Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Travelers taking photo with the rainbow behind them at the safari in Masa Mara Conservancy, Kenya.

Martha and James Issokson saw not just wildlife but a rainbow on their safari in the Masa Mara Conservancy.

We just returned from a wonderful stay in Kenya. We started planning this trip with Daniel over one year ago. His guidance enabled us to narrow down the many possibilities for a trip to Aftrica. He was helpful in selecting the time of year, the locations, and also the type of resort experience we wished to have. We stayed at two of the Kicheche resorts from February 4th-February 12th. The selection of camps in the Masa Mara Conservatory and the Old Pejeta Conservancy provided a wonderful variety of terrain and wildlife to view. The camps were exactly the type of accommodation we described for Daniel. The location, food and level of service were above and beyond our expectations. The staff made us feel at home and were very eager to accommodate our every need. Experiences like viewing elephants, buffalo and gazelles from our tent at the Old Pejeta camp and watching a pride of lions feast on a freshly killed hippo at the Mara Conservancy made our trip one we will not soon forget. We hope to return to Africa someday soon and will certainly call Daniel to assist us once again.

Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.

Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. Photo: Traveler Edy Netter

Our 12/16-12/25 trip to Uganda + Rwanda, organized by Dan Saperstein, was amazing! Each safari camp (there were 3) offered a different set of experiences, all of which were fantastic. At Lemala Wildwaters (Uganda, at the source of the Nile) we stayed in a beautiful cabin surrounded by whitewater as dramatic as any I’ve seen. I especially liked that most guests were from Uganda. The food was terrific. One caveat: The white water rafting is not for the faint-hearted. Amakoro Songa Kinigi Lodge (Rwanda, Volcano National Park) offered entertainment, a community walk (I highly recommend doing this, but my husband had trouble getting back because the sun was going down + the path was rocky). Gorilla-trekking was beyond amazing. I was glad I did it twice! Our focus at Wilderness Magashi (Akagera National Park) — a tented camp, where we had a Christmas dinner which was sublime — was animal sightings. We traversed Wilderness’s beautiful private reserve with Leo, our terrific guide by safari van + the lake where the camp sits, by boat. The most thrilling: black + white rhinos + their babies + an attempted kill by a leopard. The baby impala he hoped would be his dinner, escaped. Every place we went, the people — the staff, our guides — were terrific. At Amakoro + Wilderness there were little surprises, but I’d spoil the fun if I disclosed them. The logistics + our drivers were perfect — with one exception: the drive from Entebbe to Jinga (Lemala) was awful. Our van was not air-conditioned. The smells (dust + pollution) were overwhelming. It was not pleasant. All in all, Dan’s team planned a trip we’ll remember forever. We’ve travelled for many years. This trip was special.

We just returned from an amazing trip and safari in South Africa planned by Daniel Saperstein. Daniel listened to our likes, dislikes, and goals for the trip and planned an outstanding vacation for us. The hotels in the Royal Portfolio collection are by far the best accommodations and customer service we have EVER experienced. The safari at the Royal Malanwane was exceptional with our incredible guide, Nigel, and tracker, Lawrence. The Royal Malanwane goes above and beyond from arrival to departure to create a memorable experience. We saw all of the Big 5 and then some! We can’t wait to return with our family. We had some changes during the trip due to flooding in the Franchook region, but with the help of Daniel we were able to successfully adjust and spend time in Hermanus enjoying the whale watching. Transfers were well planned and we were well taken care of for the entire time in South Africa. This trip was an experience of a lifetime. Cape Town is beautiful and Table Mountain affords views like no other. The Silo Hotel in Cape Town was amazing and they welcomed us back after we had to make another change to plans with a suite that was beyond our expectations. The complete trip was spectacular.

We recently returned from a truly amazing trip to Kenya and Rwanda, organized by Dan Saperstein. We began planning our trip over a year ago, initially interviewing two companies that were rated as being in “the top five” by respected travel publications. Disappointed that their representatives weren’t really listening and designing trips that met our criteria, we reached out to Wendy’s team and got connected with Dan.

Dan is a great listener, and promptly put together an itinerary for September that excited us and met our requirements. With his guidance, we selected two locations for safaris on private lands in Kenya, the Lewa Conservancy and the Mara North Conservancy. The safari experiences at the two locations complemented each other really well. In Lewa, we saw four of the Big Five upon arrival, just on our drive from the airstrip to camp! Home to countless unique species, there we also saw Grevys Zebra, white and black rhinos and even wild dogs. Fortunately, we also made it to the Masai Mara in time to see the migration and a drama-filled river crossing, as well as all the Big Five. Our last stop was Rwanda, where we went gorilla trekking for two days. It’s hard to explain the joy and wonder one experiences when face-to-face with a gorilla family, but it was extraordinary and we are forever changed.

For all of our adventures, Dan secured safe, plush accommodations and knowledgeable, helpful and attentive local guides who were great ambassadors for their countries. We were really impressed with their sincere commitment to conservation and their communities. We are so happy we entrusted Dan with our first trip to Africa, including our “bucket list” time with the gorillas; he delivered a truly awesome experience.

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