African Ubuntu Safaris
- Located In:
-
Australia
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, AFTA & ATAS
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $3,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Edward and Jennifer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was the trip of a lifetime.
When we visited Cuan in his Greenwich office he focused our thoughts and harnessed such a passion for Africa that we found it easy to follow his suggestions. We were never disappointed! From the moment his father met our plane in Johannesburg we knew that the trip was going to be special. From then until we left for home the travel and handovers from one guide to another occurred seamlessly, and we felt safe, organised and very pampered.
Whether it was Victoria Falls, the Chobe Princess (a highlight), Pom Pom Camp, Kwando Nxai Pan in Botswana, or the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, the service and food was great, and because all the details had been arranged by someone who truly knows this part of Africa, we were free to relax and enjoy everything. The animals and birds were sensational and too plentiful to describe.
The guides are very special people with great knowledge and it was wonderful to spend time with them.
Cuan was always very responsive to any request and was happy to customise our safaris according to seasons, our budget and special wishes. He suggested flying between the camps in Botswana and parts of Tanzania, and this was efficient, lots of fun and we saw the countries from the air. We even organised a week in Rwanda by ourselves for some not-for-profit activities then picked up a private tour in Tanzania, organised by Cuan to be where the great migration is in March. Needless to say the zebras and wildebeests were just where he had planned.
We will treasure our memories of this trip and are very pleased to recommend African Ubuntu Safaris to anyone who wants to visit this beautiful continent.
Email Gail Strudwick | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Service and Awesome Itinerary
I was thrilled with the service that African Ubuntu Safaris provided to our tour group of 9. They really listened to what we wanted in our trip to Africa and came up with our perfect itinerary. Cuan, the agent we dealt with in Australia, had excellent communication skills and responded very quickly to both email and phone calls. Having offices both in Australia and Africa gave us peace of mind that we would be able to be in contact while we were in Africa if we needed it. He arranged 3 different styles of accommodation, house boat, hotel and "glamping", which really enhanced our travel experience. All the operators that African Ubuntu organized for us were very friendly, well informed and gave us so many opportunities to learn and enjoy the wildlife and local community. We will never forget our adventures in Africa, thanks to African Ubuntu Safaris.
Email Julie H. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A memorable trip to Africa, expertly organised by African Ubuntu Safaris
Our decision to organise our trip to Africa with African Ubuntu Safaris was one of the best we made. My husband and travel a lot and rarely use a travel agent, however for our first trip to Africa we wanted to draw on the expertise of specialists in African travel in Africa. From the response to my initial inquiry to the welcome email when we returned home, Cuan and his team at African Ubuntu Safaris have been fantastic.
We initially had a broad idea of what we wanted to do, and with the benefit of Cuan's expert knowledge and importantly his willingness to listen and tailor particular camps and experiences to meet our needs, we had a splendid six week trip through Botswana, Zimbabwe and the southern part of South Africa. We saw all the wildlife we hoped to (and more!) and some beautiful landscapes. We combined an organised tour (with Jenman safaris), stays at lodges, and independent travel and self-drive, almost of all of which was arranged smoothly through African Ubuntu. At Cuan's suggestion we included a stay at Big Cave Camp in the Matopos in Zimbabwe, which was a little out of the way but well worth it for the unusual scenery and rhino tracking, as well as a stay at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, which was superb. I'm also pleased that we took up his recommendation to stay in Johannesburg for a few nights; it was a fascinating experience and a very different aspect of the trip, as well as being quite safe.
We were impressed with the responsiveness of Cuan's communication from the outset. Our myriad of queries were addressed promptly, and it was great to have a trusted source of info about local conditions. All of our arrangements were made without a hitch, and once we arrived we felt completely confident and safe at all times. It was also a very personal touch to be greeted at O.R.Tambo airport by Cuan's dad, Gerald. Almost everything on the trip went smoothly, and the only thing that didn't - flight delays in Zimbabwe - couldn't have been foreseen. All of our transfers occurred seamlessly, and the local drivers were great. Even when one of our bookings was altered unexpectedly, and we were moved into another nearby lodge, this was managed smoothly and the alternate accommodation was lovely. We also finalized a few arrangements during the trip and once again everything was handled promptly. It was such a good feeling to know that were in good hands. Cuan and his team went over and above to ensure that we had a fantastic experience, and thanks to them we did.
We'll be using African Ubuntu Safaris to arrange our next trip to Africa, and we highly recommend them to anyone, whether first-timers such as we were, or more experienced travelers. Thanks to you all at African Ubuntu!
Email Ann Bateman | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10 Day Uganda Safari including Gorilla Trekking and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
From my initial enquiry for this trip in March 2015 right through to my final departure, African Ubuntu Safaris have been first class. My agent, Diederik Vandenhoeke, was superb. His knowledge of Uganga is second to none and his love for this beautiful country knows no bounds. He helped select the perfect itinerary and answered every question asked, and offered more advise to ensure the whole trip was perfect. And it was! It was a pleasure to meet Diederik and his family on our last day and share our stories. The accommodation on every part of the trip was first class. We stayed at Karibu Guest House, Ndali Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge and also Boma Guest House. Service at all was exception however particular thanks to Ndali Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp and Volcanoes Bwindi. The welcome and the kindness shown goes above and beyond duty. All food served was delicious and the staff were the most friendly I have ever come across. Our guide, Okech Obur, was excellent. His eyes are well trained - if its there in the bush, he will find it. His knowledge of Queens Elizabeth National Park and Ishasha and infact all of Uganda and the local communities was great and he was able to update us fully though out our trip and I do believe he could probably name all 600 species of bird that are available to see. Trekking Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was a dream come. They say its a once in a lifetime experience but I know for sure I will be back a second time. The Rangers and Trackers could recognized every gorilla we encountered and could name then and tell us any history about them and their dedication to the conservation of these magnificent animals is very evident. Would highly recommend the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience at Kibale. We got to spend 9 hours in the forest trekking the chimps and eating lunch under the trees while they feasted on figs. Overall I couldn't have had a better experience and its taken some time to get over it all. If I had one complaint, it would be the trip wasn't long enough - and that is down to me . Do not hesitate to use this company for your holiday. They are simply the best!!
Email Roso | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply Outstanding service and attention to detail. Strong recommend.
We have just returned from a marvellous family trip to Southern Africa - a mixture of safari and beach.
Cuan's attention to detail was superb, from listening to what we wanted to do, to making suggestions and then arranging bookings and connections. Everything went so smoothly it took the "stress" out of travel completely.
In the months leading up to our trip all questions were answered promptly via email or telephone. Even a few weeks prior, after everything was booked and paid for, Cuan contacted me with a suggestion that enhanced our ease of travel, and maximised time spent at a camp, rather than an airport.
From the moment we met Gerald, the Ubuntu representative in Johannesburg we felt at ease. The places we visited were wonderful, we were met and helped at every airport, and made to feel welcome and "special".
Ubuntu are a very professional company, Cuan is tremendously thoughtful and has a keen eye for detail. I have great pleasure in rating 5 Stars, and recommending them.
Email rikm | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellently organised custom Safari-absolutely NO problems encountered
Organised a 16 day East African safari in consultation with Diederik. Everything was taken care of leaving me to be able to enjoy an incredible experience. Stayed in 9 different accomodations in 3 countries and was always picked up & dropped off at airports/camps on time every time. Deiderik happy to work with me to create a Safari to my liking-nothing was too hard for him. Highly recommend African Ubuntu Safaris to anyone going to Africa
Email Kristie and Andrew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect safari experience
We had an absolutely brilliant Safari organized by Diederik. He was great with communication, he made some helpful suggestions, and was really accommodating in what we were after i.e. Our time frame, budget and experiences we wanted. (Diederik even came and met us at the very start of our Journey in Uganda and had such a well organized tour package to give us)
Our Safari was organized as a 15 day luxury safari, which is the expensive way of seeing Africa but so worth it to have small safari groups and close animal encounters (we had 2 days that it was only the tour guide, my hubby and myself in the safari car) and we were absolutely thrilled with our experience.
Because we were traveling in April/May Diederik suggested Uganda for the Gorillas as well as Zimbabwe and Botswana for the animals. We were so lucky to see everything we wanted...both Uganda and the Gorillas are truly amazing, Vic falls were spectacular, and the wildlife in Botswana was just sensational (we saw everything except a rhino and we even saw the wild dogs).
What we loved about this safari were the people, all the staff were so incredibly welcoming, hard working and attentive, the safari drivers really know their stuff and actually track animals for you. We always felt safe, our journey was organized so well that there was always someone to meet us for each transfer and take us directly to our destination, through border crossings and everything. We couldn't thank Diederik enough for the quality of our Safari. We thought it was a one off adventure but we now know Africa has so much more to offer and we will definitely be booking with Ubuntu Safaris again.
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Email Anne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was wonderful, our family filled a van and we had a fantastic time.
We had an amazing time. Our 3 generation family of 6 filled a van, andvwecall loved it.
Email Mony | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superbly organised, wide ranging experience.
Cuan was able to listen to our "wants" and came up with a superbly organised itinerary that covered a 4 day city experience in Cape Town before we "went bush" to Zimbabwe and Botswana for another 6 days. The 4 of us (parents and 2 teenagers) enjoyed and were blown away by our safari adventures.
Our trip was comprehensively organised in 6 weeks and all of our last minute questions and queries were expertly answered by Cuan.
Both safari tours (Davison Camp in Hwange, Zim and Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana) were of excellent quality. The tour operators, standard of the accommodation, food and experience were outstanding.
This trip has certainly whetted our appetite to return and experience more of Africa.
I highly recommend speaking to Cuan and using African Ubuntu Safaris.
Email Tim Waldock | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well organised safari ran like clockwork
African Ubuntu Safaris made all the flight, safari and hotel bookings for our trip to Southern Africa. Despite Africa being renowned for the unexpected, everything worked exactly as planned - including getting suitcases shipped to our hotel in Johannesburg while we were on safari in Botswana. They recommended and booked a lovely hotel in Cape Town (Maartens guesthouse). All the numerous internal flights and transfers connected efficiently, and we were met by someone at each location. I would highly recommend African Ubuntu Safaris to organise your next trip to Southern Africa.