Great Introduction to Wildlife in Tanzania
Tarangire was our first Safari of the week and was a great introduction of things to come. Visting at the end of May and just after the wet season the grass was long and lush so a little difficult to see the smaller animals. We almost immediately came across a family of baboons who were very active and climbing up and down "their" tree. Later we saw our first elephants but from a distance which was still great to see. Further on we met a lone elephant who got very close to our vehicle but was not aggressive in any way. We didn't see any big cats on this day visit but plenty of bird life to include superb starlins, hornbill, hammerkopf and love birds. Also plentiful were the majestic giraffe. Views from the small picnic site were beautiful overlooking the river, where we later saw a family of elephants drinking
Review about Tanzania by Nigel Nudds Photography
For a first safari and a brilliant driver/guide, Tanzania was perfect to see the Big Five and most other animals
IL
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari experience I have had
I was in a safari in the Amazonas and India before but in Uganda I had the chance to see much more wonderful species of fauna , the organization and accommodation was superior and cheaper .
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mind blowing. Amazing experience I would do it again ,..............................................
Had the best service ever. . . ...................
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
What a trip
Reading through the reviews about Sun Safaris, it is surprising - not to say suspect - to see all these enthusiastic reviews. But I can confirm, they are well deserved, and I want to add another one. Two years ago we already had a trip organized by Sun Safaris and this year, once again, the result is beyond our expectations. Throughout the preparation of our trip and the many discussions we had, Michelle has always been attentive and very quick to answer our questions and requests. We particularly appreciated when, a few days before our departure, Michelle contacted us by phone to explain that a poaching problem had occurred in the area of one of our selected lodges. She suggested to modify our original plans and within a few hours everything was done. The trip went smoothly and our daughters lived a true dream. We already know that we will plan our next trip with Sun Safaris.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful time in SA and Botswana
Megan arranged a wonderful tour of South Africa and Botswana for us. The hotels and safari lodges were first class. We especially liked the Chobe Game Lodge and the Fairlawn Boutique Hotel. The safaris were unforgettable. We viewed lots of lion action from the Chobe Game Lodge and lots of hippos from the Xugana Island Lodge. We also had a great time taking the Rovos Rail from Cape Town to Pretoria. It was an unforgettable experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic!!
We went on the 6 day southern circuit safari with Kiliholidays and we had a fantastic experience from start to finish. We have never booked a trip direct with the tour operator like this before, and Mack, who did the booking for us was really helpful and informative, he answered any questions we had and made booking the holiday really easy and stress-free!
Our guide was called Mike and he was Amazing!! So helpful and friendly and nothing was too much trouble, he knew loads about the wildlife and the culture and traditions of Tanzania. He helped to make our holiday even more special.
We would definitely recommend Kiliholidays (and Mike as a guide) if you are thinking of booking a safari.
A Massive thank you to Mack, Mike and all the staff who made our safari a trip we will never forget!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic experience
Great company, professional and value for money. Would recommend
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Terrible Experience ... Sunrise Eco-Tours
We booked and paid for a bespoke Ugandan Safari with Sunrise Eco-Tours scheduled to depart in February 2016. Initially communication with the company was good but as the departure date approached it became very difficult to contact company representatives.
In January 2016 we were advised by a third party that Sunrise Eco-Tours was experiencing "operational difficulties" and social media reports started to appear stating how clients already on tours organised by the company were being asked to pay again for activities, such as gorilla trekking, as well as hotel bills that they had already paid for.
At this point, just weeks before our tour was to commence, communication with Sunrise Eco-Tours became extremely difficult and the company owner, Clement Kanamuguire, when telephoned just terminated the call or stated that he was busy and could not respond to any questions.
We then took it upon ourselves to call the respective hotels, lodges and guest houses in Uganda that we were supposed to be staying at only to discover that there were no reservations for us. We had been emailed previously by Sunrise Eco-Tours to confirm that all our accommodation had been booked. At this point we asked the company for documentation to show that our gorilla trekking permits and our chimpanzee trekking permits had been booked and confirmed. We also asked for an explanation as to why we had been lied to regarding our accommodation bookings. Unfortunately Sunrise Eco-Tours refused to communicate with us and did not provide documentation or explanations.
It was at this point we asked Sunrise Eco-Tours for a full refund of all monies, many thousands of pounds, paid to them as their "operational difficulties" had lead to a breach of contract. They were unable to provide the safari we had paid for.
When it became clear that Sunrise Eco-Tours had no intention of honouring the contract and providing the safari our travel agent, Responsible Travel, identified another company who agreed to create a similar safari for us with only two weeks to go before we were scheduled to depart for Uganda. Sandfield Travel "pulled out all the stops" and managed to arrange transport and guides, book hotels as well as obtain the necessary trekking permits prior to our departure. Communication with them was excellent and the subsequent safari exceeded our expectations
We cannot speak to highly of Rosy at Responsible Travel and Wycliffe at Sandfield Travel ... and would recommend you speak to them rather than engage with Sunrise Eco-Tours.
To date there has been no further communication from Sunrise Eco-Tours in spite of numerous emails and telephone calls. There has been no refund of the any monies paid to them. Caveat emptor!! We certainly learnt a very expensive lesson.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gatatu - excellent service - wonderful experience
It was the best choice we could make when we decided to choose for Gatatu as our tour operator. We first visited the holiday trade fair in the Netherlands where we could collect all the information we needed, and then searched the internet for the best tour operator. Our interest in Gatatu was formed when we read the reviews on safari bookings.
The contact I had with Richard during the preparational phase was outstanding. I have never met a person like Richard who delivered this excellence service. His devotion to deliver the best possible service was admirable. We were constantly emailing each other (and still are) and all of my questions were nicely answered in no time. I knew that I was doing business with someone who is very trustworthy.
Our time in Uganda was indescribable! The country itself is gorgeous and people amazingly friendly. Our guide during the week was called Stephan. He took us to the most beautiful locations in the country and gave us so much time to have the holiday we wanted to have. He was dedicated to serve us the best possible experiences. We shall never forget the nice conversations we had with him about his country and his upcoming plans. Thanks to Stephan we know much more about starting a business in Uganda as a foreigner, and we might even start something on our own in the future.
Richard and Stephan helped us to explore one of the nicest countries in the world. We will certainly return to Uganda in the near future because the country and Gatatu Safaris has so much more to offer.
Uganda is in our heart and will stay there for the rest of our lives thanks to Gatatu Safaris. The best advice that I can share is that small companies like Gatatu Safaris deliver the the biggest en best experience possible.