Owners Ines & Christopher
Indigo Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United Kingdom
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, APTA, FGASA & DEMA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 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
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!
IE
Email Léa Mlt | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
Thank you !
The camp was incredible and the people were very kind.
Matthew from Indigo safari was extremely responsive, thanks again!
The only drawback was the "walking safari" which was not a safari but a walk in the forest with a guide, although nice and being a source of knowledge, made a "show" reserved for tourists (or children) which did not particularly please us (nor the people present that day...) ... But it is quickly forgotten because everything else was perfect!
CH
Email Adam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great bespoke itinerary that was proposed, discussed and booked by Very knowledgeable Ines, Indigo.
3 weeks in Tanzania including safari and time on the coast on Pemba and Zanzibar. Ines really worked well with us suggesting a great trip outline that we then talked through and tweaked so that it worked best for our family. She knew the area well and was able to make great suggestions about specific places to stay or trips to make that would be most relevant for us. All the logistics and coordination worked well and I have no qualms about the price paid which I thought was fair under the circumstances, especially given all the uncertainty and modifications that came from CVD.
I would highly recommend to others.
FR
Email Wendy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
AMAZING experience driving from South to North !!!
We spent 12 amazing days in Namibia thanks to Ines that took care of everything: she rented our 4x4, did our program and booked all of our accomodation + transfer.
Ines was available at any time if we had a question/ request.
It’s now very difficult to travel with COVID, but Ines make it very easy by including in our itinerary stops for our PCR test.
It was amazing to travel trough Namibia discovering the dunes of Sossuvlei, Fish River Canyon but also doing our safari by our own in Etosha.
We were VERY VERY VERY surprised about the quality of all the lodges/ guesthouses that Ines booked for us. Every lodge was very clean, the staff very nice and the restaurant delicious.
I recommend INDIGO SAFARI if you want to discover Africa and especially Namibia.
We ended our holidays with 2 days in the Victoria Falls and it was also amazing.
Thank you Ines,
Thank INDIGO SAFARI
Wendy & Sophie form Paris
US
Email Ingrid | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing customer service in planning Namibia safari tour
We booked a 9-day tour of Namibia with Indigo Safaris and experienced top-notch communication pre-trip. The tour was operated by Chameleon Safaris, but Matt from Indigo handled all the planning and booking. He was super attentive, accommodating, and beyond helpful in ensuring that we had an itinerary that worked for me and my friends, which was a particularly hard task given the wide range of requirements we had due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. He even helped find locations for us to book covid testing appointments and gave us recommendations on what to do in South Africa where we spent a week before the Namibia tour. The trip ended up being one of my most memorable experiences to date, and I owe a lot of that to Matt and Indigo Safaris for making it happen :)
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
Email Bev | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This tour operator provides a first class service
Communication with Indigo Safaris was excellent as our trip was planned at the last minute. All our accommodation was beyond our expectations and and the actual safari was just awesome. Thankyou for planning our perfect holiday.
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 !
Email David samms | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip to Namibia
Thank you Ines for organising a fantastic trip to Namibia. After working as a tour guide in Africa for Guerba 19 ago years for 5 years I wanted to take my family back to see what I had experienced. To organise a trip to Namibia at fairly sort notice at peak season you did wonders, your speed at replying to any requests, questions and keeping us informed was great. The trip itself was wonderful the only thing we had an issue with and could have been highlighted was when we got to the airport at Heathrow we were informed by Virgin that we needed birth certificates for our children to enter Namibia otherwise we couldn’t board the plane. A hour of frantically making phone calls and getting them scanned and sent to us got it sorted. So just a caution to any one else taking kids under 18 to Namibia. Apart from that everything ran smoothly and was a wonderful experience. The only place we were disappointed with was AfriCat due to our expectations from their website and all the signs as we entered the game park, that we would be seeing a range of African carnivores from Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs to Wild Dogs. In actual fact we were only taken to see 7 captive cheetahs, and their stated aim of the rehabilitation of these animals and was no longer happening. We were charged a lot and felt disappointed with the tour we had.
I would recommend Indigo to all my friends and colleagues so thank you again Ines for all your hard work in organising our trip, you gave us a truly wonderful and fantastic trip our family will never forget. We will be booking again with you THANK YOU
Reply from Indigo Safaris
Posted on Aug 20, 2019Hi David, thank you for your feedback, we love making people's travel dreams come true, and Ines and Corinne are specialists in the art.
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Okonjima and the Africat Foundation. Okonjima is a lion-free reserve, it is never promoted as a lion area, neither by the reserve or us. The Africat Foundation's lion project is in northern Namibia, and this is explained on their website and in situ.
Okonjima has different optional activities. One is a visit to the foundation, where they explain the conservation challenges facing African felines and other carnivores, and show the facilities they have for hosting injured and orphaned animals. The number and type of animals in house changes constantly and there is no guarantee that their will be any Wild Dogs in for care.
The orphaned cheetah that the clients are guaranteed to see are habituated to humans due to the necessity of being hand-reared and thus cannot be returned to the wild. In fact, the foundation stopped releasing rehabilitated cheetah onto the reserve at the beginning of 2019 due to increased post-release mortality from inter-species competition with the healthy leopard and brown hyena populatons. A link to a report explaining why in more detail can be found here.
https://africat.org/cheetah-research/
Given the conservation challenges facing the declining cheetah population, particularly in Namibia, I'm glad they do what they do, and seeing seven cheetah at once could be considered an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph these beautiful felines, of which there are barely 7000 left, up close.
The 550 Namibian dollar (approximately 37 USD) fee charged per adult (half-price for kids) goes to the running costs of the foundation and the excellent work they do at Okonjima and their northern reserve.
To see leopard, one needs to sign up for the optional leopard tracking game drive. They take place twice daily and involve a 3-hour game drive in an open-sided 4x4, looking for some of the wild leopards that have been collared for research purposes. For some, this is one of the highlights of their Namibian experience, and rounds off a trip nicely as leopard are notoriously hard to see normally, and this activity presents the best chance of seeing them in the wild in the country.
There are also guided and unguided Bush walks in the predator-free area close to the lodge, the unguided walks are free. I believe it's a good place to stop off between Etosha and Windhoek. I will make sure we point out that it is understood that there are no lions there, that Wild Dogs are not always being treated.
Best regards,
Christopher Bartlett
Managing Director