US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I came for the animals; but I'm returning for the people
Some trips are just wonderful memories. This was life-changing. Obviously, I loved seeing the animals in their natural habitat and was astounded by Bariki and Alphayo's detailed knowledge of the animals and their behavior. It became a challenge to see a bird in fight and test their ability to identify the bird (they almost always got it right.) And, because of their knowledge of their land, we saw it all -- lion prides eating kills, vultures fighting over their portions, young animals nursing and playing, cubs and chicks, and even flagrant animal sex while our cameras clicked. I'll never see a zoo -- even an open zoo - the same again. There is nothing like seeing free animals in their natural habitat.
But, more importantly, it was the passion about their country and their dreams for their country that ignited me and my fellow safariors. When we met people, Bariki could tell us about their lives and dreams. We met children who walk 2 miles barefoot to get to school, carrying the firewood that they need to cook their soup for lunch, so that they can sit in classes with 100 kids of different ages without adequate paper and pens and resources. We brought colored pencils but what the school needs is water and paper and workbooks. This was not a picture of poverty but courage and determination. The land is harsh and difficult (but beautiful and amazing) and they love their land and their country.
But they want their children to be educated. And the children want to learn.
I've been in many countries where people live an agrarian lifestyle and, personally, I believe the 5000 years of their lifestyle has much more likelihood of survival than our 200 years in rabbit warrens we call cities. That said, Tanzanians want it all -- they fervently want the education for their children as much as they love their community and their lifestyle. They want their children to have a future that is not entirely dependent on the rain. Everywhere we went there were schools pathetically equipped where kids and teachers were using whatever they had to learn English and writing.
And the most obvious concern was water. When we asked the head teacher what she needed most -- thinking the answer would be paper, books, pencils -- she said it was water. They pay to have a water truck come and, of course, there is no money for it. Water. It seems so basic to me.
A water catchment system is set up in some schools and, even towards the end of the dry season, there was water. Such an easy solution to such a dramatically frightening problem. Bariki and his family are passionately involved in helping their country and protecting the environment that they love. And their commitment is infectious.
We will be back to help be a part of the astounding dream of these amazing people. It is an exciting time in Africa with a generation of children who are eager to learn.
I highly recommend Restoration Safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic experience to be with Wildness Safari, Tanzania.
It was really an experience, with tour of Tarangire National park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater organised very well and we all enjoyed the safari and had tons of photographs. Its an lifetime experience.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A marvelous experience,best safari tour ever!!!!!
Communications with our tour operator(Mr.Dickson) was really tremendous.Right from the beginning of our communication with him,he was open and honest about what Adventure Africa could offer us.I don't regret choosing his service.Very accurate/punctual in every aspect.
I count myself lucky for the experience i had with Adventure Africa Expedition,safari tour was great we saw lots of wild animals and our driver (Martin) took his time to take us on game driver.
John our tour guide was very patient/punctual/attentive and took his time to explain things to us and guide us around.I will recommend everybody to take an opportunity and use their service.My gratitude to you all.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari operator
A big Thank you to you and your team for arranging such a wonderful
customized safari experience for us . We had a great time and we are sure
we will visit Kenya again . We were happy to meet such nice people and so
happy to know that Africa is not what people think it it . It is a
beautiful continent filled with lovely people around. We are happy that
we chose your tour company . Peter and Jacob were very good and polite
with us . Peter knew Masai Mara well and because of him we have some very
pleasant memories of the game reserve. Jacob was polite as well and made
some very amazing food. I was thoroughly impressed by hi culinary skills
and how well he could cook dishes that are so close to Indian taste.
All in all we had an amazing time and we will love to visit again
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Over-the-top outstanding, Restoration Safaris clearly disginguised itself for excellence.
Everyone I speak with has good things to say about their African safari. A closer look highlights differences, and Restoration Safaris distinguished itself for excellence and value.
* Unforgettable safari: Our guides Bariki and Alfaio masterfully managed the many game drives, going way beyond simply naming animals and plants and providing detailed descriptions of animal development, behavior, life-cycles and interactions within their own species and with others. We stopped hundreds of times to point out animals and birds near and far--many of which were difficult to notice, and with special attention to animal behavior with all the interest this brings. Our guides frequently taught other guides where to look for animals and answered questions their clients had asked. It was obvious that they were providing a highly enriched experience. We were constantly invited to observe and understand animal behavior that went way beyond just seeing the animals.
* Personal attention to all our needs: Meticulous attention to all throughout.
* Un-rushed atmosphere: no hurrying and ignoring things along the way to meet deadlines; nor was the pace slow. Our guides accomplished this by superb preparation always being organized, resulting in optimal use of time.
* Flexible planning: We communicated for months with Mourine to tailor the safari to our interests and needs. The result was a safari that met those needs and exceeded our expectations.
* Rich cultural experience: Our experiences included visiting and talking with local residents in neighborhoods, schools, Masai village, and 1:1 nature walks. The Tanzanian people are friendly and open, and we were able to understand and appreciate their values, history, customs, and challenges in adjusting, adapting and thriving in the modern world.
* Commitment to the human, animal & plant and physical environment: Restoration Safaris is committed to the health of the environment.
* Outstanding lodging and food: We had both the "lodges" and "tents" experience. Both were wonderful, interesting and safe experiences. Talk about being close to nature!
* Truth in advertising: When Restoration Safaris promotional material states "14-day safari" it is really a 14-day safari, not an 11-day safari plus 3 days travel to get there and back.
* Great value: Read the itineraries and compare costs. Restoration Safaris is highly competitive.
* Outstanding human experience.
* All in all, a remarkable, memorable and satisfying experience.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From Nairobi to Mombasa
We visited Amboseli and Tsavo. It was very interesting! Thank you!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, knowledgeable guide, fantastic experience!
We were picked up from our hotel promptly by our guide, with whom we spent the next 3 days. He was very friendly, helpful, and most important, he knew his stuff when it came to animals. He looked after us really well, everyone on the camp knew him. When we hadn't seen one of the Big Five, he made a special effort to find us rhino, and you could tell he really wanted us to have that experience, and boy, did we have an amazing close-up with a white rhino. The only thing he couldn't arrange for us was a lion chase. Oh well, next time!
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trekking on foot and canoeing was absolutely the right trip for me.
This was the trip of a lifetime for me. My friends who have done safaris entirely by truck saw more animals and in greater numbers but did not gain the same knowledge of the bushvelt or experience the thrill of tracking and finding and following a herd of painted dogs or lions sleeping on the other side of a bush or mistakenly canoeing over a hippos head! I have pages of the names of all the birds we saw and photographed and can name so many of the trees and bushes and their traditional uses. I am still getting requests to tell friends about the thrill of it all. James and Tacksure were the most excellent guides and despite the hippo incident, or perhaps because of it, I was never afraid of their ability to keep us all safe. I have imagined this trip for over 30 years and it was so much better than I imagined. We were looked after so well and fed like royalty. Each morning I made a point of being one of the first ready to go trekking but on our day of leaving I was so sorry it was over I was last to jumble my stuff together and get on the truck. I didn't want to leave. Thank you so much for such a memorable experience.
Excellent service and great value
The 4 of us went on the 7-day safari by Wecam stretching from Nairobi to Lake Manyara to the Masai Mara, crossing into Tanzania and exploring the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. From our research online, we were hard pressed to find a tour that covered this much in Tanzania and Kenya with the relative comfort in accommodation (i.e. not pitching our own tents!) that we were looking for. Wecam's tour provided great value for money and they certainly delivered on their promise.
Their customer service was largely handled by a lovely lady by the name of Mercy, who was very quick to respond, able to answer our detailed questions on accommodation / itinerary, and generally a very helpful and courteous person to interact with. Thus from a management perspective, Wecam was able to meet almost all our needs - the only element that fell short of our expectations was their requirement to have the entire payment of the tour paid upfront (as opposed to an initial deposit and the remainder paid at the end). Luckily for us, we finished the tour highly satisfied with what we received.
Regarding the tour itself, we had two professional and seasoned drivers / tour guides covering each half of the trip (Kenya, then Tanzania). We particularly enjoyed our time with Peter (Kenyan half of the trip) who demonstrated a rich experience of these great national parks, animals, and local culture, but also shared a good sense of humour, kindness and friendliness. Both our tour guides were also registered with their respective country's tour operator community, providing them access to a radio and transmitter through which they could communicate any interesting sightings or call for help with breakdowns. We were lucky enough to see all the big five, but their radio communication in particular ensured we saw plenty of lions, a rare sighting of two leopards (being chased by buffalo!), four tiny cheetah cubs and more spectacular sights.
They also built in time for a few optional activities (such as a cycling / walking tour up to a picturesque gorge, time to explore souvenirs, and a visit to a local Masai village). The tour cars were the same models we saw most tour operators using and were reasonably comfortable and had a pop-up roof which offered great visibility / photo ops. Be warned that there are two days which involve particularly long periods of travelling in the car (~6hrs not including the game drive), but this is just a reality of having to cover large distances; not a reflection of Wecam. Many of the roads were very dusty and gravelly, so we actually recommend face-masks just for that reason; but again, this is advice for travelling through these parts of Kenya and Tanzania, not commentary on Wecam as an operator.
Accommodation was at the level of comfort we expected, with a decent hotel in Nakura and comfortable lodge at Ngorongoro. The tented campsites in Masai Mara and the Serengeti were a bit more basic, but contained beds, private bathrooms and electricity in the evenings and mornings which covered our essential needs at least. All meals were covered in the tour price and ranged from decent to delicious.
My entire group was very happy with our safari; it goes without saying the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and other parks we visited were spectacular and, at times, breath-taking places to visit. If these are the destinations you would like to explore, we would be happy to recommend Wecam as an operator that gives you great value for money with good people working for them, altogether delivering an excellent service.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Addo Elephant National Park by David Verbossche
There is a lot of open space which is ideal for elephant spotting. You will see a lot of elephant! Other game is harder to spot. It is also a very busy park.