AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience and Good Care
Recently Visited Kenya for Safari Experience. Everything Organised and executed by Seven by far. They are really good & soft nature and provided fantastic service. Over all well managed journey with amazing experience. Henry, the safari driver deserved for special mentioned and very humble person. My kids are still using his name as reference. We had fun and our dream fulfilled. Strongly recommending Seven by far for Kenya Trip. We also planning to visit again with few friends.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST EXPERIENCE! It was an amazing trip that was coordinated by the best Safari Travel Agency.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The communication was superb, Sylvester and the rest of his team was prompt with answering my queries and always had suggestions on improving our safari. The expectation was exceeded, the hotels we stayed at was more than we could ask for. We did a 4 day stay in Zanzibar after our safari and that was a great decision, the hotel we stayed at was more than what we expected. Hassan, our tour guide/driver was astounding, he made sure to that we saw all the animals we wanted to see and always positioned our land cruiser in the perfect place to get the best pictures. If you can upgrade to a Land Cruiser, it will be worth it. I can't thank Hassan, Sylvester and the rest of the team with how our first time to Kenya went so amazingly! We're already looking forward to our next adventure in Africa. Overall the best experience and will definitely use Seven By Far Tours in the future!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Excellent Service
Our safari experience was amazing from start to finish. Of course the animals are great, but the service is what set it apart. We had some pretty unlucky travel getting to Africa. We had 19 hours of flight delays...and when we finally made it...our bags did not. The team helped to adjust our safari to work with our new arrival time and made many calls to the airlines to help arrange our bags making out to the park and into our rooms. Jacob and our guide Muddy were such a help making our stressful travel better and making the safari enjoyable.
Once we got going, the safari was awesome. Our guide Muddy had great knowledge of the park and knew good spots to go see many animals. He was also very knowledgable on all the animals we saw and taught us many interesting facts that I never knew. We got to see all the normal animals and got to see very cool lion experiences every day. Got to see so many cool things throughout the trip.
Aside from the game drives, we also got to see some cool cultural things. Visiting the Masai camp was very interesting and we also enjoyed the bush walking tour. Got to learn about local people and how they have survived and thrived here for many years. Muddy was also very accommodating while we drove around. Some of my friends saw baskets on the side of the road they were interested in and he helped to get them. Muddy also helped go to the airport and work out some refunds for us for all our troubles and also helped get us onto the ferry to Zanzibar at the end of our trip. We really enjoyed every part of the trip. Would definately recommend friends to Smile with Us if they are coming to Africa. Great value, great service and amazing sites. Thanks for the great safari!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
As it was our first time on the African continent we wanted to start with well organised safari. Communication with Steve in advance was very fast and helpful. We did the 6d/5n including amboseli, nakuru, masai mara, naivasha and much more.
Accommodation and transport was like promised. You can choose the type of the accommodation. If you want to do luxury, standard or budget: there are different options.
Further they stay in touch with you if you need anything else while you're staying in Kenya like Taxi-Transfers, Hotels, traintickets or more.
Just go for it!
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Do not use! The worst experience ever!
I booked a 7 day tour with Enrico safari two months in advance, and emailed him a few days before arriving to ensure that everything was organized, which he confirmed. However, the service level and organization of this company turned out to be far from professional or satisfactory. Here is a long list of reasons:
- My tour was supposed to start with an airport pick-up from where we would go straight to Etosha NP, but there was no one to meet me at the airport. Only through the help of a random friendly taxi driver did I manage to get a hold of Enrico. After two hours someone finally arrived, but this was not the guide/driver who was originally meant to do the tour. That guide had not shown up as it turned out - my new guide informed me. We ended up leaving with a 3-hour delay out of Windhoek as the new guide had to drive around and arrange different private things before leaving.
- Whereas the other guides waiting for their clients at the airport were well dressed wearing uniforms with the company logos, my guide was shabbily dressed in dirty clothes and flip flops.
- As a result of the delay in leaving from Windhoek we arrived very late in Etosha and I did not get the afternoon game drive that I had paid for. No apology or compensation offered!
- The guide did not know the itinerary of my tour and did not have it either on his phone or on paper, so basically he did not know what I was doing, where I was staying, etc. And Enrico did nothing to ensure that he did. Even on day 3 of the tour the guide was unsure about what was happening after having been on the phone with Enrico several times.
- All trough this it was very difficult to get a hold of Enrico, who had claimed to the guide that I had not given him the flight information even though I have an email saying “thank you for providing the information”. He also repeatedly kept saying he would call to sort things out with me, but he never did.
- When arriving at the lodge in Etosha on the first night I found out that the booking was wrong as only two nights had been booked, but according to the itinerary I was staying for 3. Enrico said he would fix it Friday night, but it did not get fixed until Sunday afternoon. And I had to go to a different accommodation.
- On the second day we went on a game drive in the park, but when it came to paying the park fees the guide didn’t have any money to pay as there was no money on the company card. (Enrico later claimed that there were problems with the card, but if you read other reviews here, this is apparently not the first time that has happened). After waiting for over 2 hours at the park office, and the park was closing we paid the park fees ourselves even though they had already been paid for as part of the payment for the tour. We would not have been able to leave the park otherwise and would have had nowhere to stay. During those more than two hours we tried to call Enrico repeatedly, but he did not answer. In the evening we finally spoke to him. He was extremely rude and could not see any problem and denied the problems. He said he would call us back later but never did.
- On the third day the guide was changed to another guide without any notice. On the same day we were stopped by the police and rangers in the National park. The guide did not have the required documents to prove that he was a guide, so was not actually allowed to drive in the park with me. The police let him continue with a warning.
- The guides/drivers of other companies would use part of the lunch breaks in the park to refuel and clean the car in order to maximize the clients’ time, whereas my guide would get me in the car and then spend 15 min refueling and cleaning the car.
- All the other companies used appropriate safari vehicles, whereas Enrico used a normal car used for normal roads. During the two days I was there not once did I see any company or private visitors to the park use such a car. The car was not appropriate for safaris and at the end of the day both back tires were flat.
- A lot of the information in the itinerary was wrong. E.g. it said that the drive from Etosha to Sawkopmund was 3 hours, but it was 6 1/2 hours. The pictures and description (“perched on a hill with expansive views”) used were not from Etosha Safari Lodge, but from a more expensive lodge.
- On day 4 I spoke to Enrico on the phone as the guide was trying to get money to pay for activities, petrol and accommodation, but Enrico kept not transferring enough money even though the guide pushed for it. Enrico practices a system where the guide has a company card, onto which he transfers money for the next thing - next meal, next accommodation, next activity. But sometimes the card doesn’t work and often there isn’t enough money on the card to e.g. fill up the petrol. Enrico was extremely rude to me over the phone, yelled, lied, talked over me, refused to listen to anything I said and was very arrogant. I have never by any of the tour companies I have used in any of the 60 countries I have visited been spoken to so rudely and been treated so unprofessionally.
- On day 5 when my activities had been moved to (according to the itinerary they were supposed to have been on day 4) I arranged with the guide to be picked up at 9, so that I could be at the activity center for 10. At 9.40 when he still hadn’t arrived, I called him, and he said that he was at the garage to have the tires fixed, which got broken in Etosha 2 days prior. He showed up at 10.15!
- On day 5 the car had to be changed as it was not appropriate for driving in the desert in Sesriem, and an appropriate car was to be driven from Windhoek. The day before Enrico had said on the phone that the car would be ready at 11.00. At 13.45 when I had finished my activity there was still no car, and Enrico now informs the guide over the phone that the car was in service. Again no apology or compensation.
- We set off for Sesriem in the car that was not appropriate for the desert and after driving for 10 min the car would not run. As I found out 15 min later, the guide had not put any petrol on the car. So we simply ran out of petrol in the middle of the road in swakopmund. At this point I decided to terminate the tour, as I did not feel safe in the car or with the guide or the company.
In sum, the tour was a complete mess organisationwise from beginning to the point when I’d had enough. This caused a lot of stress, hassle and a feeling of not feeling safe. Constantly having to worry about whether the guide could pay for petrol the next time, or whether the next thing on the itinerary had been booked or not, is not exactly something that makes a holiday enjoyable or relaxing. Throughout the duration of the tour Enrico acted both rudely and highly unprofessionally. E.g. shouting on the phone, not listening, not acknowledging that anything was wrong (judge yourself by the points listed above), not answering or returning calls, despite making many promises to do so. In spite of all the disorganization, no apologies or compensation were offered. On the contrary Enrico accused me of looking for things to criticize (judge for yourself by the points above - and reviews listing the exact same problems). I completely recognize the descriptions in the bad reviews that many other travelers on here have written and there is definitely a pattern of the same things happening repeatedly. So if you value your holiday, time and money, do not use Enrico! I met many professional companies along the way in Namibia - use them instead!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience with a great guide
We had a fantastic tour with Kilele. Our guide, Pita, welcomed us at the airport the first day until the last minute of our departure. We went to different parc and the lodges and tented camp were fabulous especially the one in the Serengeti. Pita our guide knows very well the area and he is fluent is French which was good for us.
We definitely recommend Kilele for the safari as this agency is more based on nature rather than mass tourism. You can also chose together the itinerary which is very convenient. Thank you so much for this great experience !! We plan to come back for the migration in 2 years and will definitely use again their services.
NG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Everything was perfect. The food, the accommodation and the tour
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
What a fabulous, amazing, exciting time I had in Uganda with Mukisa Safaris
I was a solo female traveller, Richard was very considerate in providing the lovely Veronica as my guide. She was warm, friendly and very knowledgable. She even bought me a pack of cards and taught me a Ugandan game. Sam was a very reliable driver with a great sense of humour. Uganda is beautiful. I did 2 gorilla treks, saw wildlife, immersed in the culture and had a lot of fun on the way. The lodges were fabulous and the food endless. An all round amazing time. Would highly recommend Richard and his team.
RU
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Service needs improvement
We got interesting experience and knowledge, having been on Safari in Selous. Familiarity with the nature and wildlife of East Africa will remain in our memory forever.
Safari with Selous Kinga Lodge can not recommend to other travelers.
At first there were problems with payment. The amount of the first Safari bill is less than 2 times the agreed amount. The Manager explained that it is necessary to pay the second part in cash on the spot. The day before departure, the accountant requires to make a payment through the Bank, but there is no Bank near me. Long corresponded, agreed on the first option.
Then the Manager changes the declared direct flight Zanzibar-Selous to another with an additional landing in Dar es Salaam. Additional landing on the way in both directions, which complicates the procedure of the trip.
No one met us when we arrived in Selous. Half an hour later, we drew the attention of one of the locals, at our request phoned the Lodge and notified them about us. As a result, we were picked up 2 hours after our arrival.
During the Safari, the driver drove off the road and got stuck in the mud. With the help of other people in 1.5 hours we managed to get out of the mud and continue on your way.
On arrival at the Lodge in the evening wanted to swim in the pool. The pool floor was very slippery. To go into the water failed. No one uses the pool and it is not cleaned.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A lifetime experienc.....
Paul was Wonderful host,he picked us up from airport, his arrangement was fantastic, every stay was special on its own.we did 6 days safari with Roadside expedition.our guide name was gody.Gody made sure that we could see every possible animal.. And we had seen a lot... Every animals with their babies... We saw animals with their prey,even they are outside of our tents in serenget....it was a trip of a lifetime.wanna thank our driver gody to make this trip very special.at the end paul meet us again...such a humble gesture. Paul was very particular about his commitments.i wish i will go back soon and take a trip with this company.
