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
US
Email Bob in Denver, Colorado | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You Are In Expert Hands!
We recently finished the 11 Day Kruger North to South Private trip and had a great time. Ryan and Lungisani are absolutely expert guides and a real pleasure to spend time with. We enjoyed watching them compete with each other to see who could spot the most Big Five animals, and we were the beneficiaries! We were able to observe up close all of the animals we wished, with the only exception being a cheetah, which are very rare. Ryan is a birding expert and spotted an incredible number of birds for us to photograph. I cannot emphasize the value of their knowledge of animals, plants and birds. Later, during our African vacation we heard ridiculous statements from so-called guides who were spouting falsehoods. We confirmed Ryan's information via Google. You will have a great time with these fine guides!
CZ
Email Michaela | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
amazing experience
We went on our safari with Chris and Lungi as a family and all of us enjoyed it thoroughly. Both guys were amazing and very helpful.
Chris knew all of the animals including birds and could answer any questions about them. On top of that, he could always spot animals, even if they were far, hidden or so. He was really excellent guide and we are very happy we had him.
The only thing we would recommend for improvement is not to include the night game drive provided by Satara camp into the safari, as it was extremely unprofessional.
NZ
Email Dave Cherry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best way to see Kruger
When we decided to visit Kruger we were looking for a company that would spend the entire time in the park . On previous visit to South Africa I had booked a mini Kruger safari only to find we were booked into a private game reserve on the edge of the greater Kruger area and only spent one day in the park itself. Right from our first enquiry Wild Planet were so helpful, e-mails were answered straight away so we were able to do detailed planning from our home in New Zealand. We were able to incorporate a drive along the Panorama Route, Blyde River Canyon and a visit to an endangered species centre as well. We told Wild Planet what we wanted to do and they did all the planning for us.
The actual safari was way beyond our expectations, our driver/guide Chris worked tirelessly to make sure we saw as much as possible, ably assisted by Benjamin our cook/guide providing delicious meals under the stars listening to the sounds of the African bush. We covered huge distances and saw as much of the park as time permitted. We were rewarded by sightings of the big five plus numerous other species all of which thrilled us.
Africa is a place that gets under your skin, we will be back, and certainly will use Wild Safari again ! Thanks guys.
CA
Email Ian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Professional and really personable, Wild Safari exceeded expectations at every level.
We really felt well taken care of from initial email to final fond farewell. There was no detail too small and no request too large, that weren't dealt with cheerfully and easily.
We had zero issues arise on tour, in large part due to careful planning and attention to detail from the staff.
I feel confident that had any issues arose from circumstances beyond their control, these would have been dealt with swifly and effectively.
Experience and knowledge shine through every interaction. We couldn't be happier with our choice and happily recommend Wild Safari to friends and family.
Email stephanie oatley | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
best trip ever
HI,
Thale at Wild Planet Safari was an absolute pleasure to work with as she went way over the top to ensure we were provided with the best trip possible within the time we had. She promptly responded to every inquiry and was able to find a solution to all issues, including difficult dietary requirements.
Our tour guide was Paul and he was assisted by Dion. These guys truly provided us with everything we could imagine on a Kruger safari. We saw the big 5 and we had a couple of very special lion sightings. Their knowledge and patience was greatly appreciated, and nothing was too much to ask. We had extra drives, and extra activities at Hazyview for our daughter, which we all really enjoyed. Dion did a wonderful job setting up camp and cooking us great meals -his chicken stew was something to write home about. He even cleaned up for us which truly showed us that we were on holidays. We experienced two horrendous storms and Dion gracefully protected our tents whilst his and Pauls flooded!
I would recommend Wild Planet Safaris to everyone - i cannot sing them enough praise and we will defiantly be using them again next year when we return.
Thank you Wild Planet safari
Email Pamela | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable journey of a lifetime, a "must do" for everybody
It was so easy to book our trip (for my daughter and myself) with Wild Planet Safari. Everything was done online with Thale whose service and communications were excellent. Our guides Chris and Lungisani were friendly and courteous and great "spotters" of the wildlife which we saw in abundance. We were so lucky to see a pack of 12 wild dogs together, in addition to a group of six cheetahs in one sighting. We saw the big five plus more and were rewarded during our bush walk with a sighting of a pride of lions with cubs. It's difficult to mention a highlight of the tour, there were so many! I'll be back!
Amazing Experience in Kruger National Park
We spent 4 days with Chris and Lungi in Kruger National Park and in Blyde River Canyon. We will never forget these 4 days! They have been absolutely great: in observing the animals, in discovering them, explaining and sharing their big knowledge about bush and park. Chris was really perfect in planning the days, he made us feeling so confortable, with him and Lungi we felt like being in the right place at the right time. and least but not last, the mobile kitchen was great! Thank you very much!
US
Email Amanda | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Authentic and Personalized Experience!
My husband and I did the 7 day, 6 night Kruger safari with Wild Planet, and they really surpassed our expectations. We had the best time! Thale was so helpful when we booked, especially with the wire transfer, which was nerve wracking and not entirely straightforward due to South African banking rules. We picked Wild Planet because we wanted an authentic and personal experience, and we felt we got exactly that. I cannot even convey the wealth of knowledge Ryan has about every plant and animal. He knows every inch of Kruger - where specific animals hang out and tricks to help increase your chances of animal sightings. We felt like they respected the park, its rules, and its wildlife. It felt like we had an insider's view of the park, which was awesome! The entire safari was built around our interests and desires. It was truly an authentic and personal experience - something you don't get with the larger safari companies. We wouldn't hesitate to send any of our friends and family to Wild Planet and we plan to book with them again in the future.
AR
Email jose dominguez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excelente aventura. Guia muy experimentado. Viaje entre 20/05 y 27/05/2017
La atención de Ryan, Thale y sus ayudantes fue muy buena. El es un experimentado hombre de campamento. La familia nos ofreció su tienda para comer y nos hicieron probar en varias oportunidades el vino local, que es muy rico. El safari cubrió nuestras expectativas, aunque debo reconocer que no poder bajar del vehículo en ningún momento fue un poco cansador. No obstante ello, quiero mencionar algunos puntos que tienen que ver con la información y satisfacción del cliente, entendiendo que le puede servir a otros viajeros:
-Nosotros, probablemente por una cuestión de marketing, y de mirar los capítulos exitosos de Animal Planet o de NatGeo, no estábamos bien informados de la dinámica de Kruger, de que “no es un zoo” como nos manifestó Ryan, y que los felinos pueden aparecer… o no. Hay que estar preparado para ello.
-No somos asiduos viajeros de aventura, ni de safari, pero hemos recorrido bastantes lugares del Caribe y America del sur; y como turistas internacionales nos sorprendió un poco no poder decir cuántas veces quisiéramos que se detenga de tal o cual forma para sacar una fotografía… teníamos que aceptar el criterio de Ryan, como si estuviésemos haciendo su safari y no el nuestro…
-De acuerdo a lo manifestado en los correos previos mantenidos con Thale, en ningún momento se nos dijo que la bebida no estaba incluida en el precio… ni siquiera el agua. Se mencionó que la comida estaba cubierta, menos dos almuerzos y una cena, pero nada más. Tampoco el almuerzo del dia de salida estaba cubierto. Nosotros supusimos que la bebida si, porque se nos pidió indicar en formulario previo de adhesión nuestra preferencia por el tipo de bebida, y esto nos creó confusión…. De todos modos, reitero que Ryan nos invitó con vino en varias oportunidades. Para evitar la confusión sugerimos que quiten del formulario previo la mención a preferencia de bebidas y que agreguen, en cambio, una mención muy clara indicando que la bebida no está incluida en el precio.
-En una parada del camino de regreso, Ryan se enojó con nosotros por regatear el precio de algunas artesanías, manifestando que esa gente pobre tiene días y días de trabajo sobre cada artículo, y que no es moralmente aceptable ese regateo. Pues bien, luego de abonar una obra casi U$40, encontramos exactamente la misma en Johannesburgo por la mitad de precio. Asi que como le contesté, Ryan debe dejar a los turistas ser turistas y limitarse a opinar sobre su actividad de guía, que es lo que conoce.
-Tomen los servicios de Wild Planet Safari y al finalizar, recuerden solicitar el pen drive o la memoria prometida con las fotos tomadas por Ryan o por Lungisani. Se les olvidó entregarnos la nuestra.
The attention of Ryan, Thale and his assistants was very good. He is an experienced camp man. The family offered us their tent to eat and we did try the local wine several times which is very rich. The safari met our expectations, although I must admit that being unable to get off the vehicle at any time was a bit tiring. Nevertheless, I want to mention some points that have to do with information and customer satisfaction, understanding that this can serve other travelers:
We, probably because of a marketing issue, and looking at the successful chapters of Animal Planet TV or NatGeo TV, we were not well informed of Kruger's dynamics, that" it's not a zoo"as Ryan told us, and that felines may appear ... or not. You have to be prepared for it.
We are not very adventure travelers, nor safari, but we have visited many places in the Caribbean and South America; And as international tourists we were a little surprised not to be able to say how many times we wanted to stop in some way or another to take a picture ... we had to accept Ryan's criteria, as if we were doing his safari and not ours...
According to the previous emails maintained with Thale, at no time told us that the drink was not included in the price ... not even the water. It was mentioned that the food was covered, minus two lunches and one dinner, but nothing more. Also the lunch on the day of departure was not covered. We assumed that the drink would, because we were asked to indicate in our previous membership form our preference for the type of drink, and this created confusion... Anyway, I reiterate that Ryan invited us with wine on several occasions. To avoid confusion we suggest that you remove from the previous form the mention of beverage preference and instead add a very clear mention stating that the drink is not included in the price
At a stop on the way back, Ryan was angry with us for haggling over the price of some handicrafts, stating that these poor people have days and days of work on each item, and that bargaining is not morally acceptable. Well, after paying a work almost U$ 40, we find exactly the same in Johannesburg for half the price. So, as I said, Ryan must let tourists be tourists and just comment on his guide activity, which is what he knows.
Take the services of Wild Planet Safari and at the end, remember to request the pen drive or the promised memory with the photos taken by Ryan or Lungisani. They forgot to give us ours.
Great trip to Kruger
From start to finish, our trip was very well organised. Our guide was Ryan, a very personable chap who has a wealth of knowledge and knows what he is doing. His helper, Lungisani, also worked hard to make our experience as enjoyable as possible. As a result, it was a very full trip in which everything went well.