Sun Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2002)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $350 to $1,800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Karen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Uncommunicative, was very good, no longer will I use them
I have used this company 5 times, the first 3 times were wonderful. Liselle Ratth was our agent and she was fabulous. During and after covid, our booked trip for 2021 was handled by Brett Thomson. He did not communicate in a timely manner, which made us very nervous. However, the trip in September 2021 went very well. We had another trip planned for June/July of 2022 and it did NOT go well. Email questions took days, if not weeks for an answer. Sometimes we never did get an answer. The first lodge on our trip went very well, during our stay there we received an email from the next lodge in Zimbabwe telling us that our stay was cancelled due to none payment by Brett. Needless to say we were in shock. Luckily the owner and manager of Nottens Bush Camp (Sabi Sands) took us under their wing and helped us. The catch was that we had to wire the payment directly to the camp, as they would not deal with Brett. This put us out another $7600 US dollars, which we had already paid. Brett assured me that he would be refunded this amount via our credit card. This did NOT go as planned and took over 8 weeks to receive refunds, which were not the same amount as we wired to the camp due to exchange rates. This is so unacceptable, he did not pay and we were out extra money. I can only image if the guests did not have an extra $7600 cash to pay the camp...would we have been out of luck? I do not recommend using this company...
NL
Email hc | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great assistance in finding a foot safari for us
Natasha was very responsive to her email. The trip was perfectly organized by her.
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Email Bob & Cindy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Epic Trip! Sun Safaris facilitated a trip of a lifetime for our group of four.
'Epic Safari trip'. Sun Safaris ( Brett Thompson ) worked with us to create a 30 day trip to South Africa that covered Cape Town, Wine Country, and Whale watching before we went on Safari. Next came a flight to Botswana , one camp in the Okavango Delta and another camp at Chobe National Park. Then off to Victoria Falls for two days.
The next phase took us to the Kruger National Park area and three more camps, finishing in the Sabi Sand. Each camp was unique and provided first class accommodation, food, and service, The guides were outstanding and each went out of their way to take us to see the animals.
After the Safaris we went for some relaxing beach time in Mozambique.
Flawless execution on every aspect of our 'Epic trip'. Thank you Sun Safaris and Brett Thompson.
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Email Peggy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Sun Safaris is the best
We've been working with Natasha for a number of years, and she has been the best as far as organizing our trip, and finding excellent lodges at which to stay. Natasha is so detail oriented and so quick in getting responses from the lodges! When we have special occasions, Natasha ensures that the lodges know, and they often celebrate these special occasions with fun ideas. When we book our next safari, we'll choose Sun Safaris--always so pleased with their ideas for lodges.
As for the lodges, we booked Shimungwe with Lucan again as he is an amazing ranger. He's very knowledgable! The food as always is delicious and the staff so nice. I love that they have rusks and wonderful vanilla-tasting cookies in the room!
Inyati was our favorite. The lodge celebrated my birthday with rose petals on my bed, and a lovely bottle of champagne waiting after dinner!! That was so special! Omega was a terrific ranger--so fun and funny! Joel was a great spotter. We saw so many animals including a leopard w a 3 wk old cub and a leopard taking a kill up a tree! We were fortunate to see a herd of 300+ buffalo, and several lion kills. I had dropped my glasses on the ground while the buffalo were splashing around and walking through the mud. Can't believe that Omega and Joel found them and only a bit of mud on them--no scratches! The lodge was so open and the rooms were great. I had a view of the river which was fantastic. When we return, we will request Omega....we had such a great time with him.
Thabamati was really nice again...the tents are so luxurious and comfortable with individual decks that overlook the watering hole. The staff is just so hospitable and nice! They had a wonderful breakfast in the bush for us--so nice! Like last year, Thabamati's food is just incredible. The chefs really know how to cook for my vegetarian diet.
We will always turn to Sun Safaris when we book our trips to SA!
Email Brendan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Natasha at Sun Safari's always books us the best camps and locations for incredible experiences!
I have been using Sun Safari's services for the last 10 years and I would not use any other company to book with. I have family still in South Africa and visit as often as I can and always add 2-3 private game reserves to each trip. The trip we just did was the best to date for our family of 5. We stayed at Umkumbe and Tangala this time and saw everything and then some more. In all my trips the leopard has always eluded me and this time we had lots of sightings in both camps, super special. I find staying 2-3 nights in each camp gives a more varied experience in both camps, camp culture and a chance to see different game, especially in the reserves backing onto Kruger. I can't wait to book my next trip...
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Email Robert | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wraparound service and attention to our unique requests made a great experience even better.
Nothing could have prepared us for the awesome experience of our Sun Safaris safari - our adventure exceeded all of our expectations. We expected to see Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Hippos, Wildebeest (which we were able to observe in a migration river crossing as the Crocodiles waited downstream for any unlucky Wildebeest swept off its feet by the current), Impala, Antelope, monkeys, baboons, the Big Cats, Hyenas, Jackals, Vultures and Storks and we were not disappointed; however as we catalogued all of the wildlife we were able observe up-close, the scores of creatures that filled our notebook far exceeded our expectations.
When we were contemplating an African Safari, accounts of friends (one of whom strongly recommended Sun Safaris) built a romantic vision of safari in Africa and ours did not disappoint. What was not so clear from safari descriptions, however, was the complexity and potential stress in planning this undertaking, including all of the bewildering choices to be made including accommodations at different lodgings in the bush, the logistics complexities of arranging multiple bush flights to a series of obscure, dirt-runway airstrips, pickup and transport to and from airstrips, lodges and hotels, as well as advice on how to prepare, what to bring, and support for obtaining travel Visas for Tanzania and Kenya, and guidance on "do's & don'ts" to smooth our experience in a unique cultural setting far from our everyday experience in the US. Not only did Sun Safaris make great arrangements at each point in our Safari that met our mid-range price point; they did so while arranging an itinerary that exposed us to the broadest range of environments and wildlife - a priority of ours. And they did so in a manner that, as we began to understand the overwhelming nature of the logistics challenges, was stress-free (for us) and successful inasmuch as being "strangers in a strange land" the Sun Safaris end-to-end transportation arrangements made for stress-free travel within Kenya and Tanzania, all wrapped up in Sun Safaris very complete customized on-line travel guide for our unique trip including all of the airline reservations to and from Africa.
Sun Safaris also went well beyond our safari arrangements, arranging for travel to and from a girls' school in Tanzania to which we contribute, and, after I foolishly left my glasses at the hotel in Nairobi prior to departure back to the US, arranged for them to be retrieved from the Hotel and returned to me. We highly recommend Sun Safaris. They would be our hands-down choice for any return trip to Africa. They saved us stress and headaches whilst ensuring the most awesome experience we could imagine.
NZ
Email Laura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and prompt
Sun Safaris were incredibly helpful when organising our first ever safari experience. Natasha provided an excellent trip for us, that was within our budget whilst also providing a very tailored/intimate experience! She was extremely prompt to communicate with and readily replied to our emails. Our transfers between accommodation/the airport were also seamless which was a huge relief! We stayed for 4 nights at Nsala Lodge which was perfect for our group, at times having the whole lodge to ourselves. Thank you Sun Safaris for an amazing trip!
Email Gail & Bruce Sommerville | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, timeous response, kept us informed
Thanks so much Natasha for arranging such a superb trip to Zimbabwe for us, for always getting back to us when you said you would, and for putting up with a multitude of questions from us.
Our 3 nights on the house boat in Kariba was perfect. Our next stop was Mana Pools Safari Lodge which provided excellent accommodation, guided walks and close up viewings of lion, wild dogs and elephants - at our doorstep.
You were so helpful and a joy to liase with - thank you for a 10 out of 10 trip.
IE
Email Jane | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was seamless
I contacted Brett last March to see what he could advise for our trip to South Africa. Once I did he took all the arrangements in hand. He suggested accomadation and day trips and we were so well looked after.
The trip was a dream come true. We have 4 children from age 13 to 18 and they have said it was the best holiday ever.
They are already trying to book our return visit
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Email Shaylynn | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organized, affordable, and have their clients experiences at the forefront.
I just returned from an incredible 14-day adventure through South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. The trip was flawlessly organized, with breathtaking wildlife experiences, luxurious lodges, and exceptional staff. The guides were knowledgeable, the accommodations were stunning, and the food was outstanding. Every moment was unforgettable, making this trip a dream come true. Highly recommended! Natasha planned a well though out trip that forever be one of our favorites. Her knowledge and willingness to answer any question was appreciaited. Because of her, we were able to relax and enjoy our trip knowing that everything was taken care of.