Reviews

Sort By: Date Most Helpful Rating 271-280 of 311 Reviews
Sarah   –  
Italy IT
Visited: September 2014 Reviewed: Sep 13, 2014

35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

First African Experience .......memorable!!!!!!!!!
5/5

It was my first safari in Africa and it couldn't be better! The trip was really well organized.. Everything was wonderful... the camps, the people, the sightings....Thank you Ute !!!!!

Annette   –  
United States US
Visited: August 2014 Reviewed: Sep 4, 2014

35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Roho Ya Chui was fabulous
5/5

I very much appreciated how responsive, easy to communicate with, and accommodating Ute was throughout the planning of the trip. This was our first safari and it surpassed all our expectations. An incredible experience. Everyone we met on our trip was helpful, professional and welcoming. I can highly recommend Roho Ya Chui.

Karin   –  
Germany DE
Visited: August 2014 Reviewed: Aug 28, 2014

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Excellent, every time again, very good organized, fast, friendly and very professional contact.
5/5

The organisation of our tour was very professional. The tour was very good planned on a high level showing an interest in our wishes and giving us better suggestions. The contact and responses to our questions and wishes were fast, very friendly and intensively. We have received a lot of very helpful informations in advance.
An experience we will never forget. We will choose Roho Ya Chui again for other tours in Africa and we recommend this organisation very warm. Absolutely the best!

Roman (Роман)   –  
Russia RU
Visited: August 2014 Reviewed: Aug 24, 2014

20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

It was very amazing
5/5

Very good organization, amazing and exciting safari!! The lodges Ngala and Kirkman's are comfortable, food is very tasteful. I really recommend this travel agency!

Maurizio Pavesi   –  
Italy IT
Visited: August 2014 Reviewed: Aug 24, 2014

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

what a fantastic experience Ute arranged for us!
5/5

This was our first experience in South Africa and we totally relied on Roho Ya Chui for the whole organization of a three weeks trip there: initially Ute gave us the proper suggestion on how to better employ our time, based on our expectations and budget, and than she selected for us four different first-class lodges for safaris in different locations and one charming boutique hotel in Cape Town. The trip was perfectly organized in every single detail with timely and accurate communication. Thank you Ute for your highly professional support, there is nothing we can complain except … that the trip is just over now and we already miss SA!

Phil   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: July 2014 Reviewed: Jul 23, 2014

Roya provided invaluable local knowledge, allowing us to experience quality safaris and accommodati.
5/5

All excellent. Service and accommodation selected exceeded expectations. Staff at the lodges made us very welcome and were experts in their field.

Pierce Smith   –  
United States US
Visited: June 2014 Reviewed: Jul 6, 2014

Email Pierce Smith  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

First African Experience Was Overall Good ++
4/5

Following is a review of the places we visited this past month (June 2014). Roho Ya Chui helped us plan and book the trip. It was a group of 5, with 3 of us being newbies and and the other 2 old hands at African Safaris. Ute Sonnenburg was a delight to work with, and she went the extra step for us on several occasions.

I thought I'd give you my reviews of the places we visited.

Lawhill Apartments: I think this was a good choice, though a bit spartan in amenities / furnishings. Great location at the Victoria & Albert Wharf. Dionne (spelling?) was a good guide and flexible to our suggestions. I really liked Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Next time I might do 2 nights in Stellenbosch as it is quite a nice little town.

Xigera Camp: This one was my favorite. The staff were incredibly friendly and the whole "vibe" was inclusive. When new people came we were all introduced and had a communal table for dinner. And in one of life's little coincidences there was a couple that lives 1/2 mile from where I used to live in Hermosa Beach, California. Our guides, Onx and Rider, were very personable and knowledgeable. And for our last two treks we did game drives rather than the boat. The management at Xigera, Olivia and Masha, were very accommodating. This was my very first experience at game drives/floats (?), so seeing that first elephant, or hippo, or giraffe, or Cape Buffalo was really amazing.

Getting to Victoria Falls: This was an odd experience, from the airport near the Botswana - Zambia border, being dropped off at a small boat on the river to cross over to Zambia, then the wait at the border while the guide / drive had our passports processed. It was a bit unnerving for some of us.

Royal Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls: This was a very deluxe place with a head doorman with his hand constantly out for tips. The service in the dining room was excruciatingly slow. There is relaxed dining, and then there is "I should have brought a book" dining. The falls were at full flow and beautiful, and we had the chance to get pictures in the evening and the ensuing morning.

Moving on to Nelspruit, it was a long drive after our flight, BUT we did see a cheetah along the side of the road when we entered the Londolozi reserve.

Londolozi: Obviously a first class 4-5 star facility. The staff that we met were very friendly and accommodating. The "vibe" here was more exclusive, no attempt was made to introduce us to other guests, nor did the other guests seem inclined to socialize. But the rooms were very nice, the meals plentiful and tasteful, and the hot water bottles in the Range Rover for the morning game drives were a much appreciated touch. Will Ford, the camp manager, and the assistant assigned to us, Jeremy (I might have this wrong), were great, as were our guides, Alfred and Chadrock. The butler, Stanick, was always there for us in the dining room. Will Ford arranged a sundowner wine tasting for just our group one night which was a special treat. And we saw the Big 5 in our very first trek! The game here was more numerous than in Xigera. A great experience all around.

Jo'burg: The guide, whose name escapes me, was a disappointment. He met us at the private general aviation lounge at the Jo'burg airport and managed to snag a bottle of water for himself, but not for us. He had a tour he was determined to make and there was no flexibility in his schedule. We probably could have used an extra day in Jo'burg, but not with this guide.

Michaelangelo Hotel: This was a very nice place with big comfortable rooms (apparently if your AC was working which it didn't for the Browns). I was a bit disappointed in the restaurant, or at least the menu. But we had a chance to meet this delightful woman who had booked our trip, oh yeah, that would be Ute. So that made the evening good all around!

Serena Lake Victoria - Entebbe / Kampala: As previously noted by Stephanie, this hotel was too far away for a one night visit, and arduous to get to. And the staff didn't seem to know how to register guests, or at least were very inefficient at check-in and check-out. The restaurant was basically a buffet cafeteria, and not very good, a big disappointment for a property this beautiful physically.

Sanctuary at Bwindi: Same comments as Steph's. I didn't think it was dirty, just more rustic than what we had experienced. The staff was pretty indifferent with the exception of our server, Barbara. And if you weren't trekking, there was not much to do, though I managed to finish a terribly written book on the day I declined the first trek. I must say I am very proud of my fellow travelers for completing that trek and then the "easy" one two days later.

And you know all about the high drama with Qatar Airways, but even that turned out okay eventually, but it was handled very poorly by the airline.

One lesson learned by me is that I don't like the one-night stands (Jo'burg, Lake Victoria, Victoria Falls) because you never really relax and unwind. I'll keep that in mind in the future.

All in all it was an enjoyable trip with delightful travel partners.

BobH   –  
United States US
Visited: May 2014 Reviewed: Jun 19, 2014

50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Great Service from Ute at Roho Ya Chui
5/5

Excellent communication and itinerary work by Ute. She was very friendly and always accessible to answer questions and ensure everything was ready for our trip. All accommodations were as expected and the trip was better than expected.

M. van Doorn   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: May 2014 Reviewed: May 27, 2014

65+ years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Perfect arranged safari
5/5

We were celebrating my birthday with the family. It was a special birthday and I wanted it to be memorable. Ute made sure all I wished was arranged and executed perfectly. We had great lodges and saw the Big Five already on the first day, well, I was told that was not arranged, but luck. All together it was a wonderful safari and a memorable stay for us as a family. I can recommend Roho Ya Chui to everyone who wants to go on safari.

Christian & Katerina   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2014 Reviewed: May 26, 2014

Email Christian & Katerina  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing life experience in Kruger!
4/5

What an amazing trip. We were picked up at our hotel in Joburg and took the sightseeing drive to Hazyview. (Definitely stock up on the smoked macadamia nuts along the way!) Gods window and another great stop at a waterfall. Great sights. We arrived at Hippo Hollow and enjoyed staying in one of the garden chalets... it would have been nice to have a river view to watch the hippos at night and the elephants by day but all in all we were only 10 meters from the view so all was fine. We were picked up at 4pm for a night safari (it gets cold in April!) and actually saw a leopard eating an impala in a tree! Super rare and makes up for our not seeing a lion during the rest of our trip. The full day trips were very nice. less activity during mid-day but it was really nice to turn off the truck and soak in the sound and view from time to time. so peaceful.

What we did:
-1 night safari - Was ok but would not repeat. basically you shine a spotlight and drive slowly looking for eyes reflecting back at you. 99% are impala. we did a larger group with 10 people (strangers) and would not opt for that group size again. you lose all peaceful elements of the drive
-2 full day safari - definitely recommend a private tour or going with another couple you may know. its a long time to spend with strangers you may not care for
-1 1/2 day morning safari - this was fine as we were leaving for Joburg afterwards

What I would change...
-I would consider adding in a hike through the park with one of the trackers. This looks VERY cool!(and safe)
-I would consider staying at a camp inside the park. I actually would like to get deep into the [park and stray at one of the small camps... by camp I mean a small fenced in area with permanent tents and toilet. bare bones but very down to earth. May as well get very acquainted with the local beasts!

Ute and Roho Ya Chui did a great job and were very attentive of our needs during our trip. Its a fear that once you pay the broker is done with you but this was not the case with Ute. She is attentive and fast to respond during our trip. This is worth a lot and when we do another safari Ute will be receiving a call from us.

Enjoy your trip!

** Oh, one more thing. If you choose to do everything bay car/truck you cont need to buy all the safari gear listed on various sites. a tan shirt is more than enough. the animals cant see your legs in the truck and there are so many people moving through the park that you could have a flashing light on top of your head and the animals wouldn't care. okay, maybe that's an exaggeration but you get my point.

Enjoy!

Average User Rating
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