20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour of Uganda and Zanzibar with Matoke. Very helpful, friendly, professional staff!
My partner and I began our 12 month world tour in Uganda. We knew Africa was going to be our first stop. But were unsure which country would be best. After looking at the various safari options available, Matoke tours stood out to be the best value for money, with the option to tailor our trip to our preferred route, choice of accommodation and decide which vehicle we would prefer. After countless emails to the extremely helpful Lionel at Matoke offices we arranged our 10 day safari tour of Uganda and 4 day relax at Zanzibar. I always received a prompt response with all the exact info requested and couldn't have asked for a smoother booking process. The tour itself was fantastic! Our guide Big Sam was very friendly, professional, informative and helpful. He took us safely, comfortably and efficiently around Uganda sharing his vast knowledge of all the different places. The trip wouldn't have been the same without him! We booked budget accommodation throughout Uganda and every place we stayed was very clean, the staff were very welcoming and the food was of a high standard. Our whole experience with Matoke tours has been faultless. A very professional, genuine, friendly and helpful company. Highly recommended! Providing excellent experiences and creating wonderful memories. Thanks again to Lionel and Big Sam!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazon employees are so friendly and professional. quality services is what makes them unique.
In general, its amazing to work with amazon because they are thorough in their service delivery.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great first time experience in Africa with Big Time Safaris
We did the ten day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater tour. Right from the start we were picked up from the airport, which we felt more comfortable with than finding our own taxi. We had an extra day before our safari started and John Obae, the CEO/President of Big Time Safaris, came to the hotel to make sure that we were alright and made sure we would not be bored during the day. He set up a wonderful day touring the different attractions around Nairobi. I was very impressed that they made this extra effort to ensure that our visit was excellent.
The drive to Masai Mara is long and rough, but there is no way around it. Great experience driving through rural Kenya. The Eco Lodge was more than satisfactory as we had our own tent, which included a large bed and private bathroom. Food was great. Our guide made every effort to ensure that we got up close to all animals (Thanks Patrick). You have the opportunity to go to a Masai Mara village. Allen, the Masai man who shows you around, speaks excellent english, but be prepared to purchased some of their merchandise.
Arriving at Lake Nakuru, the hotel that we were supposed to check into was full, but we were quickly taken to another hotel next door and given rooms. The water level of the lake has risen substantially over the past several years to the point where all of the flamingos have left to a different lake. The itinerary says that there are flamingos there. It was still a nice drive around the lake and we did get to see a group of rhinos.
At Lake Manyara, the accommodation is absolutely sensational and far exceeded our expectations. The name of the accommodation was Panorama Safari Camp and we had private "igloo" rooms, great views of the Great Rift Valley, electricity, wifi, very clean bathrooms, full service bar (accepted major credit cards), singing/dancing, and an acrobat show. The game drive itself is a little slow, but you can't expect to see animals constantly.
Camping in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are both more than adequate with the Ngorongoro site being a little better equipped (warm showers and plug ins to charge electronics). Remember to bring warm clothes as it is quite cold over night and in the early mornings. Both game drives were good, but not quite as good as the Masai Mara Reserve only because there are fewer roads, limiting close access to animals.
Our guide, Lenus, and chef, Hodgie, were great. Hodgie can really cook and we were never close to being hungry. Lenus was very easy to get along with and liked to joke around. He was also very knowledgeable about the animals.
Budget hotels that are provided are also more than adequate. Warm showers, wifi, breakfast, etc.
Just allow yourself to go with the flow while on the tour. Things can change quickly, but you are always taken care of.
Lastly, not enough can be said about Martha at Big Time Safari. We were in contact with her for many months leading up to our safari and also during our safari. She is always quick to tend to all our needs, such as booking hotels and arranging drivers. Her customer service is truly exceptional and she made our time here run smoothly.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience with El Mundo crew and sustainability components concerning the environment.
If you are looking for an economical yet highly efficient and fun company to climb Kili with, look no further! We have a wonderful experience booking our climb from afar and having all of our questions answered. I appreciated the clarify and speed of their responses.
Being picked up by the entire crew singing to us set the tone of the climb. Throughout our 6 day climb via Machame, the guides and porters were supportive, encouraging, and very helpful. I felt well equipped with information needed for each day. After hiking, we were greeting with amazing food and kind crew.
From the start I knew we would be successful because of the tone, pace, and professionalism from El Mundo!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dream vacation come true
African Safari Guru was able to find a great lodge in a busy time of the year that exceeded my expeciations at the price I wanted. He even arranged all transportation. Without ASG I would have not enjoyed myself as I did. I recomend ASG and will use him next time I want to do this trip.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Had a great time in Nairobi and Masai Mara
I visited Nairobi for business for a few days. I asked Kenya Walking to show me the city and also to organize a 3-day safari in the Masai Mara. I enjoyed both!
O.T. was very helpful and very assuring when I asked about things I should know about for instance safety in Nairobi or about traffic problems. He arranged a great hotel for me to stay for 4 days. The accommodations in Masai Mara were great as well (I must say that I did especially ask for at least mid-range accommodations).
I had already seen the Northern part of Tanzania before, so I guessed it would be hard for Masai Mara to live up to those expections. Well it did!
Although Tanzania's Northern Circuit offers more variation in scenic beauty, Masai Mara was similar in terms of wildlife (for me the most important aspect). We had amazing sightings - lions (eating), cheetahs, a leopard closeby in a tree, a lot of elephants, hyena, topi, impala, giraffe and many more. I have some beautiful photos of all of them and also some stunning photos of the landscapes. The guide (Samy) was very helpful with good information about animals, respecting our wish to enjoy the silence every now and then and he was generally very fun to be with.
The weather was also great, not too hot, not too cold and occasional afternoon rains (only for a short time). I had a Kenyan data sim-card which allowed me to have (limited) internet access during the trip. Some of the accommodations had WiFi. All in all a perfect experience.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Young company that truly cares about providing a good experience
The young men that own this company work hard to treat clients to the very best experience available in Tanzania! Personal care, gracious accomodations, at the best price they can offer. We felt special and glad we were able to book with them.
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was one of the best
It took some time to know the what we wanted but the best thing was that John & Joe (Sureway Tours) was accommodating. Both John and Joe were excellent in their service and guiding us as well making sure we were looked after by the Lodges. They made us very comfortable and we enjoyed our tour. They went out of their way to make sure we had an experience of a life time.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 Day Magical Kenya
My husband and I just returned on Sunday from Africa and are already missing it. At the end of May-June 6th we were with Kenneth and had the best time. We visited Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha, Amboseli, and Tsavo (east and west). Each park was wonderful in different ways, and Ken did an amazing job of telling us about the parks, animals, and getting us to amazing spots. We saw SO MANY elephants, zebras, giraffe, hippos, Topi, Impala and even several Lions. The best was seeing two leopards, a herd of Rhino, and a few cheetahs. I even left my Ipad at the hotel in Nairobi and Robert and his team were able to get it back to me! Robert was quick and responsive with emails and the itinerary was great. Some of the hotels were only okay, but that was due more to a constraint on our budget as opposed to their planning. If you can spend a little more to stay in a place better than the Voi Safari Lodge, I would. I would (and already have) recommended going to Kenya and using Beacon.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
awesome game drives, yummy meals, time2relax, serene sleep in comfy beds,the perfect bush experience
The staff members were all friendly and accommodating. We were made to feel welcome. We felt safe at all times. The game drive was awesome, went out of their way to show us as many animals as possible. We had a real awesome experience in the bush.