FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent first safari in Mikumi
We made our first safari with Usambara Expedition in Mikumi Park
It was a very nice and good time with Mike!
We had everything booked by internet, we were always in touch with the agency, very responsive and very serious: no worries!
They picked us up at the hotel in Dar es Salaam, then headed for Mikumi
Mike was an excellent driver and a very good guide! And we spent 3 lovely days with him
We were staying at the Camp Bastian, a very nice establishment 20 minutes from the park
Everything went very well, we loved this beautiful experience!
I highly recommend!
Thank you Usambara Exp and thank you Mike !!
If in the future, I return to make a safari in Tanzania, I will go back without hesitation by this agency !!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable adventure trip ; exploring Kenya by bike
An unforgettable adventure trip ; exploring Kenya by bike
Well organized
- René is an excellent guide who knows the route well and has an eye for the safety and well-being of the cyclists
- Prima Hotels - For African Concepts; Not all as luxurious, but they all provide excellent in the most basic needs
- Good support team transporting luggage, providing lunch on the way and assistance in calamities (i.e. bicycle repairs)
Nice biking route
- Huge diversity in landscape we cycled through (mountains, savannah, plantations, forests, lakes)
- Both on paved roads and on unpaved roads (and vehicle tracks)
Perfect tour plan
- In effort / sports performance; First half of the tour: less km’s and more rest days / Last half : more km’s and less rest days
- A safari in a small park with limited number of wildlife in the first days to the wildlife big5 and more in the last week
- Diversity in safari’s ; on bike, by car and by boat
- Nice ratio between cycling days and rest/safari days
Full program of sports and adventure; Almost every day new special experiences gained; No moments of boredom
Further:
- It was fun and very special to bivak for 2 nights in a tent (with grazing hippo’s around my tent at night)
- It was a nice group (cyclists, guide and support team) to join and explore Kenya in 17 days
Thnx René, for this very special adventure trip that I will always remember!
I hope we will explore other countries in the future togehter!
Regards, Ruud de Bruijne
US
thank you safarihub
im really greateful to my driver and guide Onu for everything , we spend an amazing 7 days to Tanzania because of him
BH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Everything from the start communicating with Wilson and getting the package together was brief and responses were always on time. The trip put together for 17 days, it was excellent and will recommend to everyone. We were 2 adults and 2 teenagers. We started from Kilimanjaro where we were collected by our guide Ahmed, a Young guy from Uganda who took care of us all the way getting out of his way to make sure we were all ok throughout the trip. Most accommodations booked were incredible and the safari was just a mind blowing experience going through Tanzania passing through Manyara Lake, Ngorogo, Serengetti, passed to Uganda Queen Elizabeth park and end our trip in Rwanda where we got to see the mountain Gorillas in Virunga....All I can say if that I would do it all over again!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience!! Fantastic Safari
Absolutely great value for money safari experince, Tom. Morris and the whole staff are your perfect safari guides.
Thank you guys!!!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional Team And Excellent Safari Organizer
First of all, when you are thinking of an African safari trip I would say good choice and this is for sure a "once in lifetime" experience. So no hesitation, pls come!
After that, you may be thinking of which safari operator to select because there are toooooo many. I would highly recommend African Paradise Safaris to any group travelers or solo. John Peter, the manager, is very professional and responsive. I contacted several operators and got quotations of similar package before departure but John was the most professional one so I decided to go with him. He is always available and helped to solve little problem super quick during your trip. As a solo traveler I took a joining trip, 3 days Maasai Mara, 3 days Nakuru + Amboseli. Driver for Maasai Mara was Stanley, who is a cheerful guy. He was really a good driver, professional guide, and tried to get us to see as many as we can. I could see he really respected the nature and other people, this is something I appreciate. Driver for Nakuru + Amboseli was Sammy, who is punchable and nice, also a good driver. It was really tough in Amboseli because of the road but Sammy made it easier for us.
Thanks again John and the team. I would recommend John and African Paradise Safaris to all my friends and everyone who is looking for one. And of course it will be my future choice to Africa again.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
After receiving quotes from many safari companies and after reading many reviews, we chose Odyssey Safaris. Mark Cahill offered a private safari that matched everything we said we wanted to see. He got us good flights and helped to resolve a last minute flight change due to an American Airline cancellation. Lucy and Beatrice made sure we were fully prepared for the trip. Our accommodations were great at all locations. The food was great and plentiful. We saw rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, and a multitude of grazers. We saw the great migration and river crossings at the Mara River. We spent three nights in Masai Mara, two nights in the Serengeti, two nights at the Ngorongoro Crater, one night in Lake Manyara. On the last day we visited Arusha National Park before traveling to the airport. Our Kenyan guide, Erastus, and our Tanzanian guide, Tadei, were exceptional. They got to where the animals were and made sure we had perfect spots to do our viewing. They were very attentive to our needs and our desires. Many thanks to everyone involved in making this a perfect trip.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
BiBi is taking her family to Tanzania; everyone in our group, ages 9- 82 had a great time!
Communications were prompt and informative during the planning of our trip. I had been to TZ 8 times so knew what I wanted to experience with my family. Chabo was very helpful in working within my budget and planning an efficient daily schedule for us. Our driver/guides Ernest and Modest were engaging with all members of our group. They were prompt, our lodging was excellent, guides had a wealth of knowledge and were great at spotting game out on the vast Serengeti.
The final day of our trip, two of the grandchildren were ill with fever and aching, feeling lethargic. When asked about the possibility of Malaria, they agreed that the two should be tested. They found a place that did the testing with results in 20 min., one tested positive and they promptly found a pharmacy that provided the medication and Modest interpreted the instructions carefully for us. Even tho there were 2 nurses and a medical Dr. in the group, they were not familiar with tropical diseases so having their (Modest and Ernest) concern and expertise was important to us in finding a lab to do the testing and a pharmacy for the medication.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari Experience
Everything related to the Safari was great. The personel of Taste of Afrika came to the hotel the day before our departure to arrange all the last minute details and was puntual on the day of departure.
The safari was an amazing experience (Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro) and we managed to see all the big 5, and other beautiful animals as well.
Good food, excellent driver and good guide.
Overall great experience. Perhaps a bit more of communication prior to arrival in Tanzania would be good to know further details, but just a minor comment.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not the best experience
I was on a tour with Wild Trek in August 2017.
Our mini van was in bad shape. Each time the driver stopped in the middle of the mara triangle, I had to say a small prayer that the van would start again, so that we would not be stuck in the middle of the jungle. Finally, the van broke down on the way to the airport, luckily the driver arranged for a replacement van in good time. The vehicle send to take us to the airport was surprisingly better than the one given to us.
Secondly, I felt a lot cheated on the hotels arranged for us. They gave us an itinerary and prices based on certain hotels, once we confirmed the itinerary, they gave us lower rates hotels (as the ones originally listed was not available), but did not adjust the cost of the tour accordingly. So I felt quite cheated on the cost.
They did not specify in the original itinerary whether included a minivan or four wheeler, we ended up with a horrible old minivan. Only the final voucher stated that we would be given a minivan, so in a way I felt cheated in that respect too.
Our driver / guide was not the best either. He would rather we not bother him with questions, or speak to him. At times, he ignored are questions about wildlife. Although, we gave him a good tip at the end of the trip, he asked for more. I thought tips were voluntary contributions, he demanded more, which irritated me. Firstly, I did not find him to be up to the mark, but still tipped me a good amount as it is customary, then when he demanded more, it left a bad taste about the tour and the driver.
The guide just kept driving aimlessly in masai mara, was hardly interested in showing us any wildlife. He discouraged us from opting for an early morning gaming.
Another incident, the driver refused to do anything outside the itinerary, however on the second day, he asked us to visit the amboseli village and asked us to donate $100 to the village. We didn't check to see if it was in the itinerary and went along with the guide, but that was the only thing he did outside the itinerary, he refused to do anything else outside the itinerary. The visit to the village was a rip off.
Our tour was booked at wild trek through a local travel agent in India, I partly blame the local travel agent for not ensuring that the price difference of the savings was not given back to us. The local agent should have been transparent to us with regard to pricing.
Regardless, the issues with minivan and guide were the services of wild trek safaris.
Overall I wouldn't really recommend wild trek tours, and if you do opt for it, ensure that they are transparent on costs and services availed.
I feel as though my whole experience in Masai Mara would have been different if a) we had a good guide b) better vehicle, and c) the hotels as per our original itinerary.