Andrew will take you to remote places
Wildebeest Safaris
- Located In:
-
China
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- ETT & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Kristine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Some issues but guides went above and beyond
It seems like Wildebeest could have prepared better for our tour. I still believe it was a great value for the price. There were several small issues but the guides were very nice and the accommodations great.
IN
Email neha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a last minute trip
All communication while planning the trip was prompt, very courteous and accommodating. Towards the end while we were finalizing it (the departure date was finalized very late), i believe the agent too was travelling and communication dropped, causing me a few tense moments. A mail saying my mails had been received and were being worked on would have been appreciated.
The safari vehicle itself wasn't in good repair (simple things like overhead handles to hang on to on the bumpy routes in the parks were missing).
That said.....the trip itself went off well. Our guide and driver Hamza was an absolute delight. Very helpful and very cheerful...he made the trip great fun.
I would use Wildebeest Safaris again as i believe the minor issues we faced were because of the late nature of the booking.
It was an enjoyable experience overall.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour guides very knowledgible and friendly.
We were two 50+ women travelling from North America. We were concerned with booking everything on line and not having TICO protection or personal contacts. Although it was tough at times to correspond thru emails with our questions Noah tried his best to answer all our questions. The guides were wonderful and we were lucky enough to see the "big 5" within the first few days of our trip. Noah took care of booking resorts, airfares, transportation and guides and although there were a few hicups the trip was more than we could hope for.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best vacation ever (with a few glitches!)
An African safari has always been on my bucket list, as well as my mothers, so we were both excited for this trip. Noah was great in preparing our itinerary, which we changed numerous times to fit our wants. His communication was excellent; he was always prompt in replying to our questions (remembering that he is halfway around the world!) All of the lodges he selected were superb!
Our trip did not get off to the best start, as there was no guide to meet us at the airport (there were about 100 other guides there though!) A gentleman at the airport was able to call Wildebeest Safaris for us, arranged a cab to our hotel (which Wildebeest covered), and confirmed that our guide would meet us at the hotel the following morning. Our guide, Dennis, was there early, and we left by 7:30am. Two of the first three police safety checkpoints stopped our vehicle, questioning the condition of the tires (they were worn out) but let us proceed. The roads in Kenya are terrible, and sure enough, a couple of days later, we had two flat tires within an hour (both rear tires). Luckily most safari vehicles carry two spares, so we were able to make it to our lodge in Maasai Mara only a little late for lunch, and Dennis had the tires repaired by the next morning. Our only other issue was the trip between Kenya and Tanzania. We were required to change vehicles and guides upon entering Tanzania, and there was a mix up as to who would provide our lunch, so no lunch for us that day. Hamsa did offer to stop and get us something to eat, but we had some snacks with us, and figured we could eat a big dinner. (The lodge food was excellent everywhere we stayed!)
Other than that, the trip was fantastic. Both Dennis and Hamsa (our Tanzanian guide) were very friendly and knowledgeable. They knew when and where to find the animals we wanted to see, and showed us many additional things we did not expect to see. They both worked with the rangers and other guides via cell phone and radio to find out where the animals were that we wanted to see, and they were great at making sure each days' game drive offered something different. Hamsa was especially knowledgeable, expanding on our questions and giving very thorough answers. He explained the education process he went through to become a guide, and he seemed to know all of the other guides we saw.
The last day of our trip was back in Kenya (Amboseli NP), and it was Dennis again who met us at the border (on time, and with 4 brand new tires!) He again was very good, planned ahead, and made sure to get us to the airport early (no easy task with Nairobi traffic on a Friday afternoon!)
The safari vehicles had some minor issues (i.e. the aforementioned tires, a broken door handle, etc.) but being 70 series Landcruisers , had certainly lived a rough life. Most safari vehicles we saw appeared similar. Just remember this is Africa - don't expect to be chauffeured around in a brand new Cadillac! The issues we had prevent me from giving a full 5 stars, but I would certainly use Wildebeest Safaris again.
BE
Email carlos | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Verry good tour operator
Wild life is verry good.
Accomodation could be better.
Service off accomodation in Englisch is poor.
Driver is exelent.
from pick up at airport..thru the whole tour and drop off at our hotel..it was amazing.thank u guys
Way beyond expectations.totally content and happy
HK
Email Isaac | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A joyful trip
Overall, a good trip.
Noah, the owner, did responded quickly throughout the very initial planning stage and during the trip and very helpful in arranging my special requests although I have no idea what it turn out to be as we have missed.
Bad thing (go away) first, we lost half a day and stuck in Kenya/Tanzania border due to mechanical problem of car and could not enter Serengeti as it was too late and we have to change our lodge. Given the size of the company, it maybe more difficult to eliminate this chance, but Noah managed to rectify the lost AFTER we ask for it. This show the good will and is important for tour operator.
We was taken care of by 3 driver/guide throughout the trip,
Hamsa in Tanzania was wonderful, without him, we would have missed the most beautiful view of leopard for the entire trip and so many other things.
Dennis in Kenya was also good and took us to see lion, cheetah and black rhino within 30 mins in our first day in Masai Mara and river crossing the other day!!!
I believe the third one, who took us to Amboseli, is relatively new, as we have to ask him to stop the engine a couple of times while we were taking photos.
Packages are fairly cheap, tour guides good. Vans clean and reliable. Time keeping good
Communication was perfect, services throughout the safari was fine and hotels booked for my family was worth the amount I paid.
Email Andrew, Deborah & Rhiannon Davies | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, a memorable first time safari in East Africa!
We took a 13 day Kenya/Tanzania Safari with Wildebeest including Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Amboseli (with stopovers in Nairobi). From the beginnings of our communication, Noah was always extremely prompt and helpful in his correspondence with us. He was very flexible and allowed us to change the itinerary multiple times based on our needs and budget. Upon arrival, we were met at the airport by our first driver Dennis, who drove us through the first Kenyan leg of the safari. Dennis was always enthusiastic and cheerful and ready to share his knowledge. He met all the challenges of the journey, always trying his best to ensure we still got the most out of our trip, and making sure we were well taken care of.
We did have some mechanical troubles with the 4WD during our time with Dennis - his car was well worn to say the least! While he was very focused on ensuring we got our time in the parks, it would have been more beneficial to have the car completely fixed and ready to go, avoiding several break downs in the middle of our drives - this was probably the most trying element of our safari, but ultimately something that couldn't really be avoided or foreseen.
Upon our arrival in Tanzania we swapped over to a new driver Hamsa, who was always friendly, helpful and had great knowledge of his surroundings. While it was a nuisance to cross the border so far from the Mara (due to border restrictions), we were treated to some fabulous scenery in Tanzania, en route to Serengeti. Hamsa was always very flexible with the itinerary to suit our needs, and his vehicle was thankfully in a better state of repair!
When back in Kenya, we spent just a few days with another driver Eustace (this time in a minivan with a pop-up roof). Once again, Eustace was a great driver, friendly, helpful and knowledgable. He went the extra mile on our last day, making every effort to drive us back to Nairobi (from Amboseli), getting us there just in time to visit the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage during its limited opening hours (something that wasn't on our itinerary, but we'd hoped to do). We were collected by Noah on our last day in Nairobi for our transfer to the airport. It was great to finally meet him, and really helped not to have to worry about arranging our own transfers.
Overall, our safari with Wildebeest was a great experience, we were able to see all of the Big Five, and enjoyed some great animal sightings throughout our stay. The accommodation was a bit of mixed bag, ranging from budget to very nice, but was always exactly as we had agreed. We were very well treated wherever we went, and were lucky to be upgraded in quite a few places. We would certainly recommend Wildebeest for a quality for money, mid-range safari tour.
AE
Email Phil | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very helpful and friendly.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Hamza of Wildebeest safari. He was knowledgable friendly and flexible. He was friendly with many of the other drivers as well which benefited us in terms of seeing so many animals we may well have missed. We managed to see all of the animals we had hoped and Hamza was very flexible in positioning the vehicle for best results in terms of photographs. The views and experiences were incredible.
We stayed in some absolutely stunning camps and lodges. This was due to internet research and the advice of Noah who has direct contact with these places and negotiated us some good deals. Noah also helped us out with payment issues allowing us to pay on arrival as the final booking was too late for a credit card.
We saw plenty of shiny 4x4's really packed with people and baggage whilst we cruised past just the three of us. Plenty of room for cameras packed lunches and stretching out. Maybe not the newest vehicle but perfectly functional and very roomy. As with all a pop up roof and plenty of chargers (uk 3 pin) for electric items.
I believe that an East African safari is a must do for those who can. Tanzania and Wildebeest Safari served us very well in a never to be forgotten holiday. Thank you Hamza and Noah.