US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Special Experience!
We did a 4 night 5 day safari through Open Africa Safaris and had a fantastic time. From start to finish John the owner was excellent. Note only that he was helpful and made us feel very welcome , but he is also a true gentleman. In fact, he even changed our flights for us while we were on our safari.
On our safari our guide Anthony was very friendly, knowledgeable, open minded, and very experienced. He has visited in the USA 3 times, and so spoke great English and nothing was too much trouble for him. He did everything he could to make our safari experience special. The meals we had , cooked by Joseph , were also very delicious and we had plenty of food all the time.
Overall we had an excellent Safari experience seeing everything we wanted to see and would have no hesitation in recommending this Open Africa Safaris to anyone.
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thanks to Abakombe Tours
Great Climb
"We climbed Mt Kilimanjaro with Alphonce Kishoke and his team and were impressed with his knowledge and professionalism. We saw many other hikers struggling with the climb and some who were forced to turn back due to errors made by other guides, including inadequate English skills, lack of attention to the condition of their clients and even one person who had to turn back due being given incorrect and unnecessary medications by his guide. Alphonce on the other hand is a consummate and attentive professional with lots of experience, great English and (just as important) excellent high altitude first aid training. We were checked each day for our blood oxygen levels and general condition. At least one member of our party almost certainly wouldn't have made it to the top without Franks care and encouragement. I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to summit Kilimanjaro pick their guides with great care and highly recommend this company.
– Peter Webber- Norway
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Etosha did not disappoint
We stayed in the park for 14 nights and visited all camps. Each camp has it's own highlights, for instance the waterholes in Okaukuejo and Halali or the silence of Onkoshi. There were plenty of sightings every day. Elephants, lions, a leopard, a honey badger, giraffes and other game. We had organized everything on our own and used a rental car for the trip. It's not necessary to hire a guide, just drive from waterhole to waterhole and you will find animals.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An adventure of a lifetime
The service, provided by Encounter Africa and specifically Tolbert, the guide was phenomenal. He knew what he was talking about and helped easily navigate all of the local areas we visited, Bwindi, Kabale and Jinga. Patient with endless questions great with special requests a trooper of a guide. Expert at showing what a beautiful country Uganda is. The places I stayed worked with Tolbert and were friendly and helpful. Home a day and I already want to visit again. Next time I want to introduce my grown children as well. I would absolutely book the trek through Encounter Africa. There is so much raw beauty in Uganda. The land, animals and people provide a mesmerizing adventure. Their country is a gem and Encounter Africa helps make sure the navigation is easy and that you truly get the most possible from your time there!
A dream come true
I am still on cloud 9, having just returned from the holiday of my dreams. Everyone is very welcoming and nothing is too much trouble, all the rangers answer questions with such knowledge and enthusiasm. On the first drive my group saw the big five and there was a friendly rivalry between the rangers which in turn passed to us clients. As we set off, our ranger,Aymer asked us all what we would most like to see so he was able to tailor our desires and hopes. As it was so dry we were able to clearly see leopards stalking, saw twin baby leopards and many other sights at other times would have been impossible. As no more than three trucks view the animals together you can get really close and the animals ignore you, although when a lion cub sharpened it's claws on our wheels we were a little concerned! Being able to go off road made the experience mega exciting, you never knew what we would see, elephants,rhino, hippo, cheetahs, baboons, the list goes on.
The accommodation was very comfortable and clean, with the animals able to wander round as they please you felt at one with them. The food was excellent and the service was second to none with the cheerful and happy ladies. To sum up, if you want a holiday of a lifetime Mala Mala came up with it!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Etosha National Park by Eduardo Canut
Best place on earth to see black rhinos. Okaukuejo waterhole is the best waterhole on earth (saw 3 of 5 big 5, lion, black rhino and elephant). Clear routes. Depends on the time you drive, is hardly to see good sightings. Possibility to see rare sightings like Rock Monitor Lizard.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We are very happy that we chose this company for our Safari experience. The communication was excellent. Before our arrival we kept in touch with David via email. He was very professional and answered all our questions. Upon arrival we were met at the airport and taken to office where we discussed the details of our itinerary then taken to hotel. Our guide in Kenya portion of the trip was "Animal" he was very knowledgeable, professional and accommodating. For Amboseli our guide was Joseph who also was an amazing guide. He aided us with transfer through border to Tanzania and everything went smoothly. In Tanzania our guide was "Ozzy" and he was also amazing! All our guides made sure we saw lots of animals and we were lucky to see Big 5. The service we got with this company exceeded our expectations. I would recommend to my family and friends this company. The staff in the office and in the field made sure we had unforgettable experience! I want to say THANK YOU! For making our safari a truly amazing and unforgettable experience!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of our best private tours anywhere in the world, with a great guide
My wife and I went on a two-week safari with Duma Explorer this April, 2015 and it was a great trip; one of the best private tours we’ve taken anywhere in the world, and at a very good price. The owner Stacy planned the trip and we were guided by Shange. We were initially concerned about spending two weeks with someone in a Land Cruiser, but we particularly liked Shange, who was lively, fun, knowledgeable and particularly good at spotting animals. He has guided Prince Philip and actor Daniel Craig (James Bond). When my wife needed to contact her doctor back in Atlanta he helped her make the call immediately on his own cell phone. He’s one of our favorite guides, ever. He speaks perfect English and gave us a rich sense of Tanzanian culture and wildlife, filled with history and stories. (He has also started his own small school for poor children. He will talk about the school if you ask; we got a chance to see some of the adorable children at the end of the trip.)
It worked well to plan the trip by email and a Skype call to Stacy and we were able to tune the trip to our needs (mostly comfortable tented camps, combining cultural experiences with seeing animals). We stayed the Ndarakwai Ranch in West Kilimanjaro to get over jet lag, Tarangire Safari Lodge in Tarangire National Park, Isoitok Camp in Masaai county near Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge overlooking Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge overlooking the crater, and the Kiota and Chaka camps in the Serengeti. All were comfortable with good food and service.
Our trip was at the end of the rainy season when it’s cooler, less crowded, less dusty and less expensive, but also was sometimes more difficult to see cats in the high grass. (But Shange was able to find a lot, anyway).
Some particular high points of a great trip:
• Walking safari in the Ndarakwai Ranch; we will always remember seeing elephants and giraffes for the first time in nature.
• Spending time with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherer tribe, Datoga tribe and the Masaai near Lake Eyasi. We got a glimpse of how these people live, not very different from centuries ago. Shange and the local guide Hasim were able to visit tribes off the beaten path.
• The Isoitok Camp has extraordinary food and deep commitment to providing clean water to nearby Masaai villages.
• Ngorongoro crater is a Shangri-La for animals; we saw thousands in a few hours.
• The Kiota and Chaka tented camps in the Serengeti, owned by Duma Explorer, were extraordinary: comfortable with remarkable service and a sense of being in the bush, but perfectly safe. Kiota, the newest camp, has hand carved dual sinks in the ensuite bathroom!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb service in every way.
Falcon Safaris are highly commendable. The drivers always turned up on time and the guides were very knowledgeable. The company exceeded our expectations and we were made to feel very special. The safaris were amazing, as we saw far more animals than we expected to. The tour of the falls was spectacular and our guide did not rush us, we always had plenty of time for photographs. All in all a magnificent experience.
Experience level: first safari
10 Night Kruger Safari - North to South
We are a couple & went on the 10 night Kruger Safari with Ryan in May, which was the first part of our honeymoon. Starting from the North - Punda Maria and finishing up in the South - Berg an Dal. Firstly Ryan's passion and knowledge of the park and animals are amazing. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer and needless to say we learned a great deal about all the animals, the park and South Africa. We saw lots of animals including the big 5 and it was really nice to travel from North to South - a great journey that felt like an odyssey.
We booked with Wild Planet late last year, and most of the communication was with Thale - the other half of Wild Planet. She was friendly and very helpful with all questions we had and we had built a great rapport with her. Unfortunately though she wasn't able to be on the tour as they are expecting in August, which left a tour that would normally be run by the both of them to just Ryan. Don't get us wrong, it was a great tour overall and we had a good time but it seemed a lot for one person to run on their own. From managing game drives, daily camp preparation and cooking every meal, Ryan seemed a bit overworked on one or two occasions. We would recommend Wild Planet to anyone, but feel it's a two person operation. Had Thale or a second helper been there as well the trip would have met the expectations we had when we booked it.