Hosted Journeys to extra ordinary places
Cuckoo Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $600 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
SG
Email Jenny | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome itinerary, seamless coordination, wonderful experience
The itinerary was awesome, giving us a comprehensive and wonderful experience exploring the Victoria Falls, the wildlife in Chobe and getting a peek into the local way of life in a rural Zimbabwean village. The coordination was seamless though we had to cross Zambian and Botswana borders. Very safe countries. A special callout to Simon for doing a great job with the coordination. The guides and rangers assigned to us helped in making everything awesome too. Thanks!
US
Email Dustin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent choice to plan a safari trip
A safari trip is no easy task to plan, and I'm glad I chose Cuckoo to help! I honestly had no clue where to start, but came across Cuckoo, and appreciated that they had clear itineraries and prices listed right from the get-go instead of having to inquire, so that I was able to use that as a benchmark as I looked at other options.
Once I reached out, communications were quick and Tatenda was able to address all the questions I had, including around customizing the tour. The deposit was easy and can be paid with card.
I ended up with the 8-day trip that includes visits to Vic Falls, Chobe, the Nwetwe Pan, and the Okavango Delta including a helicopter ride, which was amazing. The pickups and transfers were mostly seamless and clear, and everyone I interacted with from Cuckoo were lovely (Louis, Shelton, and a different Tatenda). The lodging started out strong at the Shongwe in Vic Falls, but did slowly go downhill as the trip went on. I would ask to swap out Cresta in Maun if I were to do this tour again. In terms of the itinerary and the activities, I think it is generally well planned with a good balance between early starts and more relaxed days, but would recommend an extra night at Planet Baobab to avoid a very long day (5 hours on bumpy roads in an open air Land Cruiser, then another 2 to Maun, then the helicopter ride) and having some time to actually enjoy the facilities there (I'd swap it too but I don't think there are other options in that area).
When I come back to this region of Africa, I would definitely work with Cuckoo again and would recommend them to anyone!
Email @Girls_goneworld | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
The guide was friendly and the evening was lovely! The busy dinner in particular was fantastic
US
Email Lucy and Brian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Experience with Cuckoo Safaris!
We had an excellent experience with Cuckoo Safaris who arranged an 8-day Safari across Zimbabwe and Botswana. We were a group of 10 (two families with kids ranging age 11 to 15 years old) and we traveled in August 2024. We experienced spectacular game drives across several major parks where we saw an amazing array of animals, including a plethora of elephants, lions, leopard, zebra, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, wildebeest, cape buffalo, impala, warthogs, plus lots of interesting birds. Interspersed with the game drives were really fun activities like an evening dinner cruise down the Zambezi river, a feast fit for a king during a cookout under the stars at one of the game parks, and a helicopter flight over the Okavanka Delta. What really made the trip fabulous was our guide, Simon, who regaled us with fascinating stories about the animals, as well as educating us about the local customs and culture of the people. He made the whole experience come to life – we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. We highly recommend Cuckoo Safaris, both for overall experience and value for money. They were responsive throughout our trip and flexible if we wanted to make tweaks to the itinerary. The only issue we had was in the Okavango Delta after Simon was no longer with us - the tour guide person who was supposed to meet us, Veronica, did not show up. Another person came the next day (Lwe) and he was very good.
US
Email Christina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceeded all our expectations! Can’t recommend enough ❤️
My husband and I visited Victoria Falls Zimbabwe in August 2024 for 4 nights. Tatenda and all the employees at Cuckoo safari’s just excel in professionalism and customer service by making you feel like you’re a good friend visiting and not just a client! I didn’t want to do a set 3,4 or 5 day adventure but rather piece meal a few activities that really interested me. I emailed Cuckoo directly with my three activity request and they responded quickly, answering all my questions that came up in the months before we traveled and showed up on time and truly made our time in Victoria Falls one of our top vacations and we’ve traveled to over 60 countries ❤️
I actually found this company via TripAdvisor. They are the only company that I could find that offer a walking tour of Victoria Falls from both sides (Zambia and Zimbabwe). If we were going to fly all the way to Zimbabwe, I wanted the full Victoria Falls experience and Cuckoo delivered!! They reminded me to get the multi entry visa at the airport to make it easy to get to and from Zambia, drive us to immigration at the bridge, walked us in, walked us to our Zambia guide who then drove us to the Zambia entrance. Excellent knowledge by both guides and awe inspiring falls! Our Zambia guide asked if we wanted to drive back to Zimbabwe or walk across the bridge so we walked and watched a bungee jumper. Once the tour was complete we asked if they could drop us off at the Lookout Cafe and I highly recommend this restaurant for the view! It’s a short drive from the Zimbabwe entrance to Victoria falls.
That same evening I booked the Signature Deck sunset cruise through Cuckoo. Wow! Great seats for the two of us on the boat and the pick up and drop off at our hotel was so smooth and easy.
The last activity I booked through Cuckoo was the small group day tour to visit Chobe in Botswana. The driver was there on time and this town is magical! Just driving to the boarder which takes about an hour you see wildlife ❤️ Giraffes, Kudu’s, Elephants!! I know it’s never guaranteed to see wildlife but we were lucky! Once at the boarder the driver went with us through immigration explained everything and then walked us across the border where the Botswana driver and guide picked us up. All vehicles were clean and in good condition.
In Chobe we did a 3 hour river safari tour and saw hippos, lizards, baboons, elephants so many animals ❤️ the boat was small an only seats 16 max but because we went during “winter” which is a slower season it was only us and a family of 3 on the boat. The boat driver got us so close to a crocodile at first we there was a fake one they put out for the tourists 😂 Nope he was huge and so close! There were a lot of bigger boats on the river but the small boat could maneuver into the best areas for closer views. Our lunch was at a nice hotel on the water and then we were off on our 3 hour game drive in Chobe National park. Excellent guide/driver who showed us so much!
This company is not the cheapest but they make sure that the partners they work with give you an amazing quality experience! It’s a vacation we will treasure and can’t thank Cuckoo enough!!
Email Virginia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Cuckoo tours, Best tour experience in Zimbabwe and surrounding regions
Cuckoo safaris provided wonderful service and value for our stay in Zimbabwe. We were held up for 2 hours in arrivals but the office was able to alter our arrangements to make sure we got to our sunset river cruise on time. Our driver Lewis did everything possible to make sure our time here was fabulous, he went out of his way to be friendly and helpful. Our Chobe park experience was amazing, our driver, Gift, showed us many animals close up. Our guides around Victoria falls Sheldon and Martha were very informative and interesting. Simon was interesting, he drove us to Boma which was a fun night. We stayed at Dzimbabwe lodge, our room was really comfortable and the staff lovely. Tambi was especially friendly and Mike at the bar was helpful too. Would highly recommend this company, their staff, activities and accommodation choices.
Email Leigh Stofberg | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolutely incredible
The best Vic Falls tour operator. Incredible service from the start. A trustworthy company with valuable knowledge of the area offering amazing activities for the whole family. If you want a highly enjoyable trip with the best look no further than Tatenda and his
brilliant team. I will only book with them going forward knowing we are in safe hands. Ten stars !
US
Email Akua | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing holiday with nature and culture
As a solo traveler I really enjoyed this tour and the comfortable accommodations. The itinerary is just the right amount of activity and down time, which gave me the flexibility to book additional activities like white water rafting and a massage. Cuckoo safaris was very attentive to my needs and everyone I interacted with was kind and professional. The cultural village tour was a great way to learn more about how the local villagers live and dinner at The Boma was a fun way to end my last night of the trip. Shout-out to Simon who helped ensure that I had the best time and handled all of the extra logistics (and my many questions!) I definitely recommend this tour for solo travelers or families!
IT
Email Alessandro | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Victoria Falls Highlights
I joined a 5 days tour in Victoria Falls and Chobe area. It was everything well organized, giving me the chance to see and enjoy the main highlights of the region! Special mention for my driver Simon, who was arranging everything perfectly!
US
Email John | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cuckoo is a professional tour operator that delivers a luxary experience at a competitive price
We found our 7 day trip with Cuckoo Safaris to be an incredible value. Traveling to this area is not cheap. However, Cuckoo gives you a very competitive price while also providing excellent service. Prior to traveling, Cuckoo answered all our questions in a very timely fashion. The trip itself was well organized. We visited Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, and Matobo National Park. Each park has it's own character and was a different experience from the previous spot. The hotels and lodges that we stayed at were excellent. Luxurious with great food. Finally, our guide Simon made sure that our trip went as smoothly as possible He was in constant commnication with us via WhatsApp and was able to accomodate all of our last minute whims while still keeping us on schedule. All in all, I would definately recommend Cuckoo Safaris to anyone who wants an individual tour at a reasonable price.