50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Africa Adventure - Triple A Rating!!!
This adventure was our first to Africa - and it certainly will not be our last. Our accommodation was first class and the food was simply delightful (we all put on a few kilos :)). We were impressed with the hospitality of all our hosts and receptionists.
Our tour guides with Ilios Travel were just the best. We'd like to put a big plug in for Walter: prompt, courteous, caring, informative and, a lot of laughs. The guides who took us on the one day excursions - including the National Parks - were all delightful and informative. We'd like to compliment Megan who handled the situation extremely competently when, on three separate occasions, we were charged by bull elephants. I'd do that again coz it was nature at its raw best. Our guides ensured that we were well catered for at all the attractions and their professionalism coupled with their sense of humour ensured that we had "the best of times at all times!"
We wanted an excursion that combined excursions into nature, a taste of some of the local cultures and, a feel for the complex history of the Rainbow Nation. We got all of this and more. Our tour began with a half day in the Apartheid Museum and a half day through Soweto (we could easily have had a full day for each) and ended with two relaxing days at Victoria Falls. These were two great bookends for our Awesome Africa Adventure which included some historic stops on our way to Swaziland, breathtaking glimpses of magnificent landscapes and, exhilarating encounters with "the big five" in the Kruger National Park and again in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in Zululand. Our drive from Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay) through the Garden Route to Capetown was dotted with memorable stops at the Cango Caves, Oudsthoorn, Knysna and Stellenbosch. We just loved being blown off the southern-most tip of the African continent at the Cape of Good Hope. Of course, we encountered the shadow of all humanity in our visit to Robben Island. Our visit through the Langa Township in Capetown helped us to appreciate our good fortune as Aussies!
Encompass Africa kept track of us from the moment we landed at Jo'burg. Their South African Representative helped us with a particularly difficult; she was respectful and attentive! Bravo!
We so enjoyed our tour we are planning our next excursion for '17
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
Thanks to Noah and his awesome team!! This trip was far beyond what we expected. From the accommodations to the guides, it was a great experience! I highly recommend Wildebeest Safaris.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Arrangements were all completed as advertised, guides were knowledgeable and professional.
I was an attendee of the tour and not the planner, however, all arrangements were as advertised. Some of the distances were further in time than we expected, not an issue but should be more accurate. Many of the hotels did not take credit cards either due to web, electricity or knowledge base of employees.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 Day Kruger National Park Safari - tent camping
If you are here at this site reviewing "reviews", then you were just like us when we were doing our "homework" before decisions were made to invest in such an amazing experience. If you are wanting a simple, very enjoyable camping safari experience... LOOK NO FURTHER. Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours is owned and run by the owners, Chris and Nicky. Excellent communication from start to finish. They take great pride in their company and the service that they are providing to their guests, no detail was too small or too large.
We did a 7 day safari tour - tent camping, having stayed at one private resort camping site facility and three different SANS Park camping locations within Kruger National Park.
All the camping sites were well set up, having all amenities.. hot and cold running water with lit bathrooms and shower facilities, swimming pools too.. as we affectionately referred to: "glamping". The meals were very good, being cooked at the campsite after a fun day of safari driving. Chris is an amazing cook!!! Chris will be sure to discuss the options clearly with you about the various camping facilities.. as in our case, we chose a more rustic camping experience for our last night, it was awesome. Simply put... Chris is there for your experience.
And of course... Chris's specialized safari truck..."Truck Norris". You will not be disappointed with what this truck can do. It sits much higher in elevation than most other vehicles that are common within the park. And as a result, you have an unobstructed view when it truly matters. As you can imagine, when a pride of lions have been located, well it attracts many onlookers who are all jostling for position to get the best view. With Chris's truck, no problems, you will have the view you want. Not to mention, Chris does not shy away from driving his truck into all the locations and authorized off shoot roads that typically take you along the river beds where most wildlife is likely to be seen. To top it all off, Chris has an amazing amount of bush and wildlife knowledge, and he never grew tired of the unending questions being asked of him. We learned so much. It was an amazing trip, Thank you to Chris for making it so. Paul and Trena.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome! My experince was better than I had expected by 10 times. It exceeded my wildest dreams.
I had heard extreme stories about these kinds of trips, both good and bad. My experience on this adventure was first class. From the minute we met, it exceeded my expectations. Awesome!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Getting first class treatment for 2 while on guided safari to 4 parks in Kenya and Tanzania.
First off, I would give a rating closer to 4.5 Stars but that was not an option. Please read all of this.
Excellent communication and responsiveness via pre-travel emails. Elected to pre-pay for most of the trip but had to cover the PayPal charges as credit cards were not accepted. Costs were generally as expected except for short notice on upcharge due to stated increase in park fees. Tour operator must have included a small service charge on the balloon ride as other passengers stated their rate was a bit lower than ours. Despite the high cost, the Masai Mara balloon ride was one of the highlights of our trip. It might have been even better in the Serengheti with all the herds below. My emails led me to believe that our contact person, Allan, would be our guide. While we only met Allan briefly in Nairobi, the tour guides he set up for us were each very knowlegible of the wildlife and helped us log down the various species we observed. Each took time to find the animals we wanted to see the most and were patient while our cameras clicked away. After having the private group trip for me and my wife, I am not sure I would ever be happy with a larger group might be OK with 4 people if all are family. Our guides were required to change as we crossed the border and our desire to do Masai Mara as well as the Tanzania parks resulted in a long transit day over some fairly rough roads. Tanzania park roads and highways were smoother but there were more restrictions on venturing off road. We had a Toyota Land Cruiser for the Kenya safari and an older Land Rover for Tanzania. The drivers knew the limitations of each 4-wheel drive vehicle which for the Land Rover meant knowing how to restart it - including a push start from another vehicle at one point. While boldly driving us to key photo ops, they were careful not to get us stuck. Lodgings were top notch and dinner options plentiful. Lunches packed for day-long safaris included plenty of food. Right after corssing into Tanzania, we stopped at a hotel restaurant for lunch. Because of the length of travel that day, I would suggest a box lunch for that trip to save an hour or so of travel time. In general, the people of both countries were friendly, overly so in the case of the Masai women reaching their crafted wares into the vehicle window as we waiting to pass through the gate into the lodge, and smiled as the foreigner passed by. There were a few that seemed less than thrilled woth our presence but we never felt threatened. Security and protection for dangerous animals was given high priority for all our lodging. Mandatory escorts were required when returning to our room from dinner after dark as African buffalo are known to approach to drink from the swimming pools. As the title of this review reads, it was first class, especially the level of accomodations. The wildlife viewing was fantastic and we were blessed to see the Big Five before we got out of our first park. Despite my deet insect repellent, I still received a couple of Tse Tse fly bites through my socks at my ankles. Overall, we didn't have an issue with mosquitos and had protective netting around our beds. Hearing the animal noises (monkeys mostly) as we nodded off the sleep was quite an experience.
This was definitely the trip of a lifetime and I hope many others get to experience it. While I am sure there are many other trustworthy tour operators out there, I can highly recommend Back of Africa to assure you a great safari experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Budget Safari
I had read mixed reviews about the service but after experiencing it for myself, I have to say, it's been great. First off, Martha, the company's rep, was VERY responsive. Not once did she not respond to my emails/questions. When I got there, there was someone waiting for me at the airport. The only snafu we experienced was the van broke down on our way to Masai Mara. However, within an hour, it was fixed. This is something that will happen so I can't fault them for it.
The driver on the entire safari was great... he was also very responsive and knew what he was talking about.
The cost was very reasonable for a budget traveler too, was def. within my budget.
They are also giving me a ride to the airport tonight and again, were very professional throughout the whole experience.
Thanks again for an awesome experience. Will def. recommend to others coming to Kenya.
Asanti!!!
Tony
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrible experience
We paid for a 12-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania with Lilac adventures. The trip went as expected for 2 1/2 days. After that time we were abandoned by Lilac and manager Daniel Njamwea after repeated attempts to contact him via texts, e-mails and phone calls. To avoid cancelling our remaining itinerary, we were forced to pay again for Serena lodges, meals, driver/guide fees, and Park entry fees. Please take our advice and DO NOT book a safari with Lilac Adventures.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The safaris was excellent, we saw the most important wild animals.
The safari was organised according to my budget. Thanks to Gichmak safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
an unforgettable experience. highly reccomended.
The decision in choosing the right operator was an easy one. When compiling quotes prior to our trip I found Alphonce very responsive, accomodating, and always willing to go out of his way in meeting our requirements. Communication with him was very informative and all our questions were duly answered giving us peace of mind ahead of our trip. We had commited to a 6 day Kilimanjaro tour on the Machame route. Understanderbly we were nervous having never visited these parts of Africa or had much experience in treking, but with the meticulous planning and seemingly smooth logistics we found ourselves very relaxed and optimistic about the journey ahead. The Climb itself was tough, but the guides we had were great, you spend a lot of time with them throughout the trek. Their insightful knoweledge and motivation help a great deal in accomplishing the task. They really encourage every step of the way and promote a great level of morale from the outset. The porters too are fantastic and you really appreaciate the job they do in what most people would regard as very challenging conditions. The accomodation was basic but more than adequate, before and after the climb. Throughout the trip there was no shortage of food and water, which was of a good standard, we were looked after very well right up until the transfer back to the airport. All in all with the help of Alphonce and Abakombe Tours we were able to achieve our goal. I would have no hesiation in reccomended their services.