Our Safaris are uniquely different…
See what makes every aspect our Safari’s Special by reading Extracts from our Guest Reviews and decide if our Safaris are what you are looking for.
ORGANISATION OF SAFARI
Guest comments about their Safari Planning & Booking Experiences.
“Well it was an excellent experience from start to finish, everything was perfectly organised, Chris and his family work consistantly day and night to deliver an amazing experience for their guests.”
“Everything went very smoothly from the booking on. Chris answered all our questions before the safari promptly and friendly so that we already had a good feeling before we started.”
“Right from the moment I sent an enquiry through to Chris, to the moment he dropped me back at the airport after the safari, I felt safe, well looked after and well informed about every aspect of the safari, which meant I was free to sit back, relax and enjoy everything that Kruger had to offer.”
“I am the sort of person who will always find reason to moan about something, but I literally cannot think of a single thing to complain about on this trip. It was flawless, one of the best experiences of my life, and I envy you the anticipation of not having done it yet.”
“Communication with Chris was easy and his e-mail responses were quick while we were planning our safari before we left the US. He sent us a planned itinerary of a safari in Kruger National Park and then added a requested side trip to Elephant Whispers which he arranged and included in the price of the Safari to make it even easier for us. And when traffic snarled our original itinerary he made a few calls and re-arranged the visit to ensure we had plenty of time with the Elephants and plenty of time in the park. He also added the requested panaroma route during our return trip to Johannesburg and was flexible with our schedule as our flight got moved up a couple hours the week before we left.”
SAFARI TRUCK
Guest comments about travelling in Kruger in our Unique Safari Truck.
“Moreover, the truck really is ideally set up for the safari, giving you the best of both worlds: comfort and convenience (comfy seats, cool drinks, bathroom, a library of reference books) as well as great viewing (the height let's you see animals other vehicles can't, sliding windows gives you the sounds and picture-taking advantages of an open vehicle).”
“Chris's specialized safari truck..."Truck Norris". You will not be disappointed with what this truck can do. It sits much higher in elevation than most other vehicles that are common within the park. And as a result, you have an unobstructed view when it truly matters. As you can imagine, when a pride of lions have been located, well it attracts many onlookers who are all jostling for position to get the best view. With Chris's truck, no problems, you will have the view you want.”
“Truck Norris alone is worth choosing Armadillo as the windows are huge - ideal for photographers - and the elevated position means you have an unrivalled view of nature; there are drinks in a refridgerated cooler, you can read up on the park, game, tracking while crusing along with lots of space to enjoy the ride.”
“When Chris picked us up in Johannesburg in "Truck Norris", we weren't sure what we were in for. It soon became apparent that Chris had designed and built a very comfortable and unique Safari vehicle. Once we arrived in Kruger Park the amazing features of the truck really stood out. We were able to move around to different seats and viewing positions in order to see and photograph the animals we began to see. (Becasuse Truck Norris is such a tall vehicle, we were able to see over other vehicles and we had a much better chance of finding animals in the distance!)”
“Apart from the experience itself, there is NO OTHER vehicle like Chris's doing safaris. It has better height than the others by a good couple of feet. It also has tables, comfortable seating, a flush toilet, a library of reference books and even an honesty bar on board to you can kick back with a cold beer or cider whilst watching the natural world play out in front of you.”
“The 'armadillo' vehicle is a elevated box on the back of an Isuzu 4x4 that ensures you can go virtually anywhere in the park and see everything when you're there. The sitting height is even higher than the game viewing vehicles that we saw allowing us to see animals far into the bush. The elevated box has multiple windows perfect for wildlife viewing and picture taking and for keeping cool riding around in the park. The box also has tables set between chairs to allow kiddos to play some card games when the game drives got longer than their attention spans or on the way to and from the airport. It also has an honor drink bar (beer, cider, water and chocolate milk for us).”
“We got to enjoy his custom built 4x4 vehicle on our three day safari. It is fully equipped with toilet, coolers for drinks and snacks, heater, binoculars, library of nature books. The height alone was enough of an advantage to consider his outfit; we were able to see things no one else in the park was able to see.”
MEALS ON SAFARI
Guest comments about their Culinary Experiences on Safari with us.
“I have to mention the delicious food prepared by Chris himself - that were home-made meals like pasta, steaks, curry, salads, etc. - quite different from my imagination of camping food.”
“We missed his home-cooked meals for the rest of our ZA-trip.”
“The food during the safari was superb! Chris is able to cook perfect meals on a campfire, also very versatile (e.g. Curry, Gnocchi, steak). The food really exceeded our expectations by far.”
“Chris is a generous and excellent cook, the food was superb.”
“Chris cooked up something delicious for us every night - it was so good that even our 8 year old that here to forth we thought survived on photosynthesis asked for second helpings a couple nights. And the brunches were just as good.”
“Lastly, the food was absolutely delicious and prepared with obvious pride and care - they put a lot of thought and effort into the meals that they serve and it really shows. I put on 2 kgs in a week!!! They kept the "honour bar" well stocked at virtually cost prices and everything was kept cold with regularly stocked ice (and we were welcomed to keep our own drinks and water cold in the coolers as well).”
KNOWLEDGE GAINED ON SAFARI
Guest comments about their Wildlife Viewing, Information & Interaction while on Safari.
“Chris has amazing knowledge of Kruger nature and he is happy to share it with his guests. Additionally our games were not strictly limited as in other safari operators, we spent at least 7 hours on games a day. I'm pretty sure that it is the best value for money.”
“Chris and Simon went out of their way to try to find the animals the group wanted to see, sometimes we were driving in the park for up to 6 hours a day as new animal kept popping up along the way!”
“Chris and his daughter, Ginny, were so knowledgeable about all in the park. There wasn't one bug, bird or animal they didn't have a wealth of information on. With their expertise, we were able to see the "Big Five" and so much more.”
“You will not only get to spot wild animals but also learn a lot about their behavior, characteristics, society. As Chris is passionate about birds you will also get to be more aware of them and how they fit into the eco system, and that adds a nice twist to the trip.”
“We saw all of the big five during the 5 days and Chris and Nicki are very knowledgeable about all the wild animals. You can ask them anything and if they can´t answer straightaway they´ll make sure to look it up for you in the large amount of wild life books they have with them.”
“To top it all off, Chris has an amazing amount of bush and wildlife knowledge, and he never grew tired of the unending questions being asked of him. We learned so much.”
“Chris is an excellent and very well informed guide and he took us to areas where we were able to see hundreds of wild animals We saw all of the big five including dozens of lions, and elephants. Chris even woke us up to witness 3 lions taking down a buffalo, just outside our camping compound ar 1am.”
By Anna - Poland
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in PL
Rating
Visited: February 2016 - Reviewed: 20 Feb 2016
6 days Safari + Panorama Route
That was the experience of our life!!! Our family of 4 have spent 6 days in Kruger on board of Truck Norris. Everything was perfectly organised from the very beginning - Chris patiently and quickly responded to all my questions before making a final decision, than we were picked up from Jo'burg and the tour began. We were on camping safari, full equipment was provided by Chris - tents, sleeping bags, mattrecess, pillows, chairs, etc. Chris took care of us all the time - he was our guide, safari driver, excellent chef and storyteller. It was nice to sit at night near campfire and have a chit-chat on different subjects.
Travelling in Truck Norris was sooo comfortable - a lot of space, big windows, a fridge with stocks of cold beer, coffee machine and toilet. As we sit much higher than in standard safari vehicles we had better views. We saw so many animals! Chris has amazing knowledge of Kruger nature and he is happy to share it with his guests. Additionally our games were not strictly limited as in other safari operators, we spent at least 7 hours on games a day. I'm pretty sure that it is the best value for money.
I have to mention the delicious food prepared by Chris himself - that were home-made meals like pasta, steaks, curry, salads, etc. - quite different from my imagination of camping food (that was my first time sleeping in a tent :-)).
All in all - the only what can I do is to strongly recomend Chris ans his Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours. You will not be disappointed!!! Chris - once again I would like to thank you for your hospitality, patience and wonderful time we have in Kruger. Big respect for your hard work to satisfy your guests.
By Sarah and Robbie - GB
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in GB
Rating
Visited: January 2016 - Reviewed: 19 Feb 2016
Excellent from start to finish!
My husband and I joined Chris and his son Simon for a 8 day camping safari for our honeymoon. Where do we start, we had never been on a safari before, but enjoyed camping and thought why not!
Well it was an excellent experience from start to finish, everything was perfectly organised, Chris and his family work consistantly day and night to deliver an amazing experience for their guests.
The 'Chuck Norris' safari van was spacious, comfy and gave us a great view of Kruger which was head and shoulders above the other safari vehicles in the park. The truck catered for all safari necessities from fridges full of beer and cold drinks, a library, white board for animal sightings, coffee maker and a toilet!
There was a fantastic selection of very tasty food during our tour, from breakfast on the go to full evening meals everything was freshly prepared by Chris on his trusty braai!
All the camp sites facilities were clean, the tents Chris provided were spacious, comfy and took minutes to assemble with plenty of room for bags.
Lastly of course the animals, we saw so much wildlife whilst in Kruger. Chris and Simon went out of their way to try to find the animals the group wanted to see, sometimes we were driving in the park for upto 6 hours a day as new animal kept popping up along the way!
An amazing time, we are planning our next trip already!!
By Catherine - DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in DE
Rating
Visited: December 2015 - Reviewed: 17 Feb 2016
Best Part of our South Africa Visit!!!
We could not have been happier with our safari experience! We chose to do tent camping. The sleeping arrangements were very comfortable. Waking to the different bird sounds was wonderful. Chris is quite a chef and all our our meals were delicious! We even made it a challenge for him and specified 'gluten free diets'.
I don't think our experience in the park and surroundings could have been any better. We had a view that no one else could have. It was nice to be able to interact and move around inside 'Truck Norris' with all the creature comforts. Chris and his daughter, Ginny, were so knowledgeable about all in the park. There wasn't one bug, bird or animal they didn't have a wealth of information on. With their expertise, we were able to see the "Big Five" and so much more. They knew just where to go and what to do and were some of the nicest people I've met.
I have to say, our safari was a great value! If we were to have gone on our own, I don't believe we would have spent any less money. I would arrange to go with Chris again in a heartbeat and would recommend him to anyone wanting a wonderful, fulfilling experience. For us it was perfection!!!
For us it was perfect
By Gulbrand & Annabel - Norway
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in NO
Rating
Visited: January 2016 - Reviewed: 17 Feb 2016
What an adventure!
We traveled with Armadillo Overland for a 7 day camping safari in the Kruger in the last week of January.
The route is well thought out. It's a good mix of different activities and animal sightings and Chris tailored the route based on what we were interested in seeing.
You will not only get to spot wild animals but also learn a lot about their behavior, characteristics, society. As Chris is passionate about birds you will also get to be more aware of them and how they fit into the eco system, and that adds a nice twist to the trip.
In general Chris took very good care of us, being both guide, driver and chef. We missed his home-cooked meals for the rest of our ZA-trip.
Moreover, the truck really is ideally set up for the safari, giving you the best of both worlds: comfort and convenience (comfy seats, cool drinks, bathroom, a library of reference books) as well as great viewing (the height let's you see animals other vehicles can't, sliding windows gives you the sounds and picture-taking advantages of an open vehicle).
The camping was basically "glamping" in nice stand-up tents on well-maintained camp sites. It was very pleasant to sleep in the tent on the comfortable mattresses.
All in all you will not be disappointed by booking a safari with this great mom-and-pop outfit. Highly recommended
By Johannes - DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This review was submitted from a computer located in DE
Rating
Visited: December 2015 - Reviewed: 4 Jan 2016
Amazing Safari experience at Kruger with superp safari vehicle and fantastic guides
Everything went very smoothly from the booking on. Chris answered all our questions before the safari promptly and friendly so that we already had a good feeling before we started.
Chris and Nicky then picked us up at 7am on the first day of the safari to drive to Kruger with us. It takes a few hours to get there, we then switched vehicles right near the Kruger entrance and had lunch at a lodge of friends of Chris and Nicki. The food during the safari was superb! Chris is able to cook perfect meals on a campfire, also very versatile (e.g. Curry, Gnocchi, steak). The food really exceeded our expectations by far.
The safari vehicle is also amazing. Great view and hight to see everything around you, tables, fridges, electricity, a coffee maching - all on board. It feels like a living room :)
We saw all of the big five during the 5 days and Chris and Nicki are very knowledgeable about all the wild animals. You can ask them anything and if they can´t answer straightaway they´ll make sure to look it up for you in the large amount of wild life books they have with them.
2 binoculars are also on the truck, I would recommend to bring own ones as well if you´re in a bigger group because there´s just so much to see.
The accomadations Chris booked for us (we booked the midrange packet) were also great. I did a Safari before in Tanzania and for the same budget we got a much higher standard at Kruger. The safari tents are superb, I even liked them better than the bungalows.
We can recommend that safari really to anyone, Nicki and Chris are really lovely people to spend a safari with and we would book it again any time.
By Michelle Hutchesson - ZA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This review was submitted from a computer located in ZA
Rating
Visited: November 2015 - Reviewed: 7 Dec 2015
Unique, incredible safari with Armadillo Overland
Every aspect of the safari was amazing. The food was divine and the truck provides a unique and comfortable experience for game viewing. Chris was very knowledgeable in all the different aspects of the Bush and makes everyone feel relaxed and at ease. Wonderful experience, would definitly do it again.
By Lucie - NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in NL
Rating
Visited: October 2015 - Reviewed: 14 Nov 2015
Great experience!
Our safari with Chris to Kruger was great! Chris was very knowledgeable and kind and a good cook, he chose nice routes to drive and nice campsites. The vehicle is very comfortable, well-provisioned and ideal due to its height. No complaints whatsoever! Also very good value for money.
By Rachel Clark - US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This review was submitted from a computer located in BR
Rating
Visited: October 2015 - Reviewed: 13 Nov 2015
An absolutely amazing adventure!
I have nothing but great things to say about this tour company.
I went with a group of six people at the end of October for a five day panoramic safari trip. We saw so many animals! Chris's knowledge of animals is incredible, and he had so many interesting things to say on whatever we came across. Chris's truck was amazingly comfortable, and it was a great way to drive around the national park. He was enthusiastic, friendly, and so organized. The food was quite honestly the best food I have had in South Africa.
Highly highly recommended - book with Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours, I promised you won't regret it!
By Mary Lynn - US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in US
Rating
Visited: October 2015 - Reviewed: 10 Nov 2015
Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours was fabulous! Chris is an excellent guide and chef!
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tour did an outstanding job! The safari experience far surpassed my expectations. Chris is a natural host! We'd spot an animal and Chris knew to stop so we could relish in the moment. The Tour was organized, pleasant, and by far the best vacation I have ever experienced! I recommend
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours! Thank you again Chris!
By Cami - US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in BR
Rating
Visited: October 2015 - Reviewed: 9 Nov 2015
Cannot imagine exploring Kruger in any other way
The tour was absolutely amazing. Chris was so great and made us feel comfortable. The vehicle was incredible, the food was so much better than expected, the tents were high quality and we had an amazing time. Highly recommend.
By Brian - US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This review was submitted from a computer located in US
Rating
Visited: September 2015 - Reviewed: 13 Oct 2015
We wouldn't do it any other way
There is so much good packed in the experience that Chris and Nicky made possible that I am having a hard time deciding what to talk about first. They were genuinely welcoming when we first arrived and made us feel comfortable right away. It was more like meeting up with old friends than the typical business transaction these tours/safaris tend to be. Chris' cooking skills on a campfire are enviable. We never felt rushed even though my wife and I are chronically late people: Chris kept us on track to see wildlife until our heart's content.
As far as the amazing vehicle that Chris has constructed, well in my opinion, it would be tough to get a better situation for seeing an abundance of game, even in a busy location. It has just about everything you need and is kept well stocked with drinks. We have been trying to explain how awesome it is to our friends but it is hard to illustrate the cleverness of it until you get the full picture and are actually there.
Chris and his wife, Nicky, are extremely knowledgeable but even in instances where they did not know the answer to our question, they made sure to check and let us know.
Overall, we honestly couldn't have imagined such a great experience. We plan on doing another trip in a couple of years when our daughters are older and we wouldn't consider booking it with anyone other than Chris and Nicky.
A million thanks from Brian and Angela.
Guest Comments from Recent Safari's
(These comments are extracted from Verified Guest Reviews on Safari Bookings...https://www.safaribookings.com/reviews/p1768)
"Do you have an aunt and uncle that will take you on a perfect Safari, cook for you every day and night and dote on your kids while you relax on vacation? No? Well call Chris and Nikki at Armadillo Overland Safari and Adventure tours- they'll do all this and more. My wife and three daughters (4, 6 and 8 yrs old) spent 5 nights and 6 days with Chris and Nikki and their "armadillo" truck and we wanted to stay longer. Another month or maybe a year would be about right."
"Again the words “Thank you” just don’t seem enough for all that you did. I am so sorry the last day ended up so very long for you. Thank you for your patience with us. I know that you are busy this month, but do hope that all goes well."
“It was so great that we could all travel in the truck together comfortably and watch the animals, eat, drink, nap and socialize and not worry about driving. The food was amazing and even the mattresses were comfortable”
"We are so happy that we found you :-) and we are telling everyone about our great safari and all that extra service we didn't expected. Now back in business with not much time over. Luckily we have a lot of photos reminding us of a great vacation."
"What you see on the website is what you get (only better)! Our group of 15 (8 adults 7 kids) from Canada got picked up from our hotel in Jo-Burg and to our amazement all of our luggage fit in the vehicles. The truck was roomy, comfy and offered great game viewing due to it's height and huge windows. Both Chris and Nicky accomadated all our requests which were plentiful due to our large group. Both were pleasant, knowledge and extremely hardworking. Chris was very meticulous and organized which made our trip run smoothly. We heard that the food was good, but it was delicious! Chris was a gourmet chef and prepared more than enough for us for each meal. All of the camping supplies (tents, chairs, pillows etc) were in excellent condition. I would definitely recommend this company to everyone. Thanks for the amazing experience!"
“I thoroughly enjoyed the advantages, perks and benefits of being taken care of by Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours in their awesome overland truck!”
“As a group of 4 families with kids (half of whom had never visited South Africa) we decided that taking a tour and having the advantage of being all together in the overland truck while game viewing would be a fun and practical choice. With 7 kids 10 and under we also looked forward to not having to organise, cook and wash up after meals!!!”
"We flew into Jo-burg and Truck Norris came and picked us up right in front of our hostel, then drove us via the panoramic route, per our request. Every day Chris gave us options of what we wanted to do, and even helped us book a night drive with the park provided service. The food was incredible"
"Our tour with Chris and Armadillo Overland was way over our expectations. It was much better than self driving and a true relaxing experience. We were really spoiled by Chris. He provided us with everything, from the tents, chairs, the amazing home cooked food and a lot of knowledge, about kruger, the animals and just life itself. The honesty bar on board the truck was an extra plus. Time was on our side as we didn't hurry, and we saw 4 of 5 Big 5 together with all the other animals and a lot of beautiful birds. Thank You Chris. Hope to see you again."
"Chris & Nicky ensured the Safari was completely tailored to what we wanted to see/do and it was clear to us that they are very passionate about what they do. This was shown through the fantastic stories they have of their experiences on Safaris in Africa. I would like to take the chance to thank you both for giving us the experience of a life time, seeing 4 of the Big 5 and would recommend anyone wanting to do a safari to book with Chris and Nicky at Armadillo Overland Safari..."
“We made 2 days Pilanesberg Safari with Chris, it was just great as we saw plenty of animals. His truck is clearly of added value as it is perfectly equipped. Chris knows very much about the bush and is willing to share his knowledge”