50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience
From the very start of the process the booking was handled with great professionalism, queries being answered promptly and without any hint that I was being a bother. Everything was communicated clearly and the plans were all top class. A small hitch with the driver from our hotel to the pick up point was ironed out easily and our driver/safari guide was really knowledgeable and an excellent driver. We were able to see far more animals than I had even hoped and the Sopa lodges were excellent.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Had a fantastic safari in Tanzania, and were in good hands from start to finish
We (4 people from Germany) had an 8-day custom-made safari including visits to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. Also the first night we spent at Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge near Arusha, and on the last day we took a transfer by plane from Seronera airstrip to Arusha airport.
All the time we felt totally safe and in good hands, as the staff from Travel For Change were very professional and friendly and always supported us with anything we needed during our trip.
For all the planning and arrangements it started with Patricia, who not only was very responsive to our wishes, but also made good suggestions. Also she never lost patience with us! ;-)
Asante sana, Patricia!
Arriving at JRO airport we were immediately welcomed by Silvia, who stayed with us until we arrived at Ngare Sero (btw: incredibly beautiful and peaceful) and supported us until everything was clarified for us, so we could start relaxing and recovering from the long journey there.
Asante sana, Silvia!
Also right in the beginning we met Ely, who not only drove us from JRO to Ngare Sero while already telling us a lot of interesting things about Tanzania during that route, but also was our driver and guide during the whole safari. He simply seems to know *everything* about this great country, the people who live there, the different tribes, the history of East Africa, and of course the wildlife. It was a pure pleasure to learn so many things from him. Of course he also showed us all the animals but also never got tired explaining any aspects that could be interesting for us. He always seemed to know what the animals had done before we found them, why there were doing what they did right now, and what they would do next. It was unbelievable. Also he not only was very responsive to all our wishes but also made very useful suggestions about our safari, even changing our itinerary to give us the best experience possible. On our last day on safari he stayed with us at the Seronera airstrip until all of us were airborne (we had to split on two different planes), taking care of everything that had to be done. At the end it felt like he was not only our guide but also our brother and friend.
Asanta sana, Ely, you're great!!
As a side note: All the cars we used were overall in good condition, and during our safari we always had plenty of cooled drinking water at our jeep.
P.S.: I'm sorry that I forgot the name of the driver on our very last day, who drove us together with Silvia from Arusha airport to Ngare Sero (yes, again, because it's just soooo nice there) and later finally to JRO. Needless to say, he's a good guy too. :-)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ilmaasaai overdelivered
We are a Costa Rica couple currently living in London, and chose a 6-day Safari Tanzania for our honeymoon. Our Safari experience was memorable, not least because Ilmaasai gave us a great service.
About Loth (the manager):
- Email communication was quick and easy.
- The safari itinerary and pick-ups were executed as planned.
- Loth arranged a combination of room and camping accommodation within our budget where other Safari operators did not. You'll appreciate a bed!
- After our safari ended, we separately booked a flight. Loth helped us with a problem we had with that flight.
- We dealt with other operators during our stay in Tanzania. Some have a harassing attitude and try to change things you have already agreed. But there are also great operators. With Loth you'll be in safe hands.
About Brayson (the guide):
- He's passionate and knowledgeable about wildlife. He's also an educated person from which you can learn about Tanzania's culture and history. He's attentive, friendly, and helpful.
- He communicated with other safari operators to spot animals. These networks are a big bonus from choosing a reputable safari company!
- We were the first ones to leave the camp on several days. Bryson was always ready on time.
- Conversely, in some days the game drives extended until sunset.
- He's a careful driver. Some drivers forget they are inside a national park.
- He thoroughly respects the rules of a fragile ecosystem. Some drivers would go off the road within the national parks even though it goes against the national parks rules.
- The registration process in the national parks was always smooth. We had 0 worries.
About Fillipo (the cook):
- He served us lots of food! And food was tasty. As Brayson, he's attentive, friendly, and helpful.
- After we asked him what ugali was, he prepared some for us.
- Filippo was also in charge of collecting the camping stuff whenever we moved to the next national park. When we returned to the national park, everything was ready.
- He respects the rules of a fragile ecosystem. Our food was packed in reusable plastic containers, while we witnessed how many operators bin an unnecessary amount of waste.
We thank you for all the efforts you made for doing our experience memorable!
NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Honeymoon in the Delta
We were initially mind boggled with options on how to best spend time in Southern Africa, and definitely wanted to go to the Delta. We didn't have a huge budget and were starting to think it wouldn't be possible, but then came across this company: Gondwana Tours & Safaris. Mark Hathaway was superb in his dealings with us: all the advice, knowledge, patience and expertise he had was fantastic. The itinerary we chose suited us perfectly for the land and water options we were keen on, and the locations and prices. We had an amazing 4 nights at Guns & Pompoms. We were surprised with a candle lit dinner by the water as a honeymoon surprise, had some memorable wildlife encounters , and everything met our expectations.Thanks Mark for all your help !
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best safari experiences!
David, our guide, was very friendly and informative throughout the trip. He was a very good driver and made us feel safe at all times. We got to see 4/5 Big 5 on our 2 days(1 night) trip and we were incredibly happy with David trying his best at all times to show us the best locations and animals. Would highly recommend Karibu to future travellers!
JP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
4 days safari at Masai Mara and Nakuru
Maggie is very responsive and the tour is well organized. However, I gave three stars, because the guide/driver was not so professional. I did not feel his passion to entertain guests who came to Kenya from far away countries. He sped away through many interesting scenes, and he drove slowly in barren area without any animal. One day, he came back to the hotel at 4.30 pm from full day safari, while sunset is 6.30 pm. He can be more attentive to guests and communicate with them to confirm what guests want.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice trip with high quality services
The travel agency is very professional. The staff are very kind and thoughtful. The accommodation was comfortable with nice food. About the Safari, we saw lions,giraffes, deers,waterbuck,crocodiles,hippos and so on.It was very lucky of us.
We had a memorable safari trip with Cheno Travel & Safari Tours
Tuli Block was amazing we saw, the lions, wild dogs, the cultural exchanges were so exciting.
US
Review about Chobe National Park by Jacqueline Taylor
We saw plenty of animals , cats, elephants and hyenas.We also enjoyed the boat cruises along the Chobe River.
US
Nice park, more beautiful then expected!
I'm not a fan of fenced in parks, they just feel like really nice zoos to me, but this one is very beautiful and does have lots of animals. I read online about the lack of flamingos, but I saw many of them on my visit, not the thousands you see in the icon photos, but enough to feel like the park had lots of them, so I wasn't disappointed. I'm not planning on going back anytime soon, the fence and town around the park killed this one for me, but if you can get past that, the park is stunningly beautiful and the wildlife viewing is top notch!