Reviews of wild planet safari

The perfect Safari tour

We had a great safari trip with our excellent guides Adam and Ryan.

Nick

Knowledgeable and Professional Team.

We had a 3 day safari with a group of 7 family members---Mother in law who healthy mid 80s but slowing down/a bit of a falls risk, 14 year old, 11 year old, and 4 adults all in our 40s. Communication via email with Thale was excellent and professional. He was the most accommodating of our family's needs and itinerary but advised appropriately about how that would change costs and also how feasible the different options would be so we could make an informed decision. The 3 day tour, inclusive of most meals and transportation, was reasonable. Our guide always prompt and we were never kept waiting for him. He always communicated the schedule clearly. The accommodations at the camp were basic but adequate/comfortable. Goodwill is a great cook! I appreciated our guide Eric and his assistant Goodwill. They were professional always--- I love my mother in law but at times she can be somewhat trying when she is less comfortable than she is used to at home (which of course is expected when you travel :0)!) and he handled it with admirable professionalism and all of us were still thrilled she was able to make the trip with us and her grandchildren. Generally, the rest of us are a pretty low maintenance group so long as we keep the 11 year old fed. We saw some great wildlife and saw all of the big 5 except for the leopard who seemed ever elusive but of course that, I understand, is very common. We saw a huge pack of endangered wild dogs which thrilled everyone but especially our 11 year old. Eric was knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw and able to add a great deal of context/education/respect for the animals to everything we saw. I did notice that Eric uses tobacco products only because I work as a family medicine physician at home and admit I sometimes can't turn it off--hah hah. He was always discreet/respectful with this and it never affected our family or enjoyment of the tour though I hope he quits someday for his own well health. All in all, the trip was worth every penny and a highlight of our visit in South Africa.

Anne West

Brilliant

First class, fantastic value for money, great service

Gary

MARAVELLOUS

Everything goes fine from the beginning. Thale helped us in all the organisation, helping to decide the route and planing everything. Once we arrived Eric was the most amazing guide that I could imagine. Eric was a passionate bird lover, a very good driver, an amazing chef, an incredible storyteller in a summary the best guide we could imagine. I recommend without and doubt the safari we did. Wildplanet pick up us on the Tempo Airport in the early morning arriving to the Hoedspruit at mid-day entering the krugger park the same afternoon having our first game drive on the way to Satara rest camp, here we see many animals including one Leopard. We stay 2 nights in the satara rest camp. The only experince that we will not repeat is the nigh game. After the 2 nights we went to skukuza rest time for 1 night more. I recommend the safari and I will repeat in the future. Thanks to Thale and Eric

Xevi

The best safari company to feel at home, a wild one.

We loved our tour with Wild Planet. They made us feel really confortable, even in a wild place. They were really aware what they were doing and we felt secure in their hands. The handmade cook was SUPERB. <3

Gabriel

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.

Mark & Heleena

10 Night Kruger Safari - North to South

We are a couple & went on the 10 night Kruger Safari with Ryan in May, which was the first part of our honeymoon. Starting from the North - Punda Maria and finishing up in the South - Berg an Dal. Firstly Ryan's passion and knowledge of the park and animals are amazing. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer and needless to say we learned a great deal about all the animals, the park and South Africa. We saw lots of animals including the big 5 and it was really nice to travel from North to South - a great journey that felt like an odyssey. We booked with Wild Planet late last year, and most of the communication was with Thale - the other half of Wild Planet. She was friendly and very helpful with all questions we had and we had built a great rapport with her. Unfortunately though she wasn't able to be on the tour as they are expecting in August, which left a tour that would normally be run by the both of them to just Ryan. Don't get us wrong, it was a great tour overall and we had a good time but it seemed a lot for one person to run on their own. From managing game drives, daily camp preparation and cooking every meal, Ryan seemed a bit overworked on one or two occasions. We would recommend Wild Planet to anyone, but feel it's a two person operation. Had Thale or a second helper been there as well the trip would have met the expectations we had when we booked it.

Dao & John

Competent, efficient, responsive

This is my second Kruger safari with Wild Planet Safari , the first was by myself in August 2018 and the second with my 13 year old son Leo in August 2023 both safaris covered different areas of KNP . Chris was my guide/driver on both occasions … as a biologist and a seasoned safari goer I had several requests and he managed to deliver on all of them . We truly had BBC Nat Geo level sightings. I strongly recommend their services.

Eyad Hindi

Had an amazing time - spotted tons of animals!

This trip was incredible. We booked a 4 day private safari for myself and 3 friends. The guides were awesome, friendly, and very accomodating. They also possess eagle eyes. There is no way we could have spotted even a fraction of the animals if not for the guides. The enclosed van was also nice, not as big open viewing areas like the open air trucks, but far more comfortable. I'd highly recommend booking with Wild Planet!

Luke

Everything We'd Hoped For

We are so glad that we booked with Wild Planet Safari. First, my communications with Ryan and Thale over email were so quick and easy, that we got everything lined up in no time. Then the excursion itself was just perfect. Ryan was EXTREMELY friendly and knowledgeable - I know because I asked him a thousand questions! He was also great at showing us around Kruger - knowing the spots to see the most animal, readings traffic patterns to find more, and trying very hard to fill our every desire. And our general interactions with Ryan were great, as we talked about South African sports, culture, social issues. Ryan was a great guide not only for Kruger, but South Africa in general. I truly hope we can book another safari with Wild Planet, be it in Kruger, or wherever they schedule tours!

Paul M

Perfect Kruger Safari

My girlfriend and I recently went on a four-day/three night Kruger tour with Ryan and could not have asked for a better trip. Driving past other tours carrying nearly 20 people with only one guide made us keenly aware of how lucky we were to be able to ask Ryan questions whenever we had them. Ryan's knowledge of the park’s ecology is constantly on display, whether he was talking about animals, insects, birds, or plant life. Having our own private tour also gave us flexibility. We were able to customize our trip, allowing us to go out to see animals when, where and however often we wanted to. Whether we wanted to take an extra drive, go outside of the planned route to find a lion (success!), or drink Savannah Dry’s until passing out, Ryan was eager to do it. On our last day, Ryan drove all over known rhino routes because we hadn’t been lucky enough to see a rhino up close (which was literally the only animal in Kruger that didn’t practically approach our vehicle). When you are on larger group tours, that kind of personal touch just isn’t possible. Behind every man is a great woman, and Ryan and Thale are no exception. Before arriving in South Africa, we were in constant communication with Thale despite the fact that she was in her third trimester. We were initially apprehensive about not being able to pay by credit card (extremely high fees) or PayPal (only works with one bank in South Africa), but Thale made us feel completely at ease throughout the entire process. If all of that wasn’t enough, Ryan and Thale were kind enough to have us over for dinner the week after our tour for our last night in South Africa. We could not have asked for a nicer, more hospitable couple to show us around their beautiful country. They love what they do and it is evident from the moment you first contact them until they drop you off at the airport. We cannot recommend Wild Planet Safari highly enough. Thank you for making it an unforgettable trip!

Daniel Ricciardi

Guide and Assistant Save the Safari Experience

The safari turned out to be a great experience despite a rocky start. Our guide, Chris and his assistant, Benjamin were absolutely wonderful and did their best to provide a good experience. The rocky beginning started with me having to contact the person I was booking with about pick up information which she had not provided. On the drive out Chris mentioned that we would be in Kruger National Park for 3 days, but unlike what the proposal that had not been modified in advance, we would not be staying at Skukuza for 2 nights. Instead we would be in a smaller camp for one night and have to move to Satara for the next two nights. This would have been fine, but we were prepared to be staying where we could get cash from a bank and get WiFi in the camp. Neither was available outside Skukuza so we struggled with that. The company should have informed us well in advance about the change. Also, Chris had not been told that we were supposed to go on the Panoramic Route on day 3 and 4. When he talked to the manager about this, we were given the option of going on this as planned. However, we would have had to pack and move again. Instead we agreed to have a quick Panoramic Route trip the last day only. The guides were great and flexible. Benjamin's food was absolutely fantastic. Chris is very knowledgeable and helped us see the Big 5 and so much more. These two men saved the trip!

Laurie

Life Changing Experience Due to Tour Guide Chris

My partner and I enjoyed the 4 day safari in Kruger with Chris and Hopesol of Wild Planet Safari. Here are some takeaways: 1. We tented at two different campgrounds. For both Hopesol set up our tents and cots, sleeping bags and fan. The campgrounds had a fence around the exterior but we still were able to see jackals and honey badgers at night. They just added to the experience - no concerns. 2. Each day, Hopesol cooked different meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner over a fire. Delicious. Included were an English Breakfast, pancakes, fruit salads, steaks, sausage (including ostrich), lamb, chicken roast - basically more than you can eat and still be so satisfied. Hopesol was so friendly and really wanted to know how our tour was going and how to improve it. It's hard to express how much we enjoyed the four of us talking about the day and other life events while enjoying those meals at dusk. 3. Chris drove the open air jeep for several guided tours each day, morning, afternoon and early evening. Everything that any review has said about Chris being a superior guide, friendly, welcoming and funny merely approach the truth. He made our trip what I consider the best vacation/experience of my life. My partner really wanted to see as many birds as possible and Chris would stop and point them out as we crossed paths. In the end we were able to count 78 new birds! Amazing. He recommended getting an Animals of Kruger Park picture book of what we might see and it helped us keep track of what we encountered as well as looking for others to scout. In the end, Chris takes such pride in what he does and he told us he is meant to work in the bush - we could not have had a better guide. 4. Value for the money? You could not have a better experience on safari - we were able to be on our own with just Chris and Hopesol, without a group that would require us to be distracted by others needs, wants, ways. We also went on a night trip led by a Kruger ranger, on which about 20 people crowded onto a jeep. While we were able to see some nocturnal animals like huge owls, a civet, some honey badgers and also lions just lying on the road in front of us, the crowd of people was almost painful after being with just Chris on a guided tour. We also went on a a guided walk of eight in Kruger with two armed rangers; that was fun to experience the animals and so extensive land from a ground perspective. We did see zebra and wildebeests moving up close. 5. Just Go. Experience the vastness of Kruger. You will be so happy you did this. We still say, "I wish we were on safari right now." Thanks, Wild Planet Safari. Thanks, Hopesol. Thanks, Chris. Chris, you have found something to do that makes others so happy. Not many people can say that.

Fred

Fantastic, Beyond our expectations!!

Good communications before we commenced the trip and the list of items to take was very useful. Very well planned trip and everything went smoothly and on time. We had a private tour for 6 days with just the two of us plus Guide / Ranger Anton and his assistant (and good cook) Benjamin. As such we could make small changes to the schedule without any problems. We were very happy with Anton and Benjamin, Anton very knowledgable and freindly, gave us lots of information and kept us entertained. Benjamin took care of the food and Brai (BBQ) . Good food and plenty of it! The schedule included game drives, morning walks, night drive and we visited three rest camps. Accommodation and facilities were excelent, good security and the shop on site has everything you might need. From the chalet we could see many animals including elephant and giraffe just outside the fence. Inside there were bush Buck abd the cheeky baboons. Night time you can listen to the animals and enjoy the peaceful environment. We saw many animals during the safari including 4 of the big 5 and going north through the park the experience just got better and better, the view points are fantastic. Thanks for the wonderful experience, highly recommended!

William & Valeriya

wonderful experience, with personalized service

My wife and I had a wonderful four day safari in Kruger National Park with Wild Planet Safari. All the pre - safari arrangements were easy to do. Ryan and Lungisani met us at our hotel at the Tambo airport and drove us to Kruger. We stayed in two camps and were well taken care of with excellent meals cooked by the team every night. Ryan's knowledge of wildlife, and Lungisani's eagle eye to spot wildlife really enhanced our experience. Highly recommended!

Doug and Paula Sinclair

Perfect safari experience

At the beginning of November, we went on a three-day private safari with overnight stays at Skukuza Camp in Kruger National Park. The entire organisation and handling with Thale in advance was perfect, and we also received tips on how best to continue our journey in South Africa after the safari. We received an absolutely all-inclusive package. A transfer service in Johannesburg took us from the airport to Hazyview. There we met our guide Eric and the cook Keygi. We liked them both right from the start and they made us feel that we didn't have to worry or take care of anything. And that's exactly how the next few days went. We were treated to incredibly delicious food and saw fantastic wildlife in the park. Eric has been doing this for almost 20 years and was able to answer all our questions. We saw the Big Five within 1.5 days and much more. Wild Planet Safari offers an unforgettable experience with its all-inclusive service (transfer, accommodation, game drives and shared meals). We were able to concentrate fully on the animals and nature as we didn't have to worry about anything else. We can only recommend everyone to book a private safari here. If we ever get the chance to visit this beautiful place again, we will definitely book with Wild Planet Safari again. Many thanks to the entire Team.

Lukas & Andrea

Brilliant, all staff were friendly and knowledgable they really went above and beyond.

Most importantly Ryan was always spotting no matter what and named everything immediately, you could tell they had a lot of experience and always knew where to be and got their first meaning we always had the best of the viewing (we would often be moving on as multiple cars appeared either scaring the wildlife away or making viewing difficult). Not only was the spotting and positioning good you could tell that everyone really cared about seeing the wildlife, we saw wild dogs on our last evening while driving back to the campsite and Ryan's dancing by the wheel and they walked past was (nearly) as good as the sighting iself. In three days worth of game drives we not only saw the Big 5, also wild dogs, hyena pups and bird-life than you could shake a stick at, it really was a special few days. Away from the amazing wildlife the service provided was brilliant, the campsites were always good, the food was brilliant and the truck being used was well suited. Communications were always brilliant from first email through to saying goodbye. Emails were responded to quickly and always giving as much information as possible even when things weren't ideal (an issue arose with a vehicle they were going to purchase, I was notified immediately with a range of suitable options all of which were as good if not better than my original choice). Thale and Ryan were always trying to make the trip work for me and really helped organizing it hassle free. Wild Planet Safari really did provide an excellent service from start to finish, if I ever do make it back to Kruger I will definitely be using these guys.

David

Extremely Fun, Safe and Exciting ! Wild Planet Safari tour with Rafael was AMAZING !

Our recent safari experience with wild Planet Safari was absolutely incredible and deserves every one of these five stars. From start to finish, the trip exceeded all our expectations, and we owe much of that to our amazing guide Rafa ! Our guide was not only exceptionally friendly but also very knowledgeable about the local wildlife. His ability to spot animals from incredible distances was impressive. Rafa really had the eye of the tiger ! He was down-to-earth, funny, and even cooked delicious meals for us, making the whole experience feel both adventurous and homely. The vehicle provided for our safari was top-notch and superior to those used by other companies we encountered. It was comfortable, and the warm blankets provided were a much-appreciated touch, especially during the early morning. The fact that our trip was private made it even more special, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience without any distractions. We were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 of South Africa, a truly unforgettable experience. Each sighting was made even more exciting by our guide’s enthusiasm and in-depth explanations about the animals and their habitats. The food throughout the trip was delicious, adding to the overall enjoyment. The accommodations were spotless, comfortable, and provided a sense of safety and security that allowed us to fully relax and enjoy our time in the wilderness. Overall, Wild Planet Safari delivered a flawless safari experience that we will cherish forever. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable adventure in South Africa!

JP

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!

Pamela