CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Masi Mara Safari
I choose to go with the Wildebeest two night three day accommodation from
Pride of Africa Adventures. The tour guide they provided was the best one I
have ever had, and I have done quite a bit of travelling. The staff was
courteous and extremely helpful, going out of their way when they can. The
camps were better than expected, good meals, very tasty, very warm staff.
The safari can speak for itself, once in a lifetime opportunity. Five stars
for these guys. Will definitely be using them again for future travels to
Africa.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We cannot fault the holiday we had in Kruger. Everything about it was fantastic. All the stress was taken out of it as everything was organised for us, we just had to turn up! It was excellent value for money! Accommodation was comfortable and clean, the safari guides were passionate and knowledgeable and happy to accommodate anything we needed. They knew where to take us to get the most out of our safaris and what we saw in Kruger Park far exceeded anyone's expectations. It was really the trip of a lifetime and we will never forget it. Thank you to everyone involved in making it so memorable, we can't name everyone but thank you to Andy Saidy all your help organising and dealing with all our queries.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent tour from Kampala to see the Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable forest.
We had a great tour.
To any potential visitors, it felt uncomfortable sending a large advance payment to purchase Gorilla permits but it all worked and we view AAB as a first class safari operator who we would recommend again to friends and family.
I am happy to contacted directly by potential clients who are thinking about taking a tour.
Good job
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great service and locations with Roho Ya Chui!
The tour booking on the internet was very smooth and Ute answered all queries very rapidly. The information, tour prospectus etc sent was very informative and the tour experience certainly lived up to expectations. You can't do better than close sightings of the 'Big Five' on each of three game drives!! The drivers (Mishouk, Trevor, Danie and Quentin) were all first-rate, knowledgeable and delivered the goods! It was very interesting to compare the different modus operandi in Kruger national park compared to the private reserve (Sabie Sands). The only disappointment is that it is impossible to reach Bourkes Luck potholes, Blyde River Canyon and Three Rondavels during a half day Panorama excursion, as indicated by the RYC blurb. These are just too far away from Hazyview! It should be made clear in the itinerary that this is only possible with the full day option, to avoid disappointment, and offered on Day 3 when customers have satisfactorily 'bagged' the Big 5 on previous days. Otherwise, brilliant, and will certainly book through you again!
NO
Murchison Falls Safari
Our safari to Murchison Falls with East African Jungle Safari was a lifetime experience and they really showed us the Pearl of Africa. Our guide Apollo was very knowledgeable about the park and wildlife. In addition he changed the program after our wishes through out the 4 day safari which also gave us a great side experience to the Rhino Sancturary. Manager Fred also followed up from the planning till we departed from Kampala. We highly recommend this company to anyone who want to see the best of Uganda.
Life time experience at Maasai Mara
Really had an awesome experience at Maasai Mara, great briefings, knlwledgeable driver who ensured that we missed no detail . Was lucky to spot the Big Five amongst other wildlife . Just witnessed the Eigth wonder of the World at destination Mara, had value for our monies.
Thank you Bienvenido Kenya Tours & Safaris.
Highly recommend them without any reservation.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Trip
Ute was very good about responding to my questions during the trip planning process. I've traveled quite a bit and this was not my first safari, but first time to this area and it had been a while since I was last in Africa. Our accommodations were good and the staff at the lodges/camp were helpful and responsive. Kadizora Camp was especially nice. All the logistics worked very well - people were there to pick us up, make transfers, etc exactly as promised. I took my 20 yr old niece and we both said it more than met our expectations. I would recommend Roho Ya Chui to others.
US
More than just a safari
My brother and I decided to take our four suburb teens for a safari before a medical mission. It’s my brother’s second trip to Africa, and our first. To be honest, the reason I picked Cul Tours and Safari: among the top-ranked TripAdvisor companies, it charged the least. After reading all the reviews, I trusted them enough to wire the entire fee to him months before. It made his life easier (prepay for hotels/park admissions), and I didn’t have to carry wads of cash (to exchange at a fair rate, you need new bills after 2009, no wrinkle, marking, or tear).
Stephen is both the owner and driver of our 4-day safari. He is a 36-years-old father of four (7 months to 13 years), an exceptionally safe and experienced driver, an entrepreneur and a part-time passion fruit farmer. He started as a driver in Kampala, worked for security and then as a tour guide for a Dutch company for six years. His Dutch friends helped starting his own tour company two years ago.
He is punctual, detail-oriented, and well-connected. His handpicked guides for our Murchison Falls safari and Nile river cruise were both former teachers, equally professional, knowledgeable, patient, flexible, and Uganda-friendly.
We extended our tour from four to five days at the last minute, but you can do it in three to four days. The animals were in such great abundance, spilling over to nearby villages. Except big predators, you can see most animals in the first few hours.
The first day he picked us up from Entebbe and drove to Murchison Falls with one stop at the rhino sanctuary. During our three-week stay in Uganda, the only time I was “scared” was the drive through Kampala: ocean of bodies, chaotic, gridlock intersections without traffic lights or traffic rules. For several hours, he calmly maneuvered inches from bicycles, motorcycles, bodies, cars and buses. How we got out there without a scratch, dent-- I don’t know, but I believe in miracle again.
The second day we left before sunrise for the actual safari and Nile river cruise and an invigorating hike up the Murchison Fall. It was truly one of the most enchanted and exotic day of our lives. Stephen’s van had a lift top which provided a panoramic view, fresh air without excessive exposure to sun. The seats were comfortable with plenty head and leg room and, during the safari, switched direction so all of us could face each other, perfect for our family of six. Trust me, I saw a lot of crowded touring vans with dusty windows, passengers either sat on top of the van or had to see through dusty windows on one side of the vans.
The third day, we went back to the park, saw more animals. Our safari guide made an earnest effort chased down sighting of hyena and wasn’t successful. We visited the adjacent town.
The fourth day, he dropped us off at Ngora where our medical mission was without a hitch.
I can’t begin to list the animals we saw: elephants, giraffes, lions, warthogs, crested cranes, dung beetles... For the hours we spent together in the car, we discussed everything. His facts were accurate (HIV rate in Uganda is 7.2% per WHO), his recounting of Uganda’s history and his own childhood were poignant and prideful. The last night, to prepare us for our medical stint at a remote area, he sat us down after dinner for a talk on Uganda customs, religion, history, tradition, culture, etiquette, tribal languages. It saved us time, money, and, yes, embarrassment.
Even in a nicely run national park, what we saw weren’t all smooth and unicorns. We came across a gravely injured elephant whose trunk was snared by trap. We crossed path with a pair of poachers on motorcycle in the dark. My teenage daughter was deeply affected. Stephen called the ranger to report the sick elephant and explained to her the social reason of poaching. At a rest stop, he negotiated 5 plump mangoes for 30 cents. We purchased 20 mangoes; he asked us to give the lady more money. “She traveled from village, for her hard work.” As much as I love a killer bargain, I understood where he came from. But feel free to pay what you like.
As I looked back, I relished many quiet mornings Stephen joined my morning coffee and blog-writing. We were both early-riser. We rehashed the previous days’ events; he corrected my spelling.
When he dropped us at Ngora, we thanked him for a wonderful trip. It was genuine.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great experience of wildlife and nature, with a perfect organization
We really had a great time, and everything was perfectly organized with Viva Safaris! Nothing was wrong, we did everything as planned and scheduled: a real “Swiss clock” organization, from picking up at the hotel to game drives and walking tours, from accomodation to food!!!
SuperPatti helped us to organize our 5 days tour exactly as we wished, with a perfect sequence of activities perfectly scheduled: we really had the best for each minute we spent on the tour!
The staff was simply wonderful: everybody, drivers, guides, cookers (excellent food also for vegetarians!), men and women at the lodges, did their best to assist us with professionality, kindness and friendship, to make us feel at home, to solve every little problem or request (at Marc’s Tree House they even found an electricity adaptor for us, which we had lost!), to let us appreciate Southafrican nature and culture. They all had a smile and a helpful hand for us! We really would like to thank them all: Pretty, Victor and all the staff at Tremisana and Marc’s Tree House, Meynarth (we do not know if the name is correctly written!) who made our tour to Kruger really unforgettable, Rex with his peculiar way of teaching, and the rest of the staffs and guides whose names we do not remember or know... but we remember all they friendly smiling faces!
Nature and animals are amazing, we met them all (but hyenas and wild dogs), and some of them very, very close!! It was incredible to see all those beautiful animals ... it was like being on Discovery Channel and our guides let us know a lot about them, the way they live, the environment, wildlife problems and projects to help... it was very good for us to realize the love and attention they all had for their natural environment, and the deep knowledge they share with their guests.
Viva Safaris gave us a really great experience, which was far beyhond what we expected! We surely recommend it!
Paola & Mauro
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience in Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru
We enjoyed a 4 day/3 night private Safari to the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. Our tour guide Joseph was both very helpful and knowledgeable. The accommodation and food were all great. I would definitely recommend this tour!