US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome! My experince was better than I had expected by 10 times. It exceeded my wildest dreams.
I had heard extreme stories about these kinds of trips, both good and bad. My experience on this adventure was first class. From the minute we met, it exceeded my expectations. Awesome!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Getting first class treatment for 2 while on guided safari to 4 parks in Kenya and Tanzania.
First off, I would give a rating closer to 4.5 Stars but that was not an option. Please read all of this.
Excellent communication and responsiveness via pre-travel emails. Elected to pre-pay for most of the trip but had to cover the PayPal charges as credit cards were not accepted. Costs were generally as expected except for short notice on upcharge due to stated increase in park fees. Tour operator must have included a small service charge on the balloon ride as other passengers stated their rate was a bit lower than ours. Despite the high cost, the Masai Mara balloon ride was one of the highlights of our trip. It might have been even better in the Serengheti with all the herds below. My emails led me to believe that our contact person, Allan, would be our guide. While we only met Allan briefly in Nairobi, the tour guides he set up for us were each very knowlegible of the wildlife and helped us log down the various species we observed. Each took time to find the animals we wanted to see the most and were patient while our cameras clicked away. After having the private group trip for me and my wife, I am not sure I would ever be happy with a larger group might be OK with 4 people if all are family. Our guides were required to change as we crossed the border and our desire to do Masai Mara as well as the Tanzania parks resulted in a long transit day over some fairly rough roads. Tanzania park roads and highways were smoother but there were more restrictions on venturing off road. We had a Toyota Land Cruiser for the Kenya safari and an older Land Rover for Tanzania. The drivers knew the limitations of each 4-wheel drive vehicle which for the Land Rover meant knowing how to restart it - including a push start from another vehicle at one point. While boldly driving us to key photo ops, they were careful not to get us stuck. Lodgings were top notch and dinner options plentiful. Lunches packed for day-long safaris included plenty of food. Right after corssing into Tanzania, we stopped at a hotel restaurant for lunch. Because of the length of travel that day, I would suggest a box lunch for that trip to save an hour or so of travel time. In general, the people of both countries were friendly, overly so in the case of the Masai women reaching their crafted wares into the vehicle window as we waiting to pass through the gate into the lodge, and smiled as the foreigner passed by. There were a few that seemed less than thrilled woth our presence but we never felt threatened. Security and protection for dangerous animals was given high priority for all our lodging. Mandatory escorts were required when returning to our room from dinner after dark as African buffalo are known to approach to drink from the swimming pools. As the title of this review reads, it was first class, especially the level of accomodations. The wildlife viewing was fantastic and we were blessed to see the Big Five before we got out of our first park. Despite my deet insect repellent, I still received a couple of Tse Tse fly bites through my socks at my ankles. Overall, we didn't have an issue with mosquitos and had protective netting around our beds. Hearing the animal noises (monkeys mostly) as we nodded off the sleep was quite an experience.
This was definitely the trip of a lifetime and I hope many others get to experience it. While I am sure there are many other trustworthy tour operators out there, I can highly recommend Back of Africa to assure you a great safari experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Budget Safari
I had read mixed reviews about the service but after experiencing it for myself, I have to say, it's been great. First off, Martha, the company's rep, was VERY responsive. Not once did she not respond to my emails/questions. When I got there, there was someone waiting for me at the airport. The only snafu we experienced was the van broke down on our way to Masai Mara. However, within an hour, it was fixed. This is something that will happen so I can't fault them for it.
The driver on the entire safari was great... he was also very responsive and knew what he was talking about.
The cost was very reasonable for a budget traveler too, was def. within my budget.
They are also giving me a ride to the airport tonight and again, were very professional throughout the whole experience.
Thanks again for an awesome experience. Will def. recommend to others coming to Kenya.
Asanti!!!
Tony
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible experience
We paid for a 12-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania with Lilac adventures. The trip went as expected for 2 1/2 days. After that time we were abandoned by Lilac and manager Daniel Njamwea after repeated attempts to contact him via texts, e-mails and phone calls. To avoid cancelling our remaining itinerary, we were forced to pay again for Serena lodges, meals, driver/guide fees, and Park entry fees. Please take our advice and DO NOT book a safari with Lilac Adventures.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The safaris was excellent, we saw the most important wild animals.
The safari was organised according to my budget. Thanks to Gichmak safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
an unforgettable experience. highly reccomended.
The decision in choosing the right operator was an easy one. When compiling quotes prior to our trip I found Alphonce very responsive, accomodating, and always willing to go out of his way in meeting our requirements. Communication with him was very informative and all our questions were duly answered giving us peace of mind ahead of our trip. We had commited to a 6 day Kilimanjaro tour on the Machame route. Understanderbly we were nervous having never visited these parts of Africa or had much experience in treking, but with the meticulous planning and seemingly smooth logistics we found ourselves very relaxed and optimistic about the journey ahead. The Climb itself was tough, but the guides we had were great, you spend a lot of time with them throughout the trek. Their insightful knoweledge and motivation help a great deal in accomplishing the task. They really encourage every step of the way and promote a great level of morale from the outset. The porters too are fantastic and you really appreaciate the job they do in what most people would regard as very challenging conditions. The accomodation was basic but more than adequate, before and after the climb. Throughout the trip there was no shortage of food and water, which was of a good standard, we were looked after very well right up until the transfer back to the airport. All in all with the help of Alphonce and Abakombe Tours we were able to achieve our goal. I would have no hesiation in reccomended their services.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Susan completely took all the stress and complications of planning a holiday away from us.
The trip was fantastic. Everything ran incredibly smoothly and was very well organised. Once the trip began and we were met at the airport with our detailed itinerary and vouchers and we were never left wondering what was going to happen next. The choice of accommodations were outstanding and we had wonderful experiences at each and every hotel/lodge that we stayed at.
Thank you Susan for planning such a wonderful holiday.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent trip
Well organised and co-ordinated trip would love to come again and again
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect safari
We booked from France a 7 days safari in the north and 3 days in the Selous. The safari in the north was amazing, Denis (guide & driver) and Bruno (cook) are the best partners you can expect for a safari ! Denis knows perfectly his job and we saw so many animals, even leopards ! Bruno is an amazing cook, for sure you won't die of starvation in the savanna. These guys took great care of us, we had so much fun with them and they made our safari unforgettable. I 100% recommend to go for a safari with them, you won't regret it !
The organization from France was perfect because Mickie, the owner of Nothern Safari is very available and he answers all our questions through What'sapp. He also helps us to book our safari in the Selous, book our bus to go to Dar es Salam and our planes to Mafia Island and Zanzibar.
The only negative point was the safari in the Selous because the guide was very unfriendly and it was a bit expensive compare to what you do there. This safari wasn't done with Northern Safari, just book through this company.
To sum up: trustable and available owner, affordable safari, great guide and cook, amazing memories in the savanna :)
AE
from pick up at airport..thru the whole tour and drop off at our hotel..it was amazing.thank u guys
Way beyond expectations.totally content and happy