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:
- $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
Email John | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari in Sabi Sands
We booked a 4 night safari in Elephant Plains through African Welcome Safaris and couldn't have been happier with how it all worked out. We dealt with Kathi and she was a pleasure to work with in finding the correct safari the matched our needs. We settled on Elephant Plains in Sabi Sands and were delighted with the quality of the lodge and the friendliness of the staff there. The drives themselves were superb and the variety and number of animals we saw far exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend booking through this tour operator and will do so myself the next time I visit South Africa.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
We dealt with Kathi and she offered excellent advise, was prompt in her responses and very helpful
Everything was booked for us and the logistics worked perfectly. We were looking at 2 different lodges and were told about both and given recommendations. We chose Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp and had the most wonderful experience in the bush.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The entire experience was great: from brainstorming, to planning, to troubleshooting, to enjoying!
What I think is important to point out is not only that the experience was a great vacation, but working with Africa Welcome Safaris was what made it so great. Having never been on a safari before (nor visited the continent), Africa Welcome Safaris' made it easy and approachable to plan and enjoy: from finding a great place within my budget, to helping me prepare for the experience (and what to pack, what to expect), accommodating changes to my itinerary when needed and being there 24x7 when small travel hiccups occurred (e.g. airline flight changes or delays). I felt like Africa Welcome treated me and my trip as a top priority for their staff. I want to particularly commend Kathi Simon for making this on of my best vacations ever.
AE
Email John Hammond | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Meticulous in their planning, putting the customer first, high quality service delivery - faultless
We are a family of 6. Our eldest child is 12 and our youngest is 5. It is always a challenge finding a balance of experiences for us all for our holidays. African Welcome put together a perfectly balanced itinerary that combined time in the wild with urban exploration. The planning, communication and level of service was first class. We had a stress free experience during the planning and booking stage. The locations for our holiday - Kruger National Park (Tintswalo resort), Victoria Falls, Cape Town (V&A Waterfront) and Franschhoek (La Petite Ferme) were all stunning in their own way. The accommodation selected - mainly 5 star combined with self catering in Cape Town was all of exceptional quality and perfectly located. In particular the staff at Tintswalo and the Safari Lodge in Victoria Falls were amazing with the children and they are missing them after returning home.
We got to see the best of South Africa - amazing safari (we saw the big 5 and so much more), driving around Cape Town, the Cape area, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek - simply a stunning part of the world. Victoria Falls is world renowned for obvious reasons although the visa costs and park taxes imposed by the government are a little disconcerting. We picked some great places to visit and African Welcome picked amazing accommodation and service for us.
Top marks African Welcome. You really raised the bar. Not sure how we will better this experience next year or ever!
We look forward to working with you in the future - you're simply the best!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Family Adventure
African Welcome Safaris, and Kathi in particular, made our adventures in Africa amazing. Her communication was immediate and attended to every detail. She sought to understand our goals and matched us with experiences and guides who exceeded our expectations. Our time at Kapama Game Lodge was incredible wihg many animal encounters, great service, and an outstanding guide, Stephan, and tracker, Rogers. Accommodations, food, and spa were excellent. Exploring Cap Town and the surrounding areas with Ryes was really cool. Our experience at Chobe River Lodge was fantastic with a highly attentive staff and RT our great guide. Victoria Falls Lodge provided epic views with vulture feedings and the stunning Victoria Falls. Lesedi Cultural Village was a great place to stay and to enjoy the tour and traditional dancing.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very experienced travel agent with a great knowledge of the attractions
Kathi at African Welcome Safaris is an exceptional travel agent. We have used her on two occasions now (out of three visits to the continent) and have not been disappointed by her service, prompt reply to emails, and considered guidance in her itineraries. Her picks have been spot on, factoring in travel time, bookings, and attractions we wanted to see. She obviously can see what we are after, and match the itinerary.
You are reassured to be in safe hands when you book here, and we will likely use her again for future holidays.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional South African experience!
My apologies that this review took so long... Was too caught up in work and in no way does it indicate any failure on the part of Kathi or African Welcome Safaris.
Kathi was amazing from the start, as I was e-mailing several tour operators to get a better sense of the options offered and costs involved. She seemed to understand exactly what I was looking for and was able to put together a detailed itinerary for my husband and I. We had a budget which she somehow managed to work around, still providing amazing tours across Cape Town, domestic flights, all transfers, quality and even luxurious accommodations and a 5-star safari experience!
Our tour guide in Cape Town, Emme, was a lovely lovely part of our trip and she really went the extra mile beyond just showing us around. The insights she provided into South Africa today and its history was compelling and she was just fun to be with. :)
Even on the ground, when we had questions or clarifications to make, Kathi made herself available via cell phone and we could easily reach her for such purposes. Really appreciate that she took the time to check in with us upon arrival to make sure we were okay and all settled in.
The safari experience promised to be great, and it really really was. In fact, I regret that we only spent 3 short days on safari at the fantastic Lion Sands River Lodge. It may not have been super luxurious in terms of the accommodation, but the service was truly amazing, and the game drives - unreal! Our ranger and tracker team, Landon and Eddy, really surpassed all our expectations and found us EVERYTHING we wanted to see.. and more! From the Big Five, to the highly endangered African Wild Dog, the cheetah, zebras (even in the wooded terrain of the Sabi Sands!), leopard cubs, lion cubs, lions mating, lions fighting over a dead wildebeest calf..... it only left us wanting more.
I am now keen to plan another safari trip, this time perhaps to see the Great Migration, and Kathi will certainly be the one I look for.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Travel Made Easy
Planning to go on an elephant safari in South Africa from Fort Lauderdale,Florida seemed like an overwhelming task however, l lucked out because I luckily found and used African Welcome Safaris. Every detail of our 3 day adventure was taken care of, starting with a driver meeting us at the airport in in Cape Town. All needed documentation was made available to us so we knew exactly what to expect for each day of our trip. I would highly recommend using African Welcome Safaris and will use them again on my next trip to South Africa.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Journey!!!!
My husband and I just got back from Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls), Cape Town, Kalahari Desert (Tswalu) and Sabi Sands (Leopard Hills). Kathi Simon from African Welcome Safaris helped us plan this trip from scratch, and she was amazing. She answered all of my emails the same day, was helpful, knowledgeable, and lovely, and she gave me valuable insight into things I would have never known if I planned this on my own. We received a welcome package when we arrived with everything we needed--info on the places we were travelling, a detailed itinerary, and coupons for the excursions planned. We had drivers every step of the way, and I felt completely taken care of.
Our tour guide for Cape Town, Rhys, was also incredible. He was knowledgeable, funny, and wonderful.
I cannot say enough good things about African Welcome Safaris! Thank you for helping us plan our dream vacation! It was everything we could have hoped for and more!
MX
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Discovering South Africa
This was the best organized trip I have ever had. All my expectations were met. The safaris in kruger, sabi sabi, okovongo delta and the garden route were exquisite: The best rangers With so much knowledge about the lives of the animal kingdom. The accomodations were fantastic. The service was lovely.
Capetown facinated me as a place I would consider living in for a few months. I had the best seafood and fish everyday. The variety of fish was incredible.
The most exciting was seeing the big five in 2 days in Sabi Sabi. And cheetahs, lepards and lions mating! And a fresh kill! With lionesses eating first before the male lion arrived. And the hyenas waiting their turn.
The unforgetable white shark cage dive in the freezing murky waters off Capetown was a first! Monstruous sharks áttacking the cage had the adrenalin boiling!
I highly recommend this company for organizing the perfect adventure!