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
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!
LU
Email Bessa Carlos | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
You will not just do a Safari, you will live the best Safari experience ever!
What an incredible experience with Wild Planet Safari!
First of all, Thale is a very professional, she adapted the Safari trip to our needs and to our flights!
Once we arrived in Skukuza, our guide, Rafael was waiting for us to start our Safari.
Rafael was very professional. His goal was not only for us to see the animals but to experience the Safari journey! He was always available for us, gave to us all the explanation about everything and always showed to us how to respect the animals! He was also in charge to cook for us (breakfast, lunch and diner). He is an amazing cooker, you will not regret!
Rafael always wanted to be the first in the gate so we could enjoy as much as possible outside! He was always with his eyes open, to be the first to find the animal! With his skills, we were able to be the firsts to find for example a leopard with an impala on a tree!
He tried always to have the best position for us to enjoy the nature and the animals.
With his help and with positive mindset we had our best experience. Be ready to find all the Big 5 (we saw lots of lions male & female, 3 Rhinos, 3 Leopard, etc) but also to enjoy other animals that make the Safari in Kruger an amazing experience!
Thanks a lot to Wild Planet Safari for all the help!
Special thanks to Thale, which helped us to organise the Safari and to our wonderful guide which helped us to have the best experience of our lives! You will not regret this experience with Wild Planet Safari!
Email Lauren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Kruger camping safari
We had the best 6 day safari with our guide Eric. We chose tent camping (including 1 night Blyde River Canyon for panorama route, and 1 night rustic bird hide) and it was great. The tents and camp beds are comfortable, and campground amenities are good. Eric is a fantastic guide - knowledgeable about the wildlife (and history & culture), a great campground chef, and just fun to hang out with. We saw all the big 5 plus so much more, even a rare wild dog! I’m very happy with the private tour we booked with Wild Planet Safari, definitely recommend them, we can’t wait to return to Kruger.
US
Email Diane Williams | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellant
this was the best expeience of my life loved every day and new adventure and so much to see the animals were so awesome and all i could say was omg beautiful babies the food was great hope was an excellant cook and so friendly to visit with. Chris was great at finding the animals we wanted to see and we all had such a great time definetly want to come back again with them two. thank you for such a wonderful experience and all my baby animals i will cherish the memories for my lifetime.
US
Email Laura | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Better than we ever expected
Our guides Chris and Goodwill gave us the experience of a lifetime! We saw an amazing variety of animals in awe inspiring numbers thanks to their excellent spotting. Chris never seemed to run out of new information about what we were seeing. I have never eaten so much excellent food. I had high hopes for my dream trip to Africa, and this trip far exceeded my wildest dreams.
Extra points to Chis and Goodwill for treating our rowdy group of 6 women like queens all week long.
US
Email Katarina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not suitable for a couple's getaway
My fiancé and I booked a 6-day Kruger safari with Wild Planet Safari and we were so excited! Unfortunately, we were disappointed and ultimately, I do not recommend this company.
I will say that the safari guide was super knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions regarding wildlife.
I think the biggest problem we had is that we went as a couple, and it was not specified that all three meals would be eaten with the guide and his assistant. We were looking for a more intimate experience at dinnertime under the stars with a bottle of wine.
In general, we also had problems with the included food; the “friendly coffee gatherings” – as to quote the day-by-day itinerary– in the early mornings, for instance, consisted of instant coffee served in tin cups. (All coffee drinkers will agree that instant coffee is terrible). I had pictured sharing a hot thermos filled with freshly brewed coffee. There were coffee shops at the camp sites, so this could’ve easily been arranged.
Some of our food and drink requests (which were approved prior to the safari) were not met; and there were no crackling fires and bonfire glows at nighttime, as to quote the safari description. The owner (who was very defensive when I emailed her afterwards) told me that because of a cold front (which only started at the end of our safari), it got very windy and they could not risk lighting bond fires. She also said our opinions were molded by the cold weather when we had packed long layers, gloves, jackets, etc. just to be on the safe side.
Whoever wrote the safari description is a fantastic writer because we didn’t even think about asking questions re: coffee and fires (etc). I really fell for the beautiful, idealized descriptions of the itinerary.
There were a couple of other little things, such as a missing bottle of wine, some terribly overcooked steaks (I find that mind boggling, because the cook asked us how we wanted it prepared and we said “rare” and “medium”, yet everything steak came out identical); and I still don’t know what happened to a dinner salad that supposedly went bad. I eat TONS of fruit and veggies, so yes, it was THAT important to me.
They do get 5 stars for providing us with great wine in the evening though :).
So if your heart is set on visiting Kruger, I strongly urge you to choose another company.
Reply from Wild Planet Safari
Posted on Oct 31, 2024Hi Katrina and Marc
Thank you for joining Wild Planet Safari on your 6 Day Kruger Safari, I am terribly sorry that we were not able to provide you a 5 star experience.
I am glad that you were happy with your guide, Chris, and that overall your wildlife sightings were very good and it seems that you did enjoy the Safari part of the trip.
It is unfortunate that you did not enjoy the parts of the trip that you were not on safari. With regards to your biggest problem that you went as a couple, and it was not specified that all three meals would be eaten with the guide and his assistant. This is one of the most important parts of the safari and one of the things that our guests enjoy the most apart from viewing the amazing wildlife. It is such a big part of what we do as a company and guests really enjoy getting to know their guide and listening to all his stories and the guides really enjoy learning about our guests and hearing their different life experiences. In 14 years of owning and managing Wild Planet Safari this is the very first time that we have received this complaint and to find out it was your biggest problem comes as a shock to us. There are hundreds of reviews where guests have specifically mentioned how they enjoyed sharing meal times with our guides and the chef.
We will certainly not be changing this and for anyone that is reading this review, please be assured that while on Safari with us your guide and chef will join you for all the meals that they prepare and you will all get to enjoy this experience going forward. One more point on this, if you had mentioned to Chris that you would prefer to eat your meals on your own, I can tell you with absolute certainty he would have accommodated this request, and your biggest problem would have been sorted. There is nothing we can do or that your guide can do after the trip has concluded.
I apologise the coffee we supply was not up to standard, we try to supply top quality instant coffee, in the range of Jacobs and Douw Egberts. Going forward we will get a stainless-steel French press for each vehicle and provide top quality locally manufactured filter coffee as well as instant coffee options. The friendly coffee gatherings occur at 5:30 in the morning and at that time the coffee shops at the camps are not open.
We operate mobile Kruger Safaris and we carry all our equipment with us, we have to have equipment that will withstand the bumping and bashing that happens in the trailer on safari, for this reason we cannot possibly have anything that is made of glass, porcelain or ceramic and we have to use items that are stronger like stainless steel coffee mugs.
Your safari was operated at the end of the dry season and there is higher risk of fires spreading at this time, all the roofs of the accommodation units are thatch and made from dry thatching grass, these roofs are very vulnerable to fires. Your guide, Chris made a call that it was too windy to make a fire for you to sit around, he made a fire to cook on, but decided a bonfire was not appropriate. Just 3 weeks after you were on safari with us, 3 accommodation units in Kruger were set on fire from people making fires that were too big. I stand behind my guide and his decision with regards to this.
I am sad the chef, Goodwill, over cooked your steaks, I will provide him with more training on this and get his standard up going forward. The guide and Chef were both told to provide extra vegetables and fruits with every meal as you requested, unfortunately they did not carry out this request, I do apologise for this. I wish you had asked, they would have provided you with any extra fruit or vegetables that you they had, and they were sent with additional supply.
With regards to your heading `Not suitable for a couple's getaway`, a big majority of our tours are private tours for Couples and nearly all of our reviews for these couples tours are 5 stars. We have had so many couples on safari, even loads of honeymoon safaris, we do not market Romantic Getaways or anything in that range, I believe this was a very unfair heading for your review and we strive to be the best option for a couples getaway to Kruger National Park.
Best Regards
Ryan Ker
US
Email Wanda Stevens | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Education, excitement, and full-on exhilaration, all in one package.
Thale Kolhus put together a great lodging package. Each lodge was unique to the park's varied areas. She then matched us up with knowledgeable drivers who educated us on not only the wildlife and their habitat but also an inside on the people of South Africa and points of interest. Thale added the Moholoholo Rehab Center to help raise awareness of how endangered these animals are. I would not change a thing and would recommend Wild Planet Safari to anyone, and any family looking for a trip of a lifetime.
