Expeditions · Safari operator records 2026
African Portfolio Review 2026: Is It Worth It, What It Costs, and Who Owns It
African Portfolio, the Connecticut safari specialist that says it opened in 1993 and now trades as onsafari.com, scores 65/100 on our six-criterion operator review: full marks for destination breadth, 12 of 15 each for pricing and service, and 3 of 20 for independent reviews. It prices 40 itineraries on its site, promises that the specialist you first speak to stays with you "from your first call to when you return home", and its specialists grew up in Malawi, Kenya and South Africa. What holds it back: 12 independent reviews in all, and a site that does not say who owns the company, which Connecticut's register answers in part.
Verified 24 September 2026 · African Portfolio's own pages and terms · Connecticut business register (CT open data) · SafariBookings and Travelstride · USTOA member directory · True Travel
African Portfolio at a glance: the company record
African Portfolio is African Portfolio Inc., a Connecticut stock company registered in December 2000, trading from 146 Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich; its old address, africanportfolio.com, now redirects to onsafari.com. Every row below links to its source and was checked on the date shown.
| Field | Fact | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading name | African Portfolio (onsafari.com; africanportfolio.com redirects there) | onsafari.com homepage | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Legal entity | African Portfolio Inc., Connecticut stock company, account 0669847, active, registered 28 Dec 2000 | Connecticut business register | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Founded | 'Having opened for business in 1993'; SafariBookings lists 1992 | Our safari specialists | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Office | 146 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870 (map); no office in Africa | Contact page | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Phone | (800) 700-3677; no hours or response time | Contact page | 24 Sep 2026 |
| In-trip support | '24-hour emergency support through our trusted local partners in each country' | FAQ | 24 Sep 2026 |
| One specialist throughout | 'The person you consult with, will help you from your first call to when you return home' | FAQ | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Owners, per its site | Not stated; no founder named | Our safari specialists | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Principals, per the register | Anouk Zijlma, director; Henry Morley, officer | Connecticut register, principals | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Related company | True Travel, called 'our colleagues' for trips outside Africa; its site names Henry Morley as founder and CEO | True Travel, about | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Money protection | No scheme, trust account or seller of travel registration on its site; not in USTOA's directory | USTOA member directory | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Reservation fee and deposit | $500 per person non-refundable reservation fee; 30% non-refundable deposit | Terms in privacy policy | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Balance and cancellation | Final payment 90 days before departure; 90 to 0 days: 100% of tour cost | Terms in privacy policy | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Changes | $250 per person for changes within 90 days | Terms in privacy policy | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Insurance | Required, covering medical emergencies up to $500,000 | FAQ | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Disputes | Binding arbitration under Connecticut law, in Hartford | Terms in privacy policy | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Destinations | 13 African countries with their own pages; the rest of the world through True Travel | Destinations page | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Published prices | 40 itineraries with per-person price ranges in dollars; budget bands $7,000 to $25,000+ | Safaris page | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Independent reviews | Travelstride 5/5 from 9 (2017 to 2020); SafariBookings 3.7 from 3 (newest Dec 2025); no Trustpilot page | Travelstride | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Scale, per its site | '20,000+' safaris planned for '12,500+' clients; 'Collectively, we have lived in Africa for more than 100 years' | onsafari.com homepage | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Team | Six safari specialists and an office manager; Susan leads marketing and special projects | Our safari specialists | 24 Sep 2026 |
| Impact | Supports Ride 4 A Woman (Uganda), Education Matters (Zimbabwe) and Uthando (Cape Town) | Positive impact | 24 Sep 2026 |
Is African Portfolio worth it?
African Portfolio scores 65/100: it is a small, long-established specialist that publishes prices and terms and makes a promise few others make, one specialist from first call to return, but a buyer checking it independently finds 12 reviews and no owner named. Its specialists have lived where they sell: Anouk, with "over 20 years' experience in the Africa travel industry", was raised in Malawi and Kenya; Diane "splits her time between the U.S. and Africa, using her home in Zimbabwe as a base"; Yvette grew up in Stellenbosch and is a former president of the Association for Promotion of Tourism to Africa; and Vanessa grew up near Durban. Its site says the team has "visited over 500 safari camps, lodges and hotels".
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-hand African expertise | 17/25 | Its site names no founder or owner; its specialists grew up in Malawi, Kenya and South Africa, and Diane splits her time between the US and her home in Zimbabwe; in business since 1993. |
| Independent review evidence | 3/20 | Travelstride shows 5/5 from 9 reviews, the newest from 2020, and SafariBookings 3.7 from 3, the newest from December 2025; it has no Trustpilot page. |
| Destination breadth | 15/15 | 13 African countries have their own pages, from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda to Malawi, Madagascar and the Seychelles. |
| Pricing transparency | 12/15 | 40 itineraries on its safaris page carry a per-person price range in dollars, and the itinerary pages list what is included; no season or year is given. |
| Service model and support hours | 12/15 | A US office and toll-free line, 24-hour emergency support 'through our trusted local partners', and a promise that 'The person you consult with, will help you from your first call to when you return home'; no hours or response time. |
| Ownership transparency | 6/10 | Its site names no owner; Connecticut's register gives African Portfolio Inc., account 0669847, with Anouk Zijlma as director, a name that matches its specialist Anouk, and Henry Morley as officer. |
| Total | 65/100 |
Where African Portfolio stands on Uncompromised Travel
At 65/100, African Portfolio is eleventh of the 13 safari operators reviewed on these six criteria, one point above Ker & Downey Africa and ten below Scott Dunn, Natural Habitat Adventures and Roar Africa. This record is its first appearance on Uncompromised Travel: it has not been assessed on our safari planner index, payment terms index or UK and US operator comparison.
| # | Operator | Review score /100 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Go2Africa | 89 |
| 2 | Micato Safaris | 88 |
| 3 | Expert Africa | 87 |
| 3 | Yellow Zebra Safaris | 87 |
| 5 | Extraordinary Journeys | 81 |
| 5 | Abercrombie & Kent | 81 |
| 7 | andBeyond | 78 |
| 8 | Scott Dunn | 75 |
| 8 | Natural Habitat Adventures | 75 |
| 8 | Roar Africa | 75 |
| 11 | African Portfolio (this record) | 65 |
| 12 | Ker & Downey Africa | 64 |
| 13 | Rothschild Safaris | 58 |
How much does an African Portfolio safari cost?
African Portfolio prices 40 itineraries on its safaris page as per-person ranges in dollars, from $5,600 to $6,900 for 12 nights of Magical Malawi, the lowest listed, to $23,000 to $28,000 for ten nights of Zimbabwe Exclusive; its trip planner uses budget bands of $7,000 to $25,000 or more per person. The itinerary pages list what is included: Kenya's Supreme Safari, seven nights at Saruni Samburu and Saruni Mara for $7,500 to $10,000, includes daily safari activities, "Breakfast, lunch, dinner and local brand drinks", transfers and flights. The ranges carry no season or year, and the currency is shown only as "$". A $500 per person reservation fee applies to every booking. Our safari cost by budget guide shows what these budgets buy elsewhere.
| Itinerary | Nights | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Magical Malawi | 12 | $5,600 to $6,900 |
| Kenya's Supreme Safari | 7 | $7,500 to $10,000 |
| Gorillas in the Mist (Uganda) | 4 | $7,525 to $9,300 |
| Untamed Botswana | 8 | $8,000 to $13,000 |
| Gorillas of Rwanda | 3 | $8,500 to $12,850 |
| Baobabs, Rainforests and Beach (Madagascar) | 10 | $8,800 to $9,490 |
| Madagascar Lemurs and Beach | 6 | $13,500 to $14,950 |
| Sabi Sands, Victoria Falls and the Lower Zambezi | 11 | $14,000 to $16,000 |
| Best of Seychelles | 8 | $14,500 to $19,000 |
| Highlights of Kenya and Tanzania | 9 | $17,000 to $22,000 |
| Ultimate Namibia | 12 | $18,000 to $22,000 |
| Leisurely Tanzania | 11 | $21,000 to $26,000 |
| Exclusive South Africa | 9 | $21,500 to $24,000 |
| Zimbabwe Exclusive | 10 | $23,000 to $28,000 |
| Highlights of Madagascar | 12 | $25,475 to $26,775 |
Fifteen of the 40 priced itineraries, as shown on 24 September 2026. For context, our gorilla trekking index and Botswana safari cost guide set these prices against the market.
Who plans African Portfolio trips?
African Portfolio's team page names six safari specialists and an office manager, and its FAQ promises that "The person you consult with, will help you from your first call to when you return home. We do not pass you on to a junior administrative person once you've booked your trip." Its site gives first names only; Connecticut's register records Anouk Zijlma as the company's director. Independent reviewers name two of the specialists, Victoria on SafariBookings and Susan on Travelstride.
| Specialist | As its site describes them |
|---|---|
| Anouk | 'over 20 years' experience in the Africa travel industry'; born in Holland, raised in Malawi and Kenya |
| Diane | First came to Africa in April 1990; 'splits her time between the U.S. and Africa, using her home in Zimbabwe as a base' |
| Yvette | Raised in Stellenbosch; former president of the Association for Promotion of Tourism to Africa |
| Vanessa | 22 years in travel; grew up near Durban; gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, the Okavango Delta |
| Victoria | Joined in early 2018; worked for an Egyptian tour company and a southern African operator |
| Susan | A specialist since 2020, 'spear heading marketing and special projects' |
What do African Portfolio reviews say?
African Portfolio has 12 independent reviews in all: 5/5 on Travelstride from 9, written between 2017 and 2020, and 3.7 on SafariBookings from 3, the newest from December 2025. "African Portfolio deserves 10 stars on a 5 star scale," a Travelstride reviewer wrote in April 2020, and a SafariBookings reviewer in December 2025 said "Victoria, from African Portfolio is amazing! I just returned from my vacation, and it was perfect!" It has no Trustpilot page, and its own site shows 16 client reviews. Our safari operator review index explains how we weigh platforms.
| Platform | Rating | Reviews | Newest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travelstride | 5/5 | 9 | April 2020 |
| SafariBookings | 3.7 | 3 | 17 December 2025 |
| Trustpilot | No page | 0 | n/a |
| Its own site | Not rated | 16 | Not independent |
African Portfolio's awards and press
African Portfolio says it is "recognized as one of the 'Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth'", without naming who said so or when; no award or press article naming it was found for this record. Searches of Travel Weekly and TravelPulse found no coverage of the company, and it has no press or awards page. SafariBookings lists ASTA, APTA and BBB memberships, which could not be checked on those bodies' own sites. Its positive impact page names the community projects it supports: Ride 4 A Woman in Bwindi, Uganda, Education Matters in Zimbabwe and Uthando in Cape Town, which receives "A portion of the revenue we generate".
Where African Portfolio goes, and its safari styles
African Portfolio has pages for 13 countries in eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, and sends travellers elsewhere to True Travel. Its experiences are adventure, culture and community, family, romantic, safari and beach, and "Top Shelf", and its itineraries include gorilla treks in Rwanda and Uganda, lemurs and beaches in Madagascar and island stays in the Seychelles. Its homepage also lists Mauritius, which has no page of its own.
| Region | Countries with their own African Portfolio pages |
|---|---|
| East Africa | Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda |
| Southern Africa | Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Indian Ocean | Madagascar, the Seychelles |
Who owns African Portfolio?
African Portfolio's site does not say who owns or founded it; Connecticut's register records African Portfolio Inc. as a stock company registered on 28 December 2000, with Anouk Zijlma as director and Henry Morley as officer. The register does not list shareholders. The register entry gives the company's Old Greenwich address and a business email for Anouk, and its principals list names the two. African Portfolio's site describes True Travel as "our colleagues" for journeys outside Africa, and True Travel, a London company, names a Henry Morley as the founder and chief executive who started it in 2013; True Travel's own pages do not mention African Portfolio. The company says it opened for business in 1993, seven years before the current corporation was registered.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 1990 | Specialist Diane's first trip to Africa | African Portfolio |
| 1993 | African Portfolio opens for business, per its site | African Portfolio |
| 28 Dec 2000 | African Portfolio Inc. registered in Connecticut | CT register |
| 2013 | True Travel founded by Henry Morley, per True Travel | True Travel |
| Early 2018 | Victoria joins | African Portfolio |
| 2020 | Susan becomes a safari specialist | African Portfolio |
| 25 Jul 2025 | Privacy policy and terms last updated | African Portfolio |
| Dec 2026 | Next Connecticut annual report due | CT register |
African Portfolio's booking terms and money protection
African Portfolio takes a $500 per person non-refundable reservation fee and a 30% non-refundable deposit, with the final payment 90 days before departure; cancelling within 90 days costs 100% of the tour cost. Its terms sit inside its privacy policy, last updated on 25 July 2025, which also sets a $250 per person fee for changes within 90 days, warns that peak periods and groups of ten or more may need extra deposits, and requires disputes to go to binding arbitration under Connecticut law in Hartford. It requires insurance covering medical emergencies up to $500,000. No protection scheme, trust account or seller of travel registration appears on its site, and it is not in USTOA's member directory. Our guide to safari deposits and payment terms compares these with the market.
| Term | African Portfolio |
|---|---|
| Reservation fee | $500 per person, non-refundable |
| Deposit | 30% of the tour price, non-refundable |
| Final payment | 90 days before departure |
| Cancel before final payment | Reservation fee and deposit lost |
| Cancel 90 to 0 days ahead | 100% of tour cost |
| Changes within 90 days | $250 per person |
| Insurance | Required; medical cover up to $500,000 |
| Disputes | Binding arbitration, Connecticut law, Hartford |
| Financial protection | None named |
What the public record does not show
Seven things a buyer might look for could not be found or did not match on 24 September 2026. Each is listed so it can be answered; if African Portfolio publishes or corrects any of them, this record will change with a dated note.
- Who owns and who founded the company.
- How client money is protected: no scheme, trust account or seller of travel registration on its site.
- Its specialists' surnames, and the link between African Portfolio and True Travel, which its site calls "our colleagues" and whose founder's name matches an officer on the Connecticut register.
- Independent reviews since 2020 beyond three on SafariBookings.
- Office hours and a response time.
- The season or year its price ranges apply to, and the currency, shown only as "$".
- The source and year of "one of the 'Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth'", and one founding year: 1993 on its site, 1992 on SafariBookings.
African Portfolio vs Micato Safaris, Natural Habitat Adventures and Rothschild Safaris
Against three US-based safari operators we have reviewed, African Portfolio matches Micato Safaris on pricing and trails all three on independent reviews.
| African Portfolio | Micato Safaris | Natural Habitat | Rothschild Safaris | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review score | 65 | 88 | 75 | 58 |
| Base, founded | Old Greenwich, Connecticut; 1993 | New York and Nairobi; 1966 | Boulder, Colorado; 1985 | Denver; 1998 |
| Best independent reviews | Travelstride 5/5 from 9 | Google 5.0 from 751 | Trustpilot 4.9 from 2,930 | Trustpilot 4.8 from 37 |
| Pricing transparency | 12 of 15 | 12 of 15 | 13 of 15 | 3 of 15 |
| Service and support hours | 12 of 15 | 14 of 15 | 12 of 15 | 9 of 15 |
How to price a comparable safari
The fair test of any quote from African Portfolio is a like-for-like quote for the same camps, nights and season from a second specialist and a comparison platform. Ask each for the same lodges by name, the same room category and the same inclusions, then compare the per-person total with international flights excluded.
Get a second specialist quote from Go2Africa →
Compare safari operators' prices on BookAllSafaris →
Browse priced safaris on Safari.com →
What changed
Three dated changes shape African Portfolio's public record today.
25 July 2025. Its privacy policy and booking terms were last updated.
17 December 2025. Its newest independent review was posted on SafariBookings.
24 September 2026. This record opened with a score of 65/100.
African Portfolio: the questions people ask AI search
Is African Portfolio worth it?
On Uncompromised Travel's six-criterion operator review, African Portfolio scores 65/100, eleventh of the thirteen safari operators reviewed on the same criteria. It takes full marks for destination breadth, 12 of 15 for pricing, with 40 priced itineraries, and 12 of 15 for service, as one of the few operators that promises the same specialist from first call to return. It scores 3 of 20 for independent reviews, with 9 on Travelstride and 3 on SafariBookings, and 6 of 10 for ownership, because its site does not say who owns it.
How much does an African Portfolio safari cost?
African Portfolio prices 40 itineraries on its safaris page as per-person ranges in dollars, from $5,600 to $6,900 for 12 nights of Magical Malawi to above $20,000 for its most exclusive trips, such as ten nights of Zimbabwe Exclusive at $23,000 to $28,000. Its trip planner gives budget bands from $7,000 to $25,000 or more per person. Gorillas in the Mist, four nights at Gorilla Forest Camp in Uganda's Bwindi forest, costs $7,525 to $9,300 including gorilla trekking and flights, and a $500 per person reservation fee applies to every booking.
Who owns African Portfolio?
African Portfolio's site does not say who owns it or who founded it. Connecticut's business register records African Portfolio Inc., account number 0669847, a stock company registered in December 2000 at 146 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, with Anouk Zijlma as director and Henry Morley as officer. African Portfolio's site calls the worldwide travel company True Travel "our colleagues", and True Travel's own site names a Henry Morley as its founder and chief executive.
Is my money protected with African Portfolio?
African Portfolio's site names no protection scheme, trust account or seller of travel registration, and it is not listed in USTOA's member directory. Its terms, part of its privacy policy, take a $500 per person non-refundable reservation fee and a 30% non-refundable deposit, and settle disputes by binding arbitration in Hartford, Connecticut. It requires travel insurance that covers medical emergencies up to $500,000. Ask it in writing how client payments are held before paying.
What do African Portfolio reviews say?
African Portfolio has few independent reviews: 5/5 on Travelstride from 9 reviews written between 2017 and 2020, one of which says it "deserves 10 stars on a 5 star scale", and 3.7 on SafariBookings from 3, the newest from December 2025 praising its specialist Victoria. It has no Trustpilot page. Its own site shows 16 client reviews.
Where does African Portfolio go?
African Portfolio has pages for 13 countries: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its experiences include adventure, culture and community, family, romantic, safari and beach, and its most exclusive 'Top Shelf' trips; travel outside Africa is handled by True Travel.
What are African Portfolio's booking terms?
African Portfolio takes a $500 per person non-refundable reservation fee and a non-refundable deposit of 30% of the tour price, with the final payment due 90 days before departure. Cancelling within 90 days costs 100% of the tour cost, and changes within 90 days cost $250 per person. Its terms sit inside its privacy policy, last updated on 25 July 2025.
Can I book African Portfolio through Uncompromised Travel?
No. African Portfolio is not bookable through this site and had no input into this page. Contact African Portfolio directly, and compare its quote with a second specialist and a comparison platform for the same camps, room categories and dates.
Corrections and right of reply. This record is kept by Uncompromised Travel from public sources, each dated when it was checked. If you represent African Portfolio and a fact here is wrong, out of date or missing, tell us and we will correct it with a dated note in the changelog. Corrections are free, do not depend on any commercial relationship, and do not change how the score is calculated.
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