NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Would highly recommend this team
We had a great time on Safari with Mara 2 Serengeti safaris. We were a group of 4/ The driver picked us up from our airport. He was very courteous, hospitable and drove safely. The safari was amazing; really had a good time. Got to see 3 of the big 5. The day didn’t feel long at all. We had good lunch options and got home in good time.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome company!
Very prompt communication from Edgar who I booked with. Allowed me to pay upon arrival to avoid fees. Owner of company Tamara was awesome. She went above and beyond to take care of me throughout the whole 11 days. Safari itself was amazing. I'd do Marsa mara ngorongoro and Serengeti and skip the rest cuz 10 days bumping around in jeep is a bit much lol. Saw Everything and up close !!! :) :):)
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ronald from Kajie was great but not a good experience with our guide
Ronald at Kajie Safaris was so wonderful in preparing a great itinerary for myself and my mid twenties daughter. He was quick to respond to questions (and there were many) and he was really flexible even when we had to make a late change to our dates and perhaps if he had been our guide our safari would have been better. Our guide (more a driver than a guide) was Wycliffe and he was awful. He was rude, unhelpful and didn't tell us information we needed for different game parks. We would arrive and then he would tell us we needed certain things which we had back at the camp, he deliberately didn't tell us things until it was too late. We had to ask him for information about what we were doing the next day he would just tell us to be ready at a certain time without any reason such as we need to get a 7am ferry! He seemed to have a set against us from the beginning he didn't even step forward at the airport or hold the sign up (that he had in his hand ),we had to ask if any of the drivers there was Wycliffe. We had to write to Ronald and tell him half way through it was that bad and after a phone call to Wycliffe his behaviour did improve but that shows how deliberate his actions were. When we were on game drives with the roof off, he would leave the motor running (which is not normal as you want to get rid of the vibration when taking photos) and then roll forward and hit the brakes so you would fall forward. He took off when he was ready, never asking if we were ready again something I have never experienced with our previously expert guides, they would always ask right to go? I have been on 4 safaris and about 10 game drives so I think I can compare and we have never had anything but wonderful treatment from our guides. I don't blame Ronald or Kajie Safaris so don't punish them just make sure your guide is not Wycliffe before you book.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of 7 days with Twinkle star tours and Safaris
When I was planning my vacation with Kenya, I was in a doubt as to how the experience will be..how will I plan the trip with a Travels agent whom I have never even met or corresponded in my life.etc . My fear was more compounded as I had to make the payments in advance to some one I never knew..I was afraid of being conned of my money once i had paid..However later I would come to know that I was wrong in my fears.
I selected Twinkle tours from around 10 tour operators found on Trip advisor & other Internet sites. My final choice was based on the immediate responses given by James (owner of Twinkle Tours). He was always quick in his responses & that assured me that I may be in good hands & that it was safe to continue with Twinkle Tours.When ever I called , he used to be on line & answer all my queries..
On my arrival in Nairobi, I was picked up by a cheerful staff member from Twinkle Tours & driven to my hotel (which was a nice place). James immediately called me & came to the Hotel. He was kind enough to come with me personally to change money (from a bank) & only left the Hotel when I was comfortable.He again came to me on my last day in Nairobi. I also saw that he would always keep calling our driver (every day & after every trip) to find out if we were comfortable or if we had any issues with any arrangement.This was so nice of him.
He assigned me one of the best tourist guides (cum driver) Mr.Willy aka Double Whiskey..Willy was extremely friendly,great with information,drove us safely through out the trip & dropped us in time at Airport back to Home. During the 3 day stay at Masai, he was always on his radio to find out where the game was & was quick to drive us to the point. We saw all the animals (big 5) due to Willy & his knowledge of the park. Willy & James put us in the best of Hotels & rooms & we never had any complaint.
I would definitely recommend Twinkle star, James & Willy for anyone coming to Kenya. They are one of the best I have dealt with in my travels around the world. You should go for Twinkle star blindly when finalizing a Kenya Trip
Regards
Ramesh
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic one week trip to Rwanda and Uganda
Having got in touch with many operators, Africa Adventure Vacations quickly stood out from the crowd. Robert replied quickly and concisely to emails and he had the initiative to include on the draft itinerary both the activities I had requested, and a number of others that I had not. Even with these added activities that other operators had overlooked, Africa Adventure vacations still offered the most competitive price by some distance.
The tour itself was fantastic and in no way do I feel that going with the cheapest operator compromised the quality of the tour. On the contrary, despite the unpredictability of the driving conditions, everything was professionally organised and went very smoothly. Cesar, our guide, was not only knowledgeable and informative in showing us around his beautiful part of the world, but also good company, a very competent driver, and patient with our diverse group.
On behalf of everyone who was on the trip I'd like to thank both Ceasar and all at Africa Adventure Vacations for organising such a wonderful trip. I very much hope to use them again some time in the future
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience with Raha, in the Lodge, on the river and the Selous!
The lodge itself is comfortable with good quality accommodation and excellent staff, the food is very good quality. We took an evening boat safari and saw plenty of wildlife plus a beautiful sunset. The game drive the following day was also good with a wide variety of animals spotted including a close up encounter with a small group of elephants - amazing experience! I would wholeheartedly recommend Filbert and his team.
TH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
15 Days Amazing Kenya Safari
I was satisfied with the quality of services provided by the Claudious Tours and Safaris. The company was easy to deal with. To complete the 15 day-safari planning, my friend and I contacted and discussed with the Claudious several times and we always got the response immediately within a day or two. In particular, Claude did a great job in helping us plan and arrange everything to perfection. When we arrived in Kenya, Claude was waiting for us at the airport. He was extremely helpful and made sure that everything was arranged and we were well taken care of. A special compliment must be made for our guide and driver, Joshua, who was a very good, safe, and professional driver. He was always on time, and his vehicle was well prepared. Joshua was knowledgeable about the area and animals, friendly and responsible. He made sure to address our requirements, especially to take us to see everything we expected and more. We have returned home with a wonderful and great memorable safari experience. We really appreciate the service the Claudious’ staffs provide us. Wish to see you again. Thank you.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent customer service, you guys didn’t focus on profiting but u feed us in plenty.
Every thing was on point
Timing
Transport and socialization
TR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
so happy to be a part of an environment where wild life is still respected
When you are choosing a safari company, in fact you are choosing a service to build up probably the most unforgetable trip of your life. I am happy that ours was a smart decision.
I should start with our guide Fredy: A very professional, knowledgable, cool and kind person! He spoke English very well, always gave lots of information about the animals, even showed their close-up pictures from his book, answered all our questions patiently, made sure to locate the car at the best angle for taking photos (and showing respect to people at the other cars and animals - which is so important to us), waited patiently while we took tons of pictures. Most importantly, he was more than a guide, a friend with nice character that we would like to have with us on a long holiday.
Our talented chef Chaz was a master. He always cooked very delicious food and made sure we had enough. He surprised us by serving tasty and special things very quickly even early in the morning. We will miss the excellent food we had during the safari. Also we will miss his joyful chats with Fredy.
We had a difficult time in choosing the safari company as there are about 1000 alternatives. When I decided on one and was about to pay, there had been a couple of things I did not like. I checked for an alternative and met Suricata. I thought it was a young company but experienced enough. Hilary answered my e-mails very promptly. He was flexible and did his best to tailor the programme according to our wishes. I noticed he is one of the founders and that made me feel more comfortable knowing that he will be there to solve any possible problem. I was right; there had been a small misunderstanding during the trip and was solved through a phone call between Fredy and Hilary. Paying the deposit was easy and safe and we did the rest of payment on arrival.
We were a family of 3 people and had an 8 days private safari including Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi (tribe visits), Serengeti and Ngorongoro. These 8 days were full of magic. Surprisingly, visiting the tribes was the highlight of our trip. We met Maasai, Datoga, Hadzabe, Makonde and Gidangodic people and had a wonderful time with them. We learned the way they live. We went to hunting with Hadzabe, jumped with Maasai, sang with Datogas who asked many questions about ourselves and our country and we were warmly welcome by all tribes. We keep the souvenirs mostly done and sold by women for ourselves as they are so precious to us and all are a great memory.
During those visits local guides Deo and Yusuf (sorry if I mispronounce) accompanied and helped us to communicate as the tribes' languages are different. Also there was an armed ranger (Ali) and his intern who accompanied us in Arusha National Park for a walking safari.
While deciding about how to use our budget before the safari, we preferred budget camping. Doing so, we could take a longer trip rather than paying more for lodge-stays. We are happy we did. But you might prefer lodges if you do not feel cool and adventurous enough. In Serengeti and Ngorongoro you hear voices of wild animals just around your tent. In our case, something rare occurred and lions tried to hunt two buffalos very close to our tents and one animal hit the tent. We were lucky as nobody was hurt (buffalos also survived) and now we have a story to tell all through our life. Also we heard steps of many zebras feeding around our tents in Ngorongoro Simba Campsite.
Choosing November for safari also has been a wise decision. Although it is short-rains season, luckily there was no rain. Also the parks and public camp-sites were not over-crowded. The herds had already arrived Seronera region so we were lucky to experience the great migration.
And yes, we saw all of the "big 5" but a safari should be regarded not as an experience of seeing; but as feeling. It is hard to describe how happy we felt during all these 8 days. In most of the world, people have built up plazas and cities full of unhappiness. With a human-centric point of view, they left no space for wild life. We are lucky people who experienced to spend 8 days at a place on earth where things are different. We were able to be a part of an environment where wild life is still respected and preserved. And we would like to thank Fredy, Chaz, Hilary and the rest of the Suricata team who helped this dream to come true. Asante sana!
CY
Once in a Lifetime Safari with the Best Driver!!
We had the most amazing experience with budget safari zanzibar. We had booked everything in advance and the company was so organised that we knew exactly all the details of our trip. Our driver - Severin - was the most amazing person we met in Africa. Aside from the fact that he was always on time and very experienced in driving the difficult safari roads, he was very fun to be with and explained every little detail about the African Savannah. We had so much fun riding together and looking for animals. Had it not been for him, we wouldn't know that ostrich do a weird dance while mating or that cheetah don't touch their food if the hyenas get there first.
The places we stayed were so authentic. We booked the mid-budget safari (4 days and 3 nights in Manyara, Serengeti, Ngoro Ngoro) and we spent our nights among the wild animals. We got to see the sun rise in the middle of the Serengeti while drinking the first coffee of the day, and this was one of the best things we have ever experienced.
Before you embark on your safari be aware: the animals are not in the middle of the road waiting for you. This is not National Geographic. You have to look for them, and this is the best part. Not knowing what you will see each day and accepting what the park gives you is the true safari experience. While you shouldn't judge a safari by the animals that you got to see, we came up close and personal with lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, monkeys, giraffes, hippos, ostrich, and really amazing exotic birds. We can't wait to return to Africa!!