ES
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wow, great Safari, great experience!!
Not ever having been to Tanzania on a safari before I didn't know what to expect so this holiday trip was a new experience. The company we booked with, "It Started in Africa", was completely upfront and instantaneous with all information requested. Thank you Joao.
I travelled with my wife, 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren. This was an ideal number as we all fitted into one vehicle. We decided to do the budget camping and were not disappointed at all.
The people on the camp site were all very helpful and friendly. The tents and sleeping bags were clean and comfortable, even when we awoke to see and hear zebras munching the grass all around us!!
Our driver / guide Dickson, could not have been more helpful and so keen that we had the opportunity to see all the wild life. His patience was great as we kept asking for more time to take pics etc. He had a great knowledge of the, trees, flora and fauna and was eager to discuss each in detail as required.
Our chef Pasco, was amazing. The quality and quantity of food produced was beyond expectation. The flavours and variety of the cooking was great considering the very limited amount of cooking facilities he had. He even produced two birthday cakes adorned with candles baked in the middle of the Serengeti National Park!!
A trip to a small Maasai Village (non commercial!!) was an education in itself. I am sure our grandchildren were more surprised than we were in how the Maasai live. Well worth it.
Foe me, the 5 days, 4 night camping was probably enough for one safari.
We were very lucky to see 99% of the animals we had hoped to see but as our guide said, every time he visits the parks you can be lucky or unlucky - it's not up to them (the guide), its depends on nature!
As promised all the facilities were great, the vehicle with great viewing possibilities and good binoculars to appreciate the wildlife.
Although the company is probably small in comparison to some others, they could not have been more knowledgeable and helpful even providing transfers to and from the airport.
Thank you very much, Joao, Dickson and Pasco.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Speke Uganda arranged an amazing tour with a very capable guide. Perfect organisation.
Speke Uganda is a company which is always there for its clients. From our first inquiry until our flight back home Tony and his team did a great job. Questions were answered within hours so that we got the impression that the company would sit next door and not thousands of miles away. When we met our guide Michael and the owner of Speke, Tony, in Uganda we saw that these men are living for their job and the wellbeing of their clients. The tour through beautiful Uganda was simply amazing. We got a very good impression of country and people, had many interesting discussions with Michael, stayed in beautiful and well-organized lodges with a always welcoming stuff and saw many animals we never saw before (it was our 5th visit to Africa). So thank you again Tony and stuff for a holiday we will never forget and will remember all our lives. I am recommending Speke Uganda and a trip to Uganda whole-heartedly!!
My experience was absolutely wonderful.
The safari guide on my trip was a gentlemen named Muridy Aahmed. He was great. We had great sightings in Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. For example, we saw a huge buffalo herd (300); many elephants, a pair of cheetah (twice!), lions on a kill, and lionesses and their cubs. Muridy is knowledgeable, eloquent, and passionate. He is a gentlemen, professional, and expert. I highly recommend his services.
The decor in the lodge at Tarangire was unattractive. The lodge had one plus: the outdoor elevated patio that allowed you to drink and eat and be very close to an elephant herd as it drank and ate.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big Five Up Close!
My friend and I from Canada went on a 5 day/4 night safari and it was more than I expected! We hit Tarangire, Serengeti, and the Ngorongoro Crater. The driver from KIA was right on time both ways, very reliable. Our tour guide was amazing, he was able to get us in the best positions for viewing all the wildlife. We saw all of the big five and so much more, even caught some of the wildebeest migration. The food was great, something different and delicious each night. Fantastic tour! Highly recommend these guys. Nothing better than a giant elephant crashing your camp at night.
RS
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A good follow-up of my plans for the safari
I loved their quick response, friendly staff and affordable prices. My safari was excellent. A world class tour operator.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great introduction to wildlife of Kenya.
We were very pleased with our guide and upgrade to an old but sturdy 4 wheel drive. Our accommodation at Ol Pajeta was great and good in Nakuru and Masai Mara. We tried hard to spot all of the Big 5 but the leopard eluded us. We had all animals and birds identified for us and enjoyed the safari immensely. Our only problem came before the tour, when we were told our deposit had been taken back by our bank. This was quite difficult to deal with as we were left wondering for a few days what was going on. Request for a receipt for deposit were ignored. However all ended up well, though we could have done without the stress before the safari.
Very bad experience with Elkan Safaris
After paying upfront for a certain itinerary, the manager of the company (and I believe in fact sole employee as well) tried to change the itinerary and duration of the trip without any logic explanation
upon arrival at Serengeti Gate, we learnt that the funds to pay permits where not available. Of course, the operator lied to us saying that this was due to a system failure and ask if we could do the "favor" of paying for the entrance again and get a refund from him after finishing the safari. After 3 hours assessing options at the very gate (and subsequently wasting the time that was scheduled for safari that day), we have decided to pay only for one day, without any certainty that the day after the operator would not be coming up with the same request
thanks to the manager of the driver (a subcontractor), we could finish our safari without major incidents, apart from the inconvenience of having to turn up every single day (of a total of 5) to the offices to extend the permit as the moneys we had paid in advance were never deposited as they should have been
back to Arusha, the manager of Elkan Safaris tried even not to pay the money he owed us and we had to threaten him with reporting to the police to get our money back, which we finally did some 3 hours before going back to our homeland
I am not wasting my time trying to sort out whether all this behaviour was ill-intentioned or simply careless, all I can say is that I strongly recommend avoiding the services of this tour operator if you want to save yourselves some headaches
35-50 years of age
My Highest Recommendations
Instinct Safaris, namely Niels, made it possible for me and my girlfriend to hike the Mt. Nyiragongo volcano in DRC about a week ago. I understand the park has just reopened, so I am glad how smoothly visa approval and all important bookings went. After visiting DRC from Rwanda, we further connected to Uganda (Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park, and Kibale National Park) for more wildlife and a second mountain gorilla track. Our guide was helpful and knowledgeable throughout :-) We recommend this company and if we travel to the region again, they are certainly the agency we will go with.
Markus
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari
We (two friends) used World Tours and Safaris in November for a 6 days safari (Tarangire- Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro). Having consulted different websites and reviews, we decided to contact WTS. Richard came quickly back and gave the most economical package according to our demands, exactly as we wanted.
He always responded quickly to our messages and provided clear explanations.
Richard is a trustful man who keeps his word: we supposed to share the safari with two travellers. They did not arrive on time but this fact has not changed our safari program or the price previously agreed.
Our guide Aaron was gentle driver, he had good knowledge of animals and landscape and found always the best places to spot the animals. The food was abundant and delicious thanks to our cook Gady.
We had a fantastic safari and we keep excellent memories thanks to the good organisation and the commitment of the team. THANK YOU!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent Experience | Budget Safari
Fransisca at Nature Responsible Safari organized a 5 star safari trip for us at a 2 star price. Not only was the safari and accommodation PERFECT, but the best part (speaking as a seasoned budget traveler) was that she took care of every last detail. No bus transfers or haggling about prices with the lodge - literally everything was set-up in advance, without a hitch. Her staff also took excellent care of us on the road, catering to my ridiculous food allergies and requests to stop and take photos every other minute! I highly recommend NRSC for all travelers!