Clients reviews about African Welcome Safaris

An African Safari has been a bucket list item since I was a kid. I am not wealthy but instead needed to save up for a trip of a lifetime so I was very focused on making sure it had the right travel agent that understood what I wanted to get out of the trip and boy did they deliver. My time in Cape Town was magical. What a gorgeous city. My time spent at Sabi Sands at Savannah lodge was beyond all my expectations. Easily the highlight of the trip. More animals than I ever imagined seeing. From there my time at Timbivati at Kings Camp was next level luxury. My weekend in Victoria Falls was majestic. Kathi, the agent I worked with, was the MK dest most accommodating agent ever. She would respond on her days off in an emergency and I always felt she was available. ~ Conrad M

We recently returned from an incredible 11-day honeymoon in South Africa organized by African Welcome Safaris, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. From the initial planning stages, Kathi was super helpful and responsive. She gave us multiple options tailored to what we were looking for and guided us smoothly through every detail, patiently answering our every question via email. The accommodations and local guides chosen for us were top-notch across the board. On top of that, the on-the-ground execution was mostly seamless. We didn't have to worry about logistics at all, which allowed us to completely relax and focus on enjoying our honeymoon. Huge thanks to Kathi and the team for making our trip so memorable. We highly recommend African Welcome Safaris to anyone planning a dream vacation to Africa! ~ Priyanka G

We had our dream honeymoon in South Africa thanks to the efforts of Kathi Simon at African Welcome Safaris. I decided to book through Kathi as she was very responsive to my emails and could accommodate all my travel requests, providing me with a detailed itinerary suited to my budget. My wife and I could enjoy ourselves without worrying about missing our flights or transfers. During the trip, we could contact Kathi whenever we encountered any issues. Our Shark Cage diving tour got postponed due to inclement weather, but she managed to coordinate and reschedule with the tour operator when the weather improved. For anyone visiting South Africa, we highly recommend booking through African Welcome Safaris for an unforgettable experience! ~ Shawn C

Our honeymoon with African Welcome Safaris was amazing. We were referred to Kathi by friends who raved about their trip, and we were not disappointed! We started in Cape Town and the winelands (Babylonstoren) and closed out with a safari in Kruger. Everything was incredible and extremely well-organized by Kathi - the itinerary was well-planned and clear, and we didn't have to worry at all about transportation or what was next, while also having enough time at each place to not feel rushed. If we tried planning this ourselves it probably would have been more expensive and very complicated, so we can't recommend Kathi and African Welcome Safaris enough!! ~ Wes P

Amazing Africa! There's nowhere like it on the planet for wildlife and rich traditions that endure. Prepare to fall in love because we did! Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Kathi who was so efficient in responding to our queries right from the start while helping to liaise with the respective safaris and partner agency in Kenya to ensure we'd have an awesome honeymoon, and we did! Despite the time difference she was really quick and our communication with her was superb and all went well except for 1 Safari stay which was disappointing due to maintenance issues. Thank you Kathi, enjoy the tea and we hope to come back soon and of course engage your services once again! ~ Alison L

From the moment we contacted Kathi at African Welcome Safari's, we knew we were onto a winner. Kathi put together a great itinerary for us to Victoria Falls, Cape Town, Kruger / Hoedspruit & Jo'burg. Transfers, Tours, Accom, Flights were all taken care, we just had to show up. The quality of everything was perfect and the communication was brilliant! Kathi stayed in touch throughout the trip to answer any questions we had and assist if we had any issues. Everything was just so easy! This was our first time in Africa and Kathi had some great advice and helped us plan the trip of a lifetime! Would highly recommend African Welcome Safari's! Thanks for planning our trip of a lifetime! :) ~ Ross

Kathi Simon and AWS did a wonderful job planning and handling our trip to South Africa. We travelled as a family of 4 from the USA, with 2 teenage boys. We did Cape Town, the Wine Country, and safaris near Kruger National Park. Kathi was a great communicator, and worked hard to ensure that all the details were accounted for. Every location and accommodation she selected was fantastic. All of the transfers were easy, reliable, and safe. The value was excellent for the peace of mind provided. We received Kathi's name from a good friend who booked with Kathi over 10 years ago, and now - 10+ years later - Kathi and AWS are still providing a wonderful South African experience. ~ Ezzell F

Kathi planned an incredible trip for us that was executed perfectly without a single hitch. Every tour was fantastic, allowing us to see everything imaginable while still providing enough downtime to relax without feeling like we missed a thing. The friendly and professional guides she selected were top-notch, and the Safari camps were simply amazing—we saw almost every animal imaginable including 4 of the big 5. We also loved the itinerary app, which was awesome for sharing our real-time location and activities with family back home. I would highly recommend African Welcome Safaris to anyone looking for a seamless, memorable adventure. ~ Sally P

No dudes en contratar tu viaje con esta agencia. Nos prepararon un itinerario de 21dias visitando Garden Route, Blyde Canyon, parque nacionales y reservas de vida salvaje maravilloso. Todo perfectamente encajado y detallado. Sin fallo alguno. Lo disfrutamos mucho. Recomiendo sus servicios. ~ Barzurol

Our South Africa honeymoon was the trip of our lifetime. African Welcome Safaris organized the most magical trip throughout South Africa. Their service was exceptional!! Accommodations were unbelievable. Activities were incredible and restaurants recommended were amazing. The organization of the trip was perfect and everything worked out seamlessly. The guides were extraordinary. I feel like the luckiest person to have worked with African Welcome Safaris. I will 100% recommend and refer friends and family and anyone I know to African Welcome Safaris. Everything was 10 out of 10. ~ Edward M

A Dream Honeymoon Adventure in South Africa! My husband and I recently embarked on our dream honeymoon in South Africa, and the experience crafted by African Welcome Safaris surpassed all our expectations. From the mesmerizing safari to the vibrant city life in Cape Town, the picturesque Garden Route, thrilling shark cage diving, and the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, every moment was nothing short of amazing. Throughout our honeymoon, African Welcome Safaris demonstrated a commitment to excellence. The accommodations, transportation, and guides were top-notch, reflecting the company's dedication to providing an unforgettable experience. Our heartfelt thanks for making our honeymoon a journey of a lifetime. Kathi was also extremely responsive the entire trip. Whether it be questions about our accommodation or excursions, we always received a prompt response. We highly recommend working with them, to anyone seeking an extraordinary adventure in South Africa! ~ Erin B

We booked the South Africa leg of our honey moon through Kathi at African Welcome Safaris. And we couldn't be happier with the service we got. Kathi came recommended from friends of ours that used her 6 months ago to book their Safari. We are from Canada and it was intimidating trying to find a trustworthy agent to work with from our side of the world and having never traveled to Africa before. Kathi was very informative, had calls with us, many back and forth emails as we picked our Safari lodging. She always responds in a timely manner, and she is very patient. Kathi helped us pick our Safari lodge, organized transfers from Capetown to Krueger, helped us plan guided activities in Capetown, organized a rental car. Everything worked out seamlessly, which took so much stress off of our travels. 100% recommend Kathi, you won't be disappointed. PS African Welcome Safaris accepts visa, which some companies require money transfer and you just have to hope you didn't get scammed. So you get the points. And some peace of mind. ~ Torben C

When we first considered traveling to Africa we contacted some UK travel agents however it wasn't until Africa Welcome Safaris was recommended to us that we appreciated how important it was that our agent was 'on the ground' and has specialist knowledge of the region. Kathi Simon put together a fantastic itinerary that managed to capture all the places that we wanted to visit but not only that but with much greater value for money than the UK agents. This included arranging upgrades on both Rovos Rail and the Zambezi Queen river boat. All our transfers worked like clockwork and the private guide that Kathi chose for us in Cape Town was outstanding. Kathi stayed in touch with us both before and during our holiday and nothing was too much trouble. She even recommended restaurants for us to eat in Cape Town and made reservations on our behalf. My wife and I were incredibly impressed with African Welcome Safaris, as indeed other friends of ours have been, and we would not hesitate to recommend them if you are intending to visit Africa. ~ Steve A

Kathi was a major part of why our honeymoon trip to South Africa was a trip of a lifetime! Every step of the way Kathi was organized and so prompt in the beginning stages of planning. She was very prompt with email replies back. It is clear that she has a deep understanding of the area including the cities and safari, which allowed us to experience the highlights of South Africa and Kruger park. During our trip, Kathi remained in close contact, and was so accommodating when we wanted to add to book an extra excursion. She would provide us ahead of time the name of any drivers, and give us reminders to check into flights. I also wanted to shout out the tour operators that Kathi connected us with; Debbie was amazing and we loved spending the 4 days touring Cape Town and surrounding areas. We also can't even start with the safari Kathi recommended and booked us into! The whole trip went so smoothly, and we felt safe the whole time thanks to Kathi's work. For anyone looking to book, I 100% recommend Kathi, and have already given my recs to my close friends and family ~ Amy Y

I just came back from amazing 10 days in South Africa. Kathi had been absolutely fabulous through this process. I was a solo female traveler and wanted to feel safe. all the drivers, pick-up, hotels and itinerary were not only outstanding but were always on time as per plan. Kathi sends all the details exactly of when and where prior to departure. hotels were in a great location and of great quality, at times even better than expected. I stayed at the Commodore in V&A Cape town. Masion Chablis in Franshoek and finished strong at Kapama river lodge on Kamapa private game reserve....really everything 10/10. The only downfall i would mention is per plan i spent Christmas eve and day in Franshoek with the first having a guide that took me to 3 amazing wineries, and a "free" day on Christmas day. Normally i guess people get the hop on hop off tram to visit some vineyard, but it was closed as were most vineyards around, so i manage to find one open and got a private taxi over there. i could not recommend Kathi and AWS more, Only wish she did other destinations like Australia/New Zeeland 😉 ~ Ortal B

Kathi helped us plan the best trip! Incredibly kind, great suggestions for both Cape Town and our safari (Simbavati Waterside), and so attentive both before and during our trip with our change of plans when we got sick for a few days in the middle of it. Will definitely be recommending to any friends who want to have an amazing South African experience! ~ Max V

We had visited Cape Town late October, and we were big group of 16 people. Everything was organized according to our wishes and previous arrangements. We had wonderful day with Peter, who was our tour guide, and shared with us a lot of interesting information about Cape Town and Africa in general. Highly recommend African Welcome Safaris, you will have exciting day :) ~ Sandra K

Kathi (Simon) was so helpful. She was very informative and responsive. She quickly answered my questions and concerns and was a great resource. The safari camp, Kapama, she booked me at was fantastic. I was so impressed with her. When I come back I will 100% use her to book my trip again. ~ stacey m

Kathi was amazing to work with. She responded quickly to our requests and questions ahead of time; she absolutely made this vacation a trip of a lifetime by tailoring the trip to our interests, time and budget. ~ Jill A

I booked with Kathi Simon, she was extremely professional and courteous. She handled everything my fiancé and I needed to have an amazing once in a lifetime adventure. I’d definitely recommend Kathi and her team. ~ Max S

Efficient, super responsive, hugely knowledgeable and genuinely nice! A wonderful experience - thank you Kathi. ~ Steve W

Three Generation Family from USA treated to a trip of a lifetime by African Welcome Safaris! Our trip included my wife and I, five kids, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren. I wanted to recreate for them the Safari experience I had in 1987 in Kenya and Tanzania to inspire them for their future. African Welcome Safaris exceeded my ask and delivered an experience that overshadowed 1987 Kenya. Kathi got us Lodges in Madikwe & Kariega that made us feel like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. More importantly, the twice a day Safari drives delivered all the predators and prey we had hoped for sans the elusive Leopard. In Madikwe we had infinity pools from which we could observe animals collecting at a watering hole. We were kept safe and felt safe at the same time as we were getting Up Close and Personal with Lions, Elephants and Giraffes. My 27 and 33 year old daughters came to us with tears saying: "Did you see all those Elephants around our truck, it was the most beautiful experience". Everyone of us, down to the four grandchildren had the experience of a lifetime. We are so grateful to Kathi for selecting the perfect reserves and lodges for us and ensuring that we had safe and timely transportation as we moved from Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and to the two reserves, Madikwe & Kariega. Kathi checked us into flights, gave us the name and phone number of the driver for our road trips. True White Glove experience. ~ rob r

Amazing experience. Staff lovely. Well worth the visit. Would recommend ~ Joanne

Tour operator with quality tour guides and individually designed tours for discerning tourists. ~ Graham M

Reviews from our customers

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