Reviews of wild planet safari

A fantastic tour

We have just returned to Europe after the trip of a lifetime to South Africa, some of it spent on safari with Ryan in the Kruger National Park. Ryan and his able assistant proved to be wonderful guides. Ryan's knowledge of African wildlife is excellent and we saw up close every species we could have wished for, large and small. We were a group of 6 and our every need was catered for in the sheer magnificence of the African bush. Ryan could not have pulled off a more charming, educational and spectacular trip for us. It was beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you Ryan and team! Your passion for Africa shines through and it is infectious. We will be back for more!

Penny wilson

Lekker

This was a great adventure in the wild... We saw everything you could ask for, all from birds, hippos, lions, leopards and wild dogs and of course amazing scenery!! Next time I am going back to Southern Africa for safari i will definitely go with Wild Planet Safaris again. The staff has very good knowledge about every animal and the surroundings where we were and was very friendly and helpfull. You feel that these people live to be in the wild. The food everynight was always very good and tasty.. We had elephant sausage and other good tasting steaks from animals we could see in the parks..

Fred

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.

jose dominguez

Thanks to Ryan Ker of Wild Planet Safari, we saw an amazing variety of animals in just three days.

We wanted to visit Kruger National Park before leaving South Africa, but we had limited time available. Scrolling through Safari Bookings, we selected Wild Planet Safari, who offered a three day (two night) private safari with transportation from Johannesburg. What a lucky choice! Ryan Ker and his associate met us just outside the park entrance and started pointed out animals right after we passed the gate. We had been on safari before, in Kenya and Tanzania, but with a single guide for multiple guests. A private guide, especially one as knowledgeable as Ryan, enabled us to see far more. The experience was intense, for we awakened before dawn to see animals active at that hour and take maximum advantage of our limited time. The highlight of our trip came on the second morning when Ryan found for us two male lions, certainly brothers, patrolling the edge of their territory, but there were too many encounters with too many other animals to recount. Our down time was spent in our bungalow at the park's Letaba Camp, where Ryan and his associate cooked tasty meals for the four of us. The bungalow itself was comfortable with an en-suite bathroom and air conditioning (although we didn't need it). In short, we packed as much as possible into our three days, thanks to Ryan's expertise and the excellent management of his firm.

Todd Stewart

Absolutely Amazing!

These guys are amazing! I've just returned from an 11day North to South Tour of Kruger with my Grandfather- and i cant put to words how good it was. We looked into several tour companies before coming across Wild Planet and im so glad we chose these guys but they were so helpful and professional compared to many of the others, from the very first email contact to the end of the tour couldn't have been a better experience; their knowledge of the area/wildlife and generally everything we came across was outstanding - the food was great, the sightings were unbelievable, and we had a fantastic time! The only bad thing - is the tour came to an end :-( but its memories that will stay with us forever.. THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH SO MUCH! :-D :-D

Aaron

Unforgettable experience!

We did a 5 Day Safari tour in Kruger Park + 1 Day in the Panorama Route in April 2017 with the guide Adriaan Tromp. This tour was amazing! Adriaan knows a lot about South Africa, animals, and he was making every effort possible to make our experience the best. We saw not only the big animals, but also wild dogs, one albino Lion and even a crocodile eating a python! He also explained a lot about the life of the animals and showed also the birds, which were very interesting. We camped in the closed Camps of Kruger and it was very comfortable, we even had beds inside our tent and we didn’t have to worry about anything, just to enjoy the view. Adriaan and his assistant were taking care of setting up the camp and cooking/grilling delicious South African food (or whatever we desired) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the last evening, we did the Panorama Route and we spent the night in the Forever Resort, very comfortable and with amazing views. For the booking process, we got in contact with Thale who answered all your doubts by email beforehand. It was really an amazing experience and we are very happy to have chosen Wild Planet Safari! An unforgettable experience of a lifetime!

Rosana ***

A personalized experience with delicious food and comfortable accommodations.

My husband and I's experience with Wild Plant Safari was great! We had a personalized experience as it was just the two of us and our guide. Our guide Gibson really worked to make sure we saw as many animals as possible and we really appreciated his vast knowledge about the animals as well. He was a wizard at spotting the animals through the bush. The food was very good as well and accommodations were comfortable. We enjoyed our jam packed days and would recommend this a safari over a group safari any day.

Chelsea Curry

ALL INCLUSIVE SAFARI EXPERIENCE OF A LIFTEIME!

From responding to email before booking all the way through ensuring we made it back to the airport on time for our flight, the Wild Planet Safari team provided world class service. Thank you Ryan and Lungisani! My wife and I chose Wild Planet because of the value in providing transportation to and from Tambo airport in J-berg and in managing all the logistics for us to stay inside of Kruger National Park for the duration of our safari. We learned that this allowed us to begin our morning drives a full hour earlier than anyone staying in accommodations outside of the park. Our guides were Ryan and Lungisani, two highly professional and knowledgable gents with years of experience. They not only helped us spot and identify a vast number of animals on every single ride, they were able to answer every question and provided even more history and context for complex issues like the horrific practice of rhino poaching. They went above and beyond our expectations to provide information about logistics as well as warm meals three times a day; they even pre-emptively ensured our caffeine addicted heads would not hurt and bellies not grumble by having hot coffee and rusk (SA equivalent of biscotti) ready for us each morning! What's more, we got a full view of Blyde River Canyon on the panorama route and stayed in a room w/ the most amazing view we've ever had from a hotel on our last day--a bonus for booking a fifth day. Needless to say, our safari was filled with magical moments as herds of elephants crossed our path, as rhino appeared on the horizon as the sun rose at dusk, and even while jumping in a waterfall while on a hike after leaving the park! Ryan and Lungisani planned a perfect itinerary that allowed us to observe and photograph animals with tremendous patience and shared wonder. They are friendly and communicative and just full of knowledge, so ask questions--they always provided thoughtful responses. Bottom line: We can't wait to go back to Kruger with Wild Planet Safari and are telling all of our friends to choose them when they go too.

Fred S.

Life changing

Wow! This holiday was life changing amazing. Would recommend this type of holiday to anyone, and above all, using Wild Planet Safari. First of all, from placing the reservation, they were incredible. I sent so many emails to Thale, and she responded very quickly and efficiently to all of them. Extremely helpful in everything we asked. Then the trip itself. We had Chris as the driver and guide, and Hope as the chef and support. Both were incredible. Chris clearly has so much experience, and thanks to him, we saw all the big 5, and so many more animals. His knowledge and vision was exceptional. Such a lovely character and person too. Hope, what a chef. We ate like kings, and this was varied from minute 1, through to the end. These guys were what made this holiday so special. We loved them looking after us for the 5 days, and couldn’t have asked for more. Thank you so much guys!!!

Tom Bailey

Amazing experience!!!

What a great experience. The staff was very knowledgable, the accommodations were clean and above average. The food was amazing. One of the best safari's we have been on.

Pamela and Mike Divis

Safari in Krüger Park - what a great experience

We were taken excellent care during our safari in Krüger Park in January 2017 - from first meeting at airport in Johannesburg till return at same spot! Adrian and Lunghi were great guides with enormous competence, wonderful chefs and good company. They took care of exactly everything so that we could enjoy of our safari for 100 %. Booking, arrangements, accommodation etc were professionally organized by Thale. We are so happy that we chose Wild Planet Safari and recommend it warmly! And all Scandinavians: Thale är norska!

H&M

Marvellous days in Kruger!

Some fantastic days in South Africa this summer!Spent one week in Kruger, visiting camps I did not find time to visit last time I was in this wonderful park, and also a re-visit to some camps from which I have very good memories. All the time under the fantastic guidance of Ryan, and enjoying the company of his whole family and Wild Planet Safari customers from the USA. I loved the delicious food, and appreciated all the personal service. And I also was very happy with the closed vehicle on the cold winter mornings. Already looking forward to my next visit. It wo'nt be long!

Ragnhild Kolshus

an exciting and educational experience that way exceeds our expectations

We went on several salaries in southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe) in May 2019 and the safari with Wild Planet turned out to be the best overall -- in communications and service in lodging, food, transportation and game drive. One thing standing out with Wild Planet and we all appreciate most is the sharing of knowledge, from local tourist information, national parks, features and habits of different animals, hunting, animal control-management and people-animal relation, to politics, history, ethnic groups in southern Africa and so on. We were very lucky to have Lance as our tour leader and guide, who is exceptionally knowledgeable, willing, and able to share information about all these topics and to answer all questions we had. As a result, the entire tour turned out to be very educational. Lance responded to our needs timely and effectively; he went far and beyond to ensure that we have the best experience possible in this area.

Wendan

It was a wonderful experience and Ryan and Lungisani were great guides with so much fun and knowledg

Myself and three friends had a wonderful visit to South Africa and loved the safari with Ryan and Lungisani. The animal sightings were fabulous and I think we managed to see most of the big five as well as other smaller shy animals - honey badger, porcupine and so much more. Ryan's knowledge of the native birds and animals was amazing so we managed to get up his nose not remembering any of them - especially bush bucks. Wonderful trip - I'd recommend it to everyone.

Cheryl

A great, tailored experience

My husband and I had limited time to see Kruger park, and wanted to avoid a large group tour. Wild Planet Safari were quick and efficient in communicating with us on email. We were greeted on arrival to Johannesburg airport, and transferred up to Kruger immediately by Ryan and Lungitani, and then back to our hotel in Johannesburg after the safari. Both of them provided us with a tailored service, flexing meal times and camp departure times to suit us, and making sure we saw every safari animal (and cub!) before we left - we even had the chance to sit and watch one of the big cats hunting! Above all, we appreciate the respect shown to these animals in the process, and the amount of information our knowledgeable tour guides were able to share with us. The camp accommodations were clean and safe and the meals cooked for us were outstanding, we had a great experience and would recommend Wild Planet Safari.

Maurice & Stephanie

So Glad We Chose Wild Planet Safari!

When we discovered that our participation in our chosen 8-day Kruger Family Safari would not be with a small group, rather just the two of us, we had misgivings as we thought that meeting other like-minded folk would be enjoyable. Well, we have to say after the event that our misgivings were unfounded. In the closed vehicle we were not buffeted by cold early morning winds and best of all we learned so much from Ryan, company founder and guide. He has amazing in-depth knowledge about all the wildlife we saw and we also learned a lot about life in South Africa. You wouldn’t get that seated high in an open vehicle remote from the driver/guide! We really appreciated the opportunities to get up close and personal with animals at the Hazyview Elephant Sanctuary and the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at Hoedspruit and on the way back to Jo’burg we journeyed through the amazing scenic Drakensberg Range. We were well looked after for the entire time and we had a wonderful experience. We will remember it always!

Kedn Acock

Amazing!!!!

My wife and I recently did a 9 day ( 8 night ) safari with Wild Planet, and it was amazing.. Adriaan, our tour guides knowledge was second to none.. He answered all of our questions, about anything and everything.. And was a very good cook.. He's a very likeable guy! Benji was his assistant and he's got a lot of potential.. We loved every minute of it and would highly recommend Wild Planet to everyone..

Kyle

Exellent

My family and I have been on our most exciting tour with Ryan and Thale. We have been well received. We saw the big five, and have seen loads of other exciting animals. I am impressed by the knowledge of everything from trees, grass, rocks, animals and history. We had 13 days of good food and good stories and many great experiences. This can be highly recommended. Thanks Thale and Ryan that you made ​​this an experience of a lifetime.

Runa T. Farstad

Exciting safari trip with nice and very fun guides

A perfect arrangement with 3 days in Kruger together with a very competent guide and fantastic staff. We got to experience the Big Five including leopard that we had not seen before. We want to give the best recommendations to the team at Wild Planet Safari. Thanks for some great days!

Magnus