JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
fabulous!
Everythig was great! When I visit next time, would like to ask the same guide to go around with us.
US
Fantastic
We booked Beacon Safari through Safari Bookings for a 3 day safari to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Beacon was very responsive and delivered on all promises. Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable about the animals we saw. The Maasai Mara is very beautiful and we saw all of the Big 5 within 24 hours of arriving in the park. We also saw a wealth of other animals and birds. All in all, we really enjoyed Kenya.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, efficient and delivered in every way
I booked a one week safari in Kenya for two people through Go2Africa, all done by email. A bespoke, varied programme was put together for us which proved to be quite excellent. We stayed in Porini camps in Amboseli and the Mara which embrace the conservancy project which empowers the local community. Our camps and our guides were superb and we were well looked after and saw lots of amazing sights. All arrangements worked well and we were always met at the right times and places by friendly knowledgeable people. I highly recommend Go2Africa and the local company Gamewatchers who were responsible for all local arrangements.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical
I was a solo female traveler who was eager to see the wildlife but was also nervous about traveling by myself. I should not have been. The safari was wonderful! Fantastic and knowledgeable guides, incredible scenery and excellent lodge all of which quickly relieved me of any trepidation. The lodge itself was built overlooking a small valley and a vast open-air balcony. It was a beautiful and restive spot for wildlife viewing. The staff were warm yet professional, and the service was excellent. Food was also very good. I went on morning and evening game drives. Our guide grew up just outside of the park, and was informative about both wildlife and Zulu culture. I also went on a bush walk which was the highlight of my trip. Why travel so far and stay in a car when you can walk with the animals and see things you would otherwise miss? For me the only drawback was that I am a birder. The game drives were in jeeps with five to six other people who were not asinterested in stopping to see the birds as was I. As a result, the bird watching was rushed but we did see many animals including four of the big 5.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience, incredible value!
My 24 year old daughter and I booked the 3 day 2 night safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongo Crater a few days before arriving in Tanzania. The company, Suricata safaris, picked us up at Kilimanjaro airport, drove us 45 minutes to a simple clean hotel in Arusha, drove us to meeting point just outside the park where we boarded a Land Rover and spent 3 amazing days traveling through the 2 parks viewing an incredible array of wildlife and unspoiled nature. We saw all the main species except rhinos and most from a very close distance. We camped in tents with mattresses and sleeping bags and meals supplied. The food was basic but plentiful. We went to bed with Cape buffalos grazing a few dozen meters away and woke up to a herd of zebras all around us. Hyenas and monkeys were also about looking for leftovers. Almost all our time was spent on game drives, each us with a window seat and pop up roof for great viewing and photos. After game drive on 3rd day we were driven back to hotel in Arusha for the night then to the airport the next morning. All of this for $800 Canadian dollars each! I highly recommend this trip to anyone who doesn’t mind camping and is willing to forego the luxuries of the fancy and expensive lodge experience. A huge thanks to Hilary and Derek and their professional staff for offering such an incredible and affordable experience!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was a Trip of a Lifetime, especially if you love animals!
Wildlife Safari, Uganda / August 23 – August 31, 2018
On August 21 my husband and I left Colorado for a Ten Day Wildlife Trek/Safari in Uganda, Eastern Africa. After three flights and long layovers we finally arrived in Entebbe, the trek starting point, where the trip began on August 24th.
We packed so many visual memories and exciting experiences into these ten days it is impossible to describe it all. I wish I was an energetic writer. Any visitor to this beautiful country could spend months just writing about the Ugandan lifestyle, the people, or the incredible landscapes. Uganda is a land of many contrasts with vast sparkling lakes, and miles and miles of misty mountain ranges covered in tangled jungles and neatly hand-cultivated terraced gardens. We spent two of our days trekking in the grassy plains and another day in the arid savanna. We crossed the Nile River on a six vehicle ferry and marveled at the power of Murchison Falls from a boat on the river. ***This is the same area where the movie “African Queen” was filmed.
We were there to see animals in their natural environment, but we saw so much more. Uganda is a beautiful, unspoiled country where most of its eight million people live a very simple life. My husband and I each had cameras, and between the two of us we managed to click away about 1500 photos, many of which we have deleted. Each day became our new favorite day as something new and exciting happened and we will forever remember our guide saying, “Get your cameras ready! This trek was full of favorites! It was truly "A Trip of a Lifetime"! Thank You Uganda!
HR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best experience in my life
Safari organized by Peter was great. Everything was according to the itinerary. Price was correct and everything was included in the price.
Masai Mara in August with all the animals is just fantastic, it is difficult to describe it only with words. We have visited also Lake Nakuru NP, where we saw rhinos and many other animals, also an unforgettable experience, lake Naivasha is also nice for a boat ride ( but boat ride is quite expensive), and riding a bike in Hell's gate NP was a great experience.
Accommodation during the safari was simple but clean and nice, the food was also simple but healthy and tasty.
The weather was nice, but during the night quite cold, so come prepared :)
All in all, I recommend Kenya and safari with Peter and East Africa Tours and Safaris
PT
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great!
Manyara Ranch(3 days)- Very good wildlife- Lots of elephants; giraffe; goose; jakal; lions; buffalo; Zebra; waterbucks, stripped yeana, etc. Good and comfortable camp; very friendly people. good food; good guide.
North Serengeti (Nomad Safari camp 3 days)- fantastic wildlife- lions (big prides); leopard; chitas; black Rhino; hypo; crocks; Eland; Yena; bat eared fox and of course Zebra, wildebeest and the cross of the Mara river (unforgettable). Big variety of scenarios, from big plains to more thick bush. Green landscapes and showers during the night, but nice temperatures and sunshine during the day. Facilities at Nomad Camp were excellent and we had a feeling of being in Africa. Food was very good, personal very friendly and professional and the guide very competent and diligent.
Ikuka- Ruaha (4 days). fantastic views; very good scenic beauty. Dry miombo forest (quite different from Serengeti). Lost of elephants, giraffes; Zebra;birds; buffalo; some waterbucks; some Elands; fantastic sunsets; but we were not lucky enough to see big cats (only one lion far away). The resort was very good. great room with fantastic views excellent food; friendly staff; very professional runned; our guide Habibo, was excellent: very competent; very diligent with a remarkable knowledge about the fauna and flora.
The cons: Tse Tse flies in Serengeti and Ruaha may be annoying. We got a few bites through our clothes. So far no disease (more than one month over).
The organization (Paul Tickner)- everything worked perfect and smooth: transfers; flights; camps; Hotel at Dar-Es-Salem.
US
Poor Communication and Follow up
We saved money for our South African vacation for over a year and a half and the part we were most looking forward to was our 2-day Safari in Pilanesberg. My husband even purchased a new camera for the game drives.
Shortly after we arrived at the Bakubung Lodge in Pilanesberg we were told by another guest that the evening game drive had been cancelled due to wildfires. The entire park had been closed for the first time in history. We were told that we would be informed of the status of our morning drive later that night. Had it not been for this individual we would not have been told of the cancellation- we did not hear anything from Go Safari.
We inquired on the status of the morning game drive several times that evening and nobody at the resort seemed to know anything. We went to bed disappointed but hopeful for a morning drive.
We awoke the next morning at 5AM to get ready just in case the drive was going to occur. We went to the lobby and, again, nobody had any information. Worse still....no word from Go Safari. After standing in the lobby for an hour exchanging awkward glances with the front desk staff we finally went back to the room assuming the drive was cancelled (we were literally the only guests standing in the lobby). Still...no word from Go Safari.
Our ride back to Joburg was not scheduled to pick us up until noon so we had 6 hours to sit there and do nothing. So, we sat on a bench outside and waiting for 6 hours to be picked up. As we sat there, we had hoped for word from Go Safari. Anything would have been nice. "We are sorry about the cancellations", "Would you like to try again another day?", "Can we provide a voucher for a future date?" But Go Safari did not reach out.
We understand that the wildfires were not anyone's fault and those things happen. We can tolerate disappointment. What we are upset about is the total lack of communication from Go Safari and the horrible customer service we have received.
We spent nearly $900USD on one night at a lodge with crappy food and poor service from the staff.
We had several more days to spend in Joburg and would have gladly paid for another driver to take us back after he park opened so we could even get one game drive in.
This was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime. Go Safari really messed this one up.
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 day safari in Mikumi, Ruaha, and Selous National Parks in Tanzania with 4x4 and driver-guide
Two middle-aged couples from Europe. We had high expectations on wildlife sightseeing. The safari (9 days / 8 nights in the parks) met our expectations in terms of diversity, intensity, number of animals seen and of animal species encountered. Our driver-guide Afrael Ngoilale had a huge knowledge about the places we visited, the ecosystem, the animals, and their habits. His everlasting energy to show and explain new things, his availability towards our requests, and his friendly and attentive behavior kept us motivated and interested along the whole trip. Beautiful safari. We recommend it.