Testimonials

We first met Amy back in 2015 and got to know her as a friend. A few moves and a pandemic quarantine later, we decided it was finally time to set foot on our 6th continent! Please believe me when I say that the smartest thing we did for this trip was to let Amy and Flyga Twiga handle all the details. During a pre-planning meeting, I described the wide range of things my husband and I enjoy doing when we travel. She was able to find an activity for each and every one of our requests that perfectly fit the bill!

Aside from her outstanding organization of the tours and accommodations, Amy provided the perfect level of travel guidance. Although we’re seasoned travelers, it was our first time going to Africa. We knew there were some additional precautions and paperwork needed, but not the specifics. Amy walked us through and answered every question we had, often giving us much-appreciated additional information for context.

During our trip, we kept saying to each other how much it felt like a trip we had planned ourselves... but with *none* of the stress! The customization of the tours, the transit, and the accommodations were exactly what we had hoped they would be, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We also appreciated all of the many personal touches Flyga Twiga arranged for us, from snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to dinner at an exclusive restaurant and a free upgrade to first-class on one of our in-country flights. We were lucky to see the Big 5 on our safaris, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Amy somehow made that happen with her magical planning ability! Truly, our trip was so wonderful, we’re already thinking about another one!

Highlights from our trip include: a private tour of Robben Island with Christo Brand that was incredibly moving and meaningful; getting a tour of a bit of the countryside on our way to Stellenbosch for a great foodies tour and chocolate tasting; seeing a family of rhinos and a lioness on our very first game drive; getting multiple opportunities to get great pictures and video of elephants; and seeing several Lilac-Breasted Rollers and a European Roller among many other birds (and an elusive leopard!) at Kruger National Park.

Tiffany & Eric Wright
South Africa

The following is a Blog Post by Rachel Carter, used with her kind permission. The original post may be found here.

In July of 2023, my friend Erin Henderson and I traveled to South Africa on a personalized safari, and experienced an incredible photography adventure.

Erin was living in South Korea and met Amy Millican, owner of Flyga Twiga, a personal safari service when she interviewed her for an article in a magazine. Once Erin learned more about Flyga Twiga, she sent me the link and within minutes we were trying to find dates to make a trip happen!

As this was my first trip to South Africa, I had so many questions! Amy answered them all so patiently and it was obvious her passion for the African continent. She constantly put me at ease and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a trip before!

Amy hosted multiple video calls prior to the trip at convenient times regardless of what time zone I was in [while on other trips]. She was super quick & thorough in all of her responses, including we would need and why, plus things we may encounter.

We had a lot of questions regarding our photography gear and she made sure we’d have plenty of room in the truck for it, which put us at ease!

I’ve never learned so much on one trip before.

Green Trax, the K9 Anti-Poaching unit, was absolutely fascinating! A month before our trip Erin thought of asking for a helicopter ride over the game reserves, Kruger National Park, and Blyde River Canyon. Amy had it arranged within a day, seemingly effortless for us!

In the 9 days we were in South Africa, we got to experience such a variety of things. From the anti-poaching unit, scenic views of the canyon, a helicopter ride, the Apartheid Museum, Soweto, Johannesburg, safari, all the animals, and a local village, I was truly stunned at the itinerary created by Flyga Twiga.

The mountains and gorge were so cool–the abundance of scenery South Africa has to offer is so cool. Of course, the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg was eye opening and an incredible experience.

All of the safari lodges were in tune with diet limitations and took them seriously… but the food (especially at our tented lodge) was so flavorful and absolutely delicious. My favorite was probably the braai, which is typically described as a South African barbecue.

Our safari experience was absolutely magical, my favorite was being surrounded by a herd of elephants.

Sunsets in the African bush were indescribable. If I was a better writer, I’m sure I could do it more justice, but hopefully my photos can speak for me on this.

If you travel often, you know that inevitably something goes wrong. On our trip to South Africa, Amy was all over the itinerary and never far from communication. From our experience with her leading up to the trip, we were never concerned – and in fact – a hiccup turned into the best accident under her watch.

Truly, for the variety/amount of activities, this trip was coordinated fabulously. I can’t wait to go back to Africa on a trip that Flyga Twiga arranges!

Rachel Carter

Amy has now planned 4 different trips to Africa for me and she is the foremost authority on planning bespoke safari trips for couples and families. Having lived in Africa herself for many years, Amy provides invaluable insight into what each country can offer during a vacation, as well as what it cannot, providing clients realistic expectations of their trip. Because she plans each trip tailored to individual clients, everything can be catered to budgets and wants/needs. I would recommend working with Amy over and over again without hesitation.

Kait Hanson
November 2022

I first heard about Flyga Twiga through an article in MOAA, which led me to the website, where I feel like I first ‘met’ Amy. I say met, because through her website, copy, photography and blog, her passion for Africa, sustainable tourism and creating a unique safari for each client is tangible. I wrote her an e-mail right away and the next thing I knew, we were setting up a Skype call so she could better understand the type of trip my husband and I wanted, our level of comfort with adventure, our budget and more. The fact that she immediately wanted to discuss what our personal top priorities were, I knew we were getting a top-level experience that an agency or standard tour operator simply cannot provide. On our call, I felt as if I was chatting with an old friend who I’d known for years - Amy is warm, caring and extremely knowledgeable in her field. You can tell she loves what she does by the amount of detail she provides in the planning process from start to finish. I will use Flyga Twiga and Amy’s expertise without hesitation for all future trips to Africa and cannot recommend her enough for anyone considering a trip to the most magical continent on the planet.

Kait Hanson
December 2018
You can find Kait’s Blog here.

I’m just back from a two week Wine & Wildlife South African safari that Amy custom designed for us. I cannot say enough positive things about this trip. Amy asked me for my input and then created an incredible itinerary. Before the safari she kept us informed and was always able to get answers for my inquiries. She has insight into all the best spots and all the best guides. Her local partners were always there to help, too.

The safari portion of the trip was (and I’m not exaggerating) life changing. Amy arranged for us to visit three concessions in three different areas in and around Kruger National Park. We saw so many animals and had amazing experiences with our trackers and guides.

In Cape Town we were able to see so many historical and natural sights. We had the incredible opportunity to visit Robben Island on a private tour and talk with former political prisoners and Nelson Mandela’s former guard.

Cape of Good Hope, Rhinos, Wine Tasting, South Africa: Photos Credit Lila Quintiliani

When the weather turned nasty for a few days and plans had to change, Amy and her local partners were adept at adjusting the itinerary and rearranging things on the fly.

This was an amazing experience. I won’t say that it’s once in a lifetime, though, because we are already discussing our next safari with Amy.

Lila Quintiliani

“It was such a pleasure travelling with Flyga Twiga! We will definitely be back!”

“Everything you did was great. Thank you for the patience with our group and the excellent guide Peter.”

“Kibo was great – very relaxing and the food was good. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful.”

“Everything was great.”

“Charles gave us an excellent briefing and the gifts were such a welcome surprise!”

“Peter was such a great guide and companion during our trip. Everyone loved him!”

“Will recommend to all our friends and colleagues.”

The Nikki Group

A trip to Africa has always been on my travel bucket list, but was certainly not on my radar while I was living in Korea. Having never traveled anywhere in Asia, my plan was (still is) to visit as many countries nearby as I can before our time in Korea comes to an end. Enter Amy with Flyga Twiga. 

I photographed her for the November issue of United on the RoK and we got to talking about Africa, as she plans African safaris for individuals and families. After chatting for a bit, she mentioned she would send over a unique trip she had just put together, just for me to check out.

Fast forward to July 2023 and I am just getting home from that unforgettable trip.  If you are considering a trip to Africa, I cannot recommend Amy enough. She was there from start to finish of the planning process and checked in with us throughout the trip to ensure everything was going as planned. When one small mix up with lodging occurred (through absolutely no fault of Amy) it was handled quickly, and the outcome was even better than we could have asked for.

South Africa has forever left an imprint on me, both mentally and physically, and I hope to return sooner rather than later. I enjoyed my trip so much that I got a small tattoo in Johannesburg the day I flew home that will always remind me of my time there. That part of your trip is totally optional, hiring Amy should not be =)

Erin Henderson
Please find Erin Henderson Media here.

Eric and I were grateful to call on Amy’s services for a second time, this time with Zimbabwe as the destination. Just as with our previous trip, Amy and Flyga Twiga handled all of the details and answered our questions quickly, making it a stress-free planning process on our end! Everything from where we were staying to transfers between camps and the variety of activities was expertly arranged by Amy.

We had an excellent time on our trip, full stop! The accommodations were luxurious while maintaining a delightful historic safari aesthetic – brass fixtures, claw-footed tubs, entry parlors, and soft, warm beds, all housed in spacious permanent tents. The provided toiletries were high-end, environmentally friendly, and had amazing scents. The food was delicious and seemed to get better at each camp! The bartenders were friendly, accommodating us with wonderful mocktails, coffees, and a generous hand with cocktails. Most importantly, the service was flawless. At each camp the staff was friendly and welcoming with no exceptions, and anything we needed, we got with speed and a helpful attitude.

This trip was different from our time in South Africa, in that the activities were a bit different. Rather than spend any time in the cities, we were almost exclusively in the bush. We enjoyed a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, elephant interactions, river cruises, visiting a local village, a hike by Victoria Falls, walking and birding safaris, and extended-length game drives. In particular, we were fortunate to experience the thoughtful and incredibly hilarious Themba, our guide at Verney’s Camp. He was a big part of what made this trip special. We had a great time enjoying the unique feast of the senses that Zimbabwe had to offer and making memories that will last a lifetime!

Highlights from our trip include: the bird’s eye view of Victoria Falls in perfectly clear weather on our 15-minute helicopter ride; touching a bull elephant’s trunk and feeding him and the rest of the herd out in the bush; getting completely soaked by the Smoke That Thunders on our hike and seeing the vibrant rainbows; watching hippos display their entire mouths at each other from mere yards away on a river cruise; witnessing a pack of hyenas take turns gnawing on the remains of a warthog skull;

walking in the bush with Themba to look at bones, tortoises, trees, insects, and – in a breathtaking experience – a herd of elephants at a watering hole; eating a fully-catered lunch in the bush as a huge herd of giraffes passed by; magically coming across a shy male sable peering out of the scrub minutes after speculating whether we might see any sable; encountering a boomslang while tracking a leopard; looking at the stars and Milky Way while listening to elephants, zebras, hyenas, and lions splash and drink at the watering hole outside our tent; and enjoying a final sundowner while laughing with Themba.

Tiffany & Eric Wright
Zimbabwe