin with a call to Welcome Safaris.
CA
Email Rowena | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Works without a hitch
Kathi Simons was very helpful in planning out our itinerary. Everything went very smoothly.
US
Email Tricia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari Dreams a Reality!
African Welcome Safaris and Kathi Simon made my safari dreams a reality (bucket list item checked off!). I was referred to African Welcome Safaris and Kathi from a friend who booked her African vacation a few years ago. I attempted to mimic her same itinerary and was so fortunate to work with Kathi. I reached out to her with my available dates and requests, and she responded so quickly with a quote and options. Unfortunately, the lodge I had requested was not available, but Kathi researched and provided two options along with price differentials. My friend and I ended up choosing the Elephant Plains Game Lodge in Sabi Sands, and we couldn't be happier with the experience!
Communication: Excellent from day 1! Every time I reached out to Kathi, she responded within 24 hours. We even encountered a flight delay on our way to South Africa, and she responded to assure us that our guide would be tracking our flights and would be there to assist when we did land. We also encountered a cancelled tour (due to weather) in Cape Town, and Kathi was available to discuss our options and even went out of her way to call the tour operator to discuss rescheduling during the remainder of our stay. She also moved our other tours around just in case to avoid conflicts.
Safari: The Elephant Plains Game Lodge exceeded every expectation I had! I still can't believe that I was fortunate enough to stay there and see all the animals in the area. We saw all the Big 5 multiple times. The accommodations are incredible, and the game drives so thrilling. The food was terrific and plentiful.
Service: It was so stress-free working with Kathi! I didn't have to worry about arranging transportation to/from airports or domestic flights, times, or airlines. The timing for everything worked out perfectly so that I could maximize the time spent on safari. My friend and I landed from our international flight, proceeded on a domestic flight to the safari area, and transported to the safari lodge all in time to catch the afternoon game drive! All the arrangements were perfect; we didn't encounter any issues during our travels. It's such a relief to get off a plane and have someone waiting for you. I'm so grateful to have met so many friendly people during my vacation. Everyone made our stay so special, and I learned so much about the culture and history from each person we met.
Value: I've been all around the world, and I would say that this vacation to South Africa was the most unique and affordable experience. When I was first doing my research, this vacation was not a possibility because all the safari lodges I came across were very expensive and not within my budget. I'm so happy I reached out to Kathi because she kept my budget in mind, and I'm actually shocked by the value received.
It was a breeze working with Kathi, and I definitely plan on visiting again. I wouldn't hesitate with reaching out to African Welcome Safaris and Kathi for my next African vacation. I only wish there was a similar company available for all my international travels!