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
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Email Rahul Krishnan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safari trip !!
We took the help of Right choice safari's to help plan as well as execute our family trip. Right from the onset they were very proactive over email in the planning phase and provided multiple options (both from location as well as hotel perspective) to help customize our itinerary exactly how we wanted it. Once we landed in Nairobi, we were met at the arrivals by our guide Opany who accompanied us throughout and helped us navigate through the itinerary with patience, knowledge and humour. We spotted the Big 5 multiple times across Masai Maara, Amboseli as well as a sea of Flamingos in Nakuru. Cherry on top was to witness sunrise on the Hot-air balloon ride which while being slightly pricey was worth every penny. The Camps/Lodges recommended for stay by Right Choice were very luxurious and well equipped to handle any request. From a food perspective there were multiple vegetarian options to choose from so Vegan/Vegetarian travellers need not worry at all. Overall a very satisfying vacation trip.
Email Kevin Owens | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dedicated, committed and a true professionals
It took many weeks trying to find a reputable tour company for our next visit to Africa, we had already visited in 2014 and were keen to get the same experience if not better than our first trip. The companies were shortlisted to 2, one of which was Right Choice Safaris managed by George. In the end Right Choice were chosen because of the variety of reserves and camps we would visit and the cost. The safari went to plan, we had a fantastic experience and I took over 4000 photo's. We saw all the animals that we planned including the Big 5.
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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!
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 Sayeh | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Kenya/Tanzania tour was a blast!
Writing this review will never do justice to the experience we had on this trip. I could write an entire book on the trip and still not get in the sense of how wonderful it was. The beauty of Africa cannot be captured in words or pictures, it must be experienced in person.
My daughter (age 21) and I went on a 16 day Safari using Right Choice Safaris. This was our first time in Africa, and we both had the time of our lives! Below is the highlight itinerary sent to us by George:
"Safari Highlights.
01 night in Nairobi on arrival. Good for those arriving after mid day.
02 nights in Amboseli
01 night at the Lake Nakuru national park- Kenya
03 nights at the Masai Mara game reserve- Kenya. Migration at best
02 nights at the Serengeti game reserve -Tanzania
01 night at the Ngorongoro crater -Tanzania
01 night at Tarangire national park- Tanzania
04 nights in Zanzibar, Blue bay beach resort"
The Safari was planned by the organization and we followed all of their recommendations and did not do any "customization" of our own. We had a private safari for the two of us which gave us the freedom to go at our own pace. Our guide in Kenya was Jacob and in Tanzania, Fadhil. I believe Right Choice Safaris handles the Kenya part and partners with KiliSlopes in Tanzania for the Tanzania part.
Every place we stayed at was absolutely wonderful. The safari had a combination of tents and lodges to give us a taste of both kinds of experiences, and we loved both.
George was always available, answered all our questions, and was in touch throughout the trip for getting our feedback. My sister and her husband are going next year and they are going to contact George to set it up for them because we had such a positive experience with him.
Jacob and Fadhil were both amazing. I do hope that when we go back, and we most definitely want to go back, that we will get to work with Jacob and Fadhil again. They were both super knowledgeable, both friendly and fun, and both wanted to teach us about the animals, their behaviors, and their roles in the larger ecosystem.
Everything was amazing. Lodging, food, service, and of course, the most important part, nature and game viewing.
For game viewing, make sure you take binoculars. Also, take the best cameras you have and ample storage. We took over 5000 pictures!! Expect to be in a car for 8-12 hours a day in order to get maximum viewing experience. It sounds like a lot, but when you're being driven through some of the most beautiful lands in the world, and seeing animals up close, it all flies by so fast.
It's hard to pick a favorite spot for us. Each park/reserve had its own unique ecosystem and we are glad we went to all of them. If you have to skip one of the destinations due to lack of time, I recommend skipping Zanzibar only because it took us a long time to get there (drive/fly/delayed flights, etc.). If we absolutely had to recommend one place to see for first time travelers, then we'd recommend the Masai Mara/Serengeti parks which are really an extension of each other, are the spot for the migration, and a must see for anyone who ever goes on a safari.
Vaccinations: Make sure you see a travel doctor and get the correct vaccinations. Furthermore take your vaccination cards with you. Without proper proof of vaccinations, they will not let you into the country.
Health precautions: Do your research on how not to get sick there. Our travel doctor gave us an entire packet which we reviewed thoroughly. If you do, you won't get sick there and will be able to enjoy your trip fully.
Tips: Get your cash and exchange it to the correct currency before you travel. Finding ATMs in the country was not an easy task, and no one has enough change there for you! Get your money before you go and have it broken down into small change. The staff everywhere expects to be tipped, and you need tons of change. Tip graciously! They sure deserve it.
Email adrienne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly prompt service and well organised
My daughter and I recently had an 8 day safari tour with Right Choice Tours & Safaris, we had a most wonderful time in Kenya from the moment we were met at the airport in Nairobi to the day we ended our safari in Nakuru. Our safari was well organised with very good communication. Our driver and guide Tom was awesome, he also had a great sense of humour! Our cook Allan made the most amazing pancakes! We also felt very safe. I would highly recommend Right choice Tours & Safaris.
JP
Email Kenji | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Birding Tours
The 18 days tour was excellent and very pleasant. The guide, Tom was an expert for safari and a skillful driver. He did safari, safety first, and solved a couple of car troubles well. He was also flexible for modification of accommodations and our demands. He is not an expert for birding, but followed our stop-and-go instructions very well, and assigned proper local birding guides. The cook, Alan was a very good chef, his cuisine was much better than restaurants and lodges. As a result, we got many bird species, over 300, plus many animals.
Our accommodations were not high class and some of them were modified one day before, but very comfortable. I appreciate George, he arranged a total plan. I think the tour cost was proper. I did recommend this tour company to my friends.
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.
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!
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.
