Guest Reviews

From the initial booking to the actual safari trip, Wild Wings Safaris were extremely professional and friendly. Clare was very prompt in responding to all our enquiries and provided us with very useful suggestions for the safari trip. We embarked on a 5-day 4-night safari trip to Kruger National Park at the end of February and simply had an amazing experience. The trip was delightful - the drives were excellent, and we saw so many animals and birds which we miss seeing now. The entire trip was superbly planned that we didn’t have to think about anything other than to show up and enjoy the sights. The accommodations inside the park were excellent as well.

Our guide Nicky was exceptionally knowledgeable about the park, game animals, birds and was an efficient and tireless host. She did all the driving and cooking and yet answered our endless questions with the greatest patience.

Onne, the co-director, also accompanied us on this trip and it was great to have his company and insight as well.

We miss the bush and we hope to return soon. Wild Wings Safaris is absolutely the best!

Hi Corlie, Our family would like to extend our sincere thanks for an amazing safari experience! Your patience and understanding going over options and details were greatly appreciated, and all the logistics were flawless. The hotel in Johannesburg was nice and convenient, and our driver to Kruger Park (Brian) was prompt, courteous, and extremely informative discussing numerous aspects of South African history, geography, and culture along the way.

After a seamless transition to our safari vehicle and guide (Frank), we entered Kruger Park for four days of spectacular scenery and wildlife viewing. Frank's phenomenal experience, dedication, and thoughtfulness were immediately evident, and his extraordinary effort provided an adventure of a lifetime we will surely never forget.

Each game drive brought new excitement, as we literally never knew what we would see around the next bend. Frank ensured we not only saw every bit of aesthetic beauty the park had to offer but also that we grew to appreciate fascinating details of animal behavior and complex interrelationships within the local ecosystem. He was so engaging, even our teenage daughters were captivated to the point they didn't even miss their electronics, other than to take pictures of course.

As if that weren't enough, bonding while sharing stories at mealtime with Frank (and Chef Jacques, who prepared an exquisite array of delicious local cuisine!), made each day even more memorable. Their genuine hospitality truly made us feel as if we were guests in their own home, and we went to bed every night with full bellies and smiling faces, reliving the wonders of the day while anticipating what the dawn may bring.

The only difficulty we experienced was facing the inevitable reality that our safari, and time with our new South African "family", must sadly come to an end as we made (slept) our way back to the airport to return home. However, the elation of the entire experience lives on in each of us, and we hope to return someday.

Hi Madi, Once again, your service was first class and I could not fault it. You were clear and very helpful from the outset. I can't think how that could be improved.

All of the arrangements were smooth and easy. As this was my third visit with Wild Wings, I knew more what to expect, so was more than happy with sorting flights and hotel, and with your subsequent arrangements for pick-up, transfer and safari in the Kruger itself.

I was very pleased that the three of us were able to share accommodation (I hope my boys were equally happy), and the accommodation itself was as expected.

A new treat this year was the use of John, the cook, for the first couple of days. This certainly took some of the pressure off Simon, so that food could be eaten sooner after returning from an afternoon drive. It was also interesting to hear from John the extra information he provided both about what went into the food as well as the history/culture behind some of the dishes. I was very impressed with his attention to detail, particularly in relation to Aaron, who was intolerant to gluten. Thank you!

Game drives are always interesting - you can never know for certain what you will see. After all, animals and birds are wild and free and can do as they please - that's part of the enjoyment in tracking them down. A full vehicle for the first couple of days was a new experience for me, and did mean that Simon had to take into account the wishes of a greater number of people, which he did very well. I did suggest that as a company, perhaps you should all try to not do such a good job so that you weren't so popular!!

I think that some of our group were a little tired of safariing or had higher than necessary expectations of the Kruger, as they did not appear altogether enthused at what they were seeing. Certainly, in the second half of our week, it was much more relaxed and there was a more jovial atmosphere - more like what I have experienced before. I don't know what could be done to address this - it's not difficult to find out what the park is like beforehand, and you give us a fairly in-depth explanation of what to expect. Simon always tries to be a friendly and relaxed guide/host, and I can't fault him in this regard. I hope that everyone enjoyed their safari with you, but if they didn't, it won't have been through any lack of effort on Simon or John's parts.

And ultimately, you can't guarantee anything on a game drive. On our first morning, all the guides were remarking how quiet it was, yet on the second morning, there were lots of sightings from exactly where we had been the day before. But we still saw some amazing sights - even in the first couple of days we saw Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo, Crocodile, as well as plenty of the more common animals and plenty of birds. In the second half, we had more amazing sightings, adding more lions, and cheetahs to our sightings and some good animals on the night drive. The boys enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere (and the extra space) in the second half too.

This safari was all-round excellent and it has left me looking forward to the possibility of returning. I enjoyed breakfast with Simon on the last morning - I always enjoy South African muesli, and I also enjoy Simon's cooked meals, whether in the evening, or in the morning - his egg concoctions are truly amazing.

Madi, you were right. The Kruger in Jan/Feb is quite different to October, much more lush and green, and while some of the sightings prove trickier because of the extra growth of leaves etc, the abundance of wildlife is truly rewarding. This safari will live long in my memory and I thank you, Simon and all the team for making it what it was. Many, many thanks.

Madi, we had a great time at Kruger. Your company has someone very special working for them. Nicky was the greatest. We did not know she would be guide and cook and dishwasher and bellhop. Your guidelines for tips didn’t have that position listed. I hope our tip was sufficient for someone that does everything.

Molobitsie [Mohlabetsi} was a great lodge with awesome food and service. The safari wasn’t as fun because it’s so dry but we still managed to see all the big 5 plus a Pangolin. Thanks and we will suggest Wild Wings to friends visiting SA. Have a great year.

Hi Corlie, The safari was absolutely perfect!

Everything from the flights and transfers to the lodge accommodations! We had a fabulous time and I can’t thank you enough for planning it for us!

Hi Madi, It was the best thing I’ve ever done- Y'all did amazing, 5-star Rating for everything! Guides were knowledgeable, the organization to get there was great, whole thing was flawless

Corlie, I couldn't thank you enough for your patience and organization of our trip. I wish I had some constructive criticism but literally, every part of our safari was perfect ( the transfers, food, guides, EVERYTHING). I can't think of anything that needs to be improved. The trip was stress-free and ran smoother than I could have ever imagined. The private lodge was also amazing. The safari you organized was easily my favorite part of Africa.

Thank you so much again. I would highly recommend you to anyone I know looking to do a safari in Africa.

Hi Madi, Got home Saturday after the flight was delayed but that certainly didn't put a dampener on the holiday, which was out of this world, it all ran so smoothly.

The accommodation was amazing and the animals even more so. I have so many memories which will stay with me forever.

Thank you so much for organising it all, we have got one question, could you look into and price another holiday for us? This year's prices are ok as just wanting to know how much we have to save.

We are thinking of going to Tanzania either Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater for 3 nights safari and then a couple of days relaxing somewhere, we are on the search for the elusive cheetah.

Hello Clare, We have had amazing days in the Kruger Park and we see many different animals and the Big 5

And our guide Nickey was great, committed and knowledgeable Likewise, the chef provided us with very good food.

We are very happy with the days and have nothing to complain about. Thank you for a great arrangement.

Hi Madi, We all had an amazing time in South Africa and can't wait to book our next trip!

We can't thank you enough for all your help with booking our holiday. We loved Shearwater Explorers Village and Hippo Hollow Country Estate. We also had a fantastic time doing a self-drive of the Panorama Route. All of your accommodation picks and suggestions for activities were 10/10! And we saw amazing game at Gomo Gomo as well.

It is an absolute pleasure booking our holidays with you as you are always so helpful and knowledgeable. Don't change a thing! We have also recommended you and given your contact details to other friends who are thinking about booking a trip to South Africa.

Dear Corlie, Thanks for the follow-up. You were great in helping us to decide on using wild wings and we're so glad we did.

You were great right from the first time we made contact and we really appreciate all your help. The communication and documents were all very detailed and clear. With limited time in South Africa, we were unsure on doing a short Safari. The 3 Day one ended up being perfect and a great introduction for me to do a safari for the first time.

We, unfortunately, were delayed in our flights getting to the start of the safari, however, we managed to make another connection straight into Skukuza. Upon contacting wild wings from Joburg airport to advise we couldn't meet the original pickup in Nelspruit Airport - it was all seamless. We were easily picked up from Skukuza instead and joined the safari on time! We're so glad that worked out really well. The wild wings person that took the call to assist was great - particularly in suggesting to fly to Skukuza (if we could instead which we were able to).

From there it was perfect. The guys that did the transfer were very friendly. Sam our guide was excellent. The food and accommodation were all great in Skukuza camp. Was amazing to see 4 of the big 5 (except Leopard) and many other amazing animals. The shop is also amazing - very well maintained and stocked considering the amount of visitors!

Will definitely recommend wild wings to family and friends considering a safari in Kruger! Thanks again.

Hi Madi, We are in Durban today aboard the Crystal Symphony. Tomorrow is Richards Bay, then we leave South Africa. I must say the highlight of our trip so far has been due to our association with Wild Wings. Our time in Kruger was outstanding. Simon was the best. I think he led us to almost everything there was to see. We might not have seen everything, but we saw more than everyone else in the park at that time. My hat’s off to Simon.

Our stay at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was also excellent. The staff was outstanding, especially Memory, who confirmed all our excursion appointments and helped us determine when and where to be. All excursions exceeded our expectations.

The Cape Town Hollow was a delightful hotel where we had the best view of Table Mountain the hotel had to offer. Our guide Iggy was perfect. He made us feel like he was taking family around to see the sights.

And I can’t say enough about what you did for us by making all these arrangements. Everything fit together perfectly. There was ample opportunity for problems, but there were absolutely NO hiccups. Even U-Bags came through without a hitch. They are an excellent company if anyone should need that service again.

Feel free to use us as a reference if you desire. We can’t say enough about the great experience we had with Wild Wings.