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
SG
Email sQ lin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic and so prompt responses throughout! Truly a peace of mind vacay.
I have not used a full tour concierge and have previously used day trip bookings only. i first tried them a couple of years ago when i was contemplating and back then, the quotation support was very quick to work out an itinery for me back then despite me not going for it.
This round, Kathi is even more awesome. She not only helped me tailor a full plan with some light initial budgets but went on to provide me alternatives such that i have many plans to compare (i know im terrible). She was also very very VErY prompt (and im very fast on emails haha) to assist me in customisations and adding the bits and recommendations. For once i didnt have to my usual excel planning sheets and whats best, everything was on a downloadable app! Even when i was there, she pays attention to the days i need to take flight and send me check in link as well as guide info.
The final recommended duration of 5 nights safari (an absolute dream), 5 nights capetown and 3 zimbabwe/botswana days were the best! Totally a fantastic inauguration to my South africa trips. And i think the price is really value for money!
In fact i recommended to my SA interested friends even before my trip and will continue to use them for my Future SA trips.
Email James Bell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Could not have been more helpful, brilliant service.
Wonderful service from Kathi. Safari trip was all seamlessly arranged until we had to cancel on a Sunday with less than 24 hours notice. Despite the time and date she answered the initial call and then called back again with an update, by the Monday not only had she managed to cancel the trip BUT also managed to re-arrange it 17 days later including re-arranging flights and the Safari package itself at virtually no additional cost. She then kept in touch throughout our trip to ensure we were always at the right place and time. Totally professional could not recommend highly enough.
US
Email Kayleen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great to work with and they arranged the perfect trip to South Africa!!
Kathi planned the perfect trip to South Africa for us. All places we visited were amazing/beautiful and all very different. The resorts we stayed in were so nice and we hated leaving them but the next location was just as nice! The safari at the end was our favorite part of the trip. Amazing Savannah Private Game Reserve. Loved everything about this place! Animals we saw, service, guide, tracker, food and every person we interacted with were amazing. Would love to go back to Africa someday. This was on my bucket lust and all expectations were exceeded!!
Best honeymoon in the best location organised by the best tour operator
Kathi of African Welcome Safaris is highly recommended. She was very responsive, both before and during our trip from late October to early November.
At the planning stage, she found out about our needs and provided appropriate advice, including on where to splurge and where we did not need to. When we splurged, the choices provided to us were the best luxury choices and we thought every dollar was well spent. The entire experience was extremely pleasant, personalised and comfortable.
During the trip, when we had to make last minute changes due to weather conditions and some of our planned items (e.g. ferry to Robben Island and cable car at Table Mountain) had to be rescheduled, Kathi attended to them immediately and worked tirelessly even during weekends (although we much rather not bother her if we didn't need to!).
Our guide/driver in Cape Town Henrik deserves a special mention. He was always early, went above and beyond, shared his experience, and took us off the beaten path whenever we have some time in between planned items.
Email Dr Emad Siddiqui | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour operator; first class service from start to finish, highly recommended
We used African Welcome Safaris for our recent holiday in South Africa. We are a group of friends (5 families, 22 people) who go on a group vacation every few years. This year we planned to do a safari and visit of Cape Town. I initially made contact with several agencies, however, from the very beginning i found Kathi (African Welcome Safaris) to be extremely proactive, professional and helpful. Kathi assessed our needs, enquired on a budget and within a couple of days developed a tailor made 10 day tour of South Africa. Kathi suggested Elephant Plains in the Sabi Sands Region in Kruger and clearly articulated the benefits of this reserve. She booked a 3 day safari for us and organised all internal flights and created a fantastic 5 day guided tour of Cape Town. From start to finish Kathi's communication was clear and she addressed our queries usually within 24 hours.
We have now returned from our holiday and we can say this has been one of our best holidays to date. From start to finish the organisation and planning was first class. The Safari experience at Elephant plains was amazing. The accommodation and dining was luxurious and the staff were extremely courteous and helpful. The rangers and trackers went out of their way to ensure we saw all the animals. We ended up seeing the big 5 on several occasions.
In Cape Town Kathi booked our accommodation in the Lawhill luxury apartments. The apartments are located in the Harbour Bay which is a great place to stay. Excellent security and facilities. Kathi made some very good recommendations for dinning and organised our group dinners. Graham was our tour guide in Cape town. He is friendly, knowledgeable and made us feel very welcome. We visited Table top mountain, Bo-Kaap, Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, Robben Island and more.
To summarise we had a great experience from start to finish with African Welcome Safaris. Kathi was amazing and we would definitely recommend using this agency.
Dr Emad Siddiqui and Mrs Sajal Siddiqui on behalf of the full group travelling from the United Kingdom, USA and Australia.
US
Email Sharon | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A trip of a lifetime. Alex you were great to work with
Our family of 11 adults and kids spent 2-1/2 weeks in South Africa visiting Cape Town, a safari at Lush in Pilansberg and Johannesburg. I worked with Alex from the very beginning in planning this trip. His knowledge, advise, recommendations, patience and attention to detail were amazing. He understood exactly what type of trip I wanted and responded to all my requests promptly and efficiently. It was an absolute pleasure working with him. This was the first time I have used an agent to plan my whole trip. Wow, Alex made it so easy!
Once we arrived in Cape Town (our first stop) everything ran like clockwork. The guide and driver met us at the airport on time, and from then onwards kept our activities and tours running smoothly. It was wonderful not having to worry about anything or having to make any decisions as all this had been done with Alex during the planning. They were very flexible and were open to us making any requests.
Our stay at Lush was a once in a lifetime experience. Here again we were picked up at the airport and transported there. The lodge, accommodations and game rangers where outstanding.
Ali, our guide in Johannesburg was wonderful and introduced our kids and grandkids to the history of the country.
We have taken many vacations with our family and they all said this was the best one ever. Thank you Alex and African Welcome Safaris for helping us make beautiful and magical memories.
CA
Email Erin Baker & Donovan Laviolette | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Dream Honeymoon Adventure in South Africa!
My husband and I recently embarked on our dream honeymoon in South Africa, and the experience crafted by African Welcome Safaris surpassed all our expectations. From the mesmerizing safari to the vibrant city life in Cape Town, the picturesque Garden Route, thrilling shark cage diving, and the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, every moment was nothing short of amazing.
Throughout our honeymoon, African Welcome Safaris demonstrated a commitment to excellence. The accommodations, transportation, and guides were top-notch, reflecting the company's dedication to providing an unforgettable experience. Our heartfelt thanks for making our honeymoon a journey of a lifetime.
Kathi was also extremely responsive the entire trip. Whether it be questions about our accommodation or excursions, we always received a prompt response. We highly recommend working with them, to anyone seeking an extraordinary adventure in South Africa!
US
Email Laurie Cochran | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply Amazing! The attention to detail was second to none!!
We couldn't have asked for a better experience. The attention to detail, the organization, the reliability....everything was 5 Star all the way! It was a vacation of a lifetime and African Welcome Safaris made that happen for us!!
US
Email Wayne Fisher | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kathi was an exceptional!!!!! Every detail she planned was executed perfectly. 5+ stars for her!
Kathi, our tour operator expertly arranged for guides, accommodation and transportation for our month long stay in South Africa
Highlights were:
Johannesburg - Cradle of Humankind paleoanthropological sight - cultural tour of Soweto - 4 day 5 day safari in Kapama Buffalo Camp -
Table Mountain Cape Town -
Tour of Cape of Good Hope .
Winelands tour and the small quiet fishing village of Paternoster.
All wonderful experiences!!!
High recomend Safaribookings.
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!