SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unpleasant experience and cheating happens
We had an UNPLEASANT experience in Wildebeest Safaris LTD. One of our tour guide, Peter, said he had the card issue for the payment, then he borrowed 300 USD dollars from us to pay the ticket fee for Masai mara National Park, which has been included in our travel fee. He guaranteed that he would return the money to us when we was back to Kenya 3 days later, but we have NOT gotten our money back until we finished our trip. During the trip, we waste a lot of time and stand under the sun to deal with this issue. After the trip, Wildebeest Safaris LTD said they will deal with the money issue and give us money back. BUT each time we asked for the money issue, they always have an EXCUSE, such as bank issue.
Wildebeest Safaris LTD does not regulate their staff properly, they even give all the money to the tour guide (including salary and traveling fee) before trips start. So in the worst condition, guides may throw all the clients away before the trips start and take all money away. SO for you guys want to travel in Kenya, you should take the consideration whether you want to take the RISK of using the service from Wildebeest Safaris LTD. And the guide can work for many companies, so they might take your money without any concern of losing job, like Peter in our case. Besides, communication between Wildebeest Safaris LTD and tour guides is very BAD. Two of our tour guides did not know our schedule at all.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tom the tour guide was a legend! - amazing experience, good value for money!
Communications:
The communication was very good! Our agent responded very quickly and answered all of our questions. Also, the agent was very flexible about the payment and met us at an agreed-upon destination to collect a deposit, which saved us a lot of effort. We paid the remaining amount upon arrival. Great!
Service:
The service was satisfying. We got picked up at our hotel (even though they were a bit late). We arrived in time at the Masai Mara and had a very nice chat with our fellow travelers on the bus. Another big benefit was that not all seats on the safari van were taken which was splendid if you are a dutch boi with long legs (or any other national with long legs). At our arrival at the camp, we were served lunch, which was really tasty and then rested for an hour after. Then we headed out for an evening safari, which was an amazing experience. However, it was much shorter than described in the description and we spent a long time waiting to be granted entrance to the park. Dinner was also very nice, however, there were not many veggy options.
The second day was a full day game drive. It was amazing! We saw long bois, bouncy bois, bity bois, sleepy bois, many stripy bois and emo bois. We also saw parts of the great migration! It was great and was a dream come true. We also went to Tanzania for a photo stop, so I can cross that country off my bucket list ;-).
On the third and last day, we headed out very early (6 am) to meet with a Masai. We went to an amazing place to watch the sunrise. Then we headed to their village and they gave us a tour. They were very welcoming, they even allowed us to wear the Lion Head hat, which is a traditional thing in their culture. Afterwards, they tried to sell some souvenirs to us, but there was nothing special so we didn't buy anything. After that, he brought us back to the camp and we drove back to Nairobi.
Point for improvement:
First, I think that more time in the park on the first day is a must. We only spent 1-2 hours, which was not what we were promised. Also, we had to explicitly ask for the tour to the Masai village, and our driver initially planned that we sleep in on the last day to take us back to Nairobi. That was not the plan!
Second, we had to go with a different van back to Nairobi. Not only were the people not amused to host us in their van, but the driver was also mad at us to have to drop us off and initially insisted to drop us off somewhere in Nairobi and that "we can take an Uber back to your location". In the end, he dropped us off at our place, but you could feel that there was a hostile atmosphere in the van. Not our problem...
Lastly, more time in the park (as described) would be great. At least living up to promises.
All in all, it was an amazing experience for good value! I suggest this safari to everyone who doesn't have much money but would like to do a big safari!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great time on Safari with Classic Journeys in Kenya and Tanzania! then great trip to Victoria Falls
We worked closely with Charles for months in advance and he was so quick to reply and prepare us for this trip to Africa! once there, Chris was also our helpful person while in Nairobi. All their trip plans worked out very well, We had excellent guides, George, and Mirage, exciting Safaris, Great food and lodging and camping, A very educational trip, Enjoyed everything on Safari and all their destinations while there. The Safari guides really got us close to the wildlife, but always kept us safe.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable experience
What an unique experience! The gorilla trekking that me and my friends did with Silverback Expeditions , it's simply an experience of a lifetime!
There are no words that can Express this feeling. I would strongly recommend them. A very special thanks to SB for organised it.
Great Value for the Money
We picked AMT as it had good reviews and was within our budget. They were great with communication leading up to the safari and set us up with a great guide, Simon. We had an amazing tour and wonderful time with Simon at the helm. We had tented camps and electricity every night although internet was hit and miss.
We missed our tour of Hells gate due to political protests, and AMT was kind enough to refund the national park fee to our guide as part of his tip. There was some communication errors on our tour, but we did everything else on the itinerary.
Masai Mara is not to be missed. : )
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience
I was able to meet all the animals I wanted to see. The driver and guide, James, was really good. In particular, as a result of running ahead by guessing where the male lion we saw would come out and running ahead, the figure of a male lion drinking water close enough to shoot with a cell phone camera I was very moved when I was able to watch. He also cared about us who are not good at English. I'm glad that he was the best person as a guide and a human being.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime
Emails were always quick and well informed and will answer all the questions. Tour guide, Alan, was always on time and full of enthusiasm and knowledge. All lodges were excellent, the two tours- Chimpanzee and Gorilla trekking were un real...this was the stuff of dreams!
This company couldn't be better, its professional and dedicated from start to finish.
PL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The experience was one of a kind.
The safari was one of a kind experience. I learnt a lot from our guide. Sammy was a profesional with big knowledge about annimals. The safari had one flaw: meals were the same throug the whole trip. Although I do highly recommend 6days SafariLine Defender.
PL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful trip, great tour guide!
It was an awesome experience. The trip was acompanied by The professional guide - Sammy, who I highly recommend. The views from Masai Maara are irreplaceble.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Now that was a great trip!
Our group of 13 has just returned from a wonderful 4-day safari experience with Wild Wings Safaris. It was an easy process right from the beginning working with Cathari, our reservations manager. She was always prompt with replies and answers to questions. All of the pre-trip arrangements regarding dietary needs, pick-up location, etc., were met without any problems. Our shuttle from Nelspruit to the Kruger Gate was waiting for us on arrival, as were our two guides, Rufus and Edward when we arrived at the park gates. They were terrific - friendly throughout the trip, were good at spotting the wildlife and providing information for each animal, and they went out of their way to provide good viewing opportunities. The accommodations in Skukuza Camp were excellent, as were the meals that were prepared by Jacques. And the wildlife did not disappoint either. Everyone saw the Big 5 (more than once), as well as many other varieties of animals. Thank you Wild Wings Safaris.