US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Give Top Cream Safari a chance and they'll impress. Trustworthy/great communication, simply the best
Mini Version: We went for a 5 day Safari and the communication, service and friendliness of this tour operator is something you not only need but want when you are checking off this bucket list item. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Now to the long version:
Before arriving in Kenya:
We decided on going to Kenya after I was dragging my feet for several years. I started reaching out to multiple tour operators in both Kenya and Tanzania. We settled on Kenya because of the direct flight from JFK so I narrowed the search down to tour operators in Kenya, and as you know by this point probably there are quite a few of them. What narrowed down my decision to choosing Top Cream tours initially was the price they provided for the same service others were offering however this wasn't the deciding factor. We had the choice narrowed to a few but when you are sitting thousands of miles away and contemplating whether to trust a tour operator with no presence in major travel review sites, it was this tour operators instant and courteous communication that made me pick them and we are so glad we did!
After arrival in Kenya:
Erastus made sure to visit us in the hotel to go over the tour details and provide us a receipt for the payments we did online and in person. He brought the drive with himself so we get aquatinted. John(our driver) is a fantastic tour guide, we are quite people and enjoy our times away from the hustle of NYC and John gave us the quite ride we needed, with his driving we felt safe and had no problem communicating any changes or requests.
Throughout the trip the tour operator made sure to reach out to us to make sure we are all good and don't have any issues, we even decided mid-tour to extend the trip 1 day beyond what we initially planned for and they were so accommodating. We left all the decisions at their mercy and were not disappointed at all.
On our way to airport Erastus made sure to meet us and make sure we have had a good time. They even walked us to the gates. After we returned home, they reached out and made sure we are safe and that we were happy with their services.
One of the concerns I had was deciding between the Jeep and the Van, We chose to go with the latter and I can tel you the quality of the Van they provided was very good and we felt very confident that it won't leave us stranded. I doubt it would be any different for the Jeep so book with confidence.
Disclosure: I have not been paid or compensated in for this review in any way.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Can't imagine traveling to Uganda with any other guide...Twaha is, hands down, THE BEST!!
This is my 7th consecutive year traveling to Uganda and using Twaha as a safari guide. Each year he manages to somehow make the experience even better than the last. I have now experienced Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls (at least 5 times), Quads on the Nile, boat rides to the falls, birding adventures, chimp trekking, Nile river rafting and the most AMAZING lodges! I don't even look at the itinerary anymore...I just let the Wild Jungle Trails team handle all the arrangements. Each year they pick the perfect places and set us up with the best guides at each adventure. I always receive the best customer service from start to finish.
If you are looking for a stress free, safe guide who knows all the ins and outs of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.....Wild Jungle Safaris should be your only option. I recommend getting input from their staff in regards to realistic travel times and accommodations to ensure your expectations are met and your trip is enjoyable! I can't imagine experiencing Africa with any other safari guide!
US
An amazing trip in one of Africa's best safaris (per CNN) and an incredible gorilla trek.
Uganda Safari Chapter delivers excellent service with itineraries, on the ground pick ups and excellent guides! Going to Kidepo Valley National Park was a highlight with its beauty, remoteness, and huge herds of Cape buffalo and elephants. Wildlife viewing was quite good with several lion sightings, 50+ zebra and many other animals. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is an amazing experience. As you look into their eyes there is a moment of recognition which is surreal. At both national parks, Uganda Safari Chapter put me in beautiful lodges / tented camps with excellent service and great food. They know what they're doing!
DE
The experience was one of a kind.
Really nice company with friendly operators, you get value for your money.
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari in Masai Mara
The safari met our expectations on 100%. Our gide, Patrik was very experienced, very knowledgeable and very professional. He show us everything, and made our tour unforgettable. Many thanks to Ruth, she organized the tour very well, answerd for all questions detail and fast, and she is very beautifull. I will use their services again surely.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing trip
We were ten in a Group of friends who decided to climb this highest free standing mountain in the world and we managed to reach to the top thanks to the Guides, the potters ,cook ,waiters and the whole team. It was a really good experience, its view was incredible!
Our experience climbing Kilimanjaro organized by this Local Company Bujo tours
ES
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thieves
How is it possible that this guy is still offering on the net? How can one stop an evident thief?
Again, do not use them, do not book with them and do not pay anything!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great 3 weeks of birding and nature exploring
What a great trip did we have!
Communication before the trip was great, very nice and friendly people and proper English most of the time.
Paul himself was our guide and responded before the trip on every email quite fast after sending it. In the field when we were out he probably did the same; great for his new customers but a little less great for us at that time. My advise would be to try to do this when you're not out with clients.
Paul is a great guy, he has good knowledge about the wildlife, the areas (he knows Uganda by head) and especially about the birds, although there is still room for improvements eg. when waders and swifts concerned. A lot of bird calls remain very difficult but I can't blame him because it is quite difficult indeed. I think we might have missed some species because of that but you can't know them all. On a number of occasions we were accompanied by some great guides who were a nice addition.
I think we really did not o.k. at Semliki birdwise; we missed too many birds so you might be more clearer to future clients only 10 to 15% of the birds mentioned are likely to be seen (in 1 or 1,5 days of birding). But luckily we did see some good birds and I appreciate the persistance Paul showed from time to time to find some good birds for us!
We had a really good car, we had no troubles with it whatsoever and Paul was always willing to put the rooftop up. He's a very careful driver and doesn't take any unneccesary risks. He knows how to handle the car when we wanted to take photographs and he is very friendly to fellow traffic users.
His equipment is o.k. and his eyes are really great; he sometimes saw more details with his bins then we did with our swaro's. Sharp eye!
When you're a hardcore birder with the aim to see as much birds as possible (no matter what) you should hire Paul together with Raymond (the royal Mile), Roger or Gordon (to name a few)... that's a combination which is great!
At the end we had a fantastic birding trip with a lot of nice mammals on the side. We saw 520+ bird species which is a good number in November I think. I'll have to come back in July to try to see some Broadbills, Antpitta and Semliki goodies. I definately recommend Paul and Terrain Safaris and probably hire them myself as well. Thank you Paul and Terrain Safaris for this wonderful experience! I wish you all the best!
Vincent
The Netherlands
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
GREAT AGENCY.
We had great time on our one week tour to Tanzania. Dahlia Team did an amazing job in organizing our tour at very high level. Hotels were perfect. Our driver was very informative and entertaining. Our guide Godfray was the best guide we have ever met. He was very funny and a great photographer. He took beautiful pictures for us. Local village trip was different experience. There were no issues happened during our 7days.Everything went smoothly and we had a wonderful trip. We strongly recommend this safari organizer.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip to Mbala, Zambia for Centenary Ceremony for the end of World War I in Africa
Our trip to Mbala was for five days with the principal event being the 25 November 2018 Ceremony marking the Centenary of the World War I surrender of German East African forces to British Forces which took place on 25 November 1918. We also visited other significant locations in Zambia’s Northern Province.
Our tour guide and driver was James Tembo from African Vacations. We left Lusaka at 4:30 am to avoid the traffic and headed north, reaching Kasama that night. We visited the Lettow Vorbeck (the German Commander during the War) Memorial on the way.
Day two and we visited the Chishimba Falls which are amazing, then headed north to Mpulungu on Lake Tanganyika where we visited the port (hum ho) then the old stone church (very interesting). Unfortunately, the accommodation in Mbala that night was not satisfactory, however we endured it with some sympathy for James who had been badly let down by the Lodge owner.
Day three was the Centenary Ceremony which was fascinating. All appeared to be chaos shortly before the Ceremony, but somehow they managed to pull together an impressive event with the Zambian President, Ambassadors, Generals and von Lettow-Vorbeck’s grandson all laying wreaths at the Mbala memorial. In the afternoon we visited the old jail (which needs work), the pioneer cemetery (interesting), and Mbala’s Museum (very impressive). There is a surprising amount to see in Mbala, but you need to know where to look.
Day four and we headed north to Kalambo Falls where a torrent of water falls 235 metres into the gorge below. An absolute must if you are in the area. We then headed south to Kapisha Hot Springs Lodge where we camped the night in the tents James had brought with him. Kapisha is definitely the place to stay in this area. We woke early for a swim in the hot spring then headed off to Shiwa House which is a grand English style country house and estate. Also a must see. James then drove us to home in Lusaka.
It was a great trip. We had no preconceived expectations, and the disappointing aspects of the trip were outweighed by the hidden gems we found. James did a good job organising then running the trip, and we’re sure he is now wiser for the experience.