Reviews

Joanna did a fantastic job of organising our safari to Zambia. All arrangements worked like clockwork and Joanna responded quickly to all my questions. Thank you.

Joanna at Timbuktu planned our 3-week trip to 4 African countries. Every driver was there to greet us, every guide was so focused on showing us the beauty of their countries and searching out the animals, every tented camp and boutique hotel was so welcoming, and the food was awesome. In short, Joanna made sure every detail was taken care of, which made our trip better than we had hoped.

Joanna was the first person I spoke to who actually listened to everything I said, and planned a trip for us with all that in mind. She stayed within our budget and offered suggestions when it seemed we might go over. She was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we preferred, the lodging, the availability, and every last little detail. She was very quick to respond to my questions and her answers were extremely detailed without leaving anything out! We feel confident that everything will be taken care for us so that our trip to South Africa, Botswana and Victoria Falls will be seamless and wonderful! We are looking forward to a SUPER trip!!

My family recently returned from a safari in Kenya. Our children are 8, 10, and 13 years old. We had no idea where to start planning such a complicated trip and came across Timbuktu online. After flipping through the website for a little while, I reached out over the phone. I began working with Joanna and I couldn't possibly be happier with her level of knowledge and help planning our trip. We told her our approximate budget and she was able to accommodate us with an amazing itinerary. She walked us through every step of the process from passports, vaccinations, visas, all the way through my concerns with traveling with my children half way across the planet. We had the trip of a lifetime and my children were awestruck every step of the way. From the time we exited the airport in Nairobi to the time we stepped back in airport on the way home, we had a local guide with us. We spent a couple of days in Ol Pejeta where we saw all kinds of wildlife (lions, cheetah, elephants, buffalo, gazelles, baboons, and rhino). It was amazing to see so many rhino since we didn't see any in the masai mara when we traveled there for the next 4 days. We stayed at Spekes camp in the mara, and the staff and guides were amazing. We had our own vehicle in both locations which was key since we were traveling with our family. This allowed us to stay late on safari at times and sleep in a little bit when the kids were exhausted on other days. That flexibility made the trip perfect. The Masai Mara was simply too breathtaking to put into words. The ecosystem, the abundance of wildlife (thousands of wildebeest and zebra everywhere and the cats - so many lions and cubs just doing their thing). Watching a river crossing was amazing and extremely intense. You are rooting against the crocs and it is sad to watch them take down animals during the crossing. Once the wildebeest made it up the other side safe from the crocs, they needed to escape the lions - again the lions were too good of hunters as well. It is thrilling watching nature in its wildest form, but still sad to see a zebra taken down by crocs. My kids handled it well and were glad that they were able to witness so much. The guides in both Ol Pejeta and the Mara were extremely knowledgeable of the animals. We saw and learned about so much more wildlife than we ever could have wished for and would highly recommend the trip and Timbuktu. Joanna Rigby-Jones was a breath of fresh air and so amazingly thorough with us. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job. She even had a conference with my entire family a few days before the trip to answer any questions and address any concerns that my kids had (such as the likelihood of being eaten by a lion). Thanks to everyone at Timbuktu for organizing this adventure for my family!

Joanna at Timbuktu helped us have the best honeymoon ever!!!

I contacted three different companies regarding traveling to Africa. One company said I was too early to begin the process (I had begun the process two years out, making sure I could secure the popular boutique hotel I wanted as well as understand the cost of what I wanted to do), another got back to me in a few days, but am still waiting for their pricing, while Timbuktu responded immediately and was happy to help, answer my questions, and begin the bookings. I then began working with Joanna, who has been amazing. Her response time is quick, she helped me put together the trip I wanted, listening to my travel experience preferences and budget, and she walked me through the process with the utmost professionalism and wonderful positivity. I would recommend both her and the company in a heartbeat. So, while I'm still waiting on the other companies, I have a complete itinerary and bookings for an exciting experience in Kenya staying at the Giraffe Manor, going on safari, and gorilla trekking in Rwanda. And when I forwarded my trip to some good friends of mine, they were so impressed that they are now joining my husband and I!

Fantastic service with the wonderful Joanna who helped us to create the perfect trip to Kenya. Highly recommend this travel company and they had a lovely personal touch of sending us a Christmas card before our trip. We couldn’t have organised the trip and all the transfers without them.

Joanna is THE BEST. Every detail was met beyond my expectations for our large family safari. She found the perfect match for all of us and has been so incredibly helpful in every aspect.

Joanna has been such a pleasure to work with. She made sure I had options that would fit into my budget and was very patient with all the changes I requested. It is my first safari so I had no idea what to look for or how to plan - her expertise has been invaluable. I haven’t gone on my trip yet but already know that I will absolutely use Joanna and Timbuktu for my next safari adventure!

From the first email to placing our deposit, Joanna was unbelievably responsive and wonderful to work with. She answered all of my questions with extremely detailed answers in a timely manner. She was incredibly knowledgeable when I asked for further information and was able to arrange the special requests I had. When we originally looked into a honeymoon in Africa we were overwhelmed by all the travel logistics and details. Joanna really helped put our minds at ease and provided a pleasurable experience. We still have a couple of flights and activities left to book and I have absolutely no doubt that she will be as prompt and organized as she's been throughout the whole process.