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
CA
Email Erin Robitaille | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Epic!
What a trip!!! This was truly a dream come true for me! My husband and I went to both Kenya and Tanzania on our honeymoon and booked with Safari partners. It surpassed all our expectations. Chris was beyond helpful making suggestions and answering our million questions. This trip was a breeze from the moment we landed in Africa to when we arrived home. Every detail was planned, we showed up and were treated so well by everyone that we met along the way. I know one day we will be going back to Africa and we will for sure be booking with Chris again! Thank you Safari Partners for all the dreams you made come true on this trip of a life time!
CA
Email Cathy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a lifetime!
This was indeed the trip of a lifetime! I travelled with my daughters to Tanzania after booking with the Safari Partners and Chris took care of every detail. Every part of our trip went smoothly so we were able to fully enjoy our experience without a worry.
The accommodations were stunning, with gorgeous backdrops of the African landscape. All the staff were friendly, helpful and we were well taken care of. Our guide on safari was very knowledgable, personable and an excellent driver! We were able to see the " big five " , as well as so many other animal and bird species.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Safari Partners and very much hope to be able to return to Africa some day.
CA
Email Andrew and Katherine | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Botswana
Safari Partners put together a wonderful and memorable trip for us to Botswana and South Africa. The arrangements (flights, hotels, transfers, rental car, game drives, etc) went so smoothly; we never had a single hassle. Chris was always there to answer questions and take care of details. We appreciated the quick response time. Botswana was the highlight for us: so much better than we could have imagined, both in the number and variety of animals we saw, the quality of the accommodations and the friendly, sophisticated service. Katherine had never had her gluten intolerance accommodated so well! We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Safari Partners.
CA
Email Kelly Stubson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Chris and Safari Partners put together a perfectly co-ordinated and executed safari trip for us.
We had high expectations of our trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our trip exceeded those expectations on every level. From my initial contact with Chris, relaying to him what we wanted to do, to his recommended itinerary and to our face to face meeting, where he answered all questions, the process was perfect.
We stayed in four lodges, with two of them being remote, fly-in, bush camps. The places were exactly as pictured (no brochure shock), but what could not have been relayed prior to our arrival, was the warmth, friendliness and happiness of the staff that ran and worked in the lodges. The food in all locations was fantastic. Because each of the lodges, (other than the Ilala Lodge in Victoria Falls), was small, we got to know our fellow travellers and the staff on more than just a superficial level. The guides and trackers were highly knowledgeable and accommodating, always trying to get us the best views and positions for their photo happy clients. The managers and guides even ate meals with the guests, which further enhanced our stay as we got to find out about their lives and families.
The animal sightings were off the charts. The skill of the trackers and guides to actually track the big cats, and to lead us to them was fascinating. Tracking a leopard for an hour was exciting and fun.
There were so many aspects of the trip that fantastic, that there is no way to relay them all to any prospective client. I would just have to say, that we would not hesitate to recommend Safari Partners to anyone contemplating an African adventure. We will be contacting Chris in the future to help us book further trips to one of the most truly beautiful and friendliest places on the planet. Thanks Chris and Safari Partners for making us such happy clients!
CA
Email Peter & Brian - Peterborough, Canada | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Kenya Cheetah Safari - Guide Victor was excellent in knowledge and concern for our comfort.
We (father/son) searched about six safari companies and came away with The Safari Partners (Chris in Vancouver) as the most impressive for safaris offered, pricing and presentation of information. Chris was very prompt in his replies to our numerous queries and answered all concerns in a manner that felt very personable. Prior to leaving on our trip we received a good information prep kit as to packing, expectations, etc. along with some items we used on safari.
The safari was my 4th and my son's first and it was truly perfect. Our driver was Victor of African Horizons who, it felt like, became a good friend soon after our pickup. He was quite friendly, knowledgeable and told us many interesting things about Kenya. The safari itself was well laid out as to experiencing the wildlife of Africa from basic to great excitement. The first park had the most common animals one would expect to see, such as the various herds, to the next two parks, where we saw rhinos and hippos up close and eventually to the Masai Mara as the final game reserve and seeing the Big Five we had yet to see.....lion and leopard. It was like a build up through the trip, so the planning for this safari was certainly well done. My son wasn't happy about tents since we had just climbed Kilimanjaro, but the "tents" on this safari were luxury.
Our family loves safaris and we will certainly look to The Safari Partners again.
CA
Email Cindy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Canadian Tour Company, professional & thorough
We found the Safari Partners using google- not many Canadian safari companies out there. I was a little apprehensive at first- since i didn't see very many reviews online. Well, Chris was beyond patient with me- answering my (many) questions and changing dates when needed. Emails were answered regularly, all paperwork was in order and everything went smoothly. From the airline they chose (safarilinks) to setting us up at Encounter Mara- it was beyond expectation. The camp itself was amazing- food, the service, the guides- we couldn't have ask for anything better. Chris & Staff... thanks for helping us make memories to last a lifetime!
CA
Email Don | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Safari Partners were amazing from our first contact until we had completed our trip!
A safari trip is costly and for many is a once in a lifetime trip. Researching safari companies can be overwhelming. There are many and they offer many options. I can save you some time and grief - contact The Safari Partners from Vancouver, Canada! My wife and I recently completed a "Gorillas, Game, and Beaches" trip with The Safari Partners to East Africa. Right from our initial e-mails to Chris Ronneseth at The Safari Partners everything was handled in a very professional manner. Chris patiently responded to all of our concerns in a respectful and informative manner, often only minutes after we sent the e-mail.
While we were in Africa everything went as planned. All of the companies that The Safari Partners use in Africa are top notch. The guides and drivers went out of their way to ensure that we had the best experience possible. We saw the big five in our first day in the Maasai Mara. The accommodations and meals were amazing. We had high expectations for our trip and it surpassed them in every way!
We had a flight from Kigali to Nairobi on Super Bowl Sunday. Our flight was cancelled and I e-mailed Chris from the Kigali airport. He responded in minutes, reassured us, and contacted the folks in Nairobi to let them know our situation. When we arrived in Nairobi several hours later, Chris had arranged everything and our trip was right back on track. Incredible!
We have no hesitation in recommending The Safari Partners!
CA
Email Paul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded expectations
Safari partners genuinely designed a tour that matched my needs. They clearly understood my expectations , wants , and concerns.
Travelling with a family of 6 including 4 Young children had me somewhat concerned about safety . Never once did I feel uncomfortable .
The safari itself was exceptional , I think In large part because the location and lodging matched our needs.
The best part of the trip was the interaction with local people and tribes . Again, professionaly managed .
CA
Email Travis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Phenomenal Organising!
Chris helped plan our honeymoon that included a 10 day trip in Joburg, and Zambia that included Livingston (Victoria Falls), Lower Zambezi, and South Luangwa. Excellent itinerary and we saw all the animals we wanted and it was the luxury vacation that we were looking for. He had chosen the best operators among the variety of camps offered and we were well prepped for the trip. Highly recommend Chris and Safari Partners!
CA
Email Jim and Marilyn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bucket list trip of a lifetime.
This was our first trip to Africa, to mark our 50th anniversary. We had spent a lot of time researching safaris online, ending up quite confused about where and when to go. We arranged a meeting with Chris after finding the Safari Partners online; he took the time to find out what we wanted to see and a few days later sent us a proposal covering the animals we wanted to see at the time the flowers would be out in South Africa.
Chris booked us into 3 luxury tented camps in Kenya and 1 in Botswana. All were small camps with excellent facilities, friendly and efficient staff and all featured excellent meals and hospitality. Our guides were all excellent and we had a fantastic experience. We flew between camps, the connections Chris had set up all worked seamlessly.
We had a 2 day break in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We had to fly into Livingston, Zambia due to airline schedules, but again Chris had helped us with the visas needed and we were met and transported through the border and to our lodge on the Zimbabwe side.
We ended our Africa adventure with 10 days in South Africa, at Cape Town and driving the Garden Route. Once again we were met at the airport and transported as promised and enjoyed the friendly, efficient small hotel Chris had booked, as well as the tours that had been arranged. The drive along the Garden Route was set up with short, leisurely drives. We had a good experience at all the places we stayed. We were impressed that the car from Europcar was exactly as described.
Chris provided us with a great deal of background information about packing, especially for the small planes we were taking, about normal tipping expectations, and about what we could expect at our various destinations.
We were totally pleased with the trip Chris set up for us.