Personal & Genuine African Safaris
Siya Phambile Expeditions
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $14 to $828 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Jeremy Noble | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Engaging, enthusiastic, knowledgable, flexible and very helpful
The whole trip was organised to perfection even against a backdrop of continuing pressures due to the COVID pandemic. Communication was clear and concise, the quality of the places we visited and stayed were excellent and very good value for money. The guides were reliable and the tour itself brilliantly organised and executed.
CH
Email Martin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Friendly flexible & fun tour!
Benjerman was super responsive to all my questions when planning this safari. It was fantastic having his local knowledge at this busy time of year to avoid the crowds. Our family of three got to see the big five +++. He selected great lodges for our trip.
FI
Email Juha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant trip, lifelong memories
My wife and I had an excellent two-week trip with Benjamin from Siya Phambile Expeditions. Everything worked out perfectly well and we had an unforgettable trip experiencing African wildlife, history, and present culture. Communication before the trip was excellent, the booking process straightforward and all questions were answered. Also small modifications to the itinerary worked out perfectly. He has asked about our special interests and included all extras we requested. He has, too, organized transfers for the week we spent independently in KwaZulu-Natal at a short notice and took care that also there things worked out with no problems.
The trip was perfect from the pickup at the airport in Johannesburg to the dropoff at Tembe elephant park. The game drives were brilliant. Benjamin is a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic wildlife guide. Without him we would not have had so many and high quality wildlife sightings. He provided invaluable information about the animals and was able to reconstruct what was going on only by hearing hyena calls from distance, for example. Added with knowledge of how to situate the car by knowing beforehand what was going on + might happen made it possible to have very near encounters with animals, if one was lucky, and we certainly were, on multiple occasions. Also the ability to spot animals from great distance while driving was impressive. Most of that would have passed us by if we would have done self-driving.
The food was very tasty, Benjamin is an excellent cook. We got introduced to South African grilling culture, which was a memorable experience by itself.
It was our first safari and certainly not the last one. We look forward to more adventures with Siya Phambile in the future.
HU
Email Judit | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent and very personal service - a perfect trip
Most people think that there are only two ways of visiting South Africa – self-drive or luxury lodges. There is also a third possibility: a private guided tour. It guarantees privacy (unlike game drives at lodges that are mostly shared) and a professional guide, who will spot animals you could easily overlook. We have met travelers who spent a similar amount of time at Kruger like us, but never saw any leopard or cheetah, only a few lions from distance. In contrast, on a guided tour with Siya Phambile Expeditions we saw 3 leopards, spent an hour with a cheetah and her two cubs and saw many lions close up, including a kill that took place just in front of us.
Siya Phambile is the only company I found that offers cultural tours in combination with a safari. We have visited in addition to a week at Kruger also Mapungubwe national park with its beautiful landscapes and rich history and the Venda and Tsonga people in the province of Limpopo. These authentic cultural experiences were very special and we will always treasure them.
From the initial contact with Benjamin I knew that we will be in good hands. He has answered all the questions I had and made sure we got a trip tailored to our interests, with great attention to detail. Due to Covid, I have contacted him only a month before travelling, and he managed to organise a perfect trip at such short notice. The last weekend of our journey was even a national holiday in South Africa, but Benjamin has managed to secure accomodation at Southern Kruger even for this time frame.
Food and accommodation during the trip were great. Benjamin made sure that the food fit our dietary requirements and preferences. In addition, delicious snacks were provided during game drives.
As stated above, Benjamin is a very professional guide, who would spot animals from a distance. His driving skills are excellent - he navigated all kinds of road conditions with ease. During game drives, he knew how to position the vehicle even in crowded situations in Southern Kruger in a way that we got a great view every time. He always kept an eye on the whole picture, for example from the behaviour of herbivores he was able to tell if there might be any predators around. We have learned a lot about different animals from his explanations. Also he is a very friendly and pleasant person to be around, which is not unimportant if you have to spend a couple of weeks with a guide.
We are experienced travellers, but this 16-day safari with Siya Phambile was a very special experience for us. It was perhaps the best trip we took so far. We are already planning to return to South(ern) Africa next year and will certainly book with Siya Phambile again.
LV
Email Maris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful experience and perfectly organized a littlebit complicated tour.
We started plan our tour 1 year ago.The communication was exelent and very qick.We and Bebjamin finded the best decisions,how to see the Cape Town,winerys,Victoria falls,Botsvana safari and Kruger national park.We saw a lot of animals,big five and the leopard too.In these days national avio company was on strike,but Benjamin solved all the problems.Beautiful safari,beautiful excursions and great time whith Siya Phambile Expeditions.
CA
Email Michele Gaudreau | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Benjamin Wilson and Siya Phambile have provided a wonderful, unforgettable, made-to-measure trip.
Dear Benjamin, this review is in the form of a letter to you. When we left home in Quebec, we didn’t know exactly what to expect, having never traveled in South Africa before. But from the get-go your emails in response to our many questions were always prompt, clear, complete and friendly. This gave us confidence that Siya Phambile was a good, trustworthy company and that we would be taken good care of. We were.
The 14-day expedition which Diane (59) and I (70 ) went on with you in Zulu Land was so much more than we could ever have dreamed. So full of discoveries, marvels and laughs! It is one thing to go on game drives 6 hours a day in a group, it is quite another to be accompanied at every step by a guide who is passionate about his work and so able to share his knowledge of wild animals, birds and people. AND what a good cook you are! Those wonderful omelets in the morning outside our tents were a great way to start the day.
Thanks to your caring and personal attention to every detail of this amazing trip, our experience in the African bush will remain with us forever. We thank you and Siya Phambile with all our hearts. Who knows, we might write to you again soon...
Michele
US
Email Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience.
Benjamin was great to work with. I started planning my trip one year in advance and Benjamin made sure to respond to all questions relating to the trip. Our trip consisted of us visiting Cape Town, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), and Kruger National Park.
Upon arrival, Benjamin was there to pick us up and take us to our hotel. While in Cape Town, Benjamin took us to see Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point, and wine tasting in Franschoek. Table Mountain was spectacular. We had the option of hiking up to the top but decided on taking the tram (quicker to the top) in order to enjoy the views from above. Cape Point had amazing views and we could have easily taken picture after picture. The wine tasting in Franschoek was great. You jump on a Wine Tram which takes you from vineyard to vineyard. By far the best day weather wise.
Our next stop was Victoria Falls. Although Benjamin did not join us in Victoria Falls, he ensured our airport transfers to and from hotel had been arranged along with booking our excursions for the two days we were there. We had dinner on the Zambezi river at Sunset and words cannot describe how beautiful it was. The following day was a trip to Victoria Falls and we were in awe of how beautiful and massive the falls were. Didn't realize it was the biggest in the world. My group of friends split up for the next excursion as half decided to walk with lions and the other half spent it with elephants. Yes, we actually walked with lions! Such a surreal experience that I will never forget. My other friends had a wonderful time interacting with elephants by feeding, petting and spending some time with them. Our last dinner was a drum show at BOMA. We enjoyed the drum show and were able to participate in the dancing in the end.
Our last stop was Kruger National Park. Benjamin met us back in Johannesburg to finish the last leg of our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our Safari. We had a combination of night and day time safari's. We saw every wild life possible except for a Rhino. But how can you be disappointed when the views were spectacular, we got to see lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, leopard, buffalo and even Wild Dogs! Our campsite was great and big enough for our party of 11. We enjoyed a day on the deck and watching wildlife walk along the dry riverbed. Great time for us all.
In the end, we could not have asked for a better experience and Benjamin was the best host and tour guide. The entire trip was excellent. My friends and I really enjoyed our time and I would highly recommend him.
US
Email Molly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!!
This was my first visit to Africa and to be honest...I had no idea what to expect and was a bit nervous. The trip turned out to be one that far exceeded my expectations with great memories that will last a lifetime. Benjamin is an awesome tour guide who clearly has a passion for the wild and all the great things Africa has to offer.
The tour was set up perfectly where we were introduced to South Africa in Cape Town. We were able to explore all the great neighborhoods Cape Town has to offer while slowly immersing ourselves into the African culture. We then visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe which moved us a bit deeper into Africa and gave us a great taste of what we could expect in the wild bush of Africa. The final piece of the tour was Kruger National Park where we came face to face with Africa's beautiful wildlife and experienced nature like never before.
Throughout the trip Benjamin was professional but also a lot of fun. We learned a lot and experienced things we never would have if it hadn't been for this amazing trip. We met some incredible people and made a few more friends along the way. Booking a trip with Siya Phambile was great choice and one that I would make again.
US
Email William Drake | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Had a wonderful trip and experience with Benjamin . Everything went like clockwork.
The Safari was a trip of a lifetime. Benjamin was an excellent guide and the safari was tailored to our wish list. The Kalahari was a wonderful adventure and we even did two nights wild camping in Botswana. I would highly recommend Siya Phambile to any one who would prefer a more personal safari experience.
ES
Email José Luis Lopez Ortiz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic experience with excellent involvement of the guide in all activities described on the tour
It was a great safari thanks to Benjamin Wilson who was all time working to provide the best quality of service and his treatment was like our friend. We will repeat other tour with him in the near future and we also recommend to our friends
We are really satisfied with better results than expected