We have recently returned from an amazing 36 day adventure in East and South Africa with Ubuntu. Safaris in Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana, where we saw all of the Big 5 animals, even the Black Rhino and White Lions. A few days at Victoria Falls staying at the beautiful old Vic Falls hotel. Then a tour from Johannesburg down to Cape Town. There were too many highlights to select just one. From all t ... Read morehe animals (we saw all of The Big Five) to the beautiful scenery of South Africa, to the extreme poverty in Lesotho, we were overawed by it all. We have so many wonderful memories etched in our minds which will last a life time. Thank you Cuan for everything, we couldn't find fault with anything during our stay in Awesome Africa.

Two years ago we had joined safaris in Kenya and Tanzania so we were looking for something different. Our thanks to Cuan McLaren of African Ubuntu Safaris who put together an itinerary for us that show-cased Botswana (Chobe River, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park), Rwanda (Kigali and the Volcanoes Mountain Park), together with the scenery of Victoria Falls and South Africa's Garden Route... ... Read moreNot just spectacular experiences in a variety of different places but seamless transition between each. At no stage were we in limbo wondering if there would be a "hiccup" as we passed from one operator to the next. Cuan knows his stuff and selected venues and operators who wouldn't let us down. His father (Gerald) even met us at Johburg airport and escorted us to our hotel and looked after our hard suitcases as we transferred safari gear to the soft duffels required for the light aircraft links between safari camps; and then met us on return to retrieve our suitcases. A nice personal touch (and a very nice gentleman too). So, the design of the itinerary was excellent. Now to the individual places and our experiences:
1. Johannesburg - a visit to the Journey to Freedom museum and township of Soweto. Well worth doing to understand the background of apartheid and the struggle that saw the eventual rise of Nelson Mandela... And also a break to get ready for the next stages of our trip
2. Victoria Falls - we stayed for 2 nights on the Zimbabwean side at the Victoria Falls hotel (old world hospitality and charm with impeccable service; and our room overlooked the Falls bridge!)
3. At Chobe River we stayed for 2 nights on a houseboat (capacity 4 couples) and went out on a small boat each day for river-based sorties where we saw a huge variety of wildlife from the entirely different perspective of being at river level. Being at eye-level with crocodiles and hippos was a new experience for us and our photos of elephants at sunset were pure magic. One morning we opened our bedroom window to watch a family of elephants swim from Botswana to Namibia a few meters from us... Also lots of bird life and elephants as well as lions, a giraffe or two, warthogs, buffalo and more... Great staff on the houseboat, good food (how did they do that?) and a very competent guide...
4. After a flight from Kasane by light aircraft we were in Pom Pom Camp on the Okavango delta for 3 nights. This camp has maximum capacity for 24 guests. The "tents" have all modern conveniences and all face onto a lagoon where hippos frolic. No shortage of wildlife (lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, birds...) this camp offers both water-based and land-based outings. The trackers are excellent and the camp staff are friendly and professional. We were very impressed. No complaints about food or hospitality either.
5. Another flight by light aircraft took us to Savute Safari Lodge for 3 nights and we were in an entirely different environment - open plains, herds of elephants, sightings of three different leopards (very elusive but the trackers found them and we took some great photos). We also saw two packs of African Hunting Dogs and a wide variety of bird life. In the Savute channel we came across a pride of 11 lions devouring a recent kill. The lodge staff were first-class (drivers, trackers, housekeepers, catering); great accommodation in individual lodges with maximum of 24 guests; great food and hospitality.
6. Our next stop was Kigali in Rwanda (after an overnight stopover back in Johburg). We visited the Genocide Museum (very sad and thought-provoking) before being driven out to the Volcanoes National Park to join a gorilla trek the following day. Our visit to the gorilla family of Titus the silverback was amazing and we are already planning to return to see another gorilla family. The guides, trackers and porters are all very competent at what they do and also very friendly. A great experience. The next day we did a similar trek in to see the Golden Monkeys. Very worth while. In both cases you can only spend an hour with the animals but that is enough time to get close and take some great photos... or just enjoy the moment! We stayed at the Gorilla Mountain Lodge for 2 nights (ask for a cottage - much nicer than the impersonal motel style accommodation)...
7. After Rwanda we returned to Johburg and after an overnight at the airport hotel (modern and comfortable) onwards to Cape Town for 3 nights before our Garden Route tour. We spent a afternoon up on Table Mountain and a large part of the following day at the Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens - both most enjoyable. We also spent many hours wandering around the scenic Victoria and Albert waterfront area.
8. Finally the 5 night Garden Route tour (operated by Thompsons).. Our guide Alex was superb (extremely knowledgable and easy-going). We joined a small group and proceeded by mini-bus from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Gardens, wineries, penguins, ostrich farm, whales, scenery, etc... Good accommodation each night and in the case of Laird Lodge (just beyond Knysna) 5 stars! Well worth doing with lots of good memories... This was our second venture into Africa and definitely not our last.

Cuan made himself available to answer all our questions and make suggestions for the trip. He kept us up to date with bookings etc. In Africa we were met and transferred to all our locations. The quality and variety of accommodation was superb. There were many opportunities to see animals in their natural environment with excellent guides. The service in both Australia and Africa was outstandin ... Read moreg.

Ten out of ten is the only way to describe our experience in Africa which was organised by African Ubuntu Safaris. We were met at the airport in Johannesburg by Cuan and his father. Personalised service at its finest. We had one day to kill in Jo'berg so Cuan had arranged a Journey to Freedom Tour. From there, we did the Kruger and Kingdoms group tour, followed by some time in Franschhoek, Her ... Read moremanus and Cape Town followed by Vic Falls, Chobe and Pom Pom Camp in the Okavango Delta. It all went like clockwork and everything we experienced made it the trip of a lifetime. We did shark cage dives, wine tours, game drives, sundowner cruises and the animals we saw, the food we ate and the people we met made it an amazing journey. Thanks African Ubuntu.

Great accomodation,beautiful service, excellent planning of the safaris
Friendly staff who went out of their way to make our stay memorable

From my first request for a quotation, Cuan at Ubuntu Safaris was prompt and efficient. His quotation was very competitive, and I never had to wait more than 24 hours for a response to my emails or calls. I already had a fairly firm idea of what I wanted, and the additional suggestions from Cuan were spot on.
When it came to payment, I really liked being able to make a local bank transfer withi ... Read moren Australia, avoiding excessive exchange and credit card surcharges, with Cuan being scrupulous in his use of up to the minute exchange rates.
Documentation prior to the trip was professional and comprehensive.
Once in Africa, all of our transfers, by both scheduled and chartered aircraft, went extremely smoothly. This was our first trip to Africa, and we were both amazed and reassured by how smoothly and free of hassle we were able to move from one small camp to another, without any loss of game drive time.
The hotels, camps and lodges we booked through Ubuntu Safaris were top rate, and exceeded our expectations. In the two hotels booked for us, Cuan managed to secure excellent rooms, in one case, with a great view, and in the other, with an upgrade.
Our safari experiences , particularly in Sabi Sands, well exceeded our wildest dreams, both in terms of the range of wildlife we saw, and the proximity of the wildlife to our vehicle. When we returned to Johannesburg before flying home to Sydney, it was so nice to be welcomed personally and transferred to our hotel by Gerald.
We really valued the fact that Ubuntu Safaris is a small company, and hence we were able to deal with the owners, who, between Cuan in Sydney and his father Gerald in Johannesburg, have a wealth of professional knowledge and first hand experience.
Our visit to South Africa and Botswana was an experience of a lifetime, and we really appreciate the role of Ubuntu Safaris in ensuring its success.

The best travel agency we have dealt with. The service was excellent. The follow up was great.Cuan was good at anticipating what we might enjoy because of his experience and this made the adventure better than we could have imagined..
Every detail that was organised by Ubuntu was meticulous and everything went to plan. The only problems we ever had , the whole time in Africa were on sections ... Read more that Ubuntu had no control over ( airports)
It was the most wonderful holiday we have ever had and it far exceeded our expectations. This was in no small part because of the excellent assistance we received from Ubuntu

Ubuntu dotted every i and crossed every t. They thought of everything so that we had a thoroughly relaxing and stress-free holiday. The safari exceeded all our expectations: the wildlife was certainly plentiful. We were looked after from go to woe and it was great to finish with a bit of luxury at the grand old Victoria Falls Hotel.

So I wrote a wish list , called Cuan at Ubuntu and he turned the list into an itinerary and then some !
I was smart enough to listen to his suggestions and keep an open mind.
Never heard of Tanzania , didn’t know where it was - now I’m going back within 12 months of the best experience of my life to do it again.
I travelled for a month on my own , a couple of tours , some time on my own - n ... Read moreever felt unsafe.
"Dad" greeting me at the airport upon landing made me feel like I was not alone - thank you Mr McLaren.
I embraced each and every country , throwing myself into the additional opportunities and most importantly just stopping to take it all in whilst filling my lungs with air so sweet I thought I was dreaming.
99% of the accommodation was more than expected ,one was a little run down but the views more than compensated for an old "tacky" room.
In short , I saw what I wanted and more than I thought I ever could. The beautiful people and cultures , the long and sometimes painful history’s and then there is the landscape and those animals - heaven .
Highlights
• Meeting the Maasai people in Tanzania , the gathering of the great migration in the Serengeti ( millions of Zebra and Wilder beasts )
• Standing at the top of the Ngorongoro Crater – A crater on top of the world filled with animals. Put this in your list.
• Victoria Falls , walking with Lions , seeing the Maasai Giraffes for the first time – yes they do exists
• Elephant Sanctuary in Hazyveiw along the Sabie River ( Panorama Route)
• Trying to remember all the names of the various animals !
• Seeing the top five and more – African Wild dogs , Black Rhino as well.
• The various tribes allowing us a glimpse of life , dance , music , food and culture. The beautiful kids.

My tip , in whatever country you are blessed to visit , learn to say hello and thank you in the native language.
Not only is it fun , but your hosts will love you for it.
Write that list , send it to Cuan and let him make those suggestions - you will not be sorry.
Ubuntu - the word has strong meanings in Africa - You’ll find out !

From our first contact to our last farewell, our safari exceeded our expectations in every way. Cuan could not have been more helpful in adjusting the 15-day Surprise Safari to meet our extra plans before and after as well as our choice of the options on safari. The little Merc bus was a very comfortable way to travel. Our guide, Chris, was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his home country, wi ... Read moreth a pleasant touch of humour, and our driver, Robbie, added his knowledge and helpfulness, especially in the Cape area. Accommodation, including meals, was consistently better than expected. We were lucky in the range of wildlife we saw, but the first unexpected bonus was the enthusiastic welcome we enjoyed wherever we visited the local people, who obviously value their local cultures, showing that in their dancing and singing. The second bonus was the introduction to modern South Africa, its past and its efforts to rebuild. For first time visitors like us, we could not have enjoyed a better introduction to all the facets of South Africa today nor received better value.