Kate & Darren Humphrys with Henry, Olive and Hume
Compass Odyssey
- Office 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 Jane and Peter Wellington | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant
From the start of our communications, via email, Darren (Crusty) was patient, responsive and thorough. This was the most exotic and distant trip we had ever planned and we had some anxieties. Darren was respectful and reassuring at every turn.
Darren arranged Compass Odyssey Guides to accompany us through all airports and all border crossings through South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. We would never have wanted to do this without them. They handled everything and we had not a moment of worry.
The trip was a custom planned experience with private guides. It delivered beyond our expectations. The safari camps were amazing and the guides all knowledgeable and took very good care of us. We saw more wildlife up close than we imagined we ever could.
We stayed in lodges with only 12 to 18 guests and were not infrequently the only guests on game drives and boat cruises.
Compass Odyssey managed every detail of our trip perfectly. They made it a dream come true.
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Email Ed | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thorough, caring, personal
This was my first time using a tour company: I prefer to organize my trips myself, and don't really want to sit on a bus with 20 other people looking at the same things thousands of people have seen.
But this was my first visit to Africa. I had a general idea of what I wanted to see/experience, but how to get from here to there, where to stay: I filled 10 pieces of paper with dates, flights, rental car and lodge info... I couldn't coordinate everything.
I can't remember how I got to their site, but I saw that they had generally what I wanted ("8 night Kruger/Victoria Falls/Zambezi.") I got in touch, and thus began a multiweek correspondence with Darren Humphrys. Darren said that they could personalize my trip, and Zambezi became Okavango.
It was a huge load off my mind to be met at the airport, taken to the place I was staying,, taken to the airport, and met at the next place. To be handed off to the next stage of the trip was a great comfort.
Part one of the journey couldn't begin until I got myself to Cape Town International Airport. For some reason the airline called Darren to say that I hadn't checked in when in fact I had. Darren sent me an email that said that if I didn't make the flight there was another I could take. He had time of flight and how to get to the lodge I was scheduled to stay at. He even called my number in the United States, a fact I didn't learn until I returned home and turned my phone on.
Again, I'm someone who prefers an independent trip. Compass Odyssey walked that fine line between making me feel like I was taking an independent trip and the comfort of, if something went wrong, they were there to make things right. I felt like I was their only client.
Email Stacey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dedicated, professional and friendly small company
From my very first inquiry with Darren at Compass Odyssey, it was clear that he was dedicated to providing me and my partner with a great trip that met our requirements. He quickly adjusted our original suggested itinerary and was in regular contact in the run up to and during our trip.
The pre-safari information that was provided, along with a detailed itinerary, gave me confidence that everything would go smoothly and it did. The transport provided by Mortimer and our guided tour around Victoria Falls was excellent, and Mortimer helped us arrange some additional activities at short notice while we were there. Our onward transport to Botswana went smoothly and the accommodation we were booked into by Darren, both in Vic Falls and Botswana were great.
The safari trips we did were excellent and all the staff and guides were super friendly and knowledgeable.
I honestly can't rate Compass Odyssey highly enough - they are hands down the best travel company I've ever dealt with and I would recommend them without hesitation. If I go on another trip to Africa - and I'd love to - Compass Odyssey will be my first port of call.
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Email Cindy N | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Compass Odyssey is amazing thorough; knowledgeable and responsive. Highly recommend!
Darren & Kate brought our dream of a Safari to life - and it was more incredible than we ever expected. Their communication prior to our trip was highly responsive and could not have been more thorough; that reduced a significant amount of pre-Safari jitters. The reassurance Compass Odyssey provided in terms of knowing we would be met by an English speaking guide and that all travel arrangements had been pre-arranged was a huge relief as none of us traveling together had ever experienced the unique experience of a Safari.
Once in Africa, our itinerary was executed flawlessly. Guest houses and lodges provided superb accommodations and were very welcoming. Guides spoke English impressively well and were highly knowledgeable....jeep rides (humorously called African massages) as we tracked lions and leopards are unforgettable, as were evening boat excursions on the Chobe River. We saw more wildlife than we could have imagined and have a new appreciation for the birds of Africa.
Darren & Kate made our Safari dream become a once in a lifetime experience.
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Email Marta | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond my wildest dreams Darren is awesome and extremely knowledgeable
Our trip was full of many adventures and action packed to say the least. Had always been my dream to go to Africa and this trip exceeded all my expectations. We were in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Trip was 14 days not including travel and we saw everything we wanted to see plus more. Guides were knowledgeable and had great sense of humor. Accommodations were great and I was very happy with all aspects of our time and Darren was always quick to respond and always had a smile on his face.
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Email Renee Plank | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Darren of Compass Odyssey is highly responsive, thorough and knowledgable. Great to work with.
Communications were excellent. Gave a thorough description of exactly the what, when and where of our activities. Gave much additional information such as flights, malaria, water issues and suggestions of restaurants & activities. Always encouraged our asking questions.
CA
Email Diamond | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great!!!
Everything was very good from start to finish.
Lots of detail, information and answers in the planning stages followed by a great tour once we arrived in South Africa.
Communication was excellent before, during and after.
The tours, guides and accommodations were perfect for our family.
Crusty and Kate could not have been helpful and they arranged a first class trip
The trip more than lived up to our expectations.
Compass Odyssey arranged everything for us and what we received was first class at an affordable price.
The providers that they used for accommodation and safari's were excellent and certainly knew their stuff.
They were readily available and most helpful.
In summing up a great holiday that was stress free from ours as a customer point of view.
DE
Email Ed | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The passion of experienced travellers, shared to enable an inspirational, relaxed and exciting trip
Kate and Darren's effusive advice and guidance made for a truly exceptional safari, where questions were promptly answered and arrangements were perfectly smooth and trouble-free.
Early ambiguity concerning internal flights was clarified and the experience from then on is to be wholeheartedly recommended. The abundance of information prior to the holiday meant we arrived well informed and free to soak up all the trip had to offer. All guides and pick ups worked as planned and effortlessly negotiated round some minor inconveniences with the weather. The itinerary itself was perfectly assembled to give an authentic picture of the huge variety of culture and wildlife in Southern Africa.
Emails were responded to seemingly immediately, with detail and comfort-providing clarity.
Kate and Darren's passion for travel and for Africa, their attention to detail and faultless communication, means that we are delighted to recommend them and their company and to offer the highest rating possible.
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Email Peter H | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life Altering Experience
I contacted Compass Oydessy as an afterthought. I had booked a 3 night safari in Kruger Park at the Senalala Safari camp, and wanted to perhaps see a bit more of Southern Africa before I made my long awaited journey to the Cape Winelands. The trip planned for me turned out to be the highlight of my trip, and has changed my perspective on life and what I want out of it. Being able to observe wildlife up close on the Chobe River made me think of things in a totally different light when I considered my life back home. Mortimer and his wife were excellent guides to Vic Falls and they handled all the transportation and visa issues which would have been a bit stressful for me had undertaken to do them myself. I would highly recommend using Compass to anyone who is interested in exploring the magic of Africa.