Intrepid Expeditions - Naples, Florida

Michael Y.

I have worked with Simon at Intrepid Expeditions for three trips to Africa and he is amazing! Simon knows the camps/lodges and best areas to visit given your timeframe and countries of interest. His team is fantastic and from initial meeting to trip execution it is a seamless process. Each trip has been incredible, with this last trip to Zambia even better than I had hoped.

Lori S.

Our trip was amazing. Simon and Cinthia listened to our ideas and put together an itinerary that was educational and life changing. We learned so much about the culture, people, customs, animals while experiencing new adventures and places. Even our villas were clean, great food and perfect locations. We would highly recommend them to plan another trip.

The safari was the highlight!!! Our guide and tracker worked well together and shared so much information about the animals and terrain. We always felt safe and cared for at Siviti.

Sallie P.

Our first trip to Africa in 2012 was flawless start to finish. Simon of Intrepid Expeditions had been referred to me by a friend whose honeymoon he'd arranged, and they were beyond pleased. What sets Simon apart from other travel agencies is his ability to REALLY listen to your personal preferences, and plan the perfect trip completely suited to you. We were totally blown away by the lodges, the animal viewing, the ease of transportation, and every other detail that Simon had so meticulously planned out for us in South Africa and Botswana. We even witnessed the birth of a baby giraffe! When we decided to return to Africa last fall, contacting Simon again was a no-brainor. This time we wanted an "action packed" safari, that if possible included daily hiking, fishing, and canoeing. To say Simon came through again is an understatement! We spent 9 indescribable days in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River, and what we experienced will be at the top of our memory "bank" forever. Once again, Simon put together the most perfect trip imaginable, and it was EXACTLY what we wanted...and so much more! Simon flawlessly has planned the perfect Africa experience for us twice, and we are already completely excited to have Simon work his magic for our next adventure to what is truly the most incredible, indescribable, amazing place on Earth!

Ryan F.

Hey Simon,

So sorry it's been so long to get in touch.

We're still beaming from the trip! We can't say thank you enough for the incredible tour you organized. It was 5 star from the moment we opened the conversation with you. You and your team took so much care to get the details right and it was felt every exhilarating bump of the 4X4 track through the desert! The accommodations were perfect and nailed our taste just right. You guys communicated everything perfectly to us, and we were prepared for a good adventure; and, were blown away with what we actually got!

Every single part of the adventure was fun and exciting. We did have one point on our first game drive at Mashatu when we thought maybe the tour was a Disney Land for European retirees - then we saw and heard a lioness crunching through a wildebeest. Our perspective changed. When we got up the next morning for the 5:00am game drive we were on the edge of our seats for what the day might bring. We ended up with two other terrific couples on their retirement vacations. They thought we were crazy for going on the bike tour, and for getting out and running in front of the cruisers. But, it was so much fun!

We also appreciate all the work that went into planning this and ensuring we had gluten free options. The food was superb, and exceeded all expectations - even US and European dining options.

Our guides, Howard (AKA Black Rhino at Malinda, and the whole team really) were remarkable! We learned so much about the local ecology and rhinos, but also a ton about Zimbabwe's culture and history during our 10 mile mountain bike tour. And Stewart at Tuli was incredible - two days of bush tours and hikes was just phenomenal. We gained a very unique perspective of the landscape on foot, which was then followed up by four days of mountain biking, hiking, trail running and Land Cruiser tours with Richard and Jakes at Mashatu. The people - every one we dealt with from guides to pilots - was incredible and made sure we enjoyed our time and learned as much as possible about the various regions we visited. Not to mention seeing community homes in the bush of Zim, white rhinos, elephants, giraffes, JAFIs, baboons, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, bat eared foxes, jackals, wildebeest, zebras, owls, hornbills, warthogs... what an amazing experience.

When we met that guy from Malawi, and he was asking so many questions about our tour and who created it, and how and why it was so customized to our interests: mountain biking, trail running, hiking, camping out in Tuli, tent camp at Mashatu, we knew we made the right choice. Thank you for putting together such a phenomenal, remarkable personalized tour. It is one of the most memorable trips we've ever taken.

All the best, and we'll be sure to share your name.

Mark F.

The Intrepid team created an amazing trip for us to South Africa. Every detail was orchestrated perfectly. We will never forget the people, the animals, and the places we visited. Thank you!

Mari C.

I can’t begin to decide what made my 50th birthday trip, organized by Intrepid Expeditions, our best trip ever. Could it be the personal service? From the very beginning, Simon made sure he knew what we wanted and our expectations. He narrowed down each area we wanted to visit with three suggestions of lodging and let me research and pick. All spot on suggestions and we could not have been happier with our choices.

Could it be our amazing stay in the Winelands? Four nights at a picturesque farm with one of the best restaurants in the area, Bablyonstoren was everything we hoped for. A great guide, who chose all the right stops for our wine tour and the most amazing day in Cape Town (including the highlight of my birthday, holding a penguin!).

Could it be the safari lodge that took our very high expectations and blew the top off of them? Sabi Sabi Little Bush was amazing. From the manager, to our ranger and tracker, to the service staff, every single person was immediately like family. The animal viewing was unbelievable even spotting 2 of the Big 5 on the way to the lodge from the airport! Four nights, all of the Big 5 plus cheetahs, hippos, giraffes and more , numerous amazing meals in a different location each night later, we were sad to leave but excited about our next stop.

Could it be relaxing at the most beautiful spot on the Zambezi River? Two nights in the tree house followed by two nights in the honeymoon house made for the cherry on the top of the most glorious trip ever. Hippos, champage bubble baths, sitting on the edge of Victoria Falls and meals with the most exceptional views in the world brought our journey to a happy end.

Could it be all of it rolled into one amazing company called Intrepid Expeditions? Yes – I believe that had we not had the experience, diligence and oversight of these wonderful people, our trip would not have been what it was and it was perfect.

Hogtown B.

Intrepid Expeditions did a fantastic job. Would definitely recommend them and if I can will do a trip to South Africa it will be with them. Recommendations and planning were all great and kept us having an exciting expedition every day.
We did have an issue with one flight and had to call local tour company as flight was delayed. Sent a note to Intrepid and they responded and reached out to local tour company on a Saturday. Great response from them given day and time difference.
Overall trip was amazing. Saw everything and our guides were great. Staying in parks in the camps gave us a leg up on people staying outside the camp and got to see things early in the morning before traffic got heavier.

The Nasikia camps and staff were great and our two guides, Iddi and Yunus very knowledgeable and eagle eyed. Were the first to see different animals.
Top list of things were many. Trekking and being so close to the gorillas was amazing and seeing an edge of your seat heart pounding Wildebeest crossing of the Mara River was fantastic. Saw tree climbing lions and three lion kills. Cheetah, leopards, hyenas, elephants, and zebras the variety of animals and birds is endless and I never thought I would see so much. Was a great trip and learning experience and would definitely recommend to anyone.

The only thing I would do differently is only one day of Gorilla Trekking. The odds of not finding gorillas is almost zero. They send out multiple tracking teams to find different families.

Mary C.

My husband and I recently returned from a thrilling trip to Africa. This trip fulfilled a life long desire to see wild animals in their natural habitat. It truly exceeded my expectations. Simon Gluckman of Intrepid Expeditions listened to our requests and planned a fabulous 13 day adventure. We traveled to four different camps. Not only did we see many animals we also visited a village, viewed cave art and heard the history of the areas we were in. We told Simon we love to walk and in our third camp got the opportunity to do that. Tracking lion spoor was a highlight for my husband!
I’m into astronomy and had never seen the Southern Hemisphere constellations before. We saw fantastic sunrises and sunsets too. The various guides knowledge of not only the animals but trees, insects, plants and stars was very impressive. Transportation was all arranged and we never spent a moment worrying about travel arrangements. I highly recommend planning your trip with Intrepid Expeditions. You will not be disappointed.