IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tailor made safari tour for a solo traveler
E-trip Africa arranged an excellent 15 day tour of Kenya and Tanzania. Ben Jennings and Aurelie (managers/owners) communicated with me in a timely manner and provided me with a tailor made itinerary that stayed within my budget. They were always receptive to any changes and made great suggestions for the trip.
The guides/drivers were knowledgeable and very professional and the lodges were superb. It was a great and memorable trip to East Africa and I would highly recommend them
JO
maasaai mara camping
it was wonderfui i visited kenya and they have good management and well secured dancom tours and travei the best
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommended!
We had last September an amazing 4 day trek to Mount Meru and 6 days Safari through Tanzania. We want quickly thank all the guys and crew from Masaka. From Selma, who booked our trip and gave us great advices for Camps and Lodges to Aristarick, our guide who was excellent and a great communicator, the porters, the cook, who prepared very tasty food and was always interesting to know, if we would like to have something special (the food went above and beyond what we expected). The all team was very competent and nice. Great job guys! Such a rewarding experience! Highly recommended!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A once in lifetime experience - don't miss it!
Actually our safari did not start in Africa but it started in Berlin. We had a tight schedule so planning the trip carefully (including inland flights) was very important for us and Mr. Oliveira from "It started in Africa" did an excellent job in advising us on distances and accomodation and so on. Preparations can't be better than that!
And: In the end everything turned out as planned and even better. Our accomodations advised and booked by Mr. Oliveira were absolutely phantastic and Isaac, our guide during the safari (Tangarire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater) was not only great in spotting animals but also in providing us with lots of interesting information on animals and people.
So: If you think of doing a safari in Tansania you won't regret it if you go with "It started in Africa"!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Oldupai Gorge Educational Trip
We had a great trip, collected from school and driven out to the crater rim to enjoy the panoramic views. The transport and food provided was excellent and other facilities were provided by ourselves. We were a little inconvenienced by the time taken to get through the park gate but this seems fairly unavoidable in Tanzania.
The drivers were competent and pleasant and the vehicles were reliable and well maintained so we felt safe whole time.
The children enjoyed the trip and learned a lot about our ancestors from their visit to the cradle of humanity in Oldupai Gorge.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous Beyond One's Expectations!
My three week, two day trip exceeded my expectations of my long awaited trip to Africa. The key to the success of this amazing trip is summed up in three words: Chris - Safari Partners. Chris developed an excursion that led me through Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa with Cape Town and the Garden Route. Every detail was attended to so that at no time was there a concern about the quality of accommodations, food, tours, connections. Everything was outstanding! I found Chris to be concerned listener who took my ideas and ran with them superbly. With all of my own research including that of checking out other companies, nothing would have come close to what I received from the itinerary and wonderful array of accommodations, safaris, tours and tightly organized traveling connections designed by Safari Partners. I would like to note that when my traveling partner was not able to go on the trip due to health reasons, Chris made some adjustments, gave me advice, and assured me safe passage. He wasn't wrong. I also want to share that the value I received on all facets of this trip FAR exceeded the cost of the trip. Fabulous all around! Highly recommended! Thank you, Chris!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flawless arrangements for a fabulous, over-the-top trip
My wife and I had been booked on another company's group tour for 4 months, but a month and a half before we were to leave, it was cancelled, due to lack of participants. Since we had been really looking forward to a safari, we looked around for alternatives; contacting four other tour companies. Due to Chris' s intimate knowledge of Africa, his flexibility to work with various budgets and ability to deliver a great experience at good value, we selected Safari Partners. He explained the differences between national park safaris and conservancy safaris (there are less tourists in conservancies and the camps are smaller and generally deluxe tented). So in 10 days, with Chris's guidance we had pulled together what sounded like a trip that would meet our needs.
And we had an absolutely fantastic time in Africa. Everything worked out just as Chris planned it. We were met and chauffeured around at each destination without fail.
We were very spoiled in both camps in Kenya. Everything was over the top. From the invariably nice, helpful and very knowledgeable staff and guides to the deluxe accommodation, good food and excellent sightings on the game drives. It was very special.
In Samburu we stayed at the Elephant Bedroom Camp - aptly named as there was an almost resident group of seven or so, that wandered through the camp day and night. Staff would move guests to the main tent if you were eating at the riverbank as the elephants came through, and you could hear them wandering by your tent at night. It was very hot in Oct., so the plunge pool on the deck outside every tent was a great place to get cool. Buffet breakfast at the riverbank, lunch there or under the awning of the main tent and dinner was always very good food for the 3 days we were there.
We stayed at Encounter Mara in the Maasai Mara for 4 days and each day there were fabulous game sightings at really close quarters. For 2 nights we were the only ones in camp and and every day had Nabaala our Maasai guide to ourselves. He was very knowledgeable about every bird, mammal or reptile and amazingly we never got stuck nor had a puncture going down and up the rocky riverbanks. We had 8 game drives including a night drive over that time, and saw everything in mammals that we could have hoped to see except rhinos.
Typically we would be wakened with tea, coffee or hot chocolate and biscuits at 5:30am to be off on the drive at 6:15am. At 8:30 or 9:00 we would stop for a picnic breakfast of coffee, tea, juice, cereal, fruit, yogourt, muffins/scotch egg and jams looking out over the savannah at the nearby antelope, wildebeest and zebra. Then there would be a couple of hours in camp for reading, going down to the hide/blind at the river before a gourmet lunch at 1pm. Then a couple of hours for rest and relaxation before tea at 4pm and a game drive at 4:30. Another great dinner meal would be served after the game drive in front of a campfire at about 8pm, with a drink or two or three and then off to bed, and looking forward to what game would be seen tomorrow. The Mara is at a higher altitude, and despite the summer heat during the day, it could get chilly in the morning and evening zipping around in the open jeep. So we were especially glad of the supplied, quilted, waterproof ponchos in the jeep and the two hot water bottles placed in our bed every night. Nothing was too much trouble at Encounter Mara.
Then of course, feeding the beautiful Rothchild giraffes at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi was one of the major highlights of the trip for us. The Manor itself was very gracious and gentile, but it was truly wonderful to feed the giraffes as they poked their heads into your second floor bedroom windows or into the breakfast room windows. And if you were confident enough, you could have them slurp, with their long black tongues, a food pellet from your lips.
Five nights in Zanzibar gave us time to relax, snorkel and reminisce about the animals and experiences on safari. The Tembo House Hotel in Stone Town was charming and historic. Dreams of Zanzibar was a large all-inclusive that gave you what you would expect in a four star Caribbean-type hotel, but amidst the laid-back beauty and amazing colours of the Indian Ocean.
Safari Partners arranged a flawless, over-the-top, trip and we would totally recommend them to anyone thinking of going to Africa. We will use them when we return to Africa, as we had such a great experience with them the first time.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10 Days Masai Mara Samburu and Bwindi National Parks
My Mum, brother and I went to Africa for our holiday. Being the tour leader I had to plan everything on my own. At first I thought it gonna be stressing and time consuming. To my surprise, when I contacted Kenya Walking survivors Safaris, all my burning questions were all answered and within two days, we had finalized everything! Kenya’s parks are all great. In Uganda we did the trekking and although my mum is aged, she managed it! It is not only fun but also, excersising .All our accommodations were budget but they were comfortable. Our cook-Sam made delicious food while in Kenya. Thank you Mr. Otieno for your good work .God bless!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
From the moment I started planning the safari for a group of fellow travelers I was smitten with African Big Five Safaris. My contact was Mary, as she was always very professional and open to our changing needs (we started off as a group of 4 and ended up as a group of 8) and dates. The reviews I read led me to expect a first class safari; that is what Mary promised and what I feel we got. I had read about the experienced and personable guides but we did not imagine just how knowledgeable and friendly they would be. Edmund and Hamid knew all about the wildlife and birds. They joined us for dinner on the second evening and taught us much about life in Uganda. All in all they made us feel very special and as if we were the best clients ever, which I expect is how they make everyone feel!
We had 2 vehicles as 8 would be too many for one, and were glad we did as 4 to a vehicle was perfect and gave us lots of room to move around while we were in the park. The seats were comfortable for the long drives to and from the park and there was a big cooler full of bottled water we could help ourselves to. On the way up to the park we stopped to pick up some fruit from people selling at the roadside, and had a lovely lunch near Masindi. Edmund and Hamid adapted our walk at the Falls to our needs. They made sure we saw some of the Big 5 on the way to our accommodation - Fort Murchison Lodge - which was excellent also.
On the second day we had a fabulous safri drive that lasted all morning, and our guides made sure we saw many animals including lions, and in fact we saw all the Big Five except for leopards. We could not get over how many animals we saw, and, as someone interested in birds, I was amazed at the variety of colourful birds. At around noon, we stopped in the park to eat our lunch near the various oribis and other antelopes. In the afternoon we went on the 3 hour boat ride up the Nile to Murchison Falls and back, which enabled us to see many of the same animals by the water's edge, as well as water birds, hippos and crocodiles. Day two was another full day which I will never forget.
The third day we drove around the north side of the park and to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary near Masindi, where we walked to find the rhinos after driving to the area where they were known to be feeding. The guide from the Sanctuary was very interesting also, and we were well protected by two guards who watched the rhinos at all times to interpret their body language and keep us a safe distance away. The guide made sure we were able to get photos of ourselves with the rhinos in the background.
On the way back through Kampala we learned a lot about the way of life in this fascinating country. It was a sad farewell when we finally reached our hotel in Entebbe where our conference was to be held. We will never forget the great time we had with Edmund and Hamed! Thanks to all at African Big Five for helping us have such a memorable time.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours was fabulous! Chris is an excellent guide and chef!
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tour did an outstanding job! The safari experience far surpassed my expectations. Chris is a natural host! We'd spot an animal and Chris knew to stop so we could relish in the moment. The Tour was organized, pleasant, and by far the best vacation I have ever experienced! I recommend
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours! Thank you again Chris!