Born Free Safaris & Tours Reviews 

We live in an age where what is promised too often fails to match what is delivered. We’ve become accustomed to accepting the incomplete and the mediocre because we’ve been conditioned to believe that’s simply how things are. Outstanding customer service, meticulous planning, and genuine attention to detail can seem like relics from another era.

Then you discover Born Free Safaris & World Wide Tours.

I have travelled with Alana Hayden and her team on two separate occasions, and both experiences exceeded every expectation.

In February and March of 2016, six friends and I embarked on a journey through Kenya and South Africa. Our week in the Maasai Mara, staying in a luxury tented camp, remains one of the most magical travel experiences of my life. From there, we spent two weeks exploring South Africa, revisiting many of the places I had first seen more than fifty years earlier as an exchange student during the apartheid era.

Our journey took us from the breathtaking Drakensberg Mountains to the warm beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, through the vibrant energy of Cape Town, and finally to Knysna, where I experienced an unforgettable up-close encounter with an orphaned elephant. Along the way we were accompanied by exceptional local guides whose knowledge, warmth, and enthusiasm transformed a great itinerary into an extraordinary experience.

One of Alana’s greatest strengths is her ability to refine an itinerary. Travellers, like me, often try to squeeze every possible attraction into every available day, creating schedules that are exhausting rather than enjoyable. Alana understands that memorable travel requires balance. She thoughtfully built periods of relaxation into our itinerary and created opportunities to interact with local people, giving us time not only to see Africa but also to experience it.

Looking back, I have an even greater appreciation for the enormous amount of planning and coordination that must have taken place behind the scenes. Everything felt effortless from our perspective, but that seamless experience was the result of careful preparation and exceptional attention to detail. Alana has a remarkable ability to take a collection of half-formed ideas, unrealistic assumptions and wish lists and transform them into a journey that none of us will ever forget.

In September 2022, three close friends and I travelled with Born Free once again, this time to Uganda. Our original plans had included Tanzania and Ethiopia, but COVID disrupted those ambitions and forced us to rethink the entire trip. Throughout months of uncertainty, changing regulations, cancellations, and revisions, Alana remained calm, patient, and reassuring. While the circumstances were undoubtedly stressful, she never allowed that stress to become ours.

When travel finally became possible, we set off for Uganda and it proved to be another unforgettable adventure.

Once again, the local guide made all the difference. Rather than handing us off to different guides in different regions, Alana arranged for us to travel with one outstanding guide throughout our entire stay. Musa’s knowledge of Uganda’s wildlife and national parks consistently put us in the right place at the right time. We enjoyed unforgettable encounters with elephants, leopards, hippos, gorillas, and countless other animals. More importantly, spending two weeks with the same guide allowed a genuine friendship to develop that continues to this day.

What sets Alana Hayden and Born Free Safaris apart is not simply their extensive knowledge of Africa, although that alone is impressive. It is their ability to adapt quickly when circumstances change, their network of exceptional local partners, and their commitment to creating journeys that feel deeply personal rather than simply well organized.

For me, choosing Born Free Safaris is an easy decision. They understand Africa, they understand travellers, and they know how to bring the two together in a way that creates priceless experiences rather than simply vacations.

The next time I travel anywhere in Africa, I won’t have to wonder who will plan the journey. I already know that Alana Hayden and Born Free Safaris will be at the helm, charting another unforgettable adventure.

BORN FREE PEOPLE REACTED TO OUR EVERY DESIRE AND NEED. THEY MADE FOR A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. WE RECOMMEND THEM HIGHLY

We have traveled to Africa five times and trusted Born Free Safaris to plan every one of those trips. The attention to detail, the careful planning, and excellent communication gave us great comfort knowing that every single need related to the trip was cared for. Our latest trip in 2025 included 8 members of our family, 2 of whom needed gluten accommodations, and each camp was aware of those needs before we arrived. We have recommended Born Free to others who have also traveled to Africa and raved about Born Free and how organized everything was. They are the absolute best!

We just returned from our 10 day safari to Tanzania. While we travel a lot, this is one part of the world we have never visited. We originally looked online and found that there were literally hundreds of companies advertising safaris. We looked a long time and thanks to the referral of someone who had worked with Born Free Safaris before, we chose Born Free. It was a key and extremely positive decision. There is so much to see and do, that an essential component of planning a safari is deciding where to go and when to go. Thanks to Alana and entire team at Born Free Safaris who had decades of experience, we put together a great itinerary. The help didn't end with the signing the contract, as Tina and Justin (the local team in Tanzania) continued to prep the perfect agenda for us. They answered all of our questions in a timely manner and with great detail and advice. The final travel booklet and backpack we received became our bible and lifeline. The trip itself was FANTASTIC. We stayed at 5 separate camps, each a little different, we saw all of the "big five" animals and a lot more, we had gourmet level food and service, and overall, were treated extremely well. Our guide (perhaps the key) had over 30 years experience and could be one of the best in the area. As one example of the "extra care" Born Free Safaris provided, unfortunately Ethiopian Airlines lost our bags on the way to Africa in Ethiopia. Somehow, Justin and the local team in Tanzania tracked our bags, worked with the airlines and actually had our bags specially flown in to Tarangerie Park so that we wouldn't miss any time of our trip. This was above an beyond! All of the camps they suggested, the hot air balloon company they suggested, were all top notch and seemed much better than any others we saw on our trip. I could go on and on, but I would highly recommend them if you are thinking of going on an African Safari. I know if we go back and if any of our friends ask, we will definitely recommend they work with Born Free Safaris.