DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Experience
We literally had the time of our lives, when this summer my wife and went to Serengeti Nationalpark and Ngorongoro Crater with our family. Jackpot had been recommended to us and we are very thankful for that, as this was the perfect descision for a tour operator.
Our guide Ernest was very kind, a responsible driver and didn't keep his impressive knowledge to himself, which made the tour a great experience. We very much felt welcome and very well taken care of the whole time. Landscape was amazing and indeed we only missed a Rhino to complete the big five, but all the beauty of the countryside and other wildlife was still more than enough.
We would recommend Jackpot to anyone how seeks personal treatment, a nice and polite team and a very fair price policy.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wilson Shange was an exceptional and attentive guide. We highly recommend his services.
Duma Explorer Guide Wilson Shange was tremendous. We spent 5 days with him in May. He was very well informed about the area and the wildlife. He is also very well known with numerous contacts in the Arusha area. He is very easy going, thoughtful and extremely helpful and accommodating.
Even prior to our safari, he was accessible and extremely helpful. Two days before our safari, a member of our group needed emergent medical attention. He contacted Shange (his preferred name) who then traveled to the hotel, talked with our companion, suggested (an excellent) hospital, arranged for transportation and then communicated with the hospital staff. When I arrived at the hospital, I was shocked when I learned that Shange was our safari guide. However, I soon learned that this was the type of attention, service and accommodation Shange would provide during our tour.
The safari itself seems to have been from a different world. Being in such close proximity to such magnificent animals and to watch and study their actions and behavior was surreal.
This was our first safari so I can't compare with a safari in the dry season but I felt like we saw a wide variety of wildlife. Maybe not as many animals as in the dry season but the advantage seemed that we often alone. We watched a pack of elephants for about 20 minutes before another safari tour came by and we had an encounter with a lone unruly male elephant for about 15 minutes. That was priceless.
Again, I would highly recommend Shange Wilson and Duma Explorer.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience on safari with Alfred!
I traveled with my family on a week-long safari with Alfred in 2006 when he was working with a different company, and we found him to be an especially warm, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful person... and a wonderful cook! He is hard-working, creative, energetic, someone who knows how to get things done, and truly a pleasure to spend time with. We had an unforgettable experience traveling with him all over Kenya, and I enthusiastically recommend him and his company.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
very professional company tailored to client specifications.
i never thought communication with a firm so far away would be so easy. making my dream of touring headache free and actually made it a real holiday no thinking just relaxing. i recommend Bush and game to any Canadian or American coming to east and central Africa. there experience and expertise is unbelievable. i saved a lot of money and time dealing with them especially when traveling with kids.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderfull experience
A perfect organization of a perfect travel. The driver Paul is the best to find all the animals!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
safaris with kids - organised adventure and no problem at all!
We have been on safari with Bush and Game several times. the most recent trip with our two children (3 and 7 years) was a proper bush safari. but even in basic camping facilities, the B&G team arranged and provided everything we needed to enjoy the stay and the adventure. in all our safaris, we enjoyed that B&G took care of us, from customer relations, custom making our itineraries and booking, to the drivers and cooks, everyone was very friendly and helpful. we will book with B&G again! and again! :)
An excellent holiday choice for Zimbabwe travel
I couldn’t recommend 'Experience Africa Safaris' more highly. This is an excellent tour company, that will organize trips to suit your interests and budget. They arranged superb accommodation, reliable car transfers, and connected me with a 'Natureways' canoeing trip to Mana Pools. Debbie from 'Experience Africa' prepared an action packed 2 week itinerary that resulted in a very enjoyable and diverse holiday.
Lesley
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly Service. Responsive Team.
We took a package tour starting July 27th for nine days, and were very satisfied with the service. Otieno (OT; the owner) is a great guy. As a young entrepreneur, he understands the value of responsiveness. His service is excellent! His standard response to any request is "no problem." The driver we had, Nguta, was exceptional too. Smart guy; and you never had to ask him for anything. He was always proactive. He also was good about getting the best possible viewpoints during the game safari. In fact, Kenya Walking upgraded us, and all that at a great budget price. Wholeheartedly recommend it.
DE
Experience level: first safari
A great experience!
We have been on a 6-Day-Camping-Safari with Oltumure in june 2014 with two other guys and it's a great experience! Robert will organize everything to make you satisfied on your Safari. It's your decision how many days you want to spend, if you want to travel with other guests or alone and which National Parks you want to see. He helps you finding the best combination for a unforgetable trip! We did Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro and we don't want to miss any of these Parks.
And Oltumure is cheaper than others - why go to the more expensives? You will meet them every day by doing the same things at the same places! And the trip with Oltumure is more familiar, more personal, more individual. You can decide, at what time you want to start in the morning, or if you want to stay longer at a place you like. You can ask to go back to a place you found more interesting. You are the chief of your own trip, the guide is your helper for your decisions!
And everyone will see the same animals, because all guides stay in contact during the game drive and tell the others, when there is something spectacular to see. Our 4x4-Jeep was really good, maybe not that new as others, but comfortable and with the typical open-Roof, to stand up and watch 360 in all directions. Our tents were nearly new, big and comfortable as well. And we had with Samwell the best cook you can get!!! I think we all had a few kilos more after the Safari ;o)
We would choose Oltumure again and want to tell everybody else to do the same!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
20 days in Uganda, including Ruwenzori hike
First of all, we were very pleased with our driver / guide: sociable, friendly, humble, non-intrusive, flexible, humorous, AND a cautious driver. Nothing but good about him.
lodgings:
Recommendations:
- Mutanda lake resort near Bwindi Forest, for its pleasant restaurant, nice location, although still an hour away from the starting point of the gorilla tracking, but very good food.
- Bush lodge near Queen Elizabeth NP for the quality of the accommodation, beautiful location and cuisine.
- Kibale Forest Camp was also fine.
- Kontiki hotel was clearly a place of transit .... Ok, but not more than that.
- Bwana Tembo near Murchison Falls was ok for a middle class logde, but I suspect that some tourists do not appreciate that bats can enter the room ...
- Rwakobo Rock: Ok, if you absolutely want to visit Lake Mburo ... Nice and pleasant dining room, good kitchen, but the maintenance of the huts leaves something to be desired ....
THE disappointment: Cassia Lodge: an outdated hotel with no charm, no personality, with furniture that has seen better days, leaking plumbing. The only thing this hotel offer is the view on Kampala. How much we would have preferred staying in the excellent Boma Guest House in Entebbe ...
The local transport: 7 people in a 4x4 van, that was OK. But why are the windows with black plastic embezzled?? This complicates the visibility, requires even more to drive with open windows, but when sitting where the windows are overlapping each other, forming two layers of blackplastic, the visibility is close to zero....
A cooler (coolbox) would have been welcome: for a sundowner 'en route' fot excemple.
The program put well together, we enjoyed it, the wildlife in Murchison Falls, the hike in Ruwenzori Mountains, the chimpanzees (in great shape!), the gorillas. ..
However, surely not insignificant downsides:
- In Murchison Falls was a boattrip foreseen on a fairly large boat, in the afternoon, and the boat was nearly full. We could have done with it: on chairs put in the middle of the aisle (with limited visibility) or put in the hot afternoon sun. Instead we took another boattrip the next morning. The boot halts, to return, just far enough from the falls, in order not to be impressed. We have seen that, if arranged in advance, you can leave boat and continue walking to the falls... Unfortunately we were not informed of this possibility.
Queen Elizabeth NP: Safari in the morning was a complete fiasco. Never seen so few animals during a safari. The guide said that this was because of the drought. Well, normally this is known in advance....So why was no other part of the park visited? The southern part of the lions hanging in trees for example (we afterwards heard many good things about)? The boat trip in the afternoon was worthwhile.
Lake Mburo NP: The walk in the morning was definitely interesting. But in the itinerary was another boattrip foreseen, and it was mentionned that elephants could be seen. Well, Matoke should do that homework better again because in that park there are absolutely NO elephants. So that boat trip was really a letdown.
Overall it was a nice trip, with beautiful scenery, friendly people everywhere, good food, generally good lodges, but I am a bit disappointed: when working trough a tour organisator, I expect better, acurate and complete information.
For further info (I refer to a question I asked you during the preparation of the trip) for the 6 day hiking in the Ruwenzori Mountains, the carriers prefer rather backpacks rather than the common travel bags.