US
Experience level: over 5 safaris
Worst experience ever
DO NOT BOOK. We just visited Masai Mara and after seeing the reviews booked it with Noah. We experienced a lot of trouble as both the tour guide and Noah were just trying to fleece money out of us. They did not pre book anything and would not accept card payments. We were not informed till the day of the tour that they could not take card payments. On top of that, they did not check if we had resident status and charged us non resident prices while paying the hotel only resident rates. When we asked them to reimburse the difference, Noah started yelling at us. The guide (Youstas) seemed experienced but very disincentivized because we found out how they were cheating people. He did not have a radio like other cars and did not tie up with other drivers. We are very dissappointed overall and would not recommend them.
Best experience
I found the staff to be very efficient, correspondance was initiated immediately and queries were solved within reasonal time. I am looking forward to using them again.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Wonderful Tanzanian Safari
Seven by Far partnered with World Tours on the Tanzanian part of our safari. Cosmas was an excellent guide/driver. Not only did he know the land animals, but was very knowledgeable about birds and flora. We visited the Serengeti, Ndutu, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The high points ranged from seeing a cheetah eating a gazelle to watching a chameleon crossing the road. We found World Tours a valuable part of our trip.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari to Kenya and Tanzania
We had an excellent trip with Nicolas our driver/guide in Ol Pejeta, and Alex in Maisai Mara, Amboseli and Nairobi. Cosmas of World Tours was our guide for the Tanzania part of our safari. Our guides were knowledgeable about animals and birds. We saw the big five but there was so much more to see. Although we missed the main migration, we did see wildebeest and zebra from horizon to horizon. February is the time to see babies, and we were not disappointed. The high point was seeing a leopard eating a warthog in a tree in Masai Mara. Wow.
Sylvester who is the director for Seven By Far worked well with us in planning our safari and was at the airport when we arrived in Nairobi and left us off there for our flight home after a unique lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant. Except for one accommodation snag our trip was perfect. It was a memorable trip and we recommend a visit to east Africa for anyone interested in African fauna and flora. Should we return we certainly would use Seven by Far and World Tours again.
BE
Kruger National Park is breathtaking.
Wildlife is abundant and diverse in this huge area of wilderness. As a photographer I had lots of opportunities to take fascinating wildlife portraits. Besides the animals, there's also the breathtaking scenery. I advice you to get up very early in the morning and be ready at the rest camp gate until it opens at 06:00 AM and then jus drive your car and enjoy. The mix of the sunrise, temperature, weather and smell in this natural spectacle will take you away. And each day the spectacle will be different.
The accommodations are just fine as the concept is a rest camp in a wilderness environment. There are several camps located throughout the park.
You can eat in the rest camps. A lot of visitors love to braai, especially the South Africans. Food can be bought in the shops. You can also buy your food supply outside the park which is cheaper.
Being a photographer, I travelled alone and I hired a car. If Johannesburg is your starting point in South Africa you can drive from there to Kruger National Park. But I took a flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport where I could pick up my car.
I'm sure a guide might be very interesting in terms of learning aspects and so forth but as my goal was to take pictures, I preferred to do most things alone. I did a guided bush walk though which you should do also.
Finally there are always surprises. I figured out I hadn't seen a leopard and had two more days to go. But it was okay. And then suddenly the last day as a kind of goodbye present, I saw a mom leopard with two cubs. Superb.
I could go home now. But I went back...
US
Review about Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve by Geoff
Since it's nature a lot of this comes down to luck but on our one morning here we saw a fresh buffalo kill with over a dozen lions feeding on it, and no less than eight rhinos, some with young calves. The atmospherics are a big different than Kruger as it's more green and there's less brush.
US
Great Place for the Big 5
It's a huge park and your odds of seeing what you're looking for are pretty good. We spent two days here and of the big five we got all but the lions (however the leopards are rarer and we did get them) plus zebra and several varieties of impala, gazelle and monkey. We also saw tons of birds including many Lilac-breasted rollers, red, yellow and ground billed hornbills and even a purple crested turaco. The facilities are well maintained and the park is one of the most easily accessible in Africa.
US
Review about South Africa by Geoff
I've rarely seen such a large variety of wildlife anywhere, except maybe Tanzania, and the country has a lot to offer in terms of landscape as well with the panoramic and garden routes. That being said this is one of the more developed and successful countries on the continent so if you're seeking zero other tourists this might not be exactly what you're looking for.
AE
Incredibly Amazing
We spent 3days in Masai Mara and it was incredible. The accommodation was fantastic, spacious, private and the camps chef made excellent food. The guide was excellent I only wished I could stay there longer.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It was bloody Phenominal
Going to Tanzania culminated a dream that began in fourth grade geography class. I remember clearly learning about the densely forested Northeast where Mount Kilimanjaro is located- which is, by the way, the highest free standing mountain in the world. Furthermore, my obsessive drawings of three of Africa's great lakes in Art class further showcased my desire to visit this great land. Lake Victoria- one of the biggest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika the continent's deepest lake and Lake Nyasa. I remember dreaming about the open grass plains of Serengeti which is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value. Over the years, as I grew up, I feared my dreams were a bit to idealistic and imaginary until I finally decided to visit the land of my dreams with Safari Big 5 and boy was I amazed. Through the excellent service of Safari Big 5, my experience on February 2016 was truly magical. It was definitely an experience where reality exceeded expectations.
The service offered by Safari Big 5 was perfect. I was in constant correspondence with my trip advisor who marvellously organised my detailed trip. I was cheerfully greeted as soon as I landed and from there everything was seamless. I visited Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park and Zanzibar. I cannot explain how wonderful each place was so I urge anyone who is, like me, dreaming about visiting Tanzania to go there themselves and enjoy the experience with Safari Big 5.