BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Happy customers of Endless Summer Tours
Rhys took us on a great 3-day safari in Kruger park. He was our (nature) guide, driver and cook, providing us with everything we wanted and needed. Highly recommended!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super Safari with very nice staff
We had a very good time with KWSS !
Mr. Otieno is very professional and answered quickly to our emails and questions which is a very good quality when you are not used to book such holidays on internet !
There, the staff (Mike as guide, and John as cook) was very kind to us and very helpful ! Our guide was very patient, letting us taking picture for long time, teaching us many things about nature and local culture.
The staff is very punctual so you never wait ! (even at 6:00 am for sunrise !!)
One thing is that the program has been a little bit changed from the initial plan. However, we could adapt it during the trip !
We had an unforgettable time ! The country is wonderful and KWSS helped us to discover it in very good conditions ! do not hesitate ! :)
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Without a doubt the WORST tour operator ever
Ernest (the contact person) for Time 4 Afrika rarely, if ever answered his phone or responded to emails. Before arriving in Tanzania we were told that all hotel bookings and the itinerary were confirmed, yet upon arrival at our first hotel, no booking had been made. The next morning, we met with a sub-contracted tour operator of Time 4 Afrika who then explained to us that nothing in terms of hotel or itinerary had been booked. Consequently, we were not able to stay at any of the hotels are stated in the contract. Further, Ernest refused to forward payments to the safari tour operator in a timely manner. As such, we were LITERALLY kicked out of our Serengenti hotel one night, and had to spend the night in the park rangers office!! Ernest never came to meet us in either Arusha or Zanzibar, and still has yet to pay the hotel in Zanzibar!! On top of all of this, he has the audacity to ask for more money even though he has not honored a single term of the contract! I have been in contact with the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, as well as other government departments to try to make sure that Ernest Mangela and Time 4 Afrika never operate another tour again! I advise you to PLEASE not use this tour operator under any circumstances.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Go2Africa provides an excellent service.
It's my third time using Go2Africa and my second safari. About the safaris, both were AWESOME. Great service in all camps, great food and drinks. Very nice guides/drivers. We were able to see all Big 5 in both safaris, Masai Mara 2013 and Serengeti 2014. We are already thinking about a third safari for 2015. Thanks to Maureen Stover for organizing this unforgettable experience.
US
Trip of a lifetime
From the first communication with Joao, I felt reassured. He was able to arrange a trip of a lifetime for my sons and me. For 10 days with the excellent and knowledgeable guide, Isaac, we traveled throughout the northern parks in Tanzania. Isaac, respectful of the animals, amazed us with his knowledge. He knows the Latin names of trees, birds by their call, and the behavior of the animals placing us in the exact spot to witness a cheetah kill a reedbuck, lion cubs nursing, a secretary bird feed her young and more. I can't recommend It Started in Africa enough.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome family vacation
Our family of 5 (ages M53, F53, M22, F20, and F17) decided to climb Mt. Kili and then go on a safari in Tanzania. Our guides (Sylvester and August) were great and although it was cold on the final day of the climb, we were all successful getting to the top of the mountain. Everyone was in decent shape, so don't think you can just show up, but the key to making it up the mountain is acclimation; do the 7 day trip. We tackled the Machame route and were not disappointed. I'd recommend using foot-warmers (maybe 2) in your boots as you climb to the top on summit day.
Our Safari lasted 8 days and were fortunate to see everything we hoped for. Highlights included: The Big 5, cheetahs, 3 wildebeest crossings in the northern Serengeti and even some lions mating from 15 feet away. Simply amazing. David, our guide, was the right fit for our family and was a pleasure to be with throughout the entire trip. He even introduced us to his favorite local restaurant in Arusha on the last night, making it a trip that was truly memorable.
Sunny Safaris helped create a trip that was tailored to our requirements of 'somewhat rugged', not too expensive, yet with the right amount of luxury/comfort to keep us in budget. After tenting on the mountain, we spent our evenings in nice, yet simple "luxury tented camps" where the service was great and the facilities were excellent. Other evenings we were in the Sopa Lodges in south Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. We also visited Lake Manyara. If you are short on time, you can have a great 4-5 day trip and simply go to the Crater and then the Serengeti. If you want to go to the northern section because the wildebeest are crossing, strongly consider flying. We had 8 days so driving was an acceptable and cheaper alternative (saved $1200), but we also had one long day of washboard roads that lasted about 8 hours.
For our family, this trip will be one of the most memorable trips we ever take. If you enjoy the outdoors, learning about life and world around you, and are open to new and adventurous things, this type of trip needs to be at the top of your list.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My husband and I loved every moment of the trip. Wildlife just out of the car was amazing.
We were a group of six family members who chose Kenya Walking Survivors Safari (KWSS). My husband and I flew from the U.S., and my parents, and my cousin and his wife flew from India. We were happy with the communication since the beginning. Mr. OT is great at both verbal and written communication. Also, Ngutto, our driver and tour guide was very fluent with English. We really enjoyed being with Ngutto. He is witty, joyful, and helpful. There were a couple of things which makes our overall rating with KWSS a 5-star excellent. The first one - Our group is strict vegetarian and initially we were concerned about our dietary restrictions. But, we were given a cook for part of the trip, places where we otherwise would have had hard time finding veg food. We loved our cook, Byron. He understood us and communicated well to us. He also prepared excellent food! The second one – We were initially planned for the second last day in Tanzania and starting to return back to Kenya very early (2:00 am) next morning, which was still going to cut close to our departure air flight. Since we finished Tanzania earlier than expected, we called Mr. OT to arrange for an earlier return to Kenya. He was flexible with it and ensured us that our comfort was his primary goal. He arranged for our hotel rooms (3 rooms)for a night and we did not have to pay a single extra cent! We were able to return to Kenya plenty in time and stay in a nice hotel room. KWSS took care of our individual needs very well. We highly recommend Kenya Walking Survivors Safari to anyone who is considering a trip to the African Safari!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Expert advice and planning
When arranging a holiday to a foreign country it helps to get a local expert's advice on what to do, where to stay, and what to see. Debbie was a invaluable resource when planning our trip, as we didn't have time to do everything, and didn't want to miss out on the "must see" activities. The sundowner cruise on the Zambezi was small, classy and intimate - thanks to Debbie. She also ensured that our trip ran smoothly, and there was always someone to meet us and take us to our next activity. No time was wasted planning while on our trip, or sorting out problems. Thanks for a wonderful experience!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect organised safari in a wunderful Country
We booked a two weeks privat tour in Ugande with matoke. Because we have already made many Safaris in Africa, we had exact images like ours travel through Uganda should be. The communication and tips from Matoke while planning the holiday was great. Most of our wishes could be made by them. Special thanks to Anna Grodzki for good service, quick answers and always be there if we had another question.
Our driver/guide was Mussa. He was able to maneuver his Jeep trough the 'massage' roads and the wildlife in order to get us the best spots. He knows exactly the behavior of each animal, he gave us a very professional explanation and many information about live in Uganda. And ,not least, we had a lot of fun with him. Many thanks to Mussa, he did a great job! The accommodations we selected were all very good. The best of all Gorilla Safari Lodge at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Only in the hotel Birds Nest at Lake Bunyonyi we have something to complain about. Here we lost our booked room and got a bad room (smale sized without a balkony) because a big group was expected. So this hotel is not recommended for individual travelers. But Matoke also tried to solve this problem so that we could change the second day in a very nice room.
All in all we can recommend Matoke as a tour Operator.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
3 days kruger with crazy Dave
It was excellent.
Dave was all around, he was funny, knowledgable, took care to all our needs and made our trip even better than we thought it would be.
We liked it very much
Thanks a lot.