The Wild Wings team - Loving Every Moment!
Wild Wings Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & ABTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $232 to $1,987 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
TH
Email Mary | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari
Firstly, I have never responded to an individual review before, but I must. I happened to be on the same safari as the person who wrote the previous one star review. All I can say, is that sometimes there is no pleasing some people. Anyone going on a safari must go with an open mind and the desire to learn from the experts without preconceived notions. This is not a zoo, it is real life, kills happen- it is part of the animal kingdom.
Simon is an experienced, knowledgeable, and most of all, passionate guide. My husband and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Simon, from the breakfast he cooked in the morning through to the dinners he cooked at night. In between, we searched for sightings with Simon and it was always fun and very productive. Our safari with Simon was one of the highlights of our month long trip to this beautiful country. Wild Wings support staff were there to answer every email and did an excellent job of organizing everything for us. ( we did a number of things through them.
I would highly recommend Wild Wings and plan to send my sister on this trip!
US
Email Donna P | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Choose ANY other company!
The guide Simon is a tourist who moved to South Africa to do tours and it shows in his arrogant, opinionated, disrespect of the South African people (he made fun of the way they talk), disrespect of the animals (he was gleeful at the thought of witnessing a kill in stark contrast to how the local guides respectfully handled the same situation and he even defended poaching saying "poachers are just people trying to feed their families") and his disrespectful comments about americans which he repeatedly made. Kruger National Park was amazing, the South African people were wonderful-- do the tour, just do it with ANY company but this one!
Reply from Wild Wings Safaris
Posted on Apr 5, 2016Hi Donna,
I take great pride in my job and in offering people the best safari experience possible. I am, therefore, greatly disappointed that you feel your safari didn’t live up to that standard. I am also sorry for the way that you feel about me as a person. I am passionate and enthusiastic about the Kruger and its wildlife. This shows up in the fact that I get excited about the animals and their behaviour. I always try and get close to the action and position the vehicle in the best possible way for the guests to see and photograph. If that is considered gleeful, then I’m guilty as charged. Most guests realise that this puts me in stark contrast to other guides, for whom guiding is merely a job. For me, this is my life, and I love seeing animals live and act in their natural environment, and showcasing that to the guests who come on my safaris.
Conversation around the dinner table often turns to relevant issues such as wildlife management, conservation, poaching, hunting and culling. I never condoned poaching and never will. It’s one of the more serious issues that we are currently struggling with. Perhaps you didn’t quite understand the context of my poaching statement. I mentioned that poachers are often killed in Kruger, to which you responded: ”Great, I hope they shoot more.” I continued saying that shooting poachers is not the real solution, many are merely doing it to feed their families. The fight of rhino poaching is much bigger than merely eradicating poachers. I’m not quite sure how you interpret this as me defending or condoning poaching.
I’m baffled by the fact that you think I’m a “tourist” when I have in fact been born and raised in South Africa and have lived my whole life here. I am also not quite sure what you are suggesting by saying that me being a “tourist” shows in me supposedly being arrogant, opinionated and disrespectful. What does that say about other tourists?
With regards to making fun of people, I do like to look at the lighter side of life. Most people refer to it as having a sense of humour. I guess it takes two people with a sense of humour for a joke to work. I can’t quite recall where I made fun of the way South Africans talk. After all, I am South African and I talk like them. I might talk funny, but I’ve learned to live with it. I have had many Americans on safari before, and most of them don’t take the things I say so literally or personally. I’ve made the same jokes before without anyone ever getting offended.
In the end, I still tried to make the safari a success, as far as possible. I went out of my way to cater to your vegetarian and gluten free requirements (unfortunately I was not told in advance that your husband also does not eat other things like onions or garlic). It appears my best efforts were perhaps not enough, or not appreciated by you.
We were lucky to have many great sightings including various predators such as lion (even the rare white lion), leopard, cheetah, wild dogs, etc. By sightings alone you were very fortunate, but it is a pity that normal and natural predator behaviour was disturbing to you. I also purposefully did not go to sightings that I knew would get you upset, like the lions feeding on a buffalo kill. For the sake of the other guests, I also tried to keep things light-hearted. I believe I had some success in giving them a great experience, despite the tension caused by your obvious displeasure, as can been seen in their review of the same safari (by Mary, dated 4 April 2016).
I leave you with the same words I said when I dropped you off, “I know this safari might not have been the best experience for you, but at least I hope that you can take some good memories home with you.” I always think one should hold on to the positives, rather than the negatives.
Personally, however, I do not think going with any other company would have made the experience any less miserable for you.
All the best for your future.
Regards,
Simon Vegter
Wild Wings Safaris
Email AdeleO | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another amazing safari experience!
This was my third safari with Wild Wings and yet again from booking with Gavin to pickup and drop off, it was an absolutely amazing experience. It was also my third time with Simon as a guide and his knowledge and passion for the wildlife of Kruger never ceases to amaze me. We had so many wonderful sightings thanks to Simon's expert eye and understanding of animal behaviour. If there is a sighting to be had Simon will find it!
A close encounter with a cheetah had eluded me on my previous safaris and was high up on my wishlist this time. I was not disappointed. We found one just minutes from camp and spent an incredible 40 minutes watching as it got up from resting to take a stroll down to the Sabie River bank for a drink. We had numerous lion sightings and a very special treat was seeing the famous white lion for the second time. Another amazing 45 minutes were spent in the company of a beautiful leopard enjoying some time in a tree and an incredible sighting on our night drive where another beauty walked alongside our vehicle for 10 minutes. Add to this white and black rhinos, elephants galore including a tiny infant suckling, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, warthogs - the list is endless as my 1000+ photographs prove!
Accommodation at Lower Sabie and Satara was great and Simon's cooking delicious - the ostrich steak was superb!
We have already booked a fourth return visit and cannot recommend Wild Wings highly enough. Definitely 5+ stars.
Email Kenny McColl | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An exceptional safari experience, with an outstanding guide.
We have just enjoyed a Wild Wings 2night/3day Kruger safari - and what an incredible time it was! As someone who has enjoyed previous safaris in Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania, I feel well qualified to comment on our experience. Every aspect, from the initial responses to our enquiries, through to the logistics and the transfers from Johannesburg to Kruger, the accommodation (at Skukusa), the catering arrangements, and of course the safari itself was excellent. But what made it exceptional, was the knowledge and expertise of our guide, Simon. I say 'guide', but he was also our driver and chef! His wildlife knowledge (birds, mammals, reptiles...) was incredible, and certainly I have no hesitation in saying that he was the best game guide (by some margin) that I have experienced in my 4 safaris. And he never switched off! Even on the journey back to Johannesburg, he was pointing out birds that we passed.
You can't judge the success of a safari trip solely by the wildlife encounters that you have , or whether you manage to see the Big Five; but even by that measure, our experience of Wild Wings was exceptional. Simon is courteous and considerate to other game viewers too - be they other safari guides or just members of the public who have turned up in their own vehicles...and asking what it is that we're looking at. By the way, you can self-drive in Kruger, but why would you want to? The place is vast, and without Simon's skills we would have seen very little. Yes, he is connected in to a number of other game guides who share their finds, so it does increase the likelihood of good interactions; but he has an incredible eye and ear for spotting the smallest movement, the faintest of sounds that can lead to a fantastic encounter. And as I said, he operates with courtesy and consideration to other users of the park, and most importantly to the wildlife.
In summary, the best endorsement that I can give is to say that if (when!) we return to Kruger, we will not be looking anywhere else: Wild Wings Safaris will be our first port of call.
US
Email Lisa, Tim, Brianna & Kylie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dream come true delivered with expertise and efficiency!
If you are going to go on a Safari in South Africa, then you need to be with a guide who loves animals, loves his job and knows where to go. Although it is his job, I don't think he really works a day in his life, with the exception of loading luggage and cooking amazing meals! Simon is the epitome of the perfect Safari guide. His vast knowledge and passion for Kruger Park are exceptional. There was not one question I asked during our 5 days with him that he could not answer. And while we all know that the ultimate goal is to see The Big Five, there is so much more to see and learn about. Simon did that for us. I came home with a video of a dung beetle rolling his fresh dung ball across the road. I watched as a group of grasshoppers crossed the road in front of us in a large cluster and then understood why as Simon explained this to us. Yes, it is exhausting, yes you are up early every day, and get to bed late. But you are on safari in Africa and if you want to see everything you possibly can and learn more than you ever dreamed, then this is the company to work with. Our family has the luxury of using pass benefits to fly. As a result, this trip was booked very last minute. We had been watching the flights to and from Johannesburg and were quite confident we could get there and back with no issues. On January 25th, we booked our 5 day Safari with Wild Wings. And on February 1st we departed for Atlanta due to a huge blizzard in Minneapolis. Our 15+ hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesbury left on Wednesday evening and we arrived at 5:30 pm on Thursday where Gilbert from AfricaSky House greeted us. Everything was perfect. Our room, our dinner and breakfast and then, Simon showed up at precisely 8am to drive the 6.5 hours to Kruger. He was professional, friendly and very, very efficient. Simon has been a Safari Guide for 14 years and 11 of them have been spent with Wild Wings. I don't think we could have been blessed with a better experience. Granted, some of the days were very long, but we saw so much, I really didn't care. Simon taught us so much and his passion and love for Kruger is incredibly obvious. We saw everything we dreamed of in just the first day, including a cheetah kill, lions, elephants, giraffes, hyena, cape buffalo, wildebeest and too many to name. We did a bush walk that was off the charts as we encountered a pride of lions with a fresh kill, we did a night drive and saw 3 male lions eating a hippo. All told we saw at least 47 lions during our trip. When we arrived at Satara, we were treated to a 3 night stay in the Frankl Guest house complete with 5 bedrooms and our own private watering hole. The pictures we took are phenomenal. Simon should be on NatGeo. He is that good. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Wild Wings. This really was a dream come true. I miss Kruger every single day and I will forever be thankful for the incredible journey we experienced with you.
CH
Email Elise | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience - Top Organization
It was perfectly organized. All information was shared in advance and the support from the team in the office was perfect. They answered all questions and offered easy & fast solution to any problem.
Simon (the guide) was extremely nice with interesting stories to share and great knowledge of the wildlife. He was always on time, well organized and reliable. In addition, Simon was a great cook!! We really enjoyed our breakfast and diners ;-)
Last but not least: we saw the most amazing animals!!! For a 3 days safaris during a heat wave (37°C: animals tend to hide in such circumstances), it was really a gift to be able to see that much. Some people will say it is luck, but I think is also relates to the guide. He knew his stuff ;-)
Thanks you Simon and Wild Wings Safaris team! We really enjoyed ourselves!!
Elise & Jean-Baptiste
Email Siobhan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Yet another awesome safari expertly organised by Wild Wings.
This was my third safari with Wild Wings. The trip was, as ever, superbly arranged and organised by Madi. We stayed in Skukuza Camp in south Kruger for a few nights and then transferred further north to Elephant Plains in Sabi Sands for the remainder of our holiday. Simon was our guide in Skukuza - his innate knowledge of animals and birds has, in my view, never been surpassed by any other guide I have been on safari with. We had amazing sightings (particularly the wild dog/hyena skirmish) and a lot of fun too. Elephant Plains was also fantastic and the leopard sightings we had there were beyond our expectations.
I honestly don't think we could better the experiences we had on this safari, but are already planning our next safari with Wild Wings - I can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you everyone at Wild Wings for such a fantastic holiday.
Email Kim Thomas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My family and I had a fantastic time on the Safari that Wild Wings recommended and booked for us.
Wild Wings Safari booked us on Safari at Elephant Plains lodge - it was spectacular! The personal service from the moment you arrived from staff and guides was outstanding. Not only was the tracking brilliant, but Dawi, our guide, was also really good at predicting which direction the animals would move and was thus able to often get a good spot ahead of them so often we could watch them ambling leisurely towards us. It was phenomenal. We saw loads.....up close! His off road driving was spectacular too. There were so many magical moments both at the lodge and on the drives. The setting was fantastic. The food was also fantastic. And eating outside in the evening was pretty special too.
Wild Wings also booked us into Hippo Hollow for New Years eve. The welcome and service there too was outstanding. We got to watch the hippos in the river and come up onto the grass while we having dinner. A new years eve to remember!
The planning and organisation of our trip was great - very efficient and professional. In the end, though, it is the recommendations that count for so much......so five stars and a massive Thank You to Wild Wings Safari for Elephant Plains and Hippo Hollow. A magical time for me and my family.
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Email Debbie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, very affordable, with first class service.
We couldn't be more pleased with our safari experience booked through Wild Wings Safaris. Madi helped us decide where to go with very little advance notice and we decided on 2 nights each in Chobe National Park, Kruger National Park, and the San Sabi private game reserve. We saw much more than we ever expected and we were glad we visited all three as they were all different. All the transfers arranged by Madi worked flawlessly. We were especially happy with our guide, Simon, in Kruger. We stayed at the Skukuza Rest Camp, and though it's not as luxurious as our private lodge accommodations, it was plenty adequate. It was very nice to stay inside the park and not miss out on the early game drives if you have to wait to enter the park in the morning. Simon took care of everything, including cooking our delicious meals. He was very knowledgeable and we would not have seen 10% of what we saw if we had tried to do it ourselves. We felt very pampered and well taken care of. Madi also coordinated our days in Johannesburg with suggested tours and lodging in addition to a side trip to Victoria Falls. She was a wealth of information no matter what topic was thrown at her. I can't imagine you can go wrong booking with them.
SE
Email Matz Larsson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Christmas safari exceeding all our expectations!
The communication with Madi at the office was always rapid and alert, flexible and nice in all contacts. Booking process went smoothly and effective.
Services were efficient and very high standard. Our guide, Simon, was more than service-minded, and he was also one step ahead when it came to planning. This made our trip very pleasant, we were treated in a calm and caring way and Simon always had a smile on his face. He also drew were safely and he even stopped several times making possibilities for everone to take their perfect photo.
The meals were also a treat, and this counts for breakfast, brunch and dinner. Christmas dinner was ever so nice with gifts, extra fine laying of the table and colored lights. Simon did always lay the table very neat and even though we were at a camp, the table with cloth looked just like in a restaurant. Another thing to mention is that he also cooked different course due to our demands without complaining.
As the title of our review implicates we were more than satisfied. A more knowledgeable guide is not to be found on this planet. Simon knew so much about nature and how the ecosystem works. His knowledge in animals seemed to be enormous and he shared this with us in perfect portions. Even though we looked at giraffes several times, he always had something new to tell us. He answered all our questions and tried to make us understand the way animals in the savannah live. We made many game-drives and ever time he showed and taught us something new. Sometimes we almost thought he had bribed the animals to come to the road and greet us.
The thing we appreciated the most, was however that it shows how much Simon loves the animals, the birds and the whole of Krugerparc. We were lucky to see an enormous amount of animals and birds, including the big five, many more than one could dream of, but the way Simon worked, with his expertise and his experience was what made this trip totally unforgettable.