50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unmatched Expert Adventure of a Lifetime Deep Into Masai Mara's Marvels
You can see the Masai Mara in a pop-up van, or you can jump into a rugged safari vehicle with a total pro at the wheel - Haron Gashao, owner of African Sunset Safaris - and experience one of the planet's gems in its full magnificence. Haron took us deep into the Mara into the thick of the legendary wildebeest migration from the Serengeti... and no other vehicle was anywhere in sight! We passed at least 50,000 wildebeests and thousands of other animals (impala, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, cheetah) in this unforgettable journey across an epic, immense grassland... then Haron found a lioness in wait in the tall grass and we spent a half hour up close observing her - again, with no other vehicle intruding. And those were just some of the highlights of the three exceptional days he delivered. His knowledge of the landscape and the wildlife, his instinct for finding the Mara's great animals in amazing places, and his friendly, dedicated customer-focused approach (he booked us into an excellent lodge), put African Sunset at the top of the pack in my book. This was a tremendous value and an experience simply unmatched. One of the top experiences of my travels around the world. So looking forward to seeing other parts of Kenya with Haron!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dream engagement trip in SA customized by a fantastic, customer-focused local team
I contacted Travel For Life as I was planning an engagement trip. As we live in London, I felt I needed local help to plan this trip to perfection. I wanted it to be special and memorable but had no idea where to start.
After a few exchanges (Email and skype) with Travel For Life, to understand our personalities, interests, expectations and budget, they suggested a very detailed customized itinerary which we then discussed and amended based on their feedback. They are very friendly, easy to communicate with and very flexible to our needs. They always answered all our questions promptly and finalized an itinerary that perfectly suited our needs.
We were impressed by their local knowledge and all their recommendations were spot on. Their partners (for car transfers, hotels, tours) are reliable and deliver outstanding customer service. We had the trip of our lives in SA (which was even better than our honeymoon in Costa Rica) and we can't thank Travel For Life enough for making this happen. We absolutely recommend them and will definitely contact them again on our next trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful experience
My husband and I had the most wonderful experience with It started in Africa. In the run-up to our trip, the team were very quick to respond to emails and very professional. We had looked into several companies, but this was the best quote we received for a 4 day safari, and their professional manner and good reviews put us at ease that we had made the right choice.
We were not disappointed - on arrival, everything ran like clockwork and we loved every minute of the trip (which included Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater). We were thrilled to see the big five as well as a leopard, in spite of it being a short 4-day trip. Isaac, the guide, was wonderful: good-humoured and very knowledgeable, he kept a very good handle on the schedule. Samuel, the cook, kept us all very well fed and happy! The campsites were basic, but generally clean and comfortable, and with Isaac and Samuel to help set up, we felt in very safe hands.
Just one thing that would have made our trip even better: we hadn't quite expected how cold it would be on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater where we camped, so would advise future guests to bring warmer clothes, especially something wind-proof (we just had sweaters/light cotton jackets). Also, if we were planning the trip again, we might miss out Lake Manyara and go straight to the Serengeti to have an extra night there, but that is just personal preference!
All in all, we had a fabulous time and would recommend the company to any visitors to the country - although it initially seemed expensive, it was worth every penny!
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A lovely holiday
We just got back from our holiday in Kenya and are still smiling from the wonderful experience this was...
We contacted several companies to arrange a safari but had the best feeling with Maurice from Africa Safari Classics. Every question/demand we had, he answered and gave suggestions, ending in a 9 day safari which was completely adapted to our needs. Especially his professionality and speed of answering, as well as his competitive price got us to choose his company.
Arriving in Nairobi we got the sad news that one of our bags had not made it with us on the plane. When Maurice heard about this, he took over all the communication with the carrier and arranged for my luggage to be waiting for us in one of our lodges along the safari, which was great (thanks again Maurice!)!!
Our driver and guide Boniface had years of experience and that was very clear from day 1. He knew the parks like the back of his hand and when an animal was spotted by one of his colleagues he made sure we would be able to see it as well by finding the shortest route. He gave us information about the different animals along the way and tried to answer every possible question we had. We visited different parks on our trip and Boniface tried to spot as many different animals for us as he could. He also looked for the best angle to take our photos of all the wildlife :) The accomodations during our safari were great, from a tent next to Masai Mara, to a fancy hotel room next to lake Naivasha, we liked all of them, as well as the very helpful staff there.
It was such an overwhelming and beautiful holiday and we are very happy it was organized by Africa Safari Classics! We would highly recommend contacting them if you are looking to go on a safari holiday!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful first safari!
Staff and guides were knowledgeable and genuinely friendly, accommodation and food was better than expected. Saw 4 or the Big 5 and lots of other animals, as well!
US
Would give more than 5 stars if we could
We booked Wildlife Safaris for the first part of our honeymoon in October 2015 and we could not have been happier. We're writing this review a bit late but life happens and time flies!
To start, I spoke with no one on the phone. Everything was handled through email and it was booked to perfection. Yes, it is a scary thought when you think about not conversing with anyone but email and sending them money for a trip that is halfway around the world but they made everything feel so comfortable and smooth I didn't even think about that fact until after we returned from our trip and others found it odd we spoke to no one beforehand. Kudos to the office staff at Wildlife Safaris for making it seem completely normal to do this and comfortable every step of the way.
Hoppy picked us up the morning of our Safari at our hotel in Joberg to start our 5 day panorama tour to Kruger. If you have the time to do this it's worth it. To see blyde river canyon and God's window were spectacular. Even Lisbon falls was small but breathtaking. It was a great way to kick off our 5 day safari before we were surrounded by tons of wild animals!
Hoppy, our guide, was incredible. We were lucky enough to be on our own safari without booking a private one so we were in a microbus with A/C, very comfy! Back to Hoppy though....did I mention he was incredible? He could spot animals from a mile away...no exaggeration. One of our favorite moments of this if when my wife was focused on looking out the left side of the bus while I was looking out the right, making sure we would miss nothing. Then, all of a sudden, the bus comes to a stop, gets put into reverse for a few feet and Hoppy points into the bush to a termite mound. On top of the mound, blending in perfectly, was a Dwarf Mongoose. "Right there, you see it on top of the mound?" Hoppy says to us. Finally, we saw it, adorable and about 100ft or so back from the road into the bush. Then we collectively thought out loud "how the heck did you see that thing driving by and blending into the mound?" Like I said, he was that good. He was putting us on animals all day long. We saw the BIG 5 three out of the four days we were on tour (we got VERY lucky) and saw the big 7 including some cheetahs and wild dogs. Yes, like I said, we got VERY lucky but Hoppy knew where to take us. He also knows the other guides and found out about a fresh Lion kill of a Buffalo and took us there. It was like a drive-in theater, perfectly open area with 6-7 lionesses seeking shade while one lioness was forced to protect the kill from the vultures while 100's of buffalo looked on. It's an image we won't soon forget.
The longer trip afforded us more time to see more places as Hoppy drove us all around. Up at 5am, water ready for tea/coffee by 5:30am then out the door by 6 am. It was well worth it to see several different parts of the park and have breakfast at the different camps. We didn't get to sleep in but who wants to do that on a safari anyway?
We spent 80% of our days with Hoppy in close quarters only departing for sleep. It was a special occasion for my wife and I as I said it was our honeymoon but it was simply a pleasure to get to know Hoppy for those 5 days. We were legitimately sad when we left him after our safari and still think about him from time to time. He was an amazing tour guide but also a wonderful person that made quite the impression on us. We would love to thank him again in person but hopefully this review makes its way to his computer screen somewhere!
Thank you again to everyone at Wildlife Safaris. Someday we hope to come back with our children and will for sure book them again and hopefully Hoppy will still be there to bring us around!
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experiences and life time memories
We recently did our first Africa / Tanzania safari through World Air Travel and Tours and it could not have been handled any better. Very prompt in responses and email handling, Elias ensured that he tailor-made the safari according to our taste. Since ours was a last minute confirmation, some hotels which we wanted were full but Elias gave excellent alternative options.
To top it all, John ,the driver guide was equally efficient and knew where to find the best wildlife. His knowledge on the animals and wildlife was remarkable as well.
In Zanzibar, Job our local guide gave a wonderful tour of the Old Stone town and was very prompt. His choice of the floating restaurant as a viewing point to watch the last sunset of our vacation was super.
Would highly recommend using world as your safari and ticketing partner. Rates are competitive, highly personalised service and wonderful knowledgeable guides.
IL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari in Uganda
My husband and I booked a 16 days (budget) safari with Katona, and we had a great time on these days. The accommodations were in great locations, and everything went according to plan. The price was the best price we got from 50 (!!) deferent tour companies (and we had a full board every day).
Our driver, Jack, made sure that everything will go on the best side, and even more. He was just wonderful, he was our driver, our friend, our guide, our photographer, our everything we needed! We can't be more grateful for all that he has done for us! (I can keep writing about him but I don't think you want 4 pages why he IS the best driver).
We really enjoyed Uganda, I guess it is The Pearl of Africa.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mount Meru, a wonderful hike!
In total I'm very happy that I have chosen Tai Adventures. The 4-day hike was amazing, and the staff did everything to make it an unforgettable experience. The food was great. Highly recommended!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First but not last trip with Sun Safaris...!
Michelle Astbury was marvellous. She worked very hard to create a tailor made safari experience for my first visit to Africa, having paid great attention to my wish list, suggesting options and adapting the itinerary to design a 4 camp safari tour that gave me everything I wanted and more.... All the aspects of the organisation went smoothly including the transfers between camps and the extra excursion to the Endangered Species Centre and finishing with a stay in Cape Town. The camps she suggested gave me ample animal viewing and were very comfortable indeed. I hope to book through Sun Safaris in the future.