20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great management & customer service, finished with a top safari experience
The initial corresponding speed & efficiency with George was just excellent. For exactly the same looking specs & itinerary when compared with other tours the price Right Choice Tours & Safaris quoted was also the cheapest I could find. The overall experience of the safari itself was priceless. A tip for everyone, going to the Serengeti/ngorongoro region in May is a great time of the year as it being the end of the off peak season meant that the weather was ok, not many people & the recent days of rain has made ngorongoro grass & flowers just lush in beauty.
The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is just for a few things:
-Part of the itinerary was changed last minute (although when I challenged this with George it was dealt with quickly)
-As there were only 2 of us we were joined with other tour groups, & a lot of hours were spent waiting for them to arrive to join us (although we all got on really well & had a great time)
-We were greeted by other members of the company we've not dealt with so far at our hotel who requested us to give the full payment in cash the day before the trip and when asked for a receipt we were not given one (I then challenged this with George who again quickly rectified this, but it's just good to note that the least customers would like is to receive a receipt as proof of payment when they have to give lots of money to people they've not met coming to their hotel).
-it would be great to give us a warning/information on the fact that we have to tip the safari drivers & how much is appropriate; we felt bad in hindsight as we wished we gave more to our first driver Lazarus who was so knowledgable & passionate, but we didn't know how much was appropriate until we spoke to other customers on the rest of our tour.
A special thank you to Lazarus our driver & Juma our cook who made our honeymoon wonderful.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent Budget Safari
We found it really easy to tailor the safari we wanted with Safari Makers. Jo was really responsive with information via email. When we arrived in Arusha, our guide was on time to pick us up and everything went to plan. I would definitely recommend the company.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional,excellent service, unforgettable life experience
We had a wonderful bush experience. We spent a night in the Xini camping site in the Moremi Game Reserve. We enjoyed watching the stars as we were seated around the fire after dinner. We enjoyed the cold breeze from the Delta, listening to the chorus of frogs, the laugh of hyenas, the chirp of a nightjar and the roar of lions. From the beginning of the trip everyone was so helpful in making the arrangements. The marketing and communications manager Lucky was always reliable and answered every question the way we wanted it. We were guided by the best guide I have ever meet, knowledge of animals, animal behavior as well as birds. The food was on point, all meal perfectly cooked. We really enjoyed our tour. We plan to come back again next year. If anyone wants to go on tour we recommend African Jacana Safari Tours. What a life time experience!!!!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very good experience.
Booking and dealing with jocky is quite easy, they were prompt to respond. services of the guide Mr. Joshwa was extremely good. Accomodation at time was not upto our expectation, Taphe Guest Resort is partly under construction, problems of water in toilet, toilet flush was not working, staff tried their best to solve the issues.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience, a few suggestions for improvement
The email communication from the beginning was very prompt and helpful. The payment was a bit complicated, because we had to pay in cash from Rwanda but they arranged for someone to pickup up the deposit and we paid the rest on day of tour. The vans are old and quite rattly, also it is hard to see out the windows if you are tall. A/C in the van wasn't turned on and we had to open windows which created a lot of dust. Also, we didn't get our free water in the vehicle until we reached our destination! Also, the music was on in the van and it was hard to hear each other talk. A metal pole broke off the side of the van and was hanging down (dangerous) so we tied it up ourselves because the driver didn't seem to care. Our driver guide was very good and knowledgeable. Though, on the day to drive home we felt like we were rushed to be up at 6am so we could get back to Kigali because he then had to drive back Uganda after he dropped us home. We really wanted a sleep in (after our hard hike to gorillas) but we felt pressured - I think that this should have been our call to leave later (we left Kigali at 9am so should have left Uganda at 9am). The stop in Kampale on the way home was a bit ad-hoc and odd - sat at a restaurant on a busy street to eat our packed lunch, then went to find 2 craft stores and driver had to have the car washed at the same time. We think that the car should be washed at a time when the passengers are not using it, or else it feels like we are spending our tour time waiting for the car. Overall, if you are looking for a more budget tour option then this one is a good choice. If you want to spend a little more for a better vehicle and nicer accommodation then you should shop around.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic trip.
I had a great trip to Uganda, and I am happy to have been traveling with Home to Africa. Got many good photos of the many beautiful animals that can be found in Uganda, the gorilla tracking was a fantastic experience and I will definitely do it again.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a very excited experience
Communications: good
Service: good
Expectations: excellent: tents, lunch/diner, service
Guide: good
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent four-day safari in Masai Mara, Naivasha and Lake Nakuru
This was an excellent safari, and every part of it was very well organised. I saw more wild animals than I could have imagined, and our drivers were extremely good. The only small complication arose before the start of the trip, when I was charged an unusually large transaction fee on my initial payment. This aspect could perhaps be improved upon, but otherwise it was a very pleasant experience.
QA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Kenyan safari experience
We had a private customized 9-day Kenyan safari starting in the last week of June . Visited Samburu, Ol Pajeta, Aberdares, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. Accomodation (in tented camps & lodges) and vehicle (4 x 4 with hatch top) were good.(excepting some minor house-keeping issues at Ashnil Mara). We are deeply appreciative of Mr. Robert(who communicated and co-ordinated the itinerary efficiently) and especially to our guide cum-driver-- Mr. Anthony Gitau (who was knowledgeable, lively, cheerful, prompt, adaptive and skillful) for giving us an awesome , safe and enjoyable trip and helping us to see the beauty of Africa at it's best. We were fortunate to witness the wilderbeest migration and crossing of the Mara river, the Big Five and a host of other birds and animals thanks to Anthony's sharp and swift tracking skills. We highly recommend Beacon safaris.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari was great. Food was very bad at Masai Mara and on road.
James was an excellent guide and driver and took us to the deep interiors of Masai Mara to ensure that we could see all the Big 5. Lake nakaru was a bit disappointing as the hoards of Flamingos expected were not there and we should have been informed earlier. Gorge walk and water safari in Lake Naivasha were interesting.
However the food at Masaia Mara especially the dinner was really of very poor quality. At Nakaru and Naivasha it was better.
All in al a memorable experience but do something about Board arrangements.