IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great experience!
I had a wonderful time with Nature Travel Namibia!
August 2013, 2 people. After a start in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, I was looking for someone organizing the transfer to Caprivi region of Namibia. The idea was first to explore Caprivi, then go to Etosha and “normal” touristic route. It happened that the only company based in Katima Mulilo (the biggest city in Caprivi, near the border with Botswana) was Tutwa/Nature Travel Namibia (NTN). So I tried with them. And I was not disappointed at all!
Nick Buys, from NTN, first organized me the private transfer. Then he explained me that visiting the Caprivi parks self-driving was not the best choice (Caprivi is not Etosha!) and he offered me his services. Since I’m a keen birdwatcher and fauna-lover, I was intrigued by the fact that Nick was a birdwatcher himself. So I fixed 5 days with him in Caprivi, Katima to Rundu.
It was a marvellous experience. The organization was perfect – the experience and knowledge of Nick was the real bonus of our trip. He knew everything – the best lodges near the parks, the best spots in the parks (we visited Nkasa Rupara, Bwabwata, Mahango, Mudumu), the best areas to do birdwatching, the best boat excursions to see wildlife. You have to trust someone, in a region like Caprivi with so little infrastructure and so little possibility to go by yourself – and Nick is the right person to trust. Birdwatching speaking, he was great – he managed to spot lots of Okawango specialities, including Lesser Jacana, White-backed Night Heron, Luapula Cisticola and many more!
I want to underline a point. Taking a private tour with a private guide is quite expensive. But it’s the only way to explore Caprivi – without a guide, you could not spot a single elephant. Yes, you can take the game drives organized by the lodges, but to have a personal guide with you, ready to explain everything about the life in the bush, is a real privilege. Also, Nick is fond of camping – we spent a wonderful night bush-camping in Nkasa Rupara, we’ll remember it for a longtime. We had a great time together.
I would recommend NTN to anyone travelling to Caprivi and to Namibia. Nick also knows Etosha really well, he gave us a lots of suggestions about the best waterholes to see animals – and he was right (we were on our own there). So if you want to see animals during your trip to Namibia, NTN is the right company. And I’m sure that also in Botswana and Zambia he knows how to organize the perfect trip.
Stefano, Italy
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kanuth Safari Adventure
Prompt, courteous, informative, and an all around great person. I began my travel plans with Kanuth from the United States over e-mail. I booked a trip from Dar to Mikumi. Kanuth was so helpful and reassuring throughout the entire process. I cant say enough about how wonderful the trip was, and how professional Kanuth is. Thank you for some of the most memorable memories of my life!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best Private Safari in South Africa!
My family and I spent 5 nights with Shaun on safari and have to say that we thoroughly enjoyed it... His knowledge of the attractions was good, but his wildlife knowledge is first class! My family and I learned so much about the small things that we never knew to even look for and we have been self driving inside Kruger for years... I can recommend his services to international and local travelers alike, all in all worth every penny
US
35-50 years of age
Review about Khaudum National Park by ~lustedtowander~
Khaudum is a difficult safari destination. Deep sand is tricky driving, and the thick bush keeps the wildlife hidden. That said, you will have the park mostly to yourself! But do keep an eye on your shoes. Hyena love them.
Our trip to Africa was stunningly perfect in every way!image description
When planning my trip to Africa it was not easy to chose a tour operator online! I contacted quite a few & was disappointed with their replies (or lack of replies). Then Albert Peter of 'Alpha Adventures' actually wrote to me like I was a real person & suggested I might like to share a trip to trek gorillas that he was planning. My reason for going to Africa was to see the majestic mountain gorillas & finally someone actually listened to ME & was thinking about what I wanted, rather than what trips they already had to offer! So I began to correspond with Albert. The poor man must have shared dozens of emails with me! Albert never, ever made me feel like I was a bother. He answered all of my questions with grace & patience. Then Albert sent me a (marvelous) itinerary for my own personal 19 day trip! By then my daughters had come 'on board' & they could only get two weeks so we had to revise & delete. It was difficult but we relied on Albert's wisdom & he was right all the way. Our 12 day adventure was absolutely perfect - for US! Albert sent us our itinerary, all the information we needed about gorilla groups, Uganda & Kenya , summaries of each trek, each drive, & each (gorgeous) accommodation. We knew what to expect in terms of time, clothing, tipping, customs, etc., each day of our trip. So we decided (after months of Albert's hard work) that yes, we'd do it! It was very difficult to send money to someone you'd only 'seen' on email! So I asked Albert for references & I wrote every single one, including each of the lodges! Glowing reports came back! So I believed that this paragon was a real person & sent off our money. Best thing I ever did! What an amazing trip we had! We were greeted at every airport, every lodge, every trekking point, every restaurant by smiling, helpful, knowledgeable people from 'Alpha Adventures ! We sat down with our guides & went over the trip in detail each step of the way. We were never in doubt about what was happening next! It was all what WE wanted to do, not what some tour was already doing! And the things that were planned for us were marvelous! Yes, we did two gorilla treks which were life changing experiences. We also did a chimp trek which Albert suggested & which I would not have missed! We went on many tiny planes, from tiny air fields, & were escorted there, on time, with all our bookings checked & rechecked ahead of time. Every transfer, every meeting, everything went as 'smooth as silk'! After the gorillas, we went to Kenya. Albert again, chose perfectly, for US. We loved Giraffe Manor. Our safari experience at Kicheche Camp on the Masai Mara was unbelievable! And again, our guides, our hosts, everyone was so kind & welcoming to us. One thing on my 'must do' list was to adopt a baby elephant at the Sheldrick Trust in Nairobi. Albert made it happen, & I know it wasn't easy! We had a private viewing of the orphans! Because of the strict timing, Albert had a long day in Nairobi to plan for us. He managed to give us a final day of animals, & gorgeous restaurants so we could get to see the elephants. I can't say enough at Albert & his staff at 'Alpha Adventures" . He listens. He is meticulous in the details. He knows all the best places to go & all the best guides! He understands our fears & communicates well each step of the way. He cares & he delivers. If we ever go again, Albert's email will be on my fingertips! Our marvelous trip to Africa exceeded all of our expectations! We had the best time of our lives! Thank you Albert Peter & your great staff at 'Alpha Adventures'!
totally professional, very happy with tour and guides provided, highly recommended
It was one of the best trips we have ever had and Frate Tours were the best. From the start to the end, there was always a representative there to handle all our queries and guide us. An unforgettable experience and the experience plus the safari itself has exceeded our expectations
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Up, close and personal
We wanted to experience Africa this time "up, close and personal", after having spent time in a luxurious lodge in SA. That didn't do it for us. We felt privileged, but not connected. We wanted to do a walking safari and be really close to the African Earth and Animals. Then a well travelled friend of mine told me about African Adventure Safaris. And that was the lucky draw of all time! Within a week, Anne and Ant organized everything for a private tour for us 2! So amazing the communication and organization upfront, but that was only a taste of what was yet to come: Anthony is not only a fantastic guide with a knowledge that is at eye-sight of those of the Bushmen, inspiring and able to translate his love for the bush to the guests with a passion and dedication - he is superman in one person: a nevertiring driver, coping with bumpy, waterfilled roads with the patience of a Buddha and an adventurous spirit at the sime time; a 5* chef of the al fresco cooking - very creative and delicious, he is a brilliant story teller of his experiences, he just makes you comfortable and part of nature. And this is a wonderful, rare gift. We had the time of our life! Visiting the Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari (in lush green!), Okawango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, we had such phenomenal encounters with the beauty of the mammals, birds and the jaw dropping landscape. We wish we were still there. We are graceful and thankful - also to Anne, Anthony's lovely girlfriend, who was so supportive and great to have around - for this once in a lifetime experience! We will definitely travel again the magic soil of Africa - with African Adventures Safari!
50-65 years of age
Enormous variety of animals in one relatively small park
Our first trip to Africa and we chose Archers Direct as our tour company. We have found them to be a good choice for other tours in the past. Samburu was the first park we visited on our tourand unknown to us, an amazing variety of animal and birdlife was waiting to be seen.
When we arrived at the Samburu Game Lodge we were delighted with the well appointed accomodation under a canvas roof'. The lodges are located within a few yards of the river bank with a decking verandah to view the animals by the riverside. These include monkeys, baboons, black buck and a large family of elephants (on the other side!) not to mention several species of birds including kingfisher. Our lodge was about 100 yards from the main buildings, restaraunt etc., but after the evening meal we were always accompanied to our lodge by one of the security staff with torch, just in case a baboon might be roaming around. Security staff constantly patrolled the perimeter, which made us feel very safe
The food was buffet style with a variety of cooked meals including good vegetarian choices and was of very good quality. All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful (as we found throughout our tour of Kenya).
When we were there most of the park was very dry and brown (unlike much of Kenya which was surprisingly verdant) but there was plenty of trees and bushes for animal cover. We were very excited at the start of the first ever game drive and were soon rewarded by the sight of several lionesses relaxing in the shade of an acacia tree. On this and subsequent drives we were regularly stopping to take photos of Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelles, various species of antelope, Elephant, Lions patrolling (super photo opportunity), birds (including bee-eater, eagles, goshawk, and various ground birds). It was wonderful to be so close to the animals, which for the most part ignored the presence of the vehicle (a six seat minibus). We saw more and more variety on each game drive and were lucky enough to spot a Leopard on the way back from our very last drive - Wow!
I recommend a long lens for your camera to get those close up and intimate shots and I found a camera bean bag for supporting the lens to be essential to avoid camera shake. All in all Samburu was a fantastic introduction to the Kenyan safari and I highly recommend a visit to this lovely place. We are looking forward to another safari trip in a few years time.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A marvellous experience!
We had an amazing time, and all the hotel and tour arrangements were perfect, everything we wanted and more - Alym and East Africa Wild got it absolutely right! The service and speed of communication were also excellent, and our requirements and budget were really followed to a T. The Serena properties were all lovely, with a lot of character, and delicious food, as was the Kitela Lodge in Ngorongoro. Of course, as promised, the Kirawira Camp really was the best of all of them. Ajabu Adventures was a really excellent safari tour company that we were matched with. We really lucked out and saw pretty much every animal barring a rhino. We only wish we'd had more time and could have stayed longer in Tanzania!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
Mamasavana is the best company to choose if you want to visit Tsavo East National Park. Really good offer, fair price, excellent vehicles and smart guide. They speak vero good english and Italian.
Perfect Organizational and really nice locatio to spend the night. Definitely, i suggest them!