Safari Consultants Traveller Reviews

I travelled with a friend to climb Kilimanjaro, and she then returned to the UK, whilst I travelled back to meet my family in Nairobi, before flying to the Masai Mara, and then to Kinondo Kwetu near Diani Beach. Pre and post climb, we stayed at Rivertrees near Arusha - a very relaxed and informal property. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the quality of the food was excellent. Hoopoe safaris ran the climb. The guides and porter team were superb - we had everything we needed, and they certainly exceeded our expectations. I was particularly impressed with the food provided, and the safety procedures that we went through every day. All of us made it to the summit, which was fantastic! Kicheche Mara camp was brilliant - and Rachel, the camp manager, was extremely attentive and well organised. Special thanks to Moses who looked after our tent, and to Francis, our guide. He was superb - so knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife and conservation. Our daughter had an amazing time and has declared she's refusing to go anywhere other than Africa on future holidays! We then finished off with an idyllic week at Kinondo Kwetu - total relaxation, but with lots of activities. Tennis, horse riding, snorkelling, scuba diving. A lovely big property but low capacity (max 38 guests, I think),so you could always find a quiet spot - we pretty much had the beautiful beach to ourselves most days. A couple of observations re responsible tourism: - there was quite a lot of litter on Kili (mainly toilet paper). When you check in at the gate, people should be asked to keep their rubbish in a small bag and then dispose of it when they are at a camp. This should be reinforced by the guides. - we were lucky to be in.a private conservancy, but in the National Park, the amount of land rovers following animals was quite disturbing and I am sure was stressing the animals. I know this is a real balancing act, but I can see how this pressure will ultimately change the behaviours of the animals. - Consistency on tipping advice. On Kili we had differing advice from Safari Consultants, Hoopoe and the Park itself. We took the middle ground, but we didn't really know which on etc follow -we didn't want to overtip, but also didn't want to appear ungrateful, as the service we had received was excellent. Overall, we had the most amazing trip - and I think I can honestly say, this has been the best summer I've had!!!

The support in putting the holiday together was fantastic - Michele was able to make great recommendations based on our requirements, and even had Hoopoe change the dates of their group climb to fit in with our timetable! She and Eloise dealt with all the questions we had, and the communication was excellent. I honestly felt as though nothing was too much trouble, and they really listened to what we wanted, in order to give us the best experience we could have possibly had. I was recommended to Safari Consultants by a friend, and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other travellers.

Two friends travelling together. Flew BA to Nairobi and stayed overnight at the beautiful Boma Hotel recommended by SCs. Transferred next morning to internal airport to fly via Safarilink to Samburu - Elephant Watch Camp - splendid camp with the most welcoming hosts who went well out of their way to make our stay very special including a visit to the Save the Elephants Research Centre. Onward flight to Mara North Conservancy to Kicheche Mara Camp. Game drives exceeded all expectations. Camp host caring and supportive. Back to Nairobi for dinner at the Boma before transfer to JKI. All transfers handled by Benroso Safaris, timely and courteous service. All in all a most wonderful experience. Well planned and smoothly operated with the most stunning wildlife experiences and superb camps.

This was my fourth safari managed by Safari Consultants and I would not hesitate to use them again. They are extremely helpful and not only responsive but pre-empt your every need. Nothing is too much trouble for them. Their pre-travel processes are clear and support is available at the end of the telephone or by email. The information and ticket pack they provide contains all the necessary details for the trip and this year was provided in a very well designed wallet. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

We had the most amazing time in Zambia and Kenya. We had four stops on our journey, each of which were very different. Everywhere we stayed reached beyond our expectations in facilities and the staff who looked after us. Particular highlights were Victoria Falls, tracking black rhino, seeing a herd of over 100 elephants, spotting leopards and watching two cheetahs hunt a poor little Thompson gazelle! We won't forget this amazing trip and everything we saw.

Safari Consultants and in particular Michele Seamark went above and beyond in helping organise our honeymoon. We had to rearrange several times due to family illness and Michele was understanding and accommodating. She gave us a lot of advice in working out where we should go to visit and she did not let us down. We had an amazing time.

We were met at the airport by African Breeze and driven to Jembisa Lodge. We had the same driver throughout the holiday and it was good to have that consistent service. Ian was punctual atnd reliable at all times as well as knowledgeable. Jembisa Lodge is luxourious with beautiful views across the valley. Service was excellent. The guided drives and walks were interesting and enjoyable. Our guide Ed was very experienced and an expert on the local fauna and flora. We also went zip lining at Lekhalo safari nearby which was good fun. It was good to have a relaxing start to the holiday interspersed with some activities. We were then driven to the Botswana border and met by a representative of Mashatu tented camp. The tent was luxurious with an ensuing outside bathroom and it was warm enough to use comfortably even in the winter. We were out game viewing at 6.30 am everyday and again late afternoon. Every time I thought we had seen everything we saw something new no doubt due to the expertise of our guide. We returned to Johannesburg and stayed at the Peech Boutique Hotel. The next day we had a very interesting tour of Johannesburg and Soweto.. This was a trip taken by a mother and 17 year old son and needed to meet the interests of two diverse people and did.

The arrangements made by the tour operator were reliable throughout the holiday even though there were a number of operators in South Africa and Botswana that they had to liaise with. Information was sent in advance and there was always someone answering the phone when I rang and able to give advice. Our tour rep Mary arranged fthe requirements I had specified perfectly.

Well organised, exactly as we expected and very personal service.

Gave very personal service and good advice.

Had the best week ever for the holiday. The experience was more than we ever expected. From the moment we arrived to when we departed, we were seeing wild animals at close proximity, a dream come true. Considering we stayed at a camp in the bush, the facilities and service were superb. Everyone was very friendly and pleasant and was there to please. We felt safe and at ease during the stay. We will definitely go back.

We are very pleased with Safari Consultants, you were very well informed before the holiday and the journey there and back was very well organised and the advice given was practical. Michele dealt with our queries promptly and the holiday was exactly as planned. Would definitely use them again.

We have just returned from a busy holiday in South Africa and Livingstone which included Cape Town, the Garden Route, safari in Sabi Sands and a visit to Victoria Falls. The holiday was perfect. The locations, accommodation and time at each location were ideal and allowed us to visit all the main tourist attractions. The itinerary and information pack provided by Safari Consultants really helped to ensure we also had time to relax in lovely surroundings.

Safari Consultants provided an excellent service from the initial planning to the holiday itself. They met our requirements perfectly and we had no cause to contact them at any stage as everything went according to plan.

Excellent tented safari, followed by sometime to just relax.

Bent over backwards to create a tailored trip that met our wishes, on hearing of slight mobility issues they immediately tried to assist.

We went on a family holiday to South Africa for 9 days with our two children aged 11 and 12 years. We had a fantastic time, were looked after really well, all the pressure of holiday planning was removed by 'Safari Consultants', for whom nothing was too much trouble and everything ran like clockwork. They arranged our holiday to our budget and included everything we wanted to do, including Whale Watching in Hermanus, visiting Cape Town via the "Garden Route" and Safari in Pilanesberg. The service and accommodation was consistently excellent, the scenary breathtaking and the wild life amazing. We have had a family holiday with wonderful memories we shall never forget.

"Safari Consultants" are 100% professional experts. Everything was organised perfectly, they gave us exactly what we wanted, whilst making sure we were properly prepared for our trip with all information provided clearly. Our holiday ran like clockwork - we were looked after by all the staff, who were also consistently excellent. They always replied to any questions promptly and courteously and I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommended them or using them for future holidays.

This was our 8th trip to Africa, all of them organised by Safari Consultants. This was our second visit to Zambia but this time our son and his family joined us for most of the time. We are all keen bird watchers and our teenage grandchildren have particularly sharp eyes and limitless enthusiasm. We take Safari Consultants' expert knowledge and meticulous planning for granted but they do excel when organising a more complicated holiday for different activities and age groups. We started the holiday at Chongwe River House in Lower Zambezi then the younger members did four days bush walking with Robin Pope Safaris while the two grandparents stayed in Chindeni and Chamilandu and we all met for the final three days at Luangwa Safari house. A wonderfully successful holiday with luxurious accommodation throughout and spectacularly good guiding.

Safari Consultants have never failed to provide exactly the kind of holiday we want. We have used them for ten years now and they know our priorities without our needing to reiterate them. A successful tailor-made holiday requires detailed sensitive appraisal of each of the camps recommended and we know we can count on Safari consultants for sound advice and meticulous attention to detail in the all important planning stage.