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Email Gail Santarlasci | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing adventure
An African Safari is a once in a lifetime experience. If traveling from the US, be prepared for very long flights. We booked our own flights & even business class - these are Long flights. Ranger Buck Safaris arranged all the logistics of our trip within Africa. They did an excellent job. We were greeted at each new location, and escorted to our next destination. It would be very difficult to do on your own. The resorts (camps) were beautiful; the camp staff, guides, and trackers all spoke English. September is still the dry season which is perfect for viewing animals; cool mornings & evenings, warm mid day. We have amazing pictures, but you need to be there to get the true feeling of Africa.
Safe travels.
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Email Brian Moody | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A land of stark inequities and stunning wildlife
We landed in Johannesburg and spent several days there. The highlight of our stay there was a tour of "The Best of Johannesburg". It included Constitution Hill, Mandela's house, an informal community in Soweto, and the Apartheid Museum. Learning about the history of South Africa brought up for me many similarities with the inequities in my own country.
We next traveled to Sabi Sand for a 5 day safari. It was excellent. Our guide and tracker were great. We saw the big five and more, including some amazing birds. We loved the bush walks, and we learned about a lot about the flora of the bush and the smaller animals. While the density of the wildlife cannot rival Botswana or the Serengeti, the variety was there. Also with strict guidelines about a maximum of three vehicles per sighting, there were no crowds. And with the ability to go off-road to track certain animals, we got some amazing sightings and pictures. All six of us thoroughly loved it.
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Email Andy Newland | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kruger adventure
We are on a one month trip of RSA ABIT of Zim & Zam. We wanted a Kruger safari & happened upon this company through the internet. We are budget travellers so wanted an experience that we could afford.
From the start Andre's communication was excellent, always quick to respond. Based on this we made our booking & we're not disappointed.
The pickup was on-time from our hotel near the airport, the driver was friendly & we reached Kruger in good time.
Accommodation was simple but comfortable. We had a 'glamping' tent which we thoroughly enjoyed. Very clean & comfortable.
We had an afternoon safari to see the animals & enjoy the sunset. Beautiful & everything we wanted.
Back for dinner which was surprising delicious. A small menu where you each have 3 courses. I had the Sirloin for main & it was excellent.
The next day up at 5 for the main safari & it was freezing. After 36 degrees the previous evening, the next day was 16 & felt so much colder with the wind across the bush. Luckily they gave us thick ponchos which became essential. We saw a wealth of animals, & Shadrag our driver kept us informed throughout, as well as telling a few jokes. Everything was extremely professional & we have no complaints.
I'd highly recommend this safari, we had an unforgettable experience at excellent value. Leker 👍👏💪
Great diversity
Capetown area and coast were lovely.
Kruger was terrific
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Email Mary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This adventure exceeded our expectations
We booked with Wild Planet Safari to visited Kruger National Park for 9 days/8 nights. Thale was very responsive and helpful in setting up our four person private tour. Everything ran very smoothly. The minute we drove into the park we started seeing wild life and were blown away by the quantity, diversity and proximity of the wild life. We expected to have to use binoculars to see the wild life, but that was not true. The animals and birds were very near the road and very visible. We saw the "big 5" right away and saw them repeatedly throughout our stay.
We spent 2 nights each staying in Skukuza and Satara camps in the park and our Rondawell accommodations were much better and more comfortable than we expected. Our tour guide, Kim, was extremely knowledgeable and had great instincts about where to find animals. Our cook, Hope, was a delight and the food was great. We spend two more nights in the Milima Lodge Reserve next to Kruger. We saw many of the same animals we had seen in Kruger, but in fewer numbers. The reserve had a more relaxed pace, very enjoyable accommodations and was an enjoyable break from the hustle to see the animals in Kruger park. Our last two nights were at an estate in Hoedspruit staying in a bed and breakfast. This location was convenient for the Panorama Route and our visit to the HERD elephant reserve. However, I would have skipped the Panorama route and the HERD visit and gone back to Kruger and staying in the bush for the last two nights.
Overall we were thrilled with our South Africa safari and would recommend the experience and Wild Planet Safari wholeheartedly.
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Email Linda J Marquez | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Memorable and Magical
Our trip started in Cape Town at a beautiful hotel on the waterfront. We spent a day in wine country which I would highly recommend. Although, next time, I think we would stay in the winelands for a couple of days as there is so much more there than just wine tastings. The scenery is peaceful and vast. We traveled with a small group tour to the Cape of Goid Hope along the scenic winding western Atlantic coast with a stop in Simon's Town for lunch and on to Boulders Beach to be entertained by the penguins. Our last day, Saturday, our morning was spent at the most amazing outdoor market, lunch and fabulous shopping at the waterfront and another fabulous dinner. The food and drinks in CPT are excellent and very reasonably priced. We were not able to do the Panoramic Route in White River because our plane was routed to Johannesburg due to rain and poor visibility at Neispruit airport. Staying at Oliver's was so relaxing and pampering it almost made up for what we missed. The last 4 days of our trip we will never forget. I cannot even begin to express how outstanding the game drives, knowledgeable skilled guides and trackers, luxury accommodations, 5-star dining at the Savanna Private Game Reserve was. The Big 5 were an everyday siting, plus leopards feasting and mating! Elephants of all sizes, many species of antelope and birds abound. We experienced a herd of cape buffalo that numbered over 1000. Out private waterhole was a constant afternoon parade of zebras, rhinos, a hippo, warthogs, kudu, buffalos, and birds. One night our dinner was a BBQ around a large fire, next in the open spaces surrounded by 100s of lanterns and another in the dining car of a historic train. You must book this place! It is worth every penny spent and we are not affluent an affluent couple. Splurge on this one. I've only touched on the service and luxury you will experience.
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Email Laurie and John Bell | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything and more than you would ever imagine in Africa
South Africa has so many diverse geographical regions, waterfront at Cape Town, agriculture both beautiful and tasty, and multiple terrain for animals. We’ve been to multiple countries in Africa for safaris and loved all of them, however it seemed South Africa had even more to offer. Absolutely best wildlife, we saw everything on this trip that it took several trips to see in the past, although maybe we were just lucky since animals aren’t predictable. We even had an opportunity to do the shark cage diving, a little different than Great White cage diving we’ve done elsewhere, but a great experience just the same. And if nothing else, you could eat your way around the country, especially outstanding is the produce. Kudos to G Adventures who we traveled with part of the time, and Mmilo Tours for an outstanding private sunrise tour. We would go back in a heartbeat. And before I forget, the history should not be missed with a tour of Robben Island and Soweto. Lastly, the people of South Africa are beyond friendly and helpful.
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Email Cynthia Tan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can’t get enough of the exquisite beauty
It has the full range of the rustic wild life to the modern world of skyscraper architecture
Food is amazing- was not disappointed
Historically and culturally rich
Warm and friendly people
Working language is English, so it easy for me to get around, both spoken and written
Email Eduardo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was 🔥
Beautiful country, people and culture. Loads to do and more. Would easily return.
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Email Deirdre | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Land of Contrasts
Our journey to South Africa was jam-packed. We spent slightly more time on the ground than we did in our flights getting there. We saw the Big Five in Kruger courtesy of a safari provided by Wild Life Safaris. Our guide Nick was well-informed and always one-step ahead of what we wanted to do. Our flight from there to Cape Town was uneventful. Cape Town was as beautiful as advertised. Hiked Lion's Head, walked the beach from Camps Bay to the city waterfront, ate some very good food. Saw ostriches, eland, and penguins on the beach. Visited the wine country. Weather "cooperated."
