David Berg
Trip Review: Victoria was wonderful, in planning the trip, and in helping us with the one year (Covid) delay. All of the accommodations and tours were great. It was especially good to have her working behind the scenes with Ranger Safaris to get our Covid testing done pre-departure from Tanzania.
Most Memorable Moment: Nine lion cubs on top of a very large pride rock in Serengeti park. Joseph then found us the "mamas" a few hundred meters one way, and "papa" in the other direction. Add to that Joseph's explanation of pride biology and mating dynamics, and it made for a very interesting morning.
Advice For Future Clients: Be prepared for the bumpy ride across rough terrain in your safari vehicle.
Kelli L
Trip Review: Our trip was truly the experience of a lifetime. I think we expected to have a great time, but didn't anticipate that we would feel as if we'd left a little piece of our hearts in Botswana. The wildlife and landscapes we saw were beautiful and beyond our expectations. The people we met were warm, kind, and happy to see visitors returning. Locals are obviously and rightly proud of their homelands and all they have to share with visitors from around the world. Covid precautions are taken very seriously and there was never a moment when we felt unsafe or exposed. We've been very cautious regarding covid throughout the pandemic and we felt safer in Africa than we have in the US.
Most Memorable Moment: It is very difficult to pick just one moment. Our last night at Camp X, they set up sundowners for us and another couple on the edge of a pool in Paradise Pools. We sat on blankets and had drinks while we watched the giant red sun going down and eventually a few elephants came out to drink on the other side of the pool. It was serene and lovely and the kind of experience that felt like something out of a movie. (Camp staff also got a great picture of the four of us during this and shared it with us.)
Advice For Future Clients: Go to Botswana, it will be worth it in ways you cannot imagine. Go to Africa RIGHT NOW if you can. The experience you will have due to the current lower volume of visitors is once in a lifetime.
Robert Evans
Trip Review: This trip was utterly spectacular. We will treasure these memories the rest of our life. Everything about the trip was perfect. The game viewing, accommodations, tours, and transfers were splendid
Most Memorable Moment: Without a doubt it was the morning game drive in Savanna when we had the opportunity to watch a mother leopard with her two five month old cubs. The cubs played with each other for at least 20 minutes, like huge kittens. The three of them together were just spectacular.
Advice For Future Clients: Go to Africa, use African Portfolio. Go without expectations, accept all the wonderful things that come to you doing the trip. Revel in the wonderful, friendly people of South Africa.
Terri Pasquarelli
Trip Review: Where do we begin! Victoria was amazing in the planning of our trip. She handled changes and questions with her usual patient fun nature. Everything worked flawlessly.
Most Memorable Moment: When the staff surprised us with an incredible cocktail event in The Bush! Not to be forgotten.
Advice For Future Clients: Listen to Victoria and let her plan an amazing trip to Africa!
Cathi Zilling
Trip Review: Simply put-beyond expectations! Victoria was amazing and so helpful and graciously answered our many questions! Can’t wait to do it again!
Most Memorable Moment: Seeing the interactive with all the babies and moms. From the Elephants and hippos to the lions and leopards. Seeing the family dynamics up close was special to me.
Advice For Future Clients: Just GO!
Darlene Page
Most Memorable Moment: Canoeing down the Zambezi River with hippos and staying at Kingsmead in Harare.
Advice For Future Clients: Enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the African people and don’t believe the state department warnings. South Africa and especially Zimbabwe had more stringent Covid protocols than the US. We felt completely safe.
Nicolas Hamatake
Trip Review: Offered a totally custom itinerary
Most Memorable Moment: Seeing a leopard cub emerging from its den in Machaba. But really, there were too many memorable moments to choose one.
Advice For Future Clients: Go with a professional safari outfitter for at least your first safari -- there are far too many things to put in place to DIY and still enjoy yourself.
Kim Cochran
Trip Review: We had a spectacular experience. The lodges were beautiful, the staff was incredibly welcoming, and the wildlife was beyond cool.
Most Memorable Moment: Seeing a leopard feast on an impala in Samburu, and watching two (!!!) river crossings in the Mara. Also, enjoying breakfast in the bush on game drives.
Advice For Future Clients: Invest in a great camera! Also, bring one set of binoculars per person.
Gerie and Christopher Voss
Trip Review: We loved it! The service, the lodges, and particularly the food — were all a step above from our previous trips.
Most Memorable Moment: We loved all of our guides and staff. But the guides at Lewa (Peter and Dixon) were beyond incredible. They quickly saw how much we loved photography and rearranged the schedule so that we could have a private car to focus on our photos. They also suggested to wake up before sunrise to extend and enhance our game drive.
Advice For Future Clients: Stay at the Chemi Chemi house. It is the best kept secret at the Serian lodges. We felt so lucky to have that experience — what an incredible surprise that turned out to be!
Julie and Matthew Richardson & Family
Trip Review: This was our first trip to Africa and we felt very confident and comfortable traveling with African Portfolio. They were very knowledgeable and helpful.
Most Memorable Moment: Watching the Wildebeests cross the Mara River while a leopard stalked them. Also the lion walking right in front of our car at Ngorongoro Crater. Also just watching the elephants in Tarangire National Park is also amazing.
Advice For Future Clients: If you’re going to the Ngorongoro Crater pack an extra sweatshirt.
Beth Mainiero
Trip Review: Thorough assistance throughout the trip without (usually) having ever to worry! As a 7 repeat customer, I like working with you to plan within my budget and still get the experience I want. Almost never do I feel like I am scared and in charge of getting myself to the next place I am to go.
Most Memorable Moment: Getting 2 chances to watch the Mara River crossing. One day one from the Tanzania side and the other from the Kenya side. It fulfilled a wish and was so dramatic as we watched the hippos almost be in the way of the Wildebeests.
Advice For Future Clients: Roll with any punches; slow down and enjoy waiting 2 to 3 hours for a sight you want to have happen. It could be just to see the sight of leopard babies hidden by the Mothers nestled in stone with branches hiding them from you view that only let their movement, not their faces get seen.
Harold and Kathryn Blackstone
Trip Review: “11 out of 10.” That’s what my 12 year old grandson said about our trip. We tried to decide our “favorites” and had so many wonderful things, from the sites to the accommodations to the wonderful, generous hospitality of the people, that couldn’t we just decide on a favorite. Making our adventure even better we’re the COVID protocols. From the minute we disembarked, it was clear that we had nothing to worry about. Hand washing, mask wearing, social distancing and luggage spraying were the norm. And we were cared for by the guides and the staff in the camps at every moment. The accommodations themselves were nothing short of spectacular. The food—well, the scale says it all! The adventures every day—over the top…amazing…one of a kind. We thought of this trip as the trip of a lifetime. And it was!
Most Memorable Moment: The wildebeest crossing the Mara River…or tracking the male lion marking his territory…or the giraffe against the Nairobi skyline…or the nightly sounds of screeching baboons and grunting hippos…the bush breakfasts…the quiet, kindness of the Masai…. There were too many memorable moments to just pick one!
Advice For Future Clients: Go! Relax, take it all in. It’s truly a trip of a lifetime.
Daniel Garin and Megan Wholey
Trip Review: We had an amazing trip. The postponement process was as non-stressful as it could be and we never felt pressure to go too soon. The trip itself was incredible and we could not think of anything that would have made it better.
Most Memorable Moment: The first time we ran into elephants on our way to Lake Manyara! And seeing the Great Migration right in front of us from our tent in the Serengetti
Advice For Future Clients: Make sure to sleep in every now and then!
Kristin Caceres
Trip Review: This trip far exceeded my expectations. Everything went flawlessly, and we were so well taken care of.
Most Memorable Moment: We were lucky enough to see the wildebeests cross the Mara River for the first time this year. My dream was to see the Great Migration.
Advice For Future Clients: If you're thinking about going anytime soon, don't wait. Go now and make your travel dreams come true.
Julie & Armin Cline
Trip Review: A once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trip that exceeded all our expectations. Vanessa -- our contact -- was a wealth of information and was patient with all our questions and so organized. she made our trip so easy for us. Vanessa immediately understood my priorities. We connected.
Most Memorable Moment: Seeing female rhinos scare off a male rhino who was targeting young male rhinos. Also seeing the leader of a zebra family calling to part of her family that did not cross the river. She went back across the river to them and brought the rest of the family back.
Advice For Future Clients: Watch. don't just take pictures. Sometimes when you are taking pictures, you're not watching as closely.