FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari, an incredible experience
Amazing experience ! Our guide and chef were very professional. We felt safe and comfortable. Thank you !
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Customer care and Services
First I want to thank u for all your help with organizing this family trip for us.
Everything was great, we got all rooms next to each other.
The Safari went smooth, the resort was nice & great restaurants.
We took 7 Days Solio, Elementatita and Mara Trip and we had so much fun.
The only thing that was missing on this trip, was to stay for a few more days ;-)
So thank you again from me and my family.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Enjoyable and affordable way to enjoy a safari in the Zambian bush
Our family of four (two adults and kids aged 15 and 12) did a 6 day safari to Kafue with Adventure Purists in August 2018.
We're not usually campers, but the high cost of accommodation in Zambia is beyond our budget, so this was the only affordable option.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the camping proved to be. The tents are in good condition, and having the use of a collapsible stretcher bed (which comes with a mattress) rather than sleeping on the ground makes all the difference in terms of comfort. We brought our own sleeping bags and pillows, but these can also be hired from the company (as they take up a lot of luggage space). You are expected to help with erecting and dismantling the tents, but this isn't an onerous task and the kids in particular thought that it was great fun.
The camp sites we stayed at were well laid out, with good communal bathrooms and flush toilet facilities. The bathrooms were kept clean, and there was always hot water and toilet paper available (not always a given). There's no escaping the fact that it's a nuisance to have to trek to the bathroom if you need to go to the toilet in the night, but that's the nature of camping (rather than 'glamping' with en suite bathroom facilities) and for this reason, you should be sure to pack a torch - one of the torches mounted on a headband is ideal.
The food was standard bush catering, with generous portions and some degree of choice with the picnic-style breakfasts and lunches. As the vehicle is equipped with a fridge, the staff were able to buy and store fresh meat and vegetables en route, and it was nice to see that there was very little use of canned food. The highlight was a braai (BBQ), with some of the best steak I've ever eaten. All the cooking and washing up is done by the staff.
Water and fruit juice is included in the price, but soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are for your own account, and you'll be given an opportunity to buy these before you leave town.
The driver/guide and cook were friendly, helpful and competent, and the driver was safe and cautious. The vehicle was extremely comfortable, and as it pulls a trailer (which is where the tents, catering equipment and luggage is stored), there's lots of space. The vehicle has windows that can be removed, which maximises your game viewing and photographic opportunities. There are also power sockets in the vehicle so that you can charge important items like camera batteries (be sure to bring your own chargers).
If you're considering this tour, then I would strongly recommend that you pack a selection of clothes with long sleeves and trousers. Usually you'd think that you'll only need these in the bush after sunset to minimise the risk of mosquito bites, but Kafue is tsetse fly territory, and those critters are huge, tenacious and pack a painful bite.
Finally, make the most of the experience and the memories by bringing the best camera equipment you can afford - yu won't regret it.
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
excellent knowledge and personal service
Botswana was excellent - what a safari
The travel and accomodation in SA well organised and good quality
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organised, very helpful operator.
Ngutu were a third party operator for our safari to the Serengeti. They were very well organised and ensured we had a full and exciting itinerary. The owner and your co-ordinator Lord, was very kind and helped us to do everything we wanted to. His guide, Salehe, was happy to answer questions as we explored the game parks, but could have been more attentive to guests needs and comfort, communication about daily activities and when they would occur, as well as information regarding the geography and animals that we encountered. It felt like he was in a rush to tick the minimum of guests expectations and get home from the safari as quickly as possible. I would recommend this company, but I would suggest that a guide of greater enthusiasm and customer sensitivity be requested.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The adventure of a lifetime.
Our group had a wonderful time in Kenya. We saw lots of wildlife, and a great deal of the country traveling from park to park. The places we stayed were very nice, clean, safe, great food, and good gift shops! We were able to visit a Maasai Village and that was a highlight. Our guide, David was a wonderful, capable guide and a good driver, navigating rugged roads and rain-swept terrain with confidence. Our vehicle was an old one, so there were a couple of times when we had to wait for the good graces of passing vehicles to get a jump-start. Furthermore, the drive times to each of the destinations were longer than described in the tour materials. Be that as it may, our group had a good time.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fast to reply, good service, something to improve
We booked this trip from Italy before August. Honestly, price was fair and very competitive with respect other ones. We booked a 5 days safari with Italian guide, 2 nights in lodge and 2 nights in tented camp. Arrived in Arusha they asked us to postpone of 1 day the trip because Italian guide wasn’t available, we had flexible schedule so no issues, but... Accommodations were good, but we discovered only once there they changed to 1 night in lodge and 3 in tented camp.. at the same price.. anyway simba B camp at the border of Ngorongoro park was awesome. The guide mudy and the driver frank were very good. They offered us the taxi from Arusha to Kilimanjaro airport for the inconvenience during the safari.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip itself was wonderful
Overall we had a great experience, and definitely feel we got good value for the price we paid. I can't say much about the booking process, as I wasn't really involved. I did find the
payment method a bit odd, as I was told simply to "carry cash" the first morning, and then it turned out the idea was that we carried $3000 USD to make the payment. It worked out with visa, but cost extra money and time on the first morning.
The only other issue we ran into was that the itinerary we were given was completely unrealistic on a few of the days (meaning we weren't able to see/do all the things we had expected). It would turn out that there were 10+ hours of driving (which in itself we didn't mind), but the itinerary had said there would be a morning game drive/visiting of various sites etc but realistically there was zero time for that.
Other than these things we had a wonderful experience! Seth arranged for us to see all the parks we asked for, and we were able to stick to our budget. Our guide in Kenya, Ruben, was so kind and knowledgable and wanted to make sure we had a great trip! He was excellent at his job, and we were so happy with him as our guide. He went out of his way for us, and we feel very lucky to have had him take us through Kenya. We also had a great guide in Tanzania, Salim, who was equally knowledgeable and managed to find some very impressive animals for us!
I would recommend Seth for booking your trip, he delivered on what we asked for an we had an incredible and unforgettable experience! Just be very clear in your communications, and make sure you let him know what things are most important to you (we did this, and had no disappointments when it came to those areas!).
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great trip despite difficult circumstances for KWSS.
We arrived 9/5 and after very long flights and a 90 minute wait for our visa were so pleased that our driver from KWSS was still waiting to take us to the EKA hotel at 11p.m. We had booked a 12 night mid-range package that included Masai Mara, Samburu, Elsemere and a flight to Entebbe where we went to trek with gorillas. I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive, but the outstanding reviews for KWSS eased my mind so we followed through and went with KWSS. We had the trip of a lifetime. Our experiences, the lodges, and the food were all outstanding. Gorillas by far the best for us! The only down side, being in our 60’s, the drives were much longer than we anticipated so it made it challenging for us, but then we would have missed the countryside and cultural experiences if we had not driven. When we were on our way back to Nairobi on the 14th we were told OT had been in a serious auto accident. This had us very concerned, but our driver took us to the airport for our flight to Uganda, and everything went as planned. More long drives, but beautiful countryside and the gorillas were worth every minute. On our return flight to Nairobi on the 17th our driver was there to meet us at 9:30 at night. He told us more about OT’s auto accident and that he was in a coma. We were concerned for him since we had met him and found him to be a very nice man. We also realized that we had been extremely fortunate that this did not happen before or at the beginning of our trip. I have read the nightmare stories from others since our return, and we know those stories could have been us. We believe OT and KWSS were a very good company before OT’s accident. I understand how this situation created nightmares for others, but am so grateful that because of the timing ours was so wonderful.
CA
Everything we would have asked for with a budget safari, even a little more!!
We had arranged a private 8 day safari from Nairobi through Kenya, across the border to Tanzania and then ending in arusha for 2 of us. Trip advisor safaris was very open to helping us plan the perfect trip for our budget and included the parks we asked for. We emailed back and forth a bunch trying to settle on the perfect itinerary with enough time to catch our plane from arusha to zanzibar. Although this tour operator was very accommodating, the only reason I took one star off was because I felt like it was a bit pushy to book every day and it was very difficult to sort out payment. I am from Canada and we dont do direct bank transfers and I found giving a deposit very annoying. Also when we arrived in nairobi to give full payment, he expected $3000us cash. Qe were not adware this is how it would be done and no way would i carry that in cash travelling alone from Canada as a female. So we paid by credit card in the end and paid the transaction fee percentage and waited in the office until the transaction arrived at the bank and then we went there so he could get the cash out for our safari guide. I feel like this could have been avoided with more clear communication. As for our safari, our guide in Kenya was Rubin and he was 5/5!!! He was so kind and honest and we trusted him 100%. He was a very reliable driver and was able to show us more animals than we ever expected! He was quiet, but very happy to answer all of our questions at any time. He never tried to make us shop or buy things, which was very nice for us. Our accommodations were even nicer than expected in Kenya some nights considering it was on a tight budget! Our crossing over the border to Tanzania was easy and our tanzanian guide Salim was waiting for us when we arrived. This portion was organized through trip advisor Safaris using the company kili slope. Salim was energetic and full of information and eager to find big cats for us. We saw many lions and also a leopard and a cheetah! Amazing! He was also a safe driver and happy to share information and quiz us on what he taught. Our personal cook in Tanzania was also named Salim and he made 100% vegetarian food for us as requested. He made delicious soups and yummy packed lunches! We were very pleased with our experience and saw everything we could imagine. As most recommendations say, get everything in writing. Our itinerary was not as full as it said because driving times in between were much longer than it seemed. But even so, we would recommend organizing with this company because we had a great time!!