Team Wild Planet Safari
Wild Planet Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- SATSA & FGASA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $3,472 to $7,117 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Pamela | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
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!
AR
Email jose dominguez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
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.
Email Therese | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Good experience
Ryan was very prompt in replying to my emails and very accommodating of our requests to customise our 15 day tour of eastern South Africa. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and particularly the birdlife of the areas we visited. The accommodation he booked for us lived up to and sometimes surpassed our expectations. It was a combination of lodges and luxury tents. Overall we had a very memorable and enjoyable safari tour and I would certainly recommend this company.
Email Joe | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent and knowledgeable guides enabled perfect viewing of the Big 5
Communication and service were great, and overall enjoyed our experience. Ultimately everyone's goal is to see the big 5, and we saw them all and more thanks to the determination and expertise of our guides. They understood the tricks and necessities to navigate the park at the right time as well as the right places to see the different wildlife, while avoiding super crowded areas. Certain services, such as walk-about and night drive, are not allowed by private guides within Kruger - but Ryan arranged these tours on our behalf with the in-house park rangers.
Accommodations were exactly as expected - however, we were completely blow away and happily surprised by the additional hospitality when our guides prepared our meals the entire time we were in the park.
The overall logistics were convenient and helpful. They picked us up in Jo-burg, transporting us all the way to Kruger National Park. The drive and scenery and additional information along the journey were wonderful. They also drove us back to Jo-burg and dropped us off at the airport with plenty of time to catch our flight.
One downside was being in an enclosed vehicle the whole time, rather than the perceived experience of "open vehicle safari"; however, the enclosed vehicle enabled them to provide the Jo-Burg pick up and drop off, so that was a trade-off we proactively chose. Ultimately, the enclosed vehicle did not prohibit our views nor the overall experience of the safari.
We were very happy with our experience and would recommend to others looking for a great safari experience within the national park.
Experience level: first safari
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.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
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.
Nearby nature - a great individuell tour in Kruger NP
We went on a three-day safari through Kruger National Park. It was a fantastic tour with an excellent guide, Ryan, who led us to some amazing wildlife sightings. The service, including the meals, was very good. All our requests were catered for. As we were on our own with the guide, he was able to focus entirely on us during the tour of the park.
Email Kathy and Keith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Ever
Our private 13 day safari with Wild Planet Safari was epic! In the experienced and capable hands of our guide Chris, and chefs Hop and Shane my partner and I had the most amazing holiday. Chris is very experienced with spotting and identifying critters and we had great visibility from our safari vehicle. We had frequent close encounters with wildlife including lion, rhino, elephant, hyaena and giraffe walking right past the vehicle as well as many smaller, and some endangered species. It was also great for bird-watching and photography. Poor Chris patiently complied with my many requests to "stop, reverse, now go forwards 2 meters" to get the best shot! Staying in our comfy tent was the best way to hear lions and hyaena at night and bump into porcupine, owls and native cats on the way to the loo. The food was delicious and so variable. Hop and Shane had no trouble catering for my vegan diet whilst there was plenty of meat for my partner. We really enjoyed our meals around the fire with a glass of wine swapping laughs and stories with Chris, Hop and Shane. We were pleased to add the 2 day Panorama Route as the scenery and walks were spectacular. It was also amazing to travel through the many smaller villages in the open safari vehicle, we somehow felt more connected to the people we were exchanging greetings with. We were very sad to leave the tour and a big part of that was saying goodbye to our new buddies. We would highly recommend this group and would love to come back and do it all again :) Thanks, Kathy and Keith from Australia.
Email Jane and Avedis | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was a SUPERLATIVE EXPERIENCE that provide personalized service with maximum wildlife sightings
Wild planet Safari:
Superlative Experience!
My husband and I chose a private guided tour through Kruger National Park with Wild Planet Safari. Our itinerary was for 12 nights and 13 days. It also included the Panorama Route. We chose the camping option. We feel the price we paid for this experience was incredibly reasonable.
From the moment we contacted this company, Thale and Ryan worked with us patiently and professionally and gave much helpful guidance.
All of our questions were answered thoroughly and quickly.
As to our experience, we had our own very knowledgeable personal guides and a chef.
The camp was set up with a gazebo, and our tent also included comfortable cots, lights, and fans for our convenience. The food that was prepared was incredibly delicious. We couldn’t believe we were camping and eating such a variety of tasty scrumptious meals.
On our Safari, we were able to see the Magnificent Seven. In addition, we had a rare sighting of the white lion. Day after day, we were surrounded by wildlife experiences that we will never forget. We give our highest recommendation for this company.
TR
Email Zeynep & Can | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One Operator with it All: Knowledge, Experience, Fun
We did a 4-day/ 3-night Skukuza & Lower Sabie tour with Wild Planet in late May/early June.
From planning to execution, Wild Planet delivered a superb experience offering us a tailor-made, iterative experience that combined elements to address our expectations while fine tuning it with their vast experience.
In delivery- the professionalism we experienced during the planning continued.
Our guide (Ryan) was super knowledgeable about the park and its inhabitants which made the experience one of a kind.
Each meal we had was different, well prepared and delicious.
Despite the amount of work and the stress associated with running a whole tour with a million things to plan, our guide did everything seamlessly and remained fun to be around.
Re: animals, having a knowledgeable guide makes a huge difference in the overall experience- and turns it into a fun, adventurous learning experience.
It is always good to keep expectations tempered when it comes to animal sighting because they are not there to entertain us and we are lucky if we get to observe a slice of their lives. We were lucky to see many animals and observe unforgettable moments and our guide’s knowledge made tangible difference.
