Guest Experiences
Please take a look at what some of our thrilled guests have had to say about their African experience!!
2015
June/July 2015
Holland Family, USA
“My family (my husband, myself and children aged 21, 19 and 12) just returned from an amazing trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. We could not have done it without Brett of Safaris For Me. He expertly managed every detail from the safari lodge to the internal flights to the kosher food, activities, and more. I highly recommend Safaris for Me for anyone planning a safari vacation.”
Elizabeth Holland & Family, NY, USA
February 2015
Gene Hildman, USA
Brett:
I just got back home this morning. Just wanted to let you know that I had a great trip to SA. Thanks to you for your effort I was able to work some time in to go on the Safari. What a wonderful experience. The folks at the Arathusa Safari Lodge were the BEST. Everybody was FIRST CLASS. I couldn’t have asked for more. The entire team at the Lodge was excellent. The Ranger and Spotter we had were excellent with a lot of experience. Even though I was only there for two days with the four trips to the bush, by the end of the second day we all felt like we were family.
Thanks to you too, for your first class arrangements. You did an excellent job and everything went off just like you said. The only concern I had was on the last morning when we went on our safari to the brush we found 12 young lions lounging around on the runway. I asked my Ranger if they would be a danger for the plane coming in and the ranger assured me that it was one of his jobs to check the runway and be sure there were no animals on the runway when a plane would come in or take off. Sure enough the runway was clear when we took off.
Again thanks for all you did to make the Safari a First Class trip. You are the BEST !!!
Gene Hildman
Gene Hildman & Associates LLC, Arlington, Texas
2014
August 2014
Sontag Family, USA
Safari for Me helped us out an incredible amount this past summer. Despite extremely short notice, they managed to book us great hotels and an amazing lodge, and made an extremely enjoyable vacation out of what could have been a stressful trip. They got us four rooms (on very short notice) in a wonderful safari lodge at Honeyguide Khoka Moya in the Manyeleti Game Reserve (which borders Kruger National Park), and helped arrange transportation to the lodge after meeting us at the airport. When we got booked out of our hotel in Cape Town, they got us rooms immediately. They arranged kosher food for us throughout our trip, both by locating restaurants and helping to find raw goods. They also helped arrange a wonderful shark diving trip off the coast. Safari for Me took a spur of the moment trip and turned it into the vacation of a lifetime. We couldn’t have done it without them!
Sontag family, NY, USA
December 2014 / January 2015
Shayna & Junior Gaspard, USA
My husband and I started planning our 10 year wedding anniversary in March 2014 for a trip in December (Xmas/New Years) 2014. We were referred to Brett by a friend and he did a great job of ‘interviewing’ us on what type of experience we wanted to have and was able to provide amazing suggestions. We know we wanted to do a safari in addition to exploring Johannesburg and Cape Town. The safari planning is the company’s specialty and he was also great in helping us plan out the rest of trip in Joberg and Cape Town. Balancing price range, lodge experience, and availability Brett was able to give us multiple options and then answer our questions as we came to a decision. He was personally familiar with each so was able to give colored commentary that helped us pick Inyati Private Game Lodge (which was perfect!). He took care of making the reservation and arranging our flights and transportation so everything went extremely smoothly. The rest of the trip we spent in Cape Town and Brett put us in touch with a partner in the city that took great care of us. Brett met us at the airport when we got into Joburg, answered all our questions, and checked in on us throughout the trip, showing that he really cared. I would definitely recommend working with Brett!
Shayna Gaspard, Atlanta, Giorgia, USA
December 2014 / January 2015
Stuart & Ina Smith, UK
Safaris For Me
Dec/Jan 2015
After spending many tens of hours trying to research a trip to South Africa to see family and spend some leisure time just relaxing and also to include some safari time we decided it was just too difficult and time consuming and it was therefore time to bring in an expert.
We trawled the online travel boards and finally settled on Brett Duveen from Safaris For Me after seeing a number of very positive reviews on his website and his experts opinions on Trip Advisor; this turned out to be an inspired choice which saved us a great deal of frustration and wasted time.
Brett spent significant time and effort outlining our options for a multiple location stay according to our budget. We spent quite a bit of time on Skype and email discussing and tweaking the options until we were entirely happy. We changed our itinerary completely on one occasion and Brett, to his credit, took this in his stride and just started all over again.
We flew out on Xmas Day to Johannesburg and drove to Sun City and stayed 3 days at Cascades which was a great choice. During this period we spent time with our family and had a great time.
We then drove to Hazyview and spent 3 days at Chestnut Country Lodge which was very relaxing. The location and views were great and the service was amazing and we couldn’t believe how low the drinks bill was! During this time we spent a day driving around Kruger National Park and had a great time spotting the wildlife.
Then on to Blyde River Canyon Lodge via the stunning Panorama Route where we spent another 2 relaxing days just lazing around the pool. You just can’t fault the food and service at any of the accommodation choices.
However, the highlight of the trip has the to be the time we spent on safari which was just fantastic with lots of game viewing.
We spent the first 4 nights at Nkorho Bush Lodge and got a free upgrade to the Honeymoon suite which was just brilliant. The accommodation was stunning and the food and service just amazing. Our ranger, Pieter, was first class and it was very easy to build a good rapport with him.
Then on to Arathusa Game Lodge where we spent a further 2 nights. Again, the accommodation, food and service was first class as were the game drives.
At both lodges the game viewing was just amazing and we saw a great deal of wildlife in their natural habitat. In addition to the beauty of nature at its best we also got to see the raw animal behaviour close up – a male leopard eating a baby leopard, a leopard with its dead impala prey hanging in a tree, lions eating a Kudu. We also saw a very touching but cruel situation of a badly mauled impala female still making the effort to feed her baby.
We even got to see a pack of wild dogs which would appear to be very illusive.
All in all this was just a fantastic and memorable experience which had been wonderfully put together by Brett and couldn’t be faulted in any way. It should also be pointed out that Brett’s excellent experience, effort and time did not cost us a single penny extra which must be a significant bonus.
We, obviously, would have no hesitation in recommending the use of Brett in booking your next holiday in South Africa and surrounding areas.
Many, Many Thanks
Stuart & Ina
November 2014 / December 2015
Alan & Joyce Senzer, USA
Brett
First of all a very happy and healthy New Year to you and your family.
I want to personally thank you for all your help in planning and helping us finalize our trip which went off without a hitch.
The accommodations that you selected for us were extremely good and well suited for our needs. We had a fantastic time at all the towns we visited and they all provided a different view of the country. We were happy we went inland after KNYSNA where we had stayed at Candlewood Lodge, as the interior of the country is beautiful.
We stayed at the Vineyard Country house in Montague which I would recommend to you for any one wanting to go there
Coopmanjuis in Stellenbosch was extremely nice situated right on the shopping street. A beautiful boutique hotel with fine service and good food.
The safaris went well with Dulini being outstanding but basically with the same game as Inyati. We were glad we picked 2 lodges close to one another and experienced 2 different lodges.
Overall we are very grateful for all your help and we pushed your name to the lodges and bed and breakfast places.
Warm Regards
Alan Senzer, New York, USA
November / December 2014
Michael & Nicole Cruny, USA
Dear Brett,
I want to thank you for everything you did for me and my family to help make our trip to South Africa an absolutely amazing trip and one that I will never forget and will likely never be able to top! For anyone considering contacting Safaris for Me, here is what I have to say:
Where to start? That is the question I had as I started to look into a trip to South Africa. Since my family is not the type that likes to be constrained by a pre-planned itinerary, I knew we would be doing a lot of planning ourselves. However I was afraid this trip would be too daunting a task to put together. As I was doing my research, I came across Brett and Safaris For Me, which turned out to be the perfect balance of helpfulness, expertise and flexibility. I knew what we wanted to see and Brett worked with me to fill in all the details that would have been nearly impossible to do on my own. As an example of how Brett’s expertise can really help with the planning, he knew that direct flights from Cape Town to Kruger only operated on certain days of the week. We were able to rearrange our flights into South Africa so that our itinerary matched better with our planned travel within SA. Without this knowledge we would have incurred an unnecessary layover and essentially lost a day in transit between destinations. Because of Brett’s recommendation we were able to spend an afternoon experiencing some of the amazing sites of the Panorama Route instead of sitting in the Johannesburg Airport during a layover. Due to his relationship with many of the lodges, including Hippo Hollow and Elephant Plains, he was able to secure us a family room which we had thought were no longer available. Brett’s knowledge not only helped save us money but time which cannot be underestimated when trying to experience as much as we wanted to in only a short time period. I hope to return to South Africa some day, but I am so thankful that in the event I am unable to, that I was fortunate enough to experience so much during my trip and I owe a lot of that to Brett.
Thank you once again for answering my numerous questions over lengthy emails and on the phone. You helped so much in making this a trip of a lifetime and for that I am so grateful. I will not hesitate to recommend you to any friends and family that are interested in a trip to the wonderful country of South Africa.
Sincerely,
Michael Cruny – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – USA (Nov/Dec 2014)
September 2014
Owen & Emma Ingram, Kent, UK
Safaris for me.
My wife and I used ‘Safaris for me’ for our honeymoon to South Africa in September 2014, this really was the best choice we made in planning a holiday of a lifetime.
Given the large variety of safari options in and around the Kruger National Park I was unsure about the best option to choose. I had some quotes from travel agents in the UK which were quite extortionate and so I decided to try a local agent. I found ‘Safaris for me’ after seeing the number of expert reviews Brett Duveen had put on Trip Advisor and the positive reviews I could find on his website.
One day after sending him an online application on his website he rang me directly. It was clear he was very knowledgeable regarding safari options in and around Kruger and we had a long discussion about what kind of safari we would want and the prices we were willing to pay. Within one week Brett had sent us a number of safari options in our price range. These were very competitive and either comparable or better than the prices I was able to get by directly speaking to the lodges.
Over the next weeks and months prior to our honeymoon Brett was in close contact with me, e-mailing me regularly giving tips and helping arrange other parts of our honeymoon. Some aspects I booked myself and other parts Brett booked for us. He was always very helpful and gave us excellent travel advice.
When our honeymoon finally arrived we left with some trepidation given some of the bad press regarding South Africa in the UK. When we arrived at Johannesburg airport we were met by Brett who bought us breakfast and talked us through our honeymoon itinerary, which we had received a couple of weeks prior. It was clear after this meeting that our preconceptions were in fact misconceptions and that this was indeed going to be the holiday of a life time – which it was and more.
Our first night was spent in the Rissington Inn in Hazyview which was an excellent hotel set in beautiful surroundings. Our transfer into the Sabi Sands was via the Panorama route on Brett’s recommendation and this is not to be missed. We had a wonderful time on safari at Nkorho Bush Lodge and saw more animals than we would have ever expected. The vibe in the lodge Brett had chosen was perfect for us and we could not have asked for anything more.
We then flew to Cape Town for a week. Brett had arranged for us a tour to Cape Point and whale watching in Hermanus with Ulungele Tours – a private tour company in Cape Town. His choice of company was truly excellent and we had a wonderful time in all of our day trips from Camps Bay. He also gave us sound travel advice for our free time in Cape Town and on which restaurants we should frequent. All his recommendations were excellent.
We finished our honeymoon with a trip to the Winelands. Brett gave us a number of options but we finally picked Akademie Street Boutique, which he booked for us. He also arranged a wine tour for us. Both were great options and we had a terrific time.
Our whole honeymoon was a wonderful experience and I’d like to thank Brett and ‘Safaris for me’ for all their help in making our holiday what it was. I would not hesitate in recommending Brett to any of my friends or family in the future.
My advice would be:
1) Go to South Africa
2) Choose ‘Safari’s for me’ as your expert travel agent for your trip
May/June 2014
Johnson Family, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Dulini Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sands; Royal Livingstone, Victoria Falls; Nxabega Lodge, Okavango Delta
Dear Brett,
My family and I would like to thank you for the wonderful vacation that you planned. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. As you know, I was originally attracted to your website because you responded knowledgeably to other travelers on Trip Advisor. My research led me to several travel websites. You responded to my inquiry immediately with an email and a phone call.
By the time you greeted us in Johannesburg, I felt that you were a personal friend. We spent almost a year talking and corresponding to tweak the itinerary to include everything that my family hoped to experience. I appreciate that you were mindful our budget and time limits in creating the perfect vacation.
Having a travel agent that was native to the country was a real benefit. I depended on your expertise and you were able to guide us to incredible accommodations. Every detail of the trip was planned well. Multiple flights, transfers and accommodations took place without a problem. We were pleasantly surprised that you took the time to call us during the trip to make sure that the accommodations met our expectations. Each transfer was facilitated by a representative that assisted us through immigration stops and lines. It was VIP treatment and greatly appreciated.
Please use me as a reference whenever needed. My family has memories that will last a lifetime and we owe you many thanks for making it happen.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Johnson
May 2014
Susan and Phil Dean, Florida, USA
Brett Duveen helped plan a Safari for me, my husband and another couple from Naples, FL. My husband and I had safaried in Botswana in 1995, so we thought we knew what to expect. Our 3 days at Inyati Private Game Reserve in Sabi Sands, Africa, exceeded our expectations and made our first Safari seem like a trip to the zoo! We saw “The Big 5” within our first 24 hours. We didn’t just see them, we saw them in action: we saw a Lion and Lioness mating, two Leopards staking each other for territory, brother and sister Cheetahs catch and eat an Impala, a Cape Buffalo Hurd, Elephants, Elephants, Elephants, and my favorite, Giraffes. Our accommodations were luxuriously appointed and the food was delightful. I would recommend Inyati to anyone seeking a real “Safari Experience,” and Brett Duveen who found this “animal paradise” for us.
Susan Dean
May 2014
Chet Imes, Ohio, USA
Hi Brett;
I want to tell you I had a great safari with Nkorho Bush Lodge.
From Johannesburg airport to Elephant Sands landing strip…seamless. A great way to start and end a safari.
This was my first, won’t be my last, safari. Nkorho Bush Lodge sure met my expectations.
The morning/evening drives were fun, I saw every animal to be seen….many animals 3 or 4 times.
The Nkorho staff were always around to make sure I was having a fine visit to South Africa.
Best regards,
Chet Imes
March 2014
Nancy Dawson, Oklahoma City, USA
We would like to thank Brett Duveen for his help and advice in planning our recent trip to South Africa. Everything went beautifully. We really enjoyed nThambo Tree Camp in Klaserie and saw lots of animals. He even came to meet us at the airport just to be sure that we made it safely to South Africa and to our hotel.
March 2014
Saurabh Khetrapal, USA
Trip Report – Ngala and Safaris For Me
I just returned from an amazing safari at Ngala that was arranged by Brett Duveen of Safaris For Me (www.safarisforme.com). Brett is absolutely fantastic – amazing service, quick response times, and very knowledgeable about the game parks and the various lodges/camps.
We had some amazing sightings of leopards (a mother and 2 cubs), lots of lions (including the impressive Birmingham pride), elephants and rhinos. Our safari guide Steve Walker was fantastic!
Anyone looking to do a safari in South Africa ought to consider Ngala and should certainly speak with Brett at Safaris For Me.
I am already planning my next safari for later on this year…
Saurabh Khetrapal
February 2014
Abe Zelmanovitz, New York, USA
I was privileged to have the opportunity to go on a brief safari to the Simbavati Game Reserve adjoining Kruger National Park in middle of February 2014. As I was primarily visiting South Africa for business purposes, I only had a few days to join a safari and even less time to plan the trip.
As someone with minimal knowledge of what is involved in planning and participating in a safari, I was completely clueless. Thanks to Brett Duveen from “Safaris For Me”, I had nothing to worry about.
Brett took care of everything and executed it flawlessly. From planning my trip including discussing the various lodge and travel options given the tight time frame that I had, from organizing my flight in South Africa itself and from organizing special meals for me during my stay due to dietary restrictions. There was nothing that Brett did not think of and personally take care of. He even took the time to contact the lodge several times to make sure everything went smoothly. And it did! I would highly recommend “Safaris For Me” for your next trip.
Abe Zelmanovitz
2013
October/November 2013
Baldeep & Deepika Anand, Singapore
Thanks for making our South Africa journey an amazing experience and a breeze. Not only were you extremely helpful in making our bookings and finding us the hotels of our choice, you were extremely helpful in providing directions to local routes that weren’t easily available on GPS – i can’t imagine getting out of the car and asking for directions on some of those roads !! The most remarkable part of using your company was that most agents would make a booking for you and thats the end of it but you have been nothing short of spectacular in your customer service after our trip, especially with all the settlements with the rental car company after our accident in Cape Town. With you we always felt that a friend was just a phone call away in a foreign land like South Africa. I would highly recommend all my friends to make their bookings through you.
Thanks again for all your help and don’t forget to meet up for a drink next time you are in Singapore.
November 2013
Arfeen Family – London, UK
Dear Brett and Safaris for me,
Just wanted to thank Brett for organising our Kruger National Park leg of my families South Africa trip. We had a truly wonderful time at the Simbavati River Lodge, and Brett could not have been more helpful. We owe him a massive thank you. Arranging a trip from London is not easy, and I found Brett’s email communication very efficient. He was always on hand to provide advice regarding the trips various itinerary plans, and I found Brett to be a great source of knowledge that we learned to trust as he answered all our questions effectively. He even managed to organise halal cuisine at the lodge for us, which I can certainly say is not an easy thing to do and that was really excellent. Always courteous, kind and respectful, I would recommend Brett and Safaris for me without reservation and will certainly tell my friends who come to South Africa in the future.
The safari was wonderful, the Simbavati River Lodge is located in the Timbavati Private Reserve in the Kruger National Park, and would highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest to visit Kruger. The lodge was clean and well maintained, but most importantly, I found all the staff truly helpful and engaging. They made our trip feel like a great experience, always on hand to support us if anything was a problem and would just take time to talk to you and teach us something about the safari, which I found refreshing and welcoming. The safari was awesome, we saw everything except from the Cheetah on our trip, and learned a great deal from our rangers and trackers. A peaceful and beautifully kept lodge that we could not have asked more from.
Farrukh Arfeen
October/November 2013
Rajiv & Ritika Vishwanathan, Singapore
Brett helped me with my holiday itinerary in South Africa. He is extremely well informed about the Kruger area and lodges in it. He was extremely proactive in trying to find us the best options in the area. He kept us posted at all times on his negotiations or discussions with the hotels or tour operators.
I was so happy with the service he provided that I sought his help with our bookings in Cape Town as well. Safaris4Me works with a local agent in Cape Town, but Brett ensured that the whole process was absolutely seamless. He was extremely patient in working on several different options for us, so that we could the maximum possible out of the days we spent in Cape Town. In fact, he even took the effort to check on us while we were in Cape Town, to ensure that everything was going as planned. In all my travels, seldom have I come across this level of commitment and service.
Certainly recommend Safaris4Me and Brett Duveen, for the high quality service that he provides!
Thank you Brett for making our holiday memorable.
Rajiv
2012
August 9, 2012
Fernandez Family – New York, USA
Dear Brett at Safaris for Me,
It is with great pleasure that I write to you of our family’s amazing trip and experience in South Africa. Accommodating a group of nine people for a Safari is not an easy task, especially in the short time span of less than two weeks. We were beyond thrilled with your ability to arrange for us the Safari we wanted, ensuring us that it would be a magical and wonderful experience. The personal, friendly, and hospitable attention you gave to us in making our reservations will never be forgotten and for that we are very thankful.
Our stay at Inyati Private Game Reserve located in the Sabi Sand Reserve was an adventure right from the start. The lodge’s location overlooking the river bank is a picturesque landscape as you are able to watch the animals pass by as they graze and move about. At any time of day, we were able to see animals ranging from elephants, hippos, giraffes, impala, inyala and hyenas right from our bedroom doors. At all times the staff was at our service and care providing us with exceptional service. We would leave on a guided jeep safari twice a day. Every day would be a fun and new experience. The guide and tracker were very friendly and personable having over twenty years of experience. We were able to view and observe the Big 5 and many more! It truly was the experience of a lifetime. It is a vacation that I hope everyone would have the opportunity to experience.
I would like to thank Brett and Safaris for Me for arranging this once in a lifetime vacation that our family will forever cherish.
Sincerely,
Christine Fernandez
