African Budget Safaris Reviews 

Everything when like clockwork. We used Google Maps and the sim card data to navigate. My cellphone sat in a cheap holder we bought which attached to the dash and away we went. 10 Days with a total of 2063km on good roads. We were pleasantly surprised. 

The accommodation Chris booked us suited us just fine and we enjoyed the SA hospitality. Ranking the Knysna Parkes Manor top and then finally down to the Graaff-Reinet Guest House.

Thanks for your help Chris. Our holiday was certainly better for it.

Flying 22hrs home was the only down side. 

We booked our Southern Tanzania Safari + 4 nights in Zanzibar with African Budget Safaris because I have used them many time before and have always received just the best help and service no matter what I asked of them this trip was no exception. We had 10 day of excellent game viewing with a wonderful ranger/driver staying in very nice accommodation and made to feel most welcome. Our flight to Zanzibar was in a 12 seater Cessna plane, amazing, and Zanzibar was a perfect place to relax before flying home
Will I book with them again Absolutely
J & L Derbyshire

Super organized and provide all necessary information ahead of time. Also responsive.

This was the second trip I booked with Daniel at African Budget Safaris. He is just fabulous! Fast responses, honest feedback, and clear and concise with all communications. I wanted to change a few things with my itinerary, and requested a specific guide for one of my safaris, and he made it all happen!
It was an amazing trip!! As expected, Irene and Charmaine at Panzi were absolutely fabulous. The accommodations were perfect for us as a party of 5 in the 2 rooms. My Mom, with mobility issues, did so good there! The railings for the walkways are not very far apart, so she was able to use them to help her get around. We did not use her wheelchair at all the whole time we were there. (It is not great for wheelchairs, if you happen to have anyone in one. The walkway boards are a little uneven and spaced and the turns are tight. It can be done, but is definitely not ideal for that. We brought the wheelchair to our room and the front wheels got stuck in the spaces.) The food was incredible, just as we remembered. The kids did not eat much, but they are very fussy eaters and we brought things for them just in case. The activities we booked all worked out great. My Mom had no trouble getting in or out of the vehicles and our guides were extremely helpful with her! She has early stage dementia, so forgets some of the things she asks or is told, and they just answered her questions and were so accepting and forgiving. The kids favorite part was the HERD elephant interaction. What an experience! We were fortunate with the weather also, so the Suncatchers hot air balloon went out on our last morning there. My mom climbed right in!
The only thing we really did not care for were the 2 lunch stops we had when on excursions. On the panorama tour, we went to Harrys pancackes (?) in a little town last time and loved it. This time we went to a place down a bumpy road on the water called the chubby pig. It was very buggy, the service was slow, the people were not overly friendly, the food selection wasn’t great (no salads, they did not have a lot that was on the menu), and the food was sub par, no one ate their meals. The other lunch stop was at a gas station! Definitely not what we expected. Again, very slow, as there was one person working and she was busy, no real healthier options, they had grilled cheese sandwiches and fries, which we all got, but no one ate. There was one small table inside, and a picnic table outside for seating. We wound up getting waters and ice cream inside the store there and called that lunch. Last time we went to a local diner/sport bar type of place and it was great. Simon took us to a great lunch place in Kruger park on our all day game drive and that was more of what we were looking for. Great views, loads of options, good service, and the food was wonderful.
Other than the two lunches, everything was put together perfectly, everyone was well met and friendly, absolutely no complaints with our booking, our travel in South Africa, our stay at Panzi, our guides and activities… just an incredible trip!
I will absolutely use Daniel again for the next one! 

We had a great experience with African Budget Safaris and Ivory Tree Game Lodge in Pilanesberg, Feb 6-Feb 10. Daniel at African Budget Safaris was very helpful and had all the knowledge we needed when we booked the trip. Ivory Tree Game Lodge was a fantastic experience, both the hotel and the food was great. So were the rangers. Lovely nature, lots of game. Thanks!

Claire Monson, of African Budget Safaris, was a tremendous help as we planned our trip to South Africa. She listened to our interests and needs and put together an itinerary that was perfect! She arranged our safari adventure, booked our rental car, and reserved wonderful accommodations along the Garden Route. At one point we found ourselves on a dirt road, looking for our next destination. Claire's quick response to our SOS call was greatly appreciated (and we were on the right road!). This vacation was truly the experience of a lifetime. Thank you to Claire and African Budget Safaris.

I wanted to express how truly remarkable our holiday was. We encountered incredible wildlife, experienced the thrill of a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls amidst ethereal clouds, connected with wonderful people, and enjoyed the most exquisite accommodations. Claire, you captured our vision perfectly!

Every aspect aligned flawlessly with our plan. The breathtaking accommodations, the kind bus and transfer drivers, and the extraordinary experiences like the helicopter ride and canoeing on the Zambezi all exceeded our expectations.

I could share countless stories about the beauty of our journey, but I will keep it concise. Claire, you really showcased your exceptional organisational skills and deep knowledge of Africa.

Thank you once again for crafting a family holiday that will forever inspire our memories.

Really enjoyed our trip to Kenya,
Tanzania and Zanzibar booked through African budget Safaris with Harriet. She was very attentive to our planning for this trip. Accommodations were clean, comfortable and food excellent. Tour driver/guides quite knowledgeable. The days on Zanzibar very relaxing after busy days on game drives!

Daniel was quick to respond and worked around us very flexibly as he helped us get our final itinerary together.
In the end it was a seamless experience, and the trip itself was wonderful.
Our host guide, Graeme
from Alan Tours, was fantastic, hugely knowledgeable about the Addo bush, birds and animals.
All in all this was a great safari for our family group, thoroughly enjoyed it! Thankyou!

Fantastic experience! We had an absolutely fantastic time on our safari adventure! It was an unforgettable experience, and we were lucky enough to see ALL of the Big Five during our trip, which was such a highlight. The accommodations were truly incredible – from the attention to detail to the comfortable and beautiful setup, everything exceeded our expectations.

A special shoutout to our safari guide, Victor, who was simply outstanding. His energy and enthusiasm were infectious, his personality was warm and welcoming, and his ability to spot and share insights about the animals was truly impressive. He was a 10/10 and made the safari experience even more memorable for us.

Our only small "complaint," if you could even call it that, was not having enough downtime at Katetami Lodge to fully soak in the stunning tented accommodations and the lovely splash pool. The lodge itself was such a gem, and we wish we’d had more time to relax and enjoy the serene surroundings. That said, we completely understand that with the drive to Kruger and the full days of safari activities, it was necessary to keep to the schedule. It’s just a little note for anyone who wants to balance adventure with relaxation!

We also have to highlight the food at Katetami – it was absolutely delicious! Every meal was a treat, and the staff were so kind, attentive, and helpful throughout our stay. Their hospitality really added to the overall experience.

All in all, it was an incredible trip that offered great value for money. We’ll treasure these memories forever and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this experience to anyone looking for an unforgettable safari adventure!

African Budget Safari organized and planned the perfect mix of African luxury and wildness needed to create the ideal family vacation. Brownyn was kind, understanding, and attentive to detail. Our trip was organized and planned with family travel in mind. I could not have asked for anything else in regard to our safari.

My wife and I booked a 4-day Kruger National Park safari (our first safari ever) through African Budget Safaris and had a wonderful time. Bronwyn from African Budget Safaris was very quick to reply to our messages and super helpful talking through everything we needed to know and getting us in touch with Christa and Kirsten from the local safari operator Kurt Safari who were great at providing us with the information we needed to know for the actual dates of the safari. We had an amazing time on our safari and got to see the Big 5 and many more animal species, among them a few rarely seen animals thanks to our great guide Pleasant.
We can highly recommend African Budget Safaris and will book again through them the next time we go on a safari.

We found planning our trip to the Garden Route of South Africa with Claire Monson so easy to do - she was always prompt, responsive and a pleasure to deal with at every stage :) She gave us good feedback during the planning stage and it was comfortable to bounce ideas on possible iterations for the trip itinerary. Claire also understood and took into account the varying needs of our group (we were a group of 9 of three generations, varying in age from 10 yrs to 77 yrs) in recommending us suitable accommodation. She undoubtedly played a valuable part in making our trip so amazing!

2. The accommodation Claire recommended was of a good standard and every property we stayed at was hospitable, comfortable and well located.

3. The private guide/driver that we booked through Claire for the Garden Route portion of our trip was excellent.

Everyone was wonderful answering my questions when booking a last minute shorter safari to fit in before I spent time volunteering in Cape Town. I had a million questions and they always had timely answers. They even realized potential need to book an additional ride service before I left on my trip and were more than willing to arrange it to ensure I got everywhere safely!

Loved my experience before during and post-safari! Would recommend to anyone looking for a great safari within their specific budget and preferences.

The guys we’re great, communicative knowledgeable.

It was Claire Monson of ABS who made our South Africa trip as one of the most enjoyable and memorable trips we had.
She took away a lot of our first time in Africa travel anxieties and uncertainties.
It was a 14- day West and East Cape adventure, a seamless execution of what was planned given that she engaged multiple subcontractors to made my requests happen. We had a great Safari experience at Lalibela and took a lot of nice pictures of the Big 5 animals and others. Claire is very credible and knows her job perfectly well, a gem of South Africa tourism industry.

Highly recommended ! We have trusted them many times over the years to do our bookings and have never been disappointed . Thanks Claire.

Claire from African Budget Safaris worked with my friend and I to craft an individual itinerary that met all of our needs and respected our budget. All bookings, transfers, tours went seamlessly, covering three safari camps/lodges for 3 nights each as well as 2 nights in Maun to start our adventure and three nights in Victoria Falls at the end. We had exceptional wildlife viewing and cultural experiences. We hope to do more adventures with ABS.

Our trip to Botswana was fantastic! I highly recommend African Budget Safaris for your adventure. We worked with Claire, letting her know our budget, where we wanted to go, and what we wanted to do. The lodgings, transportation between camps and the activities 'ticked all the boxes' in our wish list. Claire organized the adventure experience we hoped for and more!