Kate & Darren Humphrys with Henry, Olive and Hume
Compass Odyssey
- Located 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:
- $300 to $1,000 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
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Email Nikki and Brian Binns | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
We ended up finding Compass Odyssey after another travel company ended up cancelling our planned trip 3 months before we were supposed to travel. I am SO GLAD that the first company cancelled on us, because it gave us the most amazing travel experience when we booked through Compass Odyssey. The family business is owned and operated by Darren and Kate, and they truly want you to have the best experience possible. Having never travelled off the North America continent we were concerned about going so far away to Africa, but Darren immediately put me at ease and had so much detailed information I could hardly think of any additional questions about travel. They were very communicative and kept us in the loop with every detail. The lodges that Compass Odyssey books with are all top notch, and even the hosts speak very highly of them. Compass Odyssey made all of our safari dreams come true!
QA
Email Nicola Lategan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience, best operator we’ve ever dealt with!
Right from the start Compass Odyssey was the obvious choice. Communication with Darren and Kate was a breeze, they were super responsive & gave the right amount of information to keep us informed but not overwhelmed. They were happy to customize our trip & also gave us different budgeting options to keep us in our range. Their attention to detail is what really gave me confidence, and allowed our group of 4 friends to have an amazing trip!
We spent time in Vic Falls (perfect gateway to Africa - the Zambezi river is a must!) and then went on to Botswana with time in Chobe and the edge of the Okavango Delta. Transit was so smooth, and we were really well taken care of. Food, drinks, game drives and boat cruises were all so special, and every person we met was so welcoming and hospitable.
The Compass Odyssey team have a fantastic network of people that they work with, and their knowledge of this region is priceless. I highly recommend them!
CA
Email Brandy Hughes and family | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An experience that exceeded our expectations in every way
I feel so fortunate that all my hours of online research into a safari company lead me to Compass Odyssey. From the initial booking, to years of delays due to the pandemic, to re-booking, and finally the safari experience itself, Darren and Kate were always quick to respond to any questions and concerns and did everything they could to make sure my family and I were able to fulfill our safari dream.
It would be wrong for me to say that our safari was exactly as described. In fact, it exceeded our expectations at every step of the way. Multiple times during the trip my husband and I looked at each other in awe and wondered "Is this really happening?!?". Even our moody teenagers were impressed. This was hands down the best family vacation we have ever had.
Our itinerary was perfectly balanced between a variety of activities and downtime; our local contacts and guides were friendly, experienced, and extremely knowledgable; and our accommodations were perfect.
I have already recommended Compass Odyssey to many of my friends and would without hesitation use them for future safari bookings. If you've spent as much time researching a safari company as I did, you can rest now and let Darren, Kate, and Compass Odyssey look after you from here.
kudos compass odyssey
darren and his wife did a magnificent job of setting up our safari trip....every detail was thoroughly presented in a written record to guide us on our travels.....the camps that we used were top notch....this was our 2nd trip back....even though we covered the same areas we felt like it was a completely different experience..for a one of a kind trip let darren and his wife set up a custom trip through compass odyssey....
MX
Email Balbina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond Expectation!!!!
Our friend introduced us to Compass and Darren back in 2019. We have planned originally our anniversary trip to South Africa in 2020. Compass and Darren‘s help was crucial during covid pandemic since there was change of plans and lot of cancelations.
2 years and a newborn later we finally got the chance to go to Africa. It was truly an amazing experience. We felt assisted every step of the way. Local guides and acomodations were first class.
We visited three different countries and Darren’s help allow us to enjoy our travelings without any stress.
We are very thankful with him and his team. He definately made our first trip to Africa a lifetime experience!
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Email Heather | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Meticulous planning and execution
Compass Odyssey did an excellent job with both planning and then implementing a wonderful, individualized trip for us.
In the planning stage, they used their extensive knowledge and experience to offer us an initial draft itinerary. Most importantly, they then listened to us about additional places we wanted to go and changes we wanted to make. They were able to give us feedback about logistics and timing. They also did research on our behalf about going to an area that was newer for them, finding the best guides and lodging possible. All-in-all, both the communication and the resulting itinerary were great.
The trip itself was amazing. The guides Compass Odyssey arranged for us were all helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and flexible. They seamlessly took care of logistics in a way that made the trip so much easier than it would have been had we tried to do this on our own. We were met and assisted at every airport, driven to and timely collected from our lodging every day, taken to sights, helped with border crossings, and educated about the areas’ environment and history. Because they also listened to our interests and were flexible, the trip was able to be even further tailored specifically for us at the implementation phase.
Compass Odyssey also used their knowledge and experience to select outstanding lodging for us and to take care of all the internal airline bookings. The combination of everything that they did for us made this a trip of a lifetime for us. I would would definitely highly recommend Compass Odyssey and will go to them again for any future travel in Southern Africa.
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Email Michelle M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Look not further! This is the operator that will exceed your expectations!
When looking for an operator to set up our safari, we got quotes from 5 different companies. Darrin and Kate really listened to our needs and budget and set up an amazing itinerary that fit our desires perfectly! They stayed in contact with us before the trip to ensure we didn't have any questions, and checked in on us during our vacation to make sure all of our needs were met. This is the 2nd safari for my husband and I, but this trip was ultimately for our mother who had never been to Africa. We let Compass know she had some mobility issues and they made sure she was taken care of from start to finish.
We took and 8 day private safari to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and Victoria Falls. Our lodging, guides, and hosts at each location provided impeccable service. We can't thank them enough for ensuring we had the perfect trip with amazing memories.
ML
Email Mr. Radu Prisecaru | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pure professionalism...and much more that this!
Yes, Compass Odyssey is about pure professionalism. If you love travelling, you like the adventure and love to explore new and interesting places in the southern part of Africa, Compass Odyssey may be your best choice. My experience was an unforgettable one because of this company. I've taken the 8 day's safari in Namibia and the experience went far beyond my expectations. I didn't know much about Namibia, about the opportunities I may have there and, fairly speaking, I didn't have much time to document it. But Compass gave me all I needed. Perfect planning of the trip, decent and very useful suggestions, tracking of my moves all over the period and an excellent choice of accommodations, meals and "must do destinations" on the way. Darren and Kate(the owners, whom, by the way, I've never met in person as all the details were set up on the net) are two human beings in the real sense of the word. You will feel them like two close friends, they will do their best to know you, to understand your needs and to adapt their offer to your real character and way of travelling. They understood what I really want and provided it to me. One day in this lifetime, I look forward to have a beer together and know them in person. Elvis and Alan, two of their guides were also fantastic and perfectly matched on the job they have to do. All these beautiful people offered me an experience I will never forget.
So...as a conclusion: the professionalism at its highest level! Anything else is just poetry. For me, one of the best experiences ever. If some other time I will go in the southern part of Africa (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, etc), I know which number to call and I know I wont be disappointed. Alan, Elvis, Kate, Darren...see you soon, buddies!
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Email IG | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Compass Odyssey proved to be an excellent choice, delivering a memorable Namibia Tour
I came across Compass Odyssey on Safari Bookings, and reached out to them on the site as they had the right length and type of tour for what I had in mind. From the start the communication experience with Darren made me comfortable, there was a quick and detail approach to my questions...and at no time was it accompanies by sales pressure. The whole process was straight forward, and if there was a lag in response -- it was communicated upfront as to what they were waiting on from the hotel providers etc on their end. As to the tour itself, it minimized surprises and expectations were set right in advance. The guide, Elvis was one of the best I have traveled with, knew the area inside out, able to communicate his knowledge..with the ability to customize it to the audience at hand. Did not feel like a script, and was more spontaneous. The hotel quality was a known factor upfront given the different options available in different parts of the country. The other great fact I came to appreciate towards the end of the tour, and would not have known up front was that Darren/Compass followed the tours progress along the way, and did not feel their job ended with the final payment received. For example, in my instance once the new strain of Covid started appearing it was a surprise given was in Etosha NP with limited coverage. And though my air was separate from the arrangement with Compass, Darren went out of his way to figure out airline options should flights cancel. And the same concern from Elvis, the guide on the ground. Given my positive experience, I have recommended them to family, and look forward to doing another trip with Compass in the future.
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Email Erik & Barbie Elfrink | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Through our Covid driven reschedules-Compass Odyssey became like family en route to a perfect safari
We started planning this trip with Compass Odyssey in December 2019. After four Covid-driven reschedules and some itinerary tweaks, we finally were able to visit South Africa, Zambia and Botswana with (most) of our original itinerary in tact!
We usually plan our entire travel adventures 100% on our own, so we were hesitant to rely on someone else to help us craft this experience. However, Compass Odyssey closely listened to our input and helped tailor the experience to our interests and budget.
Not only did Compass Odyssey help us schedule and reschedule the trip multiple times, they put together an unforgettable itinerary with an outstanding mix of safari experiences (South Africa / Botswana) and adventure travel (Zambia). They were also with us every step of the way, from the unexpected cancelled flights to the border closings, ensuring that we were taken care of from start to finish. Traveling during a pandemic is always challenging, but Compass Odyssey made it as seamless as possible, while ensuring we got to truly experience Southern Africa along the way. By the end of the trip, with the great communication and planning, we felt like they were essentially family!
