US
I would advise you not to book this company. Seriously, you'll thank me later.
We booked a 4 night budget safari to see the Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, and Lake Manyara. While the wildlife did not disappoint (thanks to our freelance drivers, who were excellent guides), the rest of the experience was pretty awful.
We got quotes from a bunch of different safari operators and Kiliholidays came in the cheapest. This should have been a red flag, but we are broke grad students so we decided to hire them. Unfortunately, we got what we paid for.
The vehicles were in a sorry state of disrepair and one of them lost a wheel - twice. The bolts were rusted and after hitting a big bump, the wheel would tear loose and bounce off into the bush. Instead of getting new bolts to fix the wheel, the drivers simply borrowed bolts from other wheels. We saw a couple vehicles from other tour operators get flat tires, but no one else on the road had a wheel come flying off.
We also had some customer service issues with the company owner, Mack. You may have noticed that he has written responses to the other bad reviews from our group (there were 8 of us total).
Feel free to read his responses, but as you do, remember that this is how he would talk to you if you had an issue on safari with his company. It's a lot of blathering and blame shifting, which is really not what you want to deal with when you're totally dependent on your tour operator and just trying to have an enjoyable vacation with friends.
In summary - we felt unsafe in the vans and we felt that Mack took advantage of the fact that we were (stupid American) tourists, dependent on Kiliholidays for food, shelter, and transportation. Don't make the same mistake we did - book with someone else!
20-35 years of age
They organised our dream honeymoon and it was perfect in every way.
I would recommend this company to anyone, we had a brilliant experience with them. From our initial contact requesting a quote, right through to the itinerary at the end, they were perfect. The responses to my emails were always very swift and I found them so efficient to deal with in general. They took into account everything we wanted from our honeymoon and came back with a comprehensive itinerary and price. Kathi Simon was wonderful, the accommodation she recommended was always spot on and the information on activities and advice that she provided was so helpful. If we ever return to this part of the world we will use these guys again without a doubt, thank you so much for putting together our dream honeymoon, it was awesome!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome services
The experience at Masai Mara was awesome. I had great time. Thanks Flotish Tours and Travel.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lives upto the hype :) !!!
-We were a group of three guys from India residing in UAE
-Excellent communication by Mr. John regarding the safari prior to booking.
-Safari guide Mr. Antony is a great guy and goes beyond the line to make the safari a great experience. The safari land cruiser was better than every other vehicle we came across.
- Mr. Antony is an experienced guide in the business and knows the hot spots in the game drive.
- Food served in the safari is good (Cook- Mr. Sudi)
Open Africa safari lived up to our expectations giving us loads of memorable moments in the safari experience.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can't imagine a better trip!
It's a little nerve-wracking booking a trip online, but Nick was great to deal with. He planned a trip that took us where we wanted to go, within our budget and time frame. Our guide, Jakes, really made the trip one we will all treasure! He is very knowledgeable and passionate about Namibia..and a great sense of humor! Don't hesitate to book with Nature Travel..you will have a trip of a lifetime! Happy Days!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
What an adventure!
Booked a last minute safari with It started in Africa shortly after landing in Kilimanjaro airport coming from Victoria falls. From a Saturday afternoon they could organize a 7 days safari for 4 persons starting 2 days later (Monday) and with a level of luxury accommodation I could never have expected (gorgeous tented camps from a group called Lemala). The vehicle was amazing with large windows and very smooth. We had two pairs binoculars(Olympus I think) which were a great bonus.
The driver Samuel was what we needed: Professional but cheerful, great driver and with an amazing eyesight. We had amazing discussions about interesting wildlife facts like the reason one leopard was afraid of some birds that were making some strange noises. he was really knowledgeable.
We saw all the big5 during these days and we spent most of our time in the Serengeti (Central and North). Nothing to complain about. Everything was 200%. Highly recommended.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb customer care & quick to respond to meet customer needs
Communicating with a company based in Kenya was made easy due to the quick e mail response and efficient services provided. The company delivered exactly what I needed & made excellent and relevant recommendations to make our trip very successful & rewarding. Esther was the member of staff who dealt with my trip & her response was admirable.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A perfect Safari
Thank you so much for the wonderful safari vacation that you put together for Amy and I! Everything was exactly as you told us it would be. Said is an incredible guide/driver. He is knowledgable, helpful, funny, punctual and of course, professional. Said made the trip so enjoyable. He spotted animals that we would have missed even though we were standing up and only looking as he was doing. We saw so much because of him. All of the places hat we stayed at were perfect. We do not have any complaints. I am sorry we missed meeting with you at the end of our trip. Jo was great in checking to see that our trip wet well. She did mention that you may wish to have some of our pictures for you company. If you do, we would be more than happy to supply them. Also, please feel free to use us as a reference. I would love to be able to help others choose Safarihub as the company that will make their vacation perfect and memorable.
Again, Thank you so much,
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Dunes, Incredible Tour!
Our 3 Day, 2 Night Sossusvlei Dunes Tour with Impala Tours was incredible! Not only were the dunes amazing, but our guide was brilliant. Andre went out of his way to help us and answer all our questions. He even showed us the stars and pointed out many interesting aspects. The accommodation was beautiful and the meals were great, especially the evening buffet.
I am travelling to Namibia again next year and will definitely travel with Impala Tours.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour, great driver, great accommodation, great experience!
We went with CUL Tours on a 3 Day, 2 Night Gorilla Safari and it was brilliant! We were careful to choose CUL Tours, reading many reviews and confirming that the gorilla permits are actually included (many operators say they include them but actually don't). CUL Tours didn't let us down. Everything flowed without a hitch and our driver was fabulous. The accommodation was incredible and their meals delicious. And, yes! The gorilla's!! We tracked a large family and met 12 gorilla's. It was incredible!! One even whacked me on the leg!! It was thrilling!! Our tour and time with the gorilla's is an experience we will cherish forever.
While in Uganda, we also did some volunteer work in Gulu which has totally changed our lives. I highly recommend doing both while you are there. We volunteered through www.brightfutures.com.au