At Nature Travel Africa, our client reviews are a true reflection of what we strive to achieve on all our safaris and tours to Africa. For us, the focus is on making your dream safari come true. Using our expertise of Africa and our passion for the beautiful country, we take care to make your safari an unforgettable personalized experience.
Once in a lifetime trip
Mary Kay Thomas
I recently returned from a fabulous trip to Cape Town and Namibia with Nature Travel Africa and Nature Travel Namibia!
The Cape Town experience was brief, but we fit a lot in with our local guide,
Geoff.
We visited a penguin colony, Cape Hope, and had a wine tasting.
Next, we traveled to Namibia, where we were met by our guide, Nick Buys, who is a native Namibian. We hiked the dunes, flew on a small plane for a scenic tour of Swakopmund and the Skeleton Coast, kyaked and visited a seal colony! The wildlife viewing was incredible and our lodges were top notch! I can highly recommend Nature Travel without reservation and only hope others can experience this once in a lifetime trip!
Penguins in the Suburbs of Cape Town & Namibia’s Extraordinary “Green Season”
Janeen Hernan (USA)
I recently returned from a visit to Africa, traveling with 5 friends and under the guidance of “Nature Travel Africa”. Our journey started in Cape Town, South Africa for several days to recover from our travels. We viewed the African Penguins which are conveniently located in the suburbs of Cape Town, a beautiful drive to the Cape of Good Hope, and no tour of the area would be complete without a stop at a local winery.The next part of the journey took us to Namibia, a mostly desert country which had record rain fall this year. The grass was tall and the animals were on the move enjoying the fresh grass and water. This translated into many encounters with the local wildlife. Most memorable was viewing a herd of Zebra’s numbering in the hundreds, arriving to drink in the fresh rain water, a Leopard crossing the road in front of our vehicle, and night viewing of Black Rhinos, Elephants and Lions at the watering hole by our accommodations inside Etosha Park. But we did much more than just game viewing. We walked the red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, took a scenic flight over the ship wrecks of the Skeleton Coast, kayaked with hundreds of seals in Walvis Bay, hiked to ancient rock art in Twyfelfontein, toured the ‘Living Desert” finding life even in the desert sands, and tracking Leopards in a wildlife reserve.
This incredible journey was possible due to the travel team at “Nature Travel Africa”. All of our transfers were on time and efficient, accommodations impeccable, and tours seamless. A special thanks to Nicolette Muller and Nick Buys for answering our many questions in timely communications, and making numerous requested changes to our itinerary. Our guides Geoff in Cape Town, Nick, and Delano in Namibia had in depth knowledge of the area, animal behavior, and great interpersonal skills, being in tune with their clients needs and wants.
Africa is a beautiful and diverse continent with so much to experience. Therefore, I have visited many times and at the end of each trip I start planning my next sojourn to Africa’s many wonders with Nature Travel Africa.
Very prompt and clear in communication
Alok (India)
Great expertise with Nature travel Namibia – we booked our Kruger trip with them. Nadine was really helpful and prompt, whenever needed; and catered to our need considering we had a 5 year old kid with us.
Birding in Rwanda
Adrian McDermott
I arrived early morning at Kigali international airport for possibly the quickest and most efficient passport and baggage claim I have experienced in my multiple trips to Africa. I met up with Claudien after a quick freshen up at the hotel and we headed to Bugesera with Alex, the driver for the trip. Bugesera was a nice introduction to birding in Rwanda with some nice wetland species including Papyrus Gonolek, Carruther’s Cisticola amongst the kingfishers, herons and others. In the afternoon we visited the well appointed Nyandungu Urban Wetland Park. Again, this was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon. There was nothing too exciting but it was nice to have a birding opportunity in the middle of the city.The next morning we travelled to Nyungwe for the main part of the tour. The roads and drive were smooth and pleasant. There are some excellent coffee stops on the way. Before we got to the park Alex managed to spot a pair of Dusky Crimsonwings on the side of the road and I managed to sneak in a quick picture. I met up with the local guide, Jacques, a the park headquarters. Within a few minutes we had a number of new species including Waller’s Starling , Black Faced Apalis, Regal Sunbird and others via some road side birding. As we wandered we saw other species including Lagden’s Bush-Shrike and Purple Breasted Sunbird. After a dizzying few hours of birding we checked in at the comfortable lodge for some nice dinner and sleep.
While the initial afternoon’s birding was probably the most productive over the next few days there was some fantastic sightings of endemics along the many trails in Nyungwe. These including Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Red Throated Alethe, Yellow Eyed Black Flycatcher, Strange Weaver, Rwenzori Turaco, Kungwe Apalis and many more. The birding around the lodge was also fun with sunbirds and flycatchers a common sight.
Eventually it was time to head back to Kigali for a stop over before heading to Akagera. Akagera is a only a few hours from Kigali and we got there in early to make the most of the two days I was spending there.
Upon arrival at Akagera I met up with the local guide, Emmanuel, who was very enthusiastic and keen to get going. In the morning we managed some nice views of Tabora Cisticola, Green Backed Eremomela amongst many more common species.
The lodge was very pleasant and there again there were some nice birds around and about. After a nice meal and good sleep I spent the day exploring Akagera. There was lots of recent l, controlled burning but there were some good sightings as we headed north through the park.
Once finished we headed back to Kigali and the airport with a quick stop for dinner and a much needed shower.
All in all another great trip organised by Nicolette and Nick at Nature Travel in a very clean, very safe, very friendly country that has some very special birding.
You will not be disappointed
Dorothy Clarke, USA
I love Elephants, and many years ago I saw a video of a family of Elephants walking through the reception area of a lodge somewhere in Africa. I knew I needed to visit someday and placed it on my “bucket list”.
Years later on a safari trip, viewing the Great Migration with Nature Travel Africa I mentioned my wish to our guide Nick Buys.Nick was familiar with the Lodge and the Elephants behavior. The Mfuwe Lodge is located in South Lauangwa National Park in Zambia, and the Elephants do indeed visit when the mangos trees are full of ripe fruit.
A trip was planned and delayed several times due to the pandemic, but this past November, Nature Travel Africa made my wish come true.The Elephants made several visits while I was there, enjoying the fruit, almost as much as I enjoyed them.
We also spent time in Kapamba Bush Camp, with several incredible encounters with wild dogs and prides of lions.
Then it was off to Malawi and Lawonde National Park where again my favorite sighting was the Elephants cooling off and playing in the Shire River. Our last lodge was located on the Mumbo Island which lies within the Lake Malawi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is the most beautiful location I have seen in Africa.
This was my 4th trip wit the Nature Travel Group and as usual the accommodations and food were excellent, the local guides were familiar with the area and animal behavior which led to many animal sightings, and Nick’s attention to his client’s needs is beyond compare.A special thanks to Nick and all the staff at Nature Travel Africa.
If you are planning a trip to Africa I would let Nature Travel Africa take you there. You will not be disappointed.
Unforgettable Tour of Rwanda & Kruger National Park, South Africa
Janeen Hernan, USA
I have just returned from a 16-day tour of Rwanda and Kruger National Park with Nature Travel Africa. This is my 7th trip with the Nature Travel Group so needless to say I think they are an excellent travel company. They are everything you want in a company: professional, efficient, flexible, communicate in a timely fashion, etc. but these are not the only reason I continue to use Nature Travel. I use Nature Travel because they personalize the experience to make their clients happy and have an excellent knowledge of the destinations.Nick Buys was our guide and his knowledge of wildlife and conservation never fails to amaze me. The highlights included encounters with Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Golden Monkeys, 2 Wild Dogs, 3 Leopards, and 8 Lion sightings, a Black Rhino, numerous White Rhinos, with over a thousand Cape Buffalo, and 100’s of Elephants. Our very first full day in Kruger N.P. we saw the “Big Five.”
Besides Nick knowledge of the natural world, he has an intuitive nature to his client’s needs. He relentlessly lobbied to ensure incredible encounters with the Chimpanzees and Gorillas. Had a stool made for me by a village carpenter to make it easier step into the safari vehicle. Greeted us with fresh pressed coffee at 5:30 am on Safari days. Even surprised us with a “braai,” a traditional South African BQ including the rules and etiquette, preparing the fire cooking Kudo sausage, beef, and chicken for us.
A special thank you to Nick, Nicolette, and Nadine and all the staff at Nature Travel Africa for sharing their continent and knowledge with me. Nature Travel Africa provided me with an unforgettable, enriched, and enjoyable travel experience with a guaranteed service that always exceeds by expectation.
I can highly recommend travel with Nick Buys and his company
Mary Kay Thomas
I just returned from my first trip with Nick Buys and Nature Travel Africa.
One thing for sure is that it won’t be my last!
The 16 day trip to Rwanda and Kruger National Park did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the most incredible and memorable travel experience that I have had.
I traveled with good friends, Janeen Hernan and Dottie Clarke, who’ve done many such trips with Nick, but for me it was a first.Everything was impeccably planned and organized and no details were missed.
Starting in Rwanda, our days were filled with exciting treks to see chimpanzees, Golden Monkeys, and finally, the Gorillas. This was one of the many highlights of the trip. We then traveled through Akagera National Park and arrived at a true Bush Camp for a most enjoyable stay.Moving on to Kruger National Park.. this afforded us multiple sightings every day of many animal, big and small. Obviously, I never have had a similar experience, so with Nick’s patience and a Childen’s Big Animal Book, I can now name the Big Five…and then some.
I can highly recommend travel with Nick Buys and his company, and I look forward to joining him again soon! Thanks for everything!
Elephants, Lions, and Wild Dogs “Oh My”
Janeen Hernan, USA
I have recently returned with 3 friends from a long awaited trip to Zambia and Malawi with Nature Travel Africa. The primary focus of this trip was to view the Elephants at Mfuwe Lodge located in the heart of South Luangwa National Park. The Elephants have free range and since there are no fences to separate the lodge from the park, they avail themselves, in Spring, to the ripe mangos from the trees on the property. The Elephants did not disappoint, nor did Nature Travel Africa.This was my 6th trip with Nature Travel Group and they continue to astonish me with new and unexpected experiences. We enjoyed several walks in the bush with our guides who pointed out some of the smaller details you cannot appreciate from a safari vehicle. On our night safaris we were able to observe the night time behavior of Leopards hunting and nocturnal animals not usually seen such as the Civet … a catlike creature with furred tail, small ears, pointed snout, with patterns of black spots and stripes.
Other highlights included viewing the social behavior of several packs of Wild Dogs, one pack with 26 members. We watched them enjoying the fresh rains and water along the Kapamba River, calling lost members, being chased by a wart hog, and hunting to feed their pups. We spent time watching a mother Lion try and corral her 3 new born cubs wandering off the explore their world. At the end of our trip we were able to cool off and snorkel in the clear waters of Lake Malawi, enjoying many colorful fish.
Our guide, Nick Buys, continues to amaze me with his animal and bird spotting, exceptional interpersonal skills, and his willingness to share this special continent of Africa. Nick was aware of our comfort and needs, making sure our laundry was done, favorite drinks available and chalets with the best views, to observe the animals we had come so far to see. The Nature Travel Africa is an exceptional travel company that I highly recommend.
A special thanks to Nick Buys, Nicolette Muller, and all the Nature Travel Africa Team for another incredible journey.
Day Birding Tour in South Africa
Marit Woudstra
In December 2021 my husband and I had a phenomenal birding day with Marc Cronje in and around Nelspruit. His knowledge, enthusiasm, patience, wit and understanding, made for a magical birding day. He always goes the extra mile. What a joy to go birding with Marc.
Ronel Victor
We are just back from our visit to the Kruger Park, where we had the privilege to do some birding with Marc Cronje. It was a very successful birding day seeing more than 70 species, with six new lifers added to my list. Marc not only has an endless knowledge of the birds, but also of the park in its totality.
We had a great time with Marc and we can highly recommend a birding trip with him. He is an enthusiastic birder and nature lover and we look forward to do birding with him in October in the Makuleke area.
Megan and Peter
My husband and I went to Kenya in October 2020 – our fourth trip to Africa, the third with this travel company. While we were initially cautious due to the timing, Nature Travel Africa responded with thorough instructions and kept us up-to-date with any changes, ensuring that we had all of the required documents and replying to any inquiries pretty immediately. They really did a lot to ease our minds about traveling and also were able to put together a fabulous itinerary in a relatively short period of time.For our trips, my husband likes to do active things while I am focused on the wildlife. Nature Travel suggested a great mixture of these activities, including rock climbing, riding bicycles in Hell’s Gate, hikes to beautiful, scenic waterfalls and a variety of landscapes and of course many game drives with an expert guide for wildlife viewing. We saw some pretty amazing things (riding a bicycle on the road while giraffes pass by was pretty surreal!), including an abundance of the “Big Five” and my husband’s personal favorite – the spotted hyena. We also had a very fortunate sighting of a Serval Cat in Nairobi National Park, too bad he wouldn’t sit still long enough for a picture! 😊
All in all, we cannot stress how wonderful Nature Travel has been for us, and we cannot recommend them enough. If you have ever dreamed of a trip to Africa, please look this company up – they will make you feel like family, will put together a trip of a lifetime (or maybe many, like they have for us!) and you will not regret a moment of it!
Dorothy C
This was my second trip to Africa with Nick Buys and the travel team at Nature Travel Namibia. The experience to say the least was amazing. We had many request and questions prior to our safari and all were answered and taken care of in a timely and professional manner. One of the many highlights was hanging on edge of Victoria Falls in the Devil’s Pool. Also the beautiful sunsets on our river cruise in Chobe National Park with 100’s of animals in view. I even caught a 18 pound cat fish in the rivers of Caprivi Strip in Namibia. These were just a few highlight all arranged by Nature Travel Namibia. I highly recommend Nature Travel Namibia for any of your travel plans to Africa.
Amazing Journey to Namibia, Botswana and Zambia”
MJH
From beginning to end this was an amazing journey through Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia with Nature Travel. The company answered all of our questions, and there were many, in a timely and professional manner while planning our trip. Our experiences were exceptional from watching incredible wildlife at watering holes to hanging out on the edge of Victoria Falls. I highly recommend Nick Buys and all the staff at Nature Travel Africa.
FANTASTIC Company!
CMegz
We have used Nature Travel Namibia (and its sister company Nature Travel Africa) twice now and will definitely do so again. Nick and Nicolette always organize the best trips for us, customized to our (sometimes crazy) dates and/or destination requests! Previous was our guide in Namibia, and I can’t say enough fantastic things about him and his truly selfless, dedicated and compassionate approach he took to guiding us on that trip. And our latest trip to Uganda and Rwanda also included a wonderful guide from Prime Safaris named Denis.If you haven’t checked out this company for ALL of your Africa travel needs, waste no more time! They have many offshoots that involve travel to many other countries as well, so take a peek – you won’t be disappointed!
Absolutely amazing Namibia/ Botswana safari adventure”
Karen J
We’ve just finished a 15 day Namibia / Botswana Safari, ending with a visit to Victoria Falls and it was amazing! Our guide Marc Cronje, with his vast knowledge and experience, made every sighting exciting, no matter what we were looking at, and got us some exceptional (and sometimes unexpected) spectacles, including Honey Badgers digging for food whilst a number of Pale Chanting Goshawks stood by waiting to steal their prey and a family of Bat-eared foxes roaming around under the early evening sun. Marc worked tirelessly throughout the trip, his enthusiasm never waning, nothing was too much trouble, a thoughtful and caring guide. NTN organised beautiful lodges and accommodation, a surprise highlight being 2 days camping which we would definitely do again. To say we had a great time was an understatement, we are already thinking about saving for our next trip with them!
Amazing experience and service
Mary
We had a wonderful time. The entire trip was very enjoyable and interesting. Namibia is a stunning place, Lucky was a fantastic guide; very knowledgeable, an amazing spotter of all types of animals and great company.
We were particularly grateful because SAA caused a missed connection at Johannesburg and our rebooked flight the next morning was cancelled. Nature Namibia’s communication with us throughout, not only this setback but from start to finish was excellent and Lucky went above and beyond what could reasonably be expected when we finally arrived, by driving late into the night to get us to our first destination to try and get us back on track with our safari – excellent service, thank you.
Classic Namibia Safari
Joe Poon
Our representative from Nature Travel Namibia (hereafter NTN) is excellently professional. She continuously communicates with us on refining the itinerary and bookings, at the same time arrange our places of visits according to the tightly available lodges. Even during our trip when she is away on annual leave, another representative was assigned to us so we can contact her any time for any questions. 5-star service.
Lodges choices are marvelous too. Except due to very limited availability for all other lodges for one particular night, all lodges we stayed were specially themed with well equipped facilities and delicious food. Even on that particular night when we stay in a simple camp, it was also a valuable experience. As it was our honeymoon trip, NTN has informed all the lodges and tour operators and each and every single one of them have prepared special arrangements to help us celebrate this special occasion.
Vehicle they provided us function very well too. A manual 4X4 that can go through all kinds of road condition in Namibia, with only 3000+ km usage, I practically doubled it after the trip. A little problem is with the GPS, which directed us twice away from main road but through non-existing routes through the wild, but at least we were able to continue.
I definitely recommend NTN to anyone who are considering travel to Namibia, you won’t regret engaging them.
Utterly fabulous trip
Anna
I expected to love traveling in Namibia, but our 9-day tour with Nature Travel totally surpassed my expectations! Namibia is stunningly gorgeous and I can imagine no better way to experience the country than the trip that Nature Travel prepared for us. We went to all the spots a first-time visitor would want to see from the red dunes in Sossusvlei, to Swakopmund, to Etosha with many stops in between. The lodges were all lovely and the countryside you drive through is unending beauty. But what made the trip so special was having the best guide imaginable–Previous Tsvigu. Not only had he spent years working in the parks and in conservation, but he is also a passionate birder. So he knew the birds and animals in a way that brought the experience to life. He could easily identify all the birds we encountered, and had an incredible eye for spotting them. In Etosha, his intimate knowledge of the animals and their habits helped him to predict where they would be and when they would move, so he was able to place us in the best spots for viewing them. He was also deeply knowledgeable about Namibian history and culture and always generous with his knowledge. And he had a ready smile and laugh. We would not have seen half so much without him, even visiting the same placesFrom initial contact and trip preparations through to the day we left, Nature Travel could not have been more attentive and professional. Thank you for an utterly fabulous trip!
They are excellent to work with and I can’t wait to use them again
Lawrence
Nick Buys and his colleagues were extremely attentive to all of my requests and they put together a 3 week Luxury multi-country Safari that became an unforgettable experience. They were consistently flexible and accommodated all of my last minute requests and changes. They were also excellent at troubleshooting and solving problems as they arose. This was my 5th trip to Africa and Nature Travel is, by far, the best Travel Guide I have ever worked with. I will certainly use them again in the future.
Safaris in Botswana and Namibia
Susan and Mark
We had the delightful experience of booking 2 separate safaris with Nature Travel. We spent 6 days in Botswana and a week in Namibia.
The trip was almost seamless, with complex transfers by van, small planes to Okavango Delta locations, and truck safaris to remote places all mixed into one trip. Nicolette Muller was our liaison for the planning and she always responded in a very timely manner to our thoughts, ideas and logistics planning between the United States and Africa. We particularly appreciated her “paring down” of our ambitious itinerary for both Botswana and Namibia given our time constraints!
All the staff and guides at the lodges and tented camps were professional, kind and paid much attention to the details. We can easily give a particular shout out to Previous Tsvigu, who patiently chauffeured and guided us through the history, animals and landscapes of his adopted country, Namibia. We had one particular experience where we were worn out after a long day’s drive and wanted to rest at the lodge, but Previous felt we needed to see the desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland. We knew that tracking down these animals was hit or miss, so we told him to go it alone, and come back to retrieve us if he found them. Sure enough, he raced out to the sight, found three elephants, and raced back to grab us for what turned out to be a lovely sighting of grazing elephants and a wonderful sundowner experience of the grasslands on the hood of our truck!
These kinds of attention to detail are what separates this travel company from the masses. They are smaller and truly care for their clients’ welfare and experience. The variety of experiences and things we requested (mokaro boat rides) are not always easy to find. Thanks again to Nature Travel Namibia which we can wholeheartedly recommend!
Trip round Botswana
Nicholascliffe
NTN were total professionals. Their suggestions for lodges in Kalahari and Okavango were exactly what we wanted and the small flights around the area went off like clockwork.
The whole trip will stay in our memory forever. Deception Valley Lodge is stunning. Guides Wynand and Coco gave us a real insight into their beautiful reserve and to see two young lions on the airstrip, just feet away from the jeep, was the highlight of the trip. The food at the lodge is amazing and the service second to none.
Delta Camp in Okavango was different but you must go!! With hippos and crocodiles on the banks, the mokoro trips are simply a totally unique was of seeing Africa. Our guide, Knowledge, was a total star and the whole team at Delta looked after us so well.
We can recommend NTN for your next safari with hesitation!!
Incredible journey through East Africa
Janeen Hernan
This was our 3rd trip with Nature Travel Namibia and they have never failed to exceed our expectations. 5 of us have recently returned from a 12 day expedition through the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, the Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. Our guides and drivers all demonstrated exceptional interpersonal skills, and an in depth knowledge of the area and animal behavior. This translated into many encounters with the local wildlife including: 3 crossing of the Mara River by thousands of Wildebeest and Zebras, 5 separate Leopards (one eating it’s kill in a tree), 9 separate Cheetahs (5 brothers marking a tree), around 15 separate lions (we lost count) with several large prides of over 25 lions, and even the elusive Black Rhino in the crater. All of our accommodations were excellent, and we even encounter wildlife only a few feet from our dining areas at several of the lodges.
Our questions and request were taken care of in a professional and timely manner, from a balloon safari to finding a bathroom. A special thank you to Nick Buys, Joe, Henry, Charles and all the Nature Travel Namibia staff for making this a truly incredible journey.