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
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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.
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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.
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Email Kim Decker | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Once again, Christopher B. and Indigo Safaris dialed me IN!
This is the third--count 'em: 3rd!--time that I've worked with Christopher Bartlett and Indigo Safaris. And once again, I'm glad I did. (And I would--and do--enthusiastically recommend that others do the same.)
So where'd he send me? We're looking at four weeks and five countries in Africa: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Uganda. The activities ranged from a world-class two-week vehicle safari in Bots (we pretty much made a circle around that grand country) to romping about Victoria Falls in Zam, canoeing on the Zambezi in Zim, getting some well-earned "city time" in ZA and seeing our primate ancestors up-close-and-personal in Uganda. It was, I'm not hesitant to say, the trip of a lifetime.
And Christopher mapped out the whole blasted thing. Seamlessly. Seriously, early in the year, I share with him the gist of what I wanted to do and see this go-round in Africa, and he took things from there, arranging for lodging, pick-ups, drop-offs, permits, guides--everything. And all along the way, there was consistent, conversational, constructive back-and-forth between the two of us so that we were both on the same clearly delineated page. (He even helped me nail down my packing list, the dear.)
Everything was so well planned that I kinda just landed in Kasane one day like a babe in the woods and trusted that the trip would unspool as Christopher had listed in my itinerary. And that's just what it did.
The only difference was that it went smoother and was better than I'd expected.
I don't know how he does it. But I aim to work with him again, just to see if I can figure it out... ;)
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Namibia
I've booked three safaris with Indigo (Zanzibar, Tanzania (Tarangire and Lake Manyara), and now, Zanzibar. It's always an excellent experience and always, comparably, priced at a reasonable rate. This time, I went to Namibia with a partner safari organisation that Indigo arranged and the experience was amazing. I didn't have to worry about anything, the trip was awesome, and I loved every minute of it. I could never afford expensive safaris and Chris makes safaris in various countries in Africa possible without worrying about extortionate expenses. I'm impressed and will continue to recommend and use him.
Email Susan Elliott, a Golden Oldie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Namibian trip of a lifetime, Indigo Safaris totally gave me the complete package.
The whole itinerary ran smoothly. Christopher was an excellent, trustworthy field guide. His extensive knowledge about animals, plants, geography and local history, imparted with great enthusiasm, humour and his love for nature, made our safari an experience I’ll never forget. I loved the variety of camping spots, and the tents on the top of the vehicles were quickly-erected and efficient accommodation. I discovered that Christopher makes a mean camp cook and we shared some great meals and fireside chats. When looking for the perfect shot, Christopher’s patience was endless and his tips were very useful – I came back with some of the best photos I have ever taken. I had an absolutely fantastic time and completely recommend Indigo Safaris to those who want to see the real Namibia.
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Email Kimberly Decker | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just sit back and let Indigo Safaris take care of--and surprise--you.
I take only one vacation per year, so when I go, I go big and I go far. That makes it imperative that I find a travel advisor who WON'T "screw up," technically speaking, my sole annual chance for adventure.
Fortunately, that's just what I found in Indigo Safaris, which helped me build my last two vacations from start to finish.
That's no mean feat considering that those holidays took me to Papua New Guinea in 2012 and Namibia and South Africa in 2013. The former destination is something of a challenge to navigate even for seasoned travelers, but Christopher Bartlett--the nerve center of Indigo Safaris--knows it inside out. He can rattle off flight schedules as if they were multiplication tables, set you up for scuba certification, send you on cultural adventures, find you a mountain to climb and even direct you to the dive resort with the best margarita--all while nabbing you a great deal in the bargain.
So pleased was I with my PNG vacation--not to mention Christopher's attentiveness and skill in orchestrating it--that I put my adventure in his hands the following year, letting him arrange and guide my two weeks in Namibia and a subsequent two weeks of game driving, backpacking and hiking in South Africa.
The Namibia portion was particularly striking, fully living up to its billing as Christopher's "Hidden Secrets Tour." I can't even begin to tell you all we saw and did during our 14-odd days in country other than to assure you that we covered more than 3,500 km in one of the most rugged, friendly and breathtaking places on earth. Christopher gave us peeks into aspects of Namibian life, history and geography that I don't think are possible to get any other way short of moving there.
And did I say he can cook? Chocolate-covered bananas? Over a fire pit? That was indeed a treat, but not the only one.
Which is why I'm already setting my sites on Uganda and the gorillas in a few years. Or maybe Zimbabwe. Or the Galapagos...In any case, I'll be pounding down Christopher and Indigo Safari's inbox for help. Don't say I didn't warn him.
CA
Email Evangeline Smith | 65+ years of age
A great experience with Indigo Safaris in planning our visit to Cape Town.
I fell upon Indigo Safaris by chance while doing an internet search for our Africa trip. Our group of seven needed help in planning six days in Cape Town. We were connected to Kerry Wyatt, a senior specialist with the company. Our group has travelled all over the world and we have to say that Kerry met all our expectations. She was patient with our numerous requests, prompt in her replies and offered advice and her professional opinion on all our concerns. She was considerate of our budget, the average age of our group and dietary restrictions. Kerry booked us at La Splendida, a boutique hotel on the waterfront with spacious rooms and all the basic amenities. Breakfast is included. We were pleasantly surprised with the choice and quality of the breakfast at Sotano, the restaurant connected to the hotel. This restaurant has a fun and vibrant after work clientele and offers a great, and affordable, menu for lunch and supper. Kerry also, organized with care, tours for every day of our stay, from the Cape Town peninsula, to the vineyards, the museums and many other attractions of the city and surrounding area. On arrival to Cape Town we were greeted at the airport by a driver who took all seven of us to the hotel. The same attention was provided on our day of departure making sure we arrived at the airport at the proper time. I can’t say enough about Kerry and Indigo Safaris for taking care of all the details of our trip. Kerry arranged the car rides and day tours with the company African Eagle. Our guide Raegan Felix was a gem. We were, once again, very fortunate to have very knowledgeable and respectful guide who accommodated us in every possible way. Many thanks to Indigo Safaris for their diligent and very professional work. You made our trip to Cape Town one we will always remember.
KW
Email Naser | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A special experience
I did mobile safari in botswana with victoria falls for 10 days
It was an amazing and everything was organised very well
The local supplier was very good
I was contacting with Ines & she was very helpful
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Email Cheryl Rampelt | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Agents are knowledgeable, organized and excellent at matching travelers with the right destination.
I am a solo traveler, who was seeking a safe way to do some African safaris for the first time without a tour group. Indigo Safaris made suggestions and we created a trip based on my priorities. My accommodations in Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls and Botswana were unique, beautiful with good service and fabulous food! My guides were terrific. I literally felt like a princess, while at the lodges. All of my accommodations, including the cities, had dining so that it was not necessary for me to find places to eat. There was enough time built in for my pre-arranged transfers and for some explorations, meaning sight seeing not animal tracking, on my own, such as in Capetown and Victoria Falls. When I needed assistance a couple of times, Indigo personnel were responsive to that.
I have travelled quite a lot, and this was one of the best trips I have taken. I believe that one of the strengths of Indigo Safaris is that the agents you work with are so experienced. They personally visit the destinations and accommodations before sending their clients there. So, for example, they knew, where I would see many elephants, which are my personal favorite wild animal, but fewer tourists.
I felt the cost of my trip was very fair. I did voluntarily book my own airfares, which of course are a separate cost, but the trip cost included all of the land transfers and many of my meals. Indigo provided me with a digital itinerary, which would have been the perfect tool had I not had my cell phone stolen on my first day. Fortunately, the staff at my accommodations assisted with getting me in touch with Indigo and my family back home. I highly recommend Indigo Safaris for any sort of trip to Africa.
