35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
fantastic guides make for a phenomenal safari
We were a large group (8 adults, 3 small children) and Encounter was so helpful, flexible and accommodating to our needs. Our guides, Jason, Abdul and Alonso, were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We couldn't have asked for more. I highly recommend Encounter.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Customer Service
The customer service was excellent and very accommodating to our specific needs. My mother and I booked a trip to Vic Falls with about six activities through different operators over a three day period. The execution was seamless, the operators showed up on time (except for one, but it wasn't an issue) and also delivered excellent customers service. We also did a 2.5 day safari trip to Hwange park, which was lovely. During the whole trip, Safari Source was calling the hotels and operators to make sure all was going well and sending us messages directly to make sure all was well. My mother and I loved Zimbabwe and hope to return again someday! It was a trip of a lifetime!
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible trip by an amazing team!!
My parents and I are just back from an amazing 6 day safari with Soul of Tanzania. I cannot begin to describe how amazing this company was at organizing this trip for us. From the first enquiry email sent, till the very last day of departure, they were spotless.
Our journey began with Mei Ling organizing and planning the entire trip for us. As we really wanted to witness the great migration at the river crossing, she suggested us to stay two nights at Northern Serengeti to maximize our chances. It was the best decision we did as we got to catch the migration at the river 3 times. We were quite lucky because the first one had only started the day before. Special thanks to Mei Ling who was very efficient at replying any queries, however silly it may be! The itinerary, price and details were laid out very clearly prior to our trip.It was the most professional correspondence I’ve had with in terms of travel planning. You could do any tweaking of the trip with them with no issues at all. They were very accommodating. Plus, it was the most value for money compared to the rest of the companies.
I cannot repeat myself more, on what an INCREDIBLE guide we got, Sadat. He deserves a lot of credit and appreciation for his work. He was extremely passionate about the animals and was constantly explaining to us everything needed to know. He always put in that extra bit of effort to make sure we get to see as much as possible. Thanks to him, we got to witness many ‘live’ scenes out on the wild life and was always helping us take the best shots. We got to see so many lions, cheetahs, leapords etc plus a special cobra vs mongoose duel which ended in a draw! Also, Sadat’s friendly,funny, extremely caring and helpful nature won all our hearts. We left Tanzania feeling very sad as we had to say goodbye to our new friend Sadat. Memories created during such trips are always special, so when you have found a friend in your guide, it makes it that much more of a memorable experience! You could have a nice trip with any safari sure, but I can guarantee you, if you go with Soul of Tanzania, you will definitely get an amazing guide that will turn your nice trip to a trip of a lifetime! The company is very diligent on making sure they only have the best guides around. You can never go wrong with them.
The special hot lunches provided truly made you feel special amongst other travelers who only got lunch boxes. You’d be dining behind beautiful sceneries with cutleries, place mats, wine and delicious African food. It was truly something special. And beware, you will have many jealous eyes staring at you during lunch lol! The accommodation arranged throughout the trip was also perfect and comfortable. Everywhere we stayed, we were welcomed very warmly and was taken care of very well.
So, I guess all I can say now is, don't think twice to book with Soul of Tanzania. I am 110% confident they will exceed all your expectation on your trip of a lifetime! They definitely did with us. They deserve much credit and recognition! I repeat again, book with them!! Asante sana Soul of Tanzania!! :)
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kurula Lodge
The tour provided everything as promised, and a lot more. Communication was to the point and accurate. The accommodation and service received, were excellent. The safari tours, morning and afternoons, were very informative. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and went out of his way to teach us as much as possible and taking us as close as he could, to the animals
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely the Best Trip Ever!
I booked the 8 day Vic Falls-Okavango Delta tour with Africa Zim to celebrate our 38th Anniversary and it was absolutely the best trip ever. Muto, our guide, was pleasant and courteous and exercised extreme care in making sure that every detail was taken care of along the way, from beginning to end, with even a few celebratory surprises at each stop.
Having traveled extensively on business as well as leisure over the years, visiting more than 70 countries, I tend to spend a great deal of time doing research, reading reviews on destinations and the hotels and comparing tour packages before booking. Africa Zim's 8 day tour seemed to include all the things we wanted to do with accommodations at reasonably priced hotels. Fortunately, they didn't disappoint.
Muto was a wealth of knowledge throughout the trip and was on time for pickups and drop-offs at all venues. At the end of each day he asked for a critique of that days activities and also provided information regarding the itinerary for the next day. He could not have been more attentive. All of the hotels were better than average in terms of accommodation and the food was unbelievably good at all of them, especially the Chobe Safari Lodge.
One of our biggest concerns (if you want to call it that) was the overnight at Elephant Walk since we had never done camping and wasn't quite sure of what to expect. Fortunately, we tried to reserve judgment and hoped it would be better than what we were thinking and fortunately, it was. In fact, it was all good and made us feel as though we had actually experienced "the real Africa." The tents were comfortable, although unheated but we had enough cover to bundle up against the elements and be able to sleep through the night. There is no internet or TV so sitting on the porch watching the elephants and reading gave us a chance to decompress for at least one day of our lives.
The most amazing aspect of the trip was that we were fortunate to see lions and the elusive leopard during our game drives through Chobe and it goes without saying that the Okavango Delta is just phenomenal. We had done Vic Falls during a previous trip, but even though it wasn't new, there were aspects that Muto pointed out that we weren't aware of and didn't know, so even that was good. Bottom line, it's a great tour package and you won't regret booking with these guys.
Many thanks to Blessing and Pam for their assistance, as well, during the booking process. My only complaint would be improving the line of communication and keeping in touch with the client after the booking has been made until the actual date of the tour. We booked in November and didn't hear anything until I initiated contact just a few weeks before the tour in July, so we obviously had some concerns. Fortunately, those concerns were alleviated once we got there and Muto took over. It was great!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari of a lifetime!
Having already done a great safari in Tanzania a few years ago, I had pretty high expectations this time around, taking alone my two children (12 and 10) to their first safari in Kenya.
Simon from Wildrace Africa was by far the most professionnal and responsive operator to get back with a quote, a competitive, tailor-made 8-day itinerary in a private 4x4, covering four parks (Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli & Tsavo East) with a drop-off to our resort in Diani Beach.
Simon answered all logistical questions I had within hours (when not minutes!) via Whatsapp, and offered flexibility (downpayment through Paypal, balance in euros rather than USD...).
On departure day we met the whole Wildrace Africa team as well as our guide/driver Pascal, whose friendliness, experience, competence and professionalism truly made this safari a unique lifetime experience.
Pascal was totally dedicated to our every needs and went out of his way to take us to as many game sighting spots as we wanted, when we wanted. His keen eye even made us witness a live lion hunt moment, an extremely rare scene during daytime. We saw just about every single animal one can see in Kenya, and more!
Pascal is an excellent driver, we felt safe throughout the trip, and he regularly shared his extensive knowledge on fauna, flora, kenyan customs, traditions, and language. He was fantastic with my kids.
Due to our limited budget we stayed at basic tented accommodations either very close to park entrances, or just inside. All were fine and offered great surroundings, you felt in the middle of wilderness being woken up by exotic birds.
The itinerary sold on paper was fully respected, we really got our money’s worth. Everything went smooth and perfect.
Needless to say I highly recommend this operator to any western tourist looking for value for money, safety, and comfort. We feel lucky we chose Wild race over the plethora of other operators in Kenya.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent wildlife density
Chobe National Park is one of the great natural reserves of Africa. It is a rather arid environment kept alive by the Chobe River which helps to concentrate wildlife and permits excellent viewing of large and small animals. Elephants, buffalo, and antelope are common and often in large groups. The river attracts birds, hippo, crocodile and one of the best vantage points to view animals is by boat. Surrounding the river, vegetation can be dense and animal viewing must be from vehicles on defined roads which may limit visibility of animals but provides more privacy and less environmental impact. July is dry season, and probably the best time of year to visit Chobe because they must seek water from the river. I stayed in a tented camp hosted by And Beyond Chobe under Canvas which created an immersive experience with the land, and the sounds of yapping jackals, roaring lions, and other animals provided nighttime entertainment and wonder. Food was prepared by campfire and the roving camp was specifically designed to cause low environmental impact. Our guide and camp team were knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed genuinely concerned about our experience. Nights were cool and the days were warm to hot so preparation is needed. Choose is an excellent destination for photographers. Consider the animals may be farther away then some reserves and a long lens is advised. I primarily used a 100 to 400mm. Chobe can offer a wide variety of experiences; the best thing about safaris is that you never know what you will see, but almost certainly, the magical experience will never fade in your mind.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expansive views and stunning diversity, including black rhino!
Ngorongoro Crater offered the most incredible & expansive views I've ever experienced. I had the privilege of staying in the Serena Safari Lodge with a floor to ceiling view of the crater from the dining area, and a deck view from the room that is not to be missed. While I personally prefer bush camps, I will definitely return to the crater and this specific view in years to come. It was the nicest accommodation that I've ever stayed in.
At the lodge there was a chance to mingle with the Maasai, who sell many of their arts and crafts.
Wildlife viewing in the crater brought me close to the magnificent dark-maned lions, many cape buffalo, tons of flamingo, and a black rhino with calf! While most animals were represented in the crater, these were the ones that stood out as differing slightly in number (more) from what I saw while in the Serengeti.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a place that I hope to revisit many, many times.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Kruger maintains a beautiful landscape that homes a vast amount of amazing biodiversity.
I my own experience of the Kruger, many species were seen including The Big Five, Black-backed Jackals, Wild Dogs, Crocodiles, Hippos, and all your more common herbivorous species, as well as a large range of birds including Vultures, Yellow-Billed Hornbills, Ground Hornbills, Ostriches, Secretary Birds, a lot of raptor species, and many many more smaller birds. The scenery during winter is lovely and the temperatures are much more bearable. All of my accommodation and food within the park was fantastic and wholesome.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing wildlife, excellent lodges.
The safari with Best Memory Safaris was amazing. We did a 10 day tour visiting Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Navaisha, Ambroseli, Tsavo West and Tsavo East (finishing on Mombasa Beach).
All lodges were great and in privileged areas with good food. The drivers/guides were very kind and thoughtful. Real great value for money. Isaac the owner of BMS was great, he helped us fantastically in getting our lost baggage back and also with an other problem we had during the trip. He is great.
Outside the national parks there is not much to do, the roads are realy bad and rubbish and dirt all around, very disappointing.
We will go back to Kenya in the future but only flying directly into the National parks. We will make the reservations with BMS again for sure.