Christine Sales Office
Wildlife Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1971)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $211 to $236 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Juan Rivas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Inspirational
It was impressive, the service and everything. They pick us at Tambo Airport and we went all the way to Sabie River Lodge where the personnel welcomes you with a great smile and always trying to make yourself comfortable. The foods are incredible and abundant, all included. We saw 4 of the big five because de Rhinos are so difficult to find nowadays. And at last but not least is Anthony, our driver and tour guide. He always have a smile, always helpful and he was always trying to chase the big five. He gave us interesting tips about the animals in Kruger National Park. The tour and the experience is worth it.
Email Grace | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, great experience
We had the best time with Wildlife Safaris and our guide Hoppy, who made our trip.
The tour itself was well organised, with a good variety of accommodation and activities. For the price, we stayed in some excellent places and we’re fed really well.
Hoppy’s experience, knowledge and love for animals shone through - thanks to him we managed to see the big 7!
We’d thoroughly recommend Wildlife Safaris
CH
Email Ana Cristina Lopez | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
They responded fast after we enquired about the prices and options. We love how flexible they were and the fact that they work with small groups. We chose the 5 day safari which included the panoramic route. We were incredibly lucky to have Hoppy as our guide. He set a high standard! He has so much knowledge about the animals and its always excited to share it. We were able to see the big 5 and while there's a lot of luck involved, I'm sure Hoppy's experience was a key factor. We were very happy with all the organization of our tour and we made so many great memories. We couldn't visit Blyde river canyon because there was a strike going on, it was a shame but it was beyond anything they could do. I will 100% recommend them and if we come back, we would certainly use their services again.
US
Email Matt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
These guys know how to do it right!!! 5 star experience every step of the way!
We knew we wanted to do a 5 day and from the start of planning several months before our trip and I could tell that Wildlife Safaris was going to be my choice from the first email response. Christine and Jonathan answered all of my questions in a timely manner and provided some comfort with detailed descriptions of how our travel would be with a kid and how the overall trip would unfold. I contacted four other operators and between delayed responses, poor descriptions of what it would be like for a 9 year old girl, and short quick unthoughtful responses, I decided to go with Wildlife Safaris. Best decision ever!
On day one we were picked up by our guide Hoppy right on time at our hotel in Sandton (I highly recommend the Hilton in Sandton). We immediately fell in love with Hoppy during the long drive to Kruger. He had an answer for every question along the way and was able to provide excellent conversation throughout. Anytime we needed to stop or were hungry he made it happen. The van was comfortable for the long drives and roomy. Throughout the five days we were able to spot the Big 5, the Ugly 5, but we missed out on the Small 5. Being just a few feet away from most of the animals was incredible!!!
We stayed at the Sabie River Bush Lodge, Skukuza, Mohlabetsi, and the Sabie River Sun Resort. No planning was required on our part. It was push button with all lodges ready to take us in upon arrival. All lodges were fantastic and the food was amazing. All of them had a full bar so we were never thirsty. Our favorite was the Sabie River Bush lodge . As soon as we got there we were greeted by a large bull elephant across the river and then swam in the pool on the side of the river sipping drinks while watching about a dozen hippos play and fight. Unreal experience!
I think the only issue we had was being tired from constantly being on the move. 4 lodges in 4 nights with a 9 year old were rough, then add in early mornings and late nights... It was exhausting but totally doable, you do get some time to nap in the afternoon but we always opted to hit up the pool for a swim after the morning rides. You can sleep when you get on the plane heading back home!!
One thing I was told when I was shopping around was to only book with an operator that does game drives that are in the Kruger or a private reserve that connects directly to the Kruger. There are many privates that border the Kruger but are separated from the main park with fences. This restricts the animals from truly roaming freely and have lots of dependency on humans to survive. When you go to the Kruger or a reserve that is attached with no fence you get a better chance of seeing truly wild animals that are living their life freely with extremely limited human interaction . Take this into consideration before you book as many other listings here go to these private “farms”. Also, you may experience very long drive times to get into these private reserves as opposed to being right up close with the animals from sunup to past sundown. In Mohlabetsi you are right in the middle of it with animals everywhere around you and only minutes before the game drives get very exciting.
If I could change one thing about the entire trip it would be to not do the Panorama Route. It was great to see the highlands with the viewpoints and waterfalls but for us we would have rather spent two nights in one spot with a slower paced day and additional game drives over a day in the car sightseeing. Just our personal preference and it would have helped with the kid catching up on some rest.
Lastly, we had one additional day in SA after the tour and Christine linked us up with Simon who gave us a full day tour of the Cradle and Sterkfontein Caves. He was an excellent guide and we learned so much about the surrounding area.
It was the greatest holiday we have ever been on and cannot recommend booking with Wildlife Safaris enough!!!
CA
Email David Inhaber | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable and professional
Thank you Hoppy for a great tour and experience. He really took care of us from beginning to end.
Email Geoff Dyke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
From pickup to drop off, our tour guide was fantastic. He was so informative throughout our week together and had everything planned. He spent most spare time confirming plans, reservations and ensuring we received all aspects of the itinerary and experiences. We not only enjoyed all the planned activities and sights, but the guide gave us a history lesson and background information during transfers, driving through towns and regions and on all aspects of South Africa. He would make a great history teacher and newspaper editor.
Will be going back and ensuring we travel with Wildlife Safaris with Simon Taylor as our guide.
NL
Email Yvo Soares | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wildlife Safaris made our trip through Krugerpark extremely comfortable and enjoyable!
We absolutely loved our Krugerpark tour with Wildlife Safaris! Our tour guide, Hoppy, was one of the best parts of our trip through Krugerpark. He is a very friendly and funny man who has been a tour guide for two decades and does it for the love of the animals, company and the park. He has great stories and had answers to all our questions in regards to the animals and Krugerpark.
Everything is arranged by the company so the only thing you have to do is show up at the right times and they take care of the rest. We booked the 5 day tour with the private lodge and Panorama route. If possible I would recommend this because this way you can see different parts of the park, a lot of animals (We completed the "Big Five"), beautiful views and different accommodations in 5 day tour. The private lodge was absolutely stunning and offered tours of the private part of the park with was a perfect addition to the public part of the part.
I would highly recommend booking with Wildlife Safaris!
Thank you Wildlife Safaris and Hoppy (!) for an unforgettable safari through Krugerpark!
CA
Email Nasser | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth every penny
Choosing a safari company is almost as hard as choosing your safari itinerary. We wondered, "Which is best for our needs? Which would be most accommodating? Which is best value?" We had inquired several safari companies and I knew immediately Wildlife Safaris was the best in many aspects. It had the best customer service with the owner and her representatives contacting us immediately (also answering my abundant questions). Their itinerary was beyond what we asked for and had many options to choose from. This was all before the Safari experience... As for the safari, our guide Hoppy was professional, friendly and most of all passionate about his job, the conservation, the wildlife and his country. He had nothing but great input for any question. Most importantly, he had taught us about wildlife, his nation, the history and the culture about the country. It was more than just a safari tour. It was an overly exceptional experience with a great man and with phenomenal customer service. I respected Hoppy more and more as the days went by. I got to learn about the inception of the company, the hardships overcome and how Christine (the owner) is a great business woman that would let nothing stop her to continue a legacy she has started. I applaud this organization for their efforts. I have never felt more value for my hard earned money on a trip until this safari company. Great work all, you will be getting positive reviews and recommendations as much as we can say it. I will be sending everyone I know your direction.
Email Carolyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very efficient at organising our trip, their years of experience showed through
Very effective communicator, answered all my many queries promptly. Trip went like a dream. Had the best guide ever in Hoppy, couldnt do enough for us and tried his hardest to find everything we wanted to see. He made our trip with his knowledge and experience
CA
Email Ladislav Kubat | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our trip experience fulfilled all expectations.
We booked a 5-day trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa. There were no issues customizing our trip to see everything we wanted to visit. Our tour guide’s name was Simon Tyler. He made our trip experience exceptional. He took complete care of us from the pickup to drop off. In addition, Simon’s knowledge of the fauna and flora of South Africa is phenomenal. He could provide valuable information about any animal we encountered and identify any trees, shrubs or plants local or invasive to South Africa. To sum up, booking our trip and trip was very positive, and we highly recommend Wildlife Safari tours.