Safari Lifestyles
Safari Lifestyles
5
Multi-day Tours4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursSafarisNature & Wildlife Tours
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Safari Lifestyles offers private Tailor Made and Scheduled Safaris throughout Botswana. Our unique position affords us the ability to be experts in our field. Experiencing every level of safari imaginable, we have an intimate and personal knowledge of all the regions here and are informed as to where and when to visit.
Maun, Botswana
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
56 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Mark P
Perth, Australia8 contributions
Dec 2019
This holiday was for a special 50th birthday event and after doing some research we are very thankful we chose Roger at Safari Lifestyles who guided us with his expertise on this amazing country of Botswana to arrive at an itinerary which suited our budget and wish list. All details and numerous queries were clearly explained in a very timely manner so we knew what were booking.
The holiday went off without a hitch and our very high expectations were smashed by the amazing three Kwando camps we stayed at - Tau Pan, Lagoon and Splash. The accommodation, facilities, food, beverage and especially the friendly staff and guides at each camp was exceptional.
Even though this was low season (for the northern camps), the animals we saw at close range was incredible especially as the game drives could go off road which meant some amazing adventures following wild dog and lion hunts. We have secured some spectacular photos which still do not fully capture what lifetime memories we now have.
Thank you so much to Kwando and Roger for making this the most memorable birthday holiday ever!
The holiday went off without a hitch and our very high expectations were smashed by the amazing three Kwando camps we stayed at - Tau Pan, Lagoon and Splash. The accommodation, facilities, food, beverage and especially the friendly staff and guides at each camp was exceptional.
Even though this was low season (for the northern camps), the animals we saw at close range was incredible especially as the game drives could go off road which meant some amazing adventures following wild dog and lion hunts. We have secured some spectacular photos which still do not fully capture what lifetime memories we now have.
Thank you so much to Kwando and Roger for making this the most memorable birthday holiday ever!
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicolas
France427 contributions
Aug 2021
This was my first trip to Botswana, a 19-night solo safari encompassing 7 Kwando camps.
It was organized at the very last minute (about 3 weeks before it started), while Botswana was open for tourism, but the tourists were still mostly stuck at home due to domestic restrictions (very sad).
By chance I had stumbled upon advertised discounts for SADC citizen for some Botswana lodges, while driving myself and camping around Namibia. While not a SADC citizen, it still tickled my curiosity - in "normal" times a safari in Botswana is way over my budget.
I sent enquiries to a couple of agents, Safari Lifestyles being one of them.
All along the process, from the first exploratory mail to the follow up after the end of the trip, Roger's service was outstanding.
He listened to my specific interests and requirements and was able to suggest a fitting itinerary and selection of camps, at a price point I could afford.
Roger was extremely reactive and available, answers were always quick, and he was sometimes in touch several times a day, either by mail or on the phone. We had all the time to discuss at lenght any detail of the itinerary.
He was very knowledgeable about all aspects of a safari in Botswana, helped me with many practical questions, even adjacent to the trip strictly speaking (flights to and from Maun, PCR testing, etc... ). The wildlife experience and characteristics of each area and camp were very adequately described in advance - unlike what you can get from a more generalist guidebook !
Roger made all the efforts to get me the best available deal from the company (Kwando), and helped with a last minute itinerary change towards the end of the trip, which was arranged seamlessly.
All in all, I had a fantastic safari, and can very warmly recommend Safari Lifestyles should one want to organize one's trip there !
It was organized at the very last minute (about 3 weeks before it started), while Botswana was open for tourism, but the tourists were still mostly stuck at home due to domestic restrictions (very sad).
By chance I had stumbled upon advertised discounts for SADC citizen for some Botswana lodges, while driving myself and camping around Namibia. While not a SADC citizen, it still tickled my curiosity - in "normal" times a safari in Botswana is way over my budget.
I sent enquiries to a couple of agents, Safari Lifestyles being one of them.
All along the process, from the first exploratory mail to the follow up after the end of the trip, Roger's service was outstanding.
He listened to my specific interests and requirements and was able to suggest a fitting itinerary and selection of camps, at a price point I could afford.
Roger was extremely reactive and available, answers were always quick, and he was sometimes in touch several times a day, either by mail or on the phone. We had all the time to discuss at lenght any detail of the itinerary.
He was very knowledgeable about all aspects of a safari in Botswana, helped me with many practical questions, even adjacent to the trip strictly speaking (flights to and from Maun, PCR testing, etc... ). The wildlife experience and characteristics of each area and camp were very adequately described in advance - unlike what you can get from a more generalist guidebook !
Roger made all the efforts to get me the best available deal from the company (Kwando), and helped with a last minute itinerary change towards the end of the trip, which was arranged seamlessly.
All in all, I had a fantastic safari, and can very warmly recommend Safari Lifestyles should one want to organize one's trip there !
Written 27 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
theexcalibre
London, Canada86 contributions
Nov 2022
I reached out to Roger early in 2022 to organize a group trip to Botswana for my dad's milestone birthday for five people. Roger from the beginning was very prompt and answered my many, many questions. I have been to Southern Africa on safari many times and other members of the group had different experiences and interests. Roger was able to craft an itinerary that met all our needs (some of us are hobby photographers) and suggested a private tour for a competitive price.
We spent 10 days mobile camping through a variety of parks and 3 nights at Splash Camp in the Okavango. We did travel at the beginning of the rainy season and if you are travelling during the rainy season, it would be important to be mentally prepared for rains. There were about three days where we had rainy conditions and it was more work for the staff at the camp rather than a problem for us but they thoroughly spoiled us (rain or shine!). We were blown away by the staff at our mobile camps (Esau, Kabo, Ida and Elias) and our guide, Meier, who worked very hard for us to have the most memorable trip. The sightings on mobile safari were unbelievable. We saw an abundance of game including many baby animals due to the rains...and our guide was great at making sure we were viewing interesting animal behaviours.
Roger suggested adding on Splash Camp at the end of mobile camping, which was also an excellent suggestion. We had excellent sightings here too, especially cheetah and wild dog. Splash was wonderful in terms of guiding, accommodations and it was nice to mix it up with mobile camping.
I am very happy with our trip as it was seamless from start to finish and would definitely contact Roger before our next trip to Botswana.
We spent 10 days mobile camping through a variety of parks and 3 nights at Splash Camp in the Okavango. We did travel at the beginning of the rainy season and if you are travelling during the rainy season, it would be important to be mentally prepared for rains. There were about three days where we had rainy conditions and it was more work for the staff at the camp rather than a problem for us but they thoroughly spoiled us (rain or shine!). We were blown away by the staff at our mobile camps (Esau, Kabo, Ida and Elias) and our guide, Meier, who worked very hard for us to have the most memorable trip. The sightings on mobile safari were unbelievable. We saw an abundance of game including many baby animals due to the rains...and our guide was great at making sure we were viewing interesting animal behaviours.
Roger suggested adding on Splash Camp at the end of mobile camping, which was also an excellent suggestion. We had excellent sightings here too, especially cheetah and wild dog. Splash was wonderful in terms of guiding, accommodations and it was nice to mix it up with mobile camping.
I am very happy with our trip as it was seamless from start to finish and would definitely contact Roger before our next trip to Botswana.
Written 25 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stevenB9849
2 contributions
May 2022
Roger and Safari Lifestyles delivered not only an incredible vacation for our first trip to Botswana but also an excellent planning experience that was easy and convenient as we worked with Roger through email to plan the entire trip.
Roger was always reliable and promptly responded to our questions with thoughtful, detailed feedback generously sharing his knowledge of Botswana and any other miscellaneous topics we asked about such as photography. He was so helpful throughout the entire process by listening to our thoughts and ideas and providing a range of options, itineraries and camps at different price points to consider that would deliver the incredible experience we hoped for all the while maintaining an unbiased opinion on which camps to select. The Safari Lifestyles website was also extremely informative and was a valuable resource for us when deciding on which camps to visit. And ultimately, the final price point of our trip was lower than we expected compared to others which was another added benefit.
Roger proved to be flexible with us as we changed dates and camps after the initial planning and also subsequently added activities to the start and end of our trip. He even arranged other private activities for us in Botswana with reliable businesses when we expressed our interest in certain activities which enhanced our experience and we greatly appreciated.
For the primary portion of our trip, we visited the Kwando camps of Mma Dinare, Lagoon and Kwara for three nights each. Each camp delivered a unique and memorable experience and incredible wildlife encounters. It was easy to see why Roger recommended Kwando for their focus on the wildlife experience and game drives which is what we were most interested in when planning our safari. The camps and food were all beyond expectations too.
We hope to visit Botswana again with the help of Roger and Safari Lifestyles. We'd recommend them to anyone!
Roger was always reliable and promptly responded to our questions with thoughtful, detailed feedback generously sharing his knowledge of Botswana and any other miscellaneous topics we asked about such as photography. He was so helpful throughout the entire process by listening to our thoughts and ideas and providing a range of options, itineraries and camps at different price points to consider that would deliver the incredible experience we hoped for all the while maintaining an unbiased opinion on which camps to select. The Safari Lifestyles website was also extremely informative and was a valuable resource for us when deciding on which camps to visit. And ultimately, the final price point of our trip was lower than we expected compared to others which was another added benefit.
Roger proved to be flexible with us as we changed dates and camps after the initial planning and also subsequently added activities to the start and end of our trip. He even arranged other private activities for us in Botswana with reliable businesses when we expressed our interest in certain activities which enhanced our experience and we greatly appreciated.
For the primary portion of our trip, we visited the Kwando camps of Mma Dinare, Lagoon and Kwara for three nights each. Each camp delivered a unique and memorable experience and incredible wildlife encounters. It was easy to see why Roger recommended Kwando for their focus on the wildlife experience and game drives which is what we were most interested in when planning our safari. The camps and food were all beyond expectations too.
We hope to visit Botswana again with the help of Roger and Safari Lifestyles. We'd recommend them to anyone!
Written 14 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RKimNYC
New York City, NY78 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We worked with Roger at Safari Lifestyles on developing an itinerary for our first trip to Botswana. Roger was very responsive and accommodating in all respects and his detailed knowledge of the Okavango Delta was evident. One minor snafu is that one of our camps did not have internet. While I understand that for many safari guests this is a feature, for us (as sole owner of a company, my husband does need to be reachable in case of emergency), we may have chosen a different camp had we known this in advance. Of the two camps Roger recommended, one was a homerun, one was a bit disappointing, but the disappointment had little to do with Roger and was more our personal expectation of hospitality. All transactions with Roger were great – informed, responsive, and detailed -- and we enthusiastically recommend him for any trip planning to Botswana.
Written 10 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew B
Norwich, UK1 068 contributions
Jul 2022
I first started discussing a trip to Botswana in early 2019 and got some excellent advice and ideas to tweak our trip to suit what we hoped for.
Safari Lifestyles was far more than a booking agent and I confirmed our booking and paid the deposit mainly after talking to someone who actually listened to what we wanted and made suggestions rather than simply taking the easy options.
And then 2020 happened!
Anyway, we delayed the trip until 2022 after deciding that 2021 still felt a bit too uncertain for us.
Roger was able to hold our deposits and then adjust things for the new trip (a few days longer).
And after a long wait we had a fantastic time staying in 5 camps/lodges/boat booked through Safari Lifestyles and all the planning paid off with no hitches.
The trip was expensive (for us) but less by booking via Safari Lifestyles than if we had attempted it all independently, something worth bearing in mind.
Also one little extra that paid off for us was the pre-trip questionnaire. These details were passed on to the lodges and paid dividends with how we were looked after, particularly with regards to the game drives/activities where we felt these were planned with what we hoped for in mind.
10 stars for Safari Lifestyles!
Safari Lifestyles was far more than a booking agent and I confirmed our booking and paid the deposit mainly after talking to someone who actually listened to what we wanted and made suggestions rather than simply taking the easy options.
And then 2020 happened!
Anyway, we delayed the trip until 2022 after deciding that 2021 still felt a bit too uncertain for us.
Roger was able to hold our deposits and then adjust things for the new trip (a few days longer).
And after a long wait we had a fantastic time staying in 5 camps/lodges/boat booked through Safari Lifestyles and all the planning paid off with no hitches.
The trip was expensive (for us) but less by booking via Safari Lifestyles than if we had attempted it all independently, something worth bearing in mind.
Also one little extra that paid off for us was the pre-trip questionnaire. These details were passed on to the lodges and paid dividends with how we were looked after, particularly with regards to the game drives/activities where we felt these were planned with what we hoped for in mind.
10 stars for Safari Lifestyles!
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shaina O
Santa Monica, CA15 contributions
Aug 2022
We booked an 8 night safari through Roger for Aug 2022. I reached out to Roger with specific dates I was traveling and an ideal budget and he respected our budget and helped us create an amazing itinerary. We ended up staying at 4 different Kwando lodges (Lebala, Lagoon, Mma Dinare and Kwara). The lodges were of very high quality and we saw amazing wildlife.
Roger was very responsive and friendly and I appreciated being able to speak to him on WhatsApp. It always feels risky wiring large sums of money, but everything worked out great with Roger and our lodges and flights were all booked. Once we were in Botswana we didn't have to worry about anything. Roger is also based in Botswana so he really knows the camps and can help advise on the best itinerary. We are really grateful we reached out to Roger for our Botswana trip!
Roger was very responsive and friendly and I appreciated being able to speak to him on WhatsApp. It always feels risky wiring large sums of money, but everything worked out great with Roger and our lodges and flights were all booked. Once we were in Botswana we didn't have to worry about anything. Roger is also based in Botswana so he really knows the camps and can help advise on the best itinerary. We are really grateful we reached out to Roger for our Botswana trip!
Written 30 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne B
1 contribution
May 2024 • Couples
So glad I found Roger, I couldn't have done all the research and made the decisions so I left it up to him after outlining what we wanted and he really came up trumps. It was a hassle-free trip, we saw all the game we wanted to see and much more, the camps were superb and the safaris really excellent. Botswana is an amazing country and the delta is really worth the visit, a truly amazing place and Roger's tips made everything go extremely smoothly and very well. Would highly recommend him to take the hassle out of your planning, he is very prompt on email which is a big relief when planning a trip like this and the price was very reasonable.
Written 11 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James Baker
2 contributions
Oct 2022
Roger booked us 4 nights in the Delta (at PomPom for 2 nights and Splash for 2 nights) - both were exceptional camps with beautiful reservations. All staff were fantastic and the guides/trackers were incredibly knowledgable. The wildlife was superb.
I can't recommend Safari Lifestyles (and Kwando Camps) enough. Many thanks!
I can't recommend Safari Lifestyles (and Kwando Camps) enough. Many thanks!
Written 25 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane P
35 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
I contacted Safari Lifestyles and the man behind it, Roger Turski, over a year ago to assemble a quote for our group of nine friends. I immediately felt very confident in Roger's skills in arranging a perfect itinerary for us. He did not fall short! Our trip to Botswana and Victoria Falls could not have been any more fabulous and exceeded all expectations!
During the planning process and in the many months leading up to our late March safari, Roger was always available to chat and promptly answer whatever questions we had. Every possible detail was arranged, and it all went off without a glitch! I would not hesitate to recommend Roger and Safari Lifestyles for any Botswana travel. Thank you Roger for a perfectly executed safari. We loved every single minute!
During the planning process and in the many months leading up to our late March safari, Roger was always available to chat and promptly answer whatever questions we had. Every possible detail was arranged, and it all went off without a glitch! I would not hesitate to recommend Roger and Safari Lifestyles for any Botswana travel. Thank you Roger for a perfectly executed safari. We loved every single minute!
Written 6 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what happened?... I had no idea about this and of course am not in control of what may happen in a lodge...
As with all our many clients, I feel very happy that we provided full communication with you during your interest, and as you mention, it was a last minute trip which we provided at very low rates for you. At no stage did you ever mention any lack of communication from us before or after the trip... indeed I am reading about this, and the "distressing incident at one of the camps" for the first time with your review.
I just wish you had asked me first or had written to me first, before you wrote about it to the general public..
I am very sorry if some thing happened, but that is of course beyond our control, but I would have communicated if I had known about it.
Roger
Written 22 July 2024
We want to do a self drive, camping trip thro Botswana, but battling to book into the different camp, can you help us please. We are from south Africa, Jeffreys Bay. Thank you. Ian Wood.
Written 26 January 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.