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)
Reviews
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Email Peter | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Compass Odyssey does an excellent job - again
This is not the first time I've used Compass Odyssey to make arrangements for my African safari. Previous trips targeted Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. This year I went to Kenya. Darren's choices for places to stay were superb. All travel arrangements worked perfectly. I had a fantastic experience! Next year I plan to use CO again, and I heartily recommend it to all!
IT
Email Gianpaolo Bandera and Ywette Fischer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top for reliability, courtesy and attention to details
We had an unforgettable travel experience in South Africa and Zimbabwe thanks to the perfect organization of Compass Odyssey. Every little detail was as we expected and we perceived the care and attention that Darren put into organizing everything. He was able to answer all our questions, doubts or fears with extreme professionalism and friendliness. He assisted us in the long months that preceded the trip in a careful and punctual manner, with very quick and exhaustive answers. During the days of the trip he made us feel his closeness in a discreet but efficient way, to check if we needed anything.
I truly recommend everyone to rely on this agency and its collaborators present in the various countries. Serious, reliable people but above all rich in human qualities that are essential to face any journey.
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Email Ronda and Jerry Morrison | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worry-free Safari/Victoria Falls Vacation
My wife and I recently took a bucket list trip to Africa which included a stop in Victoria Falls and safaris in the Chobe National Park and Okavanga delta, Botswana. Our trip was absolutely amazing and checked off a trip of a lifetime for us. I will say that while the Victoria Falls visit and the Botswana safaris were incredible, even more impressive was the pre-planning, planning, service, value and overall trip details done by Compass Odyssey.
Every detail was provided to us before travel, including names/phone numbers of expeditors at every stop, visa details at the airport, details on each resort, to even a daily agenda of what our trip included. Darren (one of the owners of Compass Oddysey) was absolutely amazing and extremely responsive prior to the trip, asking us what exactly we wanted to do then creating our trip of a lifetime. He made any changes or additions that we asked for (such as we wanted to do a village tour at one of our stops), and ensured that everything was arranged. He provided us many documents prior to the trip which included the daily agenda, things to do in the towns where we were staying (in addition to what we already had planned), to information regarding Southern Africa, such as what plugs we needed at each location, to information on malaria and other diseases, to visa requirements at each location, and much more!
Darren ensured we had an expeditor at each location which facilitated our transfers from three airports to lodges, from one activity to another and even from one country to another. The expeditors were well versed on the area and overall excellent. Darren maintained communication with us up until our first pick up in Zambia and then directly with each expeditor to ensure that each portion of our trip was going smoothly and that we did not need anything from him.
I will say that I have taken many trips around the world and this was truly the first time that I did not have to worry about any detail…Darren had already thought of everything and made sure it was handled!
We started our trip arriving on the Zambia side of Victoria Falls and were greeted at the airport by Ashton who facilitated our visit to the falls on the Zambian side before driving us to the Zimbabwean side of the falls. Ashton was amazing, knew the area very well and provided background information, details about local areas, and had an excellent sense of humor. On our way to our hotel on the Zimbabwe side of the falls, Darren and Ruth took us to a helicopter company to arrange a helicopter ride over the falls the next day. We then stayed at the Palm River hotel in Zimbabwe and they were expecting our arrival and had all check-in documentation ready for us as they gave us a welcome drink. The hotel was amazing, food was amazing and the staff very attentive. Ruth then picked us up the next morning for a trip to the falls on the Zimbabwe side which was breathtaking. We enjoyed a village tour of the area which was amazing and then had lunch at the Outlook Cafe which was close to the falls and overlooked the zip lines and the gorge. We relaxed at the hotel before enjoying an amazing dinner at the Boma restaurant (one of the recommended activities). The next morning Mortimer picked us up at our hotel and drove us approximately 2 hours to the Chobe River Lodge in Botswana, which included being facilitated across the border. The lodge was absolutely amazing and once again they were expecting us upon arrival. In fact, we did not have to formally check in and the lodge had already arranged for our lunch before a boat safari on the Chobe River. This was a highlight of our trip.
The next morning we embarked on a morning safari prior to our travel via plane to the Khwai airport in the Okavanga Delta. Again, we were greeted upon arrival by Mpho who was our personal driver for the two days we stayed at the Nokanyana Camp. We had two days of game drives and a village visit. Mpho was passionate, knowledgeable and ensured we saw all the animals to see.
We departed the Okavanga Delta for Maun before further travel to South Africa and were greeted at each airport for expedition/driving to our hotels. In South Africa, we were met by Alan who drove us to our hotel and took us a scenic route to highlight some of the interesting locations.
I can’t explain enough how many different logistics went into this trip, including five different flights, four different countries, several different visa requirements, drivers/expeditors at each location, activities at each location, etc…and everything went flawlessly. Darren even added the parts of the trip we arranged (to/from the US) to his agenda to ensure we had a complete itinerary in one place…which was extremely useful when applying for online visas. Even more important to me, as someone who likes to be in charge of every detail on a trip, by the time we got to Zimbabwe, I did not even have to think/worry about logistics for the entire trip, which just made it that much more enjoyable.
I would absolutely HIGHLY recommend Compass Odyssey for any travel to Southern Africa!
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Email Blossom and Howard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Made all my dreams come true!
I love animals, and for as long as I can remember, I have wanted to go on safari. From everything I had gleaned, South Africa is a great place for a first safari experience - and has many other interesting things to do and see. Even though I typically plan all our trips, it was a little intimidating to plan this trip myself, so after a lot of research I enlisted the services of Compass Odyssey. I liked that not only were they highly rated, but that they are a small company with boots on the ground of South Africa itself. Darren made the planning process easy and fun - suggesting lots of ideas but also being open to ideas that we had. He provided very helpful information about what to expect and how to plan, and was always available to answer any of the (many) questions we had. Every element of the trip itself was seamless and perfect, and every detail felt thoughtfully chosen - from the contrast in the two types of safari lodges we stayed at, to the timing of internal flights, to the stellar personal guides we had in the bookend cities. From the moment we landed in Cape Town to the moment we boarded our plane home in Johannesburg we felt completely taken care of. My brain and heart are both still exploding with joy and wonder with everything we saw and experienced! Howard and I will be eager to do more travel in Africa - and safaris - in the future.
CA
Email Jim Prophet & Susan Scott | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Compass Odyssey delivers high quality service, from your first contact to your final experience.
My wife and I have always organized our travel experiences and this is our first trip using a tour guide company. I received an excellent recommendation from two friends who have used Compass Odyssey (total 3 times). So I contacted them first. From my first contact with Darren, our experience was wonderful. He responded every time without delay, was attentive to our budget and interests and offered suggestions that were pressure free, leaving us feeling like we were planning our trip as opposed to be instructed what we should do. This planning was flexible and done in a timely manner. The trip itself was first class. Accommodations and meals were excellent. The lodges had low occupation so they were quiet. The game drives were awesome, not just in the high quality viewing of Africa's game, but in discussions of animal behavior, fauna, birds, tracking, and other interesting topics. Game drivers were highly experienced and passionate about their work. We did 3 days in Krueger South Africa and 3 days in Chobe, Botswana. We also did 2 days in Zambia and Victoria Falls. All guides and driver escorts were excellent. We also spent 3 days in Cape Town and our guide there was very passionate about his home town. My score is 10/10. Our overall experience was way beyond our expectations.
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Email Lynne and Gordon | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Darren and his crew were responsive, conscientious, very knowledgeable and a delight to be with
Darren worked with us to provide a tour that fit our budget and our interests. We were nervous at first about how many different tour and safari guides would be working with us during our journeys. We needn't have worried. Each hand off worked perfectly, and there were alternate people Darren could call on in the event that there was a problem (there were no problems). Additionally, the pre-trip communications were clear and comprehensive. We were well prepared in advance of the trip. Aside from the glorious experience of observing animals in their environments, I cannot say enough about the careful and gracious customer service.
Email Elaine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A reliable perfectionist with great attention to detail
I travelled with a girlfriend and her daughter and we were all most interested in seeing as much wildlife as possible in our 15 day holiday!
Darren and Kate put together a terrific itinerary that suited our needs perfectly for our first African experience.
We had the best guides who were always willing and able to tweak the itinerary if need be and imparted so much history and knowledge with us.
All accommodations were outstanding and quite luxurious and the service and food was second to none!
Our first day at Kruger was a feast for the senses and we were so excited to see the big 5 and more - special thanks to Geena our terrific guide!
I definitely will return to Africa and wander further afield and Compass Oddysey will be my first contact!
Thanks Crusty and Kate☺️
Super reliable, honest, thorough and knowledgeable.
This was our third safari with Compass Odyssey (CO). Our Namibian adventure did not disappoint. We visited several locations in different parts of the country. The activities and excursions were extremely varied and enjoyable; the itinerary executed as promised, safely, seamlessly and without a hitch. You can most definitely count on Darren and Kate of CO to put together a fabulous vacation for you, as we do. They work with the highest level of integrity, professionalism and care, which is why we trust them as much as we do! We will always cherish our memories of Namibia: the people we met; the animals we saw; the desert we walked in; the mountains and starry skies we gazed at; the dunes we climbed; the hot air balloon we flew in; the accommodations we temporarily called home; etc etc etc. On a scale of 1 to 10, our trip was a 15! Thank you, Compass Odyssey! As Laura wrote in her last Instagram post before we left, “Namibia: a wonder and a gift to Earth!”
MX
Email Salvador and Teresa | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was very good in every thing that we experienced.
Tour guides, safari guides, hotels, meals, transports and transfers were excellent.
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Email Janet & Steve Wilson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime
Trip of a Lifetime (Proposed Review):
Our entire experience working with Compass Odyssey (Darren Humphreys) to create a trip of a lifetime to southern Africa was truly fantastic! With our son and his family living and working in Cape Town, we wanted to visit South Africa and take the opportunity to add in some adventure! We looked for safari packages that included experiences from our bucket list and found on-line Compass Odyssey’s “5-Day Zambezi-Chobe Safari & Victoria Falls” to include a taste of the Falls, guided game drives and tours, comfortable accommodations and safe transfers from place to place. We were seeking to “personalize” our itinerary!
We were happy to find that Compass Odyssey (Darren) focused on merging his 5-Day Safari package with the visit to our family. When we arranged a 2-day cruise on the Chobe Princess III at the end of the Odyssey safari, Darren collaboratively coordinated the transfers to and from the jetty.
Communication: Without exception, Darren wanted to know and understand what we were hoping to experience. He eagerly and promptly responded to our questions and concerns. He provided a wealth of background information and suggestions to assist our planning. Once our trip started, we switched to using WhatsApp that offered “real time” chats to keep us connected. He was only a text away for assistance should we need it. .
Safety: From our arrival at Johannesburg airport to our departure at the end of the trip, we were met, guided and accompanied through all transfers from place to place (passports, customs, accommodations, vehicles, boats and planes).
Accommodations: Each accommodation manager met us upon arrival because Darren had personally checked in with them to insure their readiness. Each accommodation was well suited to our needs, in close proximity to our activities, and was clean and comfortable. The Safari Club was just what we needed after a 16 hour flight from the US. It was close to the airport, offered a delicious meal, and provided a secure and comfortable room to rest before our next morning’s flight to Victoria Falls. The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was marvelous. Beautiful setting, excellent breakfast, comfortable room and close proximity to the Falls. The Chobe River Lodge was an excellent location for rest and relaxation between four exciting game drives within the Chobe National Park. Each accommodation had friendly staff who were always close by to provide any assistance needed. Even after we left the safari to join our family in Cape Town, Darren continued to be a resource to our stay in South Africa. Without reservation, I enthusiastically recommend Darren Humphreys and Compass Odyssey as a Five Star tour company for anyone wishing to have their trip of a lifetime personalized to their needs! Every aspect of our 18 day journey went from Best to Best to Best!
