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
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Email Joel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, personable, expert guide made all the difference
We cannot imagine a better excursion than the one Liese led us on for four days and three nights.
We chose Wildlife Safaris because of its extensive experience at safaris but also because it was a founder of the trade association that self-governs such outfits and holds them accountable to high-quality consumer service. Liese validated our choice.
Liese picked us up at our hotel in Johannesburg, drove us to Kruger as well as Chisomo Safari Camp, guided us on a number of safaris, dined with us twice a day and then returned us to the hotel afterward.
She immediately felt like family to my wife and teenage daughter and me. She knew how to relate to each of us in various moods at different times, and she endeared herself to us with her stories and the personal interest she took in us.
Her vast experience as a guide as well as a citizen of South Africa helped us gain valuable understanding not just of the wildlife we encountered (including the Big 5) and their environments but also some of the grander forces that have influenced the area and its inhabitants over time. She was knowledgeable, respectful and still enthusiastically curious about everything we experienced on the safari.
When at last we parted ways, we separated from someone who briefly became a close friend.
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Email Eva Pascual | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most Unforgettable Trip
Wildlife Safaris exceeded our expectations. Communication was seamless and my inquiries were answered promptly. I booked our tour a month ahead of the trip and made requests to stay at certain lodges. I was skeptical I would get the reservations but Christine made all my requests happen.
Our tour guides, Mr. Clive and Mr. George, were wonderful and very knowledgeable. The safari experience is something I will treasure and cherish for the rest of my life. As soon as I landed back home, nostalgia instantly hit me because I feel like I left a piece of my heart in South Africa. We saw the Big Five and learned so much about the wildlife. I loved our tour because we experienced safaris in a private game reserve (we stayed at a
private lodge) as well as game drives in Kruger National Park (stayed at camps). Our itinerary also included an evening game drive. Although we were only in South africa for a few days, our itinerary made it possible for us to experience everything. Thank you so much, Wildlife Safaris, for an unforgettable trip of a lifetime! I would like to make a shoutout to Mr. Clive and Mr. George for making sure we had an unforgettable safari experience and to Christine for arranging the best birthday celebration I have experienced so far. Wildlife Safaris is a pro at what they do and the experience of their guests is proof of their excellence.
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Email Sam & Beka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Welcoming, knowledgeable, down to earth and... Phenomenal!!!
From start to finish the booking and communication with Wildlife Safaris was superb. If we needed any advice they were on hand to provide it.
We were picked on promptly at our hotel by our friendly guide Anthony (Hoppy) and we were on our way in the comfortable and clean vehicle. Hoppy was a fantastic host from the off and explained our route, expected stops along the way and rough arrival time into Sabie River Bush Lodge. His banter is pretty good too, so be sure to have a laugh and a joke with him. It's a fairly long drive, but the time passes quickly as there is so much to look at and a good amount of information to take in.
When we arrived at the first lodge we were not disappointed! Although not a 5 star resort, it had everything you could possibly need and was clean and comfortable. A real treat was sitting by the river with our feet up watching a herd of Elephants grazing right on the opposite bank... The perfect start. Dinner at Sabie was delicious and would cater to both carnivores and vegetarians alike, with a fantastic spread of international food and local delicacies.
The next morning we had a quick breakfast and headed to check in at Skakuza Camp and pick up the truck. Even on our short drive from Kruger gate to the camp we were treated to an abundance of wildlife, including 2 of the "Big 5", it was just the beginning . Once we got through a seamless check in we jumped straight into the truck to start our game drives. To explain the experience would take some talented writing, so all i will say is.... WOW!!! Needless to say we witnessed the "Big 5" and more within our first 2 drives! Once again Hoppy was on hand to impart knowledge about all the species we spotted, and he's happy to answer any question.
The camp itself is very basic, but has everything you require. In our eyes the idea of being on safari didn't require luxury so it was perfect, but if you like a bit of pampering you might prefer different accommodation. They are currently building a new hotel within the camp, once that is completed i'm sure it will be a great place to stay.
Breakfast, lunches and dinners are all included and they were, as expected, fantastic! The steaks are a must try, some of the best I've ever eaten. There's no chance of going hungry!
To summarise, we had the experience of a lifetime and we owe a lot of that to our guide, he helped to make a memory that will stay with us for a lifetime! No matter how much explanation i could've written, this is one thing people just need to do in their lives! Thank you Wildlife Safaris for a PHENOMENAL trip!
We'll be back!
NZ
Email Simon Mitchell | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding fairly priced safari with an engaged and extremely knowledgeable guide.
My wife and I (plus two close friends and a new friend we made of the trip!) have just had the most marvellous experience with Wildlife Safaris in the Kruger. I can only offer them my sincere congratulations and thanks. One of their senior guides, Hoppy, is absolutely brilliant. He was unfailingly attentive to all our needs, conservative, responsible, sensitive to the animals, and fun to be around. He clearly has a deep knowledge of the animals' distribution and patterns of behaviour, and this served us extremely well. We saw some simply amazing things which none of us will ever forget.
In my opinion Wildlife Safaris position themselves in the safari market perfectly for the needs of professional people who don't want "basic", but who are also not particularly interested in a massively expensive luxury event. I suspect that in some of these operations there would be a danger of the pampering potentially compromising the actual safari experience. Our safari was very fairly priced, way more than adequate from the comfort point of view, and simply outstanding in the areas that were important to us (seeing the animals and learning about them from an engaged knowledgeable guide). The company also allowed us to alter our safari itinerary on the fly as certain things grabbed our attention and we prioritized some experiences over others. Highly recommended!
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Email Ben R | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience and value! Highly recommended!
Everything was amazing and easy to set up. Liese, our guide, was so wonderful and knowledgeable and we already miss her! The service, accommodations, food.... all of it, was incredible and I would recommend Wildlife Safaris to anyone who gets this once in a lifetime experience! Thank you guys so much.
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Email Elaine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hoppy was wonderful!!! Very friendly and knowledgeable.
My husband and I took a 3 day/ 2 night safari. We did not know what to expect at the lodge or the safari itself. So getting to the airport and having Hoppy (our guide) pick us up right where they said they would and right on time! It was a little bit of a trip to the lodge, but Hoppy gave a some insight to the the land and culture which was good. When we got to the lodge we were pleasantly surprised, the rooms were ready and clean. We then jumped on to our first drive in the open jeep that was waiting for us. Hoppy was great trying to locate the animals and we found them. It was amazing to see all of the animals only feet away from us. When booking this trip, ask about the night safari. If you can book a private drive and driver.
The food at the lodge was simply amazing! We think that it was the best meals on our stay in SA!
I would definitely recommend this trip. Remember to ask for Hoppy!
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Email Stacey & Andy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Guide and Overall Experience!
We were impressed with Wildlife Safaris from the first emails we exchanged to get a quote and tour details. They were incredibly responsive and willing to answer every one of our questions. On tour, we were fortunate enough to have Hoppy as our private tour guide - he is EXCEPTIONAL!! Hoppy filled our days with adventure, amazing food, unbelievable animal sightings (Big 5!), history, culture, and humor. He was charming and willing to accommodate our every need. Note - we'd highly recommend a private tour!! Having Hoppy all to ourselves, we were able to make our own agenda, eat when we wanted, take breaks when we wanted, watch the (enter animal name here) longer if we wanted, take the 1000's photo of (enter animal name here) if we wanted. It definitely added to the ease and enjoyment of our trip. We could not have been happier with the experience!
If it helps others, our itinerary was as follows: Flew to Joburg (JNB), overnight at hotel near airport (helps with jet lag and in case your flight is delayed), picked up by Hoppy morning of Day 1 - drive Panorama route, overnight at Sabie River Bush Lodge (fantastic!), Day 2 & 3 - drive around Kruger, overnights at Skukuza Rest Camp, dinners at Cattle Baron (outstanding!), Day 4 - morning in Kruger, drive back to Joburg, overnight at hotel near airport, flew out next day.
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Email Fernando | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience at Kruger National Park
Our driver, Lilly, did a great job! She picked us up at the hotel on time. She provided us good information about the animals that we found. She was nice all the time and she treated us very well during all the time. I recommend this operator, they achieved our expectations and had a good price also.
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Email Kwami | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Your guide was knowledgeable and friendly
The tour was well-planned. I didn't get to see the big five (the leopard was elusive), but overall, I enjoyed the experience.
DE
Email Frank Adamek | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great tour operator who responded to every wish.
Our safari and driving the Panorama Route with Wildlife Safaris was just fantastic.
Everything was very well organized from the start. Christine and Jonathan helped us with our hotel search. Thanks again for that.
We would like to say a big thank you to Nik. He amazed us with his knowledge of South Africa and his stories about nature and wildlife. A super nice personality with a warm charisma. We felt very comfortable in his presence. Through Nik's experience we got to know and love the unique wildlife of the Kruger National Park. Nik always organized everything perfectly, had an answer to all questions.
The accommodation and food were very good.
We had so many great moments at the Kruger, the sunrises in South Africa, the tranquility, we were so lucky on this trip. The national park wasn't overcrowded, we saw so many animals, the Big Five on the first morning. It was a nice experience to be a guest in the animal kingdom.