Ulinda Safari Trails
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- HATAB & BOGA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $1,360 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Helen Blackmore | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful experience which totally exceeded our expectations!
This was our first safari, and it exceeded our expectations both as to the wildlife sighted and the total experience camping out in the wild. My husband and I are 74 and 68. Jane responds quickly to emails, and answered all our queries prior to the safari. She is a very good and knowledgeable guide, and as a photographer herself, knows how to position the vehicle for the best light conditions. We enjoyed the closed vehicle on the cold mornings, and one wet day, when some people in open vehicles looked rather miserable. It was also good on the long drives between sites. As a woman just over five foot tall, I could see well, and take good photos when the top was open, by standing on the seats. The crew are all friendly and effective and so we thoroughly enjoyed the camping. The food was wonderful, and plentiful, causing some expansion of waistlines! Jane has an excellent reference library of books about the flora and fauna of Botswana - these are always to hand in the vehicle which really enhanced the sightings. We enjoyed the convivial evenings around the campfire and Jane's skills as a raconteur. We would thoroughly recommend a safari with Ulinda.
Email Jack Tennant | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Awsome Experince
We booked a 9 night safari in April 2017 with Ulinda because of the owners vast experience. Jane has been around this industry for 30 + years so her knowledge of the areas and game is invaluable. She was always able to answer any questions we had and if not she had a virtule libary of reference books on board. Our very first night in Naxi Pan we had lion camp within 30m of our tents, this happened a few times on our trip as well elephant into camp at Kwhai. My youngest son Tom was so hell bent on seeing Cheetha in the wild and he wasnt dissapointed not only did we see 7 Cheetha but witnessed a kill in the Kalahari all thanks to Janes persistence.The wildlife we saw was well above our expectaion. The camp food was to die for, we never had the same meal twice in 9 nights and what Hasi was able to produce with such limited equipment was nothing short of amazing. Jane has had the same 3 crew with her now for 10 + years which says it all. They all worked hard to ensure our short stay was the most enjoyable time ever. I would not hestite to recommend this operation to anyone wanting the ultimate African experience
Visited April 2017
Email Weronika | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!
I was on a 12 night safari with Ulinda Safari Trails in September 2016. The adventure started in Kasane, from where we drove to the Chobe Riverfront (3 nights camping), Savuti (3 nights), Khwai (4 nights) and Moremi (2 nights). On the last day I was dropped off at my hotel in Maun.
This was my first safari and camping is not something I do often either, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. And surely enough the trip exceeded my expectations in all aspects! The wildlife was amazing – so many elephants!, lions with cubs and hunting buffalo, zebras, and eventually feeding on an elephant, wild dogs, leopards feeding on impala, hippos, crocodiles and so much more! Nature at its best! In total I had 8 leopard sightings which is something exceptional! The sunsets and sunrises in Botswana are breath-taking and you never miss one as the days start early, with 5:15am wakeup. We also had a boat trip on a Chobe river and mokoro trip in Khwai. Both very relaxing.
The camping was comfortable, and camp moves very efficient. Food was delicious thanks to Gassie – a great vegetarian choice. We had various visitors in our camping sites, including honey badger, elephants, leopard and a civet, and in the evenings sitting by the fire place you could hear lions roaring and leopards grunting. Unforgettable experience!
And something to highlight – the closed vehicle (with opening roof) – is really the way to go. I was protected from the morning cold, and the wind and dust, yet had no issues taking great pictures through the open roof. I didn’t see many vehicles of this type around, and I really felt bad for people in the open cars at times!
Jane, Gassie and Alex were super friendly and professional. They made the trip an unforgettable experience for me, and I can wholeheartedly recommend safaris with Ulinda Safari Trails!
Totallt wonderful!
Everything was wonderful on our 22 night safari. Jane is a wonderful and tireless guide, always stretching to maximize what we could see, and on the rare occasions when she wasn't sure of an answer to a question, looking it up for us. Her staff is extremely helpful and friendly, and the food was fantastic. Ulinda was one of very few companies to use vehicles with enclosed sides, so that it was never too cold in the morning, or too hot mid-day. The evening campfires were really a lot of fun, and the tents were quite comfortable. In the service of a balanced review, I've tried thinking of anything at all negative, and all I can possibly come up with - which would relate to very few other people - is that Jane's soft voice can be difficult for someone who doesn't hear well, like myself. In the vehicle and at the campfire I often needed my wife to amplify what Jane said (and her stories are great!!); this would have been a problem were I a single traveler. But that didn't in the least dent our experience of this out-of-the-world safari.
US
Email Shara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Bush Experience
I can say only good things about my safari with Ulinda in the Nxai Pan and Central Kalahari. Jane runs a very professional outfit with excellent staff to set up camp and cook delicious homemade meals. Even freshly hot homemade bread! The tents are spacious and comfortable. Our campsites were lovely, away from the public campgrounds, providing a real authentic bush feeling. And the vehicle with the pop-up roof was perfect for spotting and taking photos of the wildlife. Jane herself is a wonderful and interesting person who is a pleasure to be around. If you are a solo traveler and debating whether the single supplement is worth it to have a private safari, I encourage you to go for it! My experience this way was purely delightful.
Email George & Sylvia | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
All-round Great Experience
My wife and I have just completed Ulinda's "Classic Safari" - 3 nights at 3 different locations in Botswana. Both still to come down to earth - it was beyond our expectations.
From the time I first contacted Jane Bettenay to the time she farewelled us at the Kazungula Ferry for our onward journey to Zambia dealing with Jane was a pleasure.
Jane met us at Maun Airport and conveyed us to our overnight stay at Thamalakane River Lodge (not part of the Ulinda package) in preparation for the start of our safari with Unlinda the next day.
Originally the safari included stops at Moremi, Savuti and Chobi however due to the severe dry weather we had our first location moved to the Khwai Development Trust area. This change to the itinerary was communicated to us a couple of weeks out from the start and the choice proved excellent.
This safari normally caters for 8 people however we were the only one's so the service level was great, whether it be food, facilities or comfort we were both delighted. I suspect that even with a full party the standards would not drop. I have had some camping experience but my wife has had none during her 65+ years.
As conveyed to Jane when choosing what we wanted from the safari "we just want to see the animals". And we certainly did. And every day produced one or more surprises. Even on the last day in Chobe we we able to observe a Leopard with two cubs drinking no more than 5 minutes drive from our camp site and not another safari party anywhere in sight all because of Jane's knowledge, experience and advice that we be up and into the day at dawn - it sure paid off every morning.
The sunset gin and tonic to end each day and the camp fire discussions at night rounded out, what for us was a holiday that we'll continue to talk about for years.
This was our first trip to Africa. Maybe not our last.
Email John Whitehurst | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond expectations - a first safari experience with a real taste of the bush...
Informative and helpful pre-booking support from Jane Bettenay helped the decision and a first safari started with excitement and hopes. First day in at Khwai Jane found leopard with cub and kill - magical - and an early start the next day was rewarded with two hours or more exclusively watching and photographing the mother and cub at close range from the thoughtfully adapted vehicle. Stunning! None of the 10 days disappointed with many more sightings and special memories of the wildlife and northern Botswana. Kwhai and Chobe river trips were brilliant with more close encounters and wildlife thrills including baby elephants swimming and lions in the sunset.
The 'bush' safari style suited well with evening camp fires, relaxed times and a good level of camp style comforts. Jane, and particularly her staff, were amazing and provided lovely food and much hard work with their individual skills, abilities and friendliness making the experience so rewarding. An great taste of Africa and a hunger for more!
NZ
Email Gloria Shrubsall | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Authentic, well planned, efficiently organised and warmly welcoming with amazing meals!
After many birding and wildlife safaris throughout Africa I recently spent 23 days with three friends on Ulinda Safari Trails 23 day Botswana Safari. This was, without doubt, the most exciting, comfortable, well planned and efficiently run safari and I cannot recommend Jane Bettenay and her team highly enough to those travellers who want to experience a real wildlife adventure visiting Botswana's great national parks. A special feature is Jane's specially designed four wheel drive Toyota Landcruisers with "pop tops" that allow passengers to keep warm in the morning/evening when it can be extremely cold in "open" vehicles and still have unobstructed views when game viewing/photographing. Anyone wanting a taste of the real Africa camping safari should definitely get in touch with Ulinda Safari Trails!!
NZ
Email Gloria Bentley-Reaney | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fun filled,lots of wild life,very experienced operator .highly recommend this company.
Great communication with all aspects before and after trip,plus extremely well priced for the high quality
of this safari.
Loved the closed pop up top comfortable vehicle,great viewing,plus plus for all seasons.Did feel for the folk who paid a small fortune at the lodges to view wild life in freezing open safari vehicles,they looked miserable .
Everything ran like clock work,nice tents with toilet attached,great food and wine,sundowners always in a great spot .
We were a group of four fit seniors,one a birder like Jane,so we got to learn more about local species,we were very lucky to see a lot,thanks to Jane and Glo.
Could not fault anything,Janes driving skills are a legend,and so are some of her experiences in Australia and Africa.
Great team,will try to go again.
Was a great way to truly experience the Okavango.
Our guide Benjamin was awesome. Lovely personality, always answered our questions and tried hard to make the experience all we wished for. For me, there was a bit too much driving. I would have liked to have spent more time at a water stop and waited for stuff to happen there. There were not many animals around, I am not blaming anyone, and the endless driving looking for something was a bit too much. But we are birders, so I guess this would not be every ones choice. Otherwise the service by staff was excellent in every way. The food was really good and we enjoyed ourselves.