African Budget Safaris Reviews 

When I contacted African Budget Safaris, I didn’t know what to expect. Harriet responded and she was friendly, knowledgeable and patient. She answered all of my questions, and when she didn’t have the answers she contacted the person who did and sent them to me. She prepared the itinerary for us and it was spot on. Every time we would arrive to the next location my kids were so impressed. They both said “Best trip ever!” Harriet was a total professional and I highly recommend African Budget Safaris.

African Budget Safaris' Harriet was thorough and responsive, creating a seamless experience from start to finish. We had an incredible 2-week safari that was a true feast for the senses with a perfect blend of culture and wildlife.

The opportunity to pair amazing flora and fauna sightings with genuine, respectful interactions with the Maasai and Chagga people was the perfect way to get a glimpse of East Africa at its finest. Our guides in Kenya's Maasai Mara, Lawince and Tanzania's Serengeti, Clever—as we circled Kilimanjaro—instantly made us feel like family. They were highly attentive and possessed an unbelievable eye for spotting wildlife, frequently locking eyes on animals we completely missed even while scouting with binoculars. Even when navigating roads that were beyond rough, they kept us safe and perfectly oriented on what to expect each day. Their deep knowledge of local botany, tribal traditions, and bird identification left our brains completely full. We made notes on our phones for each day and use the Merlin Bird App to save our findings.

For anyone planning this trip, the logistics are brilliantly handled. The accommodations were primarily elevated "glamping" canvas tents built on solid concrete slabs or wooden floors. Having comfortable ensuite bathrooms allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the sounds of the African night while remaining safely cocooned away. The food choices were excellent and easily accommodated the requirements of even our pickiest travel companions.

A quick tip for future travelers: the road transits between parks can be intensely bumpy, so come prepared for an authentic "African massage" on the move, and definitely bring a quality pair of binoculars to appreciate the stunning wildlife! And of course your camera.

We left part of our hearts in Africa. If you are looking for a perfectly coordinated, unforgettable adventure, we say to ABS, "Keep doing what you are doing to share this experience with the world."

This is the 2nd time we have used African Budget Safari's, first time was in 2018 to Namibia. We were so pleased with the arrangements for that safari so we had no hesitation in using them again.
Right from the first enquiry Harriet responded very quickly to our emails. We had lots of questions and these were all answered promptly and patiently! The arrangements for the safari were very detailed, the lodges used were comfortable and our driver/guide was the best! We felt very well looked after and safe. Being older travellers this was important to us.
We have no hesitation in recommending ABS and look forward to using them again

African Budget Safaris were really helpful particular Harriet who arranged our 7 day Cape Town to Swakopmund Desert Explorer overland trip. She was very responsive and always answered my queries.
The trip itself was amazing and fully met our expectations.

Harriet arranged a fabulous Botswana trip for us at late notice. The tour was perfect for us - Harriet answered all questions promptly and provided various suggestions for an extended itinerary which I only wish I had taken up! We would not hesitate to book with ABS again.

I had no experience of Safari holiday booking prior to contacting African Budget Safaris
From first contact with Harriet the experience was first class. Prompt friendly and clear responses to my queries and having just returned from the trip the Safari delivered at Umkumbe far exceeded my expectations
I would happily recommend using Africa Budget Safaris

My daughter and I just came back from a tour booked through African Budget Safaris. Harriet helped me to decide on our Nomad tour of Namibia-Botswana-Victoria Falls. I sent her endless emails with questions which she always answered in detail, prior to booking, once booked, and now taking the time to get feedback after the trip. We had an amazing tour! I definitely recommend using African Budget Safaris to help organize a trip!

Harriet made our safari experience easy and enjoyable. She answered all our questions patiently— and we had many! She helped us find a trip in the right price range that was out of this world. We LOVED staying at Elephant Plains and highly recommend working with Harriet to get you there. The luxury rooms are worth the extra price!

We had a unique situation and African Budget Safaris were simply wonderful in helping us get this resolved. Their responses were always quick and their recommendations for potential solutions were caring and, I believe, offered in a sincere effort to work things out in our best interests.
I cannot say enough about how Harriet went far beyond any expectations for service to her customer. We could not be more pleased and willingly give her and African Budget Safaris our highest recommendation.

While I did not realize that African Budget Safaris acted as a broker for other African Safari groups, Harriet at the company did a wonderful job of responding to my questions prior to a 20 day "Trans-Kalahari" trip, with the "Kiboko Adventures" group.

The safari represented a mix of experiences in Botswana, Namibia & South Africa & while listed as a "budget safari", we stayed at memorable lodges, each very comfortable & welcoming, while every lodge was interesting in a different way.

We were guided by Misheck Mahonye, also our driver, who was exceedingly adept at spotting & identifying animals, birds & even rock formations and presenting relevant historical details, all while also relating warmly to each of 15 personalities on the tour, often with humor and even occasionally with a song. While Harriet initiated & sustained my preparations for southern Africa, Misheck made the journey an amazing & memorable exploration of the African people & landscapes.

Amazing trip at Sanbona wildlife reserve booked through African Budget Safaris.

Harriet made the booking experience seamless and everything from transfers to the accommodation was 5 stars.

I would highly recommend booking with African Budget Safaris and visiting Sanbona if you are in South Africa!

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!

Harriet was so helpful to me in planning my trip to South Africa. She matched my priorities and schedule with two excellent tours! Food, lodging, guides, excursions and safaris were all exceptional. I highly recommend!

Was very happy with Harriet and African Budget Safari's. Good experience with the booking and payment. Everything communicated clearly My 21 day Sunway safari trip that Harriet booked for me was great, Thank You

They have a good selection when looking for a budget safari. Harriet was knowledgeable, gave advice and suggested a few alternatives…..all in all great customer service, thanks Harriet - we had a wonderful time at Aquila Game reserve!

I found the Kiboko tour via African Budget Safaris and sent an email with questions . Harriet answered promptly and then we organised a Skype call to finalise details. She was also able to book accommodation prior to the tour departure and transfers included in the tour at both ends. Their website also has lots of blogs etc to ensure the trip you are taking is the right one for you . Highly recommend the over 40s lodge tour if you’re 50-80 but helps to be a fairly fit and healthy individual. Lots of long drives and bumpy at that however we all coped well . Loved all the lodges and dinners included. Wow Botswana is the highlight! We experienced amazing flora and fauna - it was magical !

Never having been on an organized tour before, we were a bit apprehensive, and presumed that something would go wrong. Well, how wrong we were. Everything was amazing and not a thing to worry about. From the first tentative enquiry to Harriet, at SA Budget Safaris, to the time we got home, everything was just perfect. Harriet was very quick to respond to any enquiry and change anything we asked for. All the information we got was fantastic. We were met at the airport and the driver showed us where to get our sim cards and waited while we sorted our phones out and got some cash. A warm welcome at Safari hotel and such a relaxing place to unwind. Great gardens and a lovely lounge room to relax in. Wonderful dinner and breakfast. The drive to Kruger the next day was very interesting and a few stops along the way. We stayed at Panzi Lodge, and the accommodation and staff were great. So friendly, and the food was amazing. We were told what time we would get picked up at and what to expect, so we just had to be there and everything else was taken care of. All the drivers were so knowledgeable and friendly. The driver we had for two days on the safari was Frank, from ‘Bongan Safaris’. What a guy. He never stopped looking for animals, birds, plants etc. and was so enthusiastic about everything. We had a full day with him and even when he dropped us off at 7pm, he was still pointing things out. So many wonderful animals and we got so close to many of them too. Would recommend this travel company to anyone and definintely 5*, (even though we did a budget Safari 😉)

Right away, we were assigned a consultant, Harriet, who lived in the city we were heading for. Being a local helped answer some questions we had about our arrival in South Africa and our connection to the tour we had booked. Every time we wrote to Harriet she responded overnight. Every time. At one point, we had an unexpected cancellation of another major component of our vacation that affected our safari, Harriet was there to help us manage changes with our booking. Payment with the secure payment partner was easier than expected. Good experience all around!

I contacted African Budget Safaris to book a stay at Sabina Wildlife Reserve. Harriet quickly responded and provided the needed information and kept me informed throughout the process of confirming the reservation and setting up travel to and from Sanbora. Payment was set up via a secure site. Our stay was simply amazing. If I am ever fortunate to return to South Africa, I will definitely be contacting African Budget Safaris to help plan that trip.

We had the pleasure of working with Harriet to arrange our travel, lodging, game drives, and tourist attractions in Sabi Sands and Tanzania. She communicated promptly and professionally, making a seamless trip for us. All details were as described and we were pleasantly pleased as many things exceeded our expectations.
We would highly recommend ABS to future travelers. They made our travel budget go farther without compromising quality.