Reservations staff
Right Choice Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO & KWS
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $345 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
GR
Email John Pap. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing 5 days safari with an excellent guide.
An excellent 5 day experience with no bad surprises. Our guide, John, did everything to satisfy us. He was caring, punctual, informative, knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. We took more than 2000 pictures and videos from almost all the animals we could imagine. We drove to extreme places to meet the big fives, the small fives, the ugly fives or any fives. We are very happy having this journey as a positive experience. Thanks Right Choice Team and John. It was really wonderful. We strongly recommend it to everybody.
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Email Scott | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great value, but understand what you are getting
We did a 20 day trip to Tanzania that included a Kilimanjaro Summit via the Lemosho Route (8 days), Safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire (5 days) and finished with 5 days on Zanzibar. Add a layover day in Arusha and a travel day to get to 20 days. Overall, I would rate our RightChoice adventure as a 4.5 (4 star experience at a 3 star price). In summary, the Kili trip was 5++ stars (absolutely amazing). Safari was 3.5 stars and Zanzibar was 4 stars. The people were great and the food was excellent (I'm pescatarian/vegetarian and they did a great job of accomodating). However, to get the lower price, you do have to compromise, so read on for the details.
Kilimanjaro: We had the two best guides that you can imagine (Ismael and Mongo). If you book with RC and get either one of them, you will be in good hands. Ismael was our lead guide, picked us up at the airport and took care of us through our trip. NOTE: RC was pretty casual about "what to bring to Kili", so you really have to do your own research. We packed pretty well, but forgot a couple things (BYO TP...) and Mongo helped by loaning us an item or 2. The food during the Kili trip was very good. Hot coffee/tea w/ eggs for breakfast; soup, rice or noodles with veggies, etc for dinner - very good. There was a box lunch when we didn't have a hot meal. Meals were served in the mess tent and Abdul (our waiter) took great care of us. There is not a "toilet tent", so you use the public pits, which range from acceptable to disgusting. The toilet pit at the first camp was the worst, then they got progressively better. The park service is installing new toilets and starting to actually clean them, so the situation should improve. We carried our own day packs, snacks, lunch, etc, as we hiked to base camp (not a problem). On summit day, one of our porters became the "summit porter" and the guides carried our pack while the summit porter carried hot tea and snacks to ensure our success - this was critical and I would definitely elect for this. The guys that took care of us (12 in all) were great and we really bonded - lots of singing, etc. It was definitely a trip that we will very fondly remember forever. Remember that you have to bring a lot of tip money. The recommendations that we got from our guides on tipping the porters were much higher than what I read online (like double), but they deserved it. After being with a great group for 8 days, the last thing you want to do is leave them high & dry.
One other thing to be prepared for with RC is the transportation. We viewed the transportation as being part of the adventure. Our trip to the Kili gate was memorable as we were picked up by a minivan (we called it the Mystery Machine - scooby doo) that looked like it could comfortably fit about 8 people. We drove all around Arusha picking up porters, etc., and by the time we were genuinely on the road to the gate there were 11 porters, the two of us and the driver packed in. Again, its part of the adventure, but be ready for it.
We had one evening in Arusha (at Charity Hotel) prior to being picked up for Safari early the next morning. Charity is ok, but its down a crazy back alley, so if you are first arriving at night, expect this. The food at Charity was below average and there is no power (in most of Arusha) during the afternoons.
Safari: Safari in Tanzania is a little bit like going to Disneyland. There are tons of trucks, all basically the same Toyota Land Cruisers. Most seat 6 passengers in the back plus driver & passenger seat. They all have the pop-up roof. We were shuttled out from Arusha in a minivan to pickup more people at Lake Manyara, then head to Serengeti. Our agenda was changed at the last minute by RC, but it didn't really matter. RC paired us up with three other English speaking tourists (2 from Holland, 1 from Germany). It seems that RC subcontracts with other Safari providers to place you in trucks. We were with "Big 5" Safaris for the first two days in Serengeti. We had a fun group and a good driver, so it worked out. We also had a very good Safari cook who stayed with us for the entire 5 days.
The good thing about Safari was the wildlife (of course). We saw a lot more than I thought we would. The bad thing was that we were there during the "high season" - it was packed. I also thought that we might see the "great migration" in the Serengeti during July, but found that the main activity was about an 8 hour drive away. That said, we saw a ton of wildlife - no rhinos, as they mainly hide in July, but everything else. The camping situation at Serengeti and Ngorongoro is pretty bad (not an improvement from Kili) and we were in very old tents with broken poles and zippers that we put up ourselves - again, part of the adventure. However, since we aimed to get out of camp at 6am each morning, this seemed like a good compromise to staying at one of the hotels/resorts in the area. For the last two nights we stayed at Manyara View campground, which had permanent tents and cots (very nice) as well as cold beer in the fridge (very welcome). The last two days of safari we had different trucks (different companies). Again, it worked and was just part of the adventure.
Zanzibar: After safari, we changed cars about 3 times on the way to the Kili airport and checked in with George on our way to Zanzibar. RC did a good job of arranging all of the transportation, but expect to change cars a lot (are we supposed to tip every driver?). Willy picked us up in Zanzibar and we spent a few days in Stone Town prior to heading to Smiles Beach Resort. Smiles was very nice - again, friendly people, clean rooms, etc. The food was pretty average (overcooked seafood). It is located right next to the Hilton Doubletree. If you walk 100' up the beach you can pay about 4x for a meal that (probably) tastes better. We did two days of diving with Spanish Dancer divers (not through RightChoice). The diving was very good. Again, RightChoice got us from the north coast of Zanzibar via ferry to Dar as Salam for our flight to Kili and home. The transportation was definitely crazy, but we made it.
Summary: I'm really glad we chose RightChoice for our adventure in Tanzania. It wasn't the "high end" vacation, but it was the adventure that we were looking for. We may have preferred a little "upscale" at various times during our trip and I know we were both ready to be back in the US, but the trip was incredibly memorable and really had an impact on how we will view the world going forward. Thanks, RightChoice!
US
Email Shashank | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good operator, extremely rude drivers
Masai Mara & Nakuru: 30 July 2019; for short version, look below.
I am so conflicted giving this a 2 star rating because we (group of 9, with 7 visiting from the US) had a terrible experience largely due to one person (Julius - experienced but grumpy & rude tour guide who seems to hate his job/life), but the rest of everything else was great. However, Julius largely defined the experience for the group that he was driving, so I unfortunately cannot justify more than 2 stars. All 9 of us are avid travelers and visit 3-4 countries every year (4 of us are above the age of 60), with 2 who live and work in Kenya, and there was consensus that these were among the most disrespectful people we’ve met.
We are a large group and worked with George for a few months, during which we made multiple changes and George was absolutely fantastic, accommodating, and patient throughout, designing a customized trip for us - I had decided I would give this operator a 5 star rating even before the trip, but then, enter Julius. Right from day 1, he seemed a bit rude and on edge with his responses to any question. Since we were in a mindset of trying to have fun, and had planned this for months, we ignored it and tried to brush it off. We had 2 vehicles, and the other tour guide, Milton, seemed much friendlier until Julius turned him by day 3, so we had him acting snippy towards the end too. After a few incidents it became hard to ignore Julius’ rudeness (example - at one point when we said it was uncomfortable to have a large empty ice box in the car, as the water he brought had run out anyway, he responded with ’then you have to be uncomfortable’; not even a hint of empathy, or trying to find a solution). Oh and he also whipped out a large machete that was under the seat on at least a few occasions (pretending to clean it) possibly with the aim of intimidating everyone, and I guess it worked. Imagine being in a jungle at the mercy of someone like that (he even looks scary). Both drivers started acting very dictatorial, telling us what the new plan was (different from the itinerary), and not offering any options, or entertaining any suggestions. We finally got a different driver on day 3 (James) who was absolutely fabulous - and told us more about Mara and wildlife in one hour on the freeway, than Julius did in 2 days, but unfortunately he was there only to drive us back home, so we didn’t really get to do any Game drives with him.
TLDR: George - amazing guy, very easy to work with; tour guide Julius ruined the experience with his blunt rudeness; The other guide Milton was okay first couple of days, but also became rather rude after seeing Julius talk to the group with no respect and get away with it. James (who stood in for Julius on day 3 was absolutely fantastic, and well spoken, and the guide we all wished we had through the safari), so be super careful who you select as a tour guide/driver as it is critical in how your experience turns out.
Reply from Right Choice Tours & Safaris
Posted on Aug 8, 2019Dear Shashank ,
Thank you for posting a review and we’re sorry to hear that your experience was not of the quality you expected. We would like to take the opportunity to investigate your feedback further. Drivers are very instrumental in wrapping up the entire experience while on overland safari. It's a pity, Julius was rude.
I’m so sorry. We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail and we regret that we missed the mark.
We always aim to deliver a great experience. Thanks for taking the time to bring this to our attention. We will use the feedback to make us better and to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
MX
Email Enrique | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good experience in Kenya and Tanzania
Right Choice is indeed a very good option in case you are planning to go to Kenya. The communication by mail is very good and they answer in matter of hours. We had 3 guides in the different parts of our 15 days safari and the three were very nice, good drivers and with wide knowledge about wild life. About hotels, we have only to remark one place that did not meet our expectations, but in total we stayed in 8 different hotels, and besides the one exception the others were very good. People very nice and friendly. In summary we highly recommend to take into consideration this enterprise if you are planning to go to East Africa.
We had an amazing 3 days with Right Choice Tours and Safaris
The service surpassed expectations. Wycliffe ensured we saw all the Big Five in our day and a half safari. He was happy to stop for photos and drove very competently. The accommodation and food was excellent. Moses and Peter were also very obliging drivers.
Email SJ | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great price without compromising on the quality of service
Right choice definitely gave me the best pricing compared to a lot of others and without compromising on service.
George, Manager, was amazing. Extremely nice, helpful and accommodating.
Albert the driver was very patient, knowledgeable and experienced... we couldnt have asked for
better people.
The entire safari was planned meticulously and we had absolutely no reason to complain about anything whatsoever.
Would definitely recommend without hesitation.
KR
Email Diane | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wild Africa
We had a great time in safari! James was professional, trying to do his best to comfort us. We have seen a variety of wild animals thanks to him. And also matira lodge was satisfied, well-equiped accomodation with fine meals. Thanks for this great opportunity to travel wild africa. We really enjoyed this trip :)
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Email Travis Eby | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommend Right Choice for a wide range of Kenyan adventures
Right Choice did a great job coordinating a complex itinerary for us in Kenya, and get my highest recommendation.
We booked three separate tours with Right Choice. All three of the guides were excellent and made our experience special:
– Moses took us on a 1-day tour of Nairobi, giving us an insider's look at the capital including Kibera.
– George took us on a 6-day safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli – pointing out animals we wouldn't have seen on our own and making sure we got every last photo we wanted.
– Julius took us on a 3-day summit of Mt Kenya, making a challenging hike fun while explaining a unique ecosystem.
Pickups before and between tours were seamless. Communication was good throughout – they kept meticulous records of our itinerary and answered questions promptly (shoutout to Millicent in the front office).
There were little touches throughout that really made our lives easier, like letting us store bags in the front office in between our safari and mountain summit so we wouldn't have to carry luggage to the top of a 5000m mountain. George (the owner) even personally met us at our hotel at the end to return them.
A bit of advice: for whatever tour(s) you're considering make sure you're clear on each day's itinerary because distances between parks can be substantial. It was a worthwhile tradeoff for to me in order to see more parks and ultimately more of Kenya, but the days in the van can be long.
Overall, Right Choice delivered on the trip of a lifetime and I'd recommend them for anyone thinking of Kenya.
CA
Email Sushant | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Did work out at the end !
The company may be a good tour company but certainly can’t carter to luxury travellers. The communication was nonexistent but most things happened as they our itinerary stipulated. Safaris’s experience was rushed for later part of the trip but that’s because of wrong flights booked and so on.
Email Jonathan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A one in a lifetime trip that went as smoothly as was to be expected
George from Right Choice was excellent in his timely communication with thorough answers. Absolutely no complaints there. The service was professional and competent. Our tour driver Kamal was a lovely and knowledgable guy who achieved everything we set out to see. We saw everything! Even when we didn't see Rhinos in Lake Nakuru (which everyone said was highly likely) we added another park at the end to fill in this missing gap. We couldn't have asked for more in this regard. The tour itself was the classic 8-day tour including Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (which we highly recommend). We ended up adding Nairobi NP at the end. Kamal managed to get us to everything on time and gave us the maximum possible safari experience. No technical question about the animals and the country went unanswered. Overall, we are extremely happy with the tour and would have no hesitation recommending Right Choice Safaris to anyone. You will be in safe hands!