Owners Ines & Christopher
Indigo Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United KingdomUnited States
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, APTA, FGASA & DEMA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $1,000 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 Daniela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A travel agent who does not listen based on my experience
Super disappointed about the experience: a travel agent who does not listen, empty promises, long wait after 5 hours of drive, another 2 hours for a room ( triple for a person)
Definitely not an agency which I recommend, try and get someone who is really professional and tries to do something for you
No value for money, despite promises of a good experience, just excuses
Reply from Indigo Safaris
Posted on Oct 22, 2024This is one of the most surprising and untruthful reviews we have ever received. As the Managing Director of a company I have built over the last 16 years by providing tailor-made experiences to travellers of all budgets and backgrounds, I take any complaint very seriously and look into them with commitment. Thanks to our detailed communication systems, I have been able to look into all the communication that took place between the client, Cristina (not Daniela), and my safari specialist Michele, who looked after this inquiry.
Initially Cristina enquired about a budget accommodated two-night short Etosha safari at short notice, which we found availability for, then changed her mind on the dates, then came back asking for a one-night Etosha trip from Windhoek, which we do not offer as we consider it to be too short a time on site for what are two long transfers either end. Our advice was unheeded, and Cristina insisted one night would be fine. Michele found availability at Etosha Safari Camp, booked it, invoiced it, and sent a detailed digital itinerary with images of the camp and details of the routing. The accommodation was reconfirmed as being at Etosha Safari Camp and not Etosha Safari Lodge via WhatsApp. All Michele's replies were punctual and very timely, and did as the client requested.
Upon arrival at Etosha Safari Camp, Cristina messaged Michele that the drive had been five hours. This is as per the usual driving time, and as per the information provided in the digital itinerary. I find it very surprising that someone who works in Windhoek and who has a senior position at the University of Namibia doesn't know that Etosha is five hours away. Nevertheless, there is nothing we can do about making the point of departure and the national park closer together. Moving either of Windhoek or Etosha NP is beyond our powers :-)
The client then complained about having to wait to check in to her room, even though she had arrived prior to check in time. Again, as a frequent traveller, I am at a loss to understand why she thought there would be an early check in as none was ever discussed or offered.
Christina then requested an upgrade to Etosha Safari Lodge. Immediately Michele enquired an found a room was available, at normal check in time, for an upgrade fee, and informed Cristina, who refused to pay it. Cristina then contacted the lodge by phone, and tried to make them believe we had sold her Safari Lodge and that is what she had paid for. Having worked with us for many years, the lodge found this hard to believe, and asked her to pay the upgrade fee if she wanted the upgrade.
During this time, Michele tried t ascertain why the client wanted to change, having been provided what she had been offered and paid for, to whit a private room with en suite bathroom, to no avail. Why it a room designed and sized for three occupants is a problem for single occupancy remains a mystery, as after the trip I reached out to Cristina to have a chat to try and ascertain where she felt Michele had made promises we didn't deliver on, but was told that she didn't want to talk about it.
Regarding value for money, this is obviously a matter of personal perception. This trip, as a two-night, three-day Etosha lodge safari with transfers is, in my professional experience of nearly 30 years of Namibia travel, very good value and the cheapest option out there at 9425 NAD for single occupancy for two nights half-board with a half-day and full-day game drive into Etosha (or 8500 NAD pp based on two sharing a room). As a one-night trip, it does lose some of its value for money as the transfers make a large portion of the trip, and this was communicated from the outset. But when the offer was sent, with images of the accommodation and camp, Cristina considered it to be what she wanted and one would assume value for money. I have tried to find out why that was not the case once on site, and why she felt the need to lie about our contract with her to a tested and trusted service provider, but no answers have been forthcoming.
The conclusion to my investigation is that Michele did nothing wrong, other than allow herself to be persuaded to provide a trip that I consider to be too short in duration in relation to the transfer times, in order to please a demanding client. Michele has been involved in African travel in many capacities over four decades; scuba dive business owner, lodge manager, and safari specialist to name some of them, and has excellent reviews from our clients, some of which can be found in reviews as recent as September and August below.
As we are as committed as ever to providing quality experiences for our clients, for whom we handle around 800 trips a year, I have reminded my team of experts that one night trips are not to be provided, however good the intention is.
Christopher Bartlett, Managing Director.
ES
Email Marco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A mixed bag
Our experience with Indigo Safaris had its highs, but ended quite on a low. The safari planning was top-notch, and the communication was smooth. Then, the safari started quite well; our camp was wonderful, with meals we really enjoyed and an amazing tent. Sadly, the safari itself wasn’t as gratifying. Even though we were in peak-migration season, we weren’t able to spot anything particularly wonderful, even though a friend couple also doing a safari with a different operator at the same time had the most splendid encounters. Finally, at the end of our trip, we had arranged with them a quite costly transfer from the airport to our accommodation, for which the driver didn’t show up, forcing us to take a taxi to the hotel. Indigo's response was underwhelming, completely avoiding any blame, claiming that we should have contacted them instead (although instructions clearly indicated that someone would be waiting for us with a sign with our names on it); therefore, there was nothing wrong on their end. Thankfully, this was a minor issue, but after their response, it became clear that if something bigger had happened, their reaction would have been identical. Will reach for a safer alternative next time, for sure.
Reply from Indigo Safaris
Posted on Sep 8, 2026Hello Marco, thank you for your review. We're pleased that the planning, communication, and camp experience met your expectations — Kandili is a wonderful place.
On the wildlife sightings: We do want to gently push back on the suggestion that we sold a mediocre safari product. You were on game drives in some of the country's most prolific areas, including the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the greater Mara North Conservancy, during peak season. No operator can ever guarantee a specific sighting — wildlife encounters are down to what nature reveals on any given day, and that's true anywhere on safari, not a reflection of the area or the product. We're sorry your experience didn't match what you'd hoped for, or what your friends happened to see in the same ecosystem, but that variability is inherent to safari itself.
On the transfer: our records, confirmed with our ground transfer partner, show a driver was in place at the airport as arranged. It sounds like a genuine mix-up meant you didn't find each other, and we're sorry for the frustration that caused. This is exactly why direct, on-the-ground contact numbers are included in the final pre-departure documentation, with the note that the supplier should please be contacted if anything does not go according to plan — so any issue can be resolved in real time, without extra cost to you.
We're sorry our earlier response didn't reflect the care we want every guest to feel.
Email Richard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I feel let down
We went to vic falls and Botswana. The second part of the trip was in Botswana at the Chobe river lodge- the team there were fantastic and anja the manager was phenomenal.
I will point out the indigo safari did pay for a bottle of wine as a gesture based on the horrible experience at the first part of the trip at vic falls.
At Vic falls we stayed at the kazabambezi lodge. The lodge itself was ok- that said the room we were given had no working tv or wifi from the end of night one to the end of night 2 into day 3. Wires seemed to be crossed and they got someone in on the last night and 3rd morning g our last day to fix it.
I made the representative at indigo aware of the situation and asap this was not what we paid for and suggested we would need compensating. That individual then made the team at the lodge aware of us requesting compensation and I was the approached in my room by the owner of the property angrily saying I would not be getting compensation station and that everything worked fine and that I had made it up.
My issue is not with the tv not working but with the indigo representative making the lodge aware and then me being approached angrily. As I am in a same sex relationship i did not feel safe when approached angrily by the owner in a country where same sex couples have zero rights.
This spoiled the whole time in vic falls and made me want to get out of the are immediately.
Not a good experience.
In addition i was told on 2 occasions to calm down and watch my tone by the representative at indigo, when i was neither emotional nor abusive, just assertive as times had been left off our booking form.
I will not use the company again.
Reply from Indigo Safaris
Posted on Sep 21, 2026Hello Richard, thank you for sharing your feedback. We're sorry that the in-room TV and wifi weren't functioning as expected during part of your stay — services included with the accommodation should of course be in working order, and we regret the inconvenience. As the specific nature of the issue wasn't clear when it was first raised, the team wasn't able to action a fix as quickly as we'd have liked.
We're also very sorry for how the situation was handled afterwards. We flagged your frustration and compensation request to the property directly so that you could be assisted more quickly on the ground; however, the way this was then raised with you did not reflect what we intended, and we've addressed this with the property, who have acknowledged it fell short of what we expect.
We're glad the second half of your trip at Chobe River Lodge was the experience we aim to deliver for every guest.