Armadillo Overland Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $140 to $373 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Barry Mcleod | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Safari with Armadillo Overland Safaris was far above my wildest expectations!
Everything about our safari was perfect. When Chris picked us up in Johannesburg in "Truck Norris", we weren't sure what we were in for. It soon became apparent that Chris had designed and built a very comfortable and unique Safari vehicle. Once we arrived in Kruger Park the amazing features of the truck really stood out. We were able to move around to different seats and viewing positions in order to see and photograph the animals we began to see. (Becasuse Truck Norris is such a tall vehicle, we were able to see over other vehicles and we had a much better chance of finding animals in the distance!) Chris is an excellent and very well informed guide and he took us to areas where we were able to see hundreds of wild animals We saw all of the big five including dozens of lions, and elephants. Chris even woke us up to witness 3 lions taking down a buffalo, just outside our camping compound ar 1am. Speaking of Camping, we were very comfortably housed in tents and incredibly well fed over the 5 days Even the weather was great. If I ever get a chance to go back to South Africa for another safari, I would definitely choose Armadillo Overland Safaris. It was one of tghe best weeks of my life!
Email Helen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A once in a lifetime experience done the best possible way.
Going on safari has been a lifelong dream of mine. Right from the moment I sent an enquiry through to Chris, to the moment he dropped me back at the airport after the safari, I felt safe, well looked after and well informed about every aspect of the safari, which meant I was free to sit back, relax and enjoy everything that Kruger had to offer.
Before you go on safari, people warn you that you shouldn't expect to see something every day and that, when you do, it might be an elephant far in the distance or a buffalo herd on the horizon. I tried to manage my expectations as best I could. When I saw Chris's Armadillo truck, I started to get really excited. The extra height meant that our feet were at the level of most cars' roofs. This means you can see further, and also you can drive up to any sights people are viewing at the roadside without being blocked by a car in front.
It is hard to describe the wonder and the experience of a safari adequately, and we were exceptionally lucky on ours, but here is a quick list of what we saw, close up (touching distance, were it not for Kruger's rules and personal safety concerns): 5 different groups of lion at the roadside, including one pride of 18 lions, one of which was Kruger's only resident white lion; innumerable elephants, some crossing the road; a crash of rhinos crossing the road in front of our truck; herds of buffalo; a leopard sitting in the branch of a tree at the roadside; zebras; giraffes; kudus; beautiful birds and plant life... You get to watch how the animals actually behave, in the real world, and Chris gives you time, space and information to enhance this. Perhaps the best part of the safari was when we were woken in our tents at Satara by the sounds of heavy breathing and growling. These were the sounds of a buffalo being taken down by a coalition of 3 male lions right outside the perimeter fence. We were able to watch it all, as well as check in on the cycle of life and scavenging that played out afterwards between the hyenas, the jackals and the vultures.
Apart from the experience itself, there is NO OTHER vehicle like Chris's doing safaris. It has better height than the others by a good couple of feet. It also has tables, comfortable seating, a flush toilet, a library of reference books and even an honesty bar on board to you can kick back with a cold beer or cider whilst watching the natural world play out in front of you. Chris is a generous and excellent cook, the food was superb. The tented accommodation is also very comfortable.
I am the sort of person who will always find reason to moan about something, but I literally cannot think of a single thing to complain about on this trip. It was flawless, one of the best experiences of my life, and I envy you the anticipation of not having done it yet.
US
Email Fred | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Highlight Of Our South Africa Trip
We spent five days in Kruger with Chris and Nicky of Armadillo-Overland-Tours, and it was a once in a lifetime experience. I am NOT a camper, but I've never eaten or slept so well in my life. Coffee, rusks, and granola at dawn, then out for a game drive, followed by an exceptional brunch and more animal spotting. My partner claims we saw 100 species in five days -- I know I counted 76!
After setting up camp, evenings were spent eating (and I like to eat), drinking, and making new friends. Every camp site had showers and toilets, so it never felt like "roughing it." The tour vehicle, designed and built by the owner, put us head and shoulders above those in cars and jeeps -- a definite advantage for photographers!
If you ever wind up in South Africa, you owe it to yourself to visit Kruger for at least a few days. Chris and Nicky (the owner-operators) do some posh tours, but if you're on a budget or just want something different, camping with the pros is the way to go.
US
Email Darren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect safari with wonderful hosts
Do you have an aunt and uncle that will take you on a perfect Safari, cook for you every day and night and dote on your kids while you relax on vacation? No? Well call Chris and Nikki at Armadillo Overland Safari and Adventure tours- they'll do all this and more. My wife and three daughters (4, 6 and 8 yrs old) spent 5 nights and 6 days with Chris and Nikki and their "armadillo" truck and we wanted to stay longer. Another month or maybe a year would be about right.
Communication with Chris was easy and his e-mail responses were quick while we were planning our safari before we left the US. He sent us a planned itinerary of a safari in Kruger National Park and then added a requested side trip to Elephant Whispers which he arranged and included in the price of the Safari to make it even easier for us. And when traffic snarled our original itinerary he made a few calls and re-arranged the visit to ensure we had plenty of time with the Elephants and plenty of time in the park. He also added the requested panaroma route during our return trip to Johannesburg and was flexible with our schedule as our flight got moved up a couple hours the week before we left.
The 'armadillo' vehicle is a elevated box on the back of an Isuzu 4x4 that ensures you can go virtually anywhere in the park and see everything when you're there. The sitting height is even higher than the game viewing vehicles that we saw allowing us to see animals far into the bush. The elevated box has multiple windows perfect for wildlife viewing and picture taking and for keeping cool riding around in the park. The box also has tables set between chairs to allow kiddos to play some card games when the game drives got longer than their attention spans or on the way to and from the airport. It also has an honor drink bar (beer, cider, water and chocolate milk for us) that Chris and Nikki will stock with whatever you'd like prior to departure. Binoculars? Check. An extensive library on all things safari? check. A heater for chilly mornings? check. An electrical strip for charging devices, camera batteries, etc? and with adapters? check and check. I'm not sure what they could add to make it better but give it a couple months and I'm sure they'll come up with something.
Chris cooked up something delicious for us every night - it was so good that even our 8 year old that here to forth we thought survived on photosynthesis asked for second helpings a couple nights. And the brunches were just as good.
We camped in the park for four nights and just outside the park the last night. The tents and sleeping mats were comfortable and kept us dry during a couple unseasonable rain showers. Chris and Nikki provided pillows and extra blankets which reassured my cold-phobic wife.
This was the best family vacation we've had so far. If I could give them 10 stars I would- and it still wouldn't be enough.
US
Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unique tour, great animal viewing, led by husband & wife team, comfortable camping, good food.
Custom built passenger box on Isuzu 4X4 truck chassis provides excellent animal viewing from high position through large easily opened windows. There is plenty of room to move around and stretch ones legs or congregate to one side to see the excitement outside. It is a little noisy when traveling at highway speeds and could use a window in the front. Food was good. I am a vegetarian and they were able to accommodate my needs. They would have done better if we had given them a little notice. Service was excellent. Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Camping was comfortable. We had 5 days of care free travel for a very good price.
A wonderful trip
Communication prior to the tour was quite punctual and very helpful. Everything about the tour was just as I was told, if not better. The service before and throughout the tour was exceptional. I forgot to mention until the day before the tour began that I had a special diet, and Chris and Becky (the tour operators) made some wonderful adaptations to the menu to accommodate me and my friends. Also, the food was delicious. Chris and Becky were full of information about everything that we saw and were very accommodating as to what we were interested in seeing in the park. They allowed ample time to see and photography wildlife and gave us some exceptionally great positions within our vehicle to view the wildlife. The company was great and I was very comfortable the entire time. I would recommend this tour operator to anybody and everybody looking for a great safari! I would book another safari with them in a heartbeat!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible safari experience at bargain price
My friend and I were able to book Chris and Armadillo Adventures fairly last minute. We were looking for an adventure and animal viewing at a low cost (we are both graduate students). We were overwhelmed with what we found. Chris was an excellent host, chef, tour guide, and all around good guy. We got to enjoy his custom built 4x4 vehicle on our three day safari. It is fully equipped with toilet, coolers for drinks and snacks, heater, binoculars, library of nature books. The height alone was enough of an advantage to consider his outfit; we were able to see things no one else in the park was able to see.
The accommodations were perfect. He provided tents, sleeping bags, camping mattresses, etc. The meals were amazing; traditional brai, chicken curries, potato and green salads. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The tour around the park (pilanesburg) was amazing. Chris led us to great spots, stopped when we wanted and where we wanted. He showed us great spots, but didn’t rush us when we wanted to stay for a while taking pictures. We say 4 of the big 5; the illusive buffalo eluded us. Above that, he told us about any new species we came upon. I would highly recommend Chris and his company to friends and family.
CZ
Email Kristy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari
I was with Armadillo in 5 days safari in Kruger and it was an amazing experience. The food was delicious and always enough, sleeping in tent was very comfortable and we saw a lot of animals: Hyenas, lions three times, rhinos three times (one time with calf), huge herd of elephants by watering place...Our truck was excellent for game wieving and Chris knows much about nature in Kruger. If you want to wisit safari, Armadillo is the best choice. I believe, that it wasn´t my last safari with Armadillo.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari!
We had a superb experience with Chris. Since some people cancelled on short notice we (just 2) had the whole truck to ourselves and fortunately they still went trough with the trip. The truck, built by Chris himself, is spacious, comfortable and provides a great vantage point for game viewing. Also comes with a bar (Cold Beer!). Chris is very knowledgable about the wildlife and his campside cooking is a revelation. Honestly can't think of a single thing that could have been better and would definitely like to do another Safari with Armadillo Overland Tours.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant tour and guide
Would thoroughly recommend the Armadillo Safari tours. It is a great experience, made all the better by Chris’ enthusiasm and eagle eyed sight (and ability to sight eagles) while out on the trail.
The custom built ‘Truck Norris’ is a great vehicle to go on safari in – high off the ground it’s perfect to see over the scrub and other vehicles and take some great photos, and with space for enough beer to make sure one’s camera is never perfectly focused. I spent the first day marveling at the Truck rather than what was out of the window. Really enjoyed our trip, and great to have such a knowledgeable and friendly guide (who also makes one mean Thai curry). Thanks Chris.