CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kruger Park is amazing, however the contractor that supplied the open vehicles needs to be changed.
Our Safari in Kruger had a rough start, on the first official game drive ( late afternoon, with the open safari vehicle ) the vehicle broke down. When our driver/guide stopped to view animals, the vehicle refused to start. After soliciting the assistance of a passerby who had mechanic tools and knowledge, we returned to the camp safely and finished the game drive in a mini van.
The following day on our early morning game drive ( different open safari vehicle) we again broke down. This time a much greater distance from the camp and outside of cell phone range. We had to wait approx. 2 hours in the hot morning sun until another Safari company stopped and assisted in contacting the camp to arrange for alternate transportation. In the end we agreed to continue with the game drive, in another vehicle . However as a whole we were concerned for our overall safety with these vehicles and we had lost faith and trust in this tour company to deliver a product as agreed upon!
When you operate a Safari company in a huge Wildlife Park such as Kruger, you need to have safe guards in place. Having access to reliable vehicles for the game drives, should be their number one priority. Other communication equipment, such as satellite phones, that will provide contact to the camps in event of break downs or emergency medical issues, is a must. We were informed that the use of the open safari vehicles was fairly new to this company.
In closing, I found our driver / guide, to be very knowledge with the wildlife in Kruger and friendly. On the other hand , the other company employee whom we had direct contact with during this Safari was unacceptable. I felt he forgot who he was working for at times. His communication with our tour was very poor, at no time did he apologize for the inconvenience's of the break downs or inquire as to our safety during the break downs. We also witnessed his unacceptable rants towards our driver in front of us, blaming him for the mechanical breakdowns. He was very unprofessional and not a good representative of Wildlife Safaris !
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic Safaris made our holiday fantastically
Me and my family just finished our 10 days safari and beach holiday (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, lake Manyara and Zanzibar) combination with Fantastic Safaris. Such a great and fantastic experience we had. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for a safari in Tanzania.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Personal Service!
My wife and I had a wonderful Safari Tour in Tanzania with Bestdaysafaris. We opted for a private Land Rover with a great English Speaking driver, he made sure that we got to see the Big 5 and really went out of his way to make sure that we were safe at all times. Next time we go to the Serengeti I would definitely use them and would not have any hesitation to recommend them to our friends and family. At the end of our Safari, Peter (the owner of the Bestdaysafaris) greeted us at the 5 Star Hotel that was booked by them. Great People to work with. Thanks Peter
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
better than expected
we had a great time. The organisation was good, we good make changes to our planning. The lodges were adapted for young travellers and the meals were ok, we would have liked to eat more local food but that's the way of tourism. We were very pleased to have a good driver. Some of the hotels were better than we are uses too, so it was impressive. the scenery, the wild life and the magnificient sun was the best of all. thank you
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful adventure!
I joined a 4 day canoe trip on the Zambezi and from the initial organization and planning, to the knowledge of the guides and the care and consideration of all the staff, it was a fantastic trip. The logistics of meeting the group were handled smoothly and the time on the river was wonderful-we camped under the stars besides the river, the guides directed us safely to admire the animals and all supplies were provided. I spent an additional night in Mana Pools and walked around the park with a guide who explained everything from the ants to the habits of elephants.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Jesse Mfoi is an awesome guide and we would go anywhere with him.
We have been with Jesse Mfoi in 2007 to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. In 2009 we went to Tarangire Nat'l Park. In 2011 he organized a trip for 8 of us for 5 days to Iringa from Moshi Tazania and back. He is an excellent guide and individual!!! A couple glitches occurred in 2011 but he took care of the problem in short order without any discomfort to any of us. We would only use Naenda Safari Company on any future return to Africa.
Terry and Karen Clementson
Lincoln, Nebraska USA
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This was by far our best African safari experience!
Four of us booked a safari with Bush Travellers Safaris (BTS) in October 2013. We were a little hesitant because we could not pay by credit card but had to transfer the fee directly to the company. But the price was very reasonable, compared to other companies, so we took the chance. This was the right decision. From the first greeting to the last goodbye, our experience was far more than we could have hoped for. We did not sign up for a luxury safari, as we wanted to help with cooking and camping activities. Besides, our previous week in Kenya was on the more luxurious side. BTS answered all our questions, in advance of our departure as well as throughout the safari. Our guide was knowledgeable, kind, and very skilled, with excellent English and a good sense of humor. Our cook was incredible, making everything from mac and cheese to pizza and a birthday cake over an open log fire. The assistant driver/guide did much of the hard work with good humor and no complaints. We felt our team enjoyed the trip as much as we did. We saw every kind of animal: lions, leopards, elephants, including those that walked through our campsite and ate our vegetables, hippos, birds of many kinds and colors. The tents were comfortable, bedding was supplied, and plenty of water was available for washing and drinking. The BTS team went out of their way to solve even the smallest problem. They quickly replenished the vegetables, for example, although we were far from any town. The landrover was comfortable and well equipped (unlike the one in Kenya). But above all, the BTS team became like family: we worked together, laughed together, and experienced together the wonderful country of Botswana. We felt perfectly safe at all times. We would recommend this company without a single reservation and would be willing to share more of our experiences and photos if BTS requests it.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Cultural Experience
I had an amazing safari with Zohar African Safaris this spring. Lilly put together a tailor made itinerary on short notice and was so knowledgeable and helpful. Ken in the United States facilitated and gave incredible input to Lilly and my guide which helped make the trip so memorable. My itinerary was a combination of wildlife viewing and cultural excursions. We visited the Maasai, Datoga and Hadzabe (Bushmen) tribes - all different and all fascinating. We went to three different markets that cater to locals rather than tourists and I learned so much about everday life in Tanzania. My guide had a gift for being able to make conversation with anyone so there were also numerous impromptu cultural times including fishermen at Lake Eyasi and a local woman preserving the fish and others from her village.
And the wildlife - I don't know where to start. I expected to see the usual safari animals like zebras, elephants, lions and wildebeests but I had no idea that I would see so many species large and small. My guide’s spotting ability was amazing and allowed me to see hundreds of birds, small animals, footprints, plants, and more. His experience in animal behavior allowed me to capture photos I would have never gotten on my own. He sensed when we should wait a few more minutes because the animal was getting ready to make a move and he was always right. As a solo female traveler I felt completely safe and taken care of by my guide and the rest of the Zohar staff. My guide and I spent a lot of time together over 12 days and he was professional, knowledgeable, helpful, patient and funny.
I hope to return to Tanzania soon and would choose to travel with Zohar African Safaris again.
FI
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilmanjaro via Lemosho Route and safari with World Tours and Safaris Tanzania
We booked our climbing trip and safari from World Tours and Safaris Tanzania last August. All details were smoothly agreed by emails. And almost everything went according to plans.
Kilmanjaro was spectacular. We had booked a seven day trek but it should have been eight days. We both are in our late 60's and they knew it. Perhaps they could have warned us about the tightness of our timetable.
The five day joining safari was marvellous. Lake Manyara was quite empty as expected but Serengeti was full of animals. Finest moment was when we found a sausage tree were three leopards were eating their prey (antelope). Ngorongoro was, as expected, lively. We saw rhino, buffaloes, eland, mating lion, and much much more.
The arrangements were almost perfect and the abundance of animals compensated for few inconveniences in the safari. We had two tire punctures due to worn out tires and secondly the Jeep was overbooked.
Altogether everything went smoothly, we were picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport when our plane arrived late during night and correspondingly dropped there when we left Tanzania.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Adventure in a confortable environment
Thanks to Laurence, we had a wonderful experience in Kenya.
En safari provide us helpful tips, great driver and car and a super guide for our trek.
They were really open to flexibility, they had good advice, everything was just perfect.
Thanks again.