Fair Trade Safaris Reviews 65

Our trip exceeded our expectations. Fair Trade Safaris took the time to work closely with us and give us guidance for many months as we planned our itinerary and made many changes over the year leading up to our trip. With the final set of changes we did find some errors in our itinerary but these were quickly corrected by Fair Trade Safaris when pointed out and the trip went very smoothly. Everything was perfectly coordinated in Africa. The guides chosen for us were outstanding! (request Graham In Cape Town and/or the Wine Country and ask for Barnie on Safari!). Everything in Africa was perfectly coordinated with drivers, guides and accommodations communicating to assure we were always picked up on time and delivered safely to our next destinations. Accommodations were beautiful, the service was outstanding and we ate incredible food. Fair Trade was also the most cost-effective agent I researched AND gives profits to charities in Africa and uses responsible vendors who also work with African charities. I would recommend Fair Trade Safaris to anyone planning a trip to Africa.

I would highly recommend Fair Trade Safaris! The attention to detail was amazing, customer service flawless and the itinerary spot on. From start to finish, Fair Trade Safaris made our "bucket list" trip perfect!

This was the most amazing vacation we have ever had! Fair Trade Safaris took such good care of us. From picking us up at the airport, on the safari's and then back to the airport. We travelled from Nairobi, down thru the Masai Mara, to Tanzania and the Serengeti, then back up to Mount Kilimanjaro, then back to Nairobi. Not one hiccup, not one complaint for the entire 2 weeks. Each transitions was seamless. Our drivers took care of it all! And the best part was the profits from our trip went back into Africa! I can't thank Saurabh enough for all his help in making this a trip of a lifetime!

I found Fair Trade through Club Corp and at the time was just thinking about planning a trip to Africa (the Motherland). So coincidentally, I happened to be reading a Club Corp magazine where this company was featured, so I reached out. I must say Saurabh and his team did a fantastic job! Made good recommendations and suggestions that I hadn't even thought of or would know to ask. If you like professionalism and if needed exclusivity this company is the way to go! The trip, the planning and attention to details was impressive! They even remembered it was my wife's birthday without me ever having to mention or remind our local dinner and lodging folks!

Great Job! Plan to use them again!
LF

Saurabh did a wonderful job planning our trip to South Africa. He took care of everything that we needed from the moment we landed in Johannesburg. All of our in-Africa flights, airport transfers, tour guides, the Safari! and hotels... everything was top notch. I look forward to returning to Africa. This time to explore other countries... I'm hooked!

Fair Trade Safaris is the best experience I have ever had traveling. Everything was handled down to the smallest details. I was traveling with my grandson and a little apprehensive since it was his first time out of the country. What a FABULOUS experience we had! Everything went so smoothly and exceeded our expectations. Anyone who wishes to travel to South Africa would be well taken care of by Fair Trade Safaris! In a review it is hard to convey what a first class organization they are and how much they care about you and your family. Thank you Rob from the very bottom of my heart!
Sandy

I just want to thank Saurabh and Fair Trades Safaris for putting together such a great trip. Everything went off without a miss from people meeting us as we got off the planes, taking us through customs, baggage collection to transportation to our destinations. Everyone was so nice where ever we went and all of the sites that Saurabh recommended were first class from Rovos Rail to Cape Town, Ngala Safari Lodge, Zambezi Queen and the Victoria Falls Hotel. Thanks again Saurabh for all your hard work and planning our trip of a lifetime.

This was my first experience with Fair Trade Safaris and I am pleased to say that from beginning to end it has exceeded my expectations! Saurabh guided us through the planning and every aspect of the trip was first class. I can honestly say that this was the best vacation of my life! Enjoyed Rovos Rail, Ngala Safari lodge, Zambezi Queen and Victoria Falls Hotel and all the experiences in between immensely! I whole heartedly would recommend Fair Trade Safaris to anyone planning a trip to Africa. Great Job Saurabh!

Thank you Saurabh and Fair Trades for putting together a wonderful trip for us. From the time we landed till the time we departed there was always someone to greet us or guide us . The accommodation were top of the line and we would highly recommended Fair Trades tours to anyone. Thank you again for a great trip.

Thanks to Fair Trade Safaris for one of our most memorable trips ever!!!! A special thanks to Saurabh for his help and expertise in planning a perfect itinerary for our time in Africa. All of our accommodations were top notch, with staff that were so very attentive. On safari we had the very best guide and tracker, who were able to locate and show us all of the "Big Five"!!!! Our guide in Cape Town was excellent and so very knowledgeable. We had a great time enjoying the beautiful sights of Cape Town. Then on to Victoria Falls where we enjoyed a relaxing stay at the beautifully appointed Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. We just can't say enough about Fair Trade Safaris and their ability to put together a perfect itinerary at a fair price!!! Every detail was taken care of, along with all information we needed before and during our stay in Africa.... Thanks again, Saurabh and Fair Trade Safaris!

I was just about to book with another company when I was introduced to Fair Trade Safaris. From the opening conversation, they were heads and shoulders above any of the rest.

The setting up was easy and the trip itself was nothing short of amazing. Airport pickup, fantastic stays, top notch guides (thanks for catching the signs of AMS early) and the food on the mountain...wow. We wanted for nothing. They even sent a Sherpa up the mountain to bring me a birthday cake!! So unexpected and Thank you.

The safari was super cool as well. Saw 4 of the Big 5 and 7 of the big 9. From arrival to departure, there was no wondering if things had been planned out. It was seamless. I would recommend them without a doubt. I got WAY more than I paid for in my opinion.

Dan A.

I can’t say enough about the amazing trip of a lifetime that Saurabh and the team at Fair Trade Safaris put together for us. When my friends and I started seriously planning our trip to Tanzania earlier this year, we knew we were going to need the assistance and advice of someone with extensive knowledge and experience in planning the type of trip we wanted. Luckily, I happened to have friends who used Fair Trade Safaris to plan their trip, and they highly recommended Saurabh and his team at FTS. We spent several months working with Saurabh to plan the perfect itinerary within our budget. We had a vague outline of a trip in mind – climb Kilimanjaro, go on a safari, and then head to a beach in Zanzibar for some rest and relaxation. Saurabh was able to take our outline and turn it into a detailed day-by-day itinerary. He was patient with us and spent a lot of time answering all our questions and dealing with the various modifications we kept requesting to the itinerary. This was also a trip that required a lot of logistics, and Saurabh made sure nothing fell through the cracks and that we were always well taken care of. Once we arrived in Tanzania, Saurabh checked in with us frequently to make sure everything was going smoothly. We were thrilled with the team of guides and porters Saurabh arranged for the Kilimanjaro climb. We were lucky to all reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and I have no doubt that it was in large part due to the team and especially the guides we had with us on the mountain. After the climb, Saurabh arranged a private safari for us and once again, we had a great guide who was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and very focused on what we wanted to see. Saurabh booked us in various camps and lodges in the Tanganyika Wilderness Camps portfolio– my favorites happened to be the tented camps (Mara Under Canvas and Serengeti Kati Kati). There was just something magical about being in these camps, surrounded by wilderness and wildlife, and disconnected from our phones and computers. We were extremely lucky with wildlife sightings on safari as well! Our trip ended in Zanzibar and Saurabh’s recommendation for a beach resort (Ras Nungwi) was the perfect place to spend time relaxing. The views were wonderful, the rooms spacious and comfortable, and the staff was amazing and attentive. We had a fantastic time on our trip, and I can’t imagine what would have made it better. I highly recommend working with Saurabh and FTS!

This was our first trip to Africa and we were not sure what to expect but thanks to Fair Trade Safaris it was the most memorable trip. We not only visited NgoroNgoro conservation area and Serengeti national park and saw all the great wildlife but carried with us memories which will last us a lifetime. The lodges and tents that we stayed were very nice and comfortable and they could be destinations by themselves. The guide was very knowledgeable about the birds, animals and plants and went out of the way to make sure that we got all the opportunities possible to watch the animals.

The sight and sound of the Serengeti are unparalleled in the world and the trip organized by Fair Trade Safaris was able to do this for a very reasonable price and not only do I wholeheartedly recommend them to any one thinking of visiting Tanzania, I will likely be doing this all over again in not too distant a future.

Thank you Sourabh for organizing this amazing trip.

People refer to a trip to Africa as a bucket list item-and it is. Traveling to the beautiful continent is a big trip in every way-the preparation, expense and travel time all contribute to this.
This is where Saurabh Khetrapal and his team at Fair Trade Safaris come in and deliver a trip of a lifetime. FTS is one of a kind company that promotes and practices responsible tourism. In fact the company is built on 'giving back'. We stayed at some of the most serene and beautiful camps/lodges. We enjoyed delicious and fresh cooked meals that were so flavorful-beyond what I had anticipated. We saw the 'big 5'! And the cost of the entire trip came in UNDER our budget!
But the proof was in the detailed planning that Saurabh had excuted. Not one detail was overlooked-details that would have not even crossed my mind had I tried to plan this trip on my own (not something I would recommend). And the founder (Saurabh) was in constant contact with us during the entire trip!
Visiting Africa is a trip of a lifetime for many people. And for this it is so important to pick the right company as your tour operator. If you want luxury without paying over-the-top rates, then Fair Trade Safaris is the only choice!!

We were recently married in early October 2015 and took our long-awaited honeymoon shortly thereafter to Tanzania and Zanzibar. I'd always planned to take my wife on a safari trip, having been on one in Kruger National Park, South Africa back in 2009.

Because I wanted the trip to be perfect, the planning was lengthy and detailed, yet very streamlined and painless...thanks to Saurabh Khetrapal of Fair Trade Safaris, who went exceedingly above and beyond what I'd've ever anticipated. He took the time to not only share his vast experience with booking airfare using my accumulated credit card points, but also shared his knowledge about the various lodges in Tanzania; a majority of which he'd been to himself. Saurabh was always very prompt with responses whenever I had questions, and stayed dependable the entire time. Professional, yet personal.

The trip started off with a business class flight aboard one of the world's most prestigious airlines and ended in a beautiful natural picturesque resort in Zanzibar. The attention to detail paid off and our stays at &Beyond Klein's camp and Ngorongoro Crater Lodge were wonderful.

A staff member met us at the airport in Dar Es Salaam and helped us through the foreign check-in process and through airport security. Then a personal driver picked us up at our bush airport destination and was with us throughout our 6 day stay in the Serengeti.

My wife was blown away by the hot air balloon surprise over the central Serengeti which Fair Trade Safaris not only suggested, but of course helped me plan.

Our trip ended in a tropical paradise on a very relaxing quiet natural resort in the north of Zanzibar.

FTS unquestionably got me the best rates for our luxury honeymoon travel package; and given the mission statement and commitment of FTS to donate 100% of its profits to local African community projects and wildlife conservation in the region, while hiring locals, our money could not have been better spent.

- Okem & Olamide (Austin, TX)

Having been to Africa on more than one occasion and I can tell without any reservations that Fair Trade Safari has been above and beyond on all my expectations. Everything was well thought of and organized . The best part is the philanthropic aspect of the trip.
From the moment you arrived in Africa to the moment you leave, you will had constant communication with Fair Trade Safari and feel at ease at all time.

Saurabh you are the best! Thank you

My trip with fair trade Safaris in July 2016 was amazing experience...an opportunity with so many interesting facets that I was able to choose and participate in those things that I found most fun or were closest to my heart.
This was...
- a wildlife safari par excellence with some nights in the wild under tents and others in five start lodges;
- a photography intensive class with expert photographers providing free instruction;
- both for ipod photographers and for those who had greater expertise
and passion in photography
- an opportunity to participate in a social service enterprise in Africa
- a time to sit with those on the other side of the world and exchange life stories
- a visit to the Masai tribal village and ways
- long walks and sunrises on the white beaches of Zanzibar island
- a learning of the dangers to elephants, rhinos and lions from poachers and illegal markets
- a classroom to learn of the intense efforts that conservationists are making to defend the animals of Africa
- a dream to see millions of herds of cattle and wild animals wander and cross the Serengeti
- a privilege to live for a few days in a land owned by Lions and Elephants and to watch them live their lives
This was more than a safari trip for the summer...
it was a multi-dimensional experience lived in one compressed 2-weeks out on the African plains.
I would go again in a heartbeat and take my kids this time!

Saurabh and Fair Trade Safari's made our 10 year anniversary trip incredibly memorable. Every attention was paid to details to make sure our trip went according to plan including getting an anniversary cake made for us in the dinner tent out in the middle of the central Serengeti.

Our trip started climbing Kilimanjaro. The group that took us up included a guide that was one of the top guides in Tanzania. Then, we went to Zanzibar for a little relaxation and to visit an orphanage (which is part of the ethos of the company to try to give back). The last leg of the trip was a private set of game drives in the Serengeti. The accommodations were perfect and gave us exactly what we were looking for...and yes, we saw the big 5!
We highly recommend Fair Trade Safari's and thank them again for making this trip an absolutely memorable one.

Fair Trade Safaris planned a fabulous trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar for me, my fiancee, and our good friend. We knew we wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, go on safari, and then have some downtown on the beach in Zanzibar, but didn't know much about where exactly to go. Saurabh put together an excellent itinerary, respected our budget, and took care of all the logistics we tend to forget about-- ground transportation between places, how to get our climbing gear to meet us in Zanzibar.

Saurabh checked in with us frequently once we got to Tanzania, and continued to ensure everything ran smoothly. He clearly knows the best local operators and guides. We were thrilled with our climbing team, our Safari guide, and our guide for a couple excursions in Zanzibar (spice farm tour and walking tour of stone town). Even when we came back, Saurabh followed up with us to make sure everything met our needs/expectations, and for feedback on anything we would have changed/done differently (very little!)

I would most highly recommend working with FTS!

FTS is like no other operation. My daughter, her 2 young children and I spent about 2 weeks between Tanzania and Zanzibar. We visited everything from an organic coffee farm in Arusha, safaris in all of the 'must-do' parks, walking in downtown Dar Es Salaam and Stone town (in Zanzibar), to some of the most beautiful powder white sand beaches with the most exquisite blue water of the Indian Ocean. We saw all of the 'Big 5' and some of the 'Little 5' too! We witnessed a lioness hunt and capture her prey...a herd of elephants so close to our vehicle that you could hear them breathe- so exhillarating! Each and every lodge/camp we stayed at was beyond my expectation-the food, the drink, the company and the staff were perfect. We are vegetarians and they were able to serve us lavish, gourmet and freshly prepared meals-some of the best vegetarian food I have ever had! And Zanzibar- such a rich and eclectic culture-it's probably my favorite island ever!

This was truly a first class experience from the planning process all the way until departing for our flight back home. FTS paid close attention to all that we wanted to do and managed to arrange it all. The CSO (Cheif Smiles Officer) of FTS and his team surpassed all my expectations...and even with all of this, what truly makes this company unique is their dedication to 'giving back'. Not only did I get to experience the luxury that Africa has to offer, but me, my daughter and my 2 young grandchildren were able to learn more about wild life conservation, education initiatives and a holistic approach to helping orphaned children. It was this portion of the trip that really made the entire experience feel complete and magical.