The Wild Wings team - Loving Every Moment!
Wild Wings Safaris
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & ABTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $4,433 to $37,999 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Donna P | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Choose ANY other company!
The guide Simon is a tourist who moved to South Africa to do tours and it shows in his arrogant, opinionated, disrespect of the South African people (he made fun of the way they talk), disrespect of the animals (he was gleeful at the thought of witnessing a kill in stark contrast to how the local guides respectfully handled the same situation and he even defended poaching saying "poachers are just people trying to feed their families") and his disrespectful comments about americans which he repeatedly made. Kruger National Park was amazing, the South African people were wonderful-- do the tour, just do it with ANY company but this one!
Reply from Wild Wings Safaris
Posted on Apr 5, 2016Hi Donna,
I take great pride in my job and in offering people the best safari experience possible. I am, therefore, greatly disappointed that you feel your safari didn’t live up to that standard. I am also sorry for the way that you feel about me as a person. I am passionate and enthusiastic about the Kruger and its wildlife. This shows up in the fact that I get excited about the animals and their behaviour. I always try and get close to the action and position the vehicle in the best possible way for the guests to see and photograph. If that is considered gleeful, then I’m guilty as charged. Most guests realise that this puts me in stark contrast to other guides, for whom guiding is merely a job. For me, this is my life, and I love seeing animals live and act in their natural environment, and showcasing that to the guests who come on my safaris.
Conversation around the dinner table often turns to relevant issues such as wildlife management, conservation, poaching, hunting and culling. I never condoned poaching and never will. It’s one of the more serious issues that we are currently struggling with. Perhaps you didn’t quite understand the context of my poaching statement. I mentioned that poachers are often killed in Kruger, to which you responded: ”Great, I hope they shoot more.” I continued saying that shooting poachers is not the real solution, many are merely doing it to feed their families. The fight of rhino poaching is much bigger than merely eradicating poachers. I’m not quite sure how you interpret this as me defending or condoning poaching.
I’m baffled by the fact that you think I’m a “tourist” when I have in fact been born and raised in South Africa and have lived my whole life here. I am also not quite sure what you are suggesting by saying that me being a “tourist” shows in me supposedly being arrogant, opinionated and disrespectful. What does that say about other tourists?
With regards to making fun of people, I do like to look at the lighter side of life. Most people refer to it as having a sense of humour. I guess it takes two people with a sense of humour for a joke to work. I can’t quite recall where I made fun of the way South Africans talk. After all, I am South African and I talk like them. I might talk funny, but I’ve learned to live with it. I have had many Americans on safari before, and most of them don’t take the things I say so literally or personally. I’ve made the same jokes before without anyone ever getting offended.
In the end, I still tried to make the safari a success, as far as possible. I went out of my way to cater to your vegetarian and gluten free requirements (unfortunately I was not told in advance that your husband also does not eat other things like onions or garlic). It appears my best efforts were perhaps not enough, or not appreciated by you.
We were lucky to have many great sightings including various predators such as lion (even the rare white lion), leopard, cheetah, wild dogs, etc. By sightings alone you were very fortunate, but it is a pity that normal and natural predator behaviour was disturbing to you. I also purposefully did not go to sightings that I knew would get you upset, like the lions feeding on a buffalo kill. For the sake of the other guests, I also tried to keep things light-hearted. I believe I had some success in giving them a great experience, despite the tension caused by your obvious displeasure, as can been seen in their review of the same safari (by Mary, dated 4 April 2016).
I leave you with the same words I said when I dropped you off, “I know this safari might not have been the best experience for you, but at least I hope that you can take some good memories home with you.” I always think one should hold on to the positives, rather than the negatives.
Personally, however, I do not think going with any other company would have made the experience any less miserable for you.
All the best for your future.
Regards,
Simon Vegter
Wild Wings Safaris
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wild Wings Safaris on Gomo Gomo Game Lodge reserve
All writed have hapened. It was a good deal whitout bad surprise. Very kind professional staf.
Email Simon Knight | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing safari operator in Kruger
We are old hands at safaris, in many different countries, but this 5 day safari in Kruger is one of the best, if not the best, we have done. The guides are amazing, knowledgeable and always getting us in the right place at just the right time. We saw not just the Big 5, but the Magnificent 7 (with the addition of wild dogs and cheetah). Perfectly adequate accommodation in two of the SAN Parks lodges, especially as you are only spending 2 nights in each and spend most of your time in the park out looking for animals. Good open sided vehicles, with plenty of food provided at breakfast and dinner. Efficient and reliable pick up and drop off in Johannesburg. Cannot recommend this tour enough.
Email Ricky Phipps | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wild Wings delivered on their promise providing an experience that will never be forgotten
I cannot thank you and the team enough for a fantastic safari experience.
We were lucky to have this experience by ourselves, and this made it extra special.
Simon is a great host both searching for the Big 5 and cooking his signature dishes.
He was extremely flexible in what we could do each day which gave us a total of 20 hours out on Safari over the 3 days, more than I envisaged.
I would not hesitate in recommending Wild Wings to anyone.
Email Ro | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Clare at Wild Wings was our travel coordinator. She did an outstanding job coordinating our 15-day trip. We had an amazing time thanks to Clare's flawless coordination! All the numerous pick-ups and transfers were flawlessly on time! Overall, this trip was outstanding and is a memorable one for us. We started our trip in Cape Town with local tours to Table Mountain, the Western Cape, Robben Island, and wine tasting in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Then drove up the Garden Route to Knysna via rental car. After we flew to Johannesburg and travel to Kruger. After Kruger, we went to Sabi Sands (private park) . We saw the big 5 at Kruger in 2 days, and at Inyati Game Lodge at Sabi Sands, within 2 hours. Thanks to our whiz tracker Joel and driver Omega. We highly recommend Inyati. We absolutely love Inyati and would return there again. Victoria Falls was awesome, seeing it from both the ground and from the air on the helicopter flight. We also enjoyed Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana with the boat and land safaris.
Hindsight is always 20/20😊. If I were to plan this trip again, I would do a day or two less at Knysna (we did 3 nights there) and a day less at Kruger. I would add a day more at Inyati at Sabi Sands and 2 days in Zambia. There is always next time...
Email Roxie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Clare is a Miracle Worker!
I was sooo late in starting my plans for Africa that it's amazing I got booked into anything, much less the trip we ended up with! I first contacted Clare at Wild Wings on May 8, 2025 about a 5 day safari in Kruger. After a few days, I asked her if she booked Caped Town...she did. Oh please add that. A few days later, I asked if she did Victoria Falls....she did...add that. Then a few days later I asked about Zambia and Zimbabwe, Mana Pools and South Luangwa to be exact...she could do these...ok, add, please. Well, she worked wonders and got us to all of the places I requested. We also stayed in Hwange for a few days to wait for availability at Mana Pools....we enjoyed our stay there and saw lots of animals. We did our first walking safari (with big male elephants) there too. Anyway, everything was put together so well and soooo many changes that I requested were made successfully. I'm sure a was a big pain, but Clare stuck with me and got us everything we requested. We were having a problem with our online payments too, and she was very patient with that. It was really great!!! And she was really great!!! Oh, we arrived Sept 1, 2025 to give you an idea of how quickly we wanted to start our safaris. Thanks Clare and Wild Wings.
Email Maria M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Partners in Planning our Dream Trip to Africa
We have been back for two weeks, and the joy and awe our journey to Africa brought us has not faded. It had long been a dream of mine to travel to Africa, and the experience far exceeded every expectation. It was more beautiful, more meaningful, and more transformative than I could have imagined.
Every destination, every encounter, and every moment was remarkable. The Victoria Falls River Lodge was absolutely lovely—we could have happily stayed longer—and Victoria Falls itself was spectacular. Both The Peech in Johannesburg and The Twelve Apostles in Cape Town were exceptional, with warm hospitality and excellent service throughout. The team at The Peech went above and could not have been more gracious. Our guides at every stop were outstanding—deeply knowledgeable, attentive, and engaging.
Our highest praise, though, is reserved for Londolozi, which was, without question, the most extraordinary place we have ever stayed. The service was impeccable, the safari experience unforgettable, and our guide and tracker truly world-class. We quickly ran out of superlatives trying to describe it all.
Thank you, Clare, and everyone at Wild Wings, for turning a lifelong dream into a reality for me, my husband, and our friends. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. And you were right—Africa is now in my heart, and I know I’ll be back.
Email Anton | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Family Safari with Wild Wings Safaris!
Our family of five (kids aged 14 to 18) went on a Kruger National Park safari with Wild Wings Safaris in August 2025, and it was an experience we’ll never forget. I’m so glad I chose Wild Wings to introduce my children to the magic of the Kruger for the first time.
Our guide was exceptional—by far the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever met when it comes to the bush. She understood every aspect of the park, from the big animals to the birds and plants, and her passion and enthusiasm were absolutely contagious.
Wild Wings also handled all our catering, treating us to delicious, traditional South African meals that made each day special. Every detail was thoughtfully taken care of, and the entire trip exceeded our expectations.
If you’re looking for a genuine, family-friendly safari experience, I can’t recommend Wild Wings Safaris highly enough.
Email Noreen & Stephen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Experience - 5 star from start to finish!
From my very first inquiry until our departure, Wild Wings Safari was with us 100% of the way to deliver a once in a life time experience fulfilled! The accommodations, the food, the staff and all locations... the guides, drives and trackers... the SAFARI (and there were many). The once in a life moments and experiences I can't put into words. Most of all CLAIRE who answered a million of my questions and then some! 5 star experience doesn't convey how wonderful this team is!! If you want to make your Safari dream vacation come true - there's only one company I would count on WILD WINGS SAFARIS! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Email Les and Jean Price | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Always reliable, they provide excellent service.
Just returned to the UK from another trip to Kruger organised by Wildwings. Clare is always thorough and attentive in designing our holiday. The lodges (Motswari in northern Timbavati then Nottens in Sabie Sands) were wonderful. The transfers between airports and lodges were seamless, prompt, comfortable and efficient.
This is our fifth trip in South Africa with Wildwings and we are already planning our next.
Trust them…..they’re great!
