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Specialist African Safari Consultants and Safari Booking Agents. |
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Louis, I had meant to
get back with you as well. This was the trip of a lifetime! We
had such an incredible experience. Cape Town was
wonderful--perfect weather. Mala Mala was undoubtedly our
favorite. Saw so much game and the guides now feel like extended
family members. Vic Falls was beautiful but we weren't too crazy
about the Zimbabwe experience. We didn't read enough of the fine
print here--we might have been better off on the Zambia side.
Seba Camp was the perfect ending to a memorable trip. I have
2000 photos and 3+ hours of video. It will be months of editing
before I have something anyone will want to sit through! Thanks
for all your help. We have some friends that will likely be
contacting you to duplicate our trip! The trip was beyond belief! Everything went like clockwork. We were met and taken care of by people in all three countries. Of all the trips I have taken out of the country (and there have been many), this was the easiest I've ever done. Wilderness Safaris has an incredible staff and wonderful camps too. Sefofane Botswana Charters did a fabulous job as well. One of the pilots even went on a game drive with us in the morning so we didn't miss it. We got to see all the animals I wanted to see and a lot more. We would go back in a heartbeat, so you may be hearing from us in the future. Thank you for setting up a terrific trip. Judy Moreland We had a FANTASTIC time in
Botswana. We enjoyed our tour group (especially the crazy
Italians), and the guides and staff were uniformly excellent. We
particularly liked our head guide, Ronald (whose every story
around the campfire late at night ended with the immortal words
“….and all they found was his head….”), and the camp chef,
Richard, who served us phenomenal gourmet dinners concocted in
his primitive bush kitchen. The camping spots were lovely, the
accommodations were very nice (2-person dome tents with
shower/commode compartments), and our game drives were excellent
-- we were able to see a huge variety of animals and birds. All
in all, a great experience. Thanks for all of your assistance
and we will definite refer any African-bound friends to you. The entire trip was astounding. We saw things we had never seen before, and had experiences that were utterly amazing. All three lodges we stayed at in South Africa were very good, albeit with different amenities and experiences. The accommodations at Arathusa and N'Kaya were the best, but Gomo Gomo was a nice camp with friendly people, and we saw amazing things there as well. To show you our fortune, in my previous 4 trips to Africa, I had only seen one leopard about a quarter mile away up in a tree. On this trip, we saw 8 different leopards, almost ran over 2 of them, and saw a mating pair of leopards mate (this was at Gomo Gomo). I have seen that since we have been home, they have had leopard cubs at Arathusa along with wild dog pups. We will definitely go back. The front and back end of our trip was also special. Kasaka River Lodge is a very nice place to stay, and being on the river offers quite a few different opportunities. The hunting lodge we went to for my son was also nice, and we got a chance to go game viewing along the Limpopo River (well, not really a river but a few water holes), and saw more bushbuck than we had seen in the previous three weeks. Thanks again for all your help, and I have been passing your name and company along to everyone I have met. We ran into a few groups of people in various airports, and all of them were amazed by what we got to experience. Hopefully, a few of them will contact you and become clients.
Scott Peterson
I hope you received my email & voicemail
telling you what a great time we had @ Rufigi River Camp and in
throughout Tanzania. Your associates picked us up at the airport,
the Holiday Inn was a great choice, the Bush camp was fabulous. I
will refer you without hesitation to anyone that need your services.
Fernando Dubove Dear Louis,
The safari exceeded my
expectations. Each of the parks we visited was unique. We saw all
the animals that Africa had to offer. The vehicles used were
excellent. The quality of the lodges was beyond my expectations.
I thought the guides were adequate. They did alot of driving and were
skilled at that activity. Although, they were very knowledgeable
about the animals and let us know what we were viewing, I would have
liked to have had more information on the countries that we visited,
the people, the economy, politics, etc. In this regard they did not
volunteer much information beyond telling us about the animals. The
guide in Tanzania was somewhat more informative than the guide in
Kenya. Both were extremely personable and did everything they could
to make our visit enjoyable. The roads in Kenya are terrible and this
made for some rough riding in the mini-van that we were in. Until the
roads improve, I would strongly suggest that visitors consider flying
between some of the game parks. We had a long day of driving from
Lake Nakuru to Amboseli in Kenya and from Tarangire to Nairobi on the
last day in Tanzania. Flying on those days would have been a better
option, if the cost was not too prohibitive.Thanks for putting this
trip together for us. If one of your customers wishes to speak with
me about our adventure, you can have them call me.
DAVID KATZ |
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Our party of 6 (2 from USA & 4 from Lithuania) returned from a week's safari on Saturday August 11, 2007 - our first time in Africa and first safari. Our first exposure was the game drive after our guide Robert Wanjotii and Jackson picked us up at the Amboseli airstrip. We were astounded at the numbers of animals and birds that we saw that first day. This was followed by a night drive that evening. The following day was a 2-hour walk with Jackson, followed by an afternoon visit to the Maasai village, sundowner and another night drive. Our entire experience, including the accommodations at the camp, was truly memorable, including the campfire and beautiful starry sky (and the early morning drive to the airstrip wrapped in ponchos against the morning cold). Our thanks to all involved, especially Robert who made us feel welcome and comfortable in an experience for a lifetime. Vita Matusaitis (and Vidmantas, Ceslovas, Milda, Jonas and Darius) |
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My wife & I have been back
home for a little over a week now. After being gone so long, it took a
while to get caught up. Excluding some communication problems between
KIA & Ranger Safaris which was a little nerve racking to say the least,
our trip was everything we hoped it would be. OUTSTANDING! I would like
to say Firoz, our driver/guide [boss] & new friend did a wonderful job.
He was always friendly, patient, helpful & fun to be around. He
took the extra step to assure our safari was sucessfull. His experience,
knowledge of the areas & wildlife was exceptional. The only thing better
was his keen eyesight. Ours hearts went out to Firoz, who without
complaining suffered with malaria the last several days of our trip.
I've always believed a driver/guide goes a long way in making the safari
a good experience or a bad one. Firoz scored a big "10" for his part.
Ranger can be proud to have such a person as Firoz in their employment.
Thanks to Firoz, Ranger & Louis van Tonder of African Safari Consultants
our visit to E. Africa was a tremendous success. Thank you very much!
Sincere regards,
Carl & Gayle Nehring, USA We have just returned from our trip to Africa and wanted to thank you for the perfectly wonderful arrangements you made for us. It exceeded our wildest expectations, and everything worked like clockwork. We enjoyed all the camps - each had its own special flavor - and the staff everywhere was gracious and accommodating. We could not have been more pleased with Wildlife Safaris and will recommend them and you to our friends who are considering African travel. As you mentioned, the bonus of going in the summer is seeing the babies and we did see lots of them. I think we have fallen in love with Africa and hope to return to visit other areas we missed this time around. Additionally, the Hotel Heinitzburg in Windhoek was superb!
Again our thanks - the trip
was so well planned and executed we didn't have one problem anywhere and
we are not used to being so well cared for!
Suzanne Wellcome
I
just wanted to say thanks and congratulate you on a trip very well
organized. It all went without a hitch and it's great to see Africa is
as good as ever. The only place I probably won't visit again is the
Chobe Safari Lodge. I think the standards have dropped there even
since I was there in 2000. I can't believe how much Kasane has grown -
I was last there in 2004 and almost didn't recognize it. The Marina
Lodge looks very posh. Also, the Victoria Falls Hotel is looking
fantastic after its refurb. Such a wonderful hotel. Thanks again and
we are already saving for our return trip to Africa! Just
wanted to let you know that the 5 Day Kruger Safari was wonderful! The
guide was very knowledgeable, and overall it was a great trip. Thank
you!
Roy and I just want
to thank you for making our arrangements for the trip of a lifetime.
Everything went like clockwork and we really loved the country, the
animals, the beautiful land, the people we met and the cultures we
learned about. It was awesome and I can’t get it out of my mind.
We took 1500 pictures!! Thank you again for a job well done. My
memories will always include the smell of wild African sage, the beautiful
clouds, tall green grass, wild dogs with "Mickey-Mouse" ears that look tame
enough to pet, the sounds of birds and hippos outside our tent, and the
graciousness of the beautiful African people.
I’m ready to go again!| I just
wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the safari you arranged for
us. Enjoyed is hardly the word actually. It was great!!! There were
absolutely no "glitches" and the guide we had, Norman Majid, couldn't have
been better. We found out from another guide who worked for a different
company that Norman and Pollmans had won awards for best guide. He was
really great! Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the excellent
arrangements and let you know that you can provide my name as a reference
any time! Just wanted
to tell you that Lukimbi was everything that had been promised! Thanks to
all of you for all you did to make this trip such a wonderful experience!
Hi Louis - Our trip through South Africa was wonderful. What a diverse and beautiful Country! After leaving the wine country, we drove up the Garden Route with some side excursions to Oudtshoorn, Swellendam and Wilderness. We loved the Transkei and the Wild coast as well. Next, we ventured into the Underberg area. What magnificent farm land and green rolling hills that go on forever. From there we headed up, into the Drakensberg Mountains and loved our time there. They are truly a beautiful Mountain Range. Then it was back towards the coast thru the Midlands, and up the coast. We got as far as St. Lucia (which we loved!) and then had to start back down the coast. We stopped in places we missed on the way up such as the south coast, Nature's Valley and enjoyed it all. As we got close to Cape Town, we visited Hermanus and that area as we missed it on our way out. We spent another few days in Cape Town relaxing and regrouping and an moving trip to Robben Island before we headed home. While we
loved South Africa and our time there, there is no question that the
Safari in Botswana was the highlight of our trip. Definitely a trip
of a lifetime and "Beyond Expectation" ! Jennifer and Norm still have a lot
of editing to do as they each have at least 5000 images from the trip.
They have been asked to do a show in Aspen as a Father/Daughter view of
Africa and are looking forward to that! Louis - I just wanted to
let you know that we had a wonderful time! Julius was an excellent driver and
guide. As you may have heard my husband became ill overnight and had to contact
the physician on call at the Norfolk Hotel. I am very thankful that we were
staying there! The doctor arrived promptly checked Rich over and provided
the necessary medication to correct the problem and we took off shortly thereafter.
Thanks for providing us with another wonderful African experience! Dear Louis
- My husband and I booked a gorilla safari through your company in July
and I wrote an article about our experience in our local magazine that
goes out to 80,000 households in the greater Las Vegas area. Please send
me an address that you would like me to mail a few copies to you at.
Thanks you so much! You did a
great job for us! No glitches at all. All 4 girls made it to Uhuru Peak on
Mt. Kilimanjaro! Ngorongoro Crater was spectacular, and so was the Indian
Ocean Beach Club in Mombasa. I finished my commitments a week early and
joined Ellen and Margaret at IOBC, and really enjoyed myself. Ranger &
Pollman's Safaris are excellent operators! Thank you for all the
embellishments to our Safari! It was wonderful! - Both Porini Camp and
Kicheche Mara Camp. All that you asked them to do for me was done. I was
catered to at meal time by both Peter at Porini and Sonja at Kicheche.
Everything and everyone was terrific. The service was impeccable!
Couldn't have asked for any better than what we received. Andy at Kicheche
guided me with an armed guide on a nature walk. He stopped at every bush,
flower and tree -spelled the name and told me how it was used. Thank you
so much! I will definitely go again in a few year's time. I know someone
else who would like to go!!!
Just wanted to let you know that Barbara and I had a fantastic time on
our safari! Some of the people we met were staying at just one camp,
but we were glad we had two separate camps. And they were so different
from each other. The climate and vegetation at Porini was totally
different than at Kicheche, making each camp wonderful in its own
right. At Porini I awoke both nights because there were giraffes and
gazelles right outside our tent. Believe me, I gladly gave up a sound
night's sleep for that experience! One of the best times was when we
walked to the Masai village. It was just Barbara, me, and our Masai
guide, being guarded by four young, handsome Masai warriors. The people
in Kenya, both Masai and otherwise, were so friendly and nice! It was
an experience I will never forget. As far as the animals, I saw
everything I wanted to see except for the leopard which they said was
very elusive and rarely seen in that area. On my last morning in
Kicheche, I saw a big male lion, two females, and four cubs. That alone
made the trip worthwhile! Thank you, Louis, for all your help. We met
very few Americans on safari, but we're doing our best to spread the
word!
Nancy Campbell Hello Louis - I
must give tell you that our trip was absolutely fabulous! From start to
the very end the trip ran like a "Swiss Watch". Everything was organized
to perfection. Our hotels and camps were fantastic, with excellent
service, delicious food, excellent accommodations and wonderful
service. Virtually every person whom we encountered from the minute we
landed in Cape Town until they said goodbye to us in Johannesburg was helpful,
attentive, knowledgeable and warm. I could go on and on and on! I would
absolutely recommend Orient Express as the way to go! I must also
complement dmAfrica for their work. The tour company they use,
Paradise
Tours did a great job and we loved our guide Willy. You get an A+ for
your suggestion of Tongabezi Lodge. They had a bubble bath and a candle
lit pathway to our outdoor tub waiting for us when we returned from our
sunset boat game ride. A very romantic lodge with great service! Thanks
for your work on the trip. I will be most happy to recommend you and
dmAfrica and Orient Express as a team to create the best trip we have
ever had! Hi Louis - I want to thank
you for arranging such a delightful trip for us. After we had been in
Swala Camp, Sig said, "I could go home today and be very happy"! Little
did we know that each camp was going to get more elegant and more fun! I
suspect that you thoughtfully told the camps to put us as close to the
dining room as possible, because of my walking problems, which they did.
In fact we were right next door to the dining room at Crater Lodge. Thank
you for doing that. And thank you also for the surprise song, dance and
special cake that was presented to us on our last night at dinner. Not
only was it the kitchen staff, but also our butler, our ranger and the
manager of the camp joining in. I suspect you will be getting requests
from several of our friends, not only in NY but across the country. So
many have said that they had talked about a safari but never really
pursued it, but after hearing about our trip it has risen to the top of
their list! I have sent your name to several people. Thanks again!
Louis
- I just wanted to tell you how much we all appreciated all your efforts
and sound recommendations in setting up our safari in South Africa. It
was a great experience, in a wonderful and beautiful country. Gomo Gomo
was just the right type of safari camp for our purposes. They did a
really nice job both in camp and on the visits into the bush. We got
unbelievably close to so many of the animals. We recommend Gomo Gomo for
anyone, not to mention your timely and responsive services. Thank you,
from all the Lyon family.
Hello Louis, - Wow! What a great trip we
had with Wilderness Safaris in Botswana! We loved every moment with our
wonderful guide (David Luck). Now we would like to go to Madagascar. Do
you have any trips there? Look forward to hearing from you!
We had a wonderful time in Kenya. I
would be happy to be a reference for you if you ever need one!.
Everything went so smoothly. I was a little nervous about all the
different pickup and deliveries to various camps, airports etc. but
everyone showed up on time. Everyone was extremely helpful and
friendly. The camps were wonderful, the food was great. The trip was
so relaxing, so different from our everyday lives!. It was fun to talk
with the Kenyans and hear how interested they were in our lives which
are so different from theirs. Thanks so much for your good work! When
we go again - you will be the one we contact! Louis - My
husband and I want to thank African Safari Consultants and Wilderness
Safaris for arranging our 'safari' in South Africa. We were very pleased
with Thornybush Game Reserve and Chupungu Camp in general. The managers,
Kerry and Nick, were very gracious hosts. Norman, our tracker, was so
prompt at the 5AM-wakeup knock. All the staff was terrific. The meals
were great as well as the South African wine!! Our tent was lovely!! The
days we spent with Nick and Norman were great. Each time We !were so surprised that we could get to see the animals so
up close. Kerry, Nick, Norman and the rest of the staff made it so
personal. Thornybush Game Reserve was so nice! All of the arrangements
went smoothly - the meet-and-greet at the airport, helping with the
shuttle to our hotel, flights to Hoedspruit and return, and flight to Cape
Town. You, and ground tour operator, Wilderness Safaris (Karabo Kgomongwe and Caroline Culbert), did a fantastic job of arranging our safari. Our sincere
thanks! Thank you again for recommending Chupungu Camp and for handling
all the arrangements. South Africa in general was such a treat! Nice
climate, beautiful scenery, and friendly and courteous people. It will be
hard to top this holiday! We will return!
Hello Louis - Just to let
you know that we enjoyed a wonderful vacation. We enjoyed time with our
daughter and the safari was exceptional. The guides and arrangements
were great and we were very impressed with their knowledge and service!
Thank you for arranging it all for us. We will certainly recommend it
to others.
Curt & Jan Liedtke Hi Louis -
Another wonderful safari! Those lemurs in Madagascar are delightful. We
had a great time there. The highlight of course was Kruger where we saw
leopards for the first time in all our travels. Thanks so much for
another great safari!
Dear Louis - We had an amazing trip to
Africa and can't thank you enough for everything you did! There were no
problems anywhere whatsoever, the Orient Express camps were incredible,
the wildlife was breathtaking and all 8 travelers were thrilled. Thanks
again for putting together such a great trip. I will be sending anyone
I know your way when it comes to booking travel to Africa! Louis - Just
a quick note to let you know we had another wonderful time on our recent
holiday through South Africa and on to The Maldives. Everything went as
smooth as could be expected. Please forward our thanks to Daniel and
crew at dmAfrica. I would highly recommend Cocoa Island in the
Maldives. If you would like I can forward photos of the place. Thanks
again! Hi
Louis - I didn't think it was possible, but the
second time
was even more fun!! We were treated like royalty at (Governors) Il
Moran. There was a wonderful farewell celebration on our last night -
with a beautiful cake and entertainment. I made new friends at Il Moran
(my family continues to grow) and I will certainly miss them all. I
think we have created new fans and the rest of the group will surely
return. Thanks for your help. Look forward to planning the next
trip to Il Moran! Louis - What an awesome
trip!!!! Everything went off without a hitch. We had the most incredible
game viewing I think anyone could ever have. The hospitality of the
Kenyan people was like no other in the whole world. The game viewing
exceeded all our expectations. In the Samburu portion of the trip we saw
a leopard get a kill, take it up in a tree, climb down and call for her
cub and find her. There were many herds of Elephants, Grevy's zebra's,
Reticulated Giraffes, Eland, Grant Gazelle's, Impala's, Bushbuck,
Gerenuk, Grey Duikers, Dik-Dik's, Warthogs, Olive Baboons, Vervet
Monkey's, Lions, Jackals, Genet and more, I'm sure! Our driver, tent
steward, waiters and all the personnel went far beyond their duties to
make everything so personal and wonderful. We wanted for NOTHING!!!!!
The Governor's Camp was equally as wonderful. The game viewing was
spectacular as we hit the migration of the zebra's and wildebeest. We
watched them cross the Mara river and one zebra got attacked by a
crocodile. There was a hippopotamus fight over territory that was
amazing. We saw so many families of elephants and so many lion prides
with the largest one having 15 lions in it. They had just killed a
giraffe and were filling their bellies. We found the white rhino's that
they are reintroducing into the Mara, a cheetah with 3 cubs and a
cheetah with one cub, a cheetah stalk, run and killed a Thomson Gazelle.
We have so many awesome photos and so much video footage that National
Geographic and Big Cat Diary have nothing on us, as a matter of fact
they would probably love our video and some pictures. Truly it was a
most wonderful adventure and I want to do it again and staying a little
longer. I left part of my heart in Kenya. I will return! - Thanks for
all the arrangements! Hi Louis - I just had to send you an e-mail thanking you for the most spectacular vacation we ever had! My husband and are are very impressed at how smooth everything went. We made several transfers from country to country and had several modes of transportation, and yet people were always waiting at the borders or elsewhere to take us to our next destination. The camps you picked were perfect in every way! The time we spent at every camp was also perfect. We didn't stay a day too long or a day too short at any of them. Plus, the time of year you recommended was ideal. We had great weather and saw all the wildlife I could have only dreamed of. You truly know Africa!!! We are
planning on going back and will be using your services as well as Gracy
Travel for our flight arrangements. If you would like to pass along my letter to other new travelers
to Africa I would be glad to share this information. Thank you for
making my nervous self more relaxed and for helping us to plan a trip of
a lifetime. I can't say enough other than will be back, and only with
African Safaris Consultants!
Louis - We had a wonderful trip and
thoroughly enjoyed our African experience. Our guide was extremely
knowledgeable and did a wonderful job. The camp crew, also, were great.
We took stacks of pictures and lots of video and spent weeks boring all
our friends with them. We're very glad we went and especially glad we
picked you, the tour company, and that itinerary. It was definitely the
trip of a lifetime. Thank you for all your help getting us there! Dear
Louis - We had an absolutely incredible time....lodging, guiding, etc.
was more than we could have hoped for...especially at Selati Lodge at
Sabi Sabi... Phinda was also great... would love to repeat the
experience. Incredible service!!!! Best vacation we ever
had.....!!!!!!!!
Dear Louis - Well it's good to talk with you at last as Bob has always
been our contact, so first off can I just say thank you for organizing
the most memorable holiday I have ever had in my life. Bob and I have
wanted to go on a safari for about 25 years but with a small child and
both of us working the timing was never right, so with number one son
married and Bob working in Africa timing was now perfect. I fell in
love with Africa, the people and THE MAASAI. Our accommodation in all
the lodges was first class and ending up with a few days in Zanzibar was
perfect. I can always tell when I have had a wonderful holiday because
I never want to leave for home. When we plan our next safari we will
certainly contact you! Louis - The safari you arranged for us was unbelievable.!!! Pollman's handled everything perfectly and took care of everything despite our late arrival.
A letter to a prospective client, from Carol Wolfson (For whom we recently arranged a safari) Dear Ms. Huffman: You are living in China? I came out to China/Shanghai in '81 as a student and have been working in the region ever since...now in Hong Kong. I heartily recommend Mr. van Tonder. I don't know him personally or have any relationship other than choosing his name/company off the net after doing rather extensive research. I wrote to several travel agents specializing in safaris and he supplied the most efficient/professional reply immediately. And, as I had very specific and demanding requirements, he was actually the only one who enthusiastically replied and tailor made the safari to my needs. I am by nature a very cynical/questioning individual and also had doubts about whether anyone I chose off the net would be reliable and come through in the end....and even as I paid, I just kept hoping that everything outlined in the contracts was real. I have travelled extensively throughout the world, in 5-star/first class arrangements usually, and I can thoroughly state that this was the very best vacation I ever experienced....I could not find a single fault, and ALL my expectations were met; very difficult for that to happen when I am usually the one who orders everything OFF the menu... What you need to be aware of more than anything else is to know exactly what you want from a safari (roughing it, tents, lodge, what animals you want to see, what season--June through end August is best; we didn't have a single mosquito and game viewing was amazing.. we went 18-26 Aug--pure decadence or simple, socializing with others or not....etc). My work has me meeting people constantly, so we didn't want to talk to another single soul the entire trip. Louis arranged it perfectly. Our cost was about US$9,600 for the two of us and it was absolute 5-star. Went to Ngala game lodge in the north of South Africa and took the safari suite of which there is only one--the other rooms not as nice (food was wonderful as well) where we dined alone each evening on our own deck and also had a bush dinner one night, then had our own private chartered plane to fly up to Zimbabwe to stay at Pamushana Lodge which was absolutely stunning....had the honeymoon suite...only six villas in this lodge, built into a cliff overlooking a reservoir...didn't want to leave, and again, it was just stunning (had fire places in the bedrooms, etc. etc.). Our plane flew us back to Johannesburg at the end.... I suggest you outline your requirements to Louis and let him come up with a package for you that suits your needs and then he'll tell you to check out the websites for the places you choose... If this is your first time to Africa, as it was for us, I highly recommend using a travel agent just to make certain all your travel arrangements are well taken care of...which Louis did perfectly...not a single hitch and I didn't have to worry about anything except showing up (we did take out travel insurance though, as one never knows what can happen along the way...). If you need any other advice, feel free to write (in case you spend anytime in Johannesburg...know some great restaurants...and where to shop for gifts, etc), but in summary, I'd use Louis's services again without hesitation. Kind regards, Carol Wolfson
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