East Africa Wild Adventures
- Located In:
-
Canada
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, APTA & Consumer Protection BC
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $480 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Russell | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Huge Leap of Faith on a Company That Really Delivered
I had been researching safaris for many years and when we finally decided the time was right, I found a customisable Kenya safari through East Africa Wild Adventure on the Safaribookings.com website. What appealed was the fact that the company had an office in our home city, Vancouver. I asked for a quote and received a very prompt response from the owner of the company, Alym. After some discussions he came up with a nine-night safari for us, and we completed the booking in April 2015. Alym was very helpful. He was prompt in responding to our questions, and assured us that everything was booked and confirmed. A seasoned traveller, I was used to booking things myself: getting receipts, vouchers and confirmations etc, so leaving everything in the hands of someone else was totally alien. It was reassuring to meet up with Alym although it was a huge leap of faith to part with so much money and have only verbal assurances and a printed itinerary to take with us on our travels. So, it was with some trepidation that we set off. After a thirty-hour journey we exited JKIA arrivals hall to be met by a man holding a placard with our names on it, although he was from a different tour operator, Big Five Africa. It transpired that they were the ones East Africa Wild Adventures had arranged to carry out the day-to-day operation of our safari. We hadn’t been told that, nor expected it, but no harm done.
This was our first safari, so we were unsure of what to expect. Fortunately, we had our own vehicle and driver throughout which made huge difference. Our driver, Mr John Waweru, was exceptional. He regularly went above and beyond: making sure we had a constant supply of drinking water; ensuring the vehicle was properly maintained and clean before each drive, and much, much more. We cannot speak highly enough of him. There was one aspect of the safari that we hadn't truly been prepared for: the amount of travelling. I stress that this is not a criticism of the tour operators. I fully understand the notion of trying to cram in as much as possible to see as much as you can to avoid disappointment, but we were "on the road" for at least eight hours each day, either driving to the next location and/or being on a game drive. Couple that with the appalling condition of some roads, and all the access routes to the various conservancies/National Parks, and you have a very uncomfortable ride. If you have a bad back, then beware!
Accommodation and meals were obviously a significant part of the package, but ultimately we were there for the wildlife. Nevertheless, we were amazed at the high standard of accommodation. Tented camps were luxurious, all with en-suite bathrooms. We even had hot-water bottles waiting for us in our king-size beds! It is worth noting that they were needed too as the temperature really drops after sunset. With one exception, food was wonderful: varied, plentiful, and of a very high quality.
From experience (whale watching etc) looking for wildlife can be very hit or miss, so it would be very naive to judge the overall safari experience on that. Fortunately, what we did see was beyond our expectations. This was largely down to our driver/guide. His knowledge of the areas, the wildlife, and not just blindly following the crowd, meant that we saw so much. For that, we will be eternally grateful.
Overall, East Africa Wild Adventures (and Big Five Africa) came up trumps. For those, like us, who usually book everything themselves, rest assured that Alym, and the team on the ground in Kenya, will have everything in place for you. As the title of this review suggests, it did require a tremendous leap of faith on our part, but we were not disappointed.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania is the best place to see large numbers of large, African animals
Our safari was great! We were met at each airport as expected and all the logistics were done correctly. The accommodations and food were excellent. The weather couldn't have been better. I highly recommend Bushbuck Safaris. Our driver/guide, Usiah Mlyuka, was fantastic. He has a great eye and spotted a lot of game. We saw all of the big 5, lots of lions, elephants, and buffalo, 4 leopards, a rhino and a cheetah. In addition, lots of hippos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, gazelles, warthogs, hyenas, and jackals. What was really interesting was watching animals interact in their natural environments. We got to see a pair of crowned cranes and a pair of ostriches go through their mating dances, and we watched a bull buffalo drive off a pair of female lions that were threatening his herd. The herds of wildebeests in the Ngorongoro crater were amazing. Stops at the visitor center at Olduvai Gorge and a Masai village were very interesting.
The one thing that I would change in our itinerary was the first night in Arusha. We arrived early enough that we could have driven straight to Lake Manyara and had an extra day of game viewing or could have shortened the trip by one day.