35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bujumbura to Entebbe - close encounters with Gorillas, Chimps and Primates
I recently travelled to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda with Africa Adventure Safaris.
At the planning stage Nelson in the office was able to tailor an itinerary to my exact requirements. We discussed options for accommodation which could either take the cost up or down depending on my requirements. I opted for staying two nights in most places to minimise time spent travelling, and to maximise the time I spent in the various national parks. The main purpose of my visit was to visit lowland and mountain gorillas, chimps and other primates, but Nelson was able to suggest other cultural sites and activities to break up the journeys between parks.
Payment can be made by credit card, although there is a surcharge for this. Credit card payments do, however, add an extra layer of protection for anyone nervous about transferring money to a company based in another country with which they have not previously done business. Next time I use Africa Adventure Safaris I may well go for the cheaper bank transfer method.
Sam Elliot my guide was very professional, knowledgeable and kind – a real pleasure to be with over a two and a half week period. On the road he was able to fine tune the itinerary and make suggestions to ensure I got the most out of my trip. He was also able to respond positively to any suggestions I made. The vehicle was a sturdy Nissan Patrol, well able to deal with the local roads.
Travelling in November (the rainy season) turned out to be very successful. It may be slightly more risky in terms of delays due to road conditions, but this was balanced by being the only visitor in many places (chimps at Kibale, lowland gorillas at Kahuzi-Biega, primates at Nyungwe and Mgahinga). I only got seriously wet twice in two and a half weeks – less than I would have if I had stayed at home in Scotland!
A word about DRC – I had a separate guide, Julius, in Bukavu. As well as the agreed wildlife activities, he took me for a walk through Bukavu, visiting the neighbourhood where he was brought up, some family members' homes and his old school – places a normal tourist/traveller would never get the opportunity to visit. This was a real worthwhile experience if you want to try to increase your understanding of life in other countries. And if you want to see the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, this is the only place in the world where they live. They, and the dedicated rangers protecting them, need the support of our visit and cash!
Overall I can't fault the value for money. In many part of the world I travel myself using public transport and booking activities as I go. In this part of the world this would not have been a sensible option. I met an American couple trying to do their own thing, but in conversation everything was taking them longer and costing almost as much as my trip, as well as causing constant uncertainty for them as they tried to find the next driver to take them where they wanted to go.
Although I asked for accommodation at the cheaper end of the scale, the quality was on the whole excellent. In particular Bakiga Lodge in Bwindi and Enganzi Lodge at Queen Elizabeth NP were excellent, as were the Club Du Lac hotel in Bujumbura and the Panorama hotel in Bukavu.
The main purpose of my trip was wildlife. In two and a half weeks I saw 13 species of primate, including the Owl Faced Monkey in DRC, which I never expected to see in my life, so I consider this a major success.
I have visited Africa on many occasions, but I consider this trip, organised by Africa Adventure Safaris to be amongst the best, and I would say that for a first time visitor to Africa this company would work hard to ensure you had the best possible experience.
Part of the great joy in visiting Africa is the people you come in contact with. Come with an open heart and mind and Africa will reward you many times over.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great safari by a great guy!
Thanks to Joe from Asili Explorer for a wonderful safari through Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. We saw everything we wanted to see over four days and three nights. Joe has an eye like a hawk! He managed to spot animals that I am sure a lesser guide would have missed. Definitely recommended.
We had a bespoke tour arranged and we had a wonderful time.
The company worked very hard to make sure we had the best options in terms of accommodation and drivers. They were very helpful with all the planning and bookings.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Marvelous Honeymoon
I heard about Bencia Africa Adventure & Safaris in other's notes and it is a great experience with it.We have visited Masai mara,Amboseli,Lake Naivasha ,Lake Baringo,Hell's gate park and Lake Bogoria.Our driver Mureithi is very experienced and knowledgeable.His has a good sight and can always see animals far away.He is excellent in driving.The bad road in Masai mara is a piece of cake for him.Our cook George is very good.We have delicious food everyday and always fresh.He stopped at supermarket or roadside to buy fresh food every day.The accommodations are good.We have different kind of houses in different parks,sometimes round house,sometimes straw shed,both interesting.The operator Alfred is kind and helpful, too. I like this journey.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect...Just Perfect
Our relationship with Tanzania Choice Safaris was incredible from day one. Brenda demonstrated great flexibility in helping us build an itinerary that was perfect for us, and she had several suggestions on creative ways to help us reduce the overall cost of the trip. We exchanged numerous emails in the weeks leading up to the trip and connected via Skype, all of which helped make us feel really comfortable about our trip. Even in retrospect, we could not imagine any single aspect of our trip being better than it did. Our Kilimanjaro guide (Festo) was beyond professional and turned into a friend who ensured that we reached the summit - the entire crew was incredible. Kakasii, our safari guide, also became a wonderful friend. His understanding and knowledge of the Serengeti, Tarangiri, and Ngorongoro Crater put us so close to every animal we dreamed of seeing, and more. He put us in places other guides didn't know about, and his patience allowed us to see things few tourists were able to observe. Even beyond providing the trip of a lifetime, Tanzania Choice added such a wonderful personal touch - the dinners shared, the stories told, the adventures experienced...Brenda even helped arrange for a surprise anniversary gift for my wife! Tanzania Choice Safaris is the absolutely best company to use for your Tanzania trip!!!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another fantastic safari in Kruger
This was our second visit to Kruger, and once again it did not disappoint. On our first day, we were treated to the sight of 4 male lions and one female at kill. One of the male lions walked right by our vehicle - amazing. Another highlight was a huge herd of 50-60 elephants crossing the road in front and behind our vehicle - essentially surrounding us. It was magical! During our four days at Kruger, we saw plenty of other animals, including hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, hyenas, wildebeest, buffalo, impala, kudus, warthogs, baboons, and vervet monkeys. On the last day, down near Pretoriaskop, we saw several rhinos - a good area to see these magnificent creatures.
We stayed in the rest camps inside Kruger. The first two nights were at Skukuza and the third night was at Pretoriaskop. In both camps, we stayed in rondavels (round huts), which were very comfortable, including air conditioning, private bathrooms, and outdoor kitchens. There are lots of facilities in both camps, Skukuza being the biggest of the two. There were nice views overlooking the Sabie River from Skukuza - we could see lots of elephants and hippos. The pool at Pretoriaskop - built into the rocks - is especially nice. My only minor complaint is that I found the food in the camps not quite as good as when I was last at Kruger in 2006, but it was still fine overall.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Spioenkop Game Reserve by mara.dd - www.marasweltreisen.de
We had only a short visit but the landscape with the big lake in the middle is really nice. Also the animals are very easy to see. It is a park for only self-guiding with camping accomodations.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ithala with greate nature
the Ithala Game Reserve has a beautiful landscape with hills and woodland. It is not so easy to see animals everywhere, but it is more a fun to search for it.
There were no so many tourists, what makes also the self-guided tours very nice and we saw a lot of animals near the roads.
Althought the Ithala game Reserve don't have all the big 5, for me it is a great Game Reserve to visit. I love the landscape.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about South Africa by Travelmonkeys
Facilities in South African parks are great and the diversity of wildlife is superb.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A trip of a lifetime
Myself and my wife joined Paul Tamwenya and two other guests on a safri though Uganda and Rwanda. The logistics of the trip were well handled. The trip concentrated on birding but we got to see a lot of wildlife including chimps and gorillas.
Paul helped to make this trip so special, he is a joyful friendly confident guide; he is extremely knowledgeable about birds and all Uganda wildlife; he is well known at the parks and lodges we stayed at and arranged great rangers to join us when needed. Paul is very active in the certification of other guides, he is committed to the cause of Uganda providing world class guiding. He is in a word a "world-class".
You will enjoy his trips.