Next Adventure, Inc. - Berkeley, California

Laura Siegel Spiegelman

Next Adventure made planning our honeymoon trip so incredibly easy and enjoyable! After briefly discussing what we were looking for in a trip, Next Adventure put together the perfect trip that included all the elements we were looking for! Both lodges, while incredibly different, were so beautiful and perfect in their own ways. The transportation between lodges and airports was seamless, thanks to Next Adventure. We didn’t have to worry about anything for a minute of our trip! We couldn’t have asked for anything more. The packing list, duffel bag, and booklet outlining our trip made preparing and packing for our safari super easy!

Karen K

Our Next Adventure safari was a trip of a lifetime with so many memorable moments. How could we forget the roar of lions outside our tent cabin at night, being charged by an elephant (we escaped unscathed!), watching the herds of zebras march toward the water hole by the lodge, and the amazing sunsets while drinking sundowners. We saw the rare Black-Maned Lion of the Central Kalahari Desert and the elusive leopard in the Okavango Delta. Our Kalahari guide Vasco enthusiastically shared his vast knowledge about the animals, birds, plant life and even insects. The accommodations were wonderful with comfortable king-size beds, en-suite bathrooms with showers, and large porches with chairs to relax in after our afternoon game drives. The staffs of both our Botswana camps were friendly, competent and ensured that our every need was met.

Kili McGowan and the Next Adventure team made sure that everything went smoothly from the moment we were met at the airport in Johannesburg to all the connections for our Botswana bush camps to our final airport drop off in Cape Town. Working with Kili was a huge pleasure as we laughed many times as she helped us discover what we truly wanted out of our trip. The guides she chose for us in both South African cities were outstanding, so knowledgeable and interesting. We were impressed with the final itinerary document that was replete with maps, summary timeline, detailed descriptions with photos, in-country air schedule and travel recommendations including how to tip.

We can’t imagine having a better experience planning, booking and going on a custom safari than the experience we had with Next Adventure.

Amy Dweck

*NOT SPONSORED POST* WOW. Trying to think of the words to describe how incredible this trip was but more importantly, how amazing Next Adventure is. This trip would NOT have been the same without them. There is such a depth of knowledge, expertise and honest opinion that was so incredibly appreciated. When we originally spoke to Jeremy at Next Adventure, we had no idea what we really wanted and put all of our faith in him. BOY did next adventure deliver. Not only was our trip to incredibly special, the places we stayed at were truly boutique, local and one of a kind. We felt completely immersed in Kenyan culture and were taken care of completely during our entire two weeks. I would without a doubt recommend the team at Next Adventure to anyone else who is looking to go to Africa. I will absolutely be going again and will absolutely be in touch with the folks at Next Adventure. Maisha Marefu <3

Michele Mills

What a wonderful experience!! There was clearly a very high level of detail in the planning for this trip. Traveling to Africa for the first time was intimidating and we felt that your partners abroad always helped us know what to expect and made us feel safe. The preparation calls and information provided were both very helpful in making sure we were prepared with the correct documents and made everything go very smoothly.

The accommodations, food, and especially the people were so wonderful and details we would have never even considered were well thought out. The weather seemed to cooperate beautifully (and so did my hair)! We did get a little rain here and there but it was either when we were napping or at night. Mosquitos were minimal and everything else was plentiful!! Samburu was greener that it has been in decades and was so beautiful. Mustafa, our guide at Samburu was fantastic and his excitement often exceeded ours when we encountered the wildlife there.

Mara Expedition Camp was next level, so beautiful and the people were so welcoming and so much fun. Again, the food was unbelievable and the coffee was extraordinary! Frank, our guide, along with the trainee, Alex, were so much fun. It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I have to say the mother Cheetah with her four cubs were breathtaking. I

Every day was a great experience and every time we thought it couldn’t get any better, Kenya seemed to show us differently. The end of each game drive presented something magical and the breakfast out on the Mara was unforgettable. Each sunset and sunrise seemed to want to outdo the previous and made for some wonderful pictures.

We would highly recommend Next Adventure and hopefully we get to do this again!!

Clark Dikeman

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of an amazing safari last month thanks to Next Adventure [Kili] and their travel partners in Botswana. Kili customized our itinerary and this trip was even better than our first one with Next Adventure 25 years ago to Zimbabwe and S. Africa. After an overnight in Maun Botswana at Thamo Telele [a private reserve with a giraffe research hub], we were off to 3 varied camp experiences: Deception Valley Lodge in the Kalahari; Kwara Camp in the northern Okavango Delta; and Gomoti Plains farther south in the Delta. All had exceptional game-viewing and guides. We are grateful to have experienced the wonder of seeing a pack of wild dogs [22 total, including pups]; several families of "ellies" and their young; plus multiple prides of lions, with cubs eager to explore and test their abilities to "scout" potential prey. We didn't quite expect to be fed 6 times per day and woken at 5 am every morning but those routines gave us enough energy and light, respectively, to enjoy 8-hour game drives. It's no wonder that Next Adventure has received numerous accolades from travel magazines--Kili and her team gave us the memories of a trip-of-a-lifetime!

Village of Shadyside

This was the second safari that we booked with Next Adventure, the first included just my wife and I and this one included our entire intergenerational family of eight, consisting of six adults and two children. We worked with Kili (well, she did most of the work) for several months, including countless phone calls and emails, to plan an exciting and unforgettable family-focused experience customized for us. After 18 months of waiting, an exciting and unforgettable family-focused experience is exactly what we got!

Our family of eight spent time at two locations in Botswana, the first a lodge in a permanent camp and the second housed in tents in a mobile camp. We ended our adventure at a lodge in Victoria Falls. All three of the locations were superb, each in their own way. Guides and staff were top-notch, game drives were exciting and varied, and food and service were excellent. Based on our prior experience with Next Adventure, it was no surprise to us that every detail of our trip was carefully planned and flawlessly executed.

The highlight of our trip was our five-night stay at the private mobile camp in Botswana. During those five days we were in three locations, including an island sleepover, but we were with the same staff and guides at each of the three locations. And no, we don’t know how they managed to get the entire camp including the field kitchen moved twice. There was no electricity, no internet, and no cell service for five glorious days. Of course, we saw lots of wildlife, including a rare sighting of a pangolin. We really can’t say enough about the outstanding private camp guides Costar and Fabio and the camp staff. They all went above and beyond merely providing great service. Being with our guides and the staff for the majority of our waking hours for almost five days gave our family and the camp staff a chance to get to know each other pretty well. The guides and staff were very knowledgeable of course, and it was clear that they really loved their jobs and cared about the welfare of the wildlife. But more than that they exuded a warmth and a closeness that you would normally expect to see among close family relatives or really good friends. They took a special interest in our 8-year-old grandson, who was the youngest member of our family. The attention they paid to our grandson made him feel really special. By the time we had to leave, it felt like our family had added some new members.

Two testimonials from family members sum up our experience. Our eight-year-old grandson proclaimed it “the best two weeks of my whole life.” Another family member conveyed our sentiments exactly when he commented that he couldn’t imagine how the trip could have been any better than it was.

Laura Shaler

Kili, Jeremy, and the Next Adventure team in California created a trip of a lifetime for me (with only weeks' notice!)! They listened to my dreams and made them a reality. I can't imagine a better team or a better experience for my Uganda adventure. I saw all the wildlife I'd dreamed of, Giraffes, Hippos, Lions, Elephants, Gorillas, and more. I traveled by safari truck and river boat as well as by foot on incredible hikes. And I experienced such luxury and service at the amazing lodges! I'll be forever grateful for my amazing adventure!

Erika Lusky Bernhard

My husband and I had the most wonderful experience working with Next Adventure to plan our honeymoon. We approached Next Adventure with big dreams and a fairly tight budget for an East Africa honeymoon, but Next Adventure made it happen for us. Kili and her team are incredibly kind, professional, knowledgeable, and experienced. They put together the most magical trip of a lifetime. We traveled to Rwanda, where we spent some time in Kigali and then traveled to Volcanoes National Park to trek with gorillas! We then flew to Kenya where we travelled to several parks on safari, including the Masai Mara.

We were originally supposed to go on this trip in November 2020. However, because of COVID-19, we postponed it until June 2021. Next Adventure was very accommodating and understanding during this time. When June rolled around, we were still a bit nervous to travel, but Next Adventure helped us navigate the COVID requirements in every country we passed through. They were so on top of it and our trip went off without a hitch. We cannot recommend them enough and we cannot wait to plan another trip with them!