50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional, Friendly, and Highly Experienced
We booked a 10 day private safari with Ecovic Tours and would highly recommend them! Both the tour consultant, Vincent, and our tour guide, Samuel, were professional and made sure our trip was comfortable and memorable. We visited Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable, Lake Mburo National Park which was quite a bit of driving but enjoyable getting to see the diverse landscape of Uganda. We really enjoyed eating our meals with our tour guide where we could plan out the day ahead and get to know them personally. Our guide recommended we get to Murchison Falls - Tangi gate right when it opens which meant a very early wake up for us. We listened to their advice, which resulted in us seeing big five on our first day on safari which was incredibly lucky!
DE
under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Benson Safaris is the best Tour operator, for the best price you get the best quality.
At first we thought that is was quite much for a three day Safari with the Ngorongoro Kreta and Serengeti but as soon as we reached the Serengeti we knew that is was definetly worth it. You will have this kind of experience only one time in your life. Everything was perfekt, from the pick up to the drive with Lunch boxes to the drope off on the third day. We are so delighted about Benson himself and his stuff because everybody is so kind and heartwarming. It made you really feel comfortable. It was my second time with Benson Safaris and I will do it a third time again this year because I just love it.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best company to get you safely up the Kili!!
Our experience with Inno Africa was perfect from the start! Really easy and clear in communication and were always helpful with solutions and thinking along with us. From pick up to drop off we always felt we were in the perfect hands.
Communication, service, value for money, guides, porters and chef, the whole trip was literally perfect. We loved the positive vibe, experience and support of our guides (Angelo & Roland, 10/10!!!!) every single moment.
Even though the porters mostly just spoke Swahili they made us feel as part of a team the whole trip.
Two tips if you read this as a traveller:
- learn some Swahili, everyone loves it so this will make your trip even better!
- Inno Africa also does safaris, we only found out after we already booked our safari. Otherwise would 100% have booked with Inno!
Asante sana to everyone who made the trip unforgettable ♥️
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An exciting Africa Adventure
We used Good Earth Tours to book our trip to Tanzania and South Africa, and I would highly recommend them. They made everything extremely simple, they had excellent communication. Narry could not have planned a better trip. We simply gave him our travel dates, preferences on level and type of accommodations, and a budget and he took care of the rest! We were given very detailed itineraries with all the information we could possibly need.
The vehicles were of high quality, and the guides drove us extremely safely. We stayed in both lodges and tented camps, all of which were very clean, great meals and great locations!
We had a fantastic experience and would wholeheartedly recommend Good Earth Tours!
CO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
I liked it a lot
Excellent atention
The park is very nice and well cared for animals
The guide Eddie was very friendly and made a good job
(automatic translation from Spanish)
PT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
PT
I would recommend Suricata Safaris to my friends and family
The tour was very well organized. The guide Ezequiel was very competent, friendly, punctual and knew how to answer all our questions. We felt safe during the safari and at the same time, able to see animals up close. The accommodation was comfortable, especially the Suricata Boma Lodge which was a beautiful place overlooking Lake Manyara. The accommodation staff were very friendly. The food, although a little repetitive, was quite tasty.
Tanzania natural Wonders are a Humankind treasure to preserve!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Budget Safari Experience (aka "Glamping")
Our safari provided by JungleRoam was exemplary. We saw all the animals on the list except the very elusive leopard. The title "budget" is misleading as it is much closer to "Glamping" than some low-budget solution that skimps on the details. Yes, the housing was basic, but the tents all have bathrooms and should be considered one-room cabins with walls made of canvas. During a brief rain shower, we saw no leaks or electrical outages. The safari drives are relatively the same whether you go "budget" or high-end; all drivers are certified, the vehicles pass government inspection, and almost all tour providers use the same two or three vehicle types.
JungleRoam was very accommodating, had many options, and was quick to respond to emails - usually within three to four hours, unlike other companies that took two or more days. Despite the trepidation of money transactions in a foreign country, the final payment was exactly as quoted, there were no surprises, and it was relatively painless in their home office. It was safe and very business-like; we were even given a receipt!
A few notes about safari in Kenya:
1) Bring snacks. Trust me, the same variation of rice and beans for breakfast and dinner gets old quickly. There are a few options to stop and purchase them, but you have to let your driver know on the day of.
2) A cell phone with a good camera is sufficient. Yes, you can bring high-tech gear and cameras that can take pictures of the moon, but in general, for most, a cell phone camera is sufficient. Make sure you have a panorama app!
3) If money is a concern, skip the add-ons to the village, boat, and balloon. They are unique and interesting, but in terms of value, they do not add much to the overall experience.
4) If given the option, get the Jeep/Land Cruiser. First, all guides start as van drivers and graduate to the jeep, and there are some places a 4x4 van might not be able to go.
5) Maasai Mara vs Amboseli - if you have to pick one, go with Maasai Mara. You will get closer, and it’s a quality vs quantity thing. In Amboseli, you will see elephant herds, flamingos, and animals in abundance, but in Maasai Mara, you will likely see more and at much closer ranges. Both are amazing, but I was sad when I met other travelers who chose Amboseli instead of Maasai Mara.
6) Don't forget to tip. Yes, the trip is expensive, but your tour guides have families too. A simple 5000 to 10000 Ksh ($5-10 USD) per person goes a long way. Remember, his job is much more than a chauffeur to see animals; he’s your host to Kenya.
Special Shout Out:
Steve, our guide, was amazing. He was far more than a guide; he was a gracious host to the wonders of Kenya. He was absolutely amazing. Having taken tours across the world, I can attest to the difference the guide makes. We heard tales from others on tours about guides who said little, spoke poor English, and were not knowledgeable or accommodating.
Steve was quite the opposite. He seemed to genuinely love animals and helping others experience them. His knowledge and study of the animals were exemplary. He even went beyond the tour and answered a lot of questions about Kenya, the life of average Kenyans, the Maasai Mara, and anything we could think to ask! He was very accommodating, helping us find tourist gifts, SIM cards, snacks, postcards, and even cold medicine. All delivered with a smile, perfect English, and on the spontaneous whim of a needy traveler.
I hope your guide is as good as Steve; he made the difference between a good trip and a truly memorable one we’ll take with us for our lifetimes.
And shout out to Joshua at Camp Manjaro... even though he’s a local tribesman who will never read this.... our conversations around the campfire about your people were unforgettable! Truly Amazing!
Thank you!
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
4 day Safari
The national parks were very scenic and we had the opportunity to see countless animals. It was an amazing experience. We were well taken care of by our guide Amiri and chef James who ensured we had delicious meals everyday!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An extraordinary experience thanks to a remarkable guide!
First Jungleroam Safaris was amazing to deal with. We actually booked with another tour guide but when we would send them questions it would take several days to hear back. We decided to reach out to Jungleroam just to see what they had to offer. We got a response within hours with a similar price and better options. We immediately canceled with our other tour operator and went with Jungleroam and we are ecstatic we did. The communication was excellent. It is always a little worrisome when you land at the airport and hope someone is there to get you. They were there waiting even at 5am with a smile. They took us back to the office and even waited for us to change from "flying" clothes to "Safari" clothes. Then we met our tour guide we would be spending the next 6 days with.
From the moment we met Steve we knew it was going to be a great trip. He has a great attitude and was genuinely excited to be taking us on Safari, which immediately set the tone for an unforgettable experience!
We've taken a lot of different tours in our 10 years of traveling and one thing I can guarantee is a tour guide can either take your experience to the next level or detract from your experience and leave a cloud over your memories. I can honestly say Steve is one of those amazing guides you always hope to get. Not only did he take our adventure of a life time to the next level but he was an integral part of it.
Steve is incredibly knowledgeable about the areas you're in and the animals. He knew how important seeing the lions, cheetahs and rhinos was to our group and worked hard every day to make sure we got to see them all and WE DID! With his remarkable driving skills he got some breathtaking moments and life long memories for us! I can't express how mind-blowing his driving skills were and at the end of rainy season that's a MUST!
Steve not only answered every question we could throw his way about the animals and terrain but all the other random things we came up with and always with a smile and laugh. Undoubtedly he loves the animals and sharing them with others! I wouldn't call him just a tour guide but rather a host and an amazing ambassador for Kenya. When we first met Steve he told our group we were now a Safari family and by the end I was genuinely sad to say goodbye to my Safari family.
Steve and the crew at Jungleroam Safaris are incredible to deal with and go out of their way to take care of you and make sure you get the life long memories you're dreaming of.
