ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent organization to have an unforgettable Safari adventure
Our Safari "9-Day Mid-Range Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Tour & Dh" with Meru Slopes was very well organised by Kelvin Bonith, according to our preferences and at good value. Jacob -driver/guide and Daniel -guide in spanish language- were professional and really friendly. They came us close to the animals, always taking care of their natural habitat.
Good logements, drinking water, free wifi during the tour, binocular inside the safari jeep etc.
We enjoyed this adventure so much!!!!!
Thanks!!!!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait and switch
We are 3 weeks into a trip with Wayfairer. So far they have greatly disappointed us. We requested, had confirmed and paid for 5 star lodgings. The average price we paid is $3,500 per day. They have put us in primarily $200-300 a night hotels.
We have multiple times asked them to correct hotels. They have corrected 2 hotels after we pointed out the big discrepancy. They have done nothing proactively.
Today we are checking into a $200 a night hotel by the airport. We are staying over night in Johannesburg for no reason. Their lack of planning has us here needlessly. We are taking a shuttle to a distant hotel when there is a hotel at the airport.
I am with my pregnant wife and our two children. I could not even have imagined such a bad experience for our family.
We feel ripped off. They claim to be a luxury travel company and they demand full payment up front. Then they book you in cheap hotels.
We believe that we have been scammed. Be warned.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations!
Thank you Shanjoy Tours for the safari of a lifetime! There were 5 in our group, although there should have been 6, but one got the stomach flu before we left. So the trip started with a major disappointment.
From the minute we were picked up at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport we were well taken care of. We took the 9 day tour to Kenya and Tanzania. We had different guides in each country, but loved them both. Dominic was an amazing tracker, and navigated the bumpy, mud soaked roads, never getting stuck once and even rescuing another jeep. He was an expert driver. We saw the Big 5 in Kenya in one exciting day! Although each day was an adventure! Dominic was so good. We were amazed at all we saw from hyenas chewing through buffalo rib bones, to a leopard, to rhinos at a distance, and so many lions and zebras and giraffes. We transferred after a long drive (Dominic assessed a bridge and said it was not safe, 2 weeks before the Mara bridge had washed out, so we had to take a longer route.) The border would not take our credit card as we had planned, so we had to unexpectedly pay in cash, but we could only get $160 out at a time from the ATM, which was a bit of a challenge. The Serengeti with Ledgar was worth the drive. It is huge and open with so many animals. The roads there were just as bumpy but more dusty. Ledger was also a perfect guide and shared a lot of culture and animal information and answered our many questions. With both drivers we felt secure and knew they would keep us safe while giving us so many chances to see more animals than we had even hoped.
Each night we stayed at unique and beautifully well set up places. The food was plentiful and delicious; we couldn't believe all the selection. The workers at each lodge/camp were also just so friendly. The tents had their own bathrooms, and showers, and were more like spacious rooms than a "tent." All the beds had enclosed mosquito netting and each room was spacious and had bottled water for drinking and toothbrushing. (None of the places supplied cream rinse for hair washing, fyi, but had soap and shampoo.) Also, there were plenty of places during the game drives to stop to use the washroom (which you could also tip there.) We recommend bringing enough small/big bills to tip the driver, porters (coming and going, sometimes 2xs a day), the room staff, and the waiters. Bring extra money for souvenirs as at the park entrance are the Maasaai who really want your business. The jeeps were comfortable, had windows that you could open, places to charge your phone/camera, and a top that raised, as well as a cooler for supplied bottled water. We saw some open jeeps and we all appreciated our jeep being enclosed. (You spend a lot of time in that jeep! ) The itinerary was well planned. The cost to fly over to Africa is the most expensive part of the trip. From Texas it was 9 hours to England, and then another 9 to Nairobi with British Airways. We got our passports, our Yellow Fever Shots and mandatory YF certificates, and started taking our malaria pills a few days ahead of the trip, and while we were on the trip, and then for 7 days after returning home. We over-packed bug spray and sunscreen and never had a big problem, even with the TseTse flies in Tanzania. We thought it would be hotter being at the equator, but found the weather to be pleasant! We dressed in the hues of the safari landscape. We were glad to have packed light jackets for the early morning drives. We went a couple of weeks before the Great Migration and sometimes we were about the only people at a camp! There was also way less traffic to see the animals and we spent unhurried time watching the wildlife. (The Great Migration would have also been so interesting, but for us it was much cheaper to fly and safari in mid May, and we saw more than we had hoped to see.) The rain was not a problem! Shanjoy Tours did an outstanding job organizing the details, the park fees, the meals, and two "above and beyond" kind tour guides in Dominic and Ledgar.
We saw lions eating a Cape Buffalo calf, a hyena splashing in water, so many hippos, warthogs, topis, hartebeests, crocodiles, wildebeests, a cheetah and her cubs eating a gazelle, so many Thompson's gazelles, vultures, African Fish Eagle, flamingos, pelicans and on and on. The last evening Dominic got a tip on the radio, and sped us to the absolute perfect spot, just at the right moment to watch the Amboseli elephants amble slowly across the road right in front of us, one after another, after another, for over 7 minutes. The big bull elephant Michael was in the rear. After, two other smaller groups also crossed. At the beginning of the first herd a flock of white cattle egrets flew overhead right over the elephants. It was a moment that none of us will soon forget.
We highly recommend Shanjoy as being reputable, dependable and for the lodging and meals, the price cannot be beat. At the Ashnil Tented camp the workers sang and danced a goodbye to us as we headed out. You just don't get that in America! Our expectations were met and exceeded! We appreciated Shanjoy Tours and highly recommend their services.
LB
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience Count - wow Safari
Wow trip - trip of a lifetime. My son who went earlier was very impressed with Adam, Called him and he organized the trip from A to Z. Six days of awe. Exceeded my expectation. Great lodging and safari. Adam experience, charm and hospitality is worth it. Considering another trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable!
We had our first Safari at the end of May 2024. It was difficult to find who to trust to when we have something for the first time, however, since we started talking with Kihindo team, we felt ensured. We are glad to choose them at the end of the day. Winnie and William greeted us outside of the airport, and our adventure began. We enjoyed so much on every aspect and William -our tour guide- was super helpful with everything. He has really good knowledge about the animals, and he is excellent to spot them even in the most tricky conditions. He ensures the safety and is so respectful. We had an unexpected circumstance while in the middle of the safari day due to the road being blocked by roadworkers for a few hours, however, both William and Winnie managed to compensate our lost time with night safari. It was so much fun! Almost nobody stayed at the park at that time and we were able to spot a leopard! We recommend everyone to see Nyerere National Park with William! And also he was super helpful regarding communication with natives and when the car had problems on our way to Dar es selaam. We trusted Kihindo and enjoyed our holiday fully
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expert guides - Personalized tour
Giraffe Expeditions is an outstanding tour company for East Africa. They provided a personalized tour that met all our interests including visiting major parks in Tanzania, visiting Uganda with opportunities to Ses both chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, and meeting with several tribal groups to learn about their distinct culture and customs. Because Giraffe Expedition guides are native Tanzanians, they provided up close encounters with both people and animals, as well as share their own experiences of East African countries. This was a once in a lifetime trip for us and we are so glad we trusted them with our entire trip. They were exceptional down to the last detail as well as kind and welcoming people!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dancing Safari is a boutique tour operator that arranges unique travel experiences.
Dancing Safari arranged a unique African experience for our group of 6 people. We stayed at a fabulous new property on the edge of the Ngorongoro crater that gave us the advantage of being the first group in the crater in the morning where we saw elephants, zebra, flamingos, lions, hippos, Cape buffalo, wildebeest etc. It was magical. Our tour operator arranged for us to have a catered lunch at the bottom with delicious food and full bar. It was an incredible experience! We traveled to the Serengeti and drove into the midst of the great migration of wildebeest and zebras. We also saw leopards and huge crocodiles in addition to the other animals and many baby lions. Our trip was capped with a flight to Rwanda where we stayed in a beautiful lodge near the trails to see the mountain gorillas. We saw an entire family for one hour after a hike up through the jungle. Our trackers and guides were experienced and helpful. It was a trip of a lifetime!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day was better than the day before!
My friend & I were on a cruise that stopped in Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, & ended in Cape Town. We went to Addo Elephant Park & it was so beautiful! The scenery & the animals were so stunning! The next day, we did a Game Drive at Botlierskop. It was so much fun & the seeing more animals & different scenery, it was even better! The cruise ended in Cape Town & we did 2 days of touring. We saw the lighthouse at Cape Point (beautiful views) & the Cape of Good Hope, along with seeing the penguins at Boulders Beach! Wow! What a day! The next day, we had 2 winery tours, a Game Drive & a visit to the top of Table Mountain! Again, WOW! The views were incredible! We did a trip to Aquila Game Reserve that was 2 nights/3 days! We had 4 game drives (2 morning & 2 evening). Every game drive was different! My friend & I kept saying, it can’t get any better than today…and the next day was better! And, the sunrises & sunsets were the best we have ever seen! We took pictures but they didn’t do them justice! All I can say is WOW! What a trip!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Addo Elephant National Park by Barbara R
It was amazing!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Satao Camp
My overall rating for SATAO CAMP is excellent in all respects. This is a friendly and welcoming camp. Perfectly situated and open to all the animals that inhabit it. The accommodation, service and attention to detail are superb. The staff are excellent. The chef deserves a medal for his innovative menus and expertise. I live in Kenya and have stayed at many camps on safari, but I have no hesitation in recommending Satao as the best of the lot.