Safari Specialists team in the Okavango Delta
Safari Specialists
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- Hopitality & Tourism Association of Botswana
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Hardeep | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above my expectations
I wanted to use a local company based in Botswana rather than one from the UK. My main point of contact was Erica from Safari Specialists who always replied promptly and clearly knew the region well. From my first point of communication to the last she has provided me with everything I needed to know. I explained what I wanted out of my trip (as a single female traveller) and she had obviously listened as everything was above my expectations. It was lovely to meet her at Maun airport too, although briefly as I had another flight to catch. I have no hesitation in recommending them to arrange your safari in Botswana and I would certainly use them again if I ever have the luck of returning.
US
Email Peter | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Botswana safari adventure for three generations
Nadine:
We had a wonderful trip! Your selection of camps was spot-on. The private reserves permitted superb game viewing opportunities. The safari was all we could hope for and more!
In every instance the accommodations were clean and comfortable. The food was very good. The camp staffs were welcoming and gracious.
Our favorite camps were the Kwai Sango Safari Camp and the Kwando Kwara Camp. In part this was due to the outstanding game viewing. Lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Doesn't get much better than that!
Frank and Tom were terrific guides. They were incredibly knowledgeable about the animals, birds, and plants. They were both very personable and helped us all to better appreciate the wonders of Africa. They both went out of their way to make safari a fun and educational experience for our eight year old grandson.
Thank you so much for helping to create a lifetime experience & shared memories for all five of us!
Email Julia Frame | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cannot flaw! Top notch safari
We experienced a wonderful tailor-made safari thanks to Erica and the team. Their prompt communication and action allowed us to plan the perfect safari at the very last minute and secure an unmatched package relative to the other providers. Their experience and knowledge of the areas is exceptional. All the camps (more like luxury glamps!) were above and beyond expectation in all aspects. The service and care from Safari Specialists really shone when I became unexpectedly unwell and missed a flight midway through the itinerary. They were onto it straight away; ensuring I was okay, arranging emergency accommodation, rearranging the itinerary to ensure I could experience the best safari in the remaining days and even communicating with my insurance provider when I was unable to. I cannot thank them enough!
US
Email Rick | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceedingly helpful and reliable
I found SS (Erica Wilson) on line and after a few email exchanges decided to have her arrange our trip. She was extremely responsive, forthcoming with her opinions (as I requested) and negotiated an excellent rate with the camps we selected. But for her relationship with camp management, I think the cost would have been at least 25% higher. At the end of the trip, she met our flight in Maun and we had a chance to visit in person for an hour or so. In summary, working with Erica was a wonderful experience.
JP
Email Dhashaka Sivasuriam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficient Quick and great value
Joanne Sachs and her staff at Safari Trails was just great. She put together a great safari tour of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Answered all our questions very promptly. Everything was on time. Kuhulu Ivory Lodge was awesome. Elephants drinking water from our pool, lions mating not 100 meters from the lodge.... awesome. This family owned lodge is a Gem. Food drinks rooms staff .... everything was perfect. Had a great game drive in Hwange National park. Excellent lunch. Moved onto Cresta spray view hotel in Victoria Falls. An excellent hotel.... great staff food rooms service just perfect. Victoria falls tour was great and the Zambezi river cruise was awesome. Please visit Boma restaurant for a buffet of Crocodile to warthog to you name it... any kind of bush meat. Land transfer to Chobe Elephant Camp was very comfortable. But the only good thing about that lodge was the game drives with MR. Innocent. Food was average, staff uncaring. Electricity off and on. We were given the most distant rooms even though there was only one more room occupied. Had to walk through Elephant infested forest to the rooms. That was a scary walk of about 300 meters. Electric fence was not working. Basically a terrible place. Chobe river cruise was perfect. I recommend Joanne Sachs and Safari Specialists absolutely. She is great.
US
Email Christine | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memorable trip arranged by Safari Specialists
Safari Specialists was a fantastic choice! They were responsive to my interests and budget, and I appreciated their honesty about what I could expect to see in the month of March in Botswana (wet season). My agent put a lot of time into booking the itinerary that best suited by schedule and wildlife interests. This company also gave me one of the best quotes, compared to larger companies like Wilderness and &Beyond. My 5-day safari was a magical experience, and I highly recommend Safari Specialists!
US
Email Kayd | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More helpful than I could have imagined.
Our booking agent exceeded our expectations. Her suggestions on how to plain our trip, from as simple as whether to go east or west, to which camps to stay at. She answered a multitude of e-mails with thoroughness, insight and patience with our numerous questions. We were thrilled when she met use at the Maun airport and even there was helpful directing us to a great place to eat while we waited for our next flight.
The safari camps and tours were incredible. The accommodations were what we expected (or better) and the actual game drives and guides were absolutely amazing. The staff at each camp made us feel more like family than tourists. We can't wait to go back and see new places.
Very thorough!
Lisa was knowledgeable about the Kwando camps and provided good suggestions to make the most of our safari. She did a great job communicating and answered all of our questions about what to expect. The safari was wonderful with no hiccups :).
PE
Email Katia Villanueva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsive and proactive in suggesting ideas and proposals
The service was excellent, I received very quick responses to all my queries. For me it was perfect since I had to plan my safari (with restricted budget) in less than a week and without the help of Safari Specialists I would not have been able to do it. They gave me answers to all my questions and also suggestions with which I could make a final decision on the duration and type of safari I wanted to do. I did a total 10 day safari, 3 of which was a walking safari in the Okovongo delta and the remaining seven were a non participating mobile safari, which helped to make the price not so high but at the same time travel comfortably.
US
Email Vinny | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome in every way!
After doing some research on the internet we were eventually referred to and contacted Safari specialist. That same day I received an email back from one of their travel planners Joanne offering her assistance in booking our vacation to Africa. We provided Joanne with some basic information about who we were and what we were interested in doing on this trip along with an estimated budget. Joanne's response was amazing her knowledge and suggestions regarding our trip were invaluable. She always promptly responded to any of our questions and concerns. We even contacted her by skype to discuss our trip. I can't say enough about how beneficial she was towards making our trip one of the best experiences ever. Upon our return my wife and I definitely agreed that Joanne's advice and guidance had us fully prepared for all aspects of the trip. All of her bookings for lodging, activities and flights were exceptional and proceeded without any issues. My only concern during this whole process was sending the money by wire transfer to avoid credit card fees but that as well took place without incident. I would highly recommend Joanne and Safari specialist to assist in planning your trip no matter what your budget or itinerary consist of they will provide excellent service.