DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
8 days Uganda
I contacted ATA for advice on a roundtrip through Uganda. I had basically no idea, just wanted to do the gorillas. Nicholas and his team (always very responsive) put together a very compelling itenerary (that was also priced competitively). Ziwa/MNP/Kibale/QENP/Bwindi/Lake Bunyonyi. I'm glad I followed their advice regarding the lodges and things to do - it was a memorable trip. It would have been a very good journey even without the gorillas, but of course they were the icing on the cake. The schedule was well timed - we covered a lot of ground, but it made a lot of sense. In hindsight, the suggestions for particular lodges were always spot on. Kaye, the guide, was knowledgeable and a safe driver. One thing I regretted: I should have chosen one leg of the flights to/from Kigali instead of going both times through Entebbe. This might have saved some time.
I'd gladly recommend ATA to friends.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent service from start to finish
From the moment I first made the enquiry with Nature Travel Namibia, nothing was too much trouble. I think we revised our itinerary about 6 times but Esmari was happy to accommodate and advise on destinations and activities. We also kept them waiting until the last minute to confirm such are the vagaries of our situation with staff travel but regardless we got exactly the holiday we wanted. Jakes was our travel guide for the 2 weeks and was totally fantastic. When we travelled around Etosha he was a mine of knowledge on the birds and animals and able to spot them at 100 meters - without Jakes I don't think we would have seen half of what we did given the time of year and vegetation
I can't recommend Nature travel Namibia enough
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Marvelous boat and land safari combined with an unexpected walk with a unique bushman
The 3-day & 2 night tour at the selous river camp was perfectly arranged with Gecko Adventure Tanzania. The package containing the flight transfers, a half-day boat safari, a full day safari in the selous reserve and a walk with a bushman was an ideal combination for a short but intense immersion in this lovely landscape. Once you have seen all or most expected birds or wild animals, the final walk with the bushman sound like an amazing and unforgettable surprise.
Many thanks to the selous river camp team. We are glad to have such an experience in these conditions and with this agency.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience gorilla tracking
My friend and I had such a great experience with matoke tours! We organized gorilla tracking from Canada, and corresponding with matoke tour representatives made planning a breeze. They worked with our schedule to make sure we were able to fit everything in.
Even though the drive from Kampala to Mutanda lake resort was long, our guide Mugabe was an excellent driver and we made good time (we arrived in the daylight hours) and he was a super safe driver as well which can be a bit rare in Uganda!
Mutanda lake resort is beautiful and the food was amazing! I only wish we could have stayed longer.
I’ve been wanting to do the gorilla tracking for the past 4 years but never had the time/money so it was great to finally be able to cross this experience off my bucket list! It was just as amazing as I imagined!
Thanks for making this such an unforgettable experience for us!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impressive Safari with a perfect guide
Even the safari started one day after our arrival, our guide picked us up at the airport. While and after the tour everything was organized to our interest.
The guide knows the park and the animals very well and knows the places, wehre you can often see leopards, lions etc.
All in all we are deeply contented with everything.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari Experience, catered to your budget
We spent 5 days, 4 nights touring the Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, and Tarangire parks. If you are strapped for time go directly to Ngorogoro because it offers the most bang for your buck, there are animals everywhere and it's a small area to cover compared to Serengeti.
Romeo was easy to work with over email to discuss options in setting up lodging and dates. Piuc our tour guide was a super cool and cheerful guy and very knowledgable about the animals and parks - he was able to bring us to the Big 5 PLUS leopards, cerval cats, and too many exotic birds to remember. Our food was better than expected from Dogo our mild mannered chef. If I had one call out it would be the sleeping arrangement. We thought we would stay on elevated cots like the website pictures, but actually had something more a long the lines of mattress pads. Not a big deal since we went the budget route, but after 4 nights it can be rough on the hips/back. All in all an amazing experience and was flexible enough to be within our price range. Serengeti shall never die!
**** BEWARE MBUGANI ARE SCAMMERS****
If I could give zero stars I would!! Dont be fooled with their website. In December 2018 I booked a safari from the UK with Mbugani Safaris and our contact Peter was very helpful and prompt in his replies via email. Even providing detailed itineraries and seemingly providing advice. We then paid in full prior to our 5 day safari (Mt Kenya, Nakuru and Mara) due in January 2019. However, on the day we were supposed to be picked for the safari the driver did not show up. When we tried to make contact with Peter via email or mobile there was no response. We then tried the company landlines and these were for a private residence. I contacted the lodges and they advised that no bookings had been made. Fortunately as I had paid via paypal I was able to make a claim for services not received. I then received an email 10 days after the no show from Peter claiming he had been involved in an accident and would also refund the balance which was paid via a credit card - to date we have still not received this refund. We are now pursuing this matter through the Kenyan police and courts. If you are looking for a genuine tour company then book with another company. On the day Mbugani safaris did not turn up and we realised we had been scammed I contacted Anthony at bonfire in Nairobi and he was able to replicate the safari that Mbugani had quoted within a couple of hours and did it cheaper!! In essence we realised we had been scammed by Mbugani by 8am and by midday we were travelling to our safari destination all thanks to Anthony at bonfire adventures.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
I booked the 6-day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli tour with them and I couldn't be happier with their service. Although it was a budget tour, their service was professional through and through. The communication before the trip was always prompt and detailed. The drivers/guides are experienced and patient. You can easily pay 3 times more money for a more luxurious trip and you'll see exactly the same animals. I would 100% recommend them to someone travelling on a budget and wants value for their money.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience!! Just need more clear communication with the company/tour operators
Beautiful scenery, parks and accommodation. The accommodation was very beautiful and had warm showers and amazing views. We felt like royalty. We saw elephants, lions hippos, lots of birds, lots of monkeys etc. The food was delicious and you get ALOT of delicious food.
I would recommend better communication with the tour operators and the clients. Our itinerary was changed a couple of times without our knowledge and we were a little upset with this. One of the hotels was not available and they wanted to put us in a place that had bad reviews. We did get a nice place in the end but it was a little stressful. We also felt a little pressured to tip every single guide on the gorilla trek, chimp trek and multiple community walks we went on. We spent over $4500 for the tour and didn't think we would need to tip every single person we encountered. I would suggest the tour include tips if this is necessary for Ugandan customs and cultural norms. We didn't mind tipping here and there but every single hotel staff, trekkers, boat crews and cultural guides would have cost us over $1500 USD.
Overall, we had a wonderful time and Uganda is a very beautiful and friendly country.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The highest standard of commitment and professionalism paired with deep local knowledge and passion
I was incredibly impressed with the standard and attention to detail of the service we received from Clare in setting up the trip.
We were able to customise the trip completely and get door to door pick ups and drop offs that were many hours drive away.
Our guide Lenny was highly professional and knowledgeable, while also having a great sense of humour and being a pleasure to spend time with.
Lenny's passion for the wildlife and the areas we visited really brought the trip to life. The one time there was a slight accommodation issue (not due to Kiboko) he went well beyond the line of duty to get it sorted quickly.
Finally I thought the trip was excellent value, given we had a 4x4 for just the two of us and complete service throughout the 4.5 days.
Kiboko Kenya Safaris are a class act.