35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A super safari tour with a brilliant guide
We had a super safari in the top four national parks in TZ. Our tour guide, Charles Njau was so knowledgeable about animals, birds, best time and areas where to find the elusive animals such as Cheetahs. His command of English was great and it made the experience memorable to every one in the group. He is such a smooth driver with a never giving up and flexible attitude when searching for animal experience. Thank you so much for the wonderful time and hope to see you again.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Family Safari Trip
This is an excellent Safari Company. They are quick to respond, pay attention to detail, provide a wonderful experience, and offer the best value for the money of any other tour company in Tanzania.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
perfectly organized day safari to Pilanesberg
we only had one day to do a safari whilst we were staying in Joburg so we chose to go to Pilanesberg. GoSafari organized the trip with good car/driver. excellent lunch at the lodge and a truly wonderful safari in which we saw all the wildlife we really wanted to see incl. the lions.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
affordable proffessionals where one gets what he pays for
.while in the area coverage of blue ocean safaris definitely will always be my service providers.
i had a wonderful time at Ngologol ,proffessional guides with a lot of information about different species of animals, at mt Meru and kilimanjalo, a morning ride to Kilimanjaro International airport ohoooooo. you get what you pay for. long live blue ocean safalis
US
Business trip support while in Tanzania for a few days
My colleague and I had a very productive and positive experience while in Tanzania, and our guide was VERY attentive and accommodating. Be it for business or personal travel, will certainly use them again!
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful safari with all big fives during 9 days
We were a group of 6 people from Germany: the youngest 21 and the eldest 71 years old. Gichmak Safaris Kenya planned this safari like we wished it. First by plane from Mombasa to Nairobi, then by safari-bus along the Rift Valley with wonderful view to Masai Mara, where we stayed 2 overnights in the beautiful Olumara Camp. We saw the wild beasts and zebras crossing, thousands of animals in the Masai Mara enjoying the grass, two cheetah mummys with 4 babys each, a leopard upon the tree, a lady lion at the Mara River and elephants, Thomson Gazelles, Topis, Giraffes.. Then we went to Nakuru NP to Flamingo-Hills Camp, where the lake because of high water destroyed a lot of trees, but nevertheless we saw more Flamingos than in 2011, 12 Rhinos, 7 crossing the road just in front of us, a lot of Buffalos, a Hippo and a Lion drinking in front of our car. Next we enjoyed the Aberdares Country Club and the Arc with a lot of Hyenas trying to hunt the big pigs, but without success. During the next 2 days we stayed in Tsavo East Voi Lodge with a lot of red Elephants all around and at last a big family of young Lady Lions. Going back to our wonderful hotel "Diani Sea Resort" we stopped again like always in Mombas at the Akamba Handicraft Village for beautiful carveries. Our guide Michael Makundi, who planned this long safari with us, like he did it since 2003, 2004, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 20013, and our very good driver Bernhard made this safari for all of us to a wonderful experience again. We will book our next safari again with Gichmak Safars Kenya - again with Michael + Bernhard!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organized, guide with a lot of experience, yummy meals, individual possibilities: gorgeous!
We organized our tour from home and were in good contact with SunnySafaris. Jessica answered allways quick, so we could get onward with our planing. SunnySafaris were the only company who offered us for the same price a safari just for the two of us. We could bring in individual wishes like one extra day in Tarangire and two 2-hours-hiking trips, one at Mto wa mbu-Manyara, hiking up the mountain starting by the banana-plantation, the other one on the crater rim at Ngorongoro guided by an armed Ranger. Both were very exiting an nice after sitting all day in the car. We booked a 7-day-Camping-Safari (Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire) and were surprised how much we could see in these days. Our guide Khalifa was very experienced and found so many nice spots to watch animals - it was incredible! Thanks so much for that, Khalifa! We enjoyed it so much and appreciate the work. He explained a lot about the animals and referred always to our wishes. In the "background" was Vincent, cooking excellent meals, building up the comfortable tent and always looking for us. They were a good team; we enjoyed so much staying with them. Both were also very kind helping us getting the right bus to Moshi after the safari which helped a lot. All in all our expectation were matched more than we could have wished and we are still full of all the nice pictures in mind we collected during these seven days. For sure we can recommend SunnySafaris. It was really worth the money.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic Zambezi canoe safari
The whole tour was fantastic! It was well organized by the Natureways team and their qualified and multi-skilled guides. A good mix of safari experience, exercise (the paddling) and fun.
We definitely can recommend Natureways to anyone who is considering a canoe safari.
NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant three-country million-animal luxury tour
Jude has designed a tour that takes in all the highlights of northern South Africa (including the Drakensburgs, Kruger National Park and Mapungubwe NP) Zimbabwe (Matapos NP, Hwange NP and Victoria Falls) and Botswana (Chobe, Moremi, Okavango, Khama and Tuli Reserves). And she has done it with style. We did not expect the varied luxury accommodation, the terrific food, the animal encounters, the history, the landscapes, the fun. Couldn't have wished for better guides - Ant, who took all our Kiwi ribbing like a trooper and gave it back with vigour; Ben of the hilarious tales and an amazing ability to find incredible animals (lions on a kill, then jackals and finally hyena and vultures) - or was that his attachment to his radio; and Gerry - warm, accommodating and very very funny. And all bracketted with a stay with Francois of the fabulous meals - how does he do it!
On top of all that our fellow travellers were gems - a great bunch to share the confines of the truck, meals, photos, awe, surprises and a totally memorable experience with. Thanks, good people.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointing
Our initial communication with Instinct Safari was good however once in Africa it was definitely downhill. About three days before we were due to fly into Uganda we received the following email.
As the DR Congolese single entry visa is not officially part of our included services, please let us know if you have already applied for it on www.visitvirunga.org and have a confirmation. If, however, you did not yet do so, please let us know (we would further require your job title - in addition to the passport copies we already have - to fill out their online form) and we do it for you. Please understand, that in that case we have to charge the extra US $105 per person they ask for their single entry visa.As your safari lies only a week ahead, please provide us with the requested information as soon as possible.
This was very disturbing as in every correspondence prior to this they had said the following
The DR Congo visas are usually purchased by us as the tour operator simply because details such as border checkpoint and address in DRC etc. have to be submitted during the application process.
.......Highest priority is assigned to the activities in DR Congo, now. With your passport photocopies at hand, it is easy for us to proceed and acquire your travel visas along with the volcano hike.
In this instance I contacted the Director who to his credit rectified this but it did add stress as we had limited internet access at this stage.
The day before we flew in we received another email explaining that we would need a special type of sleeping bag and parkas for sub zero conditions to prevent us suffering Hypothermia while trekking up to the volcano.
The packing list we had received before we left home did not mention this.
Decidedly unimpressed on arrival the guide not for the last time said it wasn't his fault as he had only just received the information himself, although later in the conversation he said he had been to the volcano a number of times before so I'm not sure why the company would not know what you need.
He did explain this situation could also be solved!!!!!
The car they picked us up in was really really old we had just come from a self drive safari in Namibia where we had no dust in the car.
The guide was EXTREMELY difficult to understand his English was poor and his attitude poorer.
He had minimal text book knowledge of the area. Quite honestly I think he and the driver thought it was their holiday. Soon as we arrived at places they would take off and chat with people . There were many instances where either ourselves or someone else would have to search for them.
Communication was almost non existent at the second lodge on arrival he just took off to relax in the lounge . Other guests thought they were also guests there, enthused to tell us some other tourists staying there were travelling to the Congo.
After we trekked with the Golden Monkeys we were supposed to go back to the lodge for a shower and lunch. They were particularly agitated and wanted us to be ready in 30 minutes?!
They then drove dangerously to the Congo border. I kept asking why we didn't cross the Congo border that was quite near. He just kept saying it was unacceptable. We finally arrived at the border he was on the phone and then said it was to late to cross. I then asked to speak to the lodge owner who told me she had expected us at 8.30am and had emailed him this information. He had had wifi access at the lodge. She said you can't drive in the Congo at night. One wonders why a company would create an itinerary that is unachievable as we were always trekking golden monkeys that day, the lodge owner was very helpful and suggested we stay just across the border. He instead checked us in at a hotel on the Rwanda side. I asked him to confirm this with her. He assured me he would. Next day we crossed the border my daughter and I were standing on the side of the road with all our gear, yet again they were nowhere to be found. My daughter eventually located them sitting out the back chatting with friends. The driver was late but they hadn't bothered to tell us. As it turns out they had gone to the hotel they thought we were staying at!!!!! ( the one they recommended)
We had consequently held everyone up to start the trek up the volcano. Again on arrival no explanation that we could put some belongings in bags that had been provided for us. We had been told we would each be provided with a porter but they were carrying our sleeping gear not our belongings. The food for the day was two warm ham sandwiches which would have been in the sun for at least four hours before consumption and a non refrigerated boiled egg. Although they were not responsible for the food they did not care about resolving the situation. During the trek the driver and guide spent most of their time taking selfies at one point when my daughter slipped they laughed and kept walking.
At one stage the cook asked the guide to come over and interpret but he was busy taking photos and initially said "no "until the chef demanded it.
I could add more . I spent six weeks in Africa and have travelled extensively and love travel . This guide / company were the worst I have ever experienced.
Do yourself a favour and pick someone else . Having said that the treks we did were fantastic and with another company I would highly recommend the gorillas golden monkeys and volcano in DR Congo.