Yellow Zebra Safaris -Specialists in Safari Africa
Yellow Zebra Safaris
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ATTA & ATOL
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $438 to $2,752 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari tour company that really listens to your requests
I found YZS through an internet search and am glad i did.
I sent a brief email explaining what my wife and I were planning (we wanted to safari in Tanzania and see the migration on a restricted budget!) and within 45 mins Julian - director of YZS, had called me back to discuss further.
He was very pleasant and massively informed on Tanzania. He gave me a run down on his personal history and I knew then that I could leave the planning of our holiday to him and be confident that all our requirements would be met.
He offered 2 suggestions - one South Tanzania and one North and it wasn't hard to decide when he explained what both would involve and the costs involved.
To describe the holiday briefly does it an injustice however it does demonstrate how personally Julian takes planning your holiday.
We had had a few days in Kenya attending a friends wedding and then headed to Tanzania where we spent 7 days - 5 of which were on Safari with YZS.
We were picked up in Arusha by our tour company - WAYO africa. Danford was our guide and he was brilliant. WAYO's ethos is that your safari is your private holiday and therefore my wife and I were on the jeep on our own.
We set off and our first port of call was Lake Manyara. - Amazing. Baboons, Girraffes, Zebras, Hippos, Elephants and buffalo ( amongst others all on the first day)
We then headed on to and stayed the night in a tented lodge called Rhotia Valley. Our only regret is we didn't spend longer than one night here.
Our next day was spent in the Ngorogoro Crater. - Stunning. Here we saw the animals as above but also Rhinos. Danford again sharing his vast knowledge with us.
That evening was spent in Rhino lodge on the ourskirts of the crater.
We then moved onto the Serengetti. We spent 4 days 3 nights travelling round the Serengetti and saw the 'Big 5'.
The camp provided by WAYO was outstanding.
As i say, a very brief summary of our holiday organised by Yellow Zebra Safaris but they certainly made our holiday that of a lifetime by using their local knowledge, contacts and by listening to their clients needs and wants.
I can not recommend Yellow Zebra Safaris highly enough and will absolutely book with them should we or any family members be heading back to Tanzania at any point.
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Email Lisabel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Yellow Zebra planned the honeymoon of our dreams!
My husband and I had never worked with a travel agency, until Yellow Zebra. As we began our research to plan a 2 week trip to Africa for our honeymoon, we were inundated with information which made it difficult to make decisions and feel confident in those decisions. Then, my husband found Yellow Zebra. Within 24 hours of submitting an online request, Kirsten reached out to us via email to set up a brief call to discuss what we wanted to do and see during our honeymoon. I really wanted to go to Tanzania and Kenya, but Kirsten advised against it because we’d be going during the rainy season. Not what I wanted to hear, but it’s what I needed to hear. Previous travel agents we reached out to all said great and never shared any concerns with us. And at that moment I knew I could trust Kirsten because she wanted to make sure we had the best trip possible, by giving us all of the information to enable us to make an informed decision. Because of our work schedules, our travel dates were not flexible, but we wanted to stay at a certain lodge in Sabi Sands. Unfortunately, that lodge didn’t have availability with our then-current itinerary. Fortunately, Kirsten worked her magic to rearrange our itinerary so that we could stay at the lodge we wanted.
We live on the east coast of the USA, so I was a little hesitant about working with a travel agency located in the UK because of the time difference, but it wasn’t an issue because Kirsten was always so prompt with her responses. After we booked the lodges, Kirsten helped us fine tune our itinerary with excursions, tours, and dinner reservations. Kirsten also worked with the lodges to make my husband’s birthday extra special while we were on safari.
We felt taken care of by YZ as soon as we landed in South Africa. In Johannesburg, there was a travel guide who greeted us at the airport to take us through immigration and security and made sure we got to our departure gate for our final flight to Cape Town (where we would officially start our honeymoon). Kirsten and the YZ team planned all of our airline connections and car/boat transfers with reputable companies. We worked with Kirsten over 6 months, and she was always lovely, professional, thorough, and knowledgable.
Thank you Kirsten and the YZ team for planning the honeymoon of our lives! We’re still suffering the post-safari blues, so we can’t wait to plan our next safari with you soon!
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Email Liz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Yellow Zebra Safaris listens to their clients and provides them with an experience of a lifetime!
"You can not describe Africa you need to experience it and Yellow Zebra delivers. The logistics of the trip were executed flawlessly from being met on the tarmac in Arusha to be handed off to the Coastal Air pilot in the Northern Serengeti for the trip home.The lodges and bush camps are spectacular and the food in all is fantastic. My trip to Tanzania went beyond my expectations and I need to thank Yellow Zebra for their expertise in making it so."
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Email Pamela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Always available and attentive
I was a tiny bit worried about using a UK based company, being in the US, but that all went away as soon as I spoke to my agent Emma, and started planning my trip. Which took 2 years, just an FYI. We ended up with a 12 night Kenyan safari, and I probably changed my mind, and added things, and had questions, on a weekly basis, and Emma never got annoyed, or upset. It was my first time going on Safari, and my partners first time going anywhere out of the US, so we needed A LOT of hand holding. We just got back a month ago, and I'm already trying to figure out how we can go back within a couple of years. Everything was taken care of by Yellow Zebra. We of course were responsible for airfare, visas, insurance etc, but everything on ground was handled by Emma and team. I've already started saving for our next trip. I won't hesitate to call Yellow Zebra for our trip!!! I already told her to expect my email in a year or two. We went pretty high luxury, but now we've gone once, I know where we want to go, and not to go, or stay. For example, we did the hot air balloon, and a night at Giraffe manor, we wouldn't do those again, so there's a ton of savings right there!! Listen, these guys are fabulous, with first hand experience either living in Africa, ( like Emma) or stay in the Camps several times a year, so they have so much knowledge to give you as a client. Even when we got home, Emma and team welcomed us home, and checked in on us. Thank you so much for planning this ( hopefully more than once) in a lifetime vacation!!! We truly cannot wait for the next adventure.
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Email Freeh | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great customer service during the planning..but no follow up
Would rate 4.5 but did not have the option..overall wonderful service...great options ..good communication and personalized service during our planning process. We had a very memorable safari experience..our itinerary was perfect for first-time safari travelers..each camp was so very different..the terrain..the venue and the wildlife...an amazing experience..our only negative was that Yellow Zebra never followed up with us or checked in with us to ask how our trip/safari adventure was...disappointing...James Short was our initial contact.....James was our initial contact and he was very helpful in selecting our camps...and Emma was very helpful the week or two prior to travel with last-minute issues because the Visa process changed..we just felt it was very strange that no one asked us if we enjoyed our trip after we returned home..
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Email Pat | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You are in excellent hands with Yellow Zebra
Thank you Yellow Zebra (Emma) for sharing your knowledge and answering all of our questions, listening to our preferences and helping us to make the all important decisions on planning our trip to South Africa. We deeply appreciate your expertise at putting together our trip, from having someone to help us through the logistics of immigration, to packing lists and suggestions on how much to tip when we were there. We felt extremely comfortable with the detailed itinerary and support you provided. Everything went smoothly from our arrival in Johannesburg, to our arrival and departure from Mala Mala.
During our trip we had the opportunity to speak to many other travelers and after hearing of some of the problems they encountered we were especially happy to have used Yellow Zebra and felt very lucky to have your assistance with all of the details.
Our safari at Mala Mala exceeded our expectations in all respects. The style and warmth of this establishment is unparalleled .
It is a beautiful camp with accommodations that are truly extraordinary The game drives are incredible.
We were not prepared for the true beauty, hospitality and attention to detail at Mala Mala. You get the sense that everyone is really paying attention to you and your interests, to help create the most wonderful stay.
It was sad to say farewell, but we smile when we think of the amazing experiences we had and hopefully will have the good fortune to return.
Email Jeff Boville | Experience level: first safari
An unforgetable experience perfectly organised.
We used Yellow Zebra for a safari in Tanzania. We were quite particular in what we wanted as it was to be an experience of a lifetime and were prepared to spend two weeks in different camps to get the full flavour of life in the wild. Sophie, our consultant, did not disappoint. She understood our needs and made some excellent suggestions. Keeping in touch regularly throughout the process. Everything was done including internal flights between camps, being met by local guides. While on safari we met other travellers from different countries and some had also used Yellow Zebra and again could not speak highly enough of this company.
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Email AustinLVB | Experience level: first safari
Yellow Zebra Rocks!
“Yellow Zebra rocks! My husband and I are experienced world travelers and found significant value in Yellow Zebra's services for our South African & Zambia safari vacation. We loved that we could customize our itinerary and arrange for "meet & greet" transfers. Yellow Zebra's 'in-country' hotels and vendors are superior in service and a true delight. Their knowledge of the area and advice helped me so much in crafting the best itinerary for us. I would highly recommend Yellow Zebra to all!”
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Email Brandy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life Changing Experience-Solo Traveler!
As a solo traveler, I will never be able to fully convey the expertise, knowledge of the perfect itinerary, care and helpfulness Yellow Zebra showed me. Almost a month in Africa, doing various safaris and islands across the continent, it all couldn't have gone more smoothly or been more amazing, thanks to the incredibly knowledgeable individuals at YZ (most notably Kirsten Woolley). YZ picked the perfect hotels and lodges, from location, to comfort, to fabulous staff, to all around amazing. I was even impressed that I was usually checked out and picked up for my next destination before the check out time at the lodge/hotel. That was great and very convenient. Prior to departing for Africa I had millions of questions, and even some reservations about traveling solo, and Kirsten helped me along every step of the way. She made me feel very important as a customer of YZ and when I spoke with various staff members at YZ they were incredibly kind and welcoming. I am SO glad that the jeeps at the camps YZ chose were all open air. I saw so many jeeps that were closed in and it really took away from the experience in my opinion. I also loved having safari time in the bush to myself (with a private guide). It was a great way to connect with guides and get a very personal experience. That was one of the highlights for me. Spending a night in Arusha, having a nice meal, incredible dinner and just "taking a minute" after such a long day of travel from the states was perfect and such a wonderful idea. That really started off the trip in a wonderful way. The transfers to and from airports, hotels and lodges were wonderful and totally the way to go in a foreign place. Those individuals couldn't have been nicer. I definitely felt very looked after. I was especially impressed that YZ hired a gentleman who waited with me at the airport in Zanzibar until my driver arrived to take me to the resort. That was great and incredibly helpful, as that was a very busy place with a lot going on. The V &A hotel in Cape Town was superb and the perfect location. The lodges were top notch and I literally cried leaving the camps and people behind. Ending a wonderful trip, with a busy itinerary, at Azura was perfect because it allowed me to "decompress" after all the goings on from touring the various countries. My trip was flawless. It was great knowing that at any time I could call or email Kirsten or any YZ staff member. That was very comforting. I would, without question, use YZ again. I've also told all of my friends and family about YZ. I cannot wait to reserve my next safari with YZ! It would be a pleasure and honor to work with them again! Thank you Yellow Zebra for putting together a life-changing trip for me! I am forever a new person and owe that all to you!! Hakunah Matata!”
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Email Gary - Colorado | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best
Yellow Zebra is a first class agent for African safaris. We engaged YZ more than a year in advance of our safari trip to Tanzania. I found them via a Google search and then selected them after reading many reviews and speaking with an agent. As an agency, they performed superbly throughout the planning process and then in the plan/itinerary they developed. After asking a few questions, our advisor, Kirsten Woolley, developed two options to meet our budget requirements. We selected one. For over a year, she was patient answering questions and waiting for us to respond to her inquiries, candid in the opinions and information she shared and extremely helpful in all matters of planning our trip. Her follow-ups were great and quite informative. We couldn't have asked for a better agent, itinerary, and arrangements during the trip. They gave us the exact itinerary we hoped for! They provided a top notch firm, Nomad Tanzania, as the tour guide. A month before our trip, an incident occurred involving the TZ government imposing a new VAT on tours. After several discussions with the agency owner, we were able to resolve the issue to our satisfaction. They listened, were very approachable and friendly, and took care of our needs all the way through. I would highly, highly recommend this agency for your next safari.