20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Horrific
This company accepted payment for services and did not provide any of what they promised and committed to for our honeymoon. They emailed a ‘story’ of being let down by a partner and took no responsibility for the thousands we paid them.
It now been over a year and we’ve had no refund and I’m astonished to see them trading. They are completely untrustworthy and I recommend you avoid at all costs. They stole thousands off a lot of people and if they hadn’t removed their trip advisor listing you’d see many other similar stories. I’d suggest any good reviews are not genuine. Be warned!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
OK Tour for money paid but proper organization and attention to detail will help!!
This is a review of the 12 day Kenya / Tanzania Safari that 12 of us (Private Tour) undertook from 12 – 23 September, 2018 organized through Seth Vincent, Director Trip Advisor Africa Safaris, Nairobi.
The Nairobi airport pick up and transfer to hotel went off well and the Sarova Stanley Hotel that was booked for that night as per itinerary was great.
As per the itinerary day 1, the tour of Nairobi commenced at 9:00 am on 12 September. At the outset Seth introduced us to a 13th person (not known to any one of us in our group of 12) who was going to join our tour group. This was a complete surprise to us and none of us were happy about it. We questioned Seth why this was sprung upon us and he was quiet. Although this was not acceptable to us, based on the compassionate nature of our group we had no objection and the group became 13. On hindsight, we should not have allowed this and stuck to our position of only our 12 as this extra person in the vehicle led to great inconvenience with seating/viewing.
Seth/Trip Africa Safaris must ensure private tours remain private and limited to the people in the original group – no additions whatsoever, without prior written approval by the group.
While out on the Nairobi tour, we quickly realized the detailed itinerary as given to us by Seth was not realistic. Moreover, the drivers/guides were completely unaware of the contents of the itinerary. They had their own plans which made more sense than the given itinerary. Seth/Trip Africa Safaris must ensure the itinerary submitted to clients is realistic and correct AND it is copied to the driver/guide so that everyone is on the same page. Evening ended with a great welcome dinner to our group at the Carnivore as given in the itinerary.
Day 2 – Drive times given in itinerary were wrong but the drive from Nairobi – Nakuru through Great Rift Valley, game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, and Sarova Lion Hill – Nakuru overnight hotel part were as given in itinerary. A problem we encountered was the hotel not having individual bookings in the names of persons in our group and the additional person. This led to confusion and delays checking in. Seth/Trip Advisor Africa must ensure hotel reservations are made in individual/couple/family name with individual reservation confirmation numbers, which can be confirmed by the clientele even before arriving in Kenya/Tanzania etc.
Day 3, 4, 5- Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara good but previously mentioned hotel check in problem existed at Azure Mara Haven.
Day 6, 7 - Drive to Tanzania Serengeti through Isebania border. Transfer to Tanzania vehicles/s driver/guide OK. Hotel check in problematic once again at Serengeti Serena on day 6. Major problem in checking out on day 7 as tour operator had not paid the hotel bill in full. This is completely unacceptable and must not happen.
Seth/Trip Advisor Africa must take full responsibility for ALL arrangements both in Kenya and Tanzania side as our group agreement is only with Seth. As a client we have no involvement with any sub agents.
Day 8, 9 – deviations from the given itinerary started to be made due to the bad/lack of planning of the Tanzanian sub agent who it appeared had not made any firm bookings for our group in Ngorongoro, and Tarangire. We were sent to Serena Manyara instead of Serena Ngorongoro, and Impala Hotel, Arusha instead of Sopa Lodge -Tarangire, which is a major downgrade of hotel not at all acceptable to the group. We were kept in the dark as to where we were staying until late evening and it was extremely disappointing particularly with the drivers/guides working in collusion with the Tour Agent/s. Game drives were shortened and varied from those given in itinerary. These changes are all unacceptable to clients such as our group who paid all the money that was asked up front well before the due date.
Seth/Trip Advisor Africa must take full responsibility for the inconvenience, peace of mind, etc.
Day 10, 11 – Transfer at Namanga OK and overnight at Sopa Lodge – Amboseli as given in itinerary. Game drives ok but changes to lunch arrangements by drivers unacceptable ( got boxed lunches from Sopa instead of Hot Lunch at Amboseli Serena as given in itinerary).
Day 12 – Back to Nairobi and farewell dinner at Thai Restaurant – Sarova Stanley Hotel as requested by group was good.
A good thing about this tour was that we saw loads of animals at very close quarters. This I believe is partly luck and to the efforts of the drivers/guides Ken and Jacob in Kenya AND Ben and Ziggy in Tanzania , although the latter two were partly responsible in working with their Tanzanian Boss to keep us in the dark on change of hotels. The arrangements on the Kenya side seem to be more in lines with the itinerary and OK but the same cannot be said on the Tanzania side.
I am satisfied with the tour but Seth/Trip Advisor Africa will have to improve tremendously if we are to actively recommend them. They are disorganized and needs to put a lot of effort up front to have realistic itineraries, vehicle details (A/C or Non A/C) and firm/confirmed individual hotel bookings with reference numbers available to client before coming over to Africa. Also, Seth must keep to his words when verbal promises are made to clients on site. That would go a long way in building trust and recommending Trip Advisor Africa as a reliable entity.
Chris - Canada
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing gorilla tracking experience with Karumuna Safaris
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest with Karumuna Safaris. Richard and Jonah were very professional in their communication with us right from the beginning. The whole experience completely exceeded our expectations, the accommodation at Gorilla mist camp and Lake Bunyonyi was excellent and the food was delicious as well. Our guide Caleb was very friendly and very knowledgeable, providing all sorts of information about the Gorillas and other wildlife on the long journey to and from Kampala. The Gorilla tracking itself was a phenomenal experience and worth every penny. All in all Karumuna Safaris were a great company to do our trip with, from the first communication until they dropped us off at Kampala, they took great care of us. Thanks a lot guys!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
boju is the man
great safari for 3 days boju was very professional and nice, i would highly recommend to book with him
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overall, fantastic
Taking everything into consideration, I received my money's worth. There were a few hiccups. We were a group of 12, and our understanding was that we purchased a private tour. However, when we got to Nairobi, we found that there was a 13th person included in our group. This was an inconvenience (no offence meant to this person), as we had to share two vehicles. All of the hotels were as promised and very good, except just one in Tanzania. We were told some rooms at the hotel that was promised, were not available, and we would be taken to another in Arusha. The hotel in Arusha was not up to the standard of that promised. I tried to get the hotel booking reference numbers beforehand so that I could confirm the bookings and the number of rooms, before our trip commenced. However, I met with some resistance, even from some members of our own group that protest the loudest, and never got this information. Then there was another incident in Tanzania where the hotel was claiming they were not paid for the second night, and wanted us to make the payment. Eventually though, it got sorted out. As you can see, it was mostly in the Tanzania side of our Kenya/Tanzania tour that we encountered some problems in logistics.
So those were the "cons". Taken with the broader scheme of things, they were minor. We did manage to complete the tour, and we did encounter heaps of wild life. I should also mention another incident that will show that the organizers had the well being of their clients at heart. One of my luggage, containing some of my medicines, did not arrive with us to the Nairobi airport. Seth Vincent (from Trip Advisor Africa Safaris) made the effort to collect it when it arrived (two days later) and forward it to me to the point of our tour.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well Organized Tour Company
Had an amazing once in a lifetime experience with Saso Uganda Safaris. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a well-planned and affordable safari trip.
I was very impressed with the knowledge that both the tour operator, Wilson and the tour driver Fred. All staff went over and above to accommodate myself and my family, including my dietary needs as a Vegan. Wilson and his team provided us with a personalized 6-day itinerary planned around our interested and what animals we were particularly fond off. We managed to see 4 of the big 5 and were able to have close contact with both Elephants and giraffes.
From the start I felt he really understood what we were looking for plus he was able to get what we wanted within our budget! He made some valid suggestions to our itinerary which in the end made a huge difference to our trip. The safari totally exceeded our expectations. The lodges and tented camps he selected had great food and facilities.
NO
Off road Tanzania september - october 2018
Great local guiding off the beaten tracks of Tanzania. Bikes were great for the purpose. Light, nimble and powerful enogh for most of the terrain. Some technical problems could maybe have been avoided by preventive maintenance, however technical problems were always solved as soon as possible by qualified mechanics. Along the way we experience the friendly and curious atposphere of the people (locals, masai-tribe, hadza tribe) along the way and wild animals like giraffe,zebra,wildebeast, gazelle etc. Truly a great experience
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Utterly fabulous trip!
I expected to love traveling in Namibia, but our 9-day tour with Nature Travel totally surpassed my expectations! Namibia is stunningly gorgeous and I can imagine no better way to experience the country than the trip that Nature Travel prepared for us. We went to all the spots a first-time visitor would want to see from the red dunes in Sossusvlei, to Swakopmund, to Etosha with many stops in between. The lodges were all lovely and the countryside you drive through is unending beauty. But what made the trip so special was having the best guide imaginable--Previous Tsvigu. Not only had he spent years working in the parks and in conservation, but he is also a passionate birder. So he knew the birds and animals in a way that brought the experience to life. He could easily identify all the birds we encountered, and had an incredible eye for spotting them. In Etosha, his intimate knowledge of the animals and their habits helped him to predict where they would be and when they would move, so he was able to place us in the best spots for viewing them. He was also deeply knowledgeable about Namibian history and culture and always generous with his knowledge. And he had a ready smile and laugh. We would not have seen half so much without him, even visiting the same places.
From initial contact and trip preparations through to the day we left, Nature Travel could not have been more attentive and professional. Thank you for an utterly fabulous trip!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Amazing 13Days Tour
Everything is well. Everyone is happy.
About Reservation
We contact with Mr. Haron one years ago. Him seriously was responsible for our trip and give us good price.
About Our Schedule
We have a reasonable schedule and thanks for Haron.
D1（Sep. 23）：Arrive in Nairobi in the morning，06:05 Nairobi - Masai Mara
D2（Sep. 24）：Masai Mara
D3（Sep. 25）：Masai Mara
D4（Sep. 26）：Masai Mara
D5（Sep. 27）：Masai Mara-SERENGETI（lobo）
D6（Sep. 28）: SERENGETI（lobo）
D7（Sep. 29）: SERENGETI（Seronera）
D8（Sep. 30）: SERENGETI（Seronera）
D9（Oct. 1）: SERENGETI-NGORONGORO
D10（Oct. 2）: NGORONGORO-ARUSHA
D11（Oct. 3）: ARUSHA -AMBOSELI
D12（Oct. 4）: AMBOSELI
D13（Oct. 5）: AMBOSELI- Nairobi
About Vehicle、Camp
We have arranged 7 camps/hotels. They are so Fantasy.The Sarova and SERENA LODGE are the best .
We also have 4*4 Land Cruiser.
About Our Drivers and Guiders
We got 3 drivers and guiders. Paul、Gindion and Julius are profession and circumspection and humours. We are so miss them.
Just saying this it is a amazing journy time .
Please choose Africa Sunset Safari please choose Mr. Haron.
ES
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely fantastic experience,highly recommended
We booked a three week trip starting at the Victoria falls (2 days) ,Chobe in Botswana,flying from Kasane into the Okavango delta and driving through Namibia visiting Caprivi gamepark,lodges on the Okavango and Cuando riverside,Bushmanland,Damaraland,Etosha national Park,Grootberglodge,Swakopmund,Sossusvlei (Namib-Naukluft) and Windhoek.CrissCross provided a Guide-driver,an airconditioned 4x4,reserved all our accomodationes,and visits.
This experience totally exceeded our expectationes.During the safaris we saw the big five, sometimes hundreds of animals together, in Etosha fighting rhinoceros,a hippo in the garden of the Xakanaxa camp where we received the unexpected visit
of a waterbuffel during the night.In between this animal festival we visited the bushmenvillage,the Damara people and the
engravings in Twyfelfontein.We searched for hours in the desert for the desert-elephants and found them.We drove over the dunes near Swakopmund( hundred meters high) ,admired thousands of sea lions in Walvisbaai some of them jumped onto the boat
meanwhile we ate the marvelous oysters cultivated in the bay.What a beautiful coast,thousands of flamingos,pelicans,whales,
and schools of dolphins. CrissCross continued surprising us.On our way to Sossusvlei we slept in the desert under the starlit sky
and the accommodations had organized fantastic sunset parties.We climbed the dunes and enjoyed the valley of Sossusvlei.
We did not expect a lot of Windhoek ,but even here our guide surprised us with a great city trip (our regards to Maria) and
a lovely dinner at Joe’s Beerbar.
Thanks once again to CrissCross,it’s fantastic guides and organization.