20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommend!
This was a great budget company to use. The planning from Nairobi was done so well and we were given everything we were promised plus more. Our guide Richard was a great guy who was easy to get along with, laid back and eager to make sure we had a good experience . In Masai Mara we were out on the main days game drive for 11 hours- it was beyond our expectation.The accommodation is very basic but it was clean, the beds were comfortable and we had hot showers wherever we went. The food is simple and similar every day but really tasty and great to experience local food. I would definitely recommend this company. Good value for money!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My family and i enjoyed the tour to the maximum.excellent
Communication was superb,service topnotch,1st day was tired didnt enjoy but 2nd and final day breathtaking.i loved mara n am looking forward for another experience like that.kudos to mike our tourguide
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Absolute Worst
AVOID. HIDE. RUN. My 11 day solo Uganda tour blew up after 5 days – money issues. I found out (too late) that Bella had financial difficulties. I paid in full before the tour but they kept asking me for money during the tour. Beware of her and guide Robin coming back into the business under a different company name.
Internet: “www.bellaafricasafaris.com Mailscanner has detected fraud in the website at docs.google.com. Do not trust this website”. www.inspirock.com Bella ... # 78 of 102 in Wildlife in Kampala “www.tourhq.com ... Bella ... ranked # 39 of 47 tour groups in Kampala”
Before the Tour: My repeated emails were typically returned days late. I had to ask for receipts after monies were paid. A “must have” list never came. I emailed the lodges on the tour itinerary a week before it started. Only one lodge said they had a reservation under my name or Bella’s. I emailed Bella, and guide Robin responded that"all reservations are confirmed" (liar).
The Tour: Substitutions were made for all of the lodges listed on the itinerary. I was picked up late every morning at my lodge, once 3 hours late. Guide Robin said that the van had repairs done that day, but the driver told me in the afternoon that Robin spent the morning trying to get money. They asked me for money on the second day … difficulties in Bella getting money to Robin (lie). We spent an entire morning trying to get into Murchison NP - Robin with Bella on the phone tried to talk the person at the gate into letting us in. Finally I paid (and was never reimbursed). A joke. The van was given gasoline 6 gallons at a time – never filled. Bottled water was purchased one bottle at a time. The tour blew apart on day 5 in Kibale NP. Bella never paid for my Chimp Habitation permit (surprise!) – she asked me to pay the 200 USD fee. Nope. The game warden said I could go on the habitation if Bella got the money to him before I returned at the end of the day. I went on the habitation but no money came. When Guide Robin arrived to pick me up (I was the last person to be picked up out of 25 people) they kept him, fortunately letting me go back to the lodge with the driver. The warden kept Robin in jail for the night because of lack of payment. He was let out the next day. I heard later that they were thinking of keeping me in jail, too! The driver got disgusted with everything and drove his van home – he had never been paid anything by Bella and had been using some of his own money to buy gas. I stayed on one more day – the wonderful lodge manager got me a ride back to Entebbe (200 USD) and I stayed in Entebbe until my plane left 5 days later. Believe it or not Bella came out to Kibale NP and apologized – too little too late. She said I would be completely reimbursed for the tour (I’m still waiting on the money that won’t come !). Bella and Robin wanted me to continue the tour! I was genuinely concerned about my safety as well as being outraged with the tour. When I got back to Entebbe the lodge people and other guides told me about Bella and her money problems. They were angry with her for giving Uganda tourism a bad name. I could tell more. DO NOT GO NEAR!
The bottom line is that Bella let me fly 19 hours in the air to Uganda (and back home), pay 1500 USD roundtrip air, and pay her about 5000 USD in full for a trip that she knew that she could not pull off. As low as you can get. Would have liked to give zero stars. Amazingly, she still has her website online and on Safari Bookings.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Incredible experience from start to finish!
Our trip was just just fantastic, when our driver Mr. Daniel came and picked us up, Chaz Tours and Travel had some gifts for us, they gave us the Masai blankets and some maps or books for information. Our children loved Mr.Daniel, they even made a Mr. Daniel song for him. He had an eye of an eagle, his eyesight was so spot on, we didn't need any binoculars because he can spot like cheetahs and small animals far away. On our way to our 4 day trip Nairobi - Lake Nakuru -Masai Mara - Nairobi trip we first stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, it was such a sight and if you read up about the Great Rift Valley you will be amazed. Next stop was lake Naivasha with island stopover to have a close encounter with giraffes, wildebeest, gazelles and water bucks. Lots of different bird species at the lake, we even had the chance to feed fish to an eagle. You will see some hippos soaking up at the lake too. We had lunch as a stopover and grabbed some coffees in one of the malls on the way to Lake Nakuru, remember to grab some drinking bottled water to Lake Nakuru - Mara or snacks and fruits and bring your own shopping bag as they don't provide this in shops in Kenya (plastic free). In Lake Nakuru, you will see the pink flamingos, we spotted a black rhino and serval cat, we stayed at Lake Nakuru lodge. Water is not drinkable but its so soft and made our hair and skin so soft. Next stop is Mara, Mara is a long journey with mostly rough roads and it takes around 6 to 7 hours drive from Nairobi, it is also very dusty. April is supposedly rainy season but for the entire week we were there, there was no rain. It can get a bit chilly in the mornings but after that it gets hot during the day. Mara was amazing, it's a dream come true to see the animals in their natural habitat. We stayed at Masai Mara Sopa lodge and it was a great place to stay. We visited Kekoorok air strip where we bought some souvenirs, try and bargain if you can, we visited also Masai Village and had some look around their livelihood. we learned so much in this trip and would use the same company again and recommend them in the future. Thank you for making our trip so memorable.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very nice and serious, answers every question politely
The communication with the tour operator was very good and friendly without any problems (unlike to previous operators). The tour itself was also very nice, we saw many animals in a beautiful landscape.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We couldn't imagine a better experience!
We did a 6-day, 5-night driving safari with Natural World in April, and I cannot say enough good things about it! Email correspondance was prompt, polite and helpful; the itinerary was excellent (wonderful hotels!) and the price was a superb value. We left Mombasa on day 1 and spent 1 night each in Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and Taita Hills, plus 2 nights in Amboseli before finishing in Nairobi. Our driver and guide was Albert, and he was friendly, flexible, and knowledgeable. He was a wonderful guide with a good eye. Plus, we always felt safe and well-taken care of, whether in the parks or on the road. We saw an unbelievable amount of wildlife: too many zebras, giraffes, Cape Horn buffalo, antelope, and elephants to count, plus lions, leopards, baboons, hyenas, hippos, jackals, African wild dogs, and more. Every day was better than the one before. We opted for the Moderate price bracket, but the accomodations were so wonderful, I honestly couldn't imagine the Luxury bracket being any better. The Jeep Landcruiser is an upcharge from the standard minivan, but we thought that it was absolutely worth the extra -- the landcruiser was very comfortable with excellent sightlines. All in all, I can't imagine a better safari experience. Now I want to go back to Kenya and take another safari with Natural World...this time to the Masai Mara and Samburu! Thanks to Lillian and Albert for an unforgettable African adventure!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour operator
We did a 5 days safari with Chaz Tours and Travel from April13-17, which included the Masai Mara, Hell's Gate, Lake Nakura and a half-day hike at Longonot.
We had an amazing experience with them from the planning phase until our departure. Martin, the tour consultant, responded almost immediately to all my emails when I was planning the trip and was very helpful and positive in all of our correspondence (even though I asked a ton of questions!).He was also very accommodating and flexible with the trip. We're very active people so wanted to add a hike at Longonot. They allowed us to do 4 days as part of the small group and then arranged another driver so that we had 1 day on our own. We just modified the schedule so that we had less "down time" and managed to fit in Longonot without missing out on anything. It cost a bit extra but sure was worth it!
The company also picked us up from the airport and brought us back there, even though our arrival and departure dates were different than the trip dates! My boyfriend and I arrived at different times. They picked us both up and even got him from the hotel so he could be there to greet me since I hadn't seen him in months. (Extra airport trips cost a reasonable $20).
As for the safari.... WOW! That was absolutely incredible! We saw all of the Big Five and our driver sure worked hard to make sure that we saw as much as possible! We saw hundreds of animals every day! All the safari companies appear to do the same things when in the parks and the drivers work together to find the best animals, so I doubt the experience will be much different if you use a budget company vs a high end one. I think the main difference will be in the hotels and food you get. We were very happy with the eco camp and the hotels. The food was very good in some places and just okay in others (a lot of the same things served), but for the price we paid, we were very, very happy with it and it was much better than we expected.
If you go to Hell's Gate, I highly recommend biking and doing the hike at the Gorge. They were amazing! Just be sure to know whether or not the hike is included in the price you pay before you get there.
I highly recommend Chaz Tours and Travel if you want a great safari experience with friendly and reliable staff (if you don't need 5 star hotels or food). They were great... especially Lawrence who got us from the airport, hiked with us at Longonot and sent us some amazing photos from our hike! I spent many hours researching companies before I went and I'm so happy I chose this one. I would certainly use them again if I ever go back to Kenya. Thanks so much to Martin, Lawrence and our safari driver for making this such a great experience!!!
NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari, pity about the construction.
Overall we had a fantastic time. The northern half of Murchison Falls National Park is beautiful, with all the wildlife we were hoping for. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Budongo Chimp Tracking are both magical experiences; it was an incredible privilege to be on foot and so close to wild animals.
All of our guides were fantastic, helpful and informative. They all added a lot to our experience.
Sadly, it seems an accommodation hiccup caused a last-minute timetable rearrangement, which meant we spent a big chunk of time driving through construction and roadworks in the southern half of the park.
Bushman Safaris organised really nice accommodations for us, and aside from the unexpected changes causing some uncertainty, we were really happy with the experience we had. We'd love to see more of Uganda sometime!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A meadly of Wonders
It was a pleasure to go on Safari with Cheetah. All around it has been a great trip. The organisation before was very good an flexible and they adapted the program as it fits for us the most. The accomondations were chosen very well and we had a great time. Rooms and food was always very good. Apart from this our driver Robert and all the other people were very friendly and cared about us very well. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
My partner and I went to the Queen Elizabeth National Park with the Jewel Safaris and our experience was phenomenal. The lodge was booked in time and service was exceptional. Eric was excellent in organising our trip, replying always on the same day. He made everything work according to our availability and our requests. We had Lazarus as our guide and driver who were also good people. He was great and we learned a lot about the region and about a lot of wildlife with him. I highly recommend Jewel Safaris as a tour agent and ask for Lazarus to be your guide, you won't regret.