US
A surreal day of hiking and wildlife
Though my stay in Hell's Gate National Park was short (1 day) it has remained vivid in my memory.
Our group opted in to take a hike through the gorge at the park, and after an entertaining lunch (provided by our hotel) trying to keep the baboons and monkeys from stealing our food, we started on our way. We did not really prepare well for the hike, which turned out to be more intense than we had thought. At least three times throughout the excursion we had to climb or descend a rope or ladder. There were points where the trail became so narrow, and slippery that we had to bridge over flowing water with our feet on one side of the ravine and our hands on the other. It was a great adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I would suggest coming prepared for more than a light walk.
The gorge was full of wonderful scenery including tall cliffs, flowing water, waterfalls, trees and flowers and even hot springs, and more. If you feel comfortable with a medium to difficult hike, I would highly recommend it. Michael, our Masai guide for the hike, was barefoot the whole time. A few of the people in our group got their shoes wet, so that might be something to take into consideration.
A storm blew in while we were hiking, and our guide seemed nervous and was very helpful with other groups. He paid close attention to the weather. Being so narrow, it makes sense that the gorge is prone to flash flooding, but our guide made us feel safe, and we were well clear of the ravine by the time the rain really started. It was certainly one of the best hiking experiences I have had in my life. If you can do it, you definitely should.
We saw a huge number of animals as were were leaving the park. The sun was setting, and the animals were mingling out in a broad field below some beautiful towering cliffs where vultures perched. We saw herds of zebra and giraffe and gazelle all intermingled. Warthogs and birds ran around in the low grass, and we even saw a secretary bird chasing mice. This being our first stop on the trip, it was overwhelming to see so much. I think it was probably the largest number of animals we saw in one place during our whole trip. Our driver and guide, Sammy, was very patient and had lots of great suggestions for us. He also always got us in a good position for pictures and viewing.
The landscape is unique and beautiful, the animals were abundant, and the hiking was superb. It was also very close to our resort on Lake Naivasha, and it seemed like there were several others nearby as well.
I highly recommend this park if you visit Kenya, but come prepared with good shoes and maybe some rain gear.
RU
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic Safaris is the fantastic agency
My experience in Tanzania with this agency was fantastic! Abdallah arranged the perfect tour for us, all the accommodations he chose for us and also the itinerary were great. The tour was very well organised in time. The guide was really professional and shared all his knowledge about nature with us. Fantastic Safaris is the fantastic agency for your safari.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Mahesh Shah
we enjoyed to see full of wild life experience from very near, our driver was excellent and knowing all the roads in parks. but we have got surprised to know about Masai people lifestyle, I think they should come out from their old culture and live in a safe environment in terms of food and medical facility, government also take care about it for them.
IL
An amazing friend
Amazing....a real friend in Zanibar on a
I was there a week ago and I met a wonderful person who runs it.
First he is very kind and flexible and he knows the island very good.
I found unexpected friend who was there for me in a case of emergency.
I was in the airport and felt bad and he came for me. Even I took his tours few day before and he was there with me until I felt well. .for few hours and he didn't charge for it.
I really felt lucky to know him
GR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience! Professional, friendly, reliable
Go with them!
We traveled to Tanzania for safari in August 2015 and we had an excellent co-operation with It Started in Africa. We had a detailed preparation a few weeks before the trip, via e-mails. Kind and friendly, ready to assist you in anything you want. We had an amazing private, tailor-made tour. The guide was a perfect man, the car reliable and the whole staff very professional. I had the chance to meet them when I visited their office in Arusha for some arrangements.
One more thing I would like to say is that, it is not all about money, something that I really appreciate. When you go such a trip, you need reliable people around you that they are ready to help and advise you. They did help me with some issues and requests (for example, I requested a local sim for having 3G during the trip) and they did it without any additional charge.
Go with them. Professional, friendly, reliable!
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Jana Kowalewska
Plenty of animals, beautifull sceneries. We loved it!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Masai Mara Safari
We had an amazing 4 days private safari with Blue Ocean Safaris Company and they really went an extra mile in providing quality services. We have never been to Africa before and I can honestly say that Kenya is a wonderful place blessed with good climate, friendly people and lots of animals. We really had fun.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari
My family and I had a great experience with Wild Root Safaris. Matthew was excellent with planning and answering my hundreds of questions. Our driver, Raymond, was also great. He knew a ton of information about the animals, parks, Masai culture, and so much more. Working with a knowledgeable guide/driver really took our trip to the next level. A few negatives of the trip: we were supposed to go by the Olduvai Gorge (I had asked for it to be added to our itinerary), but our driver was unaware of this because he did not have a copy of our itinerary. Matthew refunded the money that was supposed to be used to enter the museum. We also spent our last night in tent accommodations. This was not what I expected based on the website I was given for review. I specifically said no camping and that we want running water and electricity, but this place had none of that. I wish the company would have suggested other places and told us that picking them would increase the price by $X. We would have gladly paid the extra money for a lodge and not a tent. We're laughing about it now, but it was pretty miserable while we were there. I would definitely recommend Wild Root Safaris!
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Jana Kowalewska
Everything was so beautifull! We saw all the animals we wanted to see..the sceneries were beautifull, and the provided service was the best we could have!
TH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Tarangire National Park by Olga Solovyeva
There really is a lot of baobabs. It is necessary to look.