US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
In one word - Amazing! We started in Kampala and headed to Bwindi, we saw the Gorillas along with other small primates, it was spectacular to see the Gorillas so close.. After Bwindi we journeyed to Queen Elizabeth where we saw lots of Lions and hippos! Loved the accommodations, felt like we were taken care of in every way. A trip of a lifetime and all arranged by the caring staff at Budget Safaris. They asked what we wanted to do, listened to all our requests and made it happen for us. Such a smooth trip from start to finish.....
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A brilliant introduction to Africa
I was lucky enough to go to Namibia with Masihambe Afrika and I loved every minute of it.
The accommodation and meals were way beyond what I expected. Wonderful.
The tour was diverse, well planned and a lot of fun.
Namibia is spectacular.
I am going on another of their tours next year - already booked.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic personal service!
This was our 6th trip to Tanzania and our second time with Zed Safaris. We had previously taken part in a group tour booked through them which had gone without a hitch. We therefore approached Zed for our individual tour with a driver. The attention to detail in the planning phase with an eye on the costs was great and communication was prompt and to the point.
Everything went smoothly from the moment we arrived in Dar Es Salaam. Fantastic knowledgeable (and safe) driver, very comfortable vehicle, always sufficient soft drinks on board, great choice of accommodation and a route that surpassed our expectations. Best of all the loan of a local pre-paid mobile phone by Zed Safaris which helped us enormously because coming from Europe our mobile phones wouldn't work.
We had an amazing vacation thanks to a 5 star service by Zed Safaris!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda
We went with Umubano Tours for our Rwanda Gorilla Trek. They were absolutely wonderful! Our guide, John Bosco was a delight - as was the owner, Herbert.
They came highly recommended from a friend who used them a year earlier. I would definitely use them again and recommend them to others without hesitation.
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A special time with nice experiences, great views and awesome people
Another great trip with African Suburbs Adventures & Travel in 2014...
This year I wanted to do something different and see non touristic areas of Kenya too, so Suburbs holiday consultant and planner Magaki Lamech created another tailor-made and pocket friendly road trip for me. The communication before the trip started was excellent and all the details which were important for me were included. Also some great ideas from Suburbs which have fit in my travel plan perfectly could be organized too.
The tour itself was outgoing from Nairobi. It started in visiting Furaha Community Foundation in Huruma(Nairobi), then straight to Nanyuki (Equator, Ol Pejeta Conservancy), Kisumu (visiting a social Project for orphans and vulnerable children), to Kisii (visiting local people in their rural homes) and finally Mombasa South Coast (beach, old town of Mombasa). All the wishes and expectations I had were beated again by realtiy because I had an awesome time, especially at the local areas. It was great and beyond words which amazing expericenes African Suburbs Adventures made possible for me.
I just can say it again and again: highly professional Company with lots of knowledge and great ideas for unique tours in Kenya. I can recommend African Suburbs Adventures & Travel - they will give you full satisfaction too!
Kind regards,
Tanja
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was quite simply the perfect adventure!
We booked with Wildlife Safaris because they were willing to let us customize our trip itinerary to meet our travel needs. Not only were they willing to work with us, they bent over backwards to make sure everything went smoothly. I cannot express enough how wonderful our guide, Paul, was. He saved us once from a bad situation and kept us laughing and learning the whole time.
Christine was also beyond amazing. She called ahead to our guesthouse knowing we might not have working phones just to make sure everything was set for us.
The others on our safari all spoke the same language, which made it even easier to make friends. It was the trip of a lifetime and then some!
I urge you to booked with Wildlife Safaris!
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
11 days safari with Terminal Tours Kenya
Me and my two friends went on a 11 days safari with terminal Tours. The people working there are great, and the safari was perfect. We saw all the animals we wanted to see, and our driver Sam told us lots of facts about nature and all the animals we saw. Thank you so much to all of you- will use this safari company next time too.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful guide -- great experience!
We (6 of us) spent 5 days visiting the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater by land rover. Our guide, Peter, was really excellent -- thoughtful, pleasant, and patient with lots of great information and an amazing eye for wildlife. We saw everything we were hoping to see and more! The places we stayed were really lovely (the ones closer to Arusha even had wi-fi!) and the food was terrific.
I would recommend this company without reservation.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic few days safari. Would definitely recommend
We did 2 nights in the Masai Mara and loved it. Imraan and his team looked after us very well, the tents were small but comfy (and it's incredible to fall asleep to the sound of wildebeest and zebra), the food tasty and plentiful, and the staff were very friendly. We also saw a lot of fantastic game, including the migration which had started early.
If you're on a budget, this is definitely the company for you. We would highly recommend Best Camping. Thanks again
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
First African Experience Was Overall Good ++
Following is a review of the places we visited this past month (June 2014). Roho Ya Chui helped us plan and book the trip. It was a group of 5, with 3 of us being newbies and and the other 2 old hands at African Safaris. Ute Sonnenburg was a delight to work with, and she went the extra step for us on several occasions.
I thought I'd give you my reviews of the places we visited.
Lawhill Apartments: I think this was a good choice, though a bit spartan in amenities / furnishings. Great location at the Victoria & Albert Wharf. Dionne (spelling?) was a good guide and flexible to our suggestions. I really liked Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Next time I might do 2 nights in Stellenbosch as it is quite a nice little town.
Xigera Camp: This one was my favorite. The staff were incredibly friendly and the whole "vibe" was inclusive. When new people came we were all introduced and had a communal table for dinner. And in one of life's little coincidences there was a couple that lives 1/2 mile from where I used to live in Hermosa Beach, California. Our guides, Onx and Rider, were very personable and knowledgeable. And for our last two treks we did game drives rather than the boat. The management at Xigera, Olivia and Masha, were very accommodating. This was my very first experience at game drives/floats (?), so seeing that first elephant, or hippo, or giraffe, or Cape Buffalo was really amazing.
Getting to Victoria Falls: This was an odd experience, from the airport near the Botswana - Zambia border, being dropped off at a small boat on the river to cross over to Zambia, then the wait at the border while the guide / drive had our passports processed. It was a bit unnerving for some of us.
Royal Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls: This was a very deluxe place with a head doorman with his hand constantly out for tips. The service in the dining room was excruciatingly slow. There is relaxed dining, and then there is "I should have brought a book" dining. The falls were at full flow and beautiful, and we had the chance to get pictures in the evening and the ensuing morning.
Moving on to Nelspruit, it was a long drive after our flight, BUT we did see a cheetah along the side of the road when we entered the Londolozi reserve.
Londolozi: Obviously a first class 4-5 star facility. The staff that we met were very friendly and accommodating. The "vibe" here was more exclusive, no attempt was made to introduce us to other guests, nor did the other guests seem inclined to socialize. But the rooms were very nice, the meals plentiful and tasteful, and the hot water bottles in the Range Rover for the morning game drives were a much appreciated touch. Will Ford, the camp manager, and the assistant assigned to us, Jeremy (I might have this wrong), were great, as were our guides, Alfred and Chadrock. The butler, Stanick, was always there for us in the dining room. Will Ford arranged a sundowner wine tasting for just our group one night which was a special treat. And we saw the Big 5 in our very first trek! The game here was more numerous than in Xigera. A great experience all around.
Jo'burg: The guide, whose name escapes me, was a disappointment. He met us at the private general aviation lounge at the Jo'burg airport and managed to snag a bottle of water for himself, but not for us. He had a tour he was determined to make and there was no flexibility in his schedule. We probably could have used an extra day in Jo'burg, but not with this guide.
Michaelangelo Hotel: This was a very nice place with big comfortable rooms (apparently if your AC was working which it didn't for the Browns). I was a bit disappointed in the restaurant, or at least the menu. But we had a chance to meet this delightful woman who had booked our trip, oh yeah, that would be Ute. So that made the evening good all around!
Serena Lake Victoria - Entebbe / Kampala: As previously noted by Stephanie, this hotel was too far away for a one night visit, and arduous to get to. And the staff didn't seem to know how to register guests, or at least were very inefficient at check-in and check-out. The restaurant was basically a buffet cafeteria, and not very good, a big disappointment for a property this beautiful physically.
Sanctuary at Bwindi: Same comments as Steph's. I didn't think it was dirty, just more rustic than what we had experienced. The staff was pretty indifferent with the exception of our server, Barbara. And if you weren't trekking, there was not much to do, though I managed to finish a terribly written book on the day I declined the first trek. I must say I am very proud of my fellow travelers for completing that trek and then the "easy" one two days later.
And you know all about the high drama with Qatar Airways, but even that turned out okay eventually, but it was handled very poorly by the airline.
One lesson learned by me is that I don't like the one-night stands (Jo'burg, Lake Victoria, Victoria Falls) because you never really relax and unwind. I'll keep that in mind in the future.
All in all it was an enjoyable trip with delightful travel partners.