Kate & Darren Humphrys with Henry, Olive and Hume
Compass Odyssey
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $750 to $2,500 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 Julie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Darren, Kate and their team were an absolute dream to work with.
My husband and I are fiercely independent travellers but felt we needed on the ground experience and expertise for an African adventure. Through research I found Compass Odyssey, and am forever grateful. From the very first email contact, Darren was both patient and understanding of what we thought we wanted to see and experience. Budgets were reworked, itineraries revised and all with the constant knowledge that we were being truly heard and that an amazing trip would be the result. And amazing hardly seems adequate in describing our 4wks in Sth Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, with Johannesburg and Cape Town thrown in. In 4 weeks of travel, there was not one single glitch, due solely to the impeccable behind the scenes planning by Darren, Kate and Compass Odyssey. Other reviews have outlined the professionalism of the guides, the high level of accommodations, the excellent food, the outstanding game drives and animal sightings, and our experiences certainly mirror those views. But for us, it being the first time in southern Africa, to know that Darren was available at any time should we need him, made for a most memorable and stress free adventure. His recommendations for safari parks were exceptional and our Guides (Elvis/Mortimer/Innocent) were quite simply, wonderful. Their knowledge of the wildlife, flora and fauna was outstanding. We feel truly blessed that we found Darren, Kate and Compass Odyssey and would absolutely recommend them to anyone thinking of travelling to Africa. As we say in Australia..'Do your self a favour' and contact Darren - you'll be so glad you did. Happy African travels.
NZ
Email Justin Robbers and Maianne Hoen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely knowledgeable of the area, very helpful with our requests, very adaptable to timetable.
5 star service, planning and execution. Excellent.
Email Louise and Owen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Another fantastic experience with Compass Odyssey
This was our third trip to Africa organised through Compass Odyssey and we had another exceptional experience. We were travelling to Kruger with a large group and Darren and Kate made everything seamless for us. Their communication is fantastic and they take the stress out of organising a big overseas trip. We could not recommend them enough.
SG
Email Nicole and family | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Go with Compass Odyssey, they treat you as if you're their only client
Our safari with Compass Odyssey in Sabi Sand and Namibia has exceeded our expectations beyond our wildest dreams. A few weeks prior to departure I had an injury that affected my mobility, and immediately Darren made arrangements on all our flights so I would be assisted appropriately and ensured my rooms would be situated most conveniently for my injury. The trip was extremely well organised, and we felt assured we were in good hands every step of the way. When I texted Darren to say I needed to be connected at all times with phone signal (a mission in Namibia!) due to an emergency at home, he immediately checked and reassured me that thankfully the lodges upgraded their wifi.
Darren was also infinitely patient in putting together our itinerary (which changed many times!), and providing the best advice so our trip would flow well and we could make the most of our time there. We communicated our priorities in Namibia to photograph Deadvlei at sunrise which led to him proposing we stay within the park instead of outside. Our guide Elvis was an incredible driver and a more incredible person to spend our time with - he could spot animals from literally a mile (he pointed out mountain zebras that we could really only see through his binoculars). He sorted out every detail, and shared so much about Namibia and their culture, during the long drives. Once he dropped us off at the water hole while he took care of procedures, and we saw a black rhino there! In 40 hours (highly recommend anyone else to stay longer) in Etosha we saw lion, cheetah, rhino, elephant and MUCH more, all thanks to Elvis. I also threw Darren a curveball after we 'finalized' the itinerary leaving him to book a horse ride for me out of nowhere - he found the best stable that treated their horses right, and gave us a beautiful Moonscape ride.
In Sabi Sand, Darren had arranged a private game drive vehicle which felt incredibly luxurious (and also the extra space helped my condition). All transfers were also organised smoothly, our safari began immediately with Surprise, our driver, pointing out animals between the drive from the airport to the lodge!
Compass Odyssey were very quick to respond to any and all queries we had (we had alot!!) - we felt like we were their only client. Being traditionally "DIY" travellers that booked our own trips, booking via an agent went against every instinct but I can safely say its paid off beyond what we imagined. We felt like we got great value out of this trip and most importantly felt very well supported. We definitely plan to use Compass Odyssey when we return to Africa.
Email Bill and Christine Goergen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Helpful, knowlegable, and a nice guy!
We had a great experience with Compass Odyssey on our Father-Daughter trip in June 2026. The most important thing to convey about the trip is that everthing Compass Odyssey committed to us happened exactly as they said it would. Every pick-up, every transfer, every accomodation, every flight, and every experience was flawless. Not a single bit of unwanted drama in the whole trip.
We were especially appreciative of the pre-planning help Compass Odyssey provided as we had some non-standard requirements that made our itenerary a bit complicated. However, they listened to our requests and responded with options that made the whole process easier than we had a right to expect.
Highly recommend Compass Odyssey for any African Adventure.
PH
Email Benjamin Campomanes | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They took care us really well the minuit we landed in Namibia until our departure
We were treated like visiting family. They took care of everthing so you don’t have to think of the whole trip. Amazing hospitality.
Email Anton and family | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well designed broad set of experiences with high level of customer service
Compass Odyssey designed and executed a 16 day trip for us that included 4 countries and various experiences including, but also beyond safaris. Communication during the planning phase was easy and smooth despite a 9 hour time zone difference. From an execution perspective, Compass’s communication prepared us for what to pack, what to consider regarding vaccine/malaria meds, how immigration/customs would work, etc. Transit across the countries was smooth as the team was waiting for us at each airport and the instructions of what to expect upon crossing borders was clear ahead of travel, allowing us to handle some aspects ahead of time to expedite. The variety of activities was well thought out and matched our preferred cadence very well. The places that we stayed all exceeded our expectations, each being very customer focused and having unique qualities. More than anything, the local guides and safari guides were exceptional! They got to know us and our preferences quickly and both provided recommendations and experiences that enhanced our trip. If you want an incredibly memorable experience, work with Compass Odyssey!
CA
Email Eliana | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Such a pleasure to deal with, on every possible level.
This was our fourth safari (fifth trip) with Compass Odyssey (CO). As usual, Darren and Kate did not disappoint.
Honesty; integrity; reliability; responsiveness; patience; knowledge; expertise; kindness; safety; cost effectiveness; attention to detail… I could go on and on; but, in essence, excellence is what characterizes them, and this is why we keep going back.
This was a particularly tricky safari to organize for various reasons. Nevertheless, CO guided us through the process, ever mindful of our wants and needs, with zero pressure to eventually travel.
You cannot go wrong with CO. We believe they are the best.
This safari was for myself, my adult daughter and one of her friends. The experience was tailored to suit us perfectly. We loved the itinerary, the camps, the guides, and of course the ANIMALS, including GIZA the black leopard!
Describe your dream to CO, and they will make it come true!
Thank you so much, Darren and Kate. We have so many new wonderful memories to daydream about, thanks to you and your team.
You can expect to hear from us for our next adventure in the foreseeable future!
Email Laura M | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional excellence, attentive to detail, reliable, always executes the trip we hoped for & more
Compass Odyssey - Darren and Kate - are excellent, in the truest sense of the word. We plan through them for all our safaris and they never let us down. I’ve continued to recommend them to fellow travelers. They value a quality experience, ethical travel, are fast communicators, are understanding and flexible. This time, on our trip to Kenya, we saw all the animals we wanted to see, had amazing food, some really wonderful guides, and overall had a wonderful time w/ memories that will last a lifetime.
SI
Email Ursula and Mitja | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip We're Already Planning to Repeat
I put off writing this review for a while, mostly because I wasn't sure I could do Compass Odyssey justice. Our family of four had our South Africa holiday organised by them, and it's hard to put into words how much of a difference that made.
From the start, they were extraordinarily helpful in guiding us through every decision, especially the safari. There are so many options, and left to our own devices we would never have landed on the one they proposed for us. It turned out to be a perfect match, tailored to exactly what our family wanted without us even fully knowing how to ask for it.
What stood out most was how they made us feel like their only client. Planning a trip like this comes with real pressure, dozens of moving parts, logistics across a foreign country, matching everyone's interests, but Compass Odyssey carried all of that so we didn't have to.
Once we were in Cape Town, our guides Tim and Garth were exceptional. Their knowledge added a whole extra layer to the trip, the kind of detail and context you simply don't get without the right people showing you around.
Behind the scenes, Darren at Odyssey was incredibly responsive throughout, which matters more than you'd think when you're travelling somewhere as far-flung as Africa. Any question, any last-minute concern, he was on it.
My husband and I went into this thinking it would be our "once in a lifetime" trip. We were wrong. We're already planning to go back, and when we do, it will be with Compass Odyssey.