Run Wild African Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $1,600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Unbelievable
Thus was going to be a trip of a lifetime and it absolutely turned out to be better than we could imagine. Arnold and his crew listened to our wishes prior to our arrival and this adventure exceeded our imagination. From our arrival in Johannesburg and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe we were well looked after and prepared. The people in Zimbabwe are absolutely amazing people. Arnold is from Zimbabwe and is the personification of the Zimbabwe people. Communication was easy and quick. Into the safaris themselves. We felt safe and secure throughout even facing an Elephant guarding the road to Victoria Falls. We saw the big five with Lions mating and roaring meters from our vehicle. The animals are so well camouflaged it’s incredible the guides even spot them. We were 20 meters from a black rhino and they were ahead to see in the bush but we saw him, heard him smelled him. Awesome. It’s difficult to describe everything as there were some surprises held out for us. We were at “Fly Camp” in southern Zimbabwe. Don’t look it up save the surprise. With that said the event was so unbelievable that we asked to go back the next evening. The camp chef prepared a meal there the next evening. Five star and we’ve eaten at Michelin starred restaurants. Fantastic food in a fantastic location. Same safari area we were on the lake with hippos and crocodiles. We had a hippo follow our boat and let us know we awere on his lake. Food and drink five star. Great accommodations. Just let Run Wild know what you want and they will exceed your expectations. I can not recommend this Safari company more highly. As an aside Arnold gives back to his community. He loves Zimbabwe gives back in so many special ways. Do yourself a favor, book with Run Wild and you will be back in Africa with them again. Jim Hiatt
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Email Dr Robert Beall | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic !!!
Run Wild Safaris was the BEST experience ! Truly the most remarkable travel experience I have ever had ! From the time I landed to the time I left, everything was handled perfectly. My nature guide Dumi was extremely knowledgeable and provided me with the most intimate tour of Zimbabwe imaginable. Arnold (the owner) joined us and was a delight to get to know. He is a native of Zimbabwe and knows the country like the back of his hand. His understanding of the ecosystems and the people is unparalleled. I plan to return for some humanitarian work which Arnold is heavily involved in. The camps are very comfortable and beautiful and provide an amazing vantage point from which to explore. The Chiswine camp was incredible. I will never forget hearing the bush come alive around me that first night. Dumi’s 30 years of wildlife management experience made for a “one of a kind” introduction to Zimbabwe’s wildlife, people and history. The camp staff are the best and everyone was SO NICE. The cave paintings tour, kopies and the wildlife (especially the elephants and giraffe were spectacular. I could go on and on but the bottom line is I would give Arnold and Run Wild Safaris my HIGHEST recommendation. You will not be disappointed!
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Email Scott and Debby | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Trip
My wife and I went on a safari with Run Wild African Safaris. The trip was superb all the way around. We did two types of accommodations one in the enclosed tent safari. And the other one was a hotel Safari. The accommodations were fantastic in both cases. The "tent" camping accommodations were luxurious and secure. We felt like we were on a royal excursion with the queen of England. The food was fantastic. Every night. The drinks were wonderful. We sat around the campfire after dinner and told stories. Everything was just unbelievable. The "tents" weren't really tents they were rooms that were wrapped in canvas. With separate bathrooms, included dressers, furniture, wooden floor, electricity, lights, better than many hotel rooms I've been in. If you're looking for a little bit more adventure, I go with the "tent" accommodations. The camp overlooks the water hole where the animals gather. It was just like we imagined it would hopefully be. The other part of the trip was done in a first class hotel overlooking a different water hole. The hotel had a bar, restaurant, and other facilities, Hotel overlooked another water hole and the animals gathered there as well. I would recommend you do both types of accommodations and split your trip between the two of them. They're also different preserves and national parks for each of them so you get a better idea of what there is to experience with different wild animals in each place. We got way too many pictures. We were able to get up very close to the animals within 25 to 35 feet. But still a safe enough distance that we could take off quickly if any problems developed. None did develop. I would recommend this company to anybody looking to have a safari of their dreams. They really delivered what they promised.
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Email Chris | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A spectacular adventure!
I don't even know where to start! From the time they picked us up at the airport until they dropped us off, we didn't have to worry about a thing. The tour guides were excellent, drivers kept us safe but put us in position for the best views of animals and scenery. We were very well fed with excellent meals. The staff at each location were also outstanding; doing everything they could to keep us comfortable and meet our needs. But we paid good money to see animals - and we did see animals! Elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebra, antelope, monkeys, a myriad of different birds and so much more! As I said, it was a spectacular adventure. We had been waiting years to make this happen and it was everything we had dreamed of and more. We (my wife and I, highly recommend Run Wild African Safaris!
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Email KL | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience start to finish
I can’t say enough good about Arnold and the entire team at Run Wild African Safaris. My husband and I purchased a travel package through a 501C NFP back during the travel standstill of Covid in 2020. It was a pipe dream at the time just trying to have something to look forward to and ended up being the trip of our dreams. We visited a couple locations in Zimbabwe along with ending our trip in South Africa. I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews regarding transparency and we honestly felt that given the nature of the trip, the itinerary was finalized about when we expected it to. We never felt out of the loop although the finalization of plans really didn’t happen until 6 months prior I’d say. That being said, we were more than well taken care of, food was delicious, experiences were authentic, views, sunsets, and wildlife were next level. All flights, cross road transfers, and most meals were included. We had numerous options to add day trips such as Victoria Falls, etc. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about our trip, we felt very taken care of considering this was our first trip to Africa, and look forward to traveling with the RWAS Team again. I genuinely feel like we’ve made friends for life through them.
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Email cheryl wang | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a terrible experience with this African safari company and felt misled. We do not recommend their service.
Unprofessional and misleading experience – we cannot recommend this company.
We won a bid for a safari trip through a school gala event organized by "Charity Booster," with Run Wild African Safaris serving as the vendor. Unfortunately, this has turned out to be the worst travel experience of our lives.
From the start, it was clear that this is not a legitimate operation. Communication has been horrendous, with phone calls going unanswered and emails often receiving responses weeks or even months later. The level of dishonesty is staggering—they lie, they lie, they lie!
Before our trip, we were asked to pay unexpected fees $9000 upfront, but we never received a proper itinerary or any detailed information. As a family of four with two children, we were left completely in the dark about what to expect. No pictures, names of hotels, or camping details were shared before our departure. What upset me the most was the unauthorized changes made to our trip.
1. Changed Itinerary: The itinerary provided was vastly different from what was promised. We were misled with the offer of a “free upgrade” and ended up spending four nights in a remote area described as a semi-desert. Despite explicitly requesting to stay in a Botswana safari camp, we were relocated to an obscure location in Zimbabwe that is not even an authentic African safari destination—it’s a mining zone.
2. Misrepresentation of Accommodations: We were told via phone that we would be staying in the “most luxurious” camp available, which could accommodate up to 13 people. They even encouraged us to bring more family members to increase their profits. Shockingly, no photos or information regarding the camp name, food, or accommodations were ever sent to us. It was only through a friend who participated in the bidding process that I learned there would be no electricity, Wi-Fi, or air conditioning at the camp. In reality, we were placed in a tiny, rough tent, far from the luxurious experience that had been promised.
3. Delayed Itinerary Release: To further complicate matters, they withheld our itinerary until just three days before the trip, despite our persistent requests for ten months. They appeared to have intentionally kept us in the dark, knowing that we would be forced to accept their terms with no ability to cancel.
4. Excessive Additional Charges: We were informed of an added fee of $3,500 for “private cross-country vehicle transfers, mandatory taxes/levies, tribal community conservation fees, and wildlife conservation fees.” However, since we will only be staying in Zimbabwe for four nights due to the last-minute changes, the private cross-country transfers are nonsensical and feel like a blatant rip-off.
In summary, our experience with Run Wild African Safaris has been incredibly disappointing and frustrating. We were misled every step of the way, and I strongly advise others to think twice before engaging with this company.
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Email Joe | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor communication, contractual issues
As a board member of a non-profit organization and a recent donor who secured a Wild African Safaris package through a charitable auction, I feel compelled to document the challenges we have encountered with Run Wild African Safaris.
We purchased a Run Wild African Safari package through the auction, looking forward to this trip as my third journey to Africa, albeit with a new tour company.
Approximately nine months before our trip (January 2024), we reached out to Run Wild African Safaris to finalize our booking. After paying several thousand dollars in unexpected additional fees, we signed the contract and secured our reservation.
Since then, we have faced considerable difficulties with communication from Run Wild. They have been unresponsive, failing to provide itinerary details promptly, not returning phone calls, and taking between one to two weeks to respond to emails.
Two months before our scheduled departure (Summer 2024), my partner was diagnosed with a medical condition that complicated our travel plans. I contacted Run Wild to explore options for transferring the reservation or adjusting the travel dates. I was informed that transferring the reservation would incur a fee of $1,750, and changing the dates would cost $4,800. Run Wild did not ask for any information about the medical condition.
Before committing to these additional expenses, I requested the itinerary to make an informed decision. It was only then that I discovered Run Wild had canceled our booking, citing a "failure to report a pre-existing medical condition" clause in the contract. This condition was newly diagnosed and did not exist at the time of our initial contract.
This cancellation was not communicated to us until we specifically requested the itinerary. When we inquired about the itinerary and other details, Run Wild requested confirmation of our need for a change. After informing them that we could not confirm, they notified us that the booking had already been canceled. If we had not followed up, we might have been left without a reservation or explanation while in Southern Africa.
Run Wild subsequently indicated that reinstating our booking would require disclosing the medical condition in the contract. However, they did not provide a new contract or facilitate the exchange of information, nor did they supply any itinerary details.
Given these experiences, it will be difficult for us to trust this company with future travel arrangements to Africa. Such issues can adversely affect donor perceptions and impact the reputation and effectiveness of non-profit organizations. We will continue to seek resolution through appropriate channels and share any relevant findings to assist others who may encounter similar difficulties.
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Email James | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience.
Everything about this experience was amazing. The people were genuine, the animals were awesome, everything about it was authentic. Clear and easy communication to put your concerns at ease. I highly recommend this experience, you won’t be disappointed.
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Email Chris Ames | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
it was the trip of a lifetime
Run Wild African Safaris booked me on a three week trip through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. I went on Safari in Southern Zimbabwe. Slept in a tent that was unbelievable with a chef, houseboys and a wonderful guide. Travelled to Zambia where I swam at the top of Victoria Falls in a pool at the edge. I visited a tribe and walked in the bush with two lions. Went to Cape Town and the Cape of good hope. Every where I went I was provided first class accommodations and never once did I feel that I was in any kind of danger. The people who met me at the airports, my drivers and guides were both very nice and knowledgeable about the area. I cannot do anything but highly recommend Run Wild African Safaris if you plan to take a trip to Africa
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Email Chase | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience
Run Wild Safaris has provided us with several fantastic photographic safari experiences! Everything one would need to plan for beforehand as well as while you are on the trip itself, can be catered to your liking. Run Wild Safaris has first hand knowledge, from people who are actually from Southern Africa, and can provide you with extensive knowledge on preferred locations to travel to, how to best coordinate which regions to see and what activities to do while there - all of which were at competitive prices. Its worth noting that Run Wild Safaris will not just simply book your trip for you, but rather, they can guide you from the very beginning stages of planning your trip (visa questions, air travel advice, airport charters, etc.) all the way through to ensuring you have a enjoyable experience while on your trip.
Some of the locations we have visited with Run Wild Safaris include Matabeleland, Kavongo Zambezi, Victoria Falls, Shangani and Chizarira. The accommodations we stayed in at these locations were fully staffed, with chefs cooking our meals daily, camp staff who were readily available, and excursion guides who provided us with insight into the local culture and surroundings in a way that only locals can.
My friends and family have many more places within southern Africa that we would like to visit and we will definitely be utilizing the services of Run Wild Safaris in the future. Run Wild Safaris provides valuable expertise for planning our trips to Africa – and I’d recommend their service to anybody!
Reply from Run Wild African Safaris
Posted on Aug 30, 2019Thank you, Chase. It was a pleasure working with you.