Reviews of wild planet safari

More than expected

Guide very knowledgeable and friendly. Respected privacy but also engaged. Cooking meals was a treat -- we expected restaurants and were pleasantly surprised.

ron meyr

Exceeded my high expectations

My partner and I completed a 6 day Kruger Safari with Wild Planet Safari in February 2019. I couldn't have prepared myself for how much of an amazing experience it was. I had modest expectations of the amount of animals we would see in the park but we saw everything and several times over the 6 days. Ryan and Lungisani knew just where to find the animals and their spotting ability is very impressive. The entire trip was great from start to finish, accommodation is great, meals are great, safari drives are amazing, Ryan and Lungisani were terrific guides and Thale is excellent and responsive to your booking needs when planning. I have some incredible photos and memories forever from this trip and it has motivated me to see more of Kruger and of Southern Africa with Wild Planet Safari.

Ben Haley

First safari, great experience!

This was our first safari and we're glad we went in a toured guide, it made the difference having someone driving, spotting and explaining about the animals. Wild Planet Safari provided us with a private tour, which was also great as we were able to stop as desired and do things in our own time. Paul was our guide and he was great, had a lot of knowledge about the animals and seemed to really love his job. Benjamin was our cook and he was also great, cooked good food and had a good eye for spotting animals. The only minor issue we had was about dietary restrictions, one person was vegetarian and the other was not, but the food was planned as if both were vegetarian... Anyhow, it was a great tour, we spotted many animals, stayed in very comfortable places inside the Kruger Park, which was excellent as we could really enjoy our time inside the park, and had good company. I highly recommend Wild Planet Safari, just be sure to double check what's included in your tour and to ensure all the tiny details as the food thing I mentioned before. It was great and now I'm hooked on safaris!

Gabriela Oliveira

Incredible 4 Days in Kruger

The experience with Wild Planet Safari exceeded all expectations. Communication leading up to our trip was easy and Thale was always quick to reply with helpful information. Coordinating our airport transfers was seemless and Ryan was right on time when our flight arrived. The safari itself was amazing. Ryan and Issac’s experience along with Lungisani’s sharp eyes allowed us to see more wildlife than we even imagined. This included the big 5 and more. The food was unique and delicious at every meal. We even asked one the recipes to try at home. The accommodations were exactly as described and were quite comfortable throughout our stay. I would definitely recommend Wild Planet to anyone looking for a wonderful safari experience in Kruger.

Andy

Amazing experience in Kruger!

We had the most incredible 5-day safari in Kruger National Park, and I can't recommend Wild Planet Safari enough! From the start, Thale was fantastic, helping us with booking and answering all our questions. Our guide, Chris, was wonderful. His knowledge of the park and its wildlife was unmatched, and his experience ensured we saw all of the Big 5! Chris made sure we were at the gates early every morning to maximize our chances of spotting animals like lions, who are more active at dawn. Our chef, Goodwill, was also great. The meals were delicious. It was fun to eat breakfast at one of the picnic sites in the bush each morning. In addition to the daily game drives, we also went on a night drive and a morning bush walk, both of which were very fun and added to the whole experience. The entire Wild Planet team made sure the trip was tailored to our preferences. Highly recommend going on safari with Wild Planet!

Margaret

A wonderful safari and wildlife photography experience

The communications on arrangements for our five-day trip with Wild Planet Safari were timely and helpful. Our guide Darren and his assistant Lungi were very experienced, friendly and professional. We chose a camping trip and our tents were comfortable and meals were tasty. Darren and Lungi focused on our interest in finding and photographing birds, as well as the "big five" animals and other wildlife. They know the park well and places to maximize chances for interesting viewing. The open safari vehicle performed well and had excellent visibility. It was an amazing experience!

Richard

custom Safari for 7 days, beyond expectations!

We are a family of 4 and wanted to go for a safari in South Africa. I wrote to a few safari tour organizers and Thale was the one who responded with a personalized note. We followed up with her and she organized a customized trip for our family at a very decent price. She sent us all the info we needed to get ready for our experience. 2 guides came to pick us up at the airport and we spend 7 days together. They were just amazing people: professional, kind, funny, knowledgeable. They did everything they could and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our experience. We saw plenty of animals! We are still talking about the amazing chicken curry they cooked for us. Pictures from our trip are covering the walls of our house. We all have beautiful memories. It was beyond expectations.

Celine

Absolutely amazing, unbelievable experience!

Right from the beginning Thale and Ryan were always available to talk to and answer any question I had. After we had booked our safari, I had let them know that I would be spending a night in Johannesburg by myself (my husband was meeting me 2 weeks later for our safari). Ryan graciously offered to pick me up from the airport and let me stay at his place and then take me back to the airport the next morning to catch my flight. This was absolutely above and beyond! So unbelievably generous and kind. The actual safari itself was even better than my husband or I could have imagined. Ryan knew exactly where to take us to see the animals we wanted to see and even once we spotted them he knew the right spot to stop to get the good picture! The food was amazing, real home cooked meals on safari, which is much more than we were expecting (we expecting camping food). He even had some new meat for us to try (like ostrich and wild boar). The whole experience was absolutely amazing and we would 110% book with Wild Planet Safari again and again!

Annette & Antoine

Exactly what we wanted and needed

We did an 8N/9D safari in June. The original plan was to go in 2021 but because of Covid everything was postponed. Thale was very understanding and was happy to accommodate us this year, 2022, instead. She also organized us a custom made trip where we skipped the beach but did only safari parks: We stayed 1 night in Blyde Canyon, 5 in Kruger and 2 in Hluhluwe. We had two guides: Chris for Blyde and Kruger and Trompie for Hluhluwe. Two completely different people for the two different parts of our trip. Both were very knowledgeable and gave tons of information, making us feel like we could be safari guides ourselves by the end. They also provided us with great meals. I loved the braai, the braaibroodje and the Durban Curry. Chris even surprised us with a typical African dish called Pap in South Africa or Sadza in Zimbabwe, when we told we wanted to eat as African as possible. I knew I was going to love South(ern) Africa but I fell head over heals. Wild Planet was fantastic in helping out reaching this feeling. I wish I could go back tomorrow! Thank you very much for making this all possible

Eve

CHRIS AND HOPESON WERE AMAZING

Had the best time with Chris and HOPESON on the safari in Kruger. Couldn’t recommend this enough! 100000/10

Quinn

An awesome, informative,wonderful experience. Best holiday ever.

Planning of the trip was excellent. Our expectations were more than met. The knowledge of wildlife, fauna and birds from Ryan is exceptional and we learnt and experienced so much. Highly recommended tour operator and guide. Every detail was taken care of.

Noelene Cole

Private camping safari

The communication with Thale, planning the safari was great. She provided lots of options for us to suit or requests as best as possible. The transfers and itinerary was all sorted well prior to our trip. We opted for the Panorama route and 3 day safari private camping safari. The Panorama route was nice, however could have maybe reduced the number of stops or given more options of stops. God's window was nice, Berlin falls was okay, not something I would personally have on a paid tour. The camp site by the Blyde River canyon was great, super quiet on the night we stayed and a lovely morning sunrise before setting off to Kruger N.P. The safari was excellent, we were lucky to see practically everything we were expecting to see. Lungasani was an absolute star, such a hard worker and great personality for the trip. Chris was a good guide for the trip and assisted where he could. We do feel like the information provided about the wildlife and ecosystems could have been provided more than it was. We don't feel like we learned too much about the animals or ecosystem, (however me and my partner are both ecologists) more tidbits of info would have been appreciated. Additionally, we did a bush walk and night drive, this was done with SANS park, and booked within the trip by Thale. The food was amazing on the trip, and the Skukuza rest camp was clean and comfortable enough. The tents and camping gear was all provided by Wild Planet Safari, the tent was a good size and effective enough for the trip, the mattresses could have been a bit more comfortable, but we slept well anyway as the safari is jammed packed with drives! So we were tired enough to sleep through the hard floor in the rest camp. Overall, the safari by Wild Planet Safari was excellent and I would highly recommend to other travelers.

Amy SW

Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous!!!

We did the 4-day camping Kruger and Panorama Route and it was fabulous. We managed to see so many animals in our short time in the Kruger and the Panorama route was a trip down memory lane for me having grown up in the area. Such a spectacular part of South Africa. Chris and Hopeson were amazing and we miss them both already. Matt and I highly recommend you book your next safari with Wild Planet. Thank you Guys and also to Thale who does so much behind the scenes and was so helpful with our booking. You guys rock!! We hope to see you all again soon!! Matt and Michelle xx

Matt & Michelle

South Africa #SpringBreak

On a whim we decided to take a Spring Break. With less than 4 weeks to plan a group of 4 of us got on a flight to Johannesburg not knowing what exactly to expect when we landed. We couldn't have been more thrilled with our experience with Wild Planet Safari and our guide Ryan. Ryan picked us up right at the airport, drove us to Kruger Park while allowing us multiple stops along the drive to enjoy the country side. We did a 2 night 3 day Safari in Kruger. Over the course of 3 days Ryan enlightened us with so much information that we couldn't believe it. From how to track the animals to information about how they feed or interact with other animals Ryan knew it all. He was also extremely calm in all situations. For example one morning we had an elephant trying to charge the car. Ryan knew exactly what to do to keep us out of harms way. In just 3 days we saw 4 of the big 5! In addition to Ryan's knowledge of Kruger he is also quite the chef. He helped prepare three amazing meals a day even bringing veggies hand picked from his own garden. We got on a plane not knowing what to expect and we walked away with unforgettable memories.

Kate

Seamless safari experience with excellent wildlife viewing

Our group of four had a fantastic three-day trip with Wild Planet Safaris. Thale was incredibly helpful during the planning process and walked me through different options for how to best use our time in Kruger. She and Chris, our guide, also rolled with some last-minute communication and logistical changes regarding our pickup times and locations. Once we were on the road, Chris and Hopeson, our cook, took care of every detail. They checked us in and out of accommodations at rest camps (all very comfortable), cooked delicious meals, walked through plans for the next day each night at dinner, and set up a night drive and bush walk with KNP rangers. Chris took us on multiple game drives each day, and we had amazing sightings, including a leopard, lions, tons of elephants, giraffes, hippos, baby hyena, and many more. Chris is great at spotting even the smallest and hardest to see animals, like a puff adder on the side of the road. Having been on some earlier game drives (through a different company) with a slightly larger group, it was a lot of fun to travel around with just our small group. We really enjoyed Chris and Hopeson's company throughout the trip - thanks for making it an unforgettable one!

Katie W.

An amazing experience!

Thale was great staying in touch and coordinating all aspects of our tour. We thought we knew what to expect but the entire trip exceeded our expectations. The transfers from/to Johannesburg worked great and gave us an opportunity to see a bit more of South Africa. Upon arriving at Hazy View Eric quickly greeted us and we were off to explore. Quickly realizing we were not on a drive through zoo experience of just pointing out different animals. Eric would stop and allow us to observe the animal’s behavior. The buffalo herd moving across the riverbed, giraffes continually coming from the trees, hyena crunching bones while chasing off the young, lions waking as sun was rising, elephant bathing at the end of the day, rhinoceros quietly grazing, leopard relaxing in the tree, warthogs scurrying through the grass, moments forever etched in our memory. Seeing the Big 5 twice in a day was so much more than we could have ever asked for but seeing so many different species was extraordinary! Eric is a remarkable guide, so knowledgeable about the wildlife, Park and culture but also a fantastic chef. The meals were plentiful and delicious, a great way to relax and recall all the magical moments of the day. Staying in the rest camps was a huge bonus! It was extremely comfortable and clean all while staying in the surroundings during the entire safari. After the excitement of the safari, the final day we enjoyed the panoramic route through Blyde River Canyon. The beautiful scenery was a relaxing way to wind down and see more of the beautiful country of South Africa. We were a bit concerned about going in February, reading that it would be more difficult to see the animals as the grass is longer and the animals did not necessarily need to go to the watering holes. This was not an issue at all. The wildlife was plentiful, the weather was gorgeous, and the views were amazing.

Teresa Schmit

excellent experience

absolute top communication from Thale and Ryan. Things were clear at all stages. we did a 4 night 5-day tour. Our tour guide was Reinhardt + Lungisani and it was a great experience overall. Reinhardt was very considerate and made every effort to show us as many wild animals, birds, flora and fauna as possible. It was clear he is very passionate about his job and enjoys it thoroughly. Lungisani was hilarious and cooked delicious cuisine for us. Overall, we had a fab time and enjoyed the trip. In hindsight, it would have been better to spend 1 extra night at Satara instead of 2 nights at Letaba.

A Roy

Really enjoyable six days in North Krugar with super knowledgable and friendly guides.

From pick-up on Sunday morning in Jo'bourg to drop back on Friday evening we were looked after so well in every respect. We were given a constant stream of information on the countryside we were passing through. In the park the animal spotting ability of the driver and guide was amazing. Their knowledge re the names of the animals - including the birds - was to be admired and reliable as on occassion the driver referred to some of his information books for specific names. We got plenty of time to take photographs. Binoculars were provided which were a bonus for the birds in particular. The food was superb and lots of it, we were treated royally. Only complaint is re the information provided prior to heading to SA. We followed the guidlines and brought too many clothes and sleeping bags which were not necessary as sleeping bags were provided. Overall the four of us had a wonderful time and can highly recommend Wild Planet Safari and its staff.

Mary Friel

Wild Planet Safari delivered a once in a lifetime experience

I opted for a private safari for the 3 of us. After some fumbling on my part with dates and pick up points, Wild Planet Safari arranged a great itinerary for us. They even deducted some money from the bill because we started at one of the Kruger's airports rather than from Johannesburg. Any email was replied to promptly. They provided information about the weather, what is advisable to wear and what to expect when on safari. They also arranged for a bush walk and a night drive for us in the 2 resorts we stayed on. Raphael - the safari guide (or is it spelt Raphaele?) - was a great guide, patient, attentive and really good at spotting all kinds of animals as well as being personable and fun to be with. He also knew an awful lot about the animals and birds in Kruger. We loved him and are really grateful to him for enhancing our experience!

Joelle