Kate & Darren Humphrys with Henry, Olive and Hume
Compass Odyssey
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $300 to $1,000 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 Sunil | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A professional, caring and diligent tour operator
From the very first email, Darren conveyed that he is a professional, thorough and caring service provider. He goes out of his way to understand our preferences and always explain alternatives. In our case, he put together the entire trip a week before the departure date. In spite of the obvious time crunch, he never rushed us into making a decision. I like that all of his arrangements were well planned, tour guides were knowledgeable and accommodations were central and quality places. As a result of his planning and thoughtfulness, we were able to relax and enjoy the trip rather than worry about the logistical details. It was a sheer pleasure dealing with him throughout the whole trip. Overall, a great experience and I highly recommend Compass Odyssey to anyone who is looking for an African safari.
Email Gail and Tony | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great choices of accommodation and guides and impressive flexibility.
The tour totally lived up to our expectations. We had already been to Zimbabwe some years ago but hadn’t been to safari lodges in Botswana, Zambia or South Africa. I especially wanted to see rhinos as we saw none the last time. So even though we were only in Zambia for 1 night we saw 8 White Rhinos!!! Darren did a terrific job of organising our 2 week trip - starting in Joberg and ending in Cape Town. The lodges were small and personal attention was terrific. The food good to excellent. We loved things like hippos munching on the grass of our safari lodge back yard. Combining both the river and land in Botswana was superb. This is the second time we have travelled with Darren - the other trip was Morocco and we loved the accommodation and experiences there too - so we didn’t hesitate to ask Darren if he organised Southern Africa trips too.
CA
Email Walter and Family | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent trip planning and support
We planned a trip for a group of 8 to southern Africa with Darren and team. Organizing an itinerary that worked given lodge and flight availability was a big effort and we really appreciated the support they provided us to make our trip successful. They also provided very good information at every step of the process from choosing lodging to entry requirements. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this company for friends and family to use in the future.
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Email Caldwell | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-planned & great communication
We had an amazing time in Chobe & the Okavango on one of Darren's trips. Our time in Pom Pom Camp was unforgettable thanks to a fantastic guide named Patros. Darren was thorough and quick to respond as we planned our trip -- which is very important when you're trying to become comfortable with logistics of a trip into the bush. The camp had a potentially significant luggage SNAFU on our way out the door, but the camp operator took care of us while we were delayed in Maun -- and Darren did what he could to assist.
Our time at Garden Lodge in Chobe was nice. The owners are fantastic, but one of the staff members left a bit of a bitter taste. I understand that person is being cycled out soon enough, so should not count against the lodging.
Overall, my feeling is that we live in an age where its become increasingly feasible to design your own worldly adventures. We picked Compass Odyssey because it lined up with our trip budget, however, after the fact, I do believe the trip was slightly over-priced. I say that even though Compass Odyssey gave us a great deal of peace of mind headed into our adventure and guided us to some great venues.
US
Email Susheela & Nikki | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect!
Our trip was perfect. The communication lines that were established a year ago were maintained all the way up to the moment we departed on our adventure. All questions were answered promptly, and we always had the information we needed. And once we began our journey, everything went smoothly. The lodging and transfers were excellent, and the local guides were wonderful.
All air and ground transfers went off as scheduled and with no complications. It was so easy!
With regards to the lodges, Garden Lodge in Kasane was lovely, and we really enjoyed the company of the staff, particularly Gabi, our host, and our guide, Tefo. We dined with hippos on the lawn in front of us! And being able to visit Chobe by road and by water was fantastic. What a spectacular sunset cruise!
Batonka Guest House in Vic Falls was beautiful, and I am sure we would have enjoyed it even more had we stayed longer.
Africa on Foot in Klaserie (Greater Kruger) was great. It was a little more rustic than the others, but the accommodations and food were good, and the staff were friendly. We got to see the elephants drinking from the pool in camp, a rhino so close we could practically touch it, and an amazing leopard drama. And we loved getting to walk with Enoch--what a different perspective!
In Johannesburg, Rutland House with Delia was wonderful. She is such a lovely host, and the room and breakfast were excellent.
But we fell absolutely in love with Pom Pom Camp. EVERYTHING about it was beyond our wildest dreams. We didn't want to leave the tent because the view was spectacular. But then we took the game drives, boat ride, and mokoro ride, and we never wanted those to end. The food and the staff and the fire circle, the long table at which we shared meals, the night sounds, our hosts and our incredible guides, O.D. and Clifford, and the endless wildlife! I could go on and on. And each night, the sunset was spectacular, but then I didn't want it to come up too soon because it meant that we were one day closer to leaving. The whole experience was incomparable. We have vowed to go back.
As for the local guides, we were particularly fond of Mortimer and Ruth. We very much enjoyed the time we spent with them, including the transfer from Botswana to Zimbabwe; our tour of the falls, township, and the local school; and our visit to their home where we met two of their amazing children. They were extremely welcoming, knowledgeable, accommodating, and helpful throughout the duration of our stay.
Chic was just as gracious and accommodating, and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him. He knows the city so well, and he made getting around it so easy. Walking around with local guide Percy in Soweto was a highlight of this leg of the journey, as he is quite a character.
Truly, we would not have changed anything. Thank you, Darren and Kate. We will be back!
NZ
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, well organised!
Wow! We can not thank Darren enough for organising the perfect honeymoon for us. I’ve lost count of the number of emails I’ve sent to Darren, the number of questions I asked and every time Darren would reply in a timely manner, answering all of my questions. We picked a tour from the list and modified it with Darren’s help that we made our own tour which was amazing, we went to a variety of places over two weeks and everything was organised from accomodation to transfers. Darren kept in contact during our time in Africa to check everything was ok, which was excellent he was there if we needed him. We were sent very informative, thorough information to help us pack and plan.
Every accomodation Darren booked was amazing, every safari we went on was enjoyable and an experience of a lifetime. If you’re not sure where to start send Darren an email and you won’t be disappointed. You will get personalised, friendly, professional and extremely well organised advice and support from the booking process right through to when you are travelling.
Thank you so much Darren!
MT
Email Alan Bonnici | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fabulous experience of a lifetime
For me, Compass Odyssey means meticulousness and diligence, reliable and highly professional. It's from quotation and initial booking stages that CO gave a glimpse of their dependability. Darren was extremely fast in answering all our queries, and his response was always well detailed. He strived and managed to tailor-made our South African tour to our preferences and liking.
The tour is extremely well organized, with excellent local guides, and extremely well selected accommodations. Garth, Mortimer and Chic were remarkable. Besides their professionalism, they have always managed to adjust the program according to our liking, and have always made us feel welcome. I have particularly appreciated Garth’s initiative to include a bird watching activity which was out of schedule. Chic was really informative and was always willing to suggest dining options. Mortimer, together with his wife and son, did a great job in coordinating our tours and cross border arrangements. I must say that we have greatly treasured the ‘Tour of the Township’ with Mortimer’s wife, and would have really wished to visit the local school which were told that was closed (being part of the excursion we have brought several dictionaries and English literature books for the kids and it was rather disappointing that no one advised us beforehand that the school was going to be closed). Notwithstanding this, we have managed to fulfill this time with another equally amazing activity, feeding the vultures.
Our tour was an excellent mix of culture, history, tradition and wildlife experience. We have gone through several distinct ecosystems – the wine lands in Stellenbosch area, safari destinations of Kruger & Chobe national parks, the waterfall wonder at Victoria Falls, to the dramatic cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg.
We went foe this tour in search of Africa’s rich tradition, diverse wildlife and beautiful scenery, however thanks to Compass Odyssey we left with a collection of new experiences, expanded horizons and a fresh perspective of life.
Reply from Compass Odyssey
Posted on Sep 25, 201822 AUGUST Hello Alan and Andreana and greetings again from Africa.
Thanks so much for the very generous review. We're however very sorry that the school was closed during your Township Tour in Victoria Falls. We were also not aware that the children were on school holidays, and we have requested Mortimer to let us know in advance of these dates so that none of our future travelers experience the same disappointment. We have also asked him to take a picture when he hands over the books to the school, just so that you can have confidence that your kind gift is appreciated.
UPDATE 25 SEPTEMBER Thank you again, Alan and Andreana for your very generous donation for the school in Victoria Falls. Ruth handed the books to the school the other day and Mortimer was kind enough to send me a picture to pass onto you both, which I have just done by email.
CN
Email Cameron | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Experience
Darren and the team at Compass were outstanding from the very first contact until the day we left South Africa. We visited Chobe, Vic Falls and Kruger and everything including transfers, lodging and wildlife exceeded all expectations. The whole experience was so good that we are already planning our next safari with Compass.
ES
Email Felix | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything organized perfectly
Compass Odyssey has taken care of us for 14 days on a trip in which we have toured parks in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The organization has been perfect. We have had the best guides in each of the areas visited, so that our final list of birds and mammals seen has been impressive. During the preparation of the trip, they adapted perfectly to our requirements, making reasonable suggestions to improve the itinerary. Fantastic!
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Email Cheryl Blum | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentiveness, fast response, patience, focused customization and friendliness at its absolute best!
Our trip was for 11 days from Cape Town to Greater Kruger to Victoria Falls to Chobe to Okavango Delta. Words cannot come close to expressing how outstanding Compass Odyssey was to work with for planning our trip of a lifetime. In taking a chance by choosing to work with someone across the Atlantic, it was important to gain trust. With my very detail oriented nature, there were a lot of questions. Darren ALWAYS responded quickly, with explicit answers about everything to whether we could find a particular bird in one region to what place had the best souvenirs to whether it was safe to eat crocodile in Victoria Falls. Never did he show impatience, and his friendliness and support was unmatched. With his focused attention to our desires, he was able to put together several choices of itineraries even though we were planning our trip only 5 months before peak season. And even when airlines were cancelling and changing flights during a shake-up, he stayed the course and was able to keep our entire itinerary in place with only a few minor changes by pushing his contacts to get us on certain flights. And as two women in a foreign land, it was also important for us to know we had someone to contact if trouble arose. While we traveled, he even checked in with us to make sure everything was fine. Every place we went, the experience we were looking for was nearly perfect, with excellent safari guides who expended tremendous efforts to meet the desires of their clients, and probably at least 50 bird species and 25 mammal species spotted, often in high numbers. The accommodations were also well matched to our preferences. The guides Compass Odyssey uses (We had Dot in Cape Town, Mortimer and Ruth in Vic Falls, and Charles also in Vic Falls) were fun and passionate and patient, and also focused on what we wanted. Everywhere we went we always had someone making sure we got where we needed to go, usually even finding the appropriate person at the airports to check in with. The experience working with Compass Odyssey could not have been better! Oh... and the animals in Africa are awesome, too!
