JE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari in Madikwe
From the moment that Anya (Visser) picked up our enquiry for a safari trip, everything was really well organised, and very smooth. She followed up on all my queries and provided fantastic service. Anya, thank you so much :)
We wanted to fly to the Lodge and have a drive back to Johannesburg, when we arrived at the Airport after leaving Cape Town a presentative was waiting for us, nice, friendly guy, he drove us to our Hotel and helped us with our luggage, stayed with us until we had checked in. The Hotel in Johannesburg was very nice, again very friendly staff. Next morning we were picked up for a transfer flight to the Lodge, again the driver was great, really knowledgeable about the history of SA. Flight was easy, on arrival at Madikwe we were met by our Rangers who transferred to our accommodation. It was stunning, Etalie Safari Lodge. big room, well appointed over looking the bush, small spa pool on the balcony, you could just sit and wait for animals to walk past etc. We saw the Big 5 and much much more. Got so many photos (check out facebook!!). We were so upset to have to leave such a stunning place.
Would 100% recommend using Pembury Tours (hopefully you'll get Anya to organise your trip)
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari
My 8-day safari with Charles and Gorilla Bookings was amazing! Communication ahead of the trip with Justus was clear and quick - even after hours messages. The ability to see so many parks and animals in such a short time was incredible and Charles was a fabulous host and guide. The AC went out on the van one day, but he was quick to get it fixed at the next stop and without a delay in our schedule. I would recommend Gorilla Bookings to anyone going to Uganda and wanting to see the Silverback Gorillas and all that Uganda has to offer!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing Trip Up Mt Kenya
Had an amazing trip up Mt Kenya - I took 27 youth from Mombasa and we all made it to the top. Bushtroop did an amazing job organizing everything, which isn't easy with such a large group. But we were well taken care of. They had great advice and were very encouraging along the entire trip, always checking in and making sure we had everything we needed and were doing well. This is my 2nd time climbing Mt Kenya with Bushtroop and I will continue to use them in the future.
PK
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Samburu Masai mara
Excellent response to emails and good response to questions asked well organized, vehicles did not have airconditioning Roads to Masai mara vbad and dusty got very hot inside the vehicle got exhausted good guides good choice of booking camps
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari blue beautiful
We were on blue safari which is a boat trip with snorkel and swimming in the ocean in the most beautiful blue water. We saw a lot of colorful fish and we ate lunch on a island. We got a hugh fish menu and it was very good. The trip was well planned and our guide, chef and captain was very sweet and funny.
We can definitely recommend Zanzibar Cholo Tours.
Regards
Debbie & Michael from Denmark
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari of your dreams
You can't overstate how important the guide is in making your safari an enjoyable and memorable experience. Try as we might to stump our guide David, with questions ranging from the gestation period of zebras to the rituals of the Maasai, he had the answers. A guide needs a very wide range of skills: knowledge of animals, navigation, personal skills, how to position the vehicle for optimal viewings, and on and on, and David handled it all with a friendly demeanor and a depth of experience we came to rely on. We had so many amazing animal encounters and were so close that it felt like we were part of their world. The accommodations were all amazing in their own way, especially the tented lodges. We did the 6-day tour, and we'd recommend that length or similar so you have more time to explore and let the whole experience unwind rather than being rushed through it. We would definitely recommend Shemeji to anyone. You can pay a lot more for a safari but you can't get a better one. We had high expectations but they were all exceeded.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Organizing a Holiday with AVO Orange
Organizing a Holiday with AVO Orange was to put it simply the easiest holiday I have ever book. Erica was incredibly responsive on E-mail which in this day and age is so much less hassle than a phone call. She was very helpful, Enthusiastic, flexible and informative. We got all the information we required about location, seasons, wildlife and accommodation to make a well-informed decision about our holiday.
We are extremely excited, Would definitely recommend AVO Orange to anyone looking for an Adventure holiday!
BR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Spectacular Botswana Safari - Tailor-made to Interests and Budget
We followed SafariBookings suggestion to seek five proposals in choosing an operator for a trip of a lifetime. Our pick was Compass Odyssey for their comprehensive and prompt reply to every query and their willingness to adapt and adjust itineraries to fit my family's specific interests and budget constraints. Our safari vacation surpassed all expectations in every respect! Their pre-safari information packet prepared us for what to expect and take along, all the way down to recommended tipping guide. The selected lodges were clean, comfortable and provided many personal touches to make our trip special. The professionals who worked with Compass Odyssey were qualified and knowledgeable. In every aspect, it was an excellent experience. I rate Compass Odyssey 6 stars!
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Owner cancelled the trip 4 days before arrival!
I will do my absolute best to hereby share my experience with African Sunset Safaris in the most objective way.
Note: This review do only cover their services in regards of booking accommodation and their general way of working and communicating, since Mr. Haron (the owner) decided to cancel the trip only 4 days before arrival!
Mr. Haron is a well-spoken person. The problem is that he lies a lot!
He lied about the condition of the tents at our confirmed accommodation, and therefore asked us to pay more to move us to another hotel.
He lied about the cost of our accommodation when calculating on our refund.
He lied about the Kenyan tourism levy rate (6% instead of 2%).
He told me it is against the Kenyan law to share the receipt of his payment to the hotel (I have not confirmed this, but I find it very hard to believe).
All in all, his last-minute cancellation made us find another agent in very short notice, in peak season.
It cost us 300 USD more than initial agreement, for the exact same itinerary due to out-sourced jeep rental.
I would never recommend African Sunset Safaris to anyone.
Full time line:
October 10th: We agree on booking of 2 nights at Mara Leisure Camp + game drive in jeep + transport from/to Nairobi at 1400 USD for 2 persons.
October 16th: I transfer 945 USD (~70 % of total amount) to Haron as deposit.
October 24th: Haron confirms payment is received and "hotel is cleared".
Dec 18th: Haron emails: "I had to move you from Mara leisure to Sarova Mara due to unavoidable reason being at Leisure the were affected by the short rains two weeks ago and currently most of there tents are under Maintenance." ... "I kindly advice we shall have a small hick on the price by USD 250."
Dec 19th: I find Haron's message suspicious and contacts Mara Leisure Camp directly to verify that their tents actually are under maintenance. Their sales manager dismisses this false facts and personally guarantees there are no problems with their facilities. They also say "your booking is still on tentative status awaiting for payment to confirm". (meaning my pre-payment had not yet been received by the hotel!)
Dec 21st: I get back to Haron: "We believe we will be very satisfied with Mara Leisure Camp, even though the tents are in bad condition.
I want you confirm the booking of a Nyati tent at Mara Leisure Camp ASAP and send them the money to confirm the reservation before it gets lost to any other client."
Dec 21st: Mr. Haron now seems to feel neglected and decides to cancel both the safari game drive and transport! However, he promises to pay the money to Mara Leisure and refund us the remaining amount of 200 USD.
Dec 22nd: I asked Mr. Haron about a reciept for his payment to Mara Leisure to confirm that 200 USD is the correct amount to refund. He now refers to their listing rates instead (which is higher that his agent rates) and concludes that I actually owe him additional 35 USD, but in the same e-mail he also states that he is willing to refund 200 USD anyway as a Christmas gift (?!).
Dec 22nd: Still without showing any receipt of his payment to Mara Leisure, I at least get the 200 USD in refund.
Jan 10th: After a number of emails to Haron and Mara Leisure Camp, I finally received a copy of Haron's payment of 716 USD, i.e. 264 USD less that what he tried to tell us when referring to their public listing rates + Christmas supplement.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable safari in Masai Mara!
Due to trouble with our first tour operator (another company), I took contact with Alfred at Bencia just 3 days before our arrival in peak season. We were desperate to find a tour company that were able to help us with such short notice, and they really did everything to assist us!
All of their own Landcruisers was already booked, so they used their connections and found another car and driver/guide from a third party company, which worked great. Our driver/guide was Bernard, an very experienced guide who took very good care of us.
We spent 2 nights in Mara Leisure Camp, which was excellent! Clean and roomy tents, with a terrace viewing over a small lake and the park.
Once back in Nairobi, Ben from their office joined us to the airport to make sure everything worked out for us. This is a really nice and helpful team!