DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Super service, quick responses and a great understanding of my interests
My first contact, the service throughout the planning and a very good sense of what I wanted to see and do and what I didn't want see and do, have been great. There was very good interaction with useful alternatives, recommandations for "must see" places to visit and activities to do based on my interest and not just the general "must see" things you must when visiting Namibia. I always got quick answers to my inquiries and ideas.
It was a well organized trip from my first day of arrival to my departure day two weeks later.
I have traveled to many countries around the World inclusive Africa. I often use local businesses to plan and arrange my visits. Many of them have been really good, but none beats Carien from Desert Air Africa Safaris.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip of a lifetime
I am incredibly grateful to everyone at Wild Planet Safari for an amazing trip this past October. We originally were supposed to visit in 2020 and Thale was amazing in helping us reschedule and work through any difficulties. Her kindness was truly appreciated.
We were blessed to have Chris as our guide for the 5 days and we consider ourselves so lucky. He took good care of us and answered all our questions. We saw so much, thanks to him and we felt very much like we made a good friend.
We loved having our private tour with also the opportunity to meet with our fellow travelers at breakfast or dinner on a few occasions.
Thank you to Ryan, Thale and Chris for everything. I will be back!!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experience the wildlife of Kenya with a knowledgeable guide
My wife and I just returned from a 10-day safari in Kenya with Lion Rider. We covered everywhere from Samburu to Maasai Mara and places in between such as Lake Nakuru and Aberdare. This was not our first trip to Africa, although we've been to Tanzania and Kenya only and thoroughly enjoyed both. On this trip we were guided entirely by Johnson Mule, by our request. Six years ago, after visiting many sites in Tanzania and Kenya, with multiple guides, we felt that Johnson was our favorite by far and that was the reason for our request. Johnson is remarkable. I swear this man, besides being very personable and knowledgeable, must have amazing vision. When Johnson stops the vehicle you can tell by looking at him that he has spotted something. That something is frequently beyond our vision, even when I'm looking through a long lens. But he takes us there and sure enough, it was worth the trip. So many times he told us before leaving our lodgings that he was looking for particular wildlife, and he never failed to find them.
During this particular journey we encountered just about every form of cat living in Kenya, including serval, lion prides, families of Cheetah and Leopard. Pretty much everything on four legs, including black and white rhinos, hippos, two types of zebra, cape buffalo, multiple varieties of giraffe, elephants, all the animals of the Great Migration, inclujding wildebeests, and also crocodiles, pythons. I'm sure I'm missing a lot here.
And the wilds of Kenya have myriad bird species, including many cuckoos, grey crowned cranes, a variety of eagles and just way too many species and varieties of birds to name. Any birder would be in heaven in Kenya.
We certainly have seen the big five, rhinoceros, elephant, cape buffalo, lion and leopard, multiple times. On this trip, thanks to Johnson and Lion Rider, we saw much more wildlife, and saw them closer than we did on our last time in Kenya. It was truly awe inspiring, and I took over 3,000 photos to prove it. As with our last trip, it was just my wife, myself and our guide. For the difference in cost it is to well worth it. In our case Johnson always knew the best approaches and stopping points for the best photography. And traveling with Johnson is also a real education. He'll remain silent if that is your desire, but when asked you will find he is a fount of knowledge, and he is willing to share it. That's one reason why we requested Johnson Mule as our guide.
Lion Rider's choices of lodging were very nice. Not elegant, who needs that, you're on safari, but very nice accommodations with great food, rooms, and friendly staffs. One that we visited six years ago even remembered us when we returned and treated us like old friends. Great places to return to after evening game drives, and to break fast before the morning drives and afternoon drives.
Well organised
Our tour was fantastic would highly recommend to all. Our pick up and driver was friendly helpfull and our guide in the park was very knowledgeable, entertaining and very determined to find us animals. Loved it
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations on Safari & Cape Town City Tour
Our experience with Craig and Bianca with Southern African Tours was exceptional. They were incredibly easy to work with, responsive to messages, and provided solutions to our specific travel needs. We were delighted with our Kruger safari and accommodations at Umbhaba Eco Lodge. Our game driver, Fortune, was knowledgeable and highly skilled in spotting animals. I had read "80% chance of spotting the big 5 in a three day safari". We saw them all (repeatedly) in our first day! We were astonished by how close we were to the animals. I never would have believed how many animal species could be viewed so close in Kruger and with the exceptional skill of our guide. My husband and I had booked a semi-private tour and the company of a Danish couple and Spanish solo traveler added to our enjoyment. Also more eyes in helping to spot animals. We also visited the Elephant Whisper. It was neat to learn more about the elephants and get to interact with them directly.
We did the Panorama Tour one day and visited God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck potholes, and Blyde River Canyon-3 Rondavels. It was a private tour with Nicky as our guide. Nicky was very knowledgeable and set the pace to ensure the best viewing times (to avoid the fog). We enjoy hiking and it was a pleasure to get out and walk/hike these unique and beautiful settings.
We completed our trip with a private 2-day Cape Town city tour. Gareth was our guide and organized and timed everything perfectly. We stayed at Radisson Red which is an ideal location to safely enjoy the city night life. We had a wonderful dinner at Den Aker (French/Belgian) and highly recommend. A few of our favorites included Table Mountain, the Boulder Beach penguin colony, and Cape Good Hope. There was high wind and Table Mountain had been closed the day prior. Gareth was on top of all details and was monitoring the situation and our itinerary to ensure we were able to see it and at the optimal visibility. Sightings of wild baboon and ostrich right at the side of the road were an unexpected delight. After wine tasting at De Grendel, Gareth surprised us with a stop at a lovely beach and we were able to tip our toes in the water. We ended our adventure with a drummies and dinner show before heading to the airport for a late night flight back to the USA.
We truly had the most wonderful time. Without hesitation, we felt completely safe and well cared for. Our program was customized with the safari, panoramic tour and Cape Town and we would not have changed a thing. We give Southern African Tours a 5+ star rating and highly recommend.
SI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable
We did a 4 day Tarangire-Serengeti-Ngorongoro tour, saw the big 5 and much much more. We slept at campsites (everything was provided for us) inside the parks which made this experience so much more pristine. Silas was our guide and we loved every second of it. He is super knowledgeable, on point, and always knows where to find the animals. He made this experience unforgettable! A huge shoutout goes to the chef Pius whose food deserves a Michelin star. I never expected that one can eat this good in the middle of African wilderness. Thank you to Suricata safari for a wonderful experience!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
These guys know how to do it right!!! 5 star experience every step of the way!
We knew we wanted to do a 5 day and from the start of planning several months before our trip and I could tell that Wildlife Safaris was going to be my choice from the first email response. Christine and Jonathan answered all of my questions in a timely manner and provided some comfort with detailed descriptions of how our travel would be with a kid and how the overall trip would unfold. I contacted four other operators and between delayed responses, poor descriptions of what it would be like for a 9 year old girl, and short quick unthoughtful responses, I decided to go with Wildlife Safaris. Best decision ever!
On day one we were picked up by our guide Hoppy right on time at our hotel in Sandton (I highly recommend the Hilton in Sandton). We immediately fell in love with Hoppy during the long drive to Kruger. He had an answer for every question along the way and was able to provide excellent conversation throughout. Anytime we needed to stop or were hungry he made it happen. The van was comfortable for the long drives and roomy. Throughout the five days we were able to spot the Big 5, the Ugly 5, but we missed out on the Small 5. Being just a few feet away from most of the animals was incredible!!!
We stayed at the Sabie River Bush Lodge, Skukuza, Mohlabetsi, and the Sabie River Sun Resort. No planning was required on our part. It was push button with all lodges ready to take us in upon arrival. All lodges were fantastic and the food was amazing. All of them had a full bar so we were never thirsty. Our favorite was the Sabie River Bush lodge . As soon as we got there we were greeted by a large bull elephant across the river and then swam in the pool on the side of the river sipping drinks while watching about a dozen hippos play and fight. Unreal experience!
I think the only issue we had was being tired from constantly being on the move. 4 lodges in 4 nights with a 9 year old were rough, then add in early mornings and late nights... It was exhausting but totally doable, you do get some time to nap in the afternoon but we always opted to hit up the pool for a swim after the morning rides. You can sleep when you get on the plane heading back home!!
One thing I was told when I was shopping around was to only book with an operator that does game drives that are in the Kruger or a private reserve that connects directly to the Kruger. There are many privates that border the Kruger but are separated from the main park with fences. This restricts the animals from truly roaming freely and have lots of dependency on humans to survive. When you go to the Kruger or a reserve that is attached with no fence you get a better chance of seeing truly wild animals that are living their life freely with extremely limited human interaction . Take this into consideration before you book as many other listings here go to these private “farms”. Also, you may experience very long drive times to get into these private reserves as opposed to being right up close with the animals from sunup to past sundown. In Mohlabetsi you are right in the middle of it with animals everywhere around you and only minutes before the game drives get very exciting.
If I could change one thing about the entire trip it would be to not do the Panorama Route. It was great to see the highlands with the viewpoints and waterfalls but for us we would have rather spent two nights in one spot with a slower paced day and additional game drives over a day in the car sightseeing. Just our personal preference and it would have helped with the kid catching up on some rest.
Lastly, we had one additional day in SA after the tour and Christine linked us up with Simon who gave us a full day tour of the Cradle and Sterkfontein Caves. He was an excellent guide and we learned so much about the surrounding area.
It was the greatest holiday we have ever been on and cannot recommend booking with Wildlife Safaris enough!!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent 5***
From the start to the end Daudi was there for us. Communicating, making sure all the discussed points were met. He was there to meet and greet as well as making sure he met us after hike and after safari for a feedback.
I’m guessing like many going for safari and hike to Africa for the first time we were not sure who to choose and how trustworthy the people would be. We didn’t need to worry. The price was very reasonable in comparison to others , the guides were excellent, the food that was cooked for us was just amazing.
Before hike our equipment was thorough inspected making sure we have everything we might need and that we are warm at nights.
All in all we were happy from the point we contacted Daudi until the end. The communication was good, he was flexible to ensure we get the best out of the trip and we felt we were cared for throughout
If I were to go back I would not be looking elsewhere for a guide. It would be Daudi again!
Thank you
IQ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We enjoyed the safari very much! Hilary was so helpful, he provided me with an invitation letter because I needed it for my referred visa. He was always responsive in a timely manner. When we arrived to Arusha everything was great and arranged according to the schedule. Silas is a great guide, he is very experienced and has been doing this for a long time. He knows where to search for animals and find them. The food during the safari was so amazing. Pius is a very good cook, he accommodated to our needs and the food he makes was delicious. I think what I liked the most was how everything was exactly on time and precise. I would definitely recommend them for safaris.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable experience
The tour was perfectly organized. Our guide was awesome -- takes his time to explain, answers questions and helped us take a number of memorable pictures. The meals also was great. I really recommend anyone to take this tour, really an unforgettable experience.