50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant Safari experience
We did a brilliant 11-day safari with Base Camp in August 2017, travelling the full northern Tanzania circuit including Arusha NP, Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We travelled as a family of 4 adults, with Robert, our guide for the whole time, in a private Base Camp Land Cruiser. Robert was a great guide, he was brilliant at spotting all sorts of things which we would have missed, and he knew where and when to stop the vehicle to observe and take photos of the wildlife. We managed to see everything we wanted to see, including all the "Big 5" (and loads more as well, including the wildebeest migration across the Mara River), thanks mainly to Robert's efforts.
Booking the trip directly with Achmed in Tanzania (the English owner) was easy and friendly. Achmed answered all my email queries very quickly. He also met with us when we arrived, gave us a good briefing and various tips, and he also met with us again on our return for our feedback.
We did a (luxury) tented lodge trip, and the accommodation and food was very good all the time. Beware - this trip requires long days in the vehicle, but this is necessary to cover the distances and also to be around in the parks at the right times - we would not have seen so much otherwise. We also wanted to do a day hike part-way up Kilimanjaro, which Achmed organised for us as an extra "add-on" day with a nearby overnight stop.
It was a brilliant, well-organised trip, and I highly recommend Base Camp Tanzania for a Tanzania safari of any duration !
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 Day Gorilla Safari
I went on the 3 Day Gorilla Safari Tour that Arrive Africa Safaris offers. I coordinated over email with Jessica to setup my Safari trip; she was quick to respond to any questions I had concerning the trip. I was able to have my guide, Ronald, pick me up from Kyenjojo instead of Kampala since I was working in Kyenjojo the prior week. Ronald was my guide for the Safari and he did a phenomenal job during the length of trip. He was very informative and easy-going. The Gorilla Trek itself was fantastic. It only took our group about an hour and a half to locate the gorillas and then we spent an hour observing them and taking pictures. Overall, Arrive Africa Safaris offers a great 3 Day Gorilla Trek; I definitely recommend it. One tip: If you are coming over from the US and you are bringing cash make sure to bring only 50s or 100s that are dated after 2009 and make sure that they don't have tears or stains. The Ugandan banks have strange rules on what US bills they will and won't accept.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great team
Simon and his team ensure that you get best experience when you are with them. This was my second visit with them and I am sure my third visit will also be with them.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It was wonderful
Everything was wonderful... They are very helpful and i felt like i was talking to someone i have known for long time.it was the best experience planning to come back and book again with you.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic East Africa safari experience
After looking for reputable safari providers, I found The Safari Partners and contacted Chris about some of my wishes for my first Safari. After discussing the options, I selected the East Africa Express safari, going to 5 different parks in 10 days, making sure I experienced as much of East Africa as I could. I traveled by myself and ended up in a wonderful, small, group of people with whom I spent the next 10 days traveling, eating, and enjoying the experience. After the pick-up in Nairobi, the Boma hotel was a nice place to recover from the long trip and get ready for the start of the park visits. As soon as we entered the Masai Mara, we saw an abundance of wildlife, including 4 of the big 5 within the first 2 hours. The Ashnil camp in the heart of the Mara was a great experience, and ideally situated for the many game drives over the next 2 days. Moving on to Lake Victoria was a quiet and idyllic break from the game drives, I highly recommend visiting the fishing village of Mwabulugu, a short boat ride away from Speke Bay Lodge, a very nice lodge, especially since they are now on the electrical grid. Do try to get a hut near the lake, the ones further away from the lake get unbearably warm during the night, even with a floor or table fan. We were fortunate that our next stop, the Serengeti Sopa lodge was overbooked and we were upgraded to the Pioneer camp, an experience I won't soon forget. This camp is a treat in every sense, can't recommend it enough, and the Serengeti game drives were wonderful. Onwards to the Ngorongoro crater, which, while a lot dustier than the previous areas, provides a unique environment well worth exploring. Visiting a Masai village on the outskirts of the crater and jumping with the Masai was a great experience also. The Sopa Lodge at the rim of the crater was enormous, very much a mass-tourist experience, but well-situated, with large rooms and good facilities. The next and final stop was Tarangire national park, home of the Baobab tree and once again an abundance of wildlife. The Sopa lodge here was a much smaller scale than the one by the crater, but otherwise very similar in appearance and facilities.
All in all, thank you to Chris, Safari Partners, and the local operators, African Horizons, for making my first safari a fantastic experience. I will undoubtedly return to Africa, see some of the other countries, maybe fly instead of drive between camps, and will select The Safari Partners again as my tour operator.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience with Achieve
Everything went very smoothly, and they were always helpful answering questions and helping out.
JP
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very exciting birding with Paul/Terrain Safari
I was very good birding time at Semuliki and Kibale National Park, Uganda.
I saw many birds were my targets like Green-breasted Pitta, White-bellied Kingfisher and Black-bellied Seedcracker and more.
Also I was very fun at Night Walk at Kibale to see Bushbaby.
Itinerary for mine was perfect that was met my request.
When I will come back to Uganda, I will ask to Paul/Terrain Safari again.
Thank you very much, Paul.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had an overall great experience
We did a 12 day circuit round Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, the crater, Tarangire and Amboseli.
What made this trip were our two drivers, Eric and Godlove who were simply excellent.
Our accommodation on the whole was excellent although several changes were made to our itinerary. However, this generally worked out well.
We were met at the airport and our transfers across the border were smooth.
Having been slightly sceptical of using a non- UK based operator I am glad that we did.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari with Seven By Far exceeded expectations BY FAR!
My wife and I just got back from our 14-day safari with Seven by Far and we have done nothing but rave about our experiences while in Africa. Sylvester was very professional in his communication leading up to the trip and the agenda for our safari was very accurate in its description of what we were to experience in Kenya and Tanzania. He takes a personal interest in the experiences of his guests. He met us at the airport in Nairobi on our arrival and also discussed our safari with us prior to our departure on the last day.
Nick was our driver and guide during our time in Kenya. We can't imagine anyone doing a better job than he did. Nick's communication skills are excellent and we soon felt like he was a friend we had known for a long time. His ability to locate animals was extremely impressive and he is a keen observer of the behavior of African animals, often predicting what we were about to see prior to it unfolding before our eyes. My wife and I are both retired teachers and we asked if we could visit a school sometime during our safari. Nick set up a visit at a rural school (above and beyond normal expectations) and this experience was very special to us.
Benson was our driver/guide while in Tanzania. He grew up as a Masai and we were continually fascinated by his stories of his growing up in the Masai culture. Benson was a textbook of knowledge about the plants and animals of Tanzania.
This was our first trip to Africa and we didn't know what to expect with regard to lodging. We found all of the properties we stayed at to be of high quality, more luxurious than we would stay in back in the United States. There were always a variety of delicious foods available for meals.
We would, without hesitation, recommend Seven By Far for your African safari.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful People and Wonderful Tour
We did a River Boat Tour in Kasane with African Bush Lovers. These people are not only diligent but also persistent. My wife and I had a wonderful experience and I would recommend this trip for anyone! African Bush Lovers is the best!