Red Africa Safaris Team
Red Africa Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- SATSA, FGASA, SATIB & LEDET
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $146 to $580 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
Email Jayesh Bhenswala | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing - Jaco was an excellent tour guide and made the trip incredible from start to finish
Communication was excellent, we knew where to go and what the agenda was for our 3 days. We were picked up by Jaco who was waiting for us and had his car stocked with cold water and other items. Frequent stops and an easy journey to Hazyview. The accommodation was very nice and had 2 rooms each with 2 beds giving us plenty of space. Also had access to a pool and the buffet dinners were a very high standard. All 3 days on safari were handled by tour guides with a high level of knowledge of the park and animals meaning we were able to see all of the big 5 as well as many other rare animals.
A big shoutout to Jaco who made the trip extra enjoyable - extremely nice guy and was always professional and accommodating with whatever we asked and had many stories and experiences to share! Would definitely recommend.
CH
Email Kyra B. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply Unmatched
Our travel group consisted of 6 friends - including two couples - coming from four different countries (USA, Germany, Moldova, Switzerland). We had been looking for a 6-day trip to the Panorama Route and Kruger NP at a reasonable budget.
We contacted a number of different tour operators to obtain various tour offers taking our late arrival in JNB due to a wedding the previous night into account, but the only company that responded to us within a couple of hours and demonstrated the required flexibility was Red Africa Safaris. Everyone else took much longer to get back to us and then suggested to just spend the entire day in Johannesburg and start the tour the next day (and thus shortening our nature experience by one entire day) - an idea we did not like at all.
Our first very positive impression of Red Africa Safaris can be entirely attributed to Amelia, the tour organizer, who turned out to be extremely responsive, adaptive to our needs and requests, and who continued to be so kind and friendly even though we kept making changes to the suggested itinerary and added more and more restrictions.
On the day of the start of our tour, we met our guide, Jaco (pronounced "Yaku") for the first time when he picked us up at the airport. The next six days we spent with him far exceeded our expectations and hopes. How can a guide know so much, be so funny and sarcastic, and cook like a chef all at the same time? Not to forget his eagle eyes which spotted animals that blended into their environment perfectly - from a distance of several kilometers and while driving our car?! Some of us had a hard time seeing the animal with binoculars and after he had explained in detail where to look for it. Jaco is outstanding, there is no other word for it, and all the reviews I had read before contacting RAS turned out to be right and to the point.
And I have to admit that - at first - I was not sure what to think of having a "stranger" be with us all day long. Thanks to Jaco's wonderful, interesting, and funny personality, these thoughts quickly vanished when we realized that, by the end of the first day, Jaco had already turned into a full member of our group and was included in our conversations and jokes as we already considered him our friend and appreciated his company.
For a fact we all got along so well that we have already requested an itinerary from Amelia for another trip to Africa next year - with Jaco as our tour guide. We cannot wait for this new adventure!
Thank you, Amelia and Jaco, for everything. We could not have enjoyed our trip more, and you are simply great! Lots of love from Switzerland
PS: We even named our new cat after Jaco --- YAKU :-).
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Email Nadea | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jaco made this the most unforgettable vacation!!!
We had a group of 6 friends exploring Panorama Route and Kruger National Park for the first time. Jaco single-handedly made this the most unforgettable vacation!
- He has an eye of an eagle, and can spot animals and birds of all sizes from really far away. Once spotted, he would stop the car and take his time telling us so many interesting facts about "our finding", addressing countless follow-up questions from us!
- Jaco is a walking encyclopedia, extremely passionate about its content! For 6 days, we were drowning him with a never-ending stream of questions, and he answered all of them.
- Jaco also made us fall in love with the bush. His passion about the nature around him and yet his humbleness and desire to always learn more is quite inspiring!
- Travelling with a local was a rewarding experience, as Jaco told us so much about South Africa in general (culture, history, daily life, etc.).
- I will never forget dinners Jaco cooked for us by the fire under the the clearest starry sky!!! He kindly let us help him prep the food, and that only added to the overall experience! The food was so delicious, and we are sure to try some of these recipes at home!
- Jaco has a great sense of humor, and over just 6 short days became more of a friend than a guide!
Jaco, thank you very much for creating this amazing experience for us! We are hoping to explore many more corners of the world with you in the future!
MD
Email Lana Mayor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jaco is the best tour guide you can find, we had an amazing experience! :)
I think that each tour or travel is as good as people who you spend it with.
First, Red Africa Safari did a really good job preparing our customized tour, every detail was covered and we felt so excited to start!
Second, Jaco our guide was very considerate and flexible with our wishes, he really wanted us to have a wonderful vacation and did everything for it! From the moment he met us at the airport and started driving, we felt well cared for and relaxed. We saw Panorama route with its breathtaking landscapes and enjoyed our drive with many jokes and laughter. We had a BBQ dinner each evening and it was so delicious! It took some convincing for Jaco to allow us to help him with dinner preparations and it was so much fun to do it together! He became a part of our group very quickly and it felt like a very good friend was on a trip with us :)
Another part we were very impressed was that Jaco knows everything about everything. Any question we asked was extensively covered and it was a highly educational trip regarding a life in South Africa and all the animals, birds and lands we came across. We could clearly see that he is very passionate about what he does :)
Our stay in Kruger park was wonderful as well, we saw the big 5 and many other animals and birds. The vacation felt beautiful and very well prepared. Thank you so much, we can't wait to be on our next vacation with you!
DE
Email Mara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I am hooked
That I like South Africa, that I already knew from a previous, private trip. But that this place would actually get under my skin, move me deeply and would have me longing to go back the moment I entered my plane back to Germany, that I did not expect. So how did that happen? Well basically it comes down to four letters: Jaco. Jaco, our guide for our Panorama Route and Kruger Park Tour has such a passion and great understanding for nature, wildlife and the lands' history, that his love for South Africa is simply contagious. Also did we as a group click very quickly and since everyone shared pretty much the same humour, it was a week full of learning, laughing and living to the fullest. Already planning our next trip with Red Africa Safaris and Jaco. Highly recommendable.
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Email John Hogmire | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unbelievable tour, just fantastic
Jaco, the tour guide pick us up and started the tour of a life time. He was great. He explained everything we were going to do. He asked a lot of questions on what we wanted to do. We were very impressed. We saw so many thing we did not even know existed in Africa. We was very knowledgeable and had some great stories that really set us up the next experience. The trip was very educational, fun, and one that will most likely never be beat.
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Email Elisabeth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This trip was AMAZING, better than we could have ever hoped!
The entire process for this Safari was flawless. Amelia ensured that our arrangements we aligned and the trip was planned to maximize our ability to see not only the wildlife but the amazing landscape and waterfalls in South Africa. I learned more during this trip, than I did during my zoology class in college. Jaco was extremely knowledgeable and shared his extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna in the region. There are so many highlights it is difficult to call out just one, so a few that we experienced- walking with the lions at the big cat sanctuary , playing with the lion and tiger cubs, Moholoholo Rehab CenterMac Mac Waterfalls, Lisbon Waterfall, bush walking and seeing how graceful giraffes are in full stride, ELEPHANTS!!! walking with them and getting a kiss, plus the ones who walked around our vehicle while in Kruger. This trip was beyond my wildest expectations and would love to go back and spend more time with Jaco-- learning about the conservation efforts in the area and how all the species interact. A++++++ trip.
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Email Dr. Shaun Hines | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jacko is absolutely the best tour guide I have ever had the opportunity to work with.
This tour was with every ounce of the word AMAZING. The itinerary that was laid out was a great balance to see the whole of Southern Africa and what it was about. The parts of my trip that stand out to me the most include the Lion interaction including a lion walk which was fantastic and yes I ACTUALLY WALKED amongst lions definitely something that you don't do every day. The landscape of Africa was truly a sight to behold as Jacko was able to teach me a lot about the history as well as the different ecosystems that exist in Africa. We had the opportunity to stay at multiple different lodges each with their own unique character and pleasantries. The Bush walk and Kruger national Park is a thrilling experience as you learn about the animals that exist within the park and how they contribute to their environment. Red African Safaris maintains and extremely professional rapport with the companies they work with. And I can say without a doubt that Red African Safaris does not work with anybody that they themselves do not trust. In regards to the animal trainers most of them were moderately humorous making the tour both fun and educational but ALL The animal trainers were very skilled in their craft and made not only myself but the rest of the group feel at ease. In regards to expectations the only thing I wanted to do was have an enjoyable relaxing vacation with the people that I was traveling with, but this vacation far exceeded anything that I could have imagined. But despite the well planned itinerary, the absolutely BEST part of the trip was our Tour guide Jacko, he is what brought the whole trip together. It is very apparent that he is passionate about people, about the wild life and the land and its' history in which he lives. He looked after us, cooked us South African BBQ (which his meals were nothing short of amazing) and taught us all about South Africa. As a physician he even taught me about information that I can use to treat patients who have had run-ins with dangerous animals.
Hands-down this was an absolutely unforgettable trip and I would recommend Red African Safaris to anyone who asked with out hesitation. I myself have already begun looking into future trips with Red African Safaris and of course Jacko as my tour guide.
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Email Kristina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jacko created the most extraordinary, educational, and incredible experiences of a lifetime.
Our South African safari was everything we could have hoped for and more. I learned so much, saw so much, and came home with even more memories. It is a tough task to see all the best of South Africa in a 6 day safari, but Red Africa Safaris and Jacko made it happen. From the animal interactions to the waterfalls and canyons, to Kruger national park, this trip was an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. All the lodging we stayed in exceeded expectations and each one provided a unique experience from the huts in Kruger where Jacko graciously cooked up true south african barbecue overnight (AMAZING) to the chalet we were able to stay in with breathtaking views and amazing guest rooms. There was not a single downside or regret to the entire trip. If anyone ever asks me about a safari, Red Africa safaris and Jacko are the only way to go if you want to truly enjoy your experience and if you want such a uniquely outfitted trip that fits your bucket list checklist. My mother dreamed of interacting with elephants, my boyfriend of seeing the landscapes, and I of visiting Kruger and the conservation centers. Every bucket list item was met in excess and I honestly can say that having our own personal tour guide in Jacko is what made this experience so perfect. His knowledge, personal experiences and stories, and amazing cooking are what ensured that if we ever travel to Africa again we will be requesting that he be our guide! Without hesitation, this is the company to book your trip through and I hope anyone in the future will have the same stunning experiences to last a lifetime that my family and I had.
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Email John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our trip was simply amazing! It exceeded our expectations in every way.
Our trip was simply amazing! It exceeded our expectations in every way. South Africa and Swaziland (now eSwatini) were beautiful; the waterfalls, mountains and scenery were outstanding. We found the people to be very friendly and engaging. Our guide, Jaco was the BEST! Incredibly knowledgeable about everything.... animals, birds, plants and a great cook as well. When asked "what wildlife did we see?", my answer is "what did we not see!" The accommodations were very comfortable and in some of the most beautiful locations.
I have not stopped talking about our trip since we got home and have told everyone that I talk to about Red Africa Safaris!