65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
a once in a lifetime experience
Have wanted to go on an African safari for a long time, am really pleased we chose to go with Masihambe. Our Guide was excellent, very knowledgable, helpful & friendly, as were all the different Guides & people involved in each place we stayed in, we stayed in a variety of accommodation from tents to luxury Lodges, great value for money, good food, & good company, & great animal viewing. Exceeded all our expectations. Keep up the good work Jude & Anna at Masihambe!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was awesome!
Well, it is actually indescribable. Looking back on our trip and sharing our photos with friends is fun but much work awaits us, i.e. going through 4000 photos and two hours of film but that flashback should be fun. I have to cram a digital series on SA for Fotoclub Schijndel into four minutes for a promotional film course.
We will not hesitate to recommend Tailor Made Safaris to anyone.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
For the fourth time in South Africa with Tailor Made Safaris and, as always, great!
The Big-3 from Rooi - for the fourth time in South Africa with Tailor Made Safaris and, as always, great!
This year we came back for the fourth time to Tailor Made Safaris and we chose KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, finishing off in Kruger.
We started in Pongola in a lodge with a very nice view. Here we enjoyed rhino tracking on foot, which was very impressive!
Then Hluhluwe - iMfolozi in an unfenced camp. During the braai on our first evening we were visited by a hyaena and on the second night, a bushpig. Exciting! We saw our first wild dogs, as well as buffalo, lions, many birds, rhinos, elephants and more.
We couldn’t leave out a few days in St Lucia. There we enjoyed a boat ride, horse riding, good food and a drink once in a while. Of course we were very curious about the famous Sushi Safari. Well..... it did not disappoint. Highly recommended! We went on our first night drive and what an experience in itself with a great driver who saw everything in the dark.
Then on to Mkhuze and beautiful accommodation. At the waterhole we enjoyed the coming and going of many different animals. This is never boring.
And then Tembe.... nice and luxurious. We stayed in tents in the park and had been warned of the elephant iSilo who occasionally broke through the fence to visit the camp and yes, on the last night we heard a lot of noise and there he was! He then walked through the gate back into the reserve. This was a beautiful gift.
Furthermore, we had Ndumo Game Reserve and Mlilwane, Swaziland still on the programme. Ndumo with its many birds and Mlilwane with its great markets.
Finally, Kruger National Park. We had seen most of the Big 5, with only the leopard remaining missing in action. That had to happen in Kruger. On both of the last two days we managed to see leopard, both times lying on a tree branch. The second time it even had prey!
We were happy to have seen the Big 5 again.
This holiday was great. We saw a lot and also enjoyed good food and a drink once in a while!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and Affordable
My fiancé and I thought it would be sensible of us to travel and tour our neighboring country Uganda since we had planned for a budgeted fun trip. Uganda has distinctive attraction for tourists’ destination that rises out of the multiplicity of its game stock and its untouched scenic beauty. Just like my home country Kenya, Uganda offers substantial natural resources for tourism with a variety of ecosystems, landscapes, culture and climate but in a somehow unique approach.
We searched for tour company services that will escort us through the entire trip. At first we had thought we had thought it would be impossible to get a tour company that will cater for us throughout, so we had already budgeted on paying different tour companies. Luckily to our surprise, we came across Pole Pole Safaris on our online search, and we could not believe our eyes to see their affordable prices for their services and all they were actually offering with it.
Without hesitation, we made our booking and called their offices in Kampala for assurance. We were catered for with a soft spoken and courteous gentleman who was able to talk us more on what more was in that package. A week later we were picked from Entebbe International Airport by a four wheel tour car from Pole Pole Safaris and the driver was very conversant and approachable who took us to the hotel and he promised he will be there the next day at whatever time we wanted so as we can begin our visit in this beautiful country.
Pole Pole management contacted us through the hotel to make sure of our safe arrival and to know what exact time we want to be picked from the hotel. To our surprise, we were informed that we could travel to more tourists destinations than what were had thought. The package that we had paid for which it was quite affordable when compared to what we could have paid to other tours company for the same kind of service could cater for all tourist destinations in Uganda.
Apart from Game viewing and white water rafting which before was our main tourists’ activities that we had aimed for; we were able to enjoy other activities such as sport fishing, mountaineering, primate tracking and bird watching. We were able to extend our holiday by three more days for the reason that our planned budget could cater for more. We couldn’t finish viewing all this amazing country had to offer. However, our plan is to visit my other surrounding countries using Pole Pole Safaris services that to my knowledge they also operate in these countries. These other countries I ought to visit are Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Congo, where coming to think of it am also not done with touring my own lovely country Kenya.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A company with a knowldegeble staff about wilderness safaris in Tanzania, bravo a tuti!!. 'ritorno'
It was a great trip with my family, the guide made our holidays, 'bravo'. The game with an open jeep made us to see Serengeti as in the palm of our hands. The lodge was in a great view for migration tracking and the service was super!!. Bravo Ndutu Adventures, will come back!!!!!!.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Climbing Kili
Richard Kilonzo and his crew were awesome! I arrived separately from two of my other friends for the climb and they had no problem accommodating us all -- and giving me some extra attention while I waited. I was planning on being on the continent for a long time, so I didn't bring the cold hiking gear that was required -- I rented their quality equipment and clothing for a good price.
On the climb, our team was amazing! We had a good range of hikers with us -- from the speedster to the moderate hikers and each of us were accommodated accordingly and allowed to hike at our own paces if we wanted. The meals were always great and the care provided to us all was outstanding -- we stayed warm, comfortable, and happy.
During the climb, I got sun poisoning (make sure to cover the back of your neck, people!), and our team was incredibly gracious, patient, and caring. I couldn't eat for a day and they made me broth to drink throughout the day. I couldn't have had better care if I was home in my own house!
My two friends continued on with World Tours to do a safari and they thoroughly enjoyed their time -- having a relaxing time and meeting new people from all over the world.
I recommend this group to everyone I know that is heading to safari in East Africa -- including the guests for my upcoming wedding! This is an outstanding group and that will treat you well and make it worth the big budgets that safaris always are!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A holiday celebration with Tailor Made Safaris ....... an amazing experience!
We enjoyed our three week tour in South Africa which started with two days in Johannesburg where we visited the Apartheid Museum. This made a great impression and we did need the entire day for it. The next day we enjoyed a bike ride through Soweto, where we visited a nursery with a Dutch couple. This Dutch gentleman dressed as a clown to surprise the children of the nursery. Then he stepped got on the bike in his clown suit ....... result: a lot of attention and contact with the population. This provided beautiful pictures. That evening Nicholas Uys (our guide) arrived at our guesthouse to meet us.
Day four: Swaziland
Nicholas taught us how to look for animals and birds, as well as the many different species of animals and birds. We learnt a lot. Our time in Swaziland included sleeping in the beehive huts, a day off walking in the nature reserve and a visit to a Swazi village where we could see how people live in the villages.
Day seven: Tembe Elephant Park
A wonderful place to learn to look at the tracks of the animals because of all the sand paths. Game drives in the morning and evening, with time spent relaxing in our accommodation in between. We saw elephants, a lion hunting, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, rhino, wildebeest, lots of birds and many species of antelope. A beautiful property with cheerful and welcoming staff.
Day nine: Kosi Bay
From a boat we viewed ancient local fishing methods. This was a wonderful trip and we saw kingfishers, flamingos and a beautiful sunset. We snorkelled for the first time..... what a wonderful world it is underwater. Nicholas knows a lot about the mangrove forest and we learned more and more.
Day eleven: Mkhuze Game Reserve
Nicholas taught us a lot during game drives, a lot about the birds but also the trees and flowers. We also spotted a lot of game including kudu, rhinos, warthogs and hippos. Nicholas is also good cook, therefore the braai was good. The weather during our Fig Forest Walk was not easy and there were few birds to see but the walk was beautiful. On the way back we even spotted a black rhino.
Day thirteen: St Lucia
A quiet place to walk around and move freely. We visited the Butterfly House and Crocodile Centre.
We walked along the sea and estuary and later saw the estuary by boat where we got to see a lot of hippos. We enjoyed a bit of local culture by visiting a Zulu village and a shelter for cats. On the way to Cape Vidal we saw many birds and waterfowl. A night game drive was a real experience, with a guide who knew where to find the animals and knew their behaviour. We followed a leopard while it was hunting and even a small chameleon got the attention of the guide.
Day twenty : On to Hluhluwe - Umfolozi Game Reserve
Here we met the vervet monkeys; you have to watch your food! The warthogs grunting at night under the platform of the safari tent. In the evening the hyaena came to see what we were eating. We encountered many rhinos, even with little ones, a lion with prey surrounded by trees full of vultures waiting for scraps. In the clear evening we enjoyed a beautiful starry sky.
Day twenty-three: on the way to the airport in Durban
While leaving the park it seemed that all the animals come out to say goodbye! Giraffes, buffalos, zebras, elephants, rhinos, a crocodile, various antelope species on the road ....... a fine ending to a wonderful, relaxing and educational trip.
Therefore: Nick, Freya and Nicholas.... our thanks
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very exciting and well organized tour!
It was exciting from the beginning,because we booked our tour from germany. So we didn´t know,if everything would work. The email contact to Miriam was excellent.We got all informations.
She accompanied us the whole tour. Everything was very well organized: drive,lunch,accommodation,gorillatrecking and our special wishes!
We are very contented!
Many thanks to Miriam and Sam,our driver.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable self-drive family trip! We highly recommend.
We (a family with two daughters aged 13 and 15 years) spent the first three weeks of July 2013 on a self-drive safari. As advised by Geert (Nick), our route included Johannesburg, Drakensberg, Kwazulu-Natal, Mozambique and Swaziland. It was fantastic. Never have we experienced the beauty of nature in such an amazing way. Drive to the left instead of to the right and you find yourself standing face to face with two rhinos. We had to be careful not to let the monkeys steal any of our braai’d meats or bananas from the cooler. We had trouble only with finding lions but a quick text message to Geert and it was handled (or maybe it was coincidence?). Apart from all the animals and beautiful birds, the whale safari in St Lucia and swimming with dolphins at Ponta D' Ouro gave us something to remember. And in South Africa the night skies are really dark. Look up and you can see the immense galaxy. This was new for us.
In short, we had an unforgettable holiday. Geert and Freya, thank you for that. We will probably meet again at the next holiday fair.!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Got to the top, with lots of help and support
Only great memories. Good quality camping gear, I was under prepared but they helped me at each step. The food was good, and enough for everyone. I would reccommend them.