I cannot endorse Safari True more strongly. We gave Dan and Mandy a general idea of budget, time and goals and they put together a journey that far surpassed our expectations. The staff and accomodations of the safari camps we visited were wonderful. Travel logistics became challenging when our flight from S. Africa to Kenya was canceled, but Safari True worked with the airlines, hotels and camps to solve the problem as best as possible, greatly minimizing our stress. We thought this trip would be our one and done trip to Africa, but now we are looking forward to our next African adventure. When the time comes, we will certainly call Safari True..
This was our second safari planned by Dan and Mandy Chaknova of Safari True, and it was absolutely incredible. They planned our first trip to Rwanda to see the gorillas as well as Akagera National Park and Giraffe Manor in Kenya. Because we had such an amazing experience the first time, we trusted them again to plan our trip to South Africa, which was absolutely life changing. Everything is planned to the smallest detail, starting well before your trip. I appreciated getting all the options at every price point - we know they have flawless taste, and they were able to explain the different settings and price points so that we could fully understand our choices. It's truly a relaxing experience - airport transfers take all the thinking out of getting there, you truly only have to relax and enjoy and show up! We will absolutely be trusting Safari True with planning all of our safaris in the future, and I have referred them to many personal friends as well. You won't be sorry!
A trip to Africa can be a once in a lifetime trip, but they say that if you have to Safari, you must do a private safari. We were blessed to be referred to Dan and Mandy by our close friends in the peninsula. They had used them before, and they highly recommended them. Dan at Safari True helped us plan our trip to South Africa this Summer. We visited Cape Town (4 days), Victoria Falls (also did a safari for two days), and the Kruger National park. We have to say that this was by far, our best vacation ever. A special thanks to Dan who planned and coordinated our entire trip.
With our busy lives, tons of questions and custom requests from each one of us ( as we are all almost adults, except for our 17 yrs old daugher ), Dan spent countless hours to find out and answer all our questions and requests. We started a couple of months ago in terms of planning our trip, and believe me this was a very short time for Dan to put together the trip based upon our preferences and availability, but boy he did an amazing job at that. He pulled off the rabbit out of the hat in not only making it happen, but he customized our entire itineary in terms of our hotel preferences, food / restaurant reservations, excursions, drives to/from airports, airline tickets within Africa etc. From the moment we landed in South Africa, to the point we left, we were treated like royalty. This requires a lot of planning, and we didn't lift a finger. Safari True works with the best of private safaris, and hotels. Everyone of their recommendation was spot on. Not only are the people amazing in South Africa, but especially the people working at the hotels and the private safaris made our trip super special.
If we have to go back to Africa again, we won't hesitate to call Dan again for our trip. We truly hope that we can make it there again, because it is indeed magical. ( Adding some pictures for you to enjoy ).
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Dan and Mandy were absolutely wonderful helping us plan our trip to South Africa. They were attentive to our preferences and set up the most wonderful accommodations and tours. They went above and beyond with providing us options for dinners and we felt so comfortable traveling abroad with their help. I truly could not recommend them more. We can't wait to go back!
Dan and the team at Safari True were incredible throughout our whole process. He was so knowledgeable about Africa and all the different types of safaris and provided great recommendations for us based on our interests. Every part of our trip was seamless and each hotel and guide exceptional. We cannot recommend him and his team enough!
Our recent Kenya and Tanzania safari with Dan and the Safari True team was a thrilling adventure! Their professionalism and attention to detail impressed us from the start. Thanks to their well-planned itinerary, we enjoyed incredible encounters with cheetahs and lions in action. The guides shared insightful conservation insights, and the accommodations were strategically located near wildlife hotspots. Witnessing The Great Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara was truly awe-inspiring. A delicious blend of local and international cuisines were served everyday. Safari True is a great choice for an unforgettable safari experience!
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These two bent over backwards to make sure it happened with all the reschedules one could have. And what an amazing time we had. It was a fantastic trip that was so seamless and just remarkable. As you'd expect, the gorillas were hands down our favorite experience and we loved doing it twice (along with the double chimps and the golden monkeys). Coming from working full time with a 1 year old at home, it was nice not to think and just get to experience nature at its finest. We honestly couldn't have imagined a better experience and are deeply thankful for it.
We traveled for 5 weeks in South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Uganda with everything arranged beautifully by Safari True. Every place we went gave us extraordinary service and was beautiful with attention to conservation and opportunities for locals. This trip was beyond my dreams, in large part because Dan and Mandy crafted a trip that included everything we hoped to experience. All we had to do was show up and take it all in. Thank you!! Highly recommend Safari True.
Dan and Mandy planned a perfect trip for us to Botswana, Victoria Falls, and Kenya. Any and all questions were answered during our planning time. We loved every camp and saw amazing wildlife every day. In 3 weeks of travel, there was not a single glitch. Dan and Mandy both have extensive first hand, boots on the ground experience. They know what they are recommending and carefully consider the needs and wishes of the client in building a trip.
Reply from Safari True
2019.10.07
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Kate! Mandy and I loved working with you to plan your trip, and we are so glad you had such an great adventure across East and Southern Africa. We look forward to helping you two plan again when Africa calls you back!
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5 stars
We loved working with Mandy and Dan to plan our trip to Uganda, Kenya, and Zanzibar. They were great to work with and made the planning process very easy! From answering all our questions, changing itineraries, helping to deal with flight delays etc they were always easy to get ahold of and great with communication. Further the phone app to communicate our final itinerary and the mailed compact paper booklet with all pertinent information before we left was fantastic! We highly recommend working with them!
Reply from Safari True
2019.10.07
Thank you so much for your review and feedback, Ashlyn! It was so much fun working with you to plan your trip. We always strive to make the planning, preparing and travel process as personalized and informative as possible, and we’re so glad this had such a great impact on your journey! We can’t wait to help you two plan again when Africa calls you back!
Mandy and Dan were a great team to work with as we planned out trip to Uganda, Kenya, and Zanzibar. Excellent customer service and communication. They were always easy to get a hold of and worked with us to answer all our questions and plan the prefect trip. We really liked their organization and the method of delivery for our travel documents (great phone app as well as a complete compact packet of information that was easy to bring with us). We highly recommend working with them!
We traveled to Africa for our first time in May 2016. Safari True set up a unique trip tailored to our needs and wishes. We changed our minds several times throughout the planning process and never had an issue. Mandy and Dan were flexible and always gracious in accommodating us. Because of their professionalism and caring attitudes, we were able to travel worry free. Every experience they set up for us proved extraordinary. The lodges were superb and within our budget. We were also pleased to see how dedicated these lodges were to helping their local communities grow and thrive. Thank you Safari True for such an exceptional adventure. We will be back!
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The staff at Safari True is fantastic! Working with Dan and Mandy was a great experience. They listened to all our wishes for the trip and organized an absolutely amazing vacation to South Africa. We will definitely use Safari True on our next trip to Africa and would highly recommend this team/company to anyone! Thank you Dan and Mandy!
Second time to Africa, but this time was with Safari True. Our experience was stellar in everyway. They crafted a custom safari to meet our specific desires. It was a trip that will be hard to top. The team is extremely customer service focused and dedicated to making your trip special. I appreciate the eco-sensitive approach they have to planning the trips. Superb job.