African Welcome Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1999)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $123 to $469 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Laura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and great value
We got a recommendation from a friend who had previously used Kathi at African Welcome Safaris, and I'm so glad we did! We had the best experience from beginning to end. Kathi was incredibly responsive and made sure we stuck to our budget. Then, when we decided we wanted to upgrade, she went back and provided even more options. She provided excellent options and included lodges that we hadn't heard of in our own basic research. We went back and forth until we found just the right lodge, then she magically planned everything else around it: airfare, transfers, payment with the lodge.
On the ground, everything ran so smoothly. Our flights were lovely and perfectly scheduled to ensure we would come in and leave at just the right times: to get there for lunch and the evening game drive on the first day then time to do the morning game drive and pack on our last day. Those were details I didn't think about, but Kathi did. Our ground transfers were on-time or early, so we were never worried about being late.
I would absolutely recommend using African Welcome Safaris -- and plan to use them again in the future!
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Email David Freese | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This company is first rate in all aspects of booking a wonderful African travel experience.
African Welcome Safaris delivered top shelf service in coordinating our multifaceted tour to Cape Town and Kruger National Park. Kathi Simon, our contact at AFS, was most helpful and professional in providing information in a timely manner. All questions and/or concerns were addressed promptly. The tour itself was a truly wondrous experience on every level. The accommodations were second to none. Managers and staff at all locations were always helpful, courteous and responsive. In Cape Town, our most knowledgeable tour guide, Rhys Bradshaw, was a true gentleman and a delight. Alistair Leuner and Emily Booth at Tintswalo Safari Lodge provided an absolutely fantastic experience of great food and lodging in an elegant space with the twice daily excursions to view the magnificent animals - a profound moment in and of itself. In all, the whole trip was a grand, fabulous time from beginning to end.
Email Trevor Bianchi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Efficient reliable service
Our South African Safari went very smoothly - our thanks to the attentive, diligent service of Kathi Simon from African Welcome Safaris.
Everything was handled professionally and cordially from our first enquiries until arriving back
to our hotel in Johannesburg. All went so smoothly - flights and accommodation - and the information which was emailed to us with our tickets was relevant and significant. The aftermath of a cyclonic rain depression resulted in our party being accommodated at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge instead of Sabi Sabi Selati lodge. Kathi kept us constantly updated with regard to flights in and out of the reserve and the subsequent unavoidable alteration to our accommodation.
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge was fantastic. The suites were impressive - the food and service very good - and the game drives and daily activities well organized. We got to see many animals up close and personal. A truly exciting and extraordinary experience.
Email Michael | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I knew exactly what I wanted and they sorted it for me.
They were extremely helpful,offering me a number of options,but I knew what I was looking for in a safari lodge
and they came up Tintswalo which matched my needs exactly.The lodge was excellent and the staff there were so genuinely friendly and helpful.Game spotting was quite difficult as it was February because of the denseness
of vegetation in some areas and I understand viewing would have been easier two or three months previous.
Nonetheless,I enjoyed very close sightings (and photos) of leopards,lions,buffalo,elephants,rhinos,giraffe,lots of different antelopes and birds,zebras,wildebeest etc.Overall a very satisfying experience.
SG
Email Vina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A holiday in Botswana and Cape Town to rave about
The best thing I did for our safari was ... to work with Kathi Simon! I have not used a tour operator for any holiday for more than a decade and thought I could organise our safari on my own. After spending hours late into the night researching online, struggling with flight connections and even contacting game lodges directly, I made the wise decision to go with Kathi, who was recommended by a friend.
Kathi's brief was not an easy one - a short trip of (only) 2 nights in Cape Town and 5 days on safari; first-timers on safari who wanted to see everything; budget constraints. She tackled all this in a professional manner, and even saved us money! Kathi was always patient and prompt with all my questions, nudging me gently in the appropriate direction in my planning, making great suggestions and reassuring me about my choices, all based on her vast experience and insight.
Our guide Rhys had the unenviable task of fulfilling our wish list for our single day in Cape Town.....which he more than delivered. Using his immense local knowledge (of traffic, especially!), Rhys made tweaks to our initial plan, packed our day in, and has whetted our desire to return to Cape Town.
Camp Kalahari exceeded all our expectations - it set the mark so high (as our first safari destination) that we wondered what Machaba Camp could offer, as an ‘upgrade’ to Camp Kalahari. Machaba Camp was newer and larger in all aspects, yet the hospitality and warmth of the staff still shone through. Food at Machaba Camp was great, but Camp Kalahari was even better.
The animals turned up in force during the green season. The Makgadikgadi salt pans had loads of zebra, their resident meerkats, lions etc etc, while Khwai River had hippos, elephants, lions, impala, lechwe etc etc. A leopard sighting appeared elusive, but Mmatsebe and her near-adult cub finally turned up..... up in a tree with an impala, in our last hour there! Lionesses 'visited' during our sundowner and got mock-charged by hippos. Our vehicle got stuck in an aardvark hole while off-roading tracking a lion, and separately, we got stuck in (yet) another hole and needed a tow, while surrounded by wild dogs and hyenas at a zebra kill. All this was amazing, but learning from and watching our guides Jonah and Kitso do the job they love, with skill and sensitivity to the environment, made for an unforgettable trip.
Can't wait to return to Africa, and when we do, I will start off by contacting Kathi at African Welcome Safaris! A well-deserved 5 stars!
Email Jeff | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Family Holiday
I have always used African welcome safaris to organise my trips to South Africa because Kathi sorts everything perfectly so that all I have to do is enjoy my holiday. The guide we use Rhys Bradshaw is also excellent - knowledgeable and very good company too,
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Email Jen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kapama/Cape Town/Vic Falls
My husband and I were extremely pleased with Kathi from the start. She worked with us to plan the honeymoon of our dreams while staying on budget. She was also very patient and professional with my million questions a day to her :) During the trip Kathi was available whenever needed. We ended up leaving our itinerary and excursion vouchers on the airplane and realized it on our way to Cape Town. Kathi was great in making sure everything was reprinted and waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived. The hotels/lodges we stayed at were great, and the must-do's that were recommended were awesome (wine tour in Cape Town, dinner cruise in Zimbabwe, etc...). We will definitely be using this company when we return to South Africa.
Email Nick B | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic, excellent customer service. Organized exactly the trip we wanted!!
My wife and I wanted a very specific safari experience plus we left it late to book! Kathu Simon from African Welcome Safaris worked tirelessly to arrange our trip including all flights, transfers and accomadation. We had 3 wonderful days in Sabi Sand at the Simbambili Game Lodge which was excellent, great lodgings, excellent food, superb staff and the wildlife experience was awesome.
Overall Africa Welcome Safaris was Excellent
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Email Alexander | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly the trip of a lifetime!
When we started planning our trip to Africa for a group of 14, we contacted several agencies for quotes. Very quickly we decided to go with African Welcome Safaris. The choice was simple: the agency representative, Kathi Simon, was responsive, flexible, knowledgeable, and accommodating. In addition, the price was right. Not only did Kathi tailor our trip to our wishes, but she also made a number of excellent suggestions, which, as we realized later, turned our vacation into an unforgettable experience.
We started our tour with a four and half day stay in Cape Town. This included a city tour, Table Mountain (not to be missed!), Winelands tour, hiking on Lion’s Head (highly recommended but be prepared to do some strenuous climbing), and just leisurely walking around this interesting city. Kathi suggested that we stay at Lawhill Luxury Apartments, which turned out to be superb accommodations. The apartments were luxurious indeed. They were also less expensive and more convenient than comparable hotels.
The next leg of the tour was a safari at Kruger National Park. Our enjoyment of this portion of the trip is beyond words. Our rangers, Terry and Kyle, made everything possible so that we could relish every minute of the safari. We parked a few feet away from a herd of lions that did not pay the slightest attention to us and saw a leopard leisurely walk a few feet away from our Jeep. We would just tell the rangers what we wanted to see, say, zebras, elephants, and giraffes, and they managed to find all of those animals for us. We stayed at the Selati Camp of the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, which was also Kathi’s suggestion. The camp was a unique experience in itself. The “bungalows” were rustic enough to create a safari mood, but very comfortable and spacious, with twice-a-day room service to make you feel great. The camp had eight bungalows so that it was all ours. Most importantly, the camp staff was friendly and courteous. They went above and beyond to make our experience enjoyable.
Before moving to our next safari at Chobe National Park, Kathi suggested that we visit the spectacular Victoria Falls. We spent two unforgettable days there. Not only did we enjoy viewing the Victoria Falls from both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sites, but we also swam in the Devil’s Pool on Livingston Iceland, rode elephants and had a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. These two days were a very nice change of scenery. Thereafter we moved to the Chobe Game Lodge, which is undoubtedly the best safari location at Chobe. The Safari experience at Chobe was different but no less enjoyable than the one at Kruger. The abundance of animals at Chobe is unbelievable. We could observe them not only from the Jeeps but also from boats on the Chobe River.
I cannot say enough to praise Kathi Simon who flawlessly organized and executed the trip that covered a vast territory of four countries: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Due to Kathi’s expertise and attention to details, we had a seamless transition from place to place.
We thoroughly enjoyed each and every day we spent in Africa. Together these days added up to an extraordinary vacation that we will never forget.
CA
Email Lawrence | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
the trip of a lifetime
Our trip exceeded all of our expectations. Our destinations as selected by Kathi ( Capetown/Stellenbosch/Victoria Falls/Botswana) were all extraordinarily interesting and beautiful. Our guides, to a man, were knowledgable/accommodating and obviously loved their work. If I ever return to South Africa I would only patronise African Welcome Safaris !