ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa Safaris client testimonials 2003 We are now back and this trip was even
better than the last one! Thank you for all your suggestions. Everything was perfect.
We are back from our Africa trip
and would just like to thank you for the professional manner in which our bookings and
travel arrangements were made. Once again, many thanks. We look forward to doing
a return journey. Our honeymoon was the absolute best! Ultimate
Excellent! The camps,
managers and guides were brilliant! You were absolutely efficient and courteous...and you
gave great advice! Thanks. Our trip to South Africa was a wonderful
experience. We had first class accommodations and all of our transfers were handled
without any snafus. The itinerary was diverse enough to give us a variety of
experiences and we enjoyed each location for different reasons. At the Cape Grace
Hotel the staff didn't miss a beat - very professional yet very friendly. Kwandwe was a
great place and they were very eager to please. Very welcoming and warm. Wildlife viewing
was excellent. At Singita Boulders the service was so good it was almost uncomfortable.
Amazing accommodations. While wildlife viewing people were everywhere. We saw what we
hoped we would see but the experience was not that of Kwandwe. At Singita most sightings
were radioed to us with explicit directions. We really enjoyed it though and did see it
all! Mount Anderson Ranch was the perfect place to relax at the end. It was quiet and we
enjoyed lovely long walks. Great people and very private. We asked a lot of
questions and everyone was so patient and enthusiastic. We had never been so far away for
so long and it was absolutely perfect! Ultimate Africa was extremely knowledgeable (and
patient)...you are the tops! The Six Wild Wacky Women had an
incredibly fabulous trip! Our grand adventure was a huge success from beginning to
end, hugely thanks to you! Thanks to Ian Proctor, at Ultimate Africa, for your guidance,
suggestions, experience and patience in planning our itinerary. My favorite
memories include sitting verrrry still in the Land Rover and being surrounded by Cape
Buffalo in the soft light of an African evening sky. Watching lions stalking Cape Buffalo.
A leopard in a tree. Packing up sundowners in a hurry to dash off to a wild dog sighting,
not being able to find them, then rounding a corner and finding them, riding back to camp
on a wild dog high, and celebrating afterwards with sundowners at the bar. Silently
gliding across a hippo highway in a mekoro. Lilac Breasted Rollers and Carmine Bee Eaters
in flight. Morning tea on the green grass plains with wildebeest, zebra, impala, giraffe
and elephants in the background...and the sound of zebras running through water. Thanks
for everything you did to make such a wonderful experience. Thanks to all for the
adventure of a lifetime! We've just returned from our 5th
trip to Africa and Tim and I agree that even though our prior 4 trips were great (with
other safari companies) - this one was the best. Thanks for your suggestions. We got
exactly what we were looking for. Our entire trip was flawless. We could not have imagined a better trip!
From the moment we got on the plane to the day we arrived home we worried about nothing. I
will only use Ultimate Africa for future Africa trips (hopefully there will be many, many
more). Ultimate Africa provided excellent
service and advice. It was even better than we expected! Thank you for making this trip
possible. Thank you sincerely for helping me plan a
most amazing adventure! It was truly a wonderful trip for my sister and I, and I am so
grateful for your superlative guidance and service. Sadly we are back home. I must say, all
in all, our trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana was really great and we enjoyed
every minute of it. Thank you for the great planning, fantastic logistics and the
chance to meet such wonderful people. Thanks again and all the best. Since our return we have been having a
difficult time facing reality. Time seems to have just stood still. Our hearts are
certainly still in Africa and we are holding our breath until we can return. I
can't put into words our appreciation for all you have done to make our trip possible. As
you know, Loretta had a million concerns. Your patience, understanding and assurances were
so helpful in allying her fears. As soon as we had our first contact with the staff in
Africa we knew that everything you had told us was true and then some. It is truly
amazing. The logistics to move us about to get us in and out of the camps, the camps
rendering the comforts and services they do, the politeness and caring individuals we
encountered, the quality of the drives, the vehicles, the planes - I can go on about it
but I will spare you. Needless to say we had the experience of a lifetime. We
will be doing it again shortly - you will be hearing from us. If you have anyone who has
the similar pre-trip anxieties we would be happy to speak with them. Excellent knowledge level and
excellent guidance in assisting making decisions. Great understanding of the camps, lodges
and hotels. Well organized and thorough. Listening to the hippos at night was a
great way to fall asleep and the baboons in the morning beats an alarm clock any day. We
had a bull elephant visiting in camp for several hours one day and thoroughly enjoyed the
photo ops. Canoe trips were informative and very relaxing. Fabulous wildlife experiences,
guides and staff. Thousands of ellies. Thanks to Ultimate Africa we were much
better prepared than many other travelers we met along the way. The attention to detail by
everyone was amazing. This trip was absolutely fabulous - even better than we dreamed it
would be! Everything was great! What an amazing
trip! Overall it was our most adventurous trip
yet - quad biking, ballooning, rhino tracking. Namibia definitely had the feel of an
expedition. You gave excellent advice in setting this up. The trip was the best vacation we
have ever had. From every respect it was simply outstanding. The camps were great and the
order that you put them in was excellent. As an aside, each day was as good, or better
than, the previous day. We are definitely planning our next trip to Africa. Once
again thanks for your guidance. You are TOPS with all of us! What
a PERFECT trip! I can't imagine what could have been better. The entire family was
delighted at each stop. A trip of a lifetime for each and every one of us. Your ears must
have been burning with all the praise you received during the 2 weeks we were on safari.
Everyone was perfect in terms of on-time transfers and just the right resources. The camps
and lodges were awesome - each better than the one before. We saw all of the Big 5 animals
plus cheetah and hippo before we even left our first camp - and from there it just kept
getting better. We are home and just wanted to
send off a quick email to let you know how 100% satisfied and pleased we were with the
fantastic, awesome, trip of a lifetime that you arranged for us! It will go down as being
one of the truly greatest experiences of our lives! All the camps were wonderful, we saw
the Big 5 within the first 24 hours! At our second camp five lioness' killed a
Cape Buffalo and her calf followed by the big male lions fighting! Awesome, brutal and
scary! Our third safari camp had great staff and game galore. Tim was in bliss there
because they kept taking him fishing. Rowan was an absolute 10++. We didn't want to leave.
At our fourth safari stop we loved the boat trip on the Chobe River. We picnicked in front
of swimming elephants across the river - Amazing! We just loved Elephant Camp in Zimbabwe.
It was a PERFECT place to relax at the end. We had the entire camp to ourselves and just
loved being with the elephants who we rode every day - they have a new three month old
baby, Malysia, in addition to two year old Rasta who provided much enjoyment for us. I
have only the highest praise for you and your ability to create a magical, amazing Africa
adventure. It was all you said it would be and more. We are VERY VERY HAPPY clients. We're back from our safari and it
exceeded our expectations. Breathtaking! Unprecedented! The best adventure we've ever had!
Hard to describe in words. We saw beautiful sights, learned a lot, viewed much
game and birds, enjoyed great accommodations, and had a sensational guide. We had a
wonderful time. Thanks for all your help! Magical! Our trip was fabulous,
the best! I can't think of any part of the trip that didn't measure up. You
really don't get a feel for what it's like to be with the wildlife in the bush until you
experience it and are there. I topped off the trip at Victoria Falls with a bungee jump
off the bridge and have a video of it that I showed the office last week. Needless to say,
it has been quite a topic of conversation. As always everything from the
planning of our trip to the end was handled extremely well. Your help and guidance were
second to none. We could not expect more from any company. Thank you so much. Ultimate Africa staff went above
and beyond. Excellent explanations, information and all questions answered. All flights,
transfers and accommodations and activities were way above expectations. We were blown
away by the whole vacation. Your service, planning, knowledge of Africa, and answering all
our questions was outstanding. Our itinerary was superb (your obvious knowledge of the
areas and camps / lodges gave us a head and shoulders over others traveling). Thank you
Thank you Thank you! You will be highly recommended by us and we will be back! Thanks so much for your patience
and helpfulness in planning my Zambian safari. The safari itself was incredible and an
experience I will not forget. If anyone asks me how to arrange such a safari in the
future, I shall direct them to you. Thank you for such a memorable
trip / adventure! We saw great interaction with the lions - two kills! WOW -
Amazing for all! Great fun with elephants in the camp. Everything was very well
coordinated. All transfers and pickups were on time and very efficient. Everyone was
exceptional. We look forward to our next African adventure! Warm regards! Outstanding. We had a GREAT time! Oh my goodness!!! What a TERRIFIC
trip. The camps you selected for us were a perfect sampling of a pretty big area. Each was
stamped with its unique individual character. I know you know this having visited them
yourself, for which staffs all around laud you and Ultimate Africa. They are so
well appointed and everyone certainly took VERY good care of us. The guides were terrific.
They are so knowledgeable and so gentle. Their understanding of the animals is a wonderful
experience in itself. And the animals and their interaction with each other is a great
study. We saw them all. Fell in love with the grace of the impala and the personality of
the silly warthog. Saw tons of elephants and plenty of lions - got to see them dining on a
kill three different times. At one point we were surrounded by the different prides as
they ate (and fought) over a buffalo kill. The lion's interactions were of great interest
with their posturing, fighting, and rumbling. What an incredible experience! Loved the
sounds at night of the hippopotamus munching on the grass near our tent along with their
great ha ha belly laugh, elephants tearing at brush near the tent, and the mighty roar of
the lions. The sounds of Africa. Thanks so much for all your input and the
organization of a great trip. We have taken tons of photos and will anxiously
await the results. David Christensen (as all the other guides) was great in assisting us
with getting good photos of the animals. Dave pulled a rabbit-from-the-hat finale our last
morning with lionesses and cubs chowing down on a young zebra. Dave is great for your
intensive photo safaris with his skilled photog's eye for the perfect moment. Actually at
all camps were certainly aware of our photographic needs, moving us often before we needed
to request it. It seemed at each camp things built up game-viewing wise to near
crescendo by the end of each visit. Do you organize this?! Overall - A grand time and we
thank you for putting things together for us. Wow!!!! The delay in
writing to you is reflective of our desire to savor the trip as long as possible. A doctor
might diagnose our behavior as a very dangerous case of DENIAL! It is hard to believe that
two months have passed since we returned home from our African adventure. We
cannot THANK YOU ENOUGH for an amazing trip. All of our hopes and dreams came to fruition,
all of our needs attended too. We fell in love with Africa. Without further
adieu, here are some of our thoughts about the places we stayed. We spent one night in
Johannesburg. We had just arrived from the states and were quite tired. The accommodations
were lovely with all of the amenities to assist us in de-compressing from the flights. We
had dinner downstairs; we found the service to be exemplary and the food delicious.
Breakfast was also very good although we left relatively early. Our first camp in Botswana
can be summarized with one word - Wow! Dare I say that our first few hours remain some of
the most dramatic? On our first drive we witnessed several lionesses take down an adult
buffalo. It was unbelievable. Not only had we been dazzled by the facilities, delighted by
the delicious snacks and welcomed by the warm staff - but - within hours we were amidst
action we never dreamed of! It was unbelievable. We were awe struck. The following morning
we watched another pride of lion take down three buffalo calves, one of which included a
10 minute stand off with a very powerful bull. In addition to the phenomenal game drives,
the managers were wonderfully accommodating, the food was delicious and the overall
ambience delightful. Our fantastic guide, James, was so passionate about the lions! Our
second stop was amazing!! You were absolutely right when you said the wildlife viewing in
Botswana is superb - a fellow traveler counted 54 giraffe sightings one afternoon. On our
very last drive a gorgeous leopard stretching on a nearby log (beautiful), graced us!
During one afternoon siesta, I went from watching a troop of baboons fight over fruit to
an elephant munch on the tree above and no less than four species wallowing in the water
hole. It was really amazing. We saw the greatest variety of game with regularity here. The
accommodations were indeed beautiful and the service was very good. We had a very nice
time. Our third camp was again - amazing! We really enjoyed the more rugged environment.
Our guide was a little less social but exceptionally knowledgeable. Here we saw a wide
variety of wildlife including wild dogs! The boat cruise was delightful - watching the
elephants playing in the water. "Hot Chocolate" (the camp staff) played for us
one evening and we very much enjoyed this, as it was the first cultural experience we had.
The performance was around the campfire. Some baboon's overhead added to the evening's
authentic feel by showering us and other guests below! Funny! Thankfully, everyone was
good humored about it and our drinks were already finished. It was great fun! The managers
were very attentive. We felt very comfortable. At our last safari camp our guide was young
and vivacious. We enjoyed his company. The food was very good, the managers accommodating
and the excursions great fun. You were absolutely right about the journey down to the
town, a memorable experience indeed. We are grateful for that! The birdlife was
spectacular and the elephants' playfulness was great fun. Our last stop was at Victoria
Falls and we loved it! The accommodations were very nice, the sunset beautiful, the access
perfect and we enjoyed viewing the waterhole while sipping on drinks. Service was good as
was the food. We had dinner at the Boma Restaurant, which although touristy, was a nice
way to wrap up the trip. Victoria Falls was gushing, literally raining on us - her power
and beauty overwhelmed us - Gorgeous! Thank you for ensuring that we make this stop during
the trip. We hope to return. We very much appreciated the prompt replies and
wealth of information provided. Ultimate Africa staff were so knowledgeable and helpful.
From start to finish our consultant was right on with all his recommendations. It was an
unbelievable trip. And, although it was a little more expensive that we initially planned
for - it surpassed all of our expectations! With regards to trip details provided to us
the thoroughness was exemplary! Considering this was our first trip to Africa, it was
enormously helpful and comforting. We did have one snag - we realized that the scale at
home was incorrect and our luggage had gone over the weight limit! We left a voicemail
with Ultimate Africa and by the time we arrived in Atlanta they had a message waiting for
us at the hotel noting that they had cleared everything in advance with the people in
Africa. THANK YOU. It was the first and last hitch in the trip! The flights, transfers,
accommodations and activities were VERY well coordinated. We never missed a beat - in fact
our leopard sighting through off one of our camp to camp transfers and everyone involved
was very good spirited about it. The next camp even set aside lunch for us. It was
delicious! We felt like royalty. Also your agent in Johannesburg was excellent! We should
be so lucky to book another trip with Ultimate Africa and we would highly recommend you to
others. You did an outstanding job. If we were to make one change we would stay longer in
Africa! It was an awesome trip! It provided us with a wonderful variety of experiences. We
are forever grateful. Overall our experience with Ultimate Africa was superb. The service
was impeccable. Wildlife viewing / experience better than could have been imagined. You
helped us sift through the choices ultimately building us an outstanding itinerary. It was
a trip of a lifetime, although, we fell in love with Africa and hope to make it back
someday. We enjoyed our trip so much, especially
the elephant experience. The whole package was wonderful, including the camps, guides,
people we met. Sitting around the campfire at night after dinner looking at a billion
stars and Milky Way (even seeing a shooting star) reflecting on the wonderful day with the
ele's and looking forward to our next day couldn't get much better than that. We went to
see the ele's about 9 PM and they were asleep laying down snoring. Baby Rastus was still
awake and he tried to pull me in with his trunk. It was so cute. It was so much fun
watching him while we were on our rides. He'd get in line with the rest, then wander off
to eat, then back in line over and over again. When he knew we were getting close to camp
he went really fast and he pulled the bag with food in it out of the storage. He even puts
the hose in his mouth by himself for water. They are well taken care of and they have lots
of time being ele's too. I definitely left my heart in Africa and will return.
Thanks again for all your help in planning our wonderful trip. Best always. I hold Ultimate Africa in the
highest esteem. The trip was a tremendous success whether measured by the itinerary, the
logistics, the education or the quality of the immersion into a new, exciting and exotic
environment. Although the realities of life in the bush may be too intimidating for my
citified psyche, I retain vivid, indelible memories of a sometimes severe but always
beautiful and timeless world. An overall unforgettable experience!! Many thanks for your
assistance and advice. Wow!!! What can we say? Thank you
for putting together a terrific Tanzania safari and Kilimanjaro climb for us. We
had the time of our lives. Your itinerary and recommendations were
perfect! Highlights include: 85 plus lion, 7 leopard, 8 cheetah, 2 serval, 6
rhino, and loads of everything else. Best experience was driving into a pride of 27 lion
in Tarangire. We also saw lion mating 9 times, and we hung out with a cheetah mom and her
two cubs. We had so much fun, and are experiencing post trip depression. I have pulled out
a travel book on South Africa/Botswana. We definitely will be in touch - hopefully this
summer. We really value you and your company, and would not travel to Africa any
other way. We will be recommending you to all we meet wishing to go to Africa. Thank
you very much. We ended up booking our safari with
another agent when it became apparent that everyone was booking the same group trip.
Ultimate Africa did such a great job of helping me, and I was struggling with making a
decision. We basically booked through the other agent because they were located near our
home town. In hindsight we both wished we would have booked it with you and I told
my girlfriend that the second we walked out of meeting with the other company after making
a deposit. You definitely have the supreme knowledge of the area and while this is
probably of little solace to you I will be recommending you to anyone who asks about our
trip. Thanks. Return to Safari Testimonials |
