NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful time
This safari was very nice, I had a wonderful time! We saw the big five and lot of other animals. The guide/driver was a very nice guy and he knew a lot about the animals. Even when there was a problem with the car one evening, he did an excellent job. The next morning everything was all right again, ready to bring us to the next game drive. I had a very nice experience!
A journey to remember!
Our experience with Simba Africa Expeditions was amazing. Everything went smoothly starting from the first email we wrote to Simba to receive information about available safari tours till our brilliant guide Remy dropped us off at the airport in Entebbe to catch a flight back home. We outlined in our email what approximately we would like to see and do in Uganda and Simba's tour manager prepared a plan for us on which we then worked together till was absolutely perfect. We kept in regular contact till our day of arrival and Simba's tour manager was very patient in answering all our questions. We were met at the airport upon arrival, introduced to our safari guide and from there we started a 10-day long journey around Uganda. Like all tourists in Uganda we wanted to see and enjoy Uganda's wild life. And our Safari guilde Remy did a great job: we were able to spot and see from a close range pretty much all the animals, including lions (we saw both so to say regular lions and tree-climbing lions) and even leopards, which are not so easy to come across! Also, our guide is extremely informed and knows a lot about animals, their habits, and also about the thousand of birds that exist in Uganda. Our safari drives were a never-ending National Geographic-kind of experience. We were taken extremely good care of. Upon arrival to Entebbe, we learnt that part of our luggage was lost together with our clothes (and one of the cameras), but it did not ruin our experience, as Simba did everything possible to make sure our luggage is returned to us asap. As our wonderful tour manager told us: I will contact the airport every day until I become a pain to them:) And it worked as our luggage was returned to us on our 4th day although we were already some hundreds km away from Entebbe airport: Simba sent its driver to meet halfway with our safari guide Remy while we were enjoying a boat trip ride. Also our hiking shoes bought locally fell apart but again Remy took care of it. He brought the shoes to the local repairman and now these shoes will experience many more years of travel:) Also want to mention that our safari guide is a very skillful and careful driver. That's important as often times roads in Uganda are not as good as in most countries in Europe, for example and traffic can also get a bit crazy. Comfort and safety of tourits is a priority for Simba! Also, all our lodges were great! The staff was everywhere extremely friendly, polite and helpful. We never encountered rudeness or indifference. Also, food exceeded all our expectations. I think we even got a little bit spoilt as almost in all lodges we were offered a finger-licking dessert for dinner (in addition to at least two-course meals):) And of course, fresh fruits and fresh juices everyday is the least your should expect.
We are extremely grateful to Simba Africa Expeditions for organizing such a great trip for us. We did game drives, and boat trips and we saw mountains and lakes and waterfalls. We made amazing memories and thousands of beautiful pictures!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable second Honeymoon!
Upon contacting Rose we were not sure what we really wanted - other than a fabulous adventure at luxury level. From the very beginning she helped us create a unique itinerary, never minding that I wanted to change the dates/hotel/location on almost a daily basis!
We have just returned from 2.5weeks in Zambia and Mozambique - the whole trip was wonderful. There was a lot of travel involved and each journey was seamless - she provided us with itinerary sheets so we always knew where we were going and were always met at each destination by a friendly guide/representative.
We wanted variety, and we certainly got that - we felt we experienced so many different sides of Africa in the short time we were there.
The great thing about Rose is she really listens - she don'ts just try and sell you a pre-made package - she really wants to understand what you as the customer want to get out of your trip - and that is the difference between her and any other travel agent! She is on call 24hrs and replies instantly to every email.
I have already recommended her to a friend who is about to propose to his girlfriend saying he MUST get her to arrange the honeymoon!
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Australians on Bush Travellers Safaris
Our Trip in Botswana was one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Not only did we see every animal in the area but we were taught so much about these foreign animals. We were delighted with the food, it was absolutely beautiful, in particular the bread. Mostly the experience we encountered was, truly beautiful. We were surrounded by the most beautiful and kind people that guided us through their amazing country, the lessons we learnt about people as well as traditions and language developed our cultural and global perspective a lot to say the least, I would highly recommend this journey to anybody, who loves people, animals and food.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Holiday Ever!!!
We just returned from our first safari for 14 days visiting several parks in Kenya. We have made extensive research and received many quotes before making our bookings through Raphael at East African Exotic Safaris. He managed everything and was always very responsive, clear and gave us good advises. Our safari was the best holidays we ever had. Such an Amazing experience!! We met Raphael twice at the beginning and at the end of our safari, he is a great young guy, very professional and competent and took down our feedback. In our opinion Raphael offers the best value for money as he managed to beat all of the other quotes we have had.
DO NOT HESITATE IN GOING TO KENYA AND THROUGH EAST AFRICAN EXOTIC SAFARIS. Thanks again Raphael, we will surely come back!
perfect service again
We relied the second time upon Macho Halisi for organizing our trip in Tanzania, this year to Karatu and from there to Tarangire, the Selous and Pemba. The communication before booking was easy, several alternatives were suggested and accompanied by recommendations and even some date shifting due to other commitments of ourselves was no problem. In Karatu we stayed at Kudu, Macho Halisi's own lodge, which may not represent the very top of the market, but comes quite close to it with nice and very quiet rooms, very good food and helpful personal all the day round. Our driver and guide in Tarangire , Rama, was not only nice and a driver we felt very comfortable with, but as well a very knowledgeable guide. The stay in the Selous (Beho Beho) was outstanding, Fundu Lagoon on Pemba very comfortable.
When a plane was late from Pemba to Zanzibar so we needed to rearrange transportation in Dar es Salaam, because we misses the connecting flight Macho Halasi was immediately available and took care of it.
So in short: We will continue to rely on Macho Halisi when traveling in Tanzania.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Campsite
The campsite is simple but fine. We were not welcomed in a friendly way (not allowed to select our own spot while there were no other campers), but the owner came to do this. Each day a nice fire was lighted next to our tent. During payment the rate was different than stated in the reservation but after some discussion this was also solved.
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic country, wonderful trip!
First of all: go to safari in Uganda. What a beautiful country! So incredibly many animals, an amazing and very varied nature, and last but not least - the chance to go gorilla and chimp tracking.
Both those are qualities of Uganda, and not Matoke per se. The good thing is that Matoke is specialized on Uganda, and the program they had put together was excellent. Very varied and perfect pace. Enough stuff happening but also enough time to relax.
Our guide, Mike, was excellent. He is very knowledgeable, and you can really tell that he too loves the animals and the nature. He is easy-going and relaxed, and I really liked that he also told us a lot about local culture, food, etc.
We went for Matoke's 13 day Best of Uganda Budget Trip. What made it budget was mostly the fact that we were staying in tents - but these were permanent tents on very nice safari lodges, and all these lodges had communal toilets and showers in good condition. Food was also good. Only thing I was a little bit disappointed about was the car, it had definitely seen better days (several minor malfunctions), so I would enquire about this before booking.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by lem888
The highlight of Hluhluwe was watching a pack of wild dogs playing in the grass as the sun rose - that was actually likely the rarest animal that we saw in visiting Hluhluwe and Kruger. We also saw quite a few rhinos, giraffe and Cape Buffalo while there as well. We did not see elephants or lions, other than from quite a distance. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and we had a terrific guide on the drive. I would definitely go back, but if I had to choose between Hluhluwe and Kruger, Kruger would win hands down.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Animal Kingdom Equivalent of the Grand Canyon
What an incredible place! Words are inadequate to convey the beauty and wonder of the wildlife of Kruger. To me, it was the equivalent of seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time - an awe inspiring display by nature that will move you. Within the first hour of entering Kruger we saw the "Big Five" - elephant, rhino, Cape Buffalo, leopard and lion - and it just got better after that. On the single day in the park, we also saw hyena, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, kudu, impala, warthogs, crocodiles (including one massive guy), wildebeest, hippos and ostrich. While these may be common sights for folks in Africa, for an American it was like seeing a children's book come alive.
For Americans, the feel of the park is somewhat like Yellowstone. A grand, old park with lots of tourists driving around and stopping at every movement in the grass. Nonetheless, the wildlife are the real show and I saw a lot fewer tourists doing stupid things (like getting too close to wild animals) at Kruger than I've seen at Yellowstone. Kruger is fairly well-developed and you certainly aren't going to feel like you're roughing it in the bush, but it is a great way to see the animals that define Africa.
The area outside the park was pretty bleak, but once you enter the park that is all forgotten and you could spend days taking in the action just from the main roads. I would have loved the opportunity to get even closer, but time did not permit more adventurous outings.
The one dark spot on visiting Kruger was the hassle with South African immigration officers. I was traveling with my 17 year old son without my wife and S.A. had just instituted some new requirements that included carrying an original copy of his birth certificate (no abridged versions accepted) and a notarized letter from my wife saying it was OK for him to travel with me. Each time we went through passport control, there seemed to be some new requirement and threats to either detain us or refuse entry. Hopefully, those problems will sort themselves out as the new requirements get formalized, but for now I'd suggest you bring the original birth certificate, the notarized statement from the spouse and a notarized copy of the spouse's passport. Also, make sure all the names match exactly on each of those documents and be sure to circle the correct "I/We" statements on the South African official form of the permission letter (seriously, one of the immigration guys gave me grief about that).
Despite the sketchy experiences with immigration officers, it was the trip of a lifetime. I don't know what other parks or reserves are like, but I would return to Kruger in a heartbeat.