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
FI
Email Susanna Salo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First class service from start to end!
The service of African Welcome Safaris was excellent. When planning our trip (family of 5 adults), Kathi not only carefully listened to our wishes, but also responded with speed and care. She made sure our entire trip was carefully tailored to all our needs and desires.
We had an amazing trip to Cape Town/Franschhoek/Kruger/Garden route. Exellent guides: Loreal as our airport transfer driver who was a burst of joy, Henrik for one full and very informative day in Cape Town, Ben for two days taking us on a grand tour to see Cape of Good Hope/penguins/Kirstenbosch Garden and Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. We could not have had better guides - friendly, kind and very professional! Kathi had chosen us absolutely beautiful hotels at every place. Each hotel was clearly chosen based on our wishes and all of them gave a variety of different cultural aspects that made exploring South Africa exciting and pleasant. The chosen vineyards for our Stellenbosch and Franschhoek leg were also all absolutely stunning and different in their own, beautiful ways.
Kruger was amazing and our Simbawati Waterside Lodge was lovely. Most of us had never been on a safari and didn’t really know what to expect, but the Waterside Lodge and the safari experience was like a dream come true for the entire family. Simbavati Waterside Lodge itself was stunning and the staff truly provided a five-star experience. Our safari guide Kaizer and tracker Hendry were safari veterans - they were extremely friendly and experienced and gave us a safari of a lifetime. We saw the entire Big 5 (numerous times) and felt safe every single game drive we had. Suzie, our butler, made sure we were always comfortable and full with food and drinks the entire stay at the Lodge. The entire staff at Simbavati Waterside Lodge made us feel at home so much, that we even dropped a few tears before leaving.
Kathi was also absolutely amazing at giving swift, real-time replies via Whatsapp/text messages whenever we needed help or guidance with anything. We felt like we were in good hands the entire trip. The trip in its entirety was unforgettable and every day was more exciting than the previous! This is what a five-star, stress-free, value for money trip looks like!
We can highly recommend Kathi and African Welcome Safaris!
Email Helen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kathi is the most efficient, prompt and helpful travel agent I have ever dealt with.
Once again we had a wonderful African experience, organised by Kathi. Communication with Kathi was always prompt and helpful, and as a result everything went to plan, no hiccups and no hold ups. Our tour of Tanzania did have some long days of travel, especially the few days either side of Ngorongoro Crater, and the vehicle the tour company provided was a little old, prone to a few minor issues. However the animal sightings were wonderful, and our guide, though softly spoken and not always forth coming, had incredible knowledge of both animals and geology , culture, geography etc.. Our accommodation in Tanzania was great - Honeyguide Camp being my very favourite - nothing beats hearing lions during the night and waking up to an elephant outside the window munching on grass, followed by breakfast watching the giraffe pass by ! And always with such attentive, happy, helpful and knowledgeable staff.
Kichwa Tembo in Kenya was on another level again, very special. We upgraded to the tents with view, wonderful outlook and again fantastic staff, our guide Ken stands there with the best. A bush dinner, complete with Masai entertainment, our own chef, delicious meal, attentive staff, candle lighting, even a porta-loo, was the fitting last night to a wonderful holiday. I have recommended Kathi to a number of fellow Australians, many of whom have worked with her, and I will continue to sing her praises whenever I can.
US
Email George Nutial | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely efficient -
We missed our connecting flight from Newark to Johannesburg. Kathi Simon did an excellent job rearranging our itinerary. Plus, the entire trip went as smoothly as can be imagined. Every pick up/ Hotel arrival was on time and completely professional.
US
Email Sejal Gala | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kathi at the African Welcome Safari is the dream travel agent anyone wants!
This trip was easily top 3 travel experiences I have had, and I travel a lot. Kathi’s attention to details, ability to truly listen and plan us exactly what we wanted blew our minds. The service was top knotch. Every aspects of the trip with hotels, tour guides, bookings, flights, everything was on point. The trip exceeded my expectations! Great value for money, very reliable and truly a phone call away to meet your concerns. I will be coming back with them to do more trips to Africa.
CA
Email Philip Kuruvilla | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic trip
My wife and I travelled to South Africa for the first time. Our agent was Kathi Simon. She was outstanding. Prior to the trip she took the time to make an itinerary tailored to our specific wishes and interests. Every aspect of the trip was superb. She always responded promptly to any questions we had. We highly recommend African Welcome Safaris .
SG
Email Shawn Chu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Honeymoon in South Africa
We had our dream honeymoon in South Africa thanks to the efforts of Kathi Simon at African Welcome Safaris. I decided to book through Kathi as she was very responsive to my emails and could accommodate all my travel requests, providing me with a detailed itinerary suited to my budget. My wife and I could enjoy ourselves without worrying about missing our flights or transfers. During the trip, we could contact Kathi whenever we encountered any issues. Our Shark Cage diving tour got postponed due to inclement weather, but she managed to coordinate and reschedule with the tour operator when the weather improved. For anyone visiting South Africa, we highly recommend booking through African Welcome Safaris for an unforgettable experience!
US
Email Bill | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Welcome Safaris was fantastic. Would highly recommend!
Kathi Simon and AWS did a wonderful job planning and handling our trip to South Africa. We travelled as a family of 4 from the USA, with 2 teenage boys. We did Cape Town, the Wine Country, and safaris near Kruger National Park. Kathi was a great communicator, and worked hard to ensure that all the details were accounted for. Every location and accommodation she selected was fantastic. All of the transfers were easy, reliable, and safe. The value was excellent for the peace of mind provided. We received Kathi's name from a good friend who booked with Kathi over 10 years ago, and now - 10+ years later - Kathi and AWS are still providing a wonderful South African experience.
US
Email Valerie Clark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every aspect of the trip met or exceeded my expectations: fantastic experience!
I wanted the vacation of a lifetime for my 16 year old granddaughter and that’s exactly what we got. Every detail was planned out and all we had to do was show up! All of the drivers were professional and knowledgeable, and accommodations all exceeded my expectations as far as service and luxury. The Panorama Route is a must see and the safari part of the trip was exhilarating! We saw all the big 5 multiple times as well as many others! I will definitely use African Welcome Safari again for future trips!
SA
Email Loay Alayadhi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, kind and knowledgeable
Thank you so much for making my trip wonderful .
All of us enjoyed and had a lot of fun.
US
Email Nicole K. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very accommodating and easy to work with!
Our trip included four days in Cape Town, a short flight to a private game reserve that was top notch at an affordable rate with lovely staff and luxurious accommodations! The attention to detail and hospitality was phenomenal! It was a trip of a lifetime and couldn’t have been any less stressful in the planning. I highly recommend African Welcome Safaris if you’re looking to visit Africa!
