Kruger Park Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $110 to $276 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Asghar Fakhr | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Not good
I do not recomend it to anyone. Problem is not in the camp. The probvlem comes, what you contract and what you find there. Mike send me Shiduli Lodge picture, but later spoke about Chisomo River Lodge, and my Family and me finalized in Chisomo Camp.
They are using Kuruger name!!?? I do not know why?? Kruger Park is something Fantastic; but this is an open zoo only.
Reply from Kruger Park Travel
Posted on Jan 12, 2016It is most unfortunate to receive a review like this as the client has not been in touch with us to complain. However that said I would like to try explain our side of the story.
The client came to see me at our offices and it was considered a last minute booking as he wanted to travel on the 27 December 2015 and he gave me only a few weeks to arrange the entire trip including flights. December is peak season and there was no availability inside the Kruger Park.
Initially the client sent an enquiry for a tented lodge and I then managed to secure a safari for him at Chisomo Lodge which forms part of the same reserve as Shiduli Game Lodge. The safari included a private pick up for him in Pretoria as well as a drop off at the Hoedspruit airport on the last day including flights back to Johannesburg.
Chisomo is certainly not in the Kruger Park and I never claimed it to be, as it is a Private Reserve near Hoedspruit. I did send the client information regarding the trip and he was aware that the booking was at Chisomo.
It is with regret that the safari did not live up to the family's expatiations and I apologise for any miss communication or miss conception the client had regarding the trip.
The lesson learnt for me is to make sure the clients understands exactly what they are getting when they book and pay for a trip.
Best Regards
Mike Swart
US
Email Daniel H | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Hello Angela,
I just wanted to say thank you for helping me to plan and execute the best vacation my wife and I have ever been on. It was absolutely flawless and seamless. From the accommodations, to the experiences, to the transfers everything was tremendous and perfect. You were incredible with assisting me with every question I had and providing explanations to things I didn't understand and needed help with. I have been bragging about Kruger Park Travel non stop since I have been back and recommending to everyone if they want to plan a vacation to Africa to contact you and I have provided them with your email address. My wife had never been out of the United States and she was very nervous about traveling to Africa because she didn't know what to expect. She has completely over joyed with everything you setup for us. We both want to go back in a couple of years and I will definitely be contacting you to help me plan our next adventure to Africa. Once again thank you for everything and you are awesome!!!
AE
Email Laszlo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Miscommunication or misunderstanding?
Having read the other reviews I must say apparently Kruger Park Travel just had a few bad days when organizing my trips. I am happy nobody had to go thru the horrors I had experienced!
In short, written confirmation of trip details were not held and I had to pay extra to meet my expectations of private safaris, once I faced the situation. When I complained about this, the first reaction was immediately to threaten me with the company lawyer! I presented all email communications to them, but nobody bothered to give me any fair explanation of how this could have happened.
Reply from Kruger Park Travel
Posted on Jan 14, 2017Good afternoon Laszlo,
Thank you for submitting a review. All reviews good or bad help us to improve on our service to future clients. You are indeed correct that your trip was unfortunately one of those trips that if something could go wrong it certainly did. I believe there was a miss understanding between you and our offices in regards to your exact requirements.
We did however try our best to resolve the issue whilst you were on safari and to my knowledge your wife eventually received what she was expecting.
I am extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused by the misunderstanding but assure you it is and always will be our intention to provide clients with a full travel service that allows them to relax and enjoy their holiday with the peace of mind knowing that all their arrangements are in order.
In regards to your allegation of threatening you with our Companies Lawyer. I only indicated to you that I will defend our Companies good name and integrity even if a lawyer is required. It was not my intention to threaten you and I apologize if that is how it was perceived by you.
Again please accept my sincerest apologies as it was never our intention not to provide you the service you desired and paid for.
Best Regards
Michael Swart
ES
Email Clara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They never sent me detailed info of my trip. I had to claim dinners and sunset safari :(
The Outlook Safaris made the transfers and there were always on time. We also stayed one night near the airpot. I like the accommodation and the food. The Hippo Hollow hotel was nice also and the Kurt Safari Co was great with good guides.
The only problem was Kruger Park Travel. We had to continually write asking for times of our trip because they never sent us detailed information. We also had to claim dinners, they are already paid and the hotel did not know it. They tried to give us a safari day instead of one morning and one afternoon . And it's not the same! in the heat of the day they are not animals.
We had to argue a lot with Kylie and got to give us a night safari on the last day ... but the information never came, we spend four days asking the guides and the staff if they knew what we had to do that day. I would never hire this agency.
Reply from Kruger Park Travel
Posted on Jul 17, 2016Dear Clara,
My sincerest apologies that you found aspects of your trip planning and co ordination unsatisfactory. I assure you that we strive to provide our clients with the best possible advice and recommendations before and during the trip.
After investigation I can provide some light on the matter.
1. Our reservations team emailed you the travel voucher which would contain all the times and pick ups for your safari drives. It would seem that you never received that voucher and for that I do apologize.
2. Our suppliers call the hotel each and every night to confirm pick up times and this has worked well for us for many years, as we are not on tour with you. If this too never happened, I apologize again and will certainly investigate the short comings.
3. In regards to the dinners, I will certainly follow up with the hotel as this is certainly un acceptable as we make a booking and pay for breakfast, dinner and the bed night.
4. The tour that was booked never included a night drive, and just to explain, we do not facilitate the night drives. This is done by the National Park Rangers and they have a minimum departure requirement and also can cancel at the last minute. So it is extremely difficult to make confirmed booking until on the day, unless there is already other people booked on the trip.
I am however pleased that my suppliers provided you with a sufficient service and I will extend the message onto them.
Please accept once again my sincerest apologies, but if you had just received the travel voucher, all of the above could have been avoided.
Michael Swart
Managing Director
Email Angela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great personal service and all queries followed up
I booked this tour from Australia and was very happy with the level of service relating to the many queries I had whilst choosing a tour operator. I travelled alone and was wanting to have all details of the booking, including stopover in Johannesburg arranged prior to final selection.
Kruger Park Travel includes phone contact ability (some operators do not) and direct conversation made it very easy to finalise everything. Will definitely recommend to others considering Safari trip
US
Email Guido | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour thanks to an extraordinary travel agency!
We bought the three-day safari in Kruger Park staying at the Sabie River Lodge from this travel agency, hesitating because they are an intermediate operator, but we had a great experience. They picked us up from our hotel in Negombo, close to the Jo’burg Airport, and drove us for five hours to the lodge; we checked in and that night, from 5 to 8 pm, did the sunset safari seeing elephants, a rhino and giraffes. The hotel has an excellent location close to the Kruger gate and has from 12 to 18 hippopotamus in the river portion across its terrace permanently. The next day we did the whole-day safari, from 5:30 to 16 hours, seeing lions, buffaloes, hippos, etc. And the third day we drove back to Jo’burg. All the services and meals were outstanding and included! The price was very reasonable but beverages were not included.
IN
Email Cittrarsu | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice experience
Many more animals in this park, yeah super entertainment
US
Email Steve | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
They accomplished what I needed accomplished, efficiently, expertly and economically.
I wanted a good safari experience during the height of the season. Kruger Park Travel found a lodge that was within my budget and afforded me the experience to see the Big Five plus dozens of other species and, even, a Toyota.
Outstanding African Adventure
Recently my family and I had the pleasure of experiencing a most excellent African adventure which included safari experiences in Chobe National Park, Botswana, Kruger National Park in South Africa and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We also spent time in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. My wife and I traveled with our ten year-old son and we had a fabulous time and will relish the memories we made for a lifetime. All of the accommodations, flight itineraries, meals, activities, etc. were extremely well planned, and I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to Michael and Kylie of Kruger Park Travel for their professional efforts on our behalf.
Email Wendy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Tour, the best experience
We had a fantastic experience from the 1st email to the last day of our tour. Everyone that we spoke to or met were extremely helpful and did everything possible to give us what we wanted. We were very lucky that we had a small group of ten and from day 1 we all hot on so well. Our tour was fantastic and we saw all of the main attractions of South Africa plus more. Our guide was very professional but but joined in with all our silly game's. The extra tours were fantastic and we were lucky in the safari's that we saw 4 of the five big animals. We visited some beautiful places and would thoroughly recommend booking with Kruger Park Travel.