CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent advice, organization and follow up during the trip
I was recommended Peter and his company BestDay Safari to exchange on the trip I wanted to do my daughter to see wildlife in Africa.
From the start the exchanges with Peter were very good, Peter spent time to exchange and understand our vacation objectives and helped us to progressively shape our ideal vacation. Peter was very patient and had good avice in sequencing the time we had in the most suitable way.
Once finalized, the journey summary provided by Peter was very clear.
We were very well welcomed when arriving in Tanzania, for the briefing session and meeting with our guide and driver.
The organization of the trip was very well made and we learnt a lot from our knowledgeable guide on the wildlife, while the choice of loges was very well aligned with the guidance for accomodation that we had shared during preparation.
This journey was a lifetime experience and I can warmly recommend Peter and Bestday Safari for the great advice, their experience, sense of organization and the very good and friendly contact.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Pearl of Africa indeed!
Home2Africa and Ballam were such great guides. Uganda was so stunning and a mix of wildlife with Chimps and Gorillas and also safaris was just perfect. Just do your research on areas that may be unsafe ie by Congo border as a few terrorist activities have been happening and we got close to those areas at times.
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Fantastic Safari with Warrior Trails!
We just arrived home after a spectacular, unforgettable, private 13 day safari for me and my husband through the Northern Circuit of Tanzania with Warrior Trails from Feb. 14-27, 2015. Although I have not been in East Africa before, I have traveled to various countries in West Africa for work over the past 20 years. For those of you unfamiliar with doing business in Africa, do not be concerned with working with and transferring money to Warrior Trails in Tanzania. For those safari newbies, do not be afraid booking with a local Tanzanian company rather than the more familiar, famous, international travel company names. Those companies will just be subcontracting out to local companies anyway, you will be paying more money, and your service may not be as good. Also, do consider and price out a private safari (private vehicle and driver) rather than being part of a larger anonymous group. There is no comparison with traveling in a vehicle with 360 degrees of viewing room and no one’s schedule other than your own. The price is much more reasonable than you would expect and may be comparable or cheaper to a group rate with the larger autonomous international tour groups.
Warrior Trails is an impeccable, professional, dedicated, honest, local initiative-supporting tour company. The office staff (in our case, William) is one of the key reasons we ended up choosing Warrior Trails after submitting enquiries to numerous companies. His responses were detailed, options were varied, and our back and forth communication always quick.
The owner of Warrior Trails, Clamian Kitesho met us in Tanzania before we set out on our tour and also at the end of our trip giving us the comfort that our needs would be met. His commitment to bettering the local Maasai villages and education for the children is admirable (a percentage of his company proceeds go to building and supporting a local school complex). With my experience working in Africa for 20 years, I tend to have a suspicious view towards some African charitable operations due to corruption. In this case, I have no qualms whatsoever in donating and supporting the Nashipay Maasai School. During our tour, we visited the Stage 1 school outside of Arusha, and met the teachers and some of the students who must rotate in the classroom due to the overwhelming response of local parents wanting to send children for education.
Our driver-guide for the entire 13 days, Frank Sabore is the reason that our trip was one of the best we have ever had (and we travel a lot!). Frank is thoughtful, well-spoken, kind, competent, careful, funny, happy, intelligent, flexible, conscientious, humble, sharing and very educated about the flora, fauna, and culture. I cannot come up with enough positive adjectives to describe this amazing, outstanding individual. He has eyesight comparable to Superman and can find things hidden to normal individuals and anticipate movements of animals and birds so that you can be ideally placed for very close observation and picture taking. We trusted him implicitly for making decisions on when and where to go throughout the day, and our evening meals with him were very enjoyable.
We stayed in a mix of accommodations at our request, including 4 different mobile tented camps (very fancy camping for me, as I am geologist have spent weeks camping while doing field work), a hotel, a very nice tented lodge at Lake Manyara and a fixed lodge. All of these facilities were good, some quite excellent.
In our 13 days some of my favorite sights included: 11 Black Rhino including a mother and baby in Ngorongoro Crater; 9 cheetahs in 4 hours in Ndutu (3 of which were tiny babies which looked like honey badgers); a lion lounging in a tree in Ngorongoro conservation area. However, it the trip was not just about ‘the Big 5’. It was also about so much more: a wide variety of beautiful exotic birds (Frank knows them all), a large band of playful mongoose, stunning flora and especially developing an understanding of the Tanzanian people and the land they live in. An extraordinary experience we will never forget.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda deserves its title as the pearl of Africa.
We were fortunate to stay 3 weeks for a trip around Uganda with N'Goni safaris, from end November to mid December 2023. Despite the rain season still ongoing the weather was pretty good all the time. The boat ride to see the source of Nile in Jinja was really good and a good start (we did not feel doing rafting). The Kidepo NP was on our tour, and the 8 hours of "African massage" going there form Sipi falls (the road is still being built) were soon forgotten. Another highlight was the Rhino sactuary which is also a great experience. The other big NP were also good to see and experience. Not to mention Bwindi NP and the amazing gorilla trek!! This is THE place to see gorilla!
We were able to see the big five (even if lions were not that close and absent from due to floading in the Ishasha region) and many other species (birds and mammals).
The landscape was varied (with the largest tea plantations we had ever seen), and we had the opportunity to meet different cultures in Uganda.
We definitely recommend Uganda as a country for safari and discovery of Africa.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Safari was an amazing African experience
My visit to Arusha National Park was an amazing experience and a great way to start off my trip to Tanzania! My full day safari in Arusha National Park was one of amazing landscapes and views, as well as incredible wildlife! We witnessed many different species of animals from Blue Monkeys and Baboons to giraffes and numerous birds. One of the highlights of the safari was visiting the Momela Lakes where we viewed thousands of pink flamingos. Even though Arusha National Park doesn't have the large cats such as lions and cheetahs, there are many other amazing species to witness while you are there. An amazing national park to visit for sure!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful trip with an excellent safari company!
We booked our tour in early january, so there was not much time to set everything up. We had a 12 day tour which took us from Entebbe to Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls. We drove all the way by car. This was a bit exhausting, but you get to see country which is pretty interesting. However the trip was a real success. Richard, the head of the company, is a very eager guy. We experienced some problems with the lodging, but Richard sorted it out pretty quick. So in the end it was a great journey with an excellent tour operator. I can really recommend booking with Tamani Africa Tours!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It’s stunning and very welcoming
All 3 parks were special. In Masai Mara we saw many different animals and there was the possibility to visit a Masai village. In Lake Nakuru we saw the rhino and many different birds. In Amboseli you could see the Kilimanjaro. In our lodge near to Amboseli a group of Masai was performing dances and the characteristic jumps. That was fun. The weather was warm, around 20 to 25 degrees and rain was occurring very seldomly. Our driver drove very good and safely and he knew how to handle every situation perfectly. We felt very safe.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lake Manyara is a perfect place for birdwatchers and a gentle introduction to safari for others.
We've seen lots of Elephants in the Lake Manyara National Park. Really, lots of them. And they were so close! We didn't manage to get so close to elephants in Serengeti as we did in Manyara.
It's also a terrific place for bird-watching. We were not a great birds enthusiasts but seeing so many flamingos at one place was a wonderful experience.
If you are not a birdwatcher I would recommend visiting Manyara before entering Serengeti. It's just a great introduction to Safari. You can also spend a night near Manyara in a comfortable lodge instead of campsite. Lodges are much cheaper here than in Serengeti or Ngorongoro.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful introduction to Kwazulu Natal
Booked with Tailor Made safaris following a recommendation and were very pleased with the service. I have mobility issues but a plan was made to help with this so we could experience wildlife, the battlefields and some of the Drakensberg. We loved the Zululand Rhino Reserve, St Lucia and Huhluwe-Omfolozi. The tour of Isandwala and Rourke's Drift with a Zulu guide was inspiring and fascinating, and the Drakensberg were everything we had expected. Great accommodation, good catering and a comfortable vehicle, all at an affordable price. We would happily use them again and indeed hope to do so in the not too distant future.
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great and adventurous country
Our trip to Tanzania was very beautiful. Very nice people and nature. Safari was amazing, 3 days are the minimum.