Team Wild Planet Safari
Wild Planet Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & FGASA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $410 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
Experience level: first safari
10 Night Kruger Safari - North to South
We are a couple & went on the 10 night Kruger Safari with Ryan in May, which was the first part of our honeymoon. Starting from the North - Punda Maria and finishing up in the South - Berg an Dal. Firstly Ryan's passion and knowledge of the park and animals are amazing. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer and needless to say we learned a great deal about all the animals, the park and South Africa. We saw lots of animals including the big 5 and it was really nice to travel from North to South - a great journey that felt like an odyssey.
We booked with Wild Planet late last year, and most of the communication was with Thale - the other half of Wild Planet. She was friendly and very helpful with all questions we had and we had built a great rapport with her. Unfortunately though she wasn't able to be on the tour as they are expecting in August, which left a tour that would normally be run by the both of them to just Ryan. Don't get us wrong, it was a great tour overall and we had a good time but it seemed a lot for one person to run on their own. From managing game drives, daily camp preparation and cooking every meal, Ryan seemed a bit overworked on one or two occasions. We would recommend Wild Planet to anyone, but feel it's a two person operation. Had Thale or a second helper been there as well the trip would have met the expectations we had when we booked it.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
South Africa #SpringBreak
On a whim we decided to take a Spring Break. With less than 4 weeks to plan a group of 4 of us got on a flight to Johannesburg not knowing what exactly to expect when we landed. We couldn't have been more thrilled with our experience with Wild Planet Safari and our guide Ryan. Ryan picked us up right at the airport, drove us to Kruger Park while allowing us multiple stops along the drive to enjoy the country side. We did a 2 night 3 day Safari in Kruger. Over the course of 3 days Ryan enlightened us with so much information that we couldn't believe it. From how to track the animals to information about how they feed or interact with other animals Ryan knew it all. He was also extremely calm in all situations. For example one morning we had an elephant trying to charge the car. Ryan knew exactly what to do to keep us out of harms way. In just 3 days we saw 4 of the big 5! In addition to Ryan's knowledge of Kruger he is also quite the chef. He helped prepare three amazing meals a day even bringing veggies hand picked from his own garden. We got on a plane not knowing what to expect and we walked away with unforgettable memories.
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Email Scott | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kegan was great! He not only put us on the Big 5 but we saw the Magnificent 7 as well. Outstanding
We really didn't know what to expect when we booked with Thale but she gave us many options to choose from and we settled on a four day North Kruger tour. It was fantastic from start to finish. Our booking communication with Thale (she actually delivered a child and was still managed to stay in contact with us) ,to our guide Kegan's experience and sense of humor and Ryan cooking us traditional South African meals it was all wonderful. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to witness these magnificent animals. Truly outstanding and we can't wait for our return visit!
Scott
Coupeville Washington
CA
Email Bryan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good viewing - poor guiding
The booking process was easy and Thale was a pleasure to work with. Very accommodating.
The accommodations were as advertised and decently comfortable.
It was on overall good value for a private tour, with food included and in those accommodations. I enjoyed the food, great cooking by Lungisani!
My problem and reason for 3/5 is the guides. I honestly don’t know if Isaac can see well enough to be guiding tours. He was knowledgeable when we spotted an animal, but he never saw them. Lungisani would spot all the animals and tell Isaac to stop (his driving wasn’t great either). On the 2 drives in which Lungisani didn’t come, Isaac didn’t even stop the vehicle once because he didn’t see anything (even though we did). Also he didn’t speak once to us. When they were both there, on the drives and at camp/during meals, they just spoke to each other in their own languages or were on their phones, which made it very awkward and uncomfortable for us. Very little conversation with us and getting to know each other. Although we saw lots of animals, and the park was incredible, the guides detracted from our experience a lot.
Overall, would I go back to Kruger? Yes, 100%. Would I use Wild planet safari? Possibly, but it would totally depend on who the guides were. Service levels while spending 5+ full days with someone needs to improve drastically.
Email Tony Bilbie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Enjoyable 3 day - 2 night Safari
The communication throughout the process from the initial enquiry right through to the day before we were collected was quick and detailed. We were given a number of options of which areas to explore and different accommodation types prior to booking and everything was organised for us by Ryan and Thale.
We flew in from the UK and stayed overnight in a hotel close to the OR Tambo airport, Ryan then collected us from the hotel the following morning and we drove to Kruger (with a stop off halfway for 15 minutes), arriving at Skukuza just after 1pm.
When we arrived at Kruger mid afternoon, Ryan sent us off to grab some lunch whilst he went and checked us into our accommodation. When we returned around 2.30pm our luggage was already in the room and we were then took on an afternoon safari, seeing a large number of animals and birds.
Evening meal was BBQ steak and salad cooked outside the accommodation by Ryan and his assistant which was excellent and we sat chatting and drinking the local wines under the stars.
Morning 2 consisted of an early start where we saw most of the Big 5 and Ryan cooked us bacon and eggs breakfast at a picnic area overlooking the river, watching the monkeys play. A good long day of exploring, seeing many of the animals and birds. We then returned to the camp mid afternoon where we were left to chill out and top up the stock of beers and wine.
Again, a BBQ evening meal outside the accommodation where we were given ostrich sausages and a local veg dish which was good washed down with some local brew. We were then surprised to find out that Ryan had booked us on a night safari, a nice touch. We completed our Big 5 list on this night safari, seeing a leopard walking around the park, sadly we didn't take a camera.
Day 3 we again took an early morning safari, checked out of the accommodation and took a drive back to OR Tambo airport ready for our flight down to Cape Town.
The service we received from Ryan, Thale and the rest of the team was personal yet professional, and Ryan's knowledge of the animals and birds (mating habits/diets etc) was excellent and added to the experience we got from the trip.
I would certainly contact Wild Planet Safaris next time I am looking at exploring southern Africa's wildlife regions and would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone looking to experience it.
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Email Daniel Ricciardi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Kruger Safari
My girlfriend and I recently went on a four-day/three night Kruger tour with Ryan and could not have asked for a better trip. Driving past other tours carrying nearly 20 people with only one guide made us keenly aware of how lucky we were to be able to ask Ryan questions whenever we had them. Ryan's knowledge of the park’s ecology is constantly on display, whether he was talking about animals, insects, birds, or plant life.
Having our own private tour also gave us flexibility. We were able to customize our trip, allowing us to go out to see animals when, where and however often we wanted to. Whether we wanted to take an extra drive, go outside of the planned route to find a lion (success!), or drink Savannah Dry’s until passing out, Ryan was eager to do it. On our last day, Ryan drove all over known rhino routes because we hadn’t been lucky enough to see a rhino up close (which was literally the only animal in Kruger that didn’t practically approach our vehicle). When you are on larger group tours, that kind of personal touch just isn’t possible.
Behind every man is a great woman, and Ryan and Thale are no exception. Before arriving in South Africa, we were in constant communication with Thale despite the fact that she was in her third trimester. We were initially apprehensive about not being able to pay by credit card (extremely high fees) or PayPal (only works with one bank in South Africa), but Thale made us feel completely at ease throughout the entire process.
If all of that wasn’t enough, Ryan and Thale were kind enough to have us over for dinner the week after our tour for our last night in South Africa. We could not have asked for a nicer, more hospitable couple to show us around their beautiful country. They love what they do and it is evident from the moment you first contact them until they drop you off at the airport. We cannot recommend Wild Planet Safari highly enough. Thank you for making it an unforgettable trip!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Kruger Park Tour
A personal tour for my wife and I. The aim was a hard-core photo safari and Wild Planet provided exactly what we wanted with plenty of pleasant surprises on top. Thanks to it being a personal tour we were able to see more species, get closer and take better photos than we have in any previous trips. Both the food and service was excellent throughout but the highlight was probably the night we spent at Shipandane Hide, where we had Hippos fighting in the river, Lions close by and a night time visit from a Gennet - it was pure magic.
We traveled in a customised VW Transporter Van so we had plenty of room to spread out and to take photos. The tents were surprisingly large (I could stand up in ours) which made camping easy. Because there was only the 2 of us we were able to take full advantage of our guide's encyclopaedic knowledge of Southern African wildlife so when we took a Park Service night drive it felt really "dumbed-down" compared to the wildlife masterclass we were used to. Overall we got exactly what we wanted and a whole load more for a very reasonable price.
We have already made a provisional booking for next year as after 10 years of visitig Africa no other trip we have taken even remoteley compares.
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Email Christine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Guide and Trip
We just finished eight EPIC days with Wild Planet Safari. Every day was an incredible experience due to:
1. Superior planning of the company (great rest camp locations within Kruger park with access to exceptional wild life viewing). They were easy to work with to develop an customized itinerary.
2. Exceptional guide. Chris has eagle eyes to point out the smallest of chamelions, bee-eaters or king fishers ... as well as wildlife incredibly camoflauged (leopards and cheetahs). We sweat he whispers to the animals to bring them in so close they almost kissed the vehicle.
3. Outstanding logistics. Hob the cook ensured we had more deliscious food then was needed, including breakfasts on the road so we did not need to return to the rest camp at the end of each morning wildlife drive.
We highly recommend this company for lovely intimate safari experience. Far exceeded all of our expectations.
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Email Benson | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Attentive to all the details, customized and personal experience, and incredibly knowledgeable.
My partner and I absolutely loved our 5-day experience with Wild Planet Safaris. We started with four days on safari in two different camps in Kruger, followed by a day of exploring the Panorama route. Thale (Wild Planet coordinator) advised us on every aspect of the transportation, activities, logistics, and options.
Thale responded very quickly and professionally to our questions and requests while planning the trip. Before and during the trip, she helped incorporate everything we wanted into our itinerary.
Our guides, Chris and Sani, drove us on morning, afternoon, and evening game drives and shared their incredible knowledge of the bush. They tailored the drives to our interests, and took us to the best locations to see rare game. Because of them and their knowledge, we saw a huge number of animals and birds. Highlights included baby cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, vultures, lions (male, female, and cubs), and elephants galore! They even took us to the rare sighting of an elephant carcass with predators feeding at dawn. They also set up a night drive and a morning bush walk with the Kruger park rangers at our request. Both were incredible!
The service was excellent. They made sure we were comfortable with prepared meals four-times a day. We chose to camp during the trip, and they set up and packed camp quickly, allowing us to maximize time enjoying animals and exploring. They cooked almost every meal, and we especially loved the freshly barbecued bush brai, shared family-style. Sani's curry was a huge hit after a long day of adventure.
The five day package was great value, and we were lucky to have such an accommodating guide to plan our customized tour. We had a completely private tour experience. We slept in comfortable and warm cots in spacious tents, with electricity provided. I'm 6'5" and could stand up straight in the tent. All of the camp restrooms and showers were clean and well-maintained. Almost all meals were included in our package, and we spent very little money on the occasional lunch during travel days.
Our guides Chris and Sani were incredibly respectful and we enjoyed getting to know them and their backgrounds. They both were extremely gracious to us, helping us have the best experience possible. They were attentive to the smallest details, ensuring we ate with a table cloth and tailored the menu to accommodate our dietary restrictions. We felt very safe during the entire trip, both in terms of security, animals, and Covid 19.
We would absolutely use Wild Planet Safari again in the future and have already recommended them to our friends and family.
A great experience for a small group of six Aussie friends with Ryan and Thales' Wild Planet Safari
Our small group was fortunate to choose Wild Planet Safari to host our recent visit to South Africa and Kruger NP. Ryan and Thale met us in Johannesburg, took us to breakfast, helped organise our days sightseeing there and then collected us bright and early the next morning for the drive to Kruger. Ryan's knowledge of the birds, animals and topography is faultless and his obvious enthusiasm for locating likely spots for great viewing gave us up close photo opportunities. At one point we were surrounded by 17 lions..... (In total we spotted 29 different animals and 43 birds.) Not forgetting to mention Thales input and sharp eyes. Lungsani backstopping with preparation of meals etc made late morning breakfasts after (very) early safari welcome and dinners under the stars were great social times with Ryan and Thales extended family. We were made to feel very welcome and more than just paying customers.
Thanks from all your Aussie friends.
Regards Jim and Jan