DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 3 day Safari to Selous!
We had a great 3 day Safari including pickup from our hotel in Dar es Salaam and drop off at the Ferry to Zanzibar. The trip was well organised and the diversity in wild life seen during the boat, jeep and walking safari was stunning. Hassan was a superb driver and guide who made every effort to make our trip enjoyable. He even went out of his way to arrange ferry tickets for us so we wouldn’t miss the boat. I highly recommend this safari.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome tour, awesome people to enjoy Tanzania
We absolutely loved our safari to Selous. The experience was relaxing and so enjoyable - all details were taken care of and we were able to sit back and relax. Our ride in the morning of the first day arrived on time and was quite pleasant to chat with. Our guide for the safari, Hassan, was fantastic. Hassan made sure that everything, to the best of his ability, went smoothly: from driving through the most seemingly untraversable roads to to securing the best spot to observe elephants crossing the road in front of you to helping you buy and ferry tickets for your next steps after the safari. Hassan's passion for the animals real showed and he was eager to share his knowledge with you. I would highly recommend this company to couples or families safari.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
6 days Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli
We as young couple decided to look for a tour company which can organize for us a vacation in East Africa. As we were doing our research we came across Pride of Africa Adventures we contacted them and they they advice us that if we want to enjoying our vacation we take a private safari for only 2 of us.
This company organize everything as per our budget and plan. We enjoyed our 6 days Safari and we are really greaful for what they did
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible safari adventure with wonderful and professional local experts
In short, my partner and I had the most amazing time in Botswana, all thanks to Moonstroll for coordinating and taking us on the coolest safari adventure!
In more detail..
The overall experience with Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions was great. I initially had no idea how quickly safaris booked up in Botswana (especially if your dates are only marginally flexible), so I had a difficult time finding a multi-day safari adventure within our budget. When I came across Moonstroll, I reached out with my dates and received a very quick response, with a super-detailed quote which highlighted the inclusions of the safari. Monametsi (owner of Moonstroll) was very professional throughout the entire planning process. He was responsive and very helpful by email leading up to the tour. When we landed in Botswana, him and his colleague Lucky personally met us at the Maun airport and took us to our accommodation. Similar to what a few others have noted, I was initially skeptical of the process of wire-transferring money for payment of the safari (as there were limited reviews on this company) - but after having spent the 5 days on safari with Moonstroll, I can comfortably say that they are an awesome company; a local one too, with a very small team. Do note that your safari will be subcontracted out to other local experts, selected by Monametsi, who take you on your safari.
For our private 5 day (4 night) camping trip, we had a team of three gentlemen who made the trip a superb one. Our safari guide and driver, Thuso, was amazing at spotting wildlife and an excellent driver. He could maneuver the safari vehicle safely through rough terrain, follow lion tracks, and lookout for animals all the same time!! He was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of all the parks we visited; his expertise led us to seeing some rare animals, including a group of lion cubs, a leopard with its kill in a tree, and two lionesses hunting. The next team member included Russell, our chef, who cooked up the most delicious meals for the group each day. I think back and remember one of our lunches where he baked an entire quiche - over a fire (so impressive)!!! Apart from being very tasty, we also note that the preparation of the food was also very sanitary especially considering we were camping for five days. Finally, our trip would also not have been as lovely without Gaety, who was the camp assistant. He helped with setting up our campsites and was there to support the other two guys throughout the trip.
For anyone wondering about what to expect when camping, here are a few quick notes:
- all campsites are in the wilderness areas of the game parks; they are therefore not part of large public campsites so you actually feel like you are in the wilderness and there aren't others around you. It is very peaceful and you never know who your animal neighbours will be! On two separate nights, we saw hyenas wander onto our site (we saw them through the mesh of our tent when the moonlight was bright) - it was so cool (but also a bit terrifying)
- the team will collect water from the entrance to the game park prior to setting up camp each day for cooking, showers, etc
- a shower will be set up by the team (one of the pressure/valve showers used for camping - that hang above you from a tree) with a metal frame + tarp for privacy
- a hole is dugout for a toilet - a portable chair that has a toilet seat goes over the hole - similar to the shower, a tarp is raised for privacy
- cots and mattress pads are provided in your tent so you do not have to sleep directly on the ground
The entire experience was fantastic! I would be happy to answer any other questions if anyone is wondering more about joining this safari, as I know I had tons when I was researching.
Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions. They were the perfect team for us to share our first safari experience with and it was nice being able to support a small local organization.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
TRIP OF A LIFETIME
This was an amazing trip. Compass does an amazing and such a thorough job. We were able to cover so much ground in such a short amount of time and all of the experiences were top notch. Although our trip encountered no hiccups I certainly got the feeling that Darren would be available at any time and able to resolve any issues. Highly recommend booking a trip with these guys.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience
We had a wonderful trip with Gorilla Bookings. Desire helped us with organising our trip, was always very helpful and reachable. Moses was our guide, we had a very nice time together. Moses has a large knowledge about the country, animals...
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a Lifetime
We toured Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater with Soul of Tanzania. Our guide, Saiid, was very knowledgable and helpful in naming the various animals we saw in the wild, and in providing more information about their habits. All our meals were top notch, and our guide paced the tour to our preferences.
We had been given excellent guidance from Mei Ling of Soul of Tanzania in planning our tour ahead of time, to ensure that the duration fit our desires and that the accommodations were to our liking. By staying in a tree top lodge in Tarangire, the Four Seasons in Serengeti, and a coffee plantation in Ngorongoro, we had a variety of lodging experiences.
Our only suggestion for improvement was that we felt an upgrade of the vehicle fleet could help the customer experience. While we realize that we were traveling along dirt roads with many ruts and holes, we felt that improved air suspension and more comfortable seats would make the rough ride more tolerable.
Overall, we were quite pleased with the experience and recommend Soul of Tanzania to anyone who wants a true safari experience.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Absolutely amazing expierence"
First of all, we want to thank Isa for giving us the best experience in Botswana. Not only for his knowledge of wildlife, (by the way, it is excellent) but also for how he is. We did 3 days/2nights in Khwai Reserve with him and the experience was better than we can ever imagine. His tracking skills are incredible and he cares about all details, such as finding the best spot to take the photos, answering any information we would like to know, our safety, having a great time…the perfect combination.
If you are thinking to do a Safari in this beautiful country, do not hesitate in contact Extremely Wild Safaris and explain them which are your Safari trip expectations, Isa will do his best to fulfill your request. We highly recommend him.
Looking forward to come back in the near future!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing 4-day safari experience
We were badly let down at short notice by another safari agency so I challenged several safari companies to organise a luxury 4-day safari at 1-days notice. Only Amazing Memories came through for us, turned up on time at our hotel in Nairobi at 6am the very next day and guided us on the most amazing 4 days in the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. Our driver 'Tony' was knowledgable, flexible and had the most amazing gift of being able to drive and spot game at the same time. I can thoroughly recommend The Mara Serena and Nakuru Sora game lodges as luxurious and with breathtaking views of the surroundings and wildlife. Overall - nothing to fault. Book with Amazing Memories with confidence. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ken stole our money
Hakuna Matata Safaris is run by the same people who run Congo Discovery Safaris. A quick look at their recent reviews makes it evident that this is not a company or group of people you want to trust. Below is my review on Congo Discovery Safaris. I can tell you that I have had already multiple people reach out to me asking about my review because when they asked Ken about it Ken made up some sort of excuse. Ken told someone that I wrote a bad review because I originally booked a Congo Gorilla trek and then demanded it be changed to Uganda when we arrived. I have also heard it didn't happen because of ebola. Both of these are lies. If anyone wants evidence I am happy to share both my WhatsApp chat history and also a video confession from Ken that states what he did not provide us, as well as the money he owes us. You can contact me through my review of Congo Discovery Tours on Google or TripAdvisor
My girlfriend and I booked a 4-day Gorilla and Chimpanzee safari with Ken that was supposed to take place from November 10 – 13. We paid $2608USD upfront for the pair of us for this tour. Ken failed to deliver all aspects of this tour. We were supposed to receive a refund in person in Kigali on November 13, but Ken showed up with no money. He then promised to refund us by November 20, but there was nothing. On November 27 we were supposed to get a full refund, instead we received a partial refund of $570CAD (we live in Canada), about $430USD, but we are still owed $2178. We were then told December 6 that we would receive the rest of the money, but nothing came.
When we first met Ken in Kigali we had some questions about a few recent negative reviews he had written about his businesses. He had excuses for every one, and how the client was wrong and trying to slander him. We gave him the benefit of the doubt, and we were wrong. Do not book with Ken or any of his tour companies.
He stole money from us, he has waisted countless hours of our time, and he does not take responsibility for any of it - it is always somebody else's fault. Reports regarding Ken and Congo Discovery Safari Company Limited (incorporated in Kampala on September 19, 2018) are being filled with both the Rwandan and Ugandan Tourism boards in hopes that other travelers do not have to endure what we had to endue in dealing with Ken and his company.
