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Neil   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: September 2012 Reviewed: Oct 29, 2013

35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Kruger Park Tour
5/5

A personal tour for my wife and I. The aim was a hard-core photo safari and Wild Planet provided exactly what we wanted with plenty of pleasant surprises on top. Thanks to it being a personal tour we were able to see more species, get closer and take better photos than we have in any previous trips. Both the food and service was excellent throughout but the highlight was probably the night we spent at Shipandane Hide, where we had Hippos fighting in the river, Lions close by and a night time visit from a Gennet - it was pure magic.

We traveled in a customised VW Transporter Van so we had plenty of room to spread out and to take photos. The tents were surprisingly large (I could stand up in ours) which made camping easy. Because there was only the 2 of us we were able to take full advantage of our guide's encyclopaedic knowledge of Southern African wildlife so when we took a Park Service night drive it felt really "dumbed-down" compared to the wildlife masterclass we were used to. Overall we got exactly what we wanted and a whole load more for a very reasonable price.

We have already made a provisional booking for next year as after 10 years of visitig Africa no other trip we have taken even remoteley compares.

Daniel Ricciardi   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2015 Reviewed: Nov 13, 2015

Email Daniel Ricciardi  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Perfect Kruger Safari
5/5

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!

Tony Bilbie   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: December 2015 Reviewed: Feb 1, 2016

Email Tony Bilbie  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Extremely Enjoyable 3 day - 2 night Safari
5/5

The communication throughout the process from the initial enquiry right through to the day before we were collected was quick and detailed. We were given a number of options of which areas to explore and different accommodation types prior to booking and everything was organised for us by Ryan and Thale.

We flew in from the UK and stayed overnight in a hotel close to the OR Tambo airport, Ryan then collected us from the hotel the following morning and we drove to Kruger (with a stop off halfway for 15 minutes), arriving at Skukuza just after 1pm.

When we arrived at Kruger mid afternoon, Ryan sent us off to grab some lunch whilst he went and checked us into our accommodation. When we returned around 2.30pm our luggage was already in the room and we were then took on an afternoon safari, seeing a large number of animals and birds.

Evening meal was BBQ steak and salad cooked outside the accommodation by Ryan and his assistant which was excellent and we sat chatting and drinking the local wines under the stars.

Morning 2 consisted of an early start where we saw most of the Big 5 and Ryan cooked us bacon and eggs breakfast at a picnic area overlooking the river, watching the monkeys play. A good long day of exploring, seeing many of the animals and birds. We then returned to the camp mid afternoon where we were left to chill out and top up the stock of beers and wine.

Again, a BBQ evening meal outside the accommodation where we were given ostrich sausages and a local veg dish which was good washed down with some local brew. We were then surprised to find out that Ryan had booked us on a night safari, a nice touch. We completed our Big 5 list on this night safari, seeing a leopard walking around the park, sadly we didn't take a camera.

Day 3 we again took an early morning safari, checked out of the accommodation and took a drive back to OR Tambo airport ready for our flight down to Cape Town.

The service we received from Ryan, Thale and the rest of the team was personal yet professional, and Ryan's knowledge of the animals and birds (mating habits/diets etc) was excellent and added to the experience we got from the trip.

I would certainly contact Wild Planet Safaris next time I am looking at exploring southern Africa's wildlife regions and would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone looking to experience it.


Scott   –  
United States US
Visited: March 2022 Reviewed: Mar 25, 2022

Email Scott  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Kegan was great! He not only put us on the Big 5 but we saw the Magnificent 7 as well. Outstanding
5/5

We really didn't know what to expect when we booked with Thale but she gave us many options to choose from and we settled on a four day North Kruger tour. It was fantastic from start to finish. Our booking communication with Thale (she actually delivered a child and was still managed to stay in contact with us) ,to our guide Kegan's experience and sense of humor and Ryan cooking us traditional South African meals it was all wonderful. We couldn't have asked for a better experience to witness these magnificent animals. Truly outstanding and we can't wait for our return visit!
Scott
Coupeville Washington

Average User Rating
5.0/5
Rating Breakdown
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  • 2 star 1
  • 1 star 0
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