50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good value for money
This is an excellent package especially for those who are on budget. We upgraded the hotels as we found the the original ones too basic. Our safari started at Masai Mara and we very luckily got to see lions late evenings on arrival. the driver was excellent and kept in contact with other drivers so that if they spotted animals in one part of the park they communicated and would drive you over to see them. This way we got to see most of the wildlife. We didn't see many lions as we were expecting but I guess they come out of hiding in their own time. We got to see the Rhino at Lake Nakuru which fulfilled our dream of sighting of the "Big Five". the Rhino was the only animal we didn't see at MM. Lake Naivasha and Hells Gate were not exciting as we got to see the same animals we had already seen at MM and Lake Nakuru, however cycling thru was fun. The jewel in the crown was Amboseli where we saw lots and lots of elephants. the only disappointment was we did not see the lions but this was due to the van driver.
Overall Bluerange package is fantastic and the team go way and above to make the safari fulfilling. We got picked at the airport on arrival and driven to our hotel and even got an Uber to visit the town center. No other company would go out of their way to provide such a service. As we were in different groups, the driver always picked and dropped each group from theri hotels each day on time.
The only advice I would add was maybe incorporate a walking section in the tours as we were sitting in the van for 7-8 hrs which took away was not as exciting.
The drivers seemed very knowledgeable about the wildlife but our driver on the second leg of the safari did not give us much information as he seems to have fallen out with one of his colleagues. It would have made the safari complete if he had informed us about the animals and their habits.
I would highly recommend Blue range for safaris as they do look after their clients and ensure they are picked up on time. they have arranged a package which offers much more than other safari companies offer at a fraction of the price. For those on a budget, this is good value for money and the lodges are not too bad (wi-fi and electricity are not available during the day but then you will be out watching game so you do not need it).
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall we had good safari time
We had a 8-day Safari trip in Kenya,organized by William,who had years of experience in operating.In general,we had good time in Amboseli NP and Masai Mara NR.We saw cheetah hunting and zebra crossing Mara River then got eaten by the crocodile.The accomdation in these two areas(Kibo Safari Camp&Osero Camp) are well located with delicious food and good service.
But there are two points I'm not satisfied with.
1.I made deposit payment on July 3(travel date is Sept 3-10).At middle Aug,William said that due to Kenya government policy,VAT hike by 16% so he need to adjust price.We need to pay extra USD300 each person.I checked with some other Madukha's guests and they didn't face price change.This is really annoying but we have no time to find other agency at that time point,we can only accept.
2.The accomdation at Naivasha is always marked as "Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort" at the itinerary during the whole process.At early Aug I also ask William are accomdations all confirmed and won't be changed.His answer is yes.But at last we were arranged to "Lake Naivasha Resort".I was very angry and William explained that staff make mistake when booking hotels and refund the price gap. (BTW "Lake Naivasha Resort"is more like a conference hotel,guests are loacl businessman/businesswomen.There are no more than 10 guests at dinner and breakfast....)
So I don't know whether I should recommend this agency or not.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Carol was very informative and at our services the entire trip!
Our trip was amazing. Although, we only spent 5 days between Kenya and Zanzibar, it was still a life changing & bucket list experience! We had seen the “Big 5” by day two of our safari. We swam with turtles in Zanzibar, Dolphin watched & went to Starfish Island. All amazing experiences! The staff was at our leisure & the safari’s & tours were beautiful. The only reason I give 4 stars is for three reasons. One, as beautiful and amazing as this was, it is pricey for the average person. Two, we had a slight hiccup with our return flight to Nairobi from Zanzibar. Make sure to double check all of your air plane tickets to verify the names of your party match your passport EXACTLY as these countries do not leave room for misspellings. Thirdly, I do not recommend flying with Precision Air out of Zanzibar. They delayed us for TWO HOURS for our flight to Nairobi & because of this, we almost missed our flight from Nairobi back to the USA. The third portion of this review was definitely out of Carol’s hands so we do NOT fault her for this but again, I HIGHLY suggest to ask to use a different airline if that airline remains an option. Overall, we would book with Carol again when and if we plan to come back to Kenya. Thank you so much Carol. Us having sn amazing time is an understatement.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Overall Satisfactory
Though we were overall satisfied with the trip, there's room for improvements.
First of all, we paid higher amount for a big jeep as per quote. On the night we arrived, the van had no A/C. We had the same van next day.
We got a different van on the 2nd day of trip with A/C. After a delay in start, we were made aware of things beyond their control and a jeep was there on the fourth day but it was a very small jeep. We both being photographers, when the top was open, it was hard to stand without slamming our entire body onto each other and the window were too small to maneuver the cameras; unable to get the wanted shots. Our luggage and other things were on the back seats. The small jeep was too crummy to move around.
Frank took great interest in showing us the animals particularly elands and other rare monkeys. We gained a wealth of knowledge about Uganda.
There were things that we wish were taken care of just like other drivers. We are seasoned travelers and have seen the drivers/guides who clean windows, floors, remove garbage on daily basis, wait on the customers every single time. These are minor things yet make a difference when the new day comes to enter a clean jeep. The most important factor for any safari traveller especially a photographer is to capture good images and make videos capturing the essence of the sounds which give life to that particular situation. In our case, 95% of the time, we have videos with the driver's voice as he was on the phone all the time. After telling him in passing, I had to tell him straight on the very last day in a nice way telling that I would like the video to have just the forest sound and it is the last day. Other than that which is a major issue with video recordings, I should say that we were happy with the arrangement of the tour. We were recommended to this site by travelers we met in our other travels. This means people are happy with this company. I have already given much recommendations to many fellow travelers, shared the site info and Mr. Araali's name, our contact representative. He always replied to all my emails with all the questions answered. There are some travelers who are eager to contact this agency. Having said that, I will use this agency again if I come back to Uganda.
Small things can be rectified. Humans can change and Life goes on.
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HU
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Helpful, always available.
The first day's game drive was missed. The camp is well equipped.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and Accomodating
My itinerary: Mt Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam!
Bobby Tours made my experience a wonderful one and I will definitely use them again. They were very understanding and accomodating from booking till the end of my trip! Ali made booking very seamless, Eric the driver was very nice and was kind enough to go the extra mile by helping me with little errands and recommending places I could see and visit. Khalid & the team (Francis, Kevin etc) my Kilimanjaro guides were very helpful. I felt safe and well taken care off as they asked me about dietary preferences and made sure I had all i needed for the climb. Even though I never made it to the top due to Mountain Sickness, I had such a wonderful time and will use them again.
The only issue I had was after booking it would have been nice to know what the baggage policies were for the domestic flight/ferry and give the client the option to pay for extra luggage especially considering most people flying in internationally are used to carry 2 free pieces of luggages. It was an expense that was not scheduled for and I would have rather charged that to my card or taken out cash in anticipation.
All in all I was well taken care of and had no complaints as the value for money and the service of what I got was perfect!
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
We booked a 7 days safari with native Afrika voyages in the beginning of september. We chose a mid-range accommodation pack, and it was a private tour just for our group of 4 people.
It was a fantastic experience, i have no words. Our guide Cyrus was a man with knowledge about animals and different areas, and had great humor. He had an eye for hidden animals. Cyrus was as interested as us to find cool animals, such as different cat species. We were lucky and saw all the cat species several times!
We went to samburu national reservation, Oi pejeta Conservancy, Lake Naivasha and Masaai mara national reserve. Our favorite places was with out a doubt Samburu and Masaai mara. We would not use a day at Oi pejeta, its a closed in area with animals. Not like the reserves. Lake naivasha was OK, this is more a place for bird enthusiast. We would rather have one day extra in samburu and Masaai mara than Oi pejeta and lake naivasha.
Our accommodations were good in samburu, Oi pejeta and Masaai mara. But it was really bad in Lake Naivasha. The hotel was not mid range. It smelled like poo in some of the rooms. In the bathroom, the tiles were broken, the toilet was broken and it did not have a seat. The bathroom has rat poo several places. It was not mid range as we had payed for. I sent a complaint to David. We god a discount when visiting the Masaai people. The hotel name was fish eagle inn, i wouldnt recommend you to stay there if you pay for midrange.
The food was good, a variety of different cultural kitchens.
I would recommend native afrikan voyages, and i would travel with them again!
Again, thank you Cyrus for being an awesome guide!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
Wonderful Safari throughout. Organisation with Romeo was very easy and the lodged were beautifully picked. Our guide for the 3 days, Mujidini was very knowledgable, with great english. He was so nice and incredibly patient with Eagle eyes for sure!
Only star that goes away is for the lunch boxes. We are both vegan and both lunch boxes were not vegan but vegetarian. We are paying a lot of Money to stay in those nice lodges, so at least make it work. Again here, our guide was very kind and offered us his vegan part of his lunch box. Thank you again
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I feel very comfortable from beginning to End
I booked a 2 nite 3 day Tour to Tswaso West. From booking to the tour, Hotel and animal watching ist all perfect. Highlight was 6 Lions around the Car in 2 m distance.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice excursions in Zanzibar for a decent price
We had lots of communication with Erick / FIF Tours prior the to trip. They requested a deposit via bank transfer but our bank was causing issues, so we agreed on on a cash deposit upon arrival in Tanzania.
The guide in Zanzibar was very knowledgeable and friendly. He also cared very well for our dietary need (our previous guide failed on this).
Overall a very good experience, would definitely recommend.