Safari Specialist & Consultant
Karina was born in Germany but has lived in South Africa since she was five years old. Her family moved to the country expecting to stay for just three years but fell in love with South Africa so deeply that they made it their permanent home! Growing up, Karina spent her holidays exploring the game reserves of South Africa and its neighbours – Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe – which has left her with a great passion for Africa’s natural beauty and wildlife.
She completed a Travel and Tourism course after school and since then has only worked in the travel industry, accumulating some 30 years of experience in the business. For her, there is no greater experience than exploring the African wilderness. (Picture: Karina and her daughter Nicole)
COUNTRIES VISITED
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Germany.
FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS
Chobe, Savute, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, Greater Kruger and more.
Favourite Destination
My favourite destination is Botswana’s Chobe National Park and specifically the Chobe Riverfront in the late dry season. The sheer number of elephants in this park at this time is truly phenomenal and must be experienced by nature-lovers once in their lives! You can go on game drives but my favourite activity here is a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River. Herd upon herd of elephants come down to the water to drink and interact; the baby elephants are especially wonderful to watch.
The Chobe River is the most popular region of the Chobe Park and has great game viewing. I have had the privilege to visit this region with my children and I can thoroughly recommend it as a safari destination for families.
Favourite Safari Moment
Despite all my years enjoying game drives across Africa, the cheetah had always eluded me. Until I took my daughter with me on a trip to Sabi Sands near the Kruger Park in South Africa. On our first morning game drive we came across a cheetah mom with her two juvenile cubs sitting on an anthill, like they were just waiting for me. We stopped close by and watched them for a while. It was awe-inspiring and my bucket list was complete!
To see a cheetah in Sabi Sands relies a little bit on luck. There are only about 170 cheetah in the greater Kruger region which includes both Sabi Sands and the Timbavati but they can be seen fairly easily in destinations like Namibia’s Etosha National Park and in Botswana’s Kalahari reserves.
Favourite Safari Activity
My favourite activity on safari are the game drives. I never tire of these; every one of them offers a new experience or a new sighting. In some private reserves, game drive vehicles are allowed to go off road in search of exceptional sightings while their afternoon game drives may also continue after dark with a specially filtered spotlight. These can be super-exciting as you get to see nocturnal animals and maybe predators like lions and leopards on the move.
Game drives are led by expert guides who bring the drama of the African bush straight to your seat: the raised and open-sided vehicles are ideal for photography and you’ll enjoy drinks and snacks too.
Some of my Reviews
Best Vacation Ever!
Best vacation ever! Encourage everyone to experience Africa in their lifetime. Karina Atkinson is the best! Working afar (US) was never an issue. She booked us the best vacation we have ever experienced. This was our 30 year wedding anniversary treat and it did not disappoint.
Service, communication was top notch. We did not have one issue on our 15 day trip! Says a lot about Karina and Safari Online. Encourage everyone wanting to see Africa and pending safaris , you can not go wrong.
- Tom
Nothing but Praise for Karina!
Kudos to Safari Online. Every element the planning and execution of our safari tour was flawless…….safari online listened to us, guided us, and put together our time on safari for a perfect, unforgettable experience……..every detail was executed ideally and I have nothing but praise for Karina and Safari Online.
- Martin
Karina was Absolutely Instrumental!
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success. Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver. She responded to our requests promptly and gave us several options with links to each option; we ultimately chose Lukimbi. She then coordinated our flights to and from the property, arranged the drivers necessary to get us from the airport to the lodge and back again, and sent the appropriate paperwork to each of us to verify each step of the process. We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!
- Chris
My Favourite Tours
Some of my Colleagues
Handling the company’s admin & accounting, German-born Melanie has lived in Africa since the early 2000s & has travelled extensively throughout Southern Africa.
After enjoying an extensive career as a Southern Africa safari guide, Walter combined his lifelong love of nature with a Business Administration degree to establish Safari Online in 2005.
African Travel Specialist Sabrina graduated in tourism in her native Italy & hasn’t stopped exploring Africa’s top destinations since! Her favourite? Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.
