PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most Amazing Family Vacation
Thank you Kathi Simon for our amazing, unforgettable family vacation. It was just the kind of vacation that we needed. It's been 2 weeks since we've been home and we are still talking about our vacation like we just arrived yesterday. I'm writing to you because my family and I would like to thank you for making our vacation a truly unforgettable experience. We love South Africa, we love Cape Town (we didn't even get to visit Table Mountain) and Arathusa Sabi Sands was just a different kind of experience. We have probably seen most of the animals at zoos but seeing them in their natural habitat, its just awesome. We even joked amongst ourselves that we should save so that we could buy a property in Cape Town. :) Well maybe we'll just email you and book another trip again someday. Reese was a great guide, took us to places where we could take great pictures and buy some african art souvenirs aside from being very knowledgeable. And at the safari our ranger Brandon and tracker Roy were also very accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks again Kathi and it was nice talking to you on the phone.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Memories of Amazing South Africa to last for a lifetime! Best travel agent experience ever!
Planning a trip from the other side of the planet is not always easy! Furthermore, having total confidence in a company you have never dealt with is even more scary! From the moment we sent an e-mail to African Welcome Safaris to start planning our dream vacation to South Africa and the initial response we got from our wonderful agent, Kathi, we knew we were in good hands! We provided her with our interests, budget and she managed to put together the trip of our lives! We will forever cherish the memories African Welcome Safaris put together for us! We will certainly recommend African Welcome Safaris to our friends and family! Thank you for everything!
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The absolute best
We had to plan our honeymoon less than a month in advance, due to issues with our work schedules, so we started to email several safari operators in Tanzania about 4 weeks before our planned departure. We were undecided about whether to visit both Kenya and Tanzania or only one of them, we had a bit more than 2 weeks in total for our trip and definitely wanted to see Zanzibar, so we asked for some options. We had never been to Africa before, so we were asking for advice on what we should not have missed, how to distribute the days between the safari and the time in Zanzibar, which parks would definitely be a must etc.
Out of all the replies we got, Lucia and Simon from Safari Infinity managed to beat their competitors by far, in terms of precision, extreme rapidity to reply to our emails (I forgot to mention that we live in Japan, there are 6 hours difference with Tanzania), kindness, willingness to help create a perfect plan for us, patience, professionalism and friendliness. We exchanged a lot of emails on a daily basis with them, asked tons of questions and always got precise answers, and eventually managed to create an itinerary that we thought would fit our needs perfectly. All of this during the peak season, so I guess it must have not been easy for them to book accommodations and internal flights with such a short notice. In about 2 weeks we decided our itinerary based on Lucia's suggestions, we got all our accommodations booked, all the internal flights booked as well, considering that these had to match the times of our flights to/from Japan. A few more emails to get some advice on vaccinations, visa, currency etc and we were all set to leave. And then our dream became true.
I do not have words to say how satisfied we are with this trip. It was the trip of our lifetime, it was our honeymoon, it was the most expensive trip we ever booked, it was ALL worth. For days after we came back I have been trying to find even one small tiny thing that went wrong during this trip, but I couldn't find any. I am not making this too big, the guys at Safari Infinity totally deserve it. I never heard about them before, I simply contacted them because of the excellent feedbacks they have on the internet. And now I am here to say it myself, they really are the best of the best. They genuinely care about making your trip a success, everything is cured in any detail, the guides they choose are excellent (more about this later), the accommodations are fantastic, and the entire organization is super. We have always been picked up and dropped off at the airports or other locations on time, we have even been given a local phone to make calls or send texts in case we needed it.
We arrived at Arusha airport where our guide, Kelly, picked us up. Not even 2 minutes after we landed we were given a great welcome with a very nice surprise. I do not want to spoil it here, go and find it yourself :) Kelly is possibly the nicest guide/driver I have ever met in my life, if Lucia and Simon were responsible for a superb organization and planning Kelly was responsible for a perfect delivery of the package. We spent 8 days with him from early morning to late evening, I have never seen him unhappy or tired. Kelly really enjoys what he does, sometimes he was even more enthusiastic than us when we spotted animals in the parks! He never ever ever loses his smile, he is calm, very knowledgeable, professional, customer-oriented, and a very fun person to be with. Kelly was definitely the person who made our safari an unforgettable experience, who made me take 43 GB of stunning pictures, who was always patient when I asked him to move the car to take a particular picture, or when we waited the entire day for the wildebeests to cross the river, the most beautiful picture I ever took in my life. Never did he lose his smile. He knows about every single thing that lives in the parks, he drives in the parks (god knows how he does that - in most areas there is absolutely nothing but bushes and trees) and is able to spots animals who are very far away and knows well the spots where it is more likely to spot animals. Also he knows the best places in the parks where to stop for a break with magnificent views and without other cars around. He is always calm, easy to deal with, but the best thing as I said is the fact that he really likes what he does. If you are on a safari with him you will immediately realize that.
Thanks to Kelly we had a lot of "private" safari shows (without other cars around), such as lionesses at a very close distance feeding their cubs, mom and baby rhino, leopards, cheetas and more. We saw all that we could possibly see, lots of close distance action and lots of excitement. We could not have asked for more. And sleeping in the parks with all those animals around.. it was such an amazing experience.. All the tented accommodations were fantastic, very comfortable and always with great food.
The second part of our trip was in Zanzibar, 1 full day in Stonetown (highly recommended) and 4 days in Nungwi, on the northern part of the island. In Stonetown we booked the city tour and the spice tour. Again, Safari Infinity put us in the hands of an excellent guide, Hamis, who made our short stay in this magic town very enjoyable. Hamis is a very friendly person, he smiles a lot (!) and knows everything in Stonetown and Zanzibar. I wish we had stayed a little longer in Stonetown, I loved the colors, the atmosphere and the crazy market. The spice tour was also a lot of fun, they are both half day tours. The Coffee House hotel in Stonetown was great, I loved the atmosphere so much. Finally we headed to Nungwi, always under the directions of Safari Infinity and their perfectly planned drivers and guides. We stayed at Hideaway Nungwi with an all-inclusive plan. White beach, new resort with beautiful rooms, a lot of relax and.. excellent food. The buffet was really excellent, plenty of choice and lots of variety. Great pool to relax and we loved the shisha bar after dinner. Relaxing on the beach was really the perfect thing to do after the safari experience.
I would recommend Safari Infinity to everyone, I am sure they are able to create the perfect itinerary for your needs. We appreciated their extreme flexibility to adjust things to our crazy last-minute schedules, their rapidity in responding to our emails (this is critical when you have such a short time to arrange everything), their precision and attention to the details (nothing, not even the smallest thing was left unclear), and, last but not least, their friendliness. Lucia and Simon are a beautiful couple, we met them when we arrived in Arusha and were so happy to see how friendly and pure-hearted they are. They made our honeymoon perfect, there were so many things that could have gone wrong or just "not perfect", but they did all they could to make our dream come true. And they did it. Thank you Lucia, Simon, Kelly and everyone at Safari Infinity, we will never forget this.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Honeymoon
A truly amazing honeymoon touring around Northern Tanzania. Safari Infinity was great at helping me plan the trip, Lucia was super quick to respond to questions and helped narrow down the best accommodation for our budget. Our guide was extremely professional and knowledgeable about wildlife and we managed to see the big five! I wish I could go on vacation with Safari Infinity right now!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic personalized Kilimanjaro climb and safari - Highly recommended.
My brother, father and I worked with Kambona in 2012 to put together a combined Kilimanjaro climb and safari to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater. I'm a biologist with a good bit of experience in Tanzania, so I'm picky and I had specific goals in mind for this trip - in short, I wanted an honest and down-to-earth outfitter who would put up with lots of special requests (e.g., a slower hiking pace so we could spend more time looking at plants and birds) and pair us with guides who knew their natural history. Kambona was recommended to me by a knowledgeable friend who organizes high-end adventure travel trips from the US. He had partnered with lots of Tanzanian climbing and safari outfitters, but Kambona was his unambiguous recommendation. This worked out fantastically - our trip was exceptional.
Kambona's approach to preparation set him apart from the beginning. Kambona skyped with me over half a dozen times in the year leading up to the trip to work on customizing the experience. He spent a lot of time discussing alternative options and making sure our plan would give us the best chance of summiting Kilimanjaro, as well as seeing what we wanted to see on safari. He made sure we had an appropriate 6-month training plan in place for the climb, and helped us choose the right gear.
This paid off in Tanzania. The Kili climb was a huge success - we reached the summit and learned a ton about the mountain on the way up and back. Our climbing guide was Faraja Mwaijande, who has been leading trips regularly since the 1990s, and we took the Lemosho Route, spending 8 days total on the mountain (highly recommended for both acclimatization as well as the additional time in these amazing ecosystems). Kambona put together a very reasonably priced package for what we got - we had a personalized 3-person outfit for about the same per-person price as some of the massive group climbs. The gear and food were very good, and the guides and porters were great companions.
The safari was also a success. Our driver Juma was knowledgable about all of the wildlife at the three parks we visited (long stay in Tarangire, short visits to Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater), and was willing to entertain all sorts of odd requests (e.g., seeking out the best places to see lizards, or drab birds). We spent most of our time off the beaten track (i.e., on the less-traveled park roads) and we came across several pretty amazing animals when no one else was around (e.g., a leopard, and a small group of wild dogs!!!).
Most importantly, Kambona is trustworthy and will do anything to make sure you're satisfied with your trip. He's a genuine and incredibly nice person and is easy to communicate with. He has decades of experience in this line of work, and he's very attentive. If you're looking for an ultra-luxury trip with expensive silverware, etc., you should probably look at other companies, but if your goal is a personalized experience in the East African outdoors, you can't do better than Kambona.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simon is the best safari guide.
This is my second safari with Odyssey and hopefully there will be many more. They are willing to do whatever it takes for you to have a safe and fabulous safari. Simon was the driver for both trips and I hope to have him a third time. He is extremely knowledgeable about wildlife and Kenya.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The heart of the Serengeti
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit into the Serengeti with Makasa for several reasons:
1. We wanted to understand as much as we could about the ecosystems, more than just animals but all the flora and fauna
2. We wanted comfort and coziness but not obsequious luxury and we had great accommodation-just right for us.
3. We wanted to see and understand what we saw; the staff (Ngomi and David) did a superb job.
4. The office through whom everything was set up was clear and efficient in the process.
Overall, a great experience and we intend to go again soon with a son and grand daughter added to the experience.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ask for Erastus for you tour guide - By far the best!
Beatrice and Mark planned this trip for my sister and I and did a great job selecting a vacation package that was best for us and in our budget. We did the tour from Boston to Nairobi and it was a Friday to Monday trip (10 days total) - flew from Boston to Amsterdam to Nairobi and then back.
Pre-Trip Preparation: My sister and I got a few shots before (Yellow Fever, Tetanus, Polio, and Hep A) - but they weren't necessary for us - but no harm getting them just in case. We also took anti-malaria pills before, during, and after the trip - total of 14 days (also not needed).
Need a passport - but don't get your Visa until you get there ($50 USD) - much quicker and easier than doing it ahead of time.
Packed: Money Protector, Cash, CC, passport, Tablet & plug, Blanket, bathing suit, long pants (linen are best because it’s hot then cold), sweatshirt/pants because it’s very cold t night, Unscented shampoo (keeps away bugs), Safari hat, 5 Toothbrushes & paste (in case one touches tap water), Tums, Advil, Dramamine, Imodium, Prescription Pills in original bottle, Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Power adaptors, backpack, Mosquito Net, 99% Deet Bug spray, Hand Sanitizer, Good Binoculars (I wish I had bought a Monocular), disposable Poncho, Travel Toilet Paper
When we arrived: got off plane, went through Immigration (got our visa), got our bags and then "went through customs" - we didn't really need to do anything except hand them a form. Then we walked outside and saw Erastus (our tour guide) holding a sign with our names. He brought us to the Safari truck and brought us to the hotel.
1st Hotel: Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi - great location and accommodations - lots of restaurants to chose from, rooms are very clean and nice, breakfast is included, pool, lots of weddings here - only negative was their beds were extremely firm.
Safari: woke up, ate breakfast, and Erastus was waiting for us in the lobby to take us to our first safari destination. We had 2 other people with us (an older couple) so there was plenty of room for us to put our stuff and relax on the long rides.
The ride to the first location is about 5 hours - but you really don't notice it at all because there are a few "stop-overs" to use the bathrooms and look at souvenirs and the people-watching along the way is fascinating.
Ashnil - Samburu: This is a tented camp - rooms are little huts with real doors but tent walls - you feel like you're really in a hotel room - nice beds and showers and they give you water bottles for tooth-brushing. The food all over africa is terrible if you're an american. We were told not to eat fruits, uncooked veggies, the water, or unpasteurized dairy products. That doesn't leave many options - so the food is the only thing I could complain about on this trip. There is a male elephant that comes right up to the electric fence daily - it's really cool. There are Vervet monkeys that try to get into your rooms at night - make sure you zip the tents closed! Beds are really comfortable and there is a generator to charge your phone/camera/laptops about 18 out of 24 hours a day.
The game drives here were amazing - the goal of the whole safari is to see the "big 5" and we saw a lion, (not one of big 5 but...)cheetah (with her cubs AND a kill), hippo (it's extremely rare to see any Hippo in Samburu), and a bunch of smaller animals and birds.
We went to the Samburu village - $30 per person extra - it was worth it. We got to see how they live off the land, and go into their little huts and see the school etc. They do try to sell you a bunch of souvenirs at the end - and I think it's better to buy gifts from them than the souvenir shops.
The drive from Samburu to Sweetwater was about 3 hours
Sweetwater: This is a tented camp with a lake in the middle (elephants and other animals gather at the lake after dark - it's very cool to see them up close while eating dinner). The tents are on stilts and you have to actually zip the entrance. There are a TON of weird beetles there - but no mosquitos. The rooms were cozy and comfortable beds - showers/bathroom was nice and they also give you water. The food was a little better. At every tented camp, food is included with your package but drinks (even water) is not. We just took waters from our Safari truck (there was enough for the week in there) and brought them to meals. Wifi is good here in the rooms and lobby.
Game drive: We saw black and white rhinos, stopped at the Black Rhino sanctuary and the chimpanzee sanctuary. Saw 2 others of the Big 5 - the African Cape Buffalo as well the rhinos. We saw more lions, zebra, ostriches, giraffes, and stopped at the Equator for pictures and a water demonstration.
From Sweetwater to Nakuru was about 4 hours.
Nakuru: This is a lodge hotel - no tents - very nice here. One tiny problem we had was that ALL of our rooms at the 5 hotels were so far away from the lobby - if you're handicapped or old, you should definitely ask for closer rooms up front. The lunch here was very good - the best meal of the whole trip. The rooms were comfy and clean and very nice. We heard a lion roar in the early morning hours! Here we were supposed to see FLOCKS of flamingos - but there were only about 30. Again, we saw rhino and buffalo and the other animals. Still, no leopard though (the last of the big 5 to spot for us).
Trip from Nakuru to Masai Mara was about 7 hours:
Ashnil at Masai Mara: The rooms are just like the ones at the other Ashnil camp - same food as well. Comfy beds and clean rooms. Food was just OK. Hippos are right outside the dining room - we saw a hyena as well. The game drive here was AMAZING! We saw a huge pride of lions and so many other animals. On our way out of the park on the very last day, we FINALLY spotted the leopard - and WITH A CUB! We were so happy! AND a cheetah jumped on our safari truck - sat there for about 1/2 hour looking for her next meal - not bothering us - was so cool! Before it jumped on our truck, she went on the roof of another truck, went over to the open sunroof and shat through the open roof onto the tour guide hahahaha. We got to step into Tanzania for a minute.
The ride back to Nairobi was about 6 hours with stop-overs at interesting locations.
Back at the Safari Park Hotel, we went to the Elephant Orphanage, a mall, a black market, and a little sight-seeing of Nairobi with our tour guide before flying back home.
I travel a lot - and this was by far the BEST trip I have been on. Erastus was an amazing tour guide - he knew so many interesting facts about the animals, Kenya, and the people who we saw along the way. It's very important to tip your tour guide - at LEAST $10/day per person - we recommend twice that if you have Erastus as your guide - he truly loves his job and is so good at it!
Some things to remember about Safaris and Kenya:
1. Don't expect to go into the game drive reserves and see animals roaming everywhere - you will see a few every 10-15 minutes - it's part of the fun trying to spot them. They are not just all hanging around everywhere - they are living in their natural habitat and hiding from prey/sun/us.
2. In Nairobi, people are pretty much the same as in the US - they have the same things and do the same stuff. They are more religious though - everyone goes to church on Sundays. However, the farther out you go - like to the game reserves, the people become more and more primitive with their houses, livestock, jobs, food, etc.
3. Ask as many questions as you can think of while on safari - your tour guide is full of information and there are just so many interesting facts about Kenya you would never think of.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Adventure!
We had an excellent experience with Tanzania Serengeti Adventures. Our driver-guide, Philimon, was an excellent guide with a vast knowledge of the landscape and wildlife. Our safari would not have been the same without him! His 20+ years of experience really shows; we highly recommend him to anyone looking to do safari. For comparison, we had the opportunity to chat with other guests at the lodge who utilized different safari companies; they were continually astounded at the amount of wildlife we were seeing. When we described what we saw (Big 5 + tons more) they were astonished. We attributed this to Philimon’s knack to seek out all the right spots; something gained after 20 years on the job! In addition to his excellent skills as a driver/guide, Philimon is a very respectful and fun person. Our group really enjoyed chatting with him and learning more about the local culture as the miles flew by. If you’re searching for a safari, you can’t go wrong with Tanzania Serengeti Adventures – and make sure to request Philimon as your guide!
Additionally, Iris & Jordan (management) were great & custom tailored our safari to our needs. Pricing was very reasonable and payment was secure and seamless. The vehicles are top notch and all seats have safety belts. Additionally, binoculars were supplied, which was a nice touch. Go with TSA – you won’t regret it!
An exceptionnal trip
We had a very nice trip in South Africa, thanks to our guide who did a wonderful job preparing our journey through South Africa.I enjoyed Tsitsikamma Park, and the time we spent walking in the bush.
All the restaurants we went to were deliciously chosen, guesthouses were just perfect.
Biwakwango has a very well studied team: Thierry, our precious guide, Garret our kind driver and Cardy the Masterchief of our meals in the bush. Everything was over our expectations and I truly recommand this company if you want to spend a wonderful time discovering South Africa.