BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a brilliant jewel of africa
Jewel of Africa safaris: a jewel in the crown of south-africa!
great program, fantastic safaris, awesome sightseeing, all adapted to our own needs.
"springbokkie", a drink with mint and amuralla however, - only tastes good in Africa :)
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
EarthLife made our safari my favourite part of our honeymoon!
My wife and I finished off our 2 month around-the-world honeymoon with a safari through EarthLife Expeditions, towards the end of the dry season last August for 8 nights.
Spoiler alert – our safari with EarthLife was my favourite part of the honeymoon too and was genuinely sad to leave!
We went through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Serengeti Mara & Ngorongoro Crater.
From the beginning I thought Deo’s explanation and route planning was the best out of the half dozen operators that I contact, he countered my own ideas with great explanations and reasoning whereas other operators were just happy to agree with my suggestions. Why would I pay for an expert if not to get their opinion and input?
All of the accommodation he recommended were just perfect and beyond our expectations. We had a mix of luxurious lodges and tented camps, all of which had their charm. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay in the same places again next time I go! He knew exactly what my wife and I were after, I felt he was always on the same page as us.
Our guide was Agrey who was fantastic, had humor and sharp eyes. We saw the Big 5 and also multiple leopard and cheetah sightings, getting up and close with a few leopards and a cheetah too!
Did I mention that we also caught two Mara river crossings? Deo had the best instincts and he decided to go separate ways from the other two vehicles, which meant we were the only ones to catch that first crossing… amazing!
We did encounter a slight mechanical issue with the land cruiser but the roads are so rough and we weren’t stopped for more than 10 minutes as Agrey was practically a mechanic too! We always felt safe with him. Because the roads were very tough, we passed many other cars who had issues such as flat tires or had engine issues which meant they couldn’t move (Agrey stopped to lend them a hand, and we were glad to see that he’s such a gentleman and so helpful). All in all, our small breakdown that took only 10 minutes was not a big deal as it may just be down to luck.
Deo and Agrey made sure the lodges knew of our honeymoon so we received amazing service and special dinners with private fires! All staff at all lodges were simply amazing and we were so fascinated with their culture. Before our honeymoon ended, I was already planning our next safari! Looking forward to our next trip with EarthLife!
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Miscommunication or misunderstanding?
Having read the other reviews I must say apparently Kruger Park Travel just had a few bad days when organizing my trips. I am happy nobody had to go thru the horrors I had experienced!
In short, written confirmation of trip details were not held and I had to pay extra to meet my expectations of private safaris, once I faced the situation. When I complained about this, the first reaction was immediately to threaten me with the company lawyer! I presented all email communications to them, but nobody bothered to give me any fair explanation of how this could have happened.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dishonest and Disorganised
We booked with Bonfire Adventures for a 3 day trip to Mara Maasai and after our experience would not recommend Bonfire Adventures for the following reasons.
1. Disorganised.
Bonfire were highly disorganised. I felt as if I was doing most of the organisation and I was trying to organise their agent to book things for us. I had to repeatedly follow up with them about if they had made the booking and what time we would be collected to start the Safari. They only confirmed who was collecting us at 7pm the night before we were due to leave at 7am the next morning. They asked us to let the driver know where to collect us from even though we had already provided them with that information more than a week in advance.
2. Dishonesty
We asked them for a quote as to the cost, which they provided to us. It wasn't until after we paid that they informed us that they had quoted us the residents rate rather then non-residents rate and would have to pay more money. I have a very English first and surname so I have no idea why they would assume that I was a resident. They then said that I should have known that it was the residents rate as they had charged us in the local currency rather then US dollars. I asked them to return my money to me as I did not want to pay extra as this would make the safari significantly more expensive. It was only at this point they said that they could actually offer it to us at the residents rate.
Perhaps more disappointing was that they were dishonest with money. I sent them the money for the Safari and paid the bank fees. According to my calculations I unintentionally underpaid them 700 KES (Approx. 7 USD) due to the different the conversion rates. However Bonfire said that I had underpaid them by 5,600 KES (Approx. 53 USD). When I questioned this they said the difference must be due to bank fees. I went back and checked that and in fact I had already paid these fees. I asked for further proof of exactly how much they received in the transfer but they only provided an internal spreadsheet, but nothing from their bank. I have asked them to provide me with a way to pay the remaining 700 KES and am waiting to hear back from them.
3. Driver
The driver was also disappointing as at the end of our Safari we were dropped off at Lake Naivasha. He put pressure on us to pay him to drive us back to Nairobi after we were finished at the lake in a few days time. He asked us to pay him $120,000 KES and told us that we wouldn't get anyone to drive us back to Nairobi for less then $100,000 KES. We phoned a great driver we had previously used in Nairobi who immediately suggested a much more reasonable price of 70,000 KES and didn't pressure us at all to go with him.
They also ask to do a client feedback form which you then return to the staff who you are assessing so its difficult to give honest and open feedback in these circumstances.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good experience.
Higly professional, reliable, excellent service, good value for money.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable African Experience with ACC Tours
I participated in so many different adventure acivities, e.g. white water rafting, quadbiking, skydiving and many more activities and loved it! Belinda organised all these activities and everything flowed easily. Accept for these amazing activities we experienced some of the most breathtaking scenes Africa has to offer. To mention a few, the view of the Victoria Falls, the sunset over the Okavango Delta and the amazing dunes of the Namib desert at Sossusvlei! So many great experiences in only 2 weeks!!! From day 1 to the moment of say "until later" as we never say goodbye at Africa Conservation Tours, we had an amazing time! Thanks so much, Belinda, you will always be our choice of tour opertor in Africa!
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good job!
I have booked two safaris with Pride of Africa Adventures Safari (PAAS), one to Nairobi National Park and another one to Mount Longonot.
I am very pleased about this experience and I would recommend PAAS to anybody who looks for a nice and safe trip around Kenya. Stephen, the manager, was very responsive to all my requests and followed up closely. Charles, our driver & guide to Mount Longonot was very friendly and helpful.
Good value for the money as well!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
They adhere to customer's request to their satisfaction. They are excellent.
Excellent service and great customer support,I'll choose sir Michael anytime.
Very efficient and helpful.
Excellent services. Very punctual and goes to extra miles to ensure that a client has received help.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Masai Mara Dec 2016
We were a family of 8 That took the three day safari package. Eventhough They recommended 7 to ride in the car it did not feel crowded for us. Our driver, Evans came and picked us up at the appointed time. We made a few stop on our way to the Masai Mara. The campsite was well equipped and rustic. All food was included in the price but the beverages was not. If you want to visit the Masai village remember to bring money. There is nothing to complain about the safari, our driver did everything So THAT we would experience as mush as possible. When we drove back to Nairobi, he went beyond and made a few extra stops so that we could run a few errands.