On Safari in the Mara
The Safari Partners
- Located In:
-
Canada
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- IATA, ACTA & TOPAC
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Reg and Marianne Walsh | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memorable Safari Adventure to Zimbabwe and Botswana ,extremely well organised by Chris Ronneseth
Well what can we say what hasn't already said by Gary and Donna Jopling.
All of the trip was very well organised .Communication and dealings with Safari partners prior to this trip were excellent and after this experience we would have no hesitation in recommending Safari Partners
We loved both camps we stayed in (Elephant Camp in Zimbabwe and Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge in Botswana).Staying in these camps has been a real treat!
All of the staff looked after us very well indeed:They were friendly and attentive and nothing seemed too much.
The food and accommodation were first class .
CA
Email Ashley and Cliff Proceviat | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Memorable Rwandan Expertly Planned
Chris arranged a trip filled with superlatives for us.
I give Chris full credit for the quality of the people in Rwanda who looked after us: Benson's warm welcome at the Kigali airport; driver /guide Afrika's friendship and local knowledge; and gorilla guide extraordinaire Francois' gorilla encounters and language lessons.
We had the BEST driver/guide Afrika who shared his information about the resilience of the country after the genocide, safely drove us to and from Volcano National Park to see the gorillas happily looked after our every need. We had the BEST accommodation at our "Gorilla Villa" complete with singers and dancers on the lawn as we arrived. We had the BEST gorilla guide Francois whose antics teaching us how to speak gorilla and whose expertise allowed us an amazing close encounter with these endangered animals.
Chris - you are the BEST for arranging such an outstanding trip. We will definitely use your travel services again and recommend you to others. Many Thanks
CA
Email Henry and Deb | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Victoria Falls and Botswana
Amazing and absolutely first rate.
Three nights in Elephant Camp and three nights in Xudum. Both facilities were terrific with wonderful accommodations, gourmet meals, outstanding staff and incredible nature to enjoy.
Thanks Chris and The Safaris Partners for all the preparations and arrangements that you and your team provided. Our trip went incredibly smooth and was certainly one of our best.
CA
Email Brian Harvey | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Perfect Safari Experience
My wife and I contemplated a safari trip and wanted to maximize the wildlife experience and exposure to East African culture while respecting the impact to the environment, and contributing to the East African community in some notable way. I'm thrilled to report that the Safari Partners - and Chris Ronneseth specifically - exceeded all of our expectations in this regard. Our experience was truly amazing - and managed to somehow exceed our own expectations for everything we hoped to see and experience while in Tanzania.
The Safari Partners recommended the Asilia group camps for all of our African safari - and these people absolutely understand their business - I was very impressed with how "locked down" their entire process was (from pickups to dropoffs, organization of all of our activities, meals, etc). We were very impressed with their commitment to the environment, the local communities they operate in, etc - this was a real plus for us in understanding our impact in coming to Africa and made us appreciate the decision to leverage Asilia even more. The guides were top notch at all 3 camps we visited, (Oliver's, The Highlands and Kimondo Mobile Camp) and the 3 recommended by Safari Partners offered a terrific cross section of experiences that resulted in us seeing the big 5, 3 of the dangerous 5 (the only 3 in Africa) and basically everything we had hoped we would see. The camps were beautiful and each very different. And despite truly remote experiences in the middle of the "safari action", there was still some room to be pampered with cold drinks, and beautifully prepared meals. We came to love the morning wake up call - with staff bringing a tray with hot coffee/tea and a few cookies to slowly start your day. The "Sundowner" was another tradition we came to appreciate - stopping to view the sunset over the African plains or hillsides while enjoying a cold beverage and snack - what memories!
Our personal favourite camp was Oliver's with the tent location and wildlife viewing, the inclusion of night game drives and walking safari's, our tent, etc. We really enjoyed everything going on there. We also particularly enjoyed the organized cultural visit to the Maasai village and the interaction with the people there at The Highlands camp - That was a very unique experience. And of course our stay at Kimondo within the Serengeti offered such a vast wildlife experience and variety of ecosystems, it is tough not to have a soft spot for that location.
Overall, I feel we had the perfect trip - and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Safari Partners and the Asilia camps if anyone ever asks me about a trip to Africa. We would also highly recommend you take advantage of a stopover from North America on your way to Africa. We took a few days in Amsterdam and it provided just the right break to get acclimatized to the time zone changes, and be well rested before you head into Africa for the main attraction.
The reviews are real - Check them out.
CA
Email Ruth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memories for a lifetime
We stumbled across Chris and The Safari Partners during an internet search. We had been in contact with two US-based tour operators and had been disappointed in their proposals so we broadened our search. Reading the other reviews on this site prompted us to reach out to Chris and the rest is history. He listened very closely to our wish list and took the time to understand the type of experience we wanted. The result was pure magic.
Our trip consisted of 3 safari camps in Tanzania and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The safari camps were Asilia properties and I cannot say enough about this wonderful company. Each property is totally different. The Highlands, with its futuristic domes, is high up and has amazing views. The accommodations were superb as were the food and staff. Ubuntu, a mobile camp, is homey and comfortable; it's incredible how they operate at such a high standard in the middle of the Serengeti. Finally, the all-women Dunia camp is charming and cozy. Leaving each camp was like leaving family and friends. Asilia must be commended for its high standards, excellent staff and community development.
Of course, our main purpose was to see wildlife and, in that regard, our expectations were met a thousand times over. The guides in each camp were wonderful, very knowledgeable, passionate about their work and eager to please. They know the territory like the back of their hands and are expert at spotting wildlife in the most obscure places. We were blessed to see a wildebeest giving birth, lions mating and countless other slice of life moments on our numerous game drives.
To top off an incredible safari experience, we took a sunrise hot air balloon ride. The Serengeti Balloon company is a top-notch professional outfit. The operation is run like clockwork and the result is a magnificent overview of an beautiful landscape filled with wildlife, and followed by a hearty champagne breakfast.
The final leg of our trip was Rwanda to visit the mountain gorillas. We spent a night in Kigali and visited the Genocide Museum. Although a difficult series of exhibits, it is a must-see. Then on to the mountains. Our accommodations here were so-so but they were incidental to our reason for being there. The purpose was to trek up the mountain and spend an hour with the mountain gorillas. At times, the climb was tough as we were slogging through dense jungle but our guide and the porters were skilled and patient in getting us there in one piece. Our family was the Hirwa (or Lucky) group. The huge silverback sat calmly as we entered his domain and allowed us to enjoy his rambunctious family. A female with 7-month-old infant also let us observe her mothering skills while several juveniles played on the ground and in nearby trees. An hour passed by in a blink and then we had to leave this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I would highly recommend Chris and The Safari Partners. This was a bucket list trip and the memories will last a lifetime.
US
Email Rolf | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of a Lifetime - Thank You Chris and Safari Partners!!!
It was my father's dream to take a trip to Africa. At 83 years old, the opportunities were getting more difficult to come by, and I needed to make sure we were going to be taken care of. I worked with Chris at Safari Partners to set up an itinerary that included Victoria Falls, 3 safaris in Botswana, 6 days in Cape Town, and 3 days in Stellenbosch. To start with, Chris worked with us to customize our itinerary, answering our (OK, my dad's) myriad of questions (I'm not exaggerating!), assuaging concerns, etc. Then, from the time we landed to the time we left Africa, everything went perfectly. The boutique hotels and their staffs were great, the safari camps incredible, transfers seamless, and the private tour guides extremely knowledgeable and helpful. My dad, being the good German he is, always has high expectations for whatever he gets involved in, and will criticize anything that doesn't meet them. He couldn't have been happier with his experience, and I have to agree. You will not go wrong working with Safari Partners for your trip of a lifetime!
CA
Email Patti | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exciting South Aftican Safari!
We booked a family trip/safari to South Africa with Chris. He spent a lot of time getting our intentions and ideas right and made suggestions that were tailor made for us. A mother and three daughters traveling together - we definitely had lots of questions and concerns regarding the usual travel issues. Everything was booked and unexpectedly one of the daughters needed an emergency medical operation. Chris was away at the time, but picked up his emails, got on the situation right away and made alternate arrangements, rerouted flights etc. Three of us went and enjoyed every aspect of the trip. We are avid travelers and we have never used an agent before. I don't believe we could have done it without his expertise. The hotels offered excellent service and honestly we cannot thing of a negative. Well, one, my youngest didn't get to go ..... but we already have Chris on that one!
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Email Linda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent trip to Namibia. Second time booking an African trip through Chris. Very pleased. Gave
First used Safari Partners several years ago to book a train trip on the Shongololo and was very pleased. I used them again to book a trip to Namibia and again, had an excellent experience. Chris made a suggestion about which trip he thought I would enjoy the most and I trusted his opinion to follow his advise. I am very glad that I did. The trip far exceeded my expectations, and I have traveled to nine different countries on the continent of Africa. I gave his name to a friend who also booked a trip with him and they too are very happy with Chris and Safari Partners. I am planning to use them again to book a trip to Ethiopia next year. I highly recommend them.
CA
Email Sherry | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Trip Of A Lifetime
We found Chris and Safari Partners online while researching new destinations and boy what luck!! Chris was very well informed and provided choices for us in terms of destinations in Africa for first timers. I wanted to plan a great vacation for my husband for a milestone birthday, I saw so many great reviews and thought to take a chance with this company. I spoke to Chris a few times, gave him my list of preferences and a few ideas of destinations and of course a price cap. He put together an amazing itinerary for us, we wanted to see Victoria Falls so we had two fantastic nights in Zimbabwe at a beautiful lodge, took a river cruise and went to a boma. Loved Victoria Falls! We then headed to Cape Town to a fantastic home away from home Blackheath lodge, our private guide took us to every sight imaginable and kept wowing us with the knowledge and destinations. We then headed to wine country with our private guide, beautiful Stellenbosch and amazing food and wine and 5 star accommodations! Next was the "piece de resistance" with four extraordinary nights in Kruger National Park...wow, wow,wow...we loved the Simbavati River Lodge and staff. Our guides were amazing, food was great and the "visitors and residents" were exceptional!! We saw the big five, and everything else imaginable. Chris well done, everything went perfectly well, no hiccups, delays, additional costs, or stress!!! Everything was handled, we simply had to relax and enjoy our vacation. This company will be our "go to" for our next African adventure for sure....thank you Chris for ensuring my husband's birthday gift was perfect.
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Email Bas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic East Africa safari experience
After looking for reputable safari providers, I found The Safari Partners and contacted Chris about some of my wishes for my first Safari. After discussing the options, I selected the East Africa Express safari, going to 5 different parks in 10 days, making sure I experienced as much of East Africa as I could. I traveled by myself and ended up in a wonderful, small, group of people with whom I spent the next 10 days traveling, eating, and enjoying the experience. After the pick-up in Nairobi, the Boma hotel was a nice place to recover from the long trip and get ready for the start of the park visits. As soon as we entered the Masai Mara, we saw an abundance of wildlife, including 4 of the big 5 within the first 2 hours. The Ashnil camp in the heart of the Mara was a great experience, and ideally situated for the many game drives over the next 2 days. Moving on to Lake Victoria was a quiet and idyllic break from the game drives, I highly recommend visiting the fishing village of Mwabulugu, a short boat ride away from Speke Bay Lodge, a very nice lodge, especially since they are now on the electrical grid. Do try to get a hut near the lake, the ones further away from the lake get unbearably warm during the night, even with a floor or table fan. We were fortunate that our next stop, the Serengeti Sopa lodge was overbooked and we were upgraded to the Pioneer camp, an experience I won't soon forget. This camp is a treat in every sense, can't recommend it enough, and the Serengeti game drives were wonderful. Onwards to the Ngorongoro crater, which, while a lot dustier than the previous areas, provides a unique environment well worth exploring. Visiting a Masai village on the outskirts of the crater and jumping with the Masai was a great experience also. The Sopa Lodge at the rim of the crater was enormous, very much a mass-tourist experience, but well-situated, with large rooms and good facilities. The next and final stop was Tarangire national park, home of the Baobab tree and once again an abundance of wildlife. The Sopa lodge here was a much smaller scale than the one by the crater, but otherwise very similar in appearance and facilities.
All in all, thank you to Chris, Safari Partners, and the local operators, African Horizons, for making my first safari a fantastic experience. I will undoubtedly return to Africa, see some of the other countries, maybe fly instead of drive between camps, and will select The Safari Partners again as my tour operator.