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
US
Email Song | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 star safari experience with superb tour guide and drivers
It definitely meet our high expectations, from the planning, logistic, timely communication, game drive, route, lounge accommodation, to our 5 star drivers, Joe and John, these two gentlemen gave us absolutely amazing care, supporting, knowledge, most of all, warm heart services. Without their day in and day out help, our trip would not be perfect!
When you book your next trip, please make sure you ask Joe as your driver in Kenya and John in Tanzania!
A huge thanks to the entire Right Choice Team!
CA
Email Anna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Right Choice? Not really
TLDR:
-1 star for lack of transparency and poor communication
-1 star for 5 nights of downgraded lodgings but only 3 nights of upgrades later in the trip. Would have rather had 5 nights of better comfort.
We booked a 15 day safari trip in Kenya and Tanzania through Right Choice. Initially, George was very responsive and seemed very organized, and that was why we chose to book with him. We were not happy with the lodging but were mostly happy with the guide and driver we had.
For lodgings, we noticed that George stopped being responsive once we started asking for hotel confirmations to apply for the Kenya ETA. After a few weeks of following up, he finally sent us a confirmation for just the first night in Nairobi, and nothing for the remaining nights.
After we started the safari, the guide drove past the accommodation on our itinerary, and we were only informed of the lodging change at that point. There was zero communication from George himself, even though we had been in contact for other questions. The lodging in Amboseli was a significant downgrade (farther from the park and worse than most budget hostels in other parts of the world). The three of us were also stuffed into one tent even though we paid for 2 rooms. We tried to communicate with George and he just freaked out and shut down. The lodge manager was also pressuring us to stay even though we were clearly unhappy and wanted to move to a place that was equivalent to the place we were promised on the itinerary. George was no help there and dealing with him and the lodge manager cut into our game drive times.
When George finally responded again, we discovered that all of our lodgings in the Kenya portion were downgraded from the original itinerary. We had to be very forceful in our communication and even then, we only got 1 night of our original lodging back at Lake Naivasha. He then promised to upgrade us in Zanzibar to a 5 star all inclusive resort for 3 nights.
At this point, I started reaching out to the lodgings myself to confirm the bookings and found out that for the 3 nights in Masai Mara, the price difference was over $300 USD per person per night between what we were promised on the itinerary vs. where we actually stayed.
We had to confront George with all the information again and then he told us he was going to upgrade us for 2 nights in the Serengeti and 1 night in Tarangire, and that he was unable to upgrade in Zanzibar. However, based on the photos from Google reviews, I'm not sure how much the upgrade really was, but it was too exhausting to continue to deal with him. And at the end of the day, we would have rather just had the 5 nights of our original lodging for better comfort.
There may have been availability issues but George never told us anything. It also didn't seem like he was proactive with correcting the issues - we don't think that he would have upgraded us later if we hadn't called him out on the price differences. It was not fun to have to reach out to various lodgings while on safari drives to advocate for ourselves.
The guide & driver in Kenya were contracted out to a different company, but they were sociable and nice. The guide could have given more explanations for the animals we saw, and point out interesting things along the way like the guides we had later on. However, they did work hard to find animals inside the parks and gave us many great photo opportunities. Our guide helped us with communications when we had trouble reaching George, and was also nice enough to let us visit his home when we asked. We really enjoyed meeting his family and his wife gave a great tour of a traditional Maasai household (much better and thorough than the tourist trap that people get taken to).
The Tanzania portion of the trip was organized through different affiliate partners for the safari portion and Zanzibar portion. The Tanzania part of the trip went pretty well but I feel like most of the credit should be given to those respective companies. George didn't even give us the Zanzibar contact until we arrived at the airport.
Reply from Right Choice Tours & Safaris
Posted on Sep 2, 2024Dear Anna,
Thank you for your review. I’m so sorry. We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail, and we regret that we missed the mark. Let me start my remarks with the eTA online application requirements. One hotel confirmation voucher was just OK for this exercise. The issue of not having the confirmed vouchers was not in bad faith.
Yes, the Sungura camp in Amboseli. This camp is located outside the park just like other mid range outfits in Amboseli. I want to categorically say, there is no price difference between Kibo and this camp. Due to unavailability at Kibo camp, we managed securing two rooms at Sungura camp and fully PAID for two nights. The sleeping arrangements you got were frustrating and unacceptable. The camp manager was not helpful neither did he ever denied that Right choice never paid for two rooms.
I hope you will give them a befitting review too! I think this camp was overbooked as there were many tourist during your visit. To say it was worse more than most budget hostels in other parts of the world is an overstretch to the imagination of this online community.
The rest of your trip covered Lake Naivasha, Masai mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Zanzibar. Following the bad experience in Amboseli, I promised compensation by way of upgrades where possible.
Accommodation in Lake Naivasha was retained as per the itinerary (Lake Naivasha Sopa resort)
Accommodation in Masai Mara was moved to Talek Bush camp following unavailability at Zebra Plains. The two camp offers a various sizes of double & single tents. The Talek camps enjoys great location. In terms of cost, honestly there were some savings which I promised to throw into upgrades as the journey progresses.
In Serengeti, the itinerary accommodation was Heritage Serengeti. Upgrade to Suenos De Africa luxury camp.
Itinerary accommodation in Ngorongoro was retained at Ngorongoro Rhino lodge.
Itinerary accommodation in Tarangire was Tarangire Simba lodge. This was upgraded to 4 star lodge, the Tarangre sopa lodge.
Accommodation in Zanzibar was Nungwi Dreams By mantis and this was retained. I kept my promise on upgrades. On a balancing ratio, the accommodation cost difference in Mara was solved with upgrade in Tarangire. This response is open to my worthy players in the industry. So I have no room lie here.
After several WhatsApp messages reassuring you about the accommodation status, you still went a head to make direct calls to the said lodges which was not bad. I really sympathize with all the energy you spent on these calls which was not really necessary. I was equally overwhelmed with calls from the lodges/camp asking me what is going on with my clients.
That was the time I started going silent because I knew you will get what I had promised after the Amboseli incident. To be fair, that's exactly what you got Anna. Since you had trust issues, the best I could do was to remain calm and get vindicated at the end of the trip.
On the communication aspect of this review, I sincerely apologize. This was a very let down from my corner. I promise to improve and do more on this area. I missed on telling you small logistical information like this tour will be run by Right choice safaris in Kenya and our affiliate partner in Tanzania.
In Zanzibar you will be met by Mr. so & so and more importantly, the changes on accommodation should have been communicated to you in good time.
Take note, it's a standard practice tours covering Kenya and Tanzania or Uganda (the entire East Africa) are run by different operators. Kenya vehicles for example are not allowed to access the Tanzania national parks.
My representative in Zanzibar met your party upon arrival at the airport. All the transfers on arrival and departure days were done accordingly. We’re so glad that our diver guides met your needs and thank you for your kind words.
Please know that your situation was an exception. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for taking ownership and caring deeply about our customers. We can’t fix the past but you have my personal commitment to improve on the way we serve every customer. Until then, please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone here at Right choice safaris.
IN
Email Surajit Saha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical Kenya Safari with RightChoice
We went for Kenya safari with Right Choice for 9 days covering Amboseli , Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. It was a dream come true trip for us. This was our first time in Africa and George ensure we had a memorable trip. All our queries handled very swiftly before the trip. As I am a photographic enthusiast, George ensure I get a great guide. Thomas was excellent , he made our trip very exciting. We will definitely recommend RightChoice and visit Kenya with them. It was a bucket list tour. Surely we will come back for more safari future in Kenya or other places.
US
Email Joyce | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Right Choice is the right choice for your safari!
My two friends and I went on our first safari and it was a 10/10 experience - I would 100% recommend Right Choice Safari to anyone!
Our guide, Mr. Opany, picked us up from our accommodations in Nairobi and we started the 5 hour journey to Amboseli (2 rest stops included). We arrived at Kibo and we were all really impressed with the lodgings, food, amenities, and overall service.
Mr. Opany was always extremely professional and honestly made us feel like we were with the best safari guide in the park. He seemingly knew everyone on our trip and was always able to get us to the front of any animal sighting. Throughout the course of our 3 day trip, we were able to see so many animals (especially elephants), but also almost 10 lions and a cheetah!
Millicent was always extremely responsive via email leading up to the trip and George even made sure to reach out after we got dropped off back in Nairobi to ensure we had a good experience.
Special shoutout to Mr. Opany for helping make our vacation that much better!
(The only feedback I would have about our trip that is fully unrelated to Right Choice Safari is I would skip the Maasai Village - we felt like they were taking advantage of us as tourists and did not explain much about their culture and history.)
CN
Email Emma Hu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing journey with Right Choice Safaris!
We are a group of 12 people with families and friends from China. We just had a very pleasant journey with Right Choice Safaris. Our guide Joshua and Ben are very knowledgeable, reliable and both have extreme good eyesight. We went to Masai Mara for the Migration and when we were not confident enough if we could see the crossing or not after waiting for 2 days, Joshua asked us to be patient and said the animals were ready. And we eventually saw it! Also when we were entangled with what to see and where to go in Masai Mara, Joshua always led the way. He suggested us to have 6am early morning game drive in Nakuru which we got the unforgettable morning mist over the lake like a fairytale! We stayed 2 nights at Amboseli Oltukai, 4 at Masai Mara Entim and Eden, 1 Nakuru Sarova, 1 Naivasha Sopa and 1 Mount Kenya Fairmont. All the hotels and services are very good. Impressed about the efficiency Kenya people have! Will come again!
CN
Email fiona&sonya&daisy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Missing safari in Kenya already. Our guide made the trip unforgettable!
Our entire trip to Kenya was amazing, far exceeding our expectations! Especially in comparison to Tanzania, having a good guide makes all the difference. The variety and excitement of the wildlife we saw in Kenya was ten times better than in Tanzania! This was all thanks to our guide Kasaine senei, who was professional, dedicated, and very attentive. He drove smoothly and had an incredible eye for spotting animals from afar, even being able to tell how many and which specific animals were in the distance. While driving and looking for wildlife, he also kept an ear on the radio to know where the action was happening, and he would take us there! From the beginning, communication with the owner George was simple, straightforward, and efficient. The entire experience was fantastic!
CA
Email Kristin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All good except Zanzibar
We did the 14 day safari, 3 camps in Kenya and 3 in Tanzania, finishing with 3 nights in Zanzibar. The accommodations were superb as were the jeeps. The Kenyan guides were great and made sure that we had opportunities to see all of the animals. The Tanzanian guides were very kind and did their best for us but unfortunately their English wasn’t great. This meant that our opportunities to ask questions and learn were limited.
Unfortunately things fell apart in Zanzibar. When we arrived at the resort we found that Right Choice had not paid for the accommodations. The resort obviously wanted to be paid so was unwilling to provide rooms until payment was made. That meant that one of our party had to provide a guarantee for payment while “negotiations” ensued with George for payment. Many promises and excuses were provided until finally payment came through some days after we’d checked out. Ultimately no one in our group was out any money but this left a sour taste. I would suggest that there’s a good chance that Right Choice is suffering from financial difficulties. With all the safari choices out there, it might be wise to go with someone else.
Reply from Right Choice Tours & Safaris
Posted on Oct 26, 2024Dear Kris,
I’m so sorry. We’re normally known for our exceptional attention to detail, and we regret that we missed the mark. This was a seamless journey for nearly over 12 days, Kenya and Tanzania combined wildlife safari. The final segment of about 4 nights beach relaxation in Zanzibar is where things started going to the south.
Your booking at the resort in Zanzibar was done through our affiliate ground operator in Zanzibar and this is a standard practice. My agent in Zanzibar had only partially paid the resort and this lead to the stalemate during the check inn time. The matter was brought to my attention during the long weekend and the Nyerere holiday in Tanzania thereon.
I pursued this matter with my agent who settled the payment later and there’s no dispute about full payments coming later. This left a sour taste to everyone. We're so glad you enjoyed your time during the safari.
Please know that your situation was an exception. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for taking ownership and caring deeply about our customers. We can’t fix the past but you have my personal commitment to improve on who to work with in Zanzibar. Until then, please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone here as a team.
IT
Email Fabrizio Venturini | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect 10-day safari experience
We booked a 10 day safari including Amboseli, lake Naivasha, lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara.
The tour was organized by George, and the planning process went very smooth. George was incredibly helpful and quick to answer all of our questions (and we had many, as this was our first safari), providing useful information along the way.
Our driver, John, was the perfect guide. From the airport pickup to the game drives, where he showcased all his skills in finding and spotting all the animals we were hoping to see. Thanks to John, we were able to see all the big Five and all the big cats we were looking for.
The accommodations were excellent and conveniently located (either within the park or close to the gates). Food exceeded our expectations, including the lunch box provided during full-day game drives.
As our first safari experience, we came back home more than satisfied, with countless unforgettable memories.
IE
Email Shirley | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing experience, amazing service, highly professional, highly recommend
From the very beginning George was highly professional and answered any queries we had very promptly. We were met at the airport and from the start to the end of our trip were looked after so well. The guides Jacob and Chumboso were amazing, ethical and very hard working guides with so much experience. The wildlife encounters we had were beyond fantastic. The accommodation options were brilliant, great variety, and food outstanding. I have been on safari many times before but this company is one of the best. Couldn’t recommend them more.
KR
Email Jaehyeon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Delivered a well-planned itinerary and arranged an exceptional guide, Kasaine Senei.
We went on a 4-day, 3-night safari tour that included Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha.
Our guide for the tour, Kasaine Senei, was absolutely perfect. Throughout the trip, he was punctual, showed dedication, and adjusted the itinerary flexibly to ensure it wasn’t too tiring for us. His driving was both quick and reliable, making us feel safe the entire time. During the game drives, he got us as close as possible to the animals, allowing us to capture amazing photos. Our Land Cruiser was among the first to enter and last to leave Masai Mara National Reserve. Despite it not being peak season, he went above and beyond to help us see as many animals and plants as possible. Notably, our vehicle was the first to spot a leopard, one of the rarest of the Big 5. Kasaine also has a keen eye for photography. If you’re lucky enough to have him as your guide, you’re sure to get some incredible shots! Being a Maasai himself, he has extensive knowledge of the region and its wildlife. At each location, he seemed well-connected, and we even had the unique experience of being guided by the chief’s son in a Maasai village we visited—a testament to Kasaine’s pride in his heritage.
George, who coordinated our booking, was prompt and friendly, ensuring that everything we requested and he promised was delivered smoothly, from the initial arrangements through to the end of the tour.
I was initially nervous, especially since this trip was with my parents, but Kasaine and George made our time in Kenya truly unforgettable. My parents expressed their gratitude, saying they hadn’t expected such an incredible experience. If you’re looking for a quality safari at a reasonable price, I highly recommend Right Choice Tours & Safaris.
