Team Wild Planet Safari
Wild Planet Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & FGASA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $410 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 Fred | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life Changing Experience Due to Tour Guide Chris
My partner and I enjoyed the 4 day safari in Kruger with Chris and Hopesol of Wild Planet Safari. Here are some takeaways:
1. We tented at two different campgrounds. For both Hopesol set up our tents and cots, sleeping bags and fan. The campgrounds had a fence around the exterior but we still were able to see jackals and honey badgers at night. They just added to the experience - no concerns.
2. Each day, Hopesol cooked different meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner over a fire. Delicious. Included were an English Breakfast, pancakes, fruit salads, steaks, sausage (including ostrich), lamb, chicken roast - basically more than you can eat and still be so satisfied. Hopesol was so friendly and really wanted to know how our tour was going and how to improve it. It's hard to express how much we enjoyed the four of us talking about the day and other life events while enjoying those meals at dusk.
3. Chris drove the open air jeep for several guided tours each day, morning, afternoon and early evening. Everything that any review has said about Chris being a superior guide, friendly, welcoming and funny merely approach the truth. He made our trip what I consider the best vacation/experience of my life. My partner really wanted to see as many birds as possible and Chris would stop and point them out as we crossed paths. In the end we were able to count 78 new birds! Amazing. He recommended getting an Animals of Kruger Park picture book of what we might see and it helped us keep track of what we encountered as well as looking for others to scout. In the end, Chris takes such pride in what he does and he told us he is meant to work in the bush - we could not have had a better guide.
4. Value for the money? You could not have a better experience on safari - we were able to be on our own with just Chris and Hopesol, without a group that would require us to be distracted by others needs, wants, ways. We also went on a night trip led by a Kruger ranger, on which about 20 people crowded onto a jeep. While we were able to see some nocturnal animals like huge owls, a civet, some honey badgers and also lions just lying on the road in front of us, the crowd of people was almost painful after being with just Chris on a guided tour. We also went on a a guided walk of eight in Kruger with two armed rangers; that was fun to experience the animals and so extensive land from a ground perspective. We did see zebra and wildebeests moving up close.
5. Just Go. Experience the vastness of Kruger. You will be so happy you did this. We still say, "I wish we were on safari right now."
Thanks, Wild Planet Safari. Thanks, Hopesol. Thanks, Chris. Chris, you have found something to do that makes others so happy. Not many people can say that.
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Email Christine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Guide and Trip
We just finished eight EPIC days with Wild Planet Safari. Every day was an incredible experience due to:
1. Superior planning of the company (great rest camp locations within Kruger park with access to exceptional wild life viewing). They were easy to work with to develop an customized itinerary.
2. Exceptional guide. Chris has eagle eyes to point out the smallest of chamelions, bee-eaters or king fishers ... as well as wildlife incredibly camoflauged (leopards and cheetahs). We sweat he whispers to the animals to bring them in so close they almost kissed the vehicle.
3. Outstanding logistics. Hob the cook ensured we had more deliscious food then was needed, including breakfasts on the road so we did not need to return to the rest camp at the end of each morning wildlife drive.
We highly recommend this company for lovely intimate safari experience. Far exceeded all of our expectations.
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Email Katie W. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seamless safari experience with excellent wildlife viewing
Our group of four had a fantastic three-day trip with Wild Planet Safaris. Thale was incredibly helpful during the planning process and walked me through different options for how to best use our time in Kruger. She and Chris, our guide, also rolled with some last-minute communication and logistical changes regarding our pickup times and locations. Once we were on the road, Chris and Hopeson, our cook, took care of every detail. They checked us in and out of accommodations at rest camps (all very comfortable), cooked delicious meals, walked through plans for the next day each night at dinner, and set up a night drive and bush walk with KNP rangers. Chris took us on multiple game drives each day, and we had amazing sightings, including a leopard, lions, tons of elephants, giraffes, hippos, baby hyena, and many more. Chris is great at spotting even the smallest and hardest to see animals, like a puff adder on the side of the road. Having been on some earlier game drives (through a different company) with a slightly larger group, it was a lot of fun to travel around with just our small group. We really enjoyed Chris and Hopeson's company throughout the trip - thanks for making it an unforgettable one!
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Email Sandy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Breathtaking
We enjoyed being on a private tour very much. We saw a wide variety of animals including lions up close! The camps we stayed at were clean and comfortable. The stores at the camps had a nice variety and were reasonably priced. Our guide Chris was fantastic he found a wide variety of wildlife. Hopson(hope I spelled his name correctly) did a fabulous job of cooking our meals. Over all the experience was pleasant and highly recommend doing the private tour allowing you to go at your pace!
Email Tom Bailey | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing
Wow! This holiday was life changing amazing. Would recommend this type of holiday to anyone, and above all, using Wild Planet Safari. First of all, from placing the reservation, they were incredible. I sent so many emails to Thale, and she responded very quickly and efficiently to all of them. Extremely helpful in everything we asked. Then the trip itself. We had Chris as the driver and guide, and Hope as the chef and support. Both were incredible. Chris clearly has so much experience, and thanks to him, we saw all the big 5, and so many more animals. His knowledge and vision was exceptional. Such a lovely character and person too. Hope, what a chef. We ate like kings, and this was varied from minute 1, through to the end. These guys were what made this holiday so special. We loved them looking after us for the 5 days, and couldn’t have asked for more. Thank you so much guys!!!
DE
Email Ale | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari with very professional staff!
My girlfriend and I took a 6 day safari and absolutely loved it. They were very patient with us asking a ton of questions during the booking process and once there, everything was perfectly planned.
We saw lot of animals, and our guide Chris was very knowledgable and had an eagle eye to spot animals. He made sure to find activities were friendly, and the safari itself was just amazing.
Chris and Hope were taking care of setting up the camp and cooking/grilling delicious South African food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For the last morning, we did the Panorama Route what was also a truly highlight of the trip.
We would definitely book again with Wild Planet Safari.
NZ
Email Chris & Donna Parkinson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional but laid back.
Thale handled our booking and replied promptly to all our questions and provided a clear itinerary for our private tour. Ryan picked us up from Hoedspruit Airport and we were straight into wild animal spotting as we drove to our first camp, Skukuza. Bungalow here was all we could want. Ryan then turned into a bbq chef and cooked a lovely dinner which we ate under the stars. Next day we did a slow animal spotting drive to the center of the park to spend two nights at Satara camp, the bungalow here was even better with a great bbq and outside dining area. Before sun rise he had us waiting at the camp gate to open, serving hot coffee as we waited. We spent the day zig zagging around the park spotting every imaginable wildlife, Lions, Zebras, Hyena, Giraffes, Wilder beast, elephant Hippos, Leopard with baby, crocodile and many birds to name just a few. What amazed us was Ryan would always spot the animals before we did and he was driving. I think if we had been driving we would have missed many of the animals. On the last day he drove us back to Hoedspruit where we caught a minibus to Johannesburg. This tour was without doubt the highlight of our holiday which had started with a cruise from Singapore to Capetown.
DE
Email Maren and Niklas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience and adventure
We had a really great time and safari trip with Wild Planet Safari. The whole trip was perfectly organized and we always felt safe and welcomed. Our guide Ryan had a huge knowledge of all animals that we saw at Kruger National Park. We also spent our eventings together while having a barbecue at the camp. The price of the tour is really fair and worth every cent of it. Bookings are highly recommended.
IT
Email Elena | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A REAL SAFARI
From the booking of the private “5 Day Kruger Express” safari with Thale everything was clear and reliable, we chose Wild Planet Safari because from the description of the safari we understood that we were going to be with animal experts really in love with nature, not tourist guides and so it was, the driving hours were as long as possible from 6 to 6 which not all companies do, time flied because everything was so fascinating, the animals behavior, the changing landscapes, the light, we never got tired of driving around, our jeep was new, extremely comfortable and high to provide us proper views, anyway we had coffee breaks to stretch out, and fortunately it was a good period without too many other jeeps around so we had a lot of sightings for ourself, Chris our welcoming and clever guide drove us extensively through the Kruger, spotting animals for us and we were a lucky team as we met animals difficult to see more than once, leopards, rhinos, painted dogs, and all “small” animals we are keen on the same, as well as birds zipping along all day, and it wasn’t the migratory season.
We travelled towards north sleeping in different Kruger campsites, which I recommend, having the chance to see different areas of the park, the campsites have a historical taste, a visitors centre, some have lookouts and a shop, why not? ;) with books on wildlife. We were on a middle range safari and all lodges were in perfect state. One night we went on a collective park night safari during which we saw two baby elephants and different nocturnal animals. I wasn’t aware of the thousand of animals we would’ve seen, in this season many parts of the park are burnt to clear out animal viruses but it’s a good moment also because it’s the dry season and less leaves means you can see more animals.
I can’t forget to mention Hopeson kindness that provided us wonderful cooked meals all the way, I wish I could taste again his Potjie, pancakes and steaks, every meal was delicious.
We have such good memories from our trip that enlighted the rest of our year.
At the end of the trip we had the chance to meet Ryan, Thale and their lovely family.
Thank you so much guys!
CA
Email JP | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Fun, Safe and Exciting ! Wild Planet Safari tour with Rafael was AMAZING !
Our recent safari experience with wild Planet Safari was absolutely incredible and deserves every one of these five stars. From start to finish, the trip exceeded all our expectations, and we owe much of that to our amazing guide Rafa !
Our guide was not only exceptionally friendly but also very knowledgeable about the local wildlife. His ability to spot animals from incredible distances was impressive. Rafa really had the eye of the tiger ! He was down-to-earth, funny, and even cooked delicious meals for us, making the whole experience feel both adventurous and homely.
The vehicle provided for our safari was top-notch and superior to those used by other companies we encountered. It was comfortable, and the warm blankets provided were a much-appreciated touch, especially during the early morning. The fact that our trip was private made it even more special, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience without any distractions.
We were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 of South Africa, a truly unforgettable experience. Each sighting was made even more exciting by our guide’s enthusiasm and in-depth explanations about the animals and their habitats.
The food throughout the trip was delicious, adding to the overall enjoyment. The accommodations were spotless, comfortable, and provided a sense of safety and security that allowed us to fully relax and enjoy our time in the wilderness.
Overall, Wild Planet Safari delivered a flawless safari experience that we will cherish forever. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable adventure in South Africa!
