Nick van de Wiel of Tailor Made Safaris
Tailor Made Safaris
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- FGASA, TKZN, MHCTO & EDTEA
- Tour Types:
- Self-drive mid-range & luxury tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $84 to $366 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Steve S. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exactly what I was looking for!
Over the past 20 years, I have been on safari a few times and had the opportunity to take my wife for her very first safari in November 2017. I wanted her to experience a diversity of landscapes throughout the greater Kruger area, as well as have the fun of tented camps. I found Tailor Made Safaris after looking around a bit -- and though most of their feedback was from European travelers -- I decided they had the right mix of what I was looking for. And, they did not disappoint in any way. EVERY bit of our journey was well coordinated, very professional, and exactly as described on their website. The camps and itinerary greatly exceeded my expectations. The staff was also very, very helpful when a postal error resulted in us not receiving our tour book in time. They quite literally printed one off and had it waiting for me at our hotel in Jo'burg. Speaking of which, the tour book is a GREAT thing to have. It was very helpful and all the tips were spot on. We won't hesitate to use TMS again!
NL
Email Sjors | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our 3th en best trip so far with Tailor made safari's
We did a selfdrive safari trip for the 3th time with Tailor Made Safaris’s
We started out trip in trip in black rhino lodge in Pilanesberg. This a ideal place to start because it’s only 3 hours drive from JNB. This lodge was great, the food was amazing. In the morning a long game drive to the public part of Pilanesberg. And in the afternoon a shorter drive in the private area. We were witness of a lion kill of a zebra!!!
Then we went to Kololo game reserve. The nice thing here is that you can mountain bike or walk between the giraffe zebra ect. A realy nice experience. We also went on a full day game drive in Welgevonden, especially the scenery is beautiful
After kololo we went tot leshiba venda village lodge, its a very special lodge, very beautiful. The staff is really nice. Game drives are mediocre because of limit amount of wildlife. Here you go more for the nice accommodation and view than safari.
Then we went to Kruger staying in various lodges, kruger was great we saw a lot of wildlife including leopard and lions. It was a nice change to go from (All in lodges) to BBQ ourselves. We did a game walk out of Sefapane in kruger, What is a real recommendation, the guides were realy nice an we saw a lot of game, leopard, hyena warthog.
After Kruger we went to Umkumbe safari lodge. The game drives here a good because they are allowed to go off road, and try to bring you really close. The houses you stay are very luxurious.
Last we we stayed at the Rissington inn in hazyview. To explore the panorama route. The rissington inn is very nice place to relax if you have bin on safari for 3 weeks. And the food is excellent.
Tailor made safari’s, made a perfect trip for us again !!! The communication was excellent and they did a great job of customizing a trip for us.
NL
Email Mark Zijdemans | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A perfectly organized trip by Tailor Made Safaris!
We just got back from an unforgettable holiday full of beautiful nature and culture in St. Lucia and Cape Town. South Africa. The St. Lucia part of our trip was perfectly organized by Tailor Made Safaris, purely filled with highlights. One of them was the game drive in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi. After many hours of spotting animals in the extremely comfortable safari bus and a delicious 'braai' we still could not get enough of it, thanks to the great knowledge and enthusiasm of our guide. During our stay the service of Tailor Made Safaris was excellent from start to finish (communication, accommodation, game-drives and tours). Next time we definitely will let them organize our trip again.
NL
Email Mayke | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip
Together with my mom I went on a self-drive safari trip, booked with Tailor Made Safaris. Basically everything was well organised and perfectly arranged, which resulted in a carefree trip in an amazing African country!
We've had an amazing time, saw the most beautiful game reserves and lots of animals. Next to the game drives we did many other activities, such as swimming with wild dolphins, a boat trip in Kosi Bay and a hippo and croc boat tour in St Lucia. Definitely a trip we will never forget!
NL
Email Yvonne Ordelmans | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
South Africa and Tailor Made Safaris are absolutely a marvellous combination for anyone!
Our three generations trip (two adolescents, two medium and two grandparents) to Africa last spring holiday was absolutely the best thing we have done in years. We visited various beautiful wildlifeparks such as Mkhuze Game Reserve, Tembe Elephant Park and Kruger Wildlife Park. Not to forget Milwana Wildlife Santuary in Swaziland.
We had booked a Self Drive Tour package at Tailor Made Safaris (TMS) and we can only say that everything we had previously discussed while planning our personal trip was arranged perfectly. A couple of weeks before we set off to SA we received the very thorough travel book in which our trip was explained from A to Z. It was filled with practical information about SA, beautiful pictures, the GPS coordinates of our accomodations and very useful information about the parks. The GPS navigation System was a blessing in finding our way around and the SA phone and SIM card enabled us to contact TMS if necessary (which was actually never). We loved spending several days at our chosen locations, really experiencing the parks and enjoying our holiday. We went on loads of guided tours as well and saw not just the big five, but an enormous amount of beautiful animals! Truly amazing! The booked accomodations varied from good to absolutely beautiful and were more than up to our standards. We had a great South Africa experience and we will certainly come back! With Tailor Made Safaris!
NL
Email Veroude family | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great family experience
This summer our family visited South Africa for a three weeks holiday booked with Tailor Made Safaris. Receiving our pre-departure travel book brought us already in the mood. The booking process was smooth, any question was answered quickly and adaptations were taken care of. We visited Mkuze, Kosi Bay, Tembe, St. Lucia, Ithala and Hluhluwe-Imfalozi. A close encounter with elephants in Tembe and snorkeling at Kosi Bay are still moments to remember. Guides Paul and Geert are experts in finding animals, birds , serving lunch at the beach and making a braai. A small glance or sound of a bird and Paul was able to give us all details. They both can tell great stories about any aspect of the environment and African life. We were pleased that also our kids (8, 13 en 15 years) were very comfortable with our guides, having the journey of their life. Everything was well organized and any occurrence of a “this is Africa”-moment, was quickly tackled.
We strongly recommend Tailor Made Safaris to families who seek the Africa–experience.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super self drive trip with Tailor Made Safaris!!!
We 're just back from our 24-days self drive trip in South-Africa. We booked this trip with Tailor Made Safaris and that was a very good decision!!! From the start we had very good contact with them and everything you wish for is possible.
Our trip brought us to Drakenberg, St Lucia, Hluhluwe-IMfolozi,Kosy Bay, Ponta D'ouro. Tembe Elephant Park, Mlilwane and Kruger. Mountains, beaches and wild life. In one word FANTASTIC!!
Our accommodations where great. Most of the time we had self catering and our own braai.
So if you have plans for visiting South-Africa start with Tailor Made Safaris!!! They enraged everyhting for you included a persenal routebook, GPS and African phone. Go for it!!!
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent tailor made safari holiday
Whenever you decide to book a safari in KZN, in Tailor Made Safaris you will find an excellent partner, who translates all your wishes into an adventurous and beautiful experience. You will feel at ease traveling in SA with a complete set of information and documentation and a TomTom and cellphone provided (for free) by TMS.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A amazing experience
Well organized . Our wishes are realized. The book was incredibly convenient and a nice souvenir afterwards.
The team was always open to questions. The trip has met our expectations. It was a great experience which is partly made possible by Tailor Made Safaris.
Email Mark Weaver | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An absolutely first rate Photographic Tour, a great group and we learnt so much.
Duration: 12 day Photographic workshop visiting the highlights of Namibia (+ one day either side of the tour and 4 nts in St Lucia, SA).
I should start by explaining that I have been on safari tours before with this company and knew the high levels of service that would be provided. Also, I have done a small amount of wildlife photography and although I am happy with it, there is significant room for improvement in all aspects of my photography knowledge. Landscape photography was however something completely new to me and 12 days of complete submersion in this subject was very daunting to say the least.
I should not have worried.
Tailor Made Safaris and their partner company Lime Photo were first rate. The level of tuition was outstanding with Nick and Emil making themselves available to us probably way more than they should have. One catered to the needs of those newer to digital photography like me and the associated software and one to the more proficient guests. "Classroom" theory dealt with Lightroom and Photoshop as well as composition, balance, interest, subject matter and much, much more.
The practical’s covered, star trails by different methods, astrophotography, sun rise, sun set, blue hour, dawn and dusk and obviously daylight shoots as well as covering the elements covered in the theory sessions.
At the start it has to be said that I was completely out of my depth (as perhaps were others) but we were all treated as individuals and it took no time at all for our hosts to gauge out ability levels. Noticing I was struggling without me having to ask for help showed an understanding of guests (my) shortcomings and I was given assistance when needed but was pushed to stretch myself too. My learning curve was vertical; there was no curve, which gives one a fantastic feeling of achievement when good shots are taken.
It has to be understood that this is a work shop; but this is NOT grinding, boring and tedious work. This is enlightening, broadening, exciting and exhilarating work. Yes there are some very early mornings and long days but the rewards can be seen in your photos… No pain, no gain!
The inclusion of the option to take a photography flight over the dunes was outstanding and for many, a once in a life time opportunity. This is a completely different type of shooting to that we had been learning to that point. This is a point and continuous shooting on auto focus style while looking for patterns, composition, balance etc…it definitely got the heart racing. Seeing Deadvlei, Dune 45 and wild Oryx on the dunes from the air was amazing!
Due to the scale of the country and the high number of Photographer Bucket List locations visited, there is quite a bit of traveling but due to the structure of the tour, the transport arrangements, the views and photo opportunities en-route the traveling is easily considered to be part of the experience rather than a chore. If you offer to assist with the driving as I did, it makes the journey even more of an experience.
Due to the traveling, the preferences of the guests, weather and the need to sometimes split the group to get the best from the locations, the tour; and so the timings need to be a little fluid, this requires one to go with the flow and it keeps things interesting. This type of tour can’t be run to the tick of a Swiss watch.
The accommodation ranges from basic but comfortable to Namibian 4 /5 star, the food ranged from marinated fillet steak sandwiches cooked by Nick and Freya under the stars in a stunning national park to good wholesome hotel and/or restaurant fair…I would go for the steak in that location any day!
A few words about my fellow guests, I had a good idea before I left the UK that this was going to be a great tour because of those running it, but without the ladies and gents that attended; their humour, their understanding of limitations in fellow guest’s abilities, their appreciation of the needs of others; their willingness to help when needed and their tolerance of seven other strangers in close proximity for 12 days, this would not have been the outstanding experience that it has been. My thanks to all of them.
All in all… A fan-bloody-tastic tour. Nick with his un-flappable attention to tour detail and logistics, his concern for guests comfort and enjoyment and his calm, always patient teaching method. Emil with his exuberant and ever present photographer’s admiration of every vista that this magnificent country presents to you, his un-ending enthusiasm (even at 02:00) and his phenomenal knowledge of photography. They make an ideal team.
In all my reviews ask “Would I go back?” But this applies to properties and sightseeing tours/safaris, so it’s not appropriate here. So I will ask "Would I book with Tailor Made Safaris for another Photography Workshop?"
Absolutely!
This was a tour of more shooting and more tuition, great coaching, low guest to instructor ratios and first rate sights all at a good value for money. Enjoyment level 10 out of 10.