Owners Ines & Christopher
Indigo Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United Kingdom
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, APTA, FGASA & DEMA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $60 to $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 Alexander Kliger | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator was knowledgeable, flexible and fun-loving
The tour was organized by Kerry Wyatt who was fantastic in her ability to respond to our requests and needs, recommend the best and value-for-money tours and accommodation, to match our expectations with what her tour company had to offer! She was also a great advisor on all things South African, on organizing travel itinerary even outside the Safari program and generally provided the most useful gateway for the first-time tourists to Africa. Her company, Indigo Safari, should be proud of having Kerry on its staff.
Indigo Safari operates in the vicinity of Hoedspruit on private game reserves and also on Kruger National Park. The personnel is very friendly, responsive to some extra requests and willing to help - with accommodation and other needs. The rangers are knowledgeable and fun, take all actions to show the tourists as much of nature incl animals as they possibly can while providing advice and guidance on safety. This is their common attitude adopted uniformly on the lodge and out on tours. I recommend Indigo Safaris for a great African experience to anyone.
Email Jonathan Youngs | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredibly helpful very organised - our trip went to plan without a hitch!
We wanted to have an adventurous safari honeymoon but without the stress of planning logistics. Indigo Safari’s were great in putting together a package that was perfect for us. During the trip we always felt we were in safe hands. All the connections went smoothly. The accommodation was always lovely and of course the safari itself was something we’ll never forget.
PT
Email Afonso Mendes | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very diligent and effective
Our safari trip was a success. The kids loved it and everything that indigo safaris organised went smoothly. Good value for money, wonderful guides faithful transfer from and to airport, wonderful lodges (specially Antrim villa, in Cape Town, very cosy and comfortable and with a wonderful breakfast and lunch menu, lokuthula lodge in Vitoria falls and worming welcome kubo lodges in kasane, that provided us with a surprise dinner).
The game drives were great (Kalahari tours) We saw the animals in a magnificente environment. The staff was very helpful and dedicated, we felt welcome everywhere.
The flights were our responsability. We had problems with Botswana air company that canceled our flight and budget air that postponed it for a week. On the other hand emirates we’re amazing and air link a very good regional flight company. After the cancellation of flight from kasane indigo safaris helped us to catch the plane from Victoria falls providing the transfer from kasane to Victoria falls airport.
CH
Email Andrea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing!
Well, where should I begin? We booked with Ines from Indigo Safaris. She did a great job and as some things didn’t work out at first step, she solved it out of her own holiday very quickly so we could enjoy every minute of our stay.
We had an incredible 8 night camping Safari, starting with 2 nights in Kasane, one night camping at chobe river front, followed by 2 nights camping in savuti and 2 nights camping in khwai before heading to Maun for one last night at the backpacker. The camp sites were wonderful, especially the one in khwai right next to the river, where a tall elephant came to the camp to great us. We have seen so many animals ( jackals, hyenas, leopard, wild cat, honey badger, hippos, Buffalo, giraffe….) in savuti we found even a pride of 15 Lions and followed them to the waterhole watching them drinking water and relaxing for a long time. The whole trip was great, the tents and bedding comfortable, the car spacious. But best of all was the crew. Joseph, our guide was unbelievable in reading body language of the animals and found so many interesting animals for us. He always gave lots of information about what we just saw - as well as about animals as vegetation. At the camp fire he was telling interesting stories about everything. We enjoyed every minute with him. Team-members were also Prince and System, travelling with a second car with the tents and kitchen stuff - always a bit ahead so everything was prepared when we arrived after the Safari at the camp. Prince the Chef - what he did over camp fire I can‘t do at home in this quality. Pizza, bread, spaghetti, meat, salad - everything was delicious! They got up really early in the morning to prepare breakfast and even the salads for lunch when we had whole day trips. Don’t know when they found time to sleep. System took care of everything at the camp and the atmosphere between all of them was so good, we felt really comfortable.
Spending the nights in a tent in the wilderness, hearing all the different sound was so exiting! For us, it was the best experience ever. The only bad thing, we only booked those 8 nights - it should have been much longer! So if you get the chance to go to Botswana doing a Safari, choose a camping one and try to get such a great team as we had. Thanx Joseph, Prince and System for this wonderful journey!
US
Email Sarah Hopp | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Indigo Safaris planned the perfect vacation!! Best trip ever!!
We will 100% use Indigo Safaris again!! They were recommended to us by a family friend and I could not be happier with the trip Ines planned for us! Her communication was so timely and professional. I asked so many questions, and Ines always answered each one. This trip felt so personal and tailored to our family and was absolutely perfect for our first time in South Africa. Ines is a phenomenal agent and went above and beyond to make our trip extra special! My mom has trouble walking and it's hard for her to get in and out of taller vehicles, like the safari jeep. Through communication with Ines, she made sure the lodge knew exactly what my mom needed and the lodge did an amazing job making everything easily accessible for her. Everything was set up and ready upon arrival. On top of that, my brother and his girlfriend got engaged on our trip and it could not have been more perfect. Indigo Safaris set everything up with the lodge beforehand, so my brother didn't have to stress about it. The entire trip from beginning to end was just amazing! We never worried about anything, because there was always someone there helping us along the way. From transfers, to accommodations, to meals, everything went so smoothly, and that is all thanks to Ines and the Indigo Safari team! Indigo Safaris has an amazing team who are so knowledgeable and helpful! I highly highly recommend letting Indigo Safaris plan your perfect Africa trip!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! Trip of a lifetime!!!! Book with Indigo Safaris, you won't be disappointed!
US
Email Ellis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I had an incredible experience...the staff and guide at Indigo to make my stay amazing.
Everything lived up to my expectations. The service was top notch and the tours were amazing (including many leopard sightings!). Highly recommended
FR
Email Vincent B. & Sarah T. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
P-E-R-F-E-C-T !
My wife and I have booked the 4-Day Selous Ngalawa Safari with Indigo Safaris at the end of October 2019. Our contact was Corinne Bly and she was perfectly professional : efficient, clear and nice. Nevertheless, it's impossible to write a review beyond on Indigo Safaris. It was just the service provider for the booking. The one that has leaded our safari in Tanzania was Bush Routes. But, once again, the service was perfect.
Just on little critical on that point : the information about our service provider during the safari was not clear. Corinne Bly told us that our tour will be conducted by their partner, Ngalawa Camp (the place were we stayed for nights in Selous). Actually, the real service provider was Bush Routes. Corinne Bly also gave us the name and the phone numbers of two contacts from Bush Routes but there was a changing of last minutes for our guide and we were not informed. In short, even if everything was fine, it would be better to be clearer, more transparent on these information, just to reassure the tourists that just dont't really know who they're really dealing with.
For the rest, everything was just perfect. A chance for us, even if we're supposed to share the tour with other tourists , because of a lack of booking on this period, there were just the two of us, with the guide, Romani. He is a truely good person, and professional too. That was one of our best meeting in Tanzania. He was a really good guide, and we've learnt a lot with him. We had the chance to share all those four days with him, including meals at Ngalawa Camp. Discussing with him about everything, even about life in general, was really really interesting and precious.
The program of those four days was nearly perfect and in compliance with what was announced : on the first day, Romani took us at our hotel in Dar es Salam, and we've drived for nearly six hours, across the villages. It was contemplative. After a short rest in Ngalawa Camp, we took a boat for a safari on the river with other tourists from the camp. It was so peaceful, and still contemplative. We've seen a lot of animals and we've watched the sunset on a little island. And the second and the third day, we've driven all the day, from about 7.30 a.m. to 05.00 p.m. in Selous Reserve. How to summarize it : it was just wonderful ! Even if we've read that it's not the most beautiful in Tanzania, and even if there are not all the animals we are expecting to see (for example, no rhinoceros), Selous Reserve is not crowed of tourists, and it's really appreciable. And there are so many things to see ! Contemplative, again and again. A little disappointment about our last day, specially the walk in the reserve. Clearly, it is a truely touristic attraction. It's quite interesting to walk in the bush after two days in the car, learning about trees and animals prints, bones and... poops, but it too formatted. And it's quite unpleasant to face an insisting guide (not Romani, a guide from the reserve) asking for a tip. So, this part of the safari was not necessary, on our opinion. We had more fun on our way back to Dar es Salam . We had two car breakdowns, especially the brakes (!), but it was like a part of the "folklore" : Romani (that is an outstanding driver and also a mechanic) fixed it quite easily, and it was for us a time to stop in a village.
Finally, about Ngalawa Camp, there are only good things to say : when we book a safari, there as so many offers that it hard to know what is good or bad, specially when you have a little budget. However, even with a little budget and a booking for budget tented camp outside Selous Reserve, with no doubt, it was wonderful. Ngalawa Camp is lost in the bush and is a real peaceful place to rest. The view is also contemplative (again, again and again !), and the common places really lovely. At night or in the very morning, to sit on the terrace of the restaurant, having a drink, a dinner or a breakfeast, watching at sunrise or sunset, by candle light, discussing with other people, was truely precious. The staff is incredible and generous, from the manager to the cooker. The food (breakfast, lunch, dinner and water included !) was so good and in quantity. They make you feel at home. As for the budget tented camp, don't be afraid ! These are more bungalows than tented camp : the walls are tented camp, but on a cement slab, with private bathroom. A lovely place for an honeymoon !
We absolutely recommend Ingido Safaris, Bush Routes and Ngalawa Camp !
US
Email Tim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Christopher arranged an excellent trip to Namibia - couldn't be more pleased.
Christopher at Indigo arranged an excellent trip. The information on the site was accurate and he addressed all questions with almost immediate turnaround. Payment was a breeze. From arrival to departure, everything was top-notch and smooth. I went with a camping option with one part safari and second part desert. Namibia was spectacular. The guides and company Christopher arranged were excellent, professional and clearly vetted on the ground by him. Etosha NP and Sossusvlei were fantastic destinations with well appointed and managed campsites by the national park service. Separate accommodation in Windhoek was lovely in nice, small guesthouses. Would strongly recommend having Indigo book your next trip to Namibia. Go see the rhinos before they're gone!
Email Tim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Safari
The whole 3-day safari was perfectly organised. We were picked up exactly as promised, and taken to Coffee Buzz, where breakfast and drinks awaited. After signing various disclaimers etc we were soon off on the 3-hour river cruise, which was really informative, and we got really good views of a wide variety of animals, with excellent commentary from our guide.
After an excellent lunch at Coffee Buzz, we then set off in our jeep for the main safari. Our driver - Lance - was brilliant, always smiling, and fully of useful information. Almost as soon as we entered the national park we encountered wildlife. Our first game drive lasted from 13:30 until 18:30, and we saw so many different animals on that drive, from the various antelope, to elephants (there are lots of elephants!), giraffe and a large pride of lions. The park is less crowded than ones in other countries, so when we saw something interesting we often had the whole view to ourselves.
The camp site, which was exclusively for the 7 of us on our safari, was basic, but the tents were good, and there were bush toilets - no fancy mod-cons here, so you get the real bush experience! The evenings were spent around the camp fire, eating excellent food (prepared by the hard working pair who stayed at the camp site throughout our safari), drinking wine and chatting/laughing a lot.
Two more game drives on day 2 revealed even more unforgettable sights - seeing a pride of lions feasting on a dead elephant was the highlight - and Lance has a sixth sense when it comes to spotting wildlife - we would be merrily cruising along and then he would grind to a halt and would point out something that we would never have known was there.
Day 3 comprised another couple of game drives and another river cruise, so all in all we really had value for money.
I cannot fault anything about this safari, and would highly recommend it.
US
Email Donna G. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Customer Service Ever - Thanks Ines!
Ines put together an amazing itinerary for our college aged daughters within our budget and with complicated travel timelines. She made arrangements for one to travel solo for over a week and then rendezvous with her sister in Maun. They continued traveling jointly on safari and exploring the Okavango Delta. Every accommodation, tour and transport was as described and often exceeded expectations. Ines even noted and alerted us to an air transport discrepancy on a reservation, that she did not make and was not responsible for, averting a travel crisis. Ines even called our home in the U.S. on a weekend to make sure we understood the error that needed to be corrected. She responded promptly to every email and was a delight to work with. My husband and I will use Ines and Indigo Safaris when we book our own trip in the future.