The Gem of South Africa
Took me two days to find the big 5 and saw a abundance of other wildlife including beautiful birds at the different hides throughout the park. Some places have amazing scenery like the Most Southern Baobab and the Fever Tree forest up in the north of the park. Weather was sunny with high temperature, had a few days of rain aswell but mostly clear sky’s. Chalets were clean and cleaned while driving for the day. Food is great in Skukuza and Lower Sabie but other camps like Satara was not the standard you would expect but still decent enough. We drove with our own vehicle and it was fruitful. Most leopards were spotted in the south of the park. I would recommend going to Kruger if your native to South Africa or from abroad, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exceeded expectations
I was very impressed with the service I received from Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris. Mr Otieno responded to all my queries promptly and the price we were given was very reasonable and competitive. Patrick was our guide and driver and he was extremely good at spotting wildlife and was very accommodating of our needs. All the accommodation was great. I would definitely book with KWSS again based on my experience.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lots of wildlife - but passive experience
We did the Northern Circuit, including Ngorongoro in December of 2017. The amount of wildlife seen was mind boggling. However, sitting in the car for 12+ hours per day started to get boring and the experience felt passive. Next time I would like to mix up the experience with fewer days of driving and include more culture or walking activities.
12 days photographic trip to Kruger National Park
The wildlife in the park at times was a bit sparse, which could have been because of the drought when i was there but we always found something around the next corner, but mostly plenty of animals around.The first few hours every morning was the most productive.The accommodation was clean and tidy. At Oilfants it worth getting a bungalow with a view of the river. You could get what you needed from the shops (milk, bread, meat, sweats). The restaurants where fine, not a lot of options but the steaks where the most consistent over 4 camps and was cooked perfectly.I would highly recommend a self drive trip to the Kruger Park, and staying 2 to 3 nights in each camp so you can get the most from each area.The weather was around 26 to 36c most days with one night off rain. To get the best from a trip to Kruger you need to put the time in and keep looking and at times just stop and just wait.
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good Job bring us an amazing trip
The great arrangement from Somak give us a memorable experience for the Safari and travel in Kenya. We feel our every single penny was worth to be spent. The tour guide cum chauffeur was knowledgeable, good-humored, helpful and full of luck (a leopard was passing by in front of our land-cruiser when we had the game drive in Samburu National Park!!! We believed this kind of fortune came from the ‘lucky hat’ of the tour guide :) . Besides, they do care enough for our meals as we are vegetarian.
I am planning for the next trip in Africa even I just came back from there. For sure, Somak will be my first option as the tour organizer.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ol Pejeta Conservancy by Mr Alun Pritchard
Lacked the sense of wilderness we so enjoyed at Samburu.
CA
Everything was perfect!
Our safari tour was exactly as outlined by Maturaf - the drivers were always ready and waiting when we arrived. The accommodations were wonderful and the food was excellent. We saw many animals in our short 3 day safari, and even managed the 'Big Five' on the first day! The travel plans were busy, but allowed us to see a lot of things in a short time span. When we were in Zanzibar, we were left to book our own tours, which was ok, but an additional cost to me. It would be nice if a couple of tours were included in the tour price. Otherwise, the service, tour and experience was top rate! Thank you! Asanti!
US
Experience level: first safari
Review about Pilanesberg Game Reserve by moelynphotos
So many elephants!!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, out of the ordinary safari for a multigenerational family!
We just returned from an indescribable safari with Safari Infinity. Our group was a multigenerational group of 6, so it was a tall order to meet the needs of an 11 year old and 75 year old grandparents. From start to finish, Safari Infinity was just spectacular. I researched quite a few safari companies, and Lucia at Safari Infinity was so great with communication and I never felt pressured to book. It really sealed the deal early on that we would choose them as a company.
Lucia did a great job of guiding us towards an itinerary that worked for all of us and was also within our families budget. No question was too silly for her to answer, and it was so great to have such good communication because, while our family has traveled a lot, we had never planned out a safari.
Once we got to Tanzania, we were met by Kelly, who made us feel at ease at once. I don't know how to describe Kelly other than he's really a special human being. His excitement about being a guide is intoxicating, and we never felt like he was just going through the motions like some tour guides. My parents, who have done extensive traveling in India and Asia said that Kelly was by far the best tour guide they'd ever had. Kelly is very bright and an expert in wildlife, and was able to navigate questions and conversations from my political science professor dad about Tanzanian history and also do a foot race with my kids. He went above and beyond to show us his country, help us understand the people and also taught us so much about wildlife. Kelly did not take us on a standard tour, but really went beyond what we expected. Many days, we were the only jeep that we saw for miles. He would get his binoculars out and find animals for us. His tenacity allowed us to see the unexpected…a lion eating his kill, 2 wildebeest crossings, a dung beetle, rhino, leopard..the list goes on an on. Kelly really made the safari a real trip of a lifetime. We all felt like it was so much more than a safari, but really an educational experience, an adventure (the day our truck got stuck in the Northern Serengeti), and a bonding experience for our family. By the end of the trip, he was truly a friend of our families.
The safari itself was fabulous. Lucia chose accommodations that met our budget, and to be honest, they were much nicer than I expected given that our family did more of a "low budget" safari. The accommodations were really nice and the food, especially at Kati Kati Camp and Mara Under Canvas was fabulous. I had no idea that we would eat so well while on the trip. We loved the tented camps, and the service was incredible, especially at the tented camps. We loved the sundowners and the popcorn (who knew Tanzanian's loved popcorn so much!).
After our safari, our family went to Tanzania for a week. We planned this separately, but Safari Infinity picked us up to transport us to our flight back home. Our guide/driver en route back (can't remember name), was also fabulous. My daughter developed a rash in Zanzibar, so the Safari Infinity driver went out of his way to find us a chemist so we could get some medications. It really was great because being sick in a foreign country is the worst.
All in all, I cannot recommend Safari Infinity more highly. We have only been back a week and have given their name to numerous friends of ours after they saw our photos. We truly hope that our safari experience isn't the trip of a lifetime, and that we'll be able to go back with our kids again and hopefully our grandkids. If so, we will certainly use Safari Infinity again!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda - an experience of a life time!
My wife and I have just returned from a week in Rwanda. The holiday (excl. flights) had been arranged by Gorilla Trek Africa, which is a travel company located in Uganda but organises tours through East Africa. We didn't find many other reviews of this travel company on Tripadvisor (or elsewhere) and that is a real shame as this company is fantastic in providing tailor made holidays without a price tag that breaks the bank!
Our primary contact was Nicolas (working in their Uganda office) who was highly professional, friendly and very helpful in developing a tailored programme that suited our interests. Our primary goal was to go trekking with mountain gorillas in the Volcanos National Park in Rwanda and Nicolas was extremely helpful in organising this. We had MANY questions and he was very patient and answered each and every one in great detail.
When the itinerary was finalised we had to transfer a deposit (a sizeable amount) to secure the gorilla permits as these get booked out up to six months in advance - it is standard practice and all travel companies will ask for a deposit to enable them to secure the gorilla permits. To be honest we were a little hesitant parting with a large sum via an international transfer but this worry hadn't been necessary whatsoever and Nicholas informed us as soon as the money had arrived. We could not have asked for a better service.....in fact we have not received such effective and rapid responses from any UK company that we have used in our past 20+ years of intense travelling.
Roll on Rwanda.....a.k.a The Land of a Thousand Hills. It is a beautiful country with a dark history that has left a permanent scar but it is humbling to see how everyone continues to push forward and look ahead to the future. It is a poor country but so incredibly beautiful and it is lovely to see how curious most children are of tourists and their desire to engage.
Our guide for the week was William and he was an absolute pleasure to travel with. He was very knowledgeable about Rwanda, its culture and introduced us to local food and traditions, which made the trip even more memorable. He was highly organised, very friendly and easy going, always on time and flexible in his approach. William was incredibly well regarded by the locals everywhere we went and we cannot praise him highly enough. A great ambassador for Gorilla Trek Africa and we would highly recommend him as a guide!
We spent a couple of days in Akagera National Park where we saw hippos, zebras, baboons, wild hogs, impalas, crocodiles and much more. It is a great visit but don’t expect to see the Big 5 Game. The park has recently (June 2015) released eight lions into the park and there are also elephants and giraffes. Whilst it cannot be compared to the Maasai Mara or Serengeti it is well worth a visit!
The highlight of our trip was the gorilla trekking in the Volcanos National Park – an experience for a life time! We did two treks and whilst the permits are pricey it is well worth it as you get two completely different experiences. The treks offered amazing views of the mountains and the lush nature. The hour we spent with the gorillas were mind blowing and we cannot recommend it enough.
We also did the Dian Fossey trek and it was great experience that we would definitely recommend if you got an extra day in Musanze! The trek was steep but the views were worth the efforts.
If you consider travelling to Africa then go with Gorilla Trek Africa. We highly recommend them and when we go again we will definitely be in touch with Nicolas to arrange our next trip!