Fair Trade Safaris Reviews 65

Newton provides an amazing experience from start to finish. Couldn't ask for a better guide

During July 2021, I traveled with Fair Trade Safaris on a small group photo safari to Tanzania, Africa. I must also note that I’m NOT a seasoned “wilderness adventure traveler.” While we did spend several hours a day bumping along scenic, but rough, roads in the bush, I felt very safe on this trip.

We spent 12 days traveling through Tanzania's northern wildlife parks--Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National park. The trip also included tours of Arusha and Stone Town in Zanzibar.

The travel hosts and wildlife guides were extremely knowledgeable as well as very personable to travel with--a great combination.
During the trip, we stayed at multiple lodges and hotels. All were very nice accommodations with friendly staff and good food--even in the African bush.

In the Tanzania national parks, from the safety of a jeep, we viewed an incredible diversity of wildlife in their native habitat. We encountered the “big 5+” including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, and rhinos. In addition to this, we saw an abundance of other wildlife-- the great wildebeest migration, plentiful zebras, gazelles, vultures and numerous bird species, crocodile, hyenas, jackals, baboons and monkeys to name only a few.

One stop in our journey was to an orphanage in Arusha, which we learned, was one of Fair Trade Safaris philanthropic projects.

The trip far exceeded my expectations. I would definitely travel with this company again.

I’m so happy to have found Fair Trade Safaris for my trip to Tanzania. They were extremely attentive and had every logistic perfectly planned. Our guides were eagle eyed in spotting animals and super knowledgeable about them. It was obvious that a great amount of planning and attention to detail went into the itinerary. We loved the variety in lodges. Each one, a completely different experience. All had a comfortable bed with nice linens, and a great staff. I highly recommend this travel company.

My wife and I were planning a milestone anniversary trip and weren't even thinking about Africa. Fair Trade Safaris donated a South Africa package for a live auction benefit and we won the bid.

We generally plan our own trips and do not use third party agents or organizations, nor do we book group tours. We just generally don't enjoy that as much. Fair Trade Safaris helped me to realize that perhaps I'm missing out a bit.

Saurabh was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. He helped us navigate many changes and difficulties brought on by COVID. We were able to go on this trip a year late with no hiccups because of his attention to detail. Everything Saurabh planned and set up not only went perfectly smooth but exceeded any expectations I had in my mind.

Our Safari experience at Rhino Post Safari Lodge was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It truly is amazing to see how beautiful and raw the African bush is. I really had no idea prior to this how amazing Africa is. It is now one of my favorite places.

I'm grateful for Saurabh and people like him that are able to make a positive impact for Africa. My heart is full and I would absolutely recommend visiting. I would encourage anyone to give Saurabh and Fair Trade Safaris a chance to help make it perfect. Thank you Saurabh for the stories and memories that will last a lifetime.

It was always my dream to Safari in Africa. I can honestly say that each day was beyond amazing g and when we thought when it couldn’t get any better than that, from the food to the places we stayed at to our safari guide, the next indeed was more amazing than the day before! And it happened all 17 days!!!! It was surreal! Asanti!! - Hula

Getting to go on a trip to Africa was a dream come true in itself. I’m so grateful for our guides Phillip and Joseph for going above and beyond to make each day unforgettable. They were reliable, hospitable, and so knowledgeable! I would strongly recommend them to anyone!

For my first gorilla & great migration Safari I could not have been more pleased. Fair Trade booked some fantastic guides.
My only hiccup was the tour descriptions in Uganda being spelled out. The green monkey hike was brutal. My knee began to bother me & I have never had knee problems. Then I chose the Batwa tribe tour & 5 of us thought we would be dropped at their village. We had to hike with them. Not quite as hard as the green monkey hike but my knee seized up & it was hard to get down from the dance site. That said, be in better shape was the message for me. The gorillas were amazing. It was all worth it in the end. I want to do it again!

Going on a safari has always been on my bucket list and my experience in Tanzania with Fair Trade Safaris was truly beyond my expectations! Philip and Josepha were both very knowledgable drivers/guides. They continually made every day of our trip even more memorable than the day before. I appreciated their knowledge of the animal's behaviors so that they could position the vehicle for us to receive the best vantage points for photography. This also included getting us to locations to shoot sunrise and/or sunset which was not always an easy feat. I enjoyed our chef prepared meals and the very comfortable accommodations that were chosen. I would not have changed anything about our experience and would not hesitate to travel with them again in the future.

I recently went to Tanzania on Safari with Fair Trade Safaris. I was impressed with the organization starting with all the information provided prior to the trip to how smoothly we were escorted to all our destinations. The lodging, food, service, and Safari drivers were all excellent. I especially liked how knowledgeable the drivers were. I appreciated learning about animal behaviors. They were very good at positioning us for the best pictures in the best lighting. It l ever do another Safari, it will definitely be with Fair Trade Safaris.

Excellent experience on a bucket list trip. I really didn't know what to expect going into this trip and I was impressed at every turn. The accommodations were excellent (as was the food), the local tour subcontractors were top notch. The only minor negatives were the kinds of things that are beyond anyone's control. I would definitely recommend them to anyone planning a safari trip.

Saurabh was awesome — he understood our needs and time and set up the perfect trip for our budget. He’s super responsive, promptly replying to any request — I wonder if he even sleeps. He set us up with the best guide, that made our trip even more memorable. Finally, we had some issues with the balloon ride in the Serengeti and he got us half our money back! Overall great experience and I’ve been sharing my pics and his contact with everyone.

LOVED THE TRIP! maybe a bit too much in the car, would have loved more hand on or mission-type involvement, but did not know we were taking a short trip. Might just have to go again!!

This is an incredible organization. I fully recommend them for their ethical and environmentally committed crews and vision.

We recently returned from our amazing trip to Kenya. Rob arranged everything & it was perfect. Everything worked like clockwork. We were met at each point by wonderful driver/guides.
The drivers knowledge of Kenya, the parks & animal ‘tracking’ was astonishing. We only went to 2 camps & were lucky enough to see the ‘big 5’, & much more, all thanks to our fabulous driver/guides.
The accommodations were great, as was the food & staff. Everyone was helpful with endless smiles. A lovely touch each night (it was chilly when the sun went down) was to find a nice hot water bottle warming the bed!
Fair Trade Safaris donates all profits to the wildlife and communities where the safaris take place, which I think is tremendous.
It was a trip of a lifetime!!!
I highly recommend using Fair Trade Safaris!

I’ve been on two safaris in East Africa and our recent trip to Kenya was the first time we used Fair Trade Safaris. Hands down, the most organized, seamless experience I’ve had in Africa. Their vehicles are well maintained and definitely the nicest and cleanest of all the ones we saw. This is huge given the amount of time you spend in the vehicle on safari.

Most important is the driver/guide! I’ve learned that overall success on safaris depends on this. Our guide, Steve, is the best in the business. Apart from being a terrific spotter and a wealth of knowledge about all things Kenya, his passion for what he does is so contagious and refreshing. He made our trip extraordinary! I wanted to see a Leopard and he spent an hour tracking a leopard. At first, I thought he was crazy because he was going in the opposite direction that everyone else was going in. He told us that the other vehicles had spotted a pride of lions but that they had just eaten so they’d be laying around for hours and promised us that we’d see them. Sure enough, he spotted the most majestic Leopard - and later a female cheetah and her cubs - and we had them all to ourselves! Later, of course, we drove back to see the lions and they were still there napping in all their glory. Highly recommend requesting Steve if you choose to visit Kenya. He’s a beautiful soul. If you ever have the privilege of meeting him, you’ll understand.

The overall lodging was fantastic as was the itinerary. We decided, on a whim, to fly back to Nairobi from the Masai Mara simply because we wanted the experience. We informed our guide and the owner of the company and let them know we’d grab an Uber from Nairobi Wilson airport to NBO. When we landed at Nairobi Wilson we were surprised to find a driver and car waiting for us organized by Fair Trade Safaris! They are always one step ahead and have contingency plans for everything!

We love that the company donates all profits to the wildlife and communities of the countries they operate in. At the astonishing rate habitats are being destroyed, this continues to be an important factor for us in terms of how and where we spend our money when we travel. The driver and his associates spoke with a tremendous amount of respect for the owner of Fair Trade Safaris. When the employees love and respect the boss that tells you everything! We will definitely use Fair Trade Safaris on our next African adventure!

We just returned from our Kenya safari. we used Fair trade safaris to arrange all details within Kenya. Everything went perfectly. Every guide was waiting at the pick up point. All accommodations were above expectations. The food was great and the people were wonderful.

I had heard so many people say that Africa was their all-time favorite trip. I didn’t want to get my expectations up too high. I am a member of ClubCorp and they had an offering through Fair Trade Safaris, a trip to Africa that included a gorilla trek! How cool is that? Knowing what a thorough job ClubCorp does when it vettes a vendor, I knew they would be pretty good. That trip did not work for us but I contacted Rob, the owner of Fair Trade Safari’s, and worked out a customized trip for June 2019. From the first contact to every detail, communication throughout our trip, and follow up after the trip, he was excellent. He had given me all of his suggestions for an itinerary that fit our interests and schedule. I researched myself each lodge, excursion, location, etc. he recommended. They all had great reviews, and after speaking with a travel agency and reviewing their suggestions, which by the way they charged me $150 to provide me with three itineraries, I found Fair Trade Safaris to be the best value, and most customized.
When we arrived in Africa we found that we had a driver/guide and a safari vehicle all to ourselves. That was a luxury I had not expected. Every lodge was lovely, ranging from remote to sophisticated with great beds and the warmest service. The food was very fresh and delicious, and another unexpected bonus was being greeted upon arrival usually with champagne and having very good South African wines and champagne gratis with your stay. An African safari is going to be one of your most expensive trips, but keep in mind that a large percentage of your funds are going to the government of the countries you visit. Pleasant surprise was how little extra we had to pay for anything once we started. Almost all of the meals, even including wines and champagnes, were included, and transportation, as you had agreed upon, was always easy and well-managed. You should tip generously, at least if you have the same experience as we did. There was a tip box at most lodges, and we saw far too many people who did not contribute. You really could not have asked for better service then we received at every lodge.
Rob has a business partnership with two safari operators in Africa. The gorilla trek was done with Ellington safari tours, and our drivers name was Roni. He was a lovely young man that had grown up in Rwanda, and it was very interesting to learn about the history and the people from someone who had lived it. He picked us up in Rwanda and took us to Uganda for Gorilla Trekking. This is simply an experience you should not miss. How they have worked to habituate these gorilla families so that humans can observe them very closely in their natural habitat is profound. Uganda is called the pearl of Africa because of its beauty. Our cottage sat high on a hill overlooking Lake Mutanda with it’s islands and volcano in the distance. The picturesque mosquito draped beds were in all the lodges, and this one had beautiful tropical flowers all around. My preconceived notion of Africa as nothing but long brown plains was completely erroneous. We had come at the end of the rainy season, and there was lush green in every area we visited. Even on the Serengeti, which means endless plains in Swahili, there were many areas of lush greens and watering holes still full. Temperatures were in the high 70s to low 80s every day. We also had followed Rob‘s suggestions on preparing our clothes, and had no problems at all with insects.
Then we have to talk about Rob‘s guide - Philip. I told Rob halfway through that I was running out of superlative‘s to describe Philip. I really believe he made all the difference in our trip. He has been guiding Safaris for 14 years. His extensive knowledge was fascinating, and his uncanny abilities and intuition in finding animals was nothing short of amazing. He had also done several tours with teams from National Geographic. He would both advise and position us for getting the best shots. While having lunch he heard from one of the other guides there was a herd of elephants at a nearby watering hole.
When we got there, the elephants were starting to leave and they weren’t very close to us. A dazzle of zebras was approaching the watering hole, and Philip explained to us how we could get a photo of them drinking and get their reflection in the water. He positioned us for the best lighting to do this. We did get great photos, and then he said he was going to drive to another place where he thought we would see the elephants. None of the other drivers came there, and after positioning us on the dirt road for about five minutes, the heard came out of the trees straight towards us and crossed the road right next to us. We got stunning pictures and videos. And this type of thing happened over and over during our time with Philip. We not only saw the big five and just about every other animal you could imagine, but we saw the vast majority of them up very closely. When we would send photos back home, our friends could not believe we’d taken them.
Philip is also one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. He made it his goal every day to give us something special in the way of experiences. Everything about this trip far exceeded our expectations, especially Phillip.
I also found out after my trip that 100% of the profits are donated to African conservation of these animals. Rob, the owner, is a venture capitalist in Texas and a native of Africa. He was able to retire early and this is a passion of his. He is not a travel agent, and he does not organize tours for any other areas. He was so attentive to the details and to our enjoyment of the trip, I thought his paycheck must surely depend on it! I don’t think you can do much better than to have an owner who takes that kind of personal interest and does it out of passion and love for his country.

First timers to South Africa/Zimababwe and we absolutely had the times of our lives. All of the safari sites were spectacular. Never had a doubt about what would happen as the itinerary was spot on. No worrying about how to transfer to the airport or to new accommodations. Someone was always waiting to give us a ride, this was the highlight for us as we have read many horror stories about folks not getting their proper transport. The choices of accommodations were perfect for us. Saurabh is definitely knowledgeable about the areas that we visited and gave us great insight on what to expect at each location. Each place fit or exceeded our expectations. My husband and I are normally not "tour" people, but we had no clue where to begin with our trip to Africa. Saurabh has been to Africa on numerous occasions, all we did was tell him what we were wanting to experience and he was able to make it happen. This allowed us to travel at ease knowing that everything was taken care of. I would highly recommend using Fair Trade Safaris. We cant wait to venture back one day. Definitely an experience to remember! Thank you for making our dreams come true.

As first time travelers to South Africa, there was no way we could have put together a trip as streamlined as we were treated to from Fair Trade Safaris.

Every question (and there were many!) that we asked was quickly answered to our satisfaction.

We wanted to add to our trip and those accomodations were planned for us as efficiently as the main trip.

I recommend this organization fully.

Fair Trade Safaris helped make our first trip to Africa one that we will never forget. Saurabh created a custom itinerary to Zimbabwe and South Africa for us based on our areas of interest, what we wanted to see, desired level of accommodations, budget, etc. The end result was an amazing two week trip with a great mix of different lodges, sightseeing (Victoria Falls), and game viewing (completed the Big Five!) that went smoothly from start to finish.

Saurabh helped us with planning from a whole year out. He was quick to answer our many questions, and even booked our inter-Africa flights for us. I will admit, I was a little nervous about going to Africa initially, but with Fair Trade Safaris I quickly realized that my concerns were unnecessary. Our transfer drivers were always ready and waiting to take us to our next destination/activity, the lodges booked for us were all lovely, and we never felt unsafe or not taken care of. All we had to worry about was what animals we were going to find on our next game drive!

I definitely want to go back to Africa again someday, and without hesitation I would entrust Fair Trade Safaris to plan that next trip.