WildTrek Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Destinations:
- Website:
- www.wildtreksafaris.com
Reviews
US
Email Kaela M. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania has stolen by heart. Only book with Wildtrek!
I traveled to East Africa with friends in early February of 2020 and it was the trip of a lifetime. For myself, the primary draw was to see and photograph wildlife. We were all operating on relatively modest budgets (under $1500 per person), so I developed an entire spreadsheet comparing various safari companies (I know. I’m crazy.). We initially planned on “adventure camping” in public campsites, but decided again it as we were warned this was not significantly less expensive and often more time consuming than staying in camp. After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, right?
Bernard, with Wildtrek, stood out to us because the value of his suggested trip seemed to be superior to several other companies. In addition, we made several alterations to the trip itinerary and Bernard happily and patiently accommodated each time, provided up updated proposed schedule and fee sheet. From prior research, I was dead set on staying at only Tanganyika Wilderness Camps. Bernard adapted our itinerary so that was possible and so we would be able to fill each day with maximum wildlife viewing time. Once we decided on Wildtrek and sent in our deposit, it was easy breezy and hands-off. We submitted our deposit about 4 months in advance of our trip, but this was cutting it close for booking our desired accommodations, even though we were traveling in the off season.
Our safari departed and arrived in Arusha. We selected a 4 day, 3 night safari, which was just the right length for a wildlife enthusiast (like myself) traveling with peers who were more enamored with exploring cities and climbing Kili. Arranging pickup at our Airbnb of choice before and after the safari was easy. Bernard and our guide, Baraka, picked us up promptly on the first day of our safari. Bernard introduced us to Baraka as we drove through town, and we dropped Bernard at the Wildtrek offices before proceeding on our way. Here was our itinerary:
Day 1: Pickup in Arusha at Airbnb of our choice. Tarangire National Park. Accommodations at Burunge Tented Lodge.
Day 2: Serengeti National Park. Accommodations at Sergenti Kati Kati Camp.
Day 3: Ndutu region of Sergenti. Accommodations at Ndutu Kati Kati Camp.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater. Drop-off in Arusha at Airbnb of our choice.
Our actual safari was incredible. We saw every single animal we could have hoped to see, including a leopard and rhinos. We saw too many elephants and giraffes to count, jackals, hyenas, zebras, and the wildebeest migration. We witnessed meerkats viewing a newborn baboon and the various eagles of Tanzania. We saw a mother cheetah with her two cubs, flocks of flamingos, and massive pools of hippos. February in East Africa is baby season, so nearly every specie was accompanied by babies. The lionesses were all very pregnant and Baraka said we were likely only missing lion cubs by a few weeks. I packed along my Nike 7500D and was SO thankful I did. Never have I ever been surrounded by so many wonderful animals and photo opportunities. A zoom lens is a necessity, in my opinion; it doubles as a pair of binoculars! I would also highly recommend all the above camps. The food and sleeping quarters were marvelous; rustic, but incredibly comfortable. Burunge Tented Lodge even has a pool! The highlight to me was hearing lions, zebras, and birds nearby.
February was pretty rainy, but pleasantly warm. The nights were cool and daytime temperatures consistently topped out around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. We found ourselves trying to outrun the evening rain storms, as the heavy rains created very muddy roads that the safari vehicles get stuck in. We had tremendous luck in avoiding these muddy spots, but got stuck a couple of times, once when it was almost dusk. But oh, the stories I can tell you about when we got stuck. Somehow this became a highlight of the trip and it is truly just part of the experience! The vehicle itself was very clean (when we started) and well-kept. There were binoculars and a guide book for us to borrow, as well as several charging outlets and plenty of water.
Now to brag on our guide. Baraka is an expert at navigating the backroads and keeping us out of treacherous situations. He is able to spot wildlife from far away and high speeds like I’ve never seen; once, he pulled to a screeching halt because he spotted a tiny little chameleon on the road ahead. Baraka utilized his communication with other guides to find us the best viewing spots and locate tough-to-find species. He was able to share a wealth of knowledge with us about the animals, his time as a guide, and the ecosystems of Tanzania. We laughed with him a lot during this trip, and it was fun to have an unexpected fourth person added to our safari. One day I will be back in East Africa and if I go on another safari I wouldn’t choose anyone but Wildtrek Tanzania. Thank you Bernard & Baraka for making this trip so wonderful!
AE
Email Atul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The trip was excellent & the Guide Fred made it wonderful experience. I would recommend this to all.
Communications, service, stay, safari tour all excellent. Fred as guide and driver - was wonderful experience - he made it wonderful.
Was an awesome experience.
My husband and i signed up with wild trek safari and were assigned Fred who was our driver and guide for 8 days. Right from our pick up at Nairobi Airport to our hotel he was prompt and further on to our adventure to see the wild life Fred was a library of information and humour . He took excellent care to our needs Fred thanks a ton for making this memorable . We are looking forward to come again. .
US
Email SFO | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not the best experience
I was on a tour with Wild Trek in August 2017.
Our mini van was in bad shape. Each time the driver stopped in the middle of the mara triangle, I had to say a small prayer that the van would start again, so that we would not be stuck in the middle of the jungle. Finally, the van broke down on the way to the airport, luckily the driver arranged for a replacement van in good time. The vehicle send to take us to the airport was surprisingly better than the one given to us.
Secondly, I felt a lot cheated on the hotels arranged for us. They gave us an itinerary and prices based on certain hotels, once we confirmed the itinerary, they gave us lower rates hotels (as the ones originally listed was not available), but did not adjust the cost of the tour accordingly. So I felt quite cheated on the cost.
They did not specify in the original itinerary whether included a minivan or four wheeler, we ended up with a horrible old minivan. Only the final voucher stated that we would be given a minivan, so in a way I felt cheated in that respect too.
Our driver / guide was not the best either. He would rather we not bother him with questions, or speak to him. At times, he ignored are questions about wildlife. Although, we gave him a good tip at the end of the trip, he asked for more. I thought tips were voluntary contributions, he demanded more, which irritated me. Firstly, I did not find him to be up to the mark, but still tipped me a good amount as it is customary, then when he demanded more, it left a bad taste about the tour and the driver.
The guide just kept driving aimlessly in masai mara, was hardly interested in showing us any wildlife. He discouraged us from opting for an early morning gaming.
Another incident, the driver refused to do anything outside the itinerary, however on the second day, he asked us to visit the amboseli village and asked us to donate $100 to the village. We didn't check to see if it was in the itinerary and went along with the guide, but that was the only thing he did outside the itinerary, he refused to do anything else outside the itinerary. The visit to the village was a rip off.
Our tour was booked at wild trek through a local travel agent in India, I partly blame the local travel agent for not ensuring that the price difference of the savings was not given back to us. The local agent should have been transparent to us with regard to pricing.
Regardless, the issues with minivan and guide were the services of wild trek safaris.
Overall I wouldn't really recommend wild trek tours, and if you do opt for it, ensure that they are transparent on costs and services availed.
I feel as though my whole experience in Masai Mara would have been different if a) we had a good guide b) better vehicle, and c) the hotels as per our original itinerary.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Just Excellent Service
We booked our recent holiday/safari with Wildtrek Safaris and we were certainly not disappointed! From the starting moment of our enquiry to the detail and personal attention to detail we couldn't have asked for more. We were met at the airport in Nairobi dropped off at our hotel and the next day we had a personal excellent driver and tour guide to show us the sights and there are no surprises. What was promised to us was what we got and more with personal recommendations on our safari to the Masai Mara.
I can't thank them enough for their personal attention to detail in making sure we were not just happy but delighted! We will commend and definitely recommend this company to all friends and corporate friends!